Angkor Golf Resort

After a relatively gentle par 4 opener, things get interesting with the short doglegging par-4 2nd, where a pair of massive bunkers, that look like the footprints of a giant, dominate the lead up to a green that's attractively surrounded by trees. It's a deceptively hard hole, source of many unexpected bogeys.

That's followed by the longest hole on the course, a 606-yard par 5 requiring a tee shot though a narrow gap between the trees to a thin sliver of safety between the bunkers. There's water all the way up the left and another cluster of sand traps in the landing zone for your second, so you'll still have your work cut out even after the best of drives.

The 7th is a monster of a par 4 at 480 yards, and when it plays into the wind it's best to proceed as if it's a par 5, while the front nine ends with a very long but very pretty par 3 that plays over water to a kidney-shaped green with bunkers either side and steep runoff behind.

The back nine is even better, with the 445-yard 10th requiring a long approach over water to a well-bunkered green and the 11th a much shorter version of the same set-up; the green is just about within reach of long hitters, but the water will impose a stiff penalty for falling short.

The S-shaped par-5 13th meanders through utterly massive bunkers, first on the left then the right, leaving you to carefully plot your way to an elevated green that's tough to hold, while the approach to the par-4 15th plays into a semi-island green with more massive bunkers either side. It's heady stuff.

There's only one bunker on the final hole, a 437-yard par 4 that gently doglegs around water, but the fairway pinches and narrows as it routes towards a small green that sits right on the lake, making for a very tough final approach.

Angkor Golf Resort features a modern clubhouse that has been recently expanded and improved, and with catering provided by Raffles Hotel there's an excellent selection of expertly prepared local and international dishes. There's also an excellent 300-metre driving range for those wishing to hit come balls before taking on the course.

Overall, this is simply a must-play course and should form the centrepiece of any golf holiday in Siem Reap. Highly recommended.