British golfing veteran Nick Faldo visited Siem Reap May 2 to inspect the progress of an 18 hole course he designed.

British golfing veteran Nick Faldo visited Siem Reap May 2 to inspect the progress

of an 18 hole course he designed.

Faldo, who has won 43 tournaments and six Major championships in his 29 years as

a pro golfer, endured scorching heat to walk the course with his Faldo Design team

and representatives of Indonesian developer Tony Tandijono, who also owns President

Airlines.

Since breaking ground a year ago, the crew has "shaped" eleven holes and

dug deep water features that have helped provide soil for bunker mounds on the otherwise

flat property.

"I think we've created a very nice golf course, considering it's basically dead

flat," Faldo said after the inspection. "We've managed to get a bit of

movement and a lot of interest and enhance the few natural features that were here."

"This will be a resort-style course, far easier [than tournament courses], but

we always like to keep it interesting for a few very low handicappers to come and

play there and enjoy the challenge," he said.

Faldo stopped to take photos of Cambodian laborers wielding hoes and spades, joking

that he would use the images to motivate his staff to work harder.

The course, located about halfway between the airport and the town, is expected to

take another year to complete, and will give Siem Reap it's first international-standard

course.

Original plans to build a luxury hotel at the resort are being postponed until after

the course is completed, but several five-star hotels are located nearby.

Developers hope it will become a draw for high-end tourists, especially those from

Asia.

While representatives of Angkor Golf Resort declined to say how much the total project

would cost, they said an international-standard golf course usually costs about $1

million per hole to build.

Faldo has designed 12 golf courses around the world and is currently involved in

eight more projects at various stages of construction.

He recently opened a course in Kunming, China, and a rock-strewn Faldo Design course

in Canada was voted best new course by Golf Digest magazine.

The Angkor Golf Resort will add to the facilities catering to golfing tourists and

Cambodia's elite, which include the Cambodia Golf and Country Cub, and the Royal

Cambodian Phnom Penh Golf Club - both just outside Phnom Penh.

Siem Reap governor Sim Son said another 18-hole course was planned for Siem Reap's

Puok district, and Ariston Holdings hopes to complete its nine-hole Ocheteal Golf

Resort in Sihanoukville by the end of the year.

Full Disclosure: The Post was flown to Siem Reap free of charge by President Airlines,

which is owned by the developer of Angkor Golf Resort.