Siem Reap’s Angkor Golf Resort has snapped up PGA professional Alan Martin, a highly reputable coach from the St Andrews Resort, to enhance the guest experience at the award-winning Sir Nick Faldo-designed links and bolster its academy and grassroots development programs.

Almost 10 years as a pro, Alan Martin was looking for a new adventure at the start of 2015 and he has now got his way by joining the AGR team in June, hopping over to Cambodia from a one-month teaching position he last held at the Royal Selangor Golf Club in Kuala Lumpur.

“Alan Martin is an excellent addition to the team and I’m looking forward to working with him.’’ said AGR’s director of golf David Baron, who is himself a member of the British PGA.

“Alan Martin brings a wealth of experience from both private and resort style facilities and I have no doubt that he will enhance the guest experience here at AGR. His appointment also provides us with the opportunity to further develop local golf at the grass roots level.’’ David Baron said.

Martin appears eager for a new challenge.

“The Faldo Design Championship golf course is very impressive and when I visited it felt right . . . It was a similar feeling when I applied for the job in St Andrews,” he said in a statement made available to the Post. “Angkor Golf Resort is new and fresh and I’m excited to get started and looking forward to implementing my ideas and knowledge.

“Southeast Asia is a booming golf destination and a large part of the remit will be developing a new purpose built golf academy and driving range with an emphasis on growing the game from grassroots in addition to further developing the golf operation and service standards of the resort.’’

Alan Martin, whose amateur days came out of Eyemouth and Dunbar GC in Scotland, turned professional in 2006 and graduated from the British PGA Degree Program certified by the University of Birmingham in April 2010. Shortly after, he took up the position of head assistant professional at the Duke’s Course in St Andrews.

“As golf pro, the opportunity to work in St Andrews, the home of golf was a dream move. My first year in town and the 2010 British Open was just around the corner,’’ Alan Martin said.

In February 2014, a place on the Kohler Company Exchange Program took him to Kohler, Wisconsin, and to the American Club and Whistling Straits, host of 2010 and 2015 USPGA and 2020 Ryder Cup.

Martin applied for the Head Pro position at the Angkor Golf Resort while he was in Malaysia and made contact with David Baron and flew down to Siem Reap. “You could say right place at right time,’’ Martin said.