Faldo to design new course in Cambodia

Check out most holiday brochures and the Kingdom of Cambodia is fast rivalling Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam as destinations tourists are finding increasingly attractive - with its colourful scenery, multi-cultural people and historic roots.

Keen to expand tourism as its main industry, the government has identified golf as a way of attracting new business and investment and sees Sir Nick Faldo as a key figure in its grand plan to develop the game and generate more tourists.

Sir Nick's next golf course design project is at the Vattanac Golf Resort near Phnom Penh, where Faldo Design is creating two 18-hole championship-standard courses that will sit at the heart of a luxury resort 15km from the centre of the Cambodian capital.

Such is the importance of the project to the country that the Prime Minister, Hun Sen, turned out to meet the six time major champion, before Faldo heading to the site to work on the golf courses’ preliminary designs.

“This is a large site and offers real flexibility to create two completely contrasting golf courses,” said Faldo. “We believe the Vattanac Golf Resort will complement our existing course at Angkor in Siem Reap and further raise the standard for golf in Cambodia and attracting more visitors.”

Sam Ang Vattanac, of Vattanac Properties, respnded that  partnering with Faldo Design was 'a match made in heaven.' The Vattanac golf resort will include at least one luxury hotel and select private residences, catering for the family.

Faldo Design's portfolio of completed projects includes several award-winning designs including Mission Hills in China, Shadow Ridge in Palm Desert, The Rock at the Red Leaves Resort in Ontario and Lough Erne in Northern Ireland.

The company has creations in 17 different countries with current projects  underway on other sites in Asia, including India, Vietnam and China.

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