Cambodia may not be the first place that comes to mind when you are thinking about golfing destinations, but there are many great courses to be played there. If you are unaware of Cambodia, it is a country in South East Asia with a population of 14 million people. Cambodia borders Thailand to the west, Laos to the northeast and Vietnam to the southeast. It is a fairly unique country as most Cambodians are Buddhists, although of course many other religions are represented with large numbers of Muslims and Hindus as well. There are also Christian populations along with a lot of small animist hill tribes that still exist around the country.

There are several golf courses of note near the Angkor-era temple area, an area which is on the must see list of any traveler visiting Cambodia. Angkor Golf Resort is the first PGA standard championship course in the country. It was designed by Nick Faldo and James Gubricky and is nice and fresh only having opened in October 2007. It boasts being the closest major golf course to the main hotel hot spot of Siem Reap, and is a par 72 course with generous fairways and bold bunkers.

Another golf course worth checking out is the Phokeethra Country Club, also only lying 20 km from Siem Reap. It too is close to the international airport and the many hotels that you may wish to stay in while your in Cambodia. It is a noteable course because it features water on 17 out of the 18 holes, the last green on the course is actually an island and definitely leaves you with a memorable experience. Not many golfers could say they have had to use their putter on an island green in order to finish of their game. It is a fairly challenging par 72 course, but is also lots of fun. It has a great golfshop and all of the modern facilities that you would expect.

The Cambodia Golf and Country Club is famous as being the first golf course to open in Cambodia back in 1996. It is located 35 km from Phnom Penh and offers accomodation, and a swimming pool and tennis courts to keep you busy when you’re not out on the fairway. It is a fairly typical Asian style course with palm trees lining the fairways and water features galore. Another course close to the capital of Phnom Penh is the Royal Cambodia Phnom Pehn Golf Club. Its golf course is a rather flat affair nestled in amongst rice paddies and coconut palms. Being so close to the capital it is a favourite with local dignitaries and celebrities.

All in all, when you are wanting golf to be a part of your holiday experience you could do much worse than Cambodia. These courses I have mentioned offer you a lot of choice when you are deciding where to go. The Angkor-era area is already a great destination for tourists, and the golf courses there will surely add to your Cambodian holiday experience. The others I mentioned lying near the capital also have their charms and can be great places to spend some quality golfing time.