Tiara Melaka Golf & Country Club

Within its 27-hole layout, Tiara Melaka contains the superb Woodlands-nine, as good a nine-hole loop of undulating, through the jungle golf as you'll find anywhere. With dense jungle lining the way, and a few monkeys probably looking on, this immensely attractive rain forest environment contains many pleasantly undulating and very picturesque holes.

The par-4 3rd is a challenging gem, requiring a strategic decision on the tee, either lay-up and leave a longer approach shot, or drive over a stream that diagonally crosses the fairway, with a tall cluster of trees as your marker. The Meadow-nine gives solid support to the Woodlands; although very well laid out, it doesn't quite provide the same level of naturalness or tropical scenery. The best stretch of holes on the Meadow-nine are the final three, with plenty of water to be crossed, towering trees to be avoided (on the fairway at 17 !) and a fairway hugging lake to be avoided all the way along the rightside of the 18th.

The Lakes-nine, although containing some enjoyable and testing holes, is not quite in the same league as the Woodlands or Meadow, the combination on which most tournaments are played. Although the immaculate greens are large (occasionally huge), the fairways vary from good-width to testingly tight. Maintenance at Tiara Melaka is generally good, although if improved a few notches, this is a layout that could challenge for top honours amongst Malaysia's very best.