The "Old Course" at Jagorawi is
the jewel of Peter Thomson & Michael Wolveridge’s
design art, a masterpiece. The Par 72, 6019 meters measuring
course is imbedded in natural valleys, inhabited by the
Cikeas river; a truly natural golf course.
Almost no correction to nature was necessary to create
one of Asia’s best.
You want to be careful, not to be "played by the
course", for its natural beauty has more often than
not a strange impact on golfer’s minds.
Unlike other great courses its opening hole is already
one of its signature holes; the 509-meter long par 5 opens
up with a long and accurate drive from a highly elevated
tee to a narrow and sleek fairway. The Nr. 1 at the Old
Course is as demanding as a golf hole can be. You are
well advised to hit a straight shot from the tee if you
want to avoid disaster.
Thomson & Wolveridge could play with nature all the
way; every hole has its own distinguished character.
There is no such hole like a "relaxing" one.
The fairness in the design becomes obvious once you arrive
at Nr. 9; reachable in two for the very long hitter, it
allows score corrections just at the right time to start
the second nine.
The breathtaking 10th, another reachable Par 5 for the
daring players, is the ideal opening for the homecoming
round. You might opt to lay up or just go for it, if you
are long and accurate enough. A boost to your score if
you make it. Again, there is no time to relax or let down
your concentration; the slightest mistakes on the following
holes will prove costly.
The 15th might give you as a long hitter yet another chance
to correct earlier mistakes with a possible eagle putt
on a well-guarded green. However, in order to get there
in two you have to be bold and cut your tee-shot right
over the edge of an intimidating valley, riddled with
rice paddies, from where there is never recovery. A truly
beautiful hole!
The 16th and 17th will lead you to the dramatic finishing
hole, back to the clubhouse. The 18th, Par 4, is one of
the holes you just want to survive; a Par 4 to complete
your round at the Old Course is an achievement and will
make you come back anytime.
The Old Course is challenge and joy for all kind of golfers
and the beauty of the scene might easily let you forget
a high score.
NEW COURSE
No doubt the New Course at Jagorawi belongs
to the high-class golf category anywhere in the world.
A venue for the Indonesian Open it has proven to be one
of the toughest courses in Asia, designed for the lower
handicappers from any tees. The 6322 meters present challenge
from the very first tee to the last put.
The opener with 473 meters is narrow and riddled with
treacherous bunkers in driving distance as well as around
the elevated green. Good course management is a must to
survive the first; a Par 5 is a good result on this hole.
After a very scenic Par 3, second, the third hole underlines
the menacing reputation of the New Course already. Right
in driving distance the fairway is narrowed by to intimidating
bunkers, left and right. Should you lie right between
them, you face a challenging second shot to another elevated
green, guarded by two bunkers and a "mean",
yet picturesque creek in front.
Most of the greens are elevated and well protected and
require high accuracy and "soft landing" in
your approach.
The 8th Par 5 is one hole again for the very bold and
accurate player. You have an option in your personal course
management to aim right at the narrow landing zone of
your drive or lay up safely. The relatively simple looking
hole can be a treasure for your score if you play it wisely
or bring disaster.
After passing the Clubhouse again you might be surprised
to find a "mild" hole at Nr. 10. Good management
allows you to bring home an easy par 5 before you enter
Jagorawi’s "Amen Corner".
The 11th is definitely one of the most dramatic Par threes
you can find on golf courses around the world. From the
back tee it plays in its entire length over the Cikeas
river to a narrow green without any room for error. The
green itself is a tiny peninsula reaching into the Cikeas
river, that encircles it on three sides.
Even from the forward tees, besides just being shorter
to play, the same situation is offered to the higher handicappers
and the ladies.
It continues with an extremely demanding tee shot on the
12th, crossing the Cikeas river once again to another
tight fairway, which leaves you with a "blind"
second shot to a left to right sloping green.
If this was not enough already, you are faced with one
of Asia’s great Par 4’s, the 13th. Your tee
shot comes from the highest point of Jagorawi to a generous
looking landing area; however, don’t be deceived!
You have to keep your shot on the left side of the fairway
in order to have a look at the green far below you over
the Cikeas river again. There is simply no other way to
play this hole than to be adventurous; if you are in the
right position on the fairway, there is no room for laying
up, neither on the course nor in your pride. You want
to make it to the other side or even to the green.
A Par 4 on this hole from any of the tees will make you
jump and rise your fist in the way of the "Tiger".
Amen!
You have deserved refreshment after the relatively short
14th to attack the last four in style.
The 15th Par 3 might lure you into false safety, since
it certainly can give you a break from climactic golf
just behind you; but beware! Don’t let up in your
concentration.
The 16th is another one of these to either make or ruin
your day. 462 meters plays the exciting Par 5, uphill
to a blind landing spot from where you have the option
to be a tiger or a rabbit. The huge and deep ravine, crossing
the entire fairway, will bring out the course manager
inside you; to go or not to go, that’s the decision
you have to make. A lay-up shot might be just a little
wedge, whereas a crossing demands a perfect long iron
or a well hit fairway wood. The 16th is a beauty every
golfer will fall in love with notwithstanding the result
it might bring you; an enjoyable golf hole for the low
handicapper and often an adventure for all golfers.
Many hopes have found a deep and wet grave in the threatening
gorge, however, if you walk away with a Par 5 there, you
find the two finishing holes merely enchanting. A walk
in glory back to the clubhouse.
A golf course that deserves to be in the top 100 worldwide.
Z-NINE COURSE
The dynamic and restless creator and owner
of Jagorawi, Zakir, has put the dot on the I with his
own design of the latest course addition to the Jagorawi
Golf Park. After friendly haggling at length about golf
philosophical issues with the star designers of the first
two courses, Peter Tompson & Michael Wolferidge, he
decided to put his name on the list of triumphant Golf
Course designers. With success! The "Z-Nine"
is something else! A nine hole course of the superlative
crosses the Cikeas river not less than 7 times. Zakir
managed to create a golf course that suits the demanding
top golfer as well as the higher handicapped. The different
tee boxes present a completely diversified golf course
design. It’s long and hard from the back and pleasantly
enjoyable from the forward tees.
The first, starting from nearby the third of the Old Course,
sets the tone from the tee; whereas the back tee of the
312 meter Par 4 requires a long and precise tee shot,
the forward tees open up to a placement tee shot over
the Cikeas river to a narrow but collaborating fairway.
Right after the first green you find out that the course
is made for sporty golfers if you decide to walk; the
"Z-Nine" course offers buggies for the lesser
athletes.
The climb to the next tee box is more than worth the effort,
offering a beautiful view over the next hole. Mostly a
perfect long iron brings you into the right position to
attack the second green, again crossing the deep and picturesque
Cikeas river.
Standing on the tee of the fourth makes you almost automatically
grab for your driver. The tee shot is extremely demanding
and it requires all your stamina and self confidence to
reach the fairway on the other side of the river of this
extraordinary gorgeous Par 5. The designer, however, has
another trick in his hat for your second or third shot;
the hole is reachable in two for the exceptional long
hitter, however, the small green is fully guarded by deep
and treacherous, surrounding pools. Even if you reach
it with your second, it will be hard to stop the ball
on the putting surface and your jubilation has gone out
of bounds behind the green quickly. Thus, the clever course
manager plays a medium iron close enough for a safe chip
shot to the green. Good birdie chance! Don’t dream
about eagles at the fourth.
Another steep climb brings you up to the tee of the fifth.
A straight forward Par 4 which demands an accurate second
shot – over the river again, of course – to
a generous green with its landmark right behind it, the
Jagorawi tree. It’s hard to find a more attractive
hole on any golf course.
You are happy to play par until you arrive at the tee
of the ninth, although the eight Par five will offer another
realistic birdie chance to the long hitters. The designer
probably felt to put you at ease before he leads you to
the last; and you’ll need it.
The downhill Par 3 ninth is as unique as its designer;
it plays 206 meters, over the same river again, to a difficult
elevated green, well guarded by huge bunkers. All you
will do is play with your hearth and attack it. The back
tee requires a very long iron or even a wood, whereas
the front tees again are built for a pleasant medium iron
shot to cover the 163 and 119 meters for the medal players
and ladies respectively.
The starter at the "Z-Nine" has heard the "whoa"
expressions more often than not when the happy players
jump in the shuttle buggies for the ride back to the clubhouse.
The "Z-Nine" is an experience you don’t
want to miss – pleasure mixed with unique dare.
