Siem Reap Booyoung Country Club

The Siem Reap Booyoung Country Club (Siem Reap Lake) is the third international standard golf course opened in Angkor Wat. The $150 million US dollar course took one year to construct and is located 6 kilometers from the center of Siem Reap town.

The course designer Kentaro Sato is a well-known Japanese golf course designer. No expense has been spared making the Siem Reap Booyoung Country Club the most massive Angkor Wat golf complex. Several high profile golfers played at the course including visits by dignitaries such as the Cambodian prime minister. Luxury villas surround the course, and although unoccupied, each is a sight to behold in its own right.

The Siem Reap Lake Booyoung Country Club layout has generous palm-lined fairways and with five sets of tees. The course is suitable for both beginners and the most accomplished golfers. Both nines open with long par 5's, which is a bit unusual. Additionally, the harshest par 4's are saved for holes 9 and 18, ensuring that golfers keep their concentration through to the end of the front and back, respectively, to score well.

Other unique features of the Siem Reap Booyoung Country Club course are meandering creeks that cross several of the holes and greenside bunkering, both of which demand accurate shot making to score well. Several of the holes feature split fairways making for both aggressive and conservative approaches to the greens. On the other hand, the fairways are wide and flat, and the greens very large, which balances out the course difficulty very nicely.

Course conditions vary through the season in spite of the latest variety of Paspalum grass on the tee boxes, fairways, and greens. The clubhouse stands out as the most significant structure among the surrounding rice paddies. Elaborate saunas and shower areas are available for golfers’ bathing after the round. The main restaurant claims to serve international cuisine, although Korean dishes are usually all that is available.

Metal chopsticks, rarely seen outside of Korea, add to the atmosphere, as do the well-trained caddies who bow throughout the round and at every stop. The overall golfing experience at Booyoung Country Club is decent enough to include on Siem Reap golf holidays.