Ayodhya Links

Ayodhya Links: At the heart of this very private recent addition to the golfing scene around Bangkok is an excellently crafted design by Peter Thompson and his partners Ross Perrett and Mike Lobb. Here they have created one of Thailand and Asia's best.

Where flat soggy ricefields once lay, the Australian trio sculpted a wonderfully challenging golf course, laid out in two nine-hole loops. A large central lake and several other smaller ponds and canals are very much in play throughout. Perhaps curious that this open parkland layout, with its abundant water features, is called a "Links".

Not unlike Amata Spring (another of Bangkok's top-end private courses), Ayodhya Links follows the pleasing concept of several holes arranged around a good-size central lake ... although here at Ayodhya, a few non-lake holes are intimidatingly flanked by water on both sides. Inevitably for a Thai course, the lake is also home to a testing par-3, which is surely one of the country's simplest, yet most elegant island-green holes.

Although there's nothing much in view beyond the course boundary, the layout's aesthetic appeal comes from the naturally rolling fairways, pleasant elevation changes, charming streams and threatening water features ... not least the central lake. 79 dramatically shaped bunkers add to the stylish looking holes. Plenty of precision shot-making is required as you journey round, especially on your approach shots into the large undulating greens.