Lake View Hotel & Golf Club (Desert-Links course)

Lake View Hotel & Golf Club (Desert/Links course): Formerly known as Imperial Lake View, an excellent variety of enjoyable golfing challenges are provided by the 36-holes of championship golf here at Lake View near Hua Hin.

The very good Mountain-nine (A) and even better Lake-nine (B) include wonderfully tree-lined and contoured holes, set in a typically lush Thai environment. The Desert-nine (C) and Links-nine (D) are somewhat different in style, each having its own rather distinctive and separate character.

On the Desert-Links Packard-Fream layout, both nines head out-and-back from the clubhouse, with the later holes passing alongside and in the opposite direction to the earlier holes. Whereas the Desert-nine (1 thru 9) sports many Arizona-style desert features, the Links-nine (10 thru 18) possesses something of the open character of a British links-style course.

Trees are lightly scattered on both nines, where quality shot-making is at a premium, especially on the tightest and most demanding stretch, between the par-5 2nd and the par-5 8th. This tough stretch of Desert-nine holes is continually flanked by either water or OB on the left side. As in Arizona, many of the tee-boxes on this nine are surrounded by gravelly sand, while rocky boulder outcrops are commonplace along the fairways. Saguaro cactus are however not much in evidence.

The inward-nine (Links) is intentionally kept fairly open and links-like, with water only coming into play at the short, doglegging par-4 11th. The greens here, as on some British links courses, are often vast and extravagantly undulating. As the most recent nine, the Links course has contributed to the excellent quality and variety of golf on offer here at Lake View.