Although some golf courses have been temporarily closed due to Covid-19, Vattanac Golf Resort is trying to bring the sport in Cambodia to world class levels.
The resort, owned by Vattanac Properties, has opened a state-of-the-art golf academy near Phnom Penh.
By the end of the year it will be fully functional with classes for all levels.
Professional golf coaches from Els Performance Golf Academy in Malaysia will teach at the academy. Head coach is the South African David Lamprecht, who qualified for the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) and turned professional at the age of 20. In his early playing years, David participated on tours such as the Asian Development Tour, IGT and the Big. part easy tour.
Lamprecht has taught in courses in many different countries. Highlights include the golf instructor for Club Med, Indonesia, the head instructor for Urban Fairways, Singapore, and most recently the golf academy manager of the renowned (Troon-run) Els Performance Golf Academy, Malaysia.
Vattanac Golf Resort is one of more than 600 golf courses managed by Troon Golf worldwide, headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, USA. Nine golf courses are listed in Cambodia.
The academy is the next step in Troon’s grand plan to expand golf in Cambodia internationally. It hopes to host major international tournaments and attract the attention of the golf tourism industry.
The Vattanac Golf Resort has two professional 18-hole courses and an extensive driving range. It employs more than 200 people for general course maintenance only and has over 400 people in total.
The squares adorned with statues represent Cambodian history and culture and offer players a unique experience.
The courses were designed by the Englishman Sir Nicholas Alexander Faldo, who was also the architect of the Angkor Golf Course in Siem Reap. Faldo, 64, was the best professional golfer of his time with 41 professional victories and later became a commentator at major golf championships.
Vattanac’s driving range has 44 bays with the EaglyTry system, which means minimal handling is required. A ball is lifted out of the ground, bent up and ready to play by pressing a button.
The 2011 tournament in the United States, hosted by the Professional Golfers’ Association, generated revenues totaling $ 1.2 billion.
The economic impact of golf tournaments and golf tourism varies from country to country depending on how popular the sport is. According to SQW, an economic and social development analyst and consultancy firm in the UK, the monetary value of golf tourism in Scotland alone was $ 394 million between 2013 and 2020. It created 4,700 jobs and made up 20 percent of the country’s economy, according to the PGA.
Now Cambodia is looking for a piece of the pie after Covid.
- Keywords: Resort, Vattanac Golf Resort