10 of the best golfing getaways

Stick some food down for the cat, call the baby-sitter, tell your boss you've got 'swing' flu and take your pick from these ultimate Asia-Pacific golf experiences.

For the romantic golfing couple: Denaru Golf Club

Location: Fiji

What could be more romantic than a golfing getaway in Fiji? The Denaru Golf Club is the premiere golf club in the South Pacific and features rugged mountains towering over the tropical course and bunkers shaped like marine creatures, a homage to the South Pacific island ecosystem. There are a lot of water hazards on the course so bring your A game. 
Stay: The Sheraton Fiji Resort is the perfect romantic getaway. Guests will have access to all facilities at the adjacent Sheraton Denarau Villas, Wesin Denarau Island Resort and Denarau Golf and Racquet Club, which feature 17 bars and restaurants, six swimming pools, daily activities and spa treatments. Starwood Resorts website. 
Packages: Starwood Resorts golf packages

For the scratch golfer: Himalayan Golf Course

Location: Pokhara, Nepal

You know a course is going to be tough when it is designed and constructed by an ex-British Army Gurkha officer. The visually stunning Himalayan Golf Course outside Pokhara, Nepal, is surrounded by snow-capped mountains and set in a huge canyon with a fast-flowing river that runs through the course. Since it’s opening in 1998, it has drawn worldwide praise for its difficulty and beauty.
Stay: For a relaxing stay away from Pokhara’s bustling streets stay at Begnas Lake Resort, where you'll wake up to breathtaking views of the entire Annapurna mountain range and have the tranquity of Begnas Lake at your doorstep.

For honing your game: Mission Hills Golf Academy

Location: Shenzhen, China

Mission Hills is already known as the largest golf course complex in the world but its Cindy Reid Signature Golf school is a destination in its own right. Both the Elite Golf School for serious golfers and the Women’s Elite Golf School are housed in a state of the art golfing facility. The women are taught by expert instruction from Cindy Reid, who is considered one of golf’s premier instructors while the “godfather of Chinese golf”, Zhang Lianwei, leads the Mission Hills Golf Academy.
Stay: The Mission Hills Resort and Spa.

For the overworked businessman: Sentosa Golf Club

Location: Singapore

Overworked and tired of pushing papers around the office? The overworked office worker can be out of his downtown Singapore cubicle and on the world class Sentosa Golf Club in less than 20 minutes. Just over the Sentosa Bridge from mainland Singapore, the Sentosa Golf Club features two attractive 18 hole championship courses.
Stay: The tropical landscape setting of the Amara Sanctuary Resort is the perfect businessman’s getaway from hectic Singapore.

For a heritage experience: Angkor Golf Resort

Location: Siem Reap, Cambodia

For golfers, the UNESCO world heritage site, Angkor Wat, is not the only reason to visit Siem Reap these days. The Angkor Golf Resort by golfing legend Sir Nick Faldo brings world class golf to Cambodia with his challenging course design. With the stunning natural surroundings just minutes away from Angkor Wat, this resort is definitely worth a stay and a round or two.
Stay: The Royal Angkor Resort offers guest rooms that blend Khmer interior design along with modern amenities.
Packages: Royal Angkor Resort and Angkor golf packages

For old-school golfing: Royal Colombo Golf Club

Location: Colombo, Sri Lanka

The 131 year old Royal Colombo Golf Club is a tranquil oasis in the middle of Colombo. The traditional clubhouse is a step back into Sri Lanka’s colonial past as it is the second-oldest golf course outside the British Isles. Recently the course has been redesigned to challenge both new and experienced golfers.
Stay: The Wallawwa boutique hotel is just minutes from the airport, the beaches of Negombo and downtown Colombo yet remains a luxurious, secluded getaway.

For a regal round: Dalat Palace

Location: Da Lat, Vietnam

The mile-high town of Dalat in southern Vietnam is home to Vietnam’s best golf course and a favorite resort for the past few decades, Dalat Palace Golf Club. Golfers at Dalat Palace enjoy the same five-star treatments former French colonialists received decades ago and the beautifully manicured course boasts Asia’s only golf course that features bent grass tees, fairways and greens.
Stay: The Sofitel Dalat Palace, built in the 1920s, is a lakeside resort that features a colonial, art deco charm.
Packages: Dalat Palace golf special packages

For high altitude: Mount Kinabalu Golf Club

Location: Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia

Perched almost 5,000 ft above sea level and featuring the rugged peaks of Mount Kinabalu, the Mount Kinabalu Golf Club is a golfer’s dream. Winds change direction early and often and the rolling hills create both a mentally and physically challenging round of golf. Mist and fog is common and golfers have likened the course to playing a round in the clouds.
Stay: The Mount Kinabalu Heritage Resort and Spa sits atop a hill about 5,000 feet above sea level with views of the majestic Mount Kinabalu and forests below. Hotel rooms as well as stilt chalets are offered. Stay information HERE and HERE.

For an ocean view: Kawana Golf Resort

Location: Fuji Course, Japan

The Kawana Golf Course was voted as one of the top 100 golf courses in the world and is also known as the Pebble Beach of Japan for its dramatic seaside locale. The 15th hole is one of golf’s most scenic; it requires the golfer to hit a distant green from a high teebox position with a rocky cliff view overlooking the ocean. Not for the faint of heart!
Stay: Golfers who want to play at the Kawana Golf Club must stay at the Kawana Hotel, which features panoramic views of Japan’s venerable Mount Fuji as well as the active volcano Oshima.

For a pampering: Bali Nirwana Bali Golf Club

Location: Bali, Indonesia

Not only is Nirwana Bali Golf Club the best course in Indonesia, it was recently voted the best course in Asia too. Designed by PGA star Greg Norman, the course stays true to its Balinese landscape, meandering from the Indian Ocean to the emerald rice paddies and dense jungle inland. Golfers can be pampered post-round at the club or in the nearby hotel with Balinese spa and massage treatments.
Stay: Pan Pacific Nirwana Bali Resort is attached to the Nirwana Bali Golf Club and is built on a sheer cliff with magnificent views of the Indian Ocean and the Tanah Lot Temple. It also recently won “Asia’s Leading Golf Resort” by the World Travel Awards.
Packages: Pan Pacific golf packages