The Legends Golf & Country Resort
is proud to announce the opening of the Arnold Palmer Palm
Course at the Resort in Sedenak, Kulai, Johor on Sunday,19
April 2009. The soft opening ceremony was officiated by YB
Dato’ Haji Abdul Latiff Bin Yusof, State Secretary of Johor
and witnessed by more than 200 distinguished guests and
members of the press. The ceremony was followed by a round
of golf on the new course.
The spectacular 9-hole,
3,326-metre course complements the existing 18-hole Jack
Nicklaus Course, and is of the highest international
standard.
According to John Hamilton,
Palmer Course Design Company regional Vice President, “The
Legends Golf & Country Resort is really a resort designed so
that the whole will be more than the sum of the parts. Our
portion of the site is extremely attractive. We have a
great responsibility in that it is the Palmer Course that
will be the most visible from the clubhouse.
“Given our design style is very
eco-friendly, we took a strong “less is more” approach to
our site. The rolling hills, mature palm oil palms and
numerous streams have guided us to a design solution that
will provide the players with a golf course that looks as
though it has been completed for many years and already
“matured”.
“We are concentrated on three
esthetic components within the overall design scheme. The
first is the fairways, tees and green complexes. The second
is the transition between fairways, roughs and existing on
site vegetation. The third is the buggy trail alignment
adjacent to the holes and the transitions from hole to hole.
“The fairways, tees and greens
are classic Palmer style. The golf course is long with
generous landing areas from the tees. Multi tees will
permit players of all ages and ability to enjoy the strategy
of the holes. Shaping on the holes is big, soft and
strategic. Every hole will permit the thinking golfer to
choose the amount of risk he wishes to take with each shot,
and reward the successful risk taken with ideal locations
from which to attack the greens.
“The greens are well guarded with
sand bunkers, grass hollows and trees. Low handicap golfers
will appreciate that they can shape their shot to further
enhance their strategic advantage. The greens are big, with
undulation that will test the players ability to judge
movement, pace and optical illusions. Each green is unique
and all waterside or island greens are very close to take
elevations in the best Palmer tradition.
“In an effort to retain as many
of the existing trees on the site as possible, grading was
minimized. This was done through thoughtful route planning
where natural elevation changes were identified and used to
give the holes a specific character. Golfers love elevation
change, particularly hitting from elevated tees and landing
areas and this was given maximum emphasis on the Palmer
course. We do “signature” golf courses, not just signature
holes. All of the holes will be memorable.
“The final component to be
addressed was how the Golfers move through the course. This
is a buggy course and the path winds through the palms in a
natural green setting, letting the Golfers enjoy the
tropical landscaping and cool shade of the trees between
shots.”