shangri la Hambantota golf course,
Sri Lanka

Above: Dogleg left, par 4, 3rd hole with bunker guarding the courner

I am surrounded by coconut and palm trees as I step onto the 1st tee at the Shangri La course in Hambantota and first impressions are very positive. Apart from my slightly skied drive I can’t wait to see more. The slightly raised green at the 1st hole I realise starts to become a theme as I reach the 2nd green, as is the framing of the greens and fairways by coconut and palm trees. Now I will say the fairways are generous and I think understandably, with this being a resort course.

But as I make my way round the dogleg left 3rd hole, where I’ve decided to try and cut off a bit too much and have gone from the very sticky rough into the large bunker, I have upped and downed it for par! They are not ridiculously wide and do offer the better player a test.


The first par 3 arrives at the 4th and is played over water and at 197 yards from the blue tees – there are three teeing options here – it will certainly test any golfer. The 5th named “Coconut Alley” pretty much describes itself, but it’s at the 7th hole that the course changes and opens up.

It’s a two-to-three-club wind today and with the openness of the next couple of holes especially at the island green par 3, 8th hole, club selection is key. The front nine comes to a close with another wonderful aesthetically pleasing hole this time named “Monkey Business” and is again played to a slightly raised green, framed by coconut trees.



Left to right: Water features heavily at Shangri-La this is the 13th, 15th and 18th holes

Holes 10 and 11 see us back out in the open area part of the course and two really well-designed golf holes with risk and reward at both with water coming into play. The 12th is when the first of the par 3s arrive on this nine, which has lots of bunkering down the left and a two-tiered green that plays across you, and I have managed to put it in the bunker and not get out!

If you play with a hook then the tee shot at the 13th is going to be tough, but this dogleg left is another perfectly framed hole by coconut and palm trees. The second par 3 on this nine arrives at the 14th and while from the back tees it weighs in at only 142 yards, club selection is key to this tricky green.

Above: Aerial view of the 13th and 14th holes

After the twisting and turning of the Par 5, 15th known as “Viper” we hit the homeward stretch with the sea coming into view at both the “Ocean Corner” and “The Tempest”. The course comes to a close with another par 3, this time weighing it at 182 yards, which has water on the left and bunkers on the right and could certainly wreck your card with one bad swing. Fortunately after coming up short I chip in for birdie – much to my caddy’s delight and mine of course.

It has been another wonderful day’s golf. I do think they could make more of the sea holes and replace the bushes with coconut and palm trees so you can actually see the sea, but I am not sure how ecologically that would work.

Above: Aerial view of the 16th hole with the sea and the beautiful sandy beach