1. PARGOLF MARCH 201182 PARGOLF MARCH 201182
It’s almost midnight on a Saturday
when I get to my humble abode in
Kuala Lumpur after a two-day
assignment. I’m beat, starved and in
dire need of a stiff pick-me-up (after
all, it’s Saturday night). I chuck my
trusty hand luggage aside and plop
myself on my couch, mindlessly
reaching for the TV remote control.
Tyra Banks appears in what looks
like a reject from Tim Burton’s
Corpse’s Bride closet, Man v
Wild’s Bear Grylls just grudgingly
swallowed the testicles of a freshly
slayed goat. But I can’t hold my
mind still – it keeps hauling me back
to the faces I had left behind just
two hours ago, to the ‘Garden of
Eden’ that had been ‘home sweet
home’ for the past two days. A gush
of warmth engulfs me, and I
helplessly give in – smiling as I
revisit my hurried but honeyed
sojourn at Pulai Springs Resort.
Cosily tucked amidst a plethora
of flora and fauna at the foothills of
Mount Pulai in Johor, Pulai Springs
Resort (the Resort) is a world-class,
award-winning resort with five-star
facilities, located just 15 minutes’
drive away from Johor’s Senai
Airport and more or less an hour’s
drive from Singapore’s Changi
International Airport. As tall trees
My So
HEAVENLY
My So
HEAVENLYHEAVENLY
Sojourn
‘More Than Just A Golf Resort’goes its tagline, but is Pulai Springs Resort all that it’s
cracked up to be? SYAMA RAMASAMY unequivocally agrees
PARGOLF MARCH 201182
travel&leisure I PULAI SPRINGS RESORT
Inviting bedroom of the Premier Executive Suite at The Anugraha
The magnificent clubhouse of Pulai Springs Resort
overlooking Hole 18 of Melana Course
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2. MARCH 2011 PARGOLF 83
that line the long stretch of gorgeously
manicured fairways pass me by, the Resort’s
clubhouse loom into view like a page right out
of history – breathtaking and overwhelming.
Built reminiscent of an ancient royal Malay
palace, it is an architectural concerto with high
vaulting roofs, massive Cenang timber
structures, lustrous marble floors – elegantly
embellished with arduous wood carvings that
bore traditional motifs.
Landing the perfect balance between
tradition and au courant, the Resort’s
Ramayana Lounge is a masterful play of
polished woods, relics, wood and stone
carvings, and kain songket (an ethnic fabric).
The ancient epic of Ramayana lay etched in
stone, literally, on four carved wall panels – a
glorious work of art that almost demands closer
scrutiny. Awe-struck, I try feebly to capture its
sublime intricacies on my camera. The
architecture and ambiance of the lounge carries
through the entire clubhouse with roof gables,
intricately carved ventilation panels, koi ponds
and terraces – maintaining its exquisite artistry
of wood carvings and marble floors with a
copious display of antiques and intriguing
artefacts.
There are two options for accommodation
at the Resort: Cinta Ayu All-Suites, the chic
313-unit full service hotel apartments; and
boutique hotel The Anugraha. I did a quick
mental Lindy Hop when I found out that I had
been arranged to stay at the latter. The images
I had previously seen of its ritzy rooms instantly
filled my head, and when I waltzed into my
super luxe room, I fell to my knees and thanked
all the Gods for I had just died and gone to
upper-crust heaven. A tad melodramatic? Not
if you have seen these opulent, resplendently
furnished rooms and suites. Each of the 22
units at The Anugraha (which means ‘the
blessings of God’ in Sanskrit) boasts
breathtaking views of the clubhouse and the
finishing holes of its two championship 18-hole
golf courses, Pulai and Melana. And as the rain
shower in the bathroom worked its magic on
me later that day, I truly did feel ‘the blessings
of God’. Ah, sweet epiphany.
I had the pleasure of dining at the Resort’s
multiple restaurants during my stay, including
the illustrious (and halal) Qing Palace Chinese
Restaurant, famous for its Szechuan Hot and
Sour Soup and Camphor and Tea Smoked
Duck, and The Gleneagles Terrace, an English-
style restaurant that serves both local and
Western cuisines. And one of its must-tries?
The rich, oh-so-flavourful, almost orgasmic
consommé of Oxtail Soup. And I don’t even
(normally) eat beef! (And I usually reserve the
‘O’ word to describe my favourite ungodly sin
– chocolates.)
Flanked by the timber-laden, two-tier
driving range and imposing banquet and
convention halls such as Dewan Kencanapuri
and Inderaputera, the clubhouse also houses
Elephant and Castle, the Resort’ typical English
Wind down at the terrace
overlooking Hole 18 of
Melana Course
Dewan Inderaputera – perfect for occasions both
corporate and private
Gleneagles Terrace
serves sumptuous cuisines
both local and Western
Calm your mind, senses and body at The Pulai Spa
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3. PARGOLF MARCH 201184
pub with an Asian twist – yes, karaoke!
Of all the five-star facilities that the Resort
had such as the three resort-style pools, state-
of-the-art gym, steam and sauna rooms, tennis
and squash courts, and games room, a couple
of them particularly stood out. The indoor
Jacuzzis shared their space with an alluring
man-made grotto sprouting occasional shower
heads. (Ooh la la, I can so picture all kinds of
caramelized romance in here.) And if the
faintest hint of boredom wiggles its way in at
any point, just scoot over to the Theatrette in
the clubhouse and get up to speed with some
of the latest box-office flicks in absolute comfort
– complete with drinks and popcorn! Oh, did I
mention the 100-year-old billiards table in the
games area? With antique shotguns decorating
the side wall, by the way, so you may want to
resist wagers of any kind while showing off
your trick shots on this four-legged oak from
days of yore.
To exhaustively narrate the magic of Pulai
Springs Resort (and my plush, pampering ‘pad’
at The Anugraha) is quite impossible,
considering that three pages is all I’ve got. The
classy, indulging accommodation, first-rate
dining options, services and facilities were
second to none. But what truly made a lasting
imprint on my heart was the staff of the Resort
– unpretentious and, for lack of a more fitting
adjective, genuinely sweet. Imagine my surprise
when the bellman (who was to buggy-drive me
to breakfast) brought me to his favourite spot
instead. He proudly pointed to the dazzling
fairways at the back of the clubhouse – glowing
with an aura of blissful serenity in the morning
sun. “I love this place,” says the young man,
adding, “It makes you forget all your troubles
and gives you peace.”
So there, I couldn’t have said it any better
or more eloquently. Man, I miss the place
already. (Errr... boss, didn’t you promise me a
birthday treat at Pulai Springs Resort?) ■
PULAI SPRINGS RESORT
20km, Jalan Pontian Lama
81110 Pulai, Johor
Tel: 07-521 2121
Fax: 07-521 1818
www.pulaisprings.com
Pulai Springs Resort boasts two 18-hole
championship USGA Class golf courses; the
Pulai Course (designed by Robert Trent Jones
Jr) and the Melana Course (designed by Peter
Dalkeith Scott). Both are of distinction and
provide the ultimate challenge with memorable
signature holes amidst varied terrain, water
elements and elevation changes.
One notable signature hole at the Pulai
Course is Hole 13 – a par 3 with a yardage of
187 and two unique island tees which require
‘do or die’ shots. A long par 3 at Hole 15 plays
uphill to a green with bunkers on the left and
the front right.
Known as ‘The Marsh’, Hole 11 of the
Melana Course is a hole to be reckoned with.
This is a long par 4 with a slight dog-leg to the
left featuring a marsh on the left side of the
fairway and a huge island bunker. Hole 15 (or
‘The Challenge’) is a par 5 of 489 yardages
with a wide landing zone followed by a narrow
fairway with dog-leg to the right and bounded
with boulder streamers and weirs on both sides,
calling for strategic ball placing.
HAVENAgolfing
travel&leisure I PULAI SPRINGS RESORT
PARGOLF MARCH 201184
Stunning night view of the lap pool
Holes 18 and 13 (in the back)
of Pulai Course
Pulai Spring Resort's impressive driving range
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