When a golf resort has 36 holes to choose from, it is near impossible not to find one or two 'signature' holes, or discover a set of nine holes that offers the type of golf you like to play. But when you have a 54-hole golf complex the rewards are more often than not, even greater.

Anyone who ventures to the southern state of Malaysia in Johor, to play a few rounds of golf will not be disappointed if they select the 54-hole Tanjong Puteri Golf Resort.

Golfers will find 18-hole tracts, the Plantation, Straits and Village, which are all interesting in their own ways. Each of the courses measure at least 6,185 metres. All have four sets of tees: Blue, White 1, White 2 and Red.

Par for the gang of three is a consistent 72. And, for those who like to study scorecards the names for all 54-holes can be learnt as they familiarise themselves with each layout's colour diagram that is on display to help players plan their round and once on the layout guide them around.

The Malaysian golf boom of the 1980s and a dip in oil palm prices at about the same time spurred the Keck Seng Plantation Group to convert over 800 hectares of land into a golf resort. Max Wexler was hired to design a course that was to keep the integrity of the terrain, which he promptly did. And, as a final touch Wexler arranged for special soft-textured sand to be trucked south from Perak to fill the bunkers he had strategically placed across his beautiful 18-hole creation.

As time went on two more courses emerged a short drive from the main buildings of the resort. The trio of courses for over a decade were known as the A (Alligator), B (Buaya) and C (Crocodile). Eventually, Tanjong Puteri changed the names to Plantation, Straits and Village in part because golfers interpreted the old names as grades, thus they favoured the "A" course, over the "B" with the "C" tract trailing the pack in rounds played.

The Plantation Course
The 6,454-metre Plantation's 18 holes opened in 1992. It remains the resort's most popular experience for both members and quests, in part because it is adjacent to the activity of the property's 20 guest rooms, 34 double storey villas, restaurants and golfer's terrace.

The tract's opening hole is a straightforward par-5 that rises gently from tee-to-green. At 479 metres, it is reachable in two by today's modern equipment by many players. If this game plan is correct for you be sure to avoid a...

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Straits Course
This 6,185-metre layout is home to the resort's largest greens.

While the elevation changes across the layout are not severe and its fairways offer generous landing areas this course that has a slope of 120 and a rating of 71.2, can be a handful when the wind is blown from the nearby Straits of Johor.

Like the resort's other two layouts, the Straits greet golfers with plenty of water. Three of its four par-3 holes present the wet stuff. The toughest of the quartet is the 17th hole. While it is the tract's shortest par-3, at 148 metres, the degree of difficulty for its tee shot is about equal to landing a fighter jet on an aircraft carrier, as an island green must be found. The same ratio of water to...

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