10 Most Stunning Asian Golf Courses

Oct. 1, 2009 — -- It has only been a few decades since golf took off in Asia, but the speed and growth of its popularity has been phenomenal.

As a result, many countries in Asia have constructed and developed world-class golf courses and resort, many of which remain hidden gems to those outside the continent.

Here's a look at ABCNews.com's recommendations for 10 of Asia's top golf courses that might be worth a visit.

Misson Hills Golf Club, Shenzhen, China

The grandiose scope and scale of the Chinese is reflected here in southern China where 12 18-hole golf courses, or 180 holes in total, spread across an area of about 5,000 acres. Just 30 minutes outside of Hong Kong, Mission Hills is the world's largest golf complex and also houses three golf academies, a 5-star resort, three world-class spa facilities and residential developments.

In November, Mission Hills will host the $5.5 million World Cup of Golf tournament for the third successive year.

Each of the twelve courses is designed by and named after some of the world's most famous golf legends: Jack Nicklaus, David Duval, Pete Dye, Nick Faldo, David Leadbetter, Jumbo Ozaki, Ernie Els, Vijay Singh, Greg Norman, Jose Maria Olazabal, Annika Sorenstam, and Zhang Lian Wei.

For golfers with jet lag, night golf equipped with floodlights is available until 2 am.

Greens fees range from $200 to $263, cart and caddie fee not included.

Kawana Resort, Ito, Japan

Known as the Pebble Beach of Japan, Kawana Hotel and its two golf courses are built along red cliffs facing the Pacific Ocean, with the legendary Fuji Mountain as the backdrop. The Oshima course is Japan's first golf course designed by Otani Komyo in 1928. The Fuji course designed by British golf architect Charles H. Allison in 1932 is more for lower handicap golfers -- challenging and with deep bunkers -- but the panoramic view of Mt. Fuji from the greens is simply breathtaking.

The hotel is built based on an old English country estate with a bit of Spanish influence but the rooms offer Japanese-style suites. It is a nice weekend getaway, just a two-hour bullet train ride from Tokyo. Kawana was the honeymoon destination for Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio.

Greens fees: $296 weekdays/$380 weekends

Pinx Golf Club, Jeju Island, South Korea

The first Korean course to make the 100 best courses list compiled by U.S. Golf Digest and U.K. Golf World, Pinx golf course offers 27 holes with a spectacular view of the Halla Mountain and the blue ocean. The course is specifically designed to preserve nature by keeping volcanic cones spread across the island on a grassy plane.

Pinx is a private country club, but tee times are open to visitors from time to time if reservations are made early enough. Chances are better if booked through a luxury hotel concierge desk. The Podo Hotel run by the golf club is highly recommended if looking for a calm and zen-like atmosphere for a night or two. The award-winning boutique hotel has 26 rooms with panoramic views of the ocean or traditional Korean-style garden views.

Green fees: $100 to $120 plus about $200 for caddie fee and cart rental per team.

Spring City Golf and Lake Resort, Kunming, China

The resort is blessed with refreshing spring-like weather all year round. Perfect for idyllic family trips, the resort is just 45 minutes from the airport and offers 73 luxurious Club Lodges Rooms and more than 200 units of resort villas that come with personal butlers.

Two championship golf courses are surrounded by rolling mountains and beautiful natural lakes. the Jack Nicklaus-designed mountain course designed is recommended for beginners, and the more difficult and windy Lake course designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. is suitable for low handicap golfers.

Greens fee: $240 (weekdays) and $284 (weekends)

Blue Canyon Golf Club, Phuket, Thailand

Three-time host of the Johnnie Walker Classic, this 36-hole country club in Phuket is built on an abandoned tin mine surrounded by rubber plantations. The Canyon Course and the Lakes Course are cradled in a 720-acre valley where each hole has a magnificent view of the beautiful Phang Nga Mountains and the Andaman Sea.

For golfers with water hazard phobias the Canyon Course may well turn out to be a nightmare. Designed around freshwater lakes, there are 14 water hazards with a number of challenging par 3s. For long drivers, try out hole 13 -- "The Tiger Hole" -- across the lake, bunkers, and trees for a par 4 'one-on'. The hole is named after Tiger Woods who once shot across 270 yards from the black tee past the canyon plunging into deep waters and successfully landed his spectacular drive shot on the green.

The club's spa lodge offers rooms, suites and apartments that have up to five bedrooms.

Greens fee: Canyon Course $165, Lakes Course $118, cart and caddie fee not included.

Nirwana Bali Golf Club, Bali, Indonesia

This 18-hole par 72 course designed by Greg Norman is surrounded by beautiful scenery of rice paddies, tropical trees, creeks and the Indian Ocean. Along the right side of hole 12, Balinese temples under tall coconut trees welcome golfers. The most dramatic tee shot will be the par 3 hole 7, which measures 214 yards from the tee box past the fairway across the Indian Ocean and onto the green. Make sure the check the speed and direction of the ocean wind and choose at least one club longer that you'd normally use.

Tee times are not easily accessible so it is safer to make reservations at least five days in advance.

Greens fees range from $165 to $175, caddie and cart included.

Sentosa Golf Club, Singapore

The year-round humid weather in Singapore may not offer the most pleasant experience, but early morning or late afternoon rounds are not so bad.

The Sentosa Golf Club is only 30 minutes away from the main shopping Orchard Road district where most foreigners stay and shop. The two courses -- The Serapong and The Tanjong -- boast beautiful landscapes carved inside the resort island with plenty of colorful flowering trees, towering palm trees, and lotus ponds.

Panoramic views of the Singapore harbor and the South China Sea throughout the 36 holes offer a unique experience. If faster greens are favored, The Serapong course is recommended. It just went through an $8.5 million renovation in 2007 upgrading course design and greens technology.

Green fees: $229 to $358, cart fee not included.

The Golf Club Datai Bay, Langkawi, Malaysia

Golfing in Datai Bay could be a unique once in a lifetime experience, swinging golf clubs instead of machetes inside a jungle. Throughout the 18-hole par 72 course, lucky animal lovers can easily spot monkeys, iguanas, snakes, scorpions or anacondas, all danger-free according to the golf course managers.

Golf Club Datai Bay boasts beautiful scenery with views of the Andaman Sea and is surrounded by a rain forest millions of years old in an 8,000 acre Gunung Mat Chin-Chang forest reserve.

Greens fee is $120.

Phoenix Country Club, Miyazaki, Japan

Located within the Phoenix Seagaia Resort Complex, 27 challenging holes -- Sumiyoshi, Takachiho, and Nichinan -- are nestled amid a lush black pine forest just along the coast of the blue waters of the Hitotsuba Pacific. An additional Tom Watson golf course is built within the complex.

The resort hosts Japan's highest-prized Dunlop Phoenix Tournament every year on the Sumiyoshi and Takachiho course. Poor putters must hold their breaths, as greens on this golf course are extremely fast most of the time.

Greens fees range from $200 to $440.

Ria Bintan, Bintan, Indonesia

Ria Bintan boasts two 18-hole championship golf courses set around powdery white beaches, pristine emerald waters and lush tropical forests. Just a 40-minute ferry ride away from Singapore, this resort is one of the favorite destinations among expatriate families residing in Southeast Asia.

The resort is an 1,100-acre project that includes Club Med Ria Bintan and more than 1,500 resort homes in front of the beach. Both the Ocean Course and the Forest Course were designed by Gary Player. But if there's only time for one round of golf, the Ocean Course offers fabulous scenic views in and out of the jungle and the oceanside. Beware of tough bunkers wrapped around with high grass.

Greens fees range from $78 to $109, plus $14 caddy fee.

Sehee Park, Heejin Kim, Danbee Lee and Monica Suk contributed to this article.