Located not far from Johor's capital city of Johor Bahru, Pulai Springs Resort is home to two championship golf courses. The Pulai course is an outstanding Trent Jones II design, given great character by its ever-present and very stylish bunkering. Like its companion course, the Melana, the holes are laid out on constantly undulating, lightly tree-lined terrain. Although the good-width fairways will appeal to big-hitters, sand looms large for wayward drives and for approach shots that are either short or slightly offline to left or right. You will often get a great look at the hole ahead from several wonderfully elevated tee-boxes. The requirement is usually for a well-placed tee shot, then a carefully judged approach shot to an elevated green, usually fiercely defended by a multiplicity of deep bunkering. The downhill par-5 9th has the greatest elevation change, although it can be argued that the best holes come on the back-nine. The par-3 13th, with its island tee-boxes lined up towards a water-surrounded green, is one of the most memorable. Bunkers galore lie in wait at the short par-4 16th. Also in common with the Melana layout, the Pulai finishes with a long uphill par-4, played to a heavily bunkered and elevated green. The quality, presentation and maintenance, never easy in tropical countries, is generally excellent, without necessarily being immaculate in all departments. Beyond the course, large swathes of what was dense jungle have been cleared to make way for Johor Bahru's urban sprawl. Thankfully the housing developments do not interfere with or detract from the excellence of the wonderful Pulai course.