Sand wedges by the sea

A sweet swing in the tropical beauty.

The tropical island of Samui may be best known for sand, sea and sun, but it has far more to offer the more active visitor than a choice of water sports. Head up into the hills on the northern coast and you can tee off at Santiburi Golf, an 18-hole course that offers not only great views but also plenty of challenges.

Designed by Pirapon Namatra and Edward Thilele, this beautiful course runs along the northern coastline, meandering around cliffs and streams. Fairways swoop up to 290 metres above sea level, and dip down to almost beach level at their lowest point.

Thailand's top golfers, Thavorn Wiratchant (this year's champion), Prayad Marksaeng, Pornanong Phatlum, along with last year's champion, South Korea's Jee Young Lee, were back at the par-72 championship course last week, taking part in the 2008 Bangkok Airways Golf Tournament, now in its fifth year at Santiburi.

"The tournament always draws more golfers to the course," says manager Jakraphong "Pee" Thongyai. "They all want to follow in the gurus' footsteps."

I decided to share some of the challenges with the "gurus" before the tournament, and soon discovered that playing Santiburi's 18 holes feels rather like a hike through the mountains - tough, frustrating, but also tremendously rewarding.

The main difficulties are the wind, the palm trees and the very steep slopes at some holes. Compensation comes in the form of the cooling ocean breeze, the birdsong and the panoramic scenery.

Of course, golfers don't need to exhaust themselves hiking from one hole to the next. Just ask the caddie to take you in a golf cart.

On to the game!

The first hole is not too difficult, the flat fairway giving you the opportunity for par or maybe even birdie. Hit your tee shot right; longer hitters can aim for the immaculate Tif Eagle-grass-covered green.

Hole 3 was the first steep challenge - literally, given the angle of the fairway. Santiburi's guidebook recommends hitting a hard drive off the tee over the splash of bunkers on the left side of the rising fairway. Easier said than done, but it also says par is a good score, which is some consolation.

The view from the tee to the sixth hole is superb, with a waterfall at the back of the green. This is a short par 3 that drops some 40 metres in elevation.

Take a short break and enjoy a cold drink at the kiosk by the sixth tee before you take on the long fairway of this par 4, which is split by palms framing the bunkers.

Climb up to Hole 10, where a real challenge awaits on the green, before heading to Hole 11, a dogleg par 4 that's an uphill climb. You can step back and view the whole hill at the par-3 Hole 12.

The approach to the sixteenth offers a terrific view of the ocean to the right, but don't enjoy the scenery too much or you may find the wind carrying the ball away. I don't know whether I like or hate this hole, but I do understand why it's nicknamed Vertigo.

Hopefully, reads the Santiburi guide, your tee shot should carry the ridge and run away down the fairway, leaving you with a short approach to the nearly unguarded green. Back in the real world, much to my chagrin, I missed! Santiburi's signature - stunningly beautiful but fiendishly difficult - is Hole 17, around 600 yards for male golfers.

"High-fliers often crash and burn at this hole," reveals the manager.

According to the guide, your tee shot should avoid the cliffs along the right side of the fairway, but with the flag obscured, you're hitting blind.

As you reach the summit from the cart path, a panoramic view of neighbouring islands and bays opens up in front of you.

Here, big-hitters will hope for a level lie and a chance to make the green in two. All that stands in their way is 250 yards (downhill) over jungle.

No big-hitter, I drove straight into the left of the jungle.

My approach to the last hole from the elevated tee seemed to hang in the air promisingly, before crashing down 50 metres short.

It wasn't a birdie or even par, but that didn't stop me heading back to the clubhouse and enjoying a well-deserved drink.

A fusion-Thai dinner complete with wide-screen sea view at the restaurant helped relieve my aching muscles even more, and a bottle of wine soon

had me resolving to return to Santiburi for another 18-holes in the not too

distant future.