Phnom Penh does not immediately announce itself as a golf destination. Arriving from the airport into the city's contained chaos — tuk-tuks threading through broad boulevards, the golden spires of the Royal Palace catching the late afternoon light, the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers meeting at the Chatomuk confluence — it feels more like a history lesson than a fairway. That contrast is precisely why golfers who make it here tend to come back.
Cambodia's capital has changed dramatically in the past two decades. The riverside promenade, once modest, is now lined with restaurants and bars that would hold their own in Singapore or Bangkok. The French colonial architecture has been carefully restored in pockets of the city. And quietly, about 20 kilometres from the city centre, one of Southeast Asia's most distinctive golf experiences has been operating for years without nearly the recognition it deserves.
Vattanac Golf Resort: The Headline Course
Vattanac Golf Resort is Phnom Penh's finest course and the centrepiece of Cambodia's capital golf offering. What makes it immediately distinctive is its setting — the course is laid out adjacent to ornate Cambodian temple structures, creating a visual backdrop that has no equivalent anywhere else in regional golf. Playing a mid-iron approach with a gilded pagoda framing the horizon is the kind of moment that gets talked about around the table long after the round is finished.
The layout itself is a quality parkland design with generous fairways off the tee and greens that reward precise approach play. Water features prominently on multiple holes, and the course conditioning is maintained to a standard that regularly surprises first-time visitors who arrive with modest expectations. The greens run true and consistently, and the fairways recover quickly from heavy use — a function of the quality of the groundskeeping operation.
The caddies at Vattanac are among the more experienced in Cambodia. They are accustomed to guiding international visitors around the layout and carry good knowledge of the greens — useful, because the subtle breaks can be deceptive when you're reading them for the first time without local knowledge.
Phnom Penh Beyond the Fairways
The non-golf layer of Phnom Penh is rich in a way that rewards even a short stay. The Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda complex is one of Southeast Asia's most impressive surviving examples of traditional Khmer court architecture — the Throne Hall, with its multi-tiered towers, is genuinely arresting, and the Silver Pagoda's floor of 5,000 silver tiles and collection of Buddhas made from gold and crystal justifies the crowd. Allow at least two hours.
The National Museum nearby houses the world's finest collection of Khmer sculpture, including several pieces from the Angkor period that are more accessible here than anything on-site at the temples. It is a twenty-minute walk from the Royal Palace and tends to be quieter in the mid-morning.
For food, Phnom Penh's riverside restaurant strip and the streets immediately behind it offer exceptional Khmer cooking. Amok — a fragrant coconut-milk curry steamed in banana leaf — is the dish most associated with the city, but the fish preparations from the Tonle Sap lake system, the French-influenced baguettes from the morning markets, and the fresh fruit are all worth pursuing. Street food along Street 278 and around the Central Market is consistently good value and locally authentic.
Practical Information for Golfers
Phnom Penh is most comfortably visited between November and February, when the dry season keeps humidity manageable and afternoon temperatures sit in the low-to-mid 30s. The ASEAN Links Cambodia tours are timed to catch this window — the February departure for the Cambodia Kingdom and Courses tour (Feb 22 – Mar 1, 2027) lands squarely in the best playing conditions of the year.
Dress codes at Vattanac are standard resort-smart: collared shirts, tailored shorts or trousers, soft spikes. The course has a well-stocked pro shop for any equipment needs, and the clubhouse restaurant offers good food before and after rounds.
Currency is the Cambodian riel, but US dollars are universally accepted and preferred for larger transactions. Tipping caddies in US dollars (typically $5-10 per round) is standard practice and appreciated. The team at ASEAN Links briefs all guests on local tipping conventions before arrival.
To join the Cambodia Kingdom and Courses tour or ask about adding Phnom Penh to the Grand ASEAN Tour 2027, contact the team on WhatsApp (+84 70 327 1844) or at aseanlinksgolf@gmail.com.