Laiza Golf Club
 Gen. Gun Maw drives off of hole 1 at the Laiza golf club | |
| Club information | |
|---|---|
  Location in Myanmar | |
| Coordinates | 24°45′36″N 97°33′48″E / 24.76000°N 97.56333°E |
| Location | Laiza, Kachin State, Myanmar |
| Established | 2004 |
| Type | Public |
| Total holes | 6 |
| Events hosted | 4 annual tournaments on holidays, monthly tournaments subject to military conflict |
| Designed by | Nay Min |
Laiza Golf Club is a golf course and club in Laiza in Kachin State.
History
[edit]General Sumlut Gun Maw of the Kachin Independence Army founded the club in 2004 after playing golf at a reconciliation conference in Yangon.[1] The site is by the river which forms the frontier with China.[1] There was formerly a village there but this was destroyed by flooding in 1991.[1] The course was designed by a professional golfer from Myitkyina, Nay Min.[2][1] Six holes were constructed, starting in 2006, and there are plans to add three holes.[1] This golf course is open to the public for use even during war time. The course consists of 6 holes.
The golfers are mostly army officers or officials of the Kachin Independence Organisation but the course is open to the public and a round costs Ks.1,000/- – about 1 US$.[2][1] The Laiza golf club is argued to be the cheapest golf club in the world.
Holes and features
[edit]The longest hole is 645-yard par 5.[1] Hole 1 is a 358-yard par 4 and hole 4 is a 392-yard par 4.[2] Hole 5 has a memorial to the 1991 flood victims.[1]
The course has 15 sand traps and other hazards including the adjacent banana plantation and river.[1]
There are 8 staff and a clubhouse with refreshments.[1] The caddying is typically performed by girls displaced by incursions of the Burmese army.[2][1]
Events
[edit]There are four tournaments each year which are typically held on holidays.[1] Other tournaments have been held monthly but these may be disrupted by the level of military conflict.[2]