Golf’s global appeal as a tourist draw will come into play at two exciting events in Siem Reap next month, getting the season off to a rousing start.

Malaysia’s leading golf travel specialists, Liberty Golf Services, roll out the second edition of the Liberty Cup – which is to be held at both the Sir Nick Faldo-designed Angkor Golf Resort and nearby Phokeethra Country Club on March 9 and 12. Participants will play a round at each of the two courses.

Two weeks later, the Foreign Correspondents Club of Cambodia will launch the FCC Nations Cup at Angkor Golf Resort.

The Liberty Cup is part of a series that runs across Southeast Asia at least three times a year, bringing together enthusiastic golfers, local tourism boards and top-notch sponsors.

While golfing pleasure and competitive drive is at the heart of this annual venture, it also serves as a great platform for business networking and tourism promotion between Malaysia and Cambodia.

“We have always been at the forefront of golf tourism and what it can lead to,” Liberty Golf Services general manager Eu Shen Ng told the Post from Kuala Lumpur.

“Our objective is very clear. Promote great golf destinations and showcase our hospitality, brand visibility for our sponsors, inculcate bilateral business opportunities and respond to local charity,” added Ng, who is also the founder and president of the Malaysia Golf Tourism Association.

What makes the Liberty Cup a hit with the participants is the wide ranging variety of prizes, ranging from complimentary hotel stays, golf games, Japanese golf equipment, bags, accessories, air tickets and a shot at the Grand Lucky Draw that offers a Swiss-made Titoni watch worth $2,000.

No participant will leave empty-handed, and the welcome goodie bag that is given away has a retail value of $150.

The responsible tourism element that has been so emphatically brought out by this event has gone very well with corporate companies and the cup will soon have a presenting sponsor for the next two years.

The event sponsors this year include Titoni, Carlsberg, RHB Bank, Malaysian Airlines, Transview Golf, PG Apparels, Fourteen Golf and Partners, PSD Travel, Angkor Golf Resort and Phokeethra Country Club.

Pride at stake in Nations Cup

Come March 22, golfers of varying skill levels young and old will get a chance to play under the flag of their native country in the two-day FCC Nations Cup.

First held in 2008 with a moderate turnout to promote Siem Reap as a golf destination, this event is now a truly international affair with no fewer than a dozen nationalities represented.

While the theme is fun on the links, national pride will be at stake since players represent their home countries in a format that loosely replicates the Ryder Cup.

Fundraiser for local cause

While golfing fun, food and beverages keep the players on their pegs, they will also be involved in promoting a charitable cause. The money raised from a hole-in-one challenge will go to a local foundation created in 2007, Kampuchea House, which supports education and opportunities for underprivileged children.