You have to get out of your comfort zone and negotiate a 40-km journey, which at times can test the limits of your patience, to get there. But the majestic Arabian Sea Country Club is certainly worth the hassle.

For a golfing connoisseur in Karachi, its 18-hole par 72 course is an ideal retreat to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and play a high quality round of golf.

The club made an instant impact when it first opened its doors to hordes of founder members back in the summer of 1997 and is today regarded among the best golfing facilities in the country.

A brainchild of Javed Burki, it offered many other sporting facilities but it was its picture-perfect golf course that provided the club the sort of oomph needed by a newcomer to make its place in the market.

Designed by K. Okada San of Japan’s Taisei Corporation, the course weaves its way over and around a picturesque landscape. It has inviting fairways, undulating greens and enough bunkers to form your own desert.

"We have 88 bunkers on the course," says Arif Ali Khan Abbasi, the club’s CEO. "They add to the challenge of playing on a course which has lush and inviting fairways."

It’s not just all sand. The course has just enough water to whet (or wet) the appetite.

DESIGNER: K. Okada San (Taisei Corporation, Japan)

OVERVIEW

FRONT-NINE

The par-4 opening hole offers the possibility of a great start to your golfing out. All you need is a good, solid drive from the tee. If you do that there is a big chance to land on the generous green with your second shot. But beware because there is a hazard on the left and jungle on the right and an inaccurate tee shot can land you in trouble.

The par-3 2nd shouldn’t be a difficult one if you can hit straight. Just aim at the centre of the green.

But the next one has the ammo to spoil your card. The par-4 third is regarded as the toughest hole on the front nine as there is OB and water on the left and jungle on the right.

TIP: You have to go for a safe, straight drive. Avoid the short-cut.

You need a good second shot for a par on the par-5 fourth which is punctuated by a few bunkers. It is followed by a challenging par-3 with a hazard on the right and a bunker just before the green.

The par-4 6th requires a good drive otherwise you will need at least three shots to get to the green.

With a narrow fairway bordered by OB on the left and jungle on the right, the par-5 7th demands an accurate tee shot. It’s important to play safe on this one.

The par-4 8th can be a tough one as it’s difficult to reach the green in two shots and in addition there are bunkers on either side of what is a smallish green.

The last one on the front nine is one big sand trap with a series of bunkers. You have to be careful otherwise your game in the sand could be tested to its limits.

BACK-NINE

It’s longer and more challenging than the front-nine. The par-4 10th has two bunkers sitting next to the generous, sloping green. A good tee shot can make your job easy here. It is followed by an easy par-5 where a long shot off the tee can help you sink a birdie. But the fun ends here. The next one could be a tough nut to crack. The Index-1 par-4 is a longish one with strategically-placed bunkers. The green is small by ASCC standards and you need a good approach shot to avoid a bogie.

SIGNATURE HOLES

The par-3 13th takes the challenge to an even higher level. Many regulars see it as the course’s signature hole. There are various traps in the form of water and a deep bunker and you have to hit the green from the tee to save your card.

The picturesque par-5 14th is also regarded as ASCC’s signature hole due to a variety of factors. It’s a beautiful hole with a lake and trees but don’t be fooled by its beauty. Even top pros see it as the toughest hole on the course. It offers a difficult second shot with little margin for error.

TIP: Play it safe. Try to hit as straight as possible. There is no need to take risks because this one can really punish any adventurism.

The par-4 15th is a tough, Index-1 hole where you have plenty of water on your right when hitting a crucial second shot.

TIP: Try to hit a solid shot off the tee.

Once you are safely through the danger zone (holes 12-15) you can start breathing easy. The par-4 16th is a straight one followed by a par-3 where a firm 9-iron shot can get you on the green. You finish off the round with the par-4 18th where your biggest challenge is the wind. Hitting into the wind you need a strong tee shot and once you do that the only thing you need to be careful about are the various bunkers.

TIPS:

Slick greens on the course can make putting difficult. Just take your time and read the greens before going for the putt. Three-putts are a possibility also because of the vast greens.

One of the local pros with a good command over the greens is Yar Mohammad, who left his job as a machine operator on the course in 2011 to become a golfer. "First timers might find putting tough here but once you are a regular you’ll know that all of them have the same flow and can be mastered," he says.

Over the years, Yar has seen a lot of pros in action here but he believes that it is Pakistan No. 1 Shabbir Iqbal who really flourishes on this course.

Read next: It’s all about team work: Arif Abbasi

It’s all about team work: Arif Abbasi

I’ve not seen a finer sporting venue that has successfully managed to offer top-class golf and cricket facilities than the Arabian Sea Country Club. The club has a lush-green golf course that reminds one of the famous links style courses of Scotland. And it has a gem of a cricket ground, which it seems was plucked out of some English county and installed here. It’s a hidden gem.

For a person like me who has recently taken up golf after spending a lifetime playing cricket, it provides for a perfect retreat. You can play 18 holes of golf during the day and then go for some slam-bang cricket under the lights. It’s heavenly.

The man responsible for this successful merger of golf and cricket is Arif Ali Khan Abbasi, who enjoys unmatched credentials as a sports administrator. Before taking over charge of ASCCL as its chief executive officer, Abbasi served as Pakistan’s cricket chief and also headed the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF). Apart from sports, he also headed the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).

Under him, ASCCL has added several facilities within its expansive confines but it’s the cricket ground that really stands apart.

The ground itself is of top quality and the wickets are prepared by expert groundsmen. The stadium is magnificent with proper stands and dressing rooms. Currently, it is serving as venue for a training camp of Afghanistan’s national cricket team.

Adjacent to the cricket field is ASCC’s driving range and then its splendid course. Throughout the year, the course blooms painting a tempting sight for golfers. That’s a huge achievement considering Karachi’s harsh climate and scarcity of water.

Abbasi says that its team work that helps the club to click despite all odds. "We don’t have big experts but there are dedicated workers who make sure that the course is in perfect shape day in and day out."

An avid golfer, Abbasi’s favourite hole is the par-4 14th. "When you are on the 14th, it seems that you are playing somewhere in Scotland with a weeping willow standing next to a lake. It’s picturesque and challenging."

Read next: It is the only golf resort in Pakistan: Asad Khan

It is the only golf resort in Pakistan: Asad

Asad I A Khan has an emotional attachment with the Arabian Sea Country Club and with due reason. He was the club’s captain and is also the designer of the various facilities including what today stands as its iconic Club House.

While designing the clubhouse, Asad had three things on his plate -- visibility, circulation and accessibility. "How you are able to move around in a clubhouse is a very important aspect. How sensitive it is for an architect to understand the mindset of golfers is also a vital factor," he says.

Asad stresses the fact that the ASCC clubhouse was a trendsetter.

"Before it there was no concept of having a comprehensive clubhouse (in Pakistan) but almost all golf clubs built after the ASCC followed suit," he says.

Asad, who is president of the Sindh Golf Association (SGA), is also proud of the magnificent swimming pool complex. "Today I can proudly say it’s the best swimming pool complex in Pakistan."

A former international, Asad is also all praise for the well-maintained course.

"It’s one of the best golf courses in the country.

"When it was built, there was no course in Pakistan that could compete with it.

"The greens, the fairways, the bunkers were all up to international standards.

"Today the course has matured with grown trees and it’s a treat to play there."

For Asad the par-3 13th and the scenic 14th are the signature holes of the course. "The 13th is one of the toughest par-3s in Pakistan because of the various hazards and the shape of the green."

Asad is confident that the ASCCL team headed by its vastly experienced CEO, Arif Ali Khan Abbasi, would make the club one of the most happening sports facilities in Pakistan.

"We have Arif Ali Khan Abbasi as CEO. He is a well-known sports personality and has outstanding credentials as he has served with distinction at major organisations like PIA. We are fortunate to have him. He devotes a lot of time for the club which is commendable. He is doing a great job and just needs an economic turnaround to help the Club gain its rightful place. After all, it is the only golf resort in Pakistan."