AsiaLIFE

“I think and I hope that Cambodia will catch up with the true idea of a country club and understand that it is different from a golf club,” says Sou Ieng, chair of the Cambodian Country Club (CCC).Originally a British concept, country clubs found their way into Asia through colonising European countries. Often a very exclusive, elite affair, historically many country clubs refused to admit members of minority races and faiths. Over time, they evolved more into business clubs and expanded to include families too with a higher emphasis on entertainment.

 

The CCC wants itself to be accessible to all people living in Cambodia – locals and foreigners alike – so long as they can afford the fees and meet certain standards. Though targeting middle to upper income families, Sou Ieng claims that membership fees (US$768 / year, US$80 / month) are not prohibitive. “We’re not selecting people by money, we would like to select members by culture and by what we call certain cultural and educational standards and knowledge,” he says.

Sports, Sports, Sports

 

Very much sports oriented, the CCC hosts a 25-metre salt water swimming pool, equestrian centre, two tennis courts, a badminton court, gym and aerobics facility, basketball court and sand field to play volleyball. Instruction in martial arts such as taekwondo and judo will be offered once they find a teacher, and one more hectare is currently being developed into a football and rugby field – for training purposes, not for competition. Not that the CCC is just for adults. A kid’s club has all kinds of sports and leisure activities, as well as a children’s climbing wall. “Schools often bring their children here,” Sou Ieng says. “They even have Summer camps where the kids can sleep over for a few nights, learning an entire sports course over four of five days.”

The country club wouldn’t be one without a real club-house. Situated alongside the pool and overlooking the club’s facilities, it is home to two restaurants and bars spread over two floors – one is air-conditioned. It’s the centre of the country club’s life. “Our wish is to get families with their kids together in one place where everybody can enjoy themselves, from the kids to the parents and even grandparents,” he says. With its mix of sports, food and entertainment, the club is well positioned to serve that purpose.

 

In many Asian countries golf clubs have been extended into country clubs. This is something that Sou Ieng wishes to avoid. “In Europe when you say ‘country club’, you don’t just think of golf, you think of many sorts of sports facilities,” he explains. However, if you’re keen on golf, it is also available. “There is a golf driving range just across the road with which our club is associated. If you are a member of this club, you’re also a member of this golf range.”

A Bridge Across Cultures

 

As of their official opening last month, the club counted eighty members. Despite the fact that the centre can cater for up to 1,000 people, their target membership is somewhere between 400 and 500 members. One challenge that the CCC might face is how to balance the often-differing expectations of both local and foreign members. Sou Ieng acknowledges that there is a cultural exchange to be done. One of the club’s purposes is to provide a platform for local people to meet and exchange views with expats. He also believes there’s a market for Cambodian returnees from abroad.

 

“They are also a target,” he says. “They will understand both sides and will bring the two cultures together. I also think that, previously in Cambodia, thirty years ago, the idea of a club was well anchored in the minds of Cambodian citizens, so those people that left the country at that time and have returned are familiar with the concept.” In order to promote the new Cambodia Country Club, special events will be organised on a monthly basis. In the pipeline are a light and sound show, a laser show and an acrobatics performance.

 

Sou Ieng refutes the idea that he club’s location, near Northbridge International School, is a problem. “We are halfway to the airport which is quite near to the city compared to other Asian countries,” he says. Situated about seven kilometers from central Phnom Penh, Sou Ieng reckons the club can be reached within ten minutes when the roads are quiet and in half-an-hour in heavy traffic.  “It is less crowded around here so people think it’s far, but it’s not far,” he stresses. “There is a lot of open space here so you have the feeling that you are going somewhere out of town, towards the countryside, but it’s still close to the city.”

 

Opening a new business of this scale might be viewed as rather ambitious in this economic climate, but Sou Ieng remains upbeat. “Coming here to relax, be in the open and enjoy some sport is actually a good way to cure your depression,” he laughs.

Cambodian Country Club, Street 2004, near Northbridge International School, Tel. 012 231 755 (French and English) / 016 704 759 (Khmer and English), www.cambodiancountryclub.com, email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it