New Caledonian on the fairway — how Fabrice Ho is helping reshape the future of golf

At Chuun On Golf Resort & PGA, this native of New Caledonia is patiently building something that did not exist before: a world-class golf destination on the outskirts of Phnom Penh.

Fabrice Ho

He could have stayed in Siem Reap. Seven years at Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra, a well-established life in Cambodia’s tourism capital. But when the Chhun Chetna family offered him the opportunity to lead a project spanning one thousand hectares south of Phnom Penh, this New Caledonian by origin — raised on an island where golf is as much a part of the landscape as the lagoon — said yes.

Not out of recklessness; that is not his style. Rather because he recognized, in what was still only a construction site, the scale of a rare idea: to make Cambodia an international golf destination, with the infrastructure to prove it.

Arriving in September 2023, eight months before the opening of the first course, Fabrice Ho has since been steering the Chuun On venture with the same calm precision — that of someone who knows exactly where he is going.

What is the Chuun On project, at its core?

It is first and foremost a project born from a family passion. The Chhun family — the owners — are all golfers, both the father and the children. Their first venture was the compact City Golf course in Phnom Penh, one of the earliest in the city. But they wanted to go further, to create something transformative for golf tourism in Cambodia. The result is a property of more than one thousand hectares, with two hundred hectares allocated to courses, including a clubhouse, an academy, and eventually two hotels. It is a comprehensive project, not just another golf course.

What immediately stands out is the quality of the courses themselves.

We made very precise technical choices from the outset. The grass, for example — it is something few people notice from the outside, but it changes everything. For the fairways and tee boxes, we use Zoysia Zion: a grass that consumes far less water, fertilizer, and pesticides than conventional varieties. We are currently the only course in Cambodia using it. On the greens, two other varieties — Zoysia Primo on the Lake Course, and Zoysia Lynx on the new course.

We are the first golf course in Asia to open with this type of turf. It is a mark of quality, but also a concrete environmental commitment.

The course design, by Brian Curley, is also remarkable. The two courses are completely different in character and designed to suit all levels — from professional players to beginners. That is not very common.

The clubhouse under construction

The clubhouse under construction is generating a lot of attention. What makes it exceptional?

First, its shape: from above, it forms a Romduol, Cambodia’s national flower. This is not a detail — it is intentional. The building is divided into three main sections. The first is a 400-seat ballroom for events.

The second is entirely dedicated to dining: restaurant, buffet, kitchens across two levels, and private rooms.

The third brings together a spa, spacious locker rooms, a wine bar, and a cigar bar. There will also be a Pro Shop of over 300 square meters. Once completed, the project includes two hotels on the estate: a five-star luxury hotel and an apartment hotel for long-term stays, particularly for professional teams from North Asia seeking winter training facilities. The timeline extends to 2029.

You recently signed an agreement with the British PGA. Why is this a turning point?

Because it is a form of recognition. The PGA did not hide its surprise when discovering the level of our two courses — it did not expect to find something of this scale in Cambodia. The agreement runs for ten years. There is only one PGA National per country, which means that whenever a professional event is organized in the region, we are the first point of contact.

But what interests me just as much is access to a database of more than 8,000 professionals — players, coaches, club managers — who organize trips for their members each year.

For them, a PGA National label guarantees a certain standard. In practical terms, this will extend stays:

golfers who used to come for three or four days may now stay a full week. And the benefits will go far beyond our fairways — other golf courses in the city, hotels, restaurants, tourist sites — everyone stands to gain.

And what about Cambodian golf itself?

This may be what matters most to me. I have been in Cambodia for twelve years. The national team has fielded the same four players for twelve years. This is not a criticism — it reflects the fact that no structured training program has ever truly existed in the country. We want to change that.

The academy will be of international standard, and within four to five years, the goal is for it to produce future national team players. The agreement with the PGA already includes a concrete program: two national team players will undergo a three-year pathway to become accredited members of the British PGA, qualified to work anywhere in the world. This is long-term development — not just communication.

In your view, where does Cambodia stand on the Southeast Asian golf map?

Much better positioned than people think — and this is becoming increasingly visible. Courses in Phnom Penh are now of very high quality. Hotels are excellent. Dining is outstanding, frankly better than in some well-established golf destinations such as Da Nang, for example, where the courses are superb but the surrounding offerings remain limited.

Globally, there are around 80 million golfers. On average, they take one trip per year specifically to play. They have known Thailand for a long time, and Vietnam for more than a decade. Our goal — mine and that of the Chhun Chetna family — is for Cambodia to become a serious, premium option on that itinerary. We are on the right track.