Macau, or Macao (both spellings are correct), is officially titled the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China. It's a former Portuguese trading post and colony that can trace its origins back to the middle of the 16th century. Transferred to China in 1999, the territory extends to just over a hundred square kilometres and, with more than half a million inhabitants, it’s one of the most densely populated regions in the world.

Occupying a small peninsula and two islands off China's southern coast, Macau has an economy centred on tourism. In particular, it attracts many visitors from China and Hong Kong to the massive casinos and malls on the Cotai Strip, which joins the islands of Taipa and Coloane, earning it the nickname of “The Las Vegas of Asia".

There are two 18-hole courses in Macau. The original Orient Golf Club, established in 1978, was purchased by one of the casino chains during the late 1990s then later renamed Caesars Golf Macau in 2007. Laid out on a flat property with several large water hazards, the course is now operated as a semi-private facility.

Three kilometres to the east, the tree-lined fairways at Macau Golf & Country Club occupy a more rugged landscape, with several changes in elevation encountered during the round. It’s not overly long for a layout that regularly hosts international professional tournaments but the fairways are narrow in places and the wind off the Zhujiang River Estuary can play a big part in proceedings here.