Golf courses in Malaysia

Malaysia’s golf courses are concentrated in two metropolitan areas: the Klang Valley around the capital, Kuala Lumpur, and the state of Johor at the southern tip, on the border with Singapore. In both, courses line up within about an hour’s drive of the airport, so you can play several days in a row without changing hotels.

Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) has direct flights from across Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Australia, and Malaysia runs on UTC+8. Arrive in the morning and you can be on the course the same afternoon. Johor can be reached overland from Singapore across the causeway, so many visitors combine it with a stay in Singapore.

Choose by area

Area	What it is	From the nearest airport
Johor	Malaysia’s southern tip, reachable overland from Singapore	18–89 min from Senai Airport
Selangor	The state surrounding Kuala Lumpur, with the densest cluster of courses	33–74 min from KLIA
Kuala Lumpur	Within the city, with leading clubs close to the centre	56–62 min from KLIA
Negeri Sembilan	South-east of KLIA, the area closest to the airport	22–41 min from KLIA
Putrajaya	The government city, halfway between KLIA and the city centre	About 42 min from KLIA
Genting Highlands	A hill resort at about 945 m	About 107 min from KLIA

Golf in Malaysia

Courses cluster in two metropolitan areas

The Klang Valley is the name for the city of Kuala Lumpur, the surrounding state of Selangor and the government city of Putrajaya taken together. Courses line up in suburbs such as Shah Alam, Petaling Jaya and Subang, 30 minutes to an hour by car even from hotels in the centre. With well over ten courses in this area alone, you can stay several nights and play a different one every day.

Johor, the other area, faces Singapore across the strait. Courses are spread widely, around the state capital Johor Bahru, out west towards Gelang Patah and east to the Desaru coast. Senai International Airport is the gateway, though many people come in overland from Singapore’s Changi Airport.

A strong line-up of award winners

Malaysia is known for having several winners of the World Golf Awards’ “Malaysia’s Best Golf Course”. The Els Club Desaru Coast in Johor won in 2025, Forest City Golf, also in Johor, in 2024, Kota Permai in Selangor in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2023, and KLGCC in Kuala Lumpur in 2019. The list of prestigious clubs runs deep, which makes it a good country for golfers who choose on course quality.

Hot and humid all year

Malaysia lies close to the equator and has no distinct dry season. Daytime temperatures reach around 30°C all year and humidity stays high. Rain tends to arrive as short, heavy showers in the afternoon and early evening, so the usual plan is to tee off as early as you can. Starting early also makes sense for avoiding the midday heat.

The exception is Genting Highlands. At about 945 m, its average temperature is roughly 16 to 24°C, a completely different climate from the lowlands, and an option for anyone who struggles in the heat.

How golf is played in Malaysia

In Malaysia caddies are the norm, and many courses allow buggies onto the fairway. Grasses include Bermuda, seashore paspalum and zoysia, so the roll of the ball changes from course to course. Greens may not read the way you are used to, so take your time over the first few holes.

A collared shirt and golf shoes are standard, and some courses do not allow jeans. The more prestigious the club, the more detailed the rules, so check with the course beforehand if you are unsure.

How to choose an area

If you want the most choice

Selangor offers the most choice. Well-known courses such as Saujana, Kota Permai, Glenmarie, Tropicana and The Mines are clustered around Kuala Lumpur, so you can play for days while staying in the city centre. KLGCC and Bukit Jalil within Kuala Lumpur itself naturally belong to the same circuit.

If you are combining it with Singapore

Choose Johor. It can be reached overland from Singapore by bridge, and Forest City and Horizon Hills on the western side of the state are about an hour by car from central Singapore. Head further to the Desaru coast in the east and you will find seaside resort courses such as The Els Club Desaru Coast.

If you want the shortest transfer from the airport

Kota Seriemas in Negeri Sembilan is about 22 minutes by car from KLIA, among the closest courses to an airport in Malaysia, which makes it handy for a layover or your arrival and departure days. Palm Garden in Putrajaya is also about 42 minutes from KLIA, halfway between the airport and the city.

If you want to escape the heat

Awana in Genting Highlands (reopened in 2026 as Resorts World Awana Golf Course after a full renovation) is the only option. It is about 107 minutes by car from KLIA, but the cool highland air is something no lowland course can offer. Set within an integrated resort with a casino and hotels, it lets you plan your stay around more than just golf.

Before your first round

Most tee times are in the morning; local golfers also play early to avoid the afternoon showers and the midday heat. Take plenty of water and top up regularly from the on-course kiosks or the cold water on the buggy.

A company car or your own car works well, and ride-hailing services such as Grab are convenient. Roads around Kuala Lumpur are good, but they jam at rush hour, so work back from your tee time and leave with time to spare. If you are entering Johor from Singapore, immigration at the border can take a while, so allow even more.

Detailed information on each course is available from the area pages, covering designers, history, facilities and the practicalities of getting there. Have a look before you decide where to go.

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