Malaysia, Truly Asia” definitely captures and defines the essence of the country’s unique diversity. It sums up the distinctiveness of Malaysia that makes it an exceptional destination. In addition to its 200 golf courses, this South-East Asian paradise boasts white sandy beaches and lush prehistoric rainforests, the oldest and most diverse in the world.
Golf is currently a multi-billion-dollar industry. It was first started in Malaysia in 1893 with the opening of the Royal Selangor Golf Club. Malaysia offers 200 golf courses ranging from 9 to 36 holes, with the capacity to offer nearly 8 million rounds of golf annually. Of the total number of courses available, 50 courses are of international standard, equipped with up-to-date facilities capable of hosting internationally sanctioned golf tournaments.
The Malaysian Golf Tourism Association (MGTA) is entrusted with promoting Malaysia as Asia’s hottest golfing destination. Tourism Malaysia participated in the Asia Golf Tourism Convention (AGTC) 2023, the largest gathering of the golf industry in Asia, to re-establish its networking relationships with the global golf industry fraternity.
Malaysia is a good option for a golfing holiday; cheap in comparison to other countries, both to travel within and to play golf. The golf courses offer an incredible variety of golf experiences throughout the Peninsular Malaysia, as well as the islands of Penang, Langkawi and Borneo with a number of new high-quality courses opening every year. You can play championship quality golf on sky-high mountains or alternatively head down to the fringes of the South China Sea. You can enjoy a round of golf surrounded by the cool hills and tea plantations at Tropical Highland retreats, in the heart of a bustling city or in millions-of-years-old rainforests. Premium golf resorts have sprouted up along with old, established club courses in Malaysia.
Kuala Lumpur, as a golf heaven in Southeast Asia, is one of the best-kept secrets. While it was one of the earliest cities in the region with a golf course built by British colonialists, it did not emerge the way other more illustrious golf destinations did in the last century. Today, Kuala Lumpur has a wide array of golf courses with great layouts and pleasant greens. You’ll find that each golf course you visit in Kuala Lumpur is unique with its own challenging obstacles and terrain. A delightful mix of cross-cultural influences and traditions, Kuala Lumpur radiates an exciting, enticing charm, which will only add to your Malaysia golf experience.
Numerous courses in Malaysia have received recognition, prestigious awards, and titles. Designed by legends such as Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Greg Norman and Robert Trent Jones all of whom have perfectly incorporated their own styles in the beautiful environment. It is not surprising that Malaysia – due to its world-class golf courses – is one of the very few countries in the world that hosts events of all major tours (European Tour, PGA TOUR, LPGA Tour and Asian Tour). And even in Kuala Lumpur, the EurAsia Cup, a contest between Asian and European teams in a Ryder Cup-style format, was inaugurated causing a bang across the globe.
From the wide choice of hotel accommodation and golf to shopping in the local markets or world-class department stores and shopping malls, to the wide array of eating choices and nightlife, for the quality provided, Malaysia offers tremendous value for money.
Malaysia experiences tropical weather so golf can be enjoyed all year round. The east and west coasts of Malaysia experience their wet months at alternate times of the year. But even during wet season on the west of the peninsula (Apr-Oct), you can play golf as the thunderstorms are usually in the afternoons.
The tourism industry, especially golf, is a top priority and fully supported by both The Ministry of Tourism and Tourism Malaysia. This means that there is excellent information, infrastructure, and regulation, all of which assures the traveling golfer of a high-quality holiday. Malaysia is a peaceful, friendly country and traveling is extremely safe. All the road signs are in English and in accordance with international signage. So you can easily rent a car and discover the beauties of the country on your own.
There are certainly not many destinations in Asia where you can stay right in a major city and still play several great courses, all within 30 minutes reach.