Kuala Lumpur must feature as a top golf destination in Asia, just on account of the quality of golf courses found there. There is possibly no other city in Asia with as many golf courses that have been host to international professional golf tournaments. Such a feat is clear testimony to the challenge and conditions that the best golf courses in Kuala Lumpur offer, something that the discerning golf traveler must not miss considering when planning a golf holiday in South East Asia. Here is a look at the must-play golf courses, the “gems”, in and around the Kuala Lumpur area:
TPC Kuala Lumpur:
Yes, you read it right – the 36-hole facility, formerly known as the Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club, now has the TPC tag to it and hence renamed. Featuring the East and West Courses, the club opened initially in 1991 and it is only after the redesign and refurbishing of the West and East Courses in 2008 and 2010 respectively, that it has realized its full glory. Host to the Sime Darby LPGA, the CIMB Classic and Maybank Malaysian Open, the TPC Kuala Lumpur is the crown jewel of the best golf courses in Kuala Lumpur or Malaysia for that matter. Predominantly a members’ club, visitor tee times are hard to come by and must be planned in advance to ensure you have not missed the best in a Kuala Lumpur golf holiday.
The Mines Resort & Golf Club:
Opened in 1994 in what used to be the world’s largest open cast mine, the Robert Trent Jones Junior design has two distinct nines. The front nine looks more inward to the hinterland, whereas on most of the back nine, the lake which resulted as an effort to fill up the mine, is the primary challenge or the distraction to consider. The club house and the facilities are designed with the discerning golfer in mind, and they deliver. The Mines is amongst the very best golf courses in Kuala Lumpur and consequently, it invariably is an integral part of a golf holiday here.
Saujana Golf & Country Club:
The championship Palm Course at Saujana Golf & Country Club is set in a former palm oil plantation over a hilly layout with several water bodies sprinkled all over the course, making it a challenge to golfers of the highest level. It is no surprise that it is one of the best golf courses in Kuala Lumpur and it has hosted the Malaysian open 7 times between 1997 to 2007 and then again, in 2017, after design and length enhancements. The second course, Bunga Ray is more liberal to the golfer featuring wide fairways. That said, the course condition is still of championship standard. The complex also features a hotel and is an ideal choice for a stay and play golf holiday in Kuala Lumpur.
Kota Permai Golf & Country Club:
This is yet another thrilling championship, quintessentially Malaysian layout, another on the must-play list in a golf vacation in Kuala Lumpur. It may not boast the clubhouse quality of a TPC Kuala Lumpur, but, make no mistake, there is nothing ordinary about the golf course. Designed by Ross Watson, the course has hosted several professional tournaments including the Volvo Masters and the Malaysian Open. The course has received widespread praise from professional golfers calling it a fair test of golf and hence, it is no surprise it has regularly featured in the best golf courses in Kuala Lumpur in spite of some serious competition, sometimes even No.1.
To add to the list above which itself features a total of 6 eighteen-hole golf courses, there are other choices of golf courses in Kuala Lumpur area that are hard to ignore. For the spectacle of the mesmerizing backdrop of the limestone outcrop – Bukit Takun, there is Templer Park which has hosted the Malaysian Open thrice, although the course condition in the recent years seems to have put it out of favour. The 36 Hole Glenmarie Golf & Country Club (GGCC) which features the Garden and the more challenging Valley Course continues to be an option for a golf holiday in Kuala Lumpur, with an onsite hotel and what’s more – Saujana just next door. Other courses like the Jack Nicklaus designed Sungai Long, Tropicana and IOI Palm Golf Resort are potential add-ons to the best golf courses in Kuala Lumpur.
In summary, the region of Kuala Lumpur is sprinkled with a plethora of fantastic golf courses, most of which being of the highest quality in their own right. The proliferation of these gems, should make any serious golf holiday planners, think of Kuala Lumpur as their next golf holiday destination. They will be spoilt for choice and may form their own views on the best golf courses in Kuala Lumpur.
