Golf in Malaysia
Johor Bahru lies across the border from Singapore, with courses in and around the city. Further east, The Els Club Desaru Coast pairs Ernie Els's Ocean Course with Vijay Singh's Valley Course. These 7 options let you choose between rounds from a city base and a longer stay by the beach, with course features and travel considerations to help you plan.
More destination guides & trip ideas
The Els Club Desaru Coast – Ocean CourseView course details MONKEYTRAVEL JOHOR BAHRU & DESARU GOLF COURSES
Courses fall into three areas: central Johor Bahru, the west near the Second Link, and Desaru Coast. Check rates and tee-time options on each course page.
Johor Bahru & Desaru Golf
Best forAn Ernie Els design on a beach-resort stay
Ernie Els designed the Ocean Course at The Els Club Desaru Coast. A grass-tee driving range with more than ten bays and a short-game area make for a proper warm-up, and the restaurant is open from 11:30 am to 8 pm. The club's Valley Course makes a natural second round the next day.
Check prices & availability
Johor Bahru & Desaru Golf
Best forA Vijay Singh design to pair with the Ocean Course
Vijay Singh's 18-hole Valley Course follows valleys and streams, with elevation changes and small greens that demand accurate approaches. Play it on a separate day from Ernie Els's Ocean Course to compare the two designs. Lembah Restaurant offers a place to eat after your round.
Check prices & availability
Johor Bahru & Desaru Golf
Best forA Nicklaus design close to Singapore's Second Link
The resort's 18-hole Legacy Course was designed by Jack Nicklaus and Jack Nicklaus II. The 9th and 18th play from elevated tees, with hazards to carry from the tee. Its location near the Second Link is useful for golfers coming from Singapore, but allow time for border checks.
Check prices & availability
Johor Bahru & Desaru Golf
Best forCoastal golf along the Straits of Johor
This 18-hole Akira Mamiya design follows the Straits of Johor coastline. The resort also has the Max Wexler-designed Plantation Course, which opened in 1992, giving you another layout to consider on a longer stay. Practice facilities include a 52-bay driving range.
Check prices & availability
Johor Bahru & Desaru Golf
Best forA former Iskandar Johor Open venue in the city
This 18-hole course (6,964 yards) hosted the Iskandar Johor Open from 2007 to 2009, with K.J. Choi winning here in 2009. The closing par 4 climbs towards the clubhouse, where an uphill approach and greenside bunkers make club selection important.
Check prices & availability
Johor Bahru & Desaru Golf
Best forGolfers who want late-night practice in town
Max Wexler and Ronald Fream designed these 18 holes (6,820 yards). Water stretches from short of the green to beyond it on the 168-metre 7th, making club selection important. The driving range stays open until 11 pm on weekdays, and a resident professional offers coaching.
Check prices & availability
Johor Bahru & Desaru Golf
Best forA closing par 5 that tempts longer hitters to go for it
Ross Watson designed these 18 holes (6,271 yards). The 510-metre 18th doglegs around water, and big hitters can go for the green in two, but the bunkers and hazards around the green punish anything loose.
Check prices & availabilityStaying in the city? Johor Golf & Country Club and Ponderosa keep travel short. Towards the Second Link to Singapore you will find Forest City and Horizon Hills.
On a longer stay, vary the style of your rounds. Tanjong Puteri's Straits Course follows the coastline, while Horizon Hills offers a closing par 5 where taking on the water can put the green within reach in two.
Desaru works best as an overnight trip, with the Ocean and Valley courses at The Els Club played on separate days and time at the beach in between.
Busy during the day? Ponderosa's driving range stays open until 11 pm on weekdays.
Desaru Coast is out on the east coast, well away from central Johor Bahru, so it does not suit a half-day trip. Staying at a resort and splitting the courses over two days works better.
If you are coming from Singapore, the checkpoints get busy on weekend and public holiday mornings. Work back from your tee time and leave early.
Most foreign visitors must submit Malaysia's Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) within three days before arrival. Singapore citizens and some other travellers are exempt. Check your eligibility and submit free of charge through the official immigration website.
If you book for one or two players, the starter may pair you with other golfers.
A morning tee time can reduce the chance of an afternoon shower interrupting your round. Refunds and rain checks for interrupted play depend on the course and booking terms, so check the policy before paying.
ITINERARY IDEAS
Johor Golf & Country Club and Ponderosa are an easy run from city hotels.
Horizon Hills and Forest City are in the newer western districts, close to the Second Link.
An east-coast resort area home to The Els Club's Ocean Course by Ernie Els and Valley Course by Vijay Singh.
Looking at other parts of Malaysia?
