We spent three months traveling through Malaysia with our golf clubs, playing everything from affordable public golf in Kuala Lumpur to private clubs, rainforest courses, and luxury resorts.
Along the way, we discovered just how much great golf Malaysia has to offer!
After playing courses across Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi and Johor, we put together our five personal favorites.
Whether you’re planning a golf trip to Malaysia or simply looking for some of the best places to play golf in Malaysia, these are the courses that stood out most to us.
So, get your passport ready, pack your sunblock and golf clubs, and book your flight!
How We Chose Our 5 Best Golf Courses in Malaysia
This is a very personal list. We didn’t choose these courses simply because they are famous, expensive or highly ranked.
Instead, we looked at the overall experience we had playing each course — from the layout and course conditions to the setting, the people we met and those little moments that made a round memorable.
Some were championship courses, some were resort courses, and one was a particularly unexpected find. What they all have in common is that, for one reason or another, they left a lasting impression on us.
Here are the five courses that left the biggest impression on us, from #5 to #1.
#5 The Mines Resort & Golf Club
Often in our travels, we find that the unplanned things on the road are the best. A town that we didn’t know existed. A restaurant down a back alley that we stumbled across. A secluded beach with the perfect sunset. Sometimes golf is the same.
Coming in at number five on our 5 Best Golf Courses in Malaysia was The Mines Resort & Golf Club—and it was certainly an unexpected find.
Starting on the back nine, it didn’t take us long to arrive at one of the most memorable holes on the course, the par-3 11th. At 169 yards from the tips, the yardage doesn’t sound particularly intimidating, but from the tee there is nothing between you and the green except a deep, jungle-filled ravine.
The sixth hole was another favourite. This 291-yard par 4 begs you to take the driver and go for it, but with water all down the right side and a bunker left, it forces you to think. We love a golf hole that offers more than one way to play.
What really stood out to us, though, was the condition of the course. We played just a few weeks before the Club Championship, and The Mines was in tournament-ready shape. The greens were firm, ran true and had a consistently quick pace, while the fairways were generous without being overly easy to find.
There was something about the whole experience that made The Mines memorable. We hadn’t set out expecting it to become one of our favourite rounds in Malaysia, but sometimes those are the rounds that stay with you.
The Mines was another confirmation that often the best things in life are unplanned.
👉 Read our full The Mines Resort & Golf Club Golf Guide for everything you need to know about playing the course, including access, green fees, and our tips for traveling golfers.
#4 The East Course at KLGCC
Number four on our 5 Best Golf Courses in Malaysia was the East Course at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club.
While the West Course gets most of the attention at KLGCC, we were pleasantly surprised by how much we enjoyed the East. It felt quieter and more relaxed, but that didn’t mean it was easy. With plenty of water, bunkers, and elevation changes, good course management was still essential.
The 11th was one of our favourites. This 435-yard par 4 gives you plenty of room to think about your tee shot, with beautiful fairway bunkers waiting on the left. Our caddy Jifri suggested the line down the right. Naturally, I promptly found one of those bunkers!
Then came the 15th, a 140-yard par 3 with water surrounding the green. I hit a solid 9-iron onto the green, while Menekşe hit what looked like an equally good 6-iron. Her ball landed on the green, took one hop, and disappeared into the water.
Fortunately, Jifri came to the rescue. By the time we reached the 16th tee, Menekşe was holding the same golf ball again. It was a small moment, but a great example of why having a knowledgeable caddy can make such a difference.
The East Course gave us a great round, a memorable caddy, and so many of those little moments we love about playing golf around the world. That combination made it an easy choice for our top five.
👉 Read our full East Course at KLGCC Golf Guide for more about the course, our experience playing it, and practical information for traveling golfers.
#3 The Els Club Desaru Coast
We knew The Els Club Desaru Coast was going to be an exceptional golf course. What we didn’t know was that we would be treated like VIPs!
Coming in at number three on our 5 Best Golf Courses in Malaysia, The Els Club Desaru Coast gave us a golf experience that went well beyond the course itself.
After checking in, we headed downstairs to the locker room to change. That’s when things got a little crazy.
Menekşe came running back into the lobby with a look of amazement on her face.
“Did you see that?”
Our names were engraved on the lockers!
Growing up playing muni golf, this was something I had never seen before. We couldn’t believe it. And that turned out to be just the beginning.
The golf itself was every bit as impressive. We particularly loved the second hole on the Coast nine, a long par 5 with a huge bunker running almost the entire length of the left side of the fairway. And the third—a beautiful par 3 with the beach running along the entire left side and the South China Sea as a backdrop.
But what really stayed with us was how we were treated throughout the day. The on-course hospitality manager regularly checked on us, making sure we had everything we needed. After our round, we were personally greeted by the Director of Golf, who asked about our day and took the time to hear about our world golf adventure.
Standing there talking with him, we couldn’t help but reflect on the entire experience. We had been treated more like long-time members than golfers who had simply arrived for a round.
That’s what pushed The Els Club Desaru Coast into our top three. The golf was exceptional, the setting was beautiful, but the genuine hospitality made the experience unforgettable.
👉 Read our full The Els Club Desaru Coast Golf Guide for more about the Ocean Course, our experience playing it, and planning your visit.
#2 The Els Club Teluk Datai
Coming in at number two on our 5 Best Golf Courses in Malaysia was The Els Club Teluk Datai—and quite simply, it may be the most beautiful golf course we have ever seen.
Located on the island of Langkawi, the course winds through a million-year-old rainforest, with dramatic limestone mountains on one side and the Andaman Sea on the other. From the opening holes, it was clear that this was going to be about much more than just golf.
The course really started to blow us away when we reached the fifth hole, the 155-meter (170-yard) par 3 named Illusion.
It is anything but an illusion, because believe it or not, that view is real!
With the Andaman Sea as the backdrop, you may want to pinch yourself to make sure you select your club wisely. Overclub this hole, and you’ll need to bring your passport because that’s Thailand in the background!
Later in the round, the 11th hole gave us another memorable moment. As we made our way to the tee, we were greeted by a good-sized troop of monkeys. It was then obvious why this downhill par 4 is named Dusky Leaf.
And then there was the 16th, Paradise Found. We played it a little too conservatively and ended up making bogey, but once we reached the top of the hill and saw the green below, we understood exactly where the name came from.
With generous fairways and greens, Teluk Datai wasn’t the most difficult course we have played. But to us, difficulty isn’t what makes a round memorable.
The rainforest, limestone mountains, monkeys, and those spectacular views of the Andaman Sea made Teluk Datai an unforgettable golf experience—and an easy choice for our number two.
👉 Read our full The Els Club Teluk Datai Golf Guide for more about the course, our experience playing it, and what to know before your round.
#1 The West Course at KLGCC
Some golf courses are simply places we want to play. Others make it onto the bucket list.
The West Course at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club had been on ours for quite some time, so when we finally arrived for our tee time, there were definitely some first-tee jitters. And after playing the East Course the day before, we were curious to see how the West would compare.
It didn’t take long to settle in. The West is long and challenging, but we found it surprisingly fair, with plenty of room to hit driver and some beautiful tropical surroundings along the way.
The real highlight came on the 16th.
At just 318 yards, this short par 4 practically begs you to go for it. I’m usually a pretty conservative player and would normally reach for a 6-iron without thinking twice. But our caddy Jifri suggested I hit driver, gave me the line, and told me to catch the slope on the right side of the fairway.
I followed his advice, flew the last bunker, and watched the ball roll all the way onto the green.
That left me with a 30-foot putt for eagle. I gave it a good run, catching the back of the cup before settling for birdie.
Menekşe played the hole beautifully too, hitting her drive down the middle and getting up and down for par.
We both played the 16th well enough that it has earned a place on our list of favourite holes in the world.
The West Course lived up to the expectations we had brought with us. It was challenging without feeling unfair, beautiful without being distracting, and one of the most enjoyable rounds we had in Malaysia.
For us, it was the perfect number one.
👉 Read our full West Course at KLGCC Golf Guide for more about this bucket-list course, our experience playing it, and practical information for traveling golfers.
Want to Play More Golf in Malaysia?
If you’re researching more golf courses for your own trip, head over to our Golf in Malaysia page, where you’ll find all of our course guides and everything you need to know about playing here.
Our Verdict
After three months of traveling and golfing through Malaysia, these are the five courses that stood out most to us. They’re very different from one another, but that’s exactly what made our golf trip so memorable.
From the unexpected discovery of The Mines to the spectacular setting of Teluk Datai and the bucket-list experience of KLGCC’s West Course, every one of these rounds gave us something we’ll remember.
For us, that’s what makes a great golf course. It’s not always about the score or how difficult the course was. It’s about the experience—and the memories we take away when the round is over.
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