Golf in Malaysia
Golf has deep roots in Malaysia, with the country’s oldest club, Royal Selangor, founded as far back as 1893. Today the game is thriving across three distinct regions, each offering a completely different experience. The greater Kuala Lumpur and Klang Valley region is home to an extraordinary cluster of championship courses set on terrain that ranges from dramatic quarry-carved hillsides to the rolling fairways of former oil palm plantations and a converted open-cast tin mine.
Further north on the Malaysian peninsula, Penang pairs a compact selection of well-regarded resort courses with one of Asia’s most rewarding food and cultural destinations, making it an excellent addition to any KL-focused golf itinerary. And for those seeking the most visually extraordinary round in the country, a short flight from KL delivers golfers to Langkawi, an island of remarkable natural beauty and home to The Els Club Teluk Datai, consistently rated among the most scenic and memorable golf experiences in all of Southeast Asia.
Across all three regions, Malaysia’s golf scene is defined by superb year-round conditioning, green fees that remain genuinely affordable by international standards, friendly and professional caddies and a culture of hospitality that makes every round feel like an occasion.
Malaysia Recommendations
Kuala Lumpur is one of Asia’s most underrated city destinations, a dazzling multicultural metropolis where Malay, Chinese and Indian cultures sit side by side in genuine warmth and openness. The food scene is exceptional by any measure, from hawker stalls and night markets to rooftop bars with panoramic views of the Petronas Twin Towers. The iconic towers themselves remain one of the world’s most recognisable skylines, while the Batu Caves Hindu temple complex north of the city, the colonial heritage of Merdeka Square and the chaotic delight of Chinatown’s Petaling Street all offer memorable experiences between rounds.
Penang is a completely different proposition and one of the most rewarding destinations in Southeast Asia for food lovers. George Town, the island’s capital, is a UNESCO World Heritage city of extraordinary heritage architecture, vibrant street art and a hawker food culture so celebrated it draws visitors from across the globe. The famous Gurney Drive hawker centre, Chew Jetty floating village and the heritage clan houses of the old city all deserve time, and Penang Hill provides sweeping views across the island and the Strait of Malacca.
Langkawi is Malaysia at its most naturally spectacular, a duty-free archipelago of 99 islands off the northwest coast where pristine beaches, ancient rainforest, mangrove river cruises, cable car rides to the Mat Chinchang mountain summit and some of the best resort dining in Malaysia combine with world-class golf to create an unforgettable island escape.
Must See in Malaysia
The Petronas Twin Towers and KLCC
The Petronas Twin Towers are the undisputed symbol of modern Malaysia and one of the most striking pieces of architecture anywhere in the world. Rising 452 metres above Kuala Lumpur’s city centre and connected by a sky bridge at the 41st and 42nd floors, the towers were the world’s tallest buildings from their completion in 1996 until 2004 and remain the tallest twin towers on earth. At their base, the Suria KLCC shopping mall houses some of Malaysia’s finest retail and dining, while the surrounding KLCC Park offers a beautifully landscaped green space with a lake, jogging track and spectacular fountain show each evening. For the definitive view of the towers themselves, the rooftop bars of neighbouring hotels provide an ideal vantage point over cocktails as the city lights rise at dusk.
Jalan Alor, Chinatown and the Street Food Scene
Malaysia is widely regarded as one of the world’s great street food nations, and nowhere demonstrates this better than Kuala Lumpur after dark. Jalan Alor in the Bukit Bintang district is the city’s most famous food street, a neon-lit stretch of open-air restaurants and hawker stalls where the woks never stop firing and the tables are packed from early evening until well after midnight. Grilled seafood, satay, char kway teow, BBQ chicken wings and fresh tropical juices flow freely in an atmosphere that is quintessentially Malaysian. A short ride away, Chinatown’s Petaling Street transforms after sunset into a bustling night market of street food, souvenir stalls and traditional coffee shops. For a more elevated evening, the rooftop bar scene around Bukit Bintang and KLCC offers cocktails with sweeping city views and KL glittering below.