Flanked on all sides by the waters of the Malay peninsula, Singapore is surely one of the most unique places on earth to build a golf trip around.
It may also be one of the most rewarding. The tiny island city-state, one of the world’s most luxurious and exotic metropolises, is also a small haven for golf, with many of the city’s few remaining green spaces coming in the form of golf courses.
As such, Golf in Singapore is one of the best ways to get a true feel for this most unique of nations, with jungle-y foliage, cargo ships spanning the shores out towards the horizon, and the bright lights of one of Asia’s most spectacular cities never too far away.
As such, with LIV Golf landing in Singapore for its own event this week, we thought we’d shine a light on a small golfing nation that punches well above its weight in offering some of the region’s most spectacular places tee off.
Courtesy Sentosa Golf Club
Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT
Sentosa Golf Club (Serapong & Tanjong)
Location: Sentosa Island, Singapore
Green fees (weekday): £285
So picturesque it looks as if it’s been generated by AI, Sentosa’s signature hole, which juts out across the Singapore Strait towards the iconic skyline and docks of the gigantic Port of Singapore, is one of the most spectacular in all of Asia. It’s the crowning glory of a property that takes up almost half of Singapore’s Sentosa Island and boasts two courses well within Asia’s 50 best.
The much-acclaimed Serapong course playing host to both the Singapore Open and LIV’s Singapore stop, and was actually named the world’s best course at the World Golf Awards in 2019 (although most top 100 lists don’t feature it these days).
This, of course, is to say nothing of the Tanjong course, which underwent a complete redesign in 2016 and maintains sweeping views of the Singapore city skyline with larger bunkers and, thanks to its island location plenty of holes that hug Tanjong Beach and the Singapore Strait waterline.
Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT
Visit Sentosa Golf Club
Courtesy Tanah Merah Country Club
Tanah Merah Country Club (Tampines & Garden)
Location: Kau Sai Chau, Sai Kung
Green fees (weekday): £125, both members’ & guests only
Tanah Merah is one of the more exclusive selections from Singapore’s vast swathe of country clubs, sitting in a large pocket of land adjacent to Singapore’s Changi airport. It features two pristine courses offering very different golfing experiences. As the name suggests, the Robert Trent Jones Jr.-designed Garden course is shorter and more tightly manicured with an abundance of tropical trees and native flora laid in a beautifully regal, tranquil setting.
Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT
The neighbouring Tampines course represents its more challenging championship-calibre offering, with a more open nature defined by rolling hills and large undulating greens. Sadly, neither are public access, but you can get on if you’re a member of a reciprocal or affiliate club (the Centurion Club for UK residents, in case you were wondering).
Visit Tanah Merah Country Club
Courtesy Singapore Island Country Club
Singapore Island Country Club (Bukit, Island & The New Course)
Location: Sime Road & Island Club Road, Singapore
Green fees (weekday): £150 (Bukit course), £196 (New Course), £200 (Island Course), all members’ & guests only
Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT
Formerly known as the Royal Singapore Golf Club before merging with the Royal Island Club in the 1960s to form the prestigious Singapore Island, it remains the city’s largest golfing playground, boasting not two but three full-length courses, extensive practice facilities and its own driving range.
The Bukit, a picturesque parkland course, is the most historic, having hosted the former Golf World Cup and, more recently, prompted speculation that its original layout may have been put together by the great James Braid.
The Island course, formerly the home of the Island Club, before the two clubs merged is the shortest of the three courses, with plenty of undulations and ample water. The New Course, naturally, is the newest of the three, and actually comprises 27 interchangeable holes.
Incredibly, despite the size the entire property remains exclusive to members and their guests, and getting on is going to be your main challenge. Membership is only accessible by purchasing an existing members’ membership off them, for which there’s an extensive waiting list and some of the most expensive fees in the region (think somewhere around $100,000 SGD when all is said and done).
Visit Singapore Island Country Club
Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT
Courtesy Laguna National
Laguna National (Classic & Masters)
Location: Laguna Golf Green, Singapore
Green fees (weekday): £317 (Classic), £258 (Masters)
Laguna National takes a slightly more open approach to the traditional country club model, and while local access is restricted to members and their guests, the venue also offers Stay and Play packages for visitors along with tee times for international visitors.
It’s well worth looking into, as Laguna National is the only current Singapore course with its own DP World Tour stop, the Classic course playing host to the Porsche Singapore Classic every march as part of the Tour’s Asian Swing.
Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT
Both courses have a distinctly American PGA Tour vibe with very few undulations and stadium-style holes, the property landmarked by four large lakes that ensure plenty of holes put water hazards in play for the careless player. The Classic is also notorious as one of Asia’s longest and toughest tracks, playing to almost 8,000 yards at its longest with a 160+ slope rating.
Visit Laguna National
Courtesy Orchid Country Club
Orchid Country Club (Dendro & Vanda)
Location: Orchid Club Rd, Singapore
Green fees (weekday): £110-£125
Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT
Orchid is one of Singapore’s newer country clubs having opened its doors in the early ’90s, but as its unique floral-shaped bunkers attest to, golf here is a thoroughly fun and unique time. Orchid’s layout spans 27 holes in total, which are interchangeable according to course conditions, the Dendro and Vanda tracks combining to form the club’s most complete 18. It also has distinct championship bona fides, having previously hosted the Singapore Open and the Singapore Classic in its time.
Ostensibly a private members club, Orchid prioritises its members and trade union members (it was built for ordinary workers by the National Trade Union’s former secretary) when handing out tee times, however it’s unique in that it’s open to casual visitors and, thanks to its adjoining resort, offers stay and play packages for intrepid players.
Visit Orchid Country Club
Subscribe to our Newsletter