Golf In Asia

Bogor, an hour south of Jakarta, is one of Asia's least known yet among the most outstanding destinations for a golf week. Having just completed a visit with golfers from Australia, Ireland, UK and Thailand, we can attest to the quality of the courses and overall experience. Starting at Royale Jakarta, a championship course in the south of the city, our group played Sentul Highlands, Rainbow Hills, Gunung Geulis and Rancamaya. Numerous other courses such as Bogor Raya can be included, as well as the new Trump Lido facility if you're able to snag a tee time – at a much higher cost than Bogor's other courses which are very reasonably priced. We travelled with Asia Golf Experiences and received fabulous attention from our guide and driver. www.asiagolfexperiences.com will secure you a wonderful experience in Bogor or elsewhere in Asia.

GOLF IN BALI SHRINKS FURTHER
First it was Nirwana Bali, the Greg Norman-designed layout at Tanah Lot that closed in 2017 and has never reopened. Now Bali National Golf Club on the eastern side of the tourism-heavy area around Kuta/Seminyak/Legian has put up the shutters. Both courses are not expected to re-open, leaving only New Kuta near Uluwatu and Bali Handara some 65km north of Denpasar as the island's only 18-hole options on the island. Bali National opened as Bali Golf & Country Club in 1998 and was revamped in 2017. Like Bali Nirwana, it was a wonderful golf experience, but apparently has fallen victim to Bali's insatiable desire for land to build hotels, resorts and villas. Nirwana is said to be the site for a new train station planned for Bali to ease its horrendous traffic problems along the southern coast of the island.

GOLF + BEACHES
It's high season in SE Asia and both golf courses and beaches are becoming busy, especially at the most popular seaside destinations. If you're looking for a golf + beaches holiday, this is our selection of the best destinations in the region:

1. Phuket, Thailand
2. Bali, Indonesia
3. Bintan Island, Indonesia
4. Boracay, Philippines

There are seven golf courses on Phuket and four others within an hour’s drive north of the island. Golf courses are all within easy reach of great beaches. In high season the Andaman Sea is calm and clear. Resort course Laguna Golf Phuket is almost adjacent to 6km-long Bangtao Beach, with numerous accommodation choices, while Phuket’s many other west coast beaches are easily accessible to Red Mountain, Loch Palm and Blue Canyon golf clubs.
In Bali, the upmarket Nusa Dua beachfront is near Bali National GC, while New Kuta GC is less than a kilometre from delightful Dreamland Beach and several others including Padang Padang on the Bukit Peninsula. The Bukit Pandawa par-3 course is close to Pandawa beach and others on the southern end of the peninsula.
An hour by ferry from Singapore, Bintan Island has three excellent golf courses and quality beaches to match, headlined by the wonderful Ria Bintan GC, with Laguna Golf Bintan occupying a prime oceanside location on the island’s northern coast.
Fairways and Bluewater on Boracay island, Philippines (its famous White Beach is nearby) is a one-golf course destination, but the beach – one of the best in South-East Asia – is special and makes up for the lack of golf choices. The golf course is also top notch.