Singapore is one of the few city-states left in the world along with the Vatican, Monaco, and San Marino – which means it’s a country in its own right, while just being a city. Singapore sits on the southern tip of the Malay peninsula, between east and west Malaysia, and is one of the most progressive cities in the world.
It’s a great place to visit with excellent restaurants, safe streets, fantastic shopping, plus it’s home to a lot of Southeast Asia’s head offices. From Singapore, you can get to anywhere quickly, whether it’s Tokyo, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, or Jakarta, they’re all a direct flight away.
Chances are you’ll either be passing through Singapore for a few days before heading on vacation somewhere else or the more likely reason, for business, and there is no better way to enjoy the city than playing a round of golf. Here are the best golf courses in Singapore.
Serapong, Sentosa Golf Club
The Serapong golf course at the Sentosa Golf Club is one of Asia’s most famous golf courses. It sits on Sentosa island on the southern tip of Singapore and has some amazing sea views that include the port of Singapore too. As you wander around the immaculate greens and fairways you can watch the ships come into the dock and enjoy a lovely ocean breeze.
The golf course was designed by Ronald Fream and first opened back in 1982, since then it went through a 12 million dollar revamp with the Bates Design Golf Group which improved the course’s technology and irrigation system. It truly is a world-class golf course and has hosted the Singapore Open from 2005 to 2019, and is listed as one of the top five championship courses in Asia.
The golf course is 18 holes over 6,675 yards and rated as a par 72. The holes are made up mainly of par 4s with a good number of par 5s and par3s thrown into the mix. The golf course featured raised tees and greens, lakes, stone-lined walls, and a lot of bunkering. The bunkers guard the landings around the greens and make sure you have to place each hole with some serious accuracy.
The Serapong golf course is open every day except Monday. Be sure to book in advance as it gets busy and it’s just 20 mins outside of Singapore’s CBD, so very easy to get to. Buggies are mandatory on this course and you can request a caddy if you need one.
Tanjong, Sentosa Golf Club
Tanjong is the second course at Sentosa Golf Club and it usually overshadowed by the Serapong but it’s still a world-class golf course and worth playing the day before or after the Serapong.
The golf course was originally designed by golf architect Frank Pennink in 1974 and was then added to and upgraded by Chirs Pitman and Max Wexler, after which it was renovated in 2016 and named the New Tanjong.
When playing on the New Tanjong golf course, you have astounding views of the Singapore straits and the city of Singapore sits in the background on every hole.
The golf course features large bunkers, and a lot of them, which are rarely seen on Asian courses. There are also a ton of lakes, ponds, rivers, and creeks that create hazards on every hole and add to the beauty of the surroundings no end. The greens are fast, undulating, and large – so putting in two strokes is always a challenge plus they’re surrounded by large bunkers right on the fringes.
The New Tanjong golf course runs 6,800 yards over 18 holes and is rated as a par 72. It’s a challenging golf course and it has been said that the New Tanjong may knock out the Serapong from being the number 1 golf course in just a few years to come.
Tampines, Tanah Merah Country Club
The Tampines golf course at Tanah Merah Country Club is known as the third-best golf course in Singapore. The golf course sits on the eastern side of Singapore island and is quick and easy to get to from the CBD, it takes about 15 minutes by taxi.
The Tampines golf course has been through numerous renovations since its first design by Max Wexler in 1988 as it’s the Tanah’s vibe to continually upgrade and renew their courses to make them as fun and exciting to play as possible.
In the 1990s, Chris Pitman can the golf course a complete facelift to make it more challenging, remove drainage problems, and update the greens and fairways. Then in 2009, the golf course was upgraded to give a better look and improved vegetation. Finally, in 2017, the golf course was completely redesigned and opened in April 2018.
The golf course runs 7,531 yards over 18 holes and is rated as a par 72. The course features a parkland style with lakes, lots of trees, undulating greens, rolling fairways, plus tricky pin positions with heavy bunkering around the greens. It’s a beautiful and challenging course to play on and well worth a visit when in Singapore.
Garden Course, Tanah Merah Country Club
The other golf course at Tanah Merah Country Club is the Garden Course. The Garden golf course was designed in 1984 by Thomson, Wolveridge, Fream, and Associates and since has gone through 4 redesigns and reconfigurations and then in 2019 it had to have a complete make-over due to the expansion of the Singapore airport.
This gave the golf course less square yardage to work with but golf architect Robert Trent Jones II made it work and created an excellent 18 hole golf course using every morsel of space available. It took 11 months and eventually opened for play in 2020.
The golf course runs 6233 yards over numerous par 3s, 4s, and 5s in its 18 holes and is rated a par 71. The Garden golf course has beautiful landscaping, great trees that block the tees, lovely lakes which make for serious hazards, and well-placed bunkers that will likely catch you out a few times.
The Garden course is beautifully maintained but due to its reconfiguration after the airport expansion, it doesn’t meet the championship standards which the club looks to the Tampines golf course for now.
Singapore Island Country Club
The Singapore Island Country Club sits slap bang in the middle of Singapore Island and borders the reservoirs and beautiful surroundings of Chestnut Nature Park. The golf club has been around since 1891 and started off with a 9 hole golf course that was played around the horseracing track.
Today, their Bukit golf course is an 18 hole championship golf course that is immaculately maintained. It has played host to numerous international competitions including the 1969 World Cup, the 1993 Johnnie Walker Classic, Rolex Masters (1973 to 1998), around 28 Singapore Opens (1962 to 1995), and the Inaugural Caltex Singapore Masters in 2001. With so many championships under its belt, there is no surprise that it’s one of the best golf courses in Singapore.
The Bukit golf course is absolutely beautiful and features over 3000 fully grown trees, immaculately maintained greens, and fairways, plus it borders the MacRitchie Reservoir. Its central location makes it incredibly easy to get to and it’s amazing how you can go from a bustling metropolis to absolute peace in nature within minutes.
The golf course runs 6,606 yards over 18 holes and is a par 72. There are three tee colors to play off, so golfers of all abilities can enjoy the golf course. There are also numerous 9 hole courses at the golf club, putting greens, a driving range, and a lot more.
Masters Course, Laguna National Golf & Country Club
The Masters golf course at Laguna is another fantastic championship golf course in Singapore that has held numerous Singapore Opens. It was designed by master golf architect Andy Dye and features a parkland-style layout and resembles a truly modern American golf course.
The golf course is stunningly beautiful with fast undulating greens, tree-lined fairways, and there are some pretty hazards too. As you play around the Masters, there are 4 different lakes to avoid driving into, a ton of bunkers around the fairways and greens. This golf course demands accuracy if you have a hope it hitting close to par.
The golf course runs a total of 7109 yards and is rated a par 72. There are 4 different colored tees to play off of, allowing golfers of any ability to enjoy a round or two.
This golf course sits on the southeast end of Singapore island and is very easy to get to. Just hop in a taxi from the CBD and you’ll find yourself at the golf course in under 15 minutes for a quick round after work.
Golfing In Singapore
As you can see, Singapore is full of championship golf courses that are waiting for you to discover, and since it’s such a small city, it’s quite amazing how many courses are so easily accessible and available.
When planning a trip to play golf in Singapore it’s important to think about the weather. Singapore has two monsoons, the North West which runs from December to March, and the South East which runs from April to November. Both monsoons come with quite a lot of rainfall so you’re best to check ahead before you go playing on the best golf courses in Singapore.