Langkawi Golf Courses

Gunung Raya Golf Resort

The Gunung Raya Golf Resort is located at the foothills of the majestic Gunung Raya (Celebration Mountain). The Langkawi golf course covers 300 acres of former rubber plantation land and was designed by renowned American golf architect Max Wexler. Gunung Raya has nice panoramic views and an impressive landscape. The Langkawi golf course opened for play in 1998 and they have held many amateur golf tournaments over the years.

Constant renovation keeps the course in good order and almost everywhere there are signs of on-going maintenance. Even the golf cart path is peppered with yellow trumpet flowers and wild grasses. Most of the Gunung Raya holes offer a scenic view of rolling hills and distant mountains. For example, the first hole from its elevated tee, is a slight dogleg right with a great view of Gunung Raya  and a the whole golf course.

The fairways are wide which makes it easy to keep the ball in play. Bermuda grass ensures your ball sits nicely, waiting to be hit. There’s not much OB or hazards. The back nine has more water.

Some of the most notable holes include the 10th, a 500 meter par-5. The dogleg right hole has water running the entire length on the left while a hill serves as an obstacle to choose the tiger line towards to right. Littered with bunkers the fairway leads to a huge green which is fairly flat.

Hole 7 is a 207 meter par-3. Watch out for wind conditions and pin position for a good score on this long par three. The bunkers flanking the green and the two-tiered layout can pose problems to high handicappers. The challenging closing hole, a long 423 meter par-4, is tough to hit on regulation because of its uphill layout while two bunkers side by side on the right can add to the strokes. The elevated green calls for a lofted shot to seek the pin.

The clubhouse and practice facilities are adequate for the visiting Langkawi golfer. Overall Gunung Raya Golf Resort is a nice course to play in combination with other Langkawi golf courses. It won’t win any awards, but nevertheless makes for a good day out.

99 East Golf Club

The Langkawi Golf Club has been reborn as 99 East Golf Club. Millions of tons of earth were moved and hundreds of new plants and trees rooted to realize the new design by Australian golf course architect, Ross Watson.

99 East Golf Club is located on oceanfront land between Pantai Cenang and Kuah Town, just 10 minutes from the Langkawi International Airport. The course is the first Malaysia golf course to be managed by US Based Troon Golf and this will ensure that 99 East Golf Club gains a favorable reputation.

The championship golf course compliments the natural environment. With multiple tee boxes, 99 East Golf Club will challenge the pros while remaining fair to the recreational golfers. This 7,500 yard Langkawi golf course takes many design references from Australian and Scottish links courses, with wild native grasses and reeds dominating the out of play areas. The Malaysian character of the course at the 99 East Golf Club is expressed in the layers of rice terraces which skirt the course and in the rainforest backdrop.

The first five holes play to the highest point of the course. Then there is the monster par-5 sixth hole, with views extending across the entire island to Mat Cincang in the West and Kuah Bay in the East. The course at 99 East Golf Club keeps getting better from there as it descends through the forest and rice terraces into the lower lying wetlands, and then into a stunning orchard valley dissected by two stony brooks. The arrival back at the clubhouse returns to an elevated vantage point with views over the ocean and the islands beyond, as well as forested mountains to the North.

A combination of a great design, coastal setting, and Troon Golf’s management will ensure 99 East Golf Club maintains world class standards for years to come.

The Golf Club Datai Bay

The Golf Club Datai Bay opened for play in 1992 and immediately put Langkawi on the map of premium golf destinations. In fact, The Golf Club Datai Bay was voted as The Most Scenic Golf Course in Malaysia and nominated as one of the best golf resorts in Asia. The Golf Club Datai Bay was also voted as Best Top Ten Golf Course in Malaysia, by Asian Golf Monthly in 2009.

The golf course is situated in northern part of Langkawi and within a large 8,000 acre rain forest reserve. The 5994 meter par-72 Langkawi golf course is also bordered by the Andaman Sea to the east.  Many varieties of trees and plants can be found along the course including tropical hardwoods, bougainvillea, Palms, ferns, parasitic vines and broad-leafed plants. The secluded golf course is close to nature is perfect for both beginners and avid golfers alike. The immense variety of lies; uphill and downhill with undulating fairways and greens, all combine to provide a rewarding Langkawi golf experience.

The Golf Club Datai Bay on the Island of Langkawi in Malaysia offers one of the most unique and special golfing experiences any golfer could wish for. This course is about so much more than simply meeting the challenge of the holes laid out before you. The layout is as spectacular as the environment is natural. Don't worry if you hear movement and crashing around in the woods around the course;  that will be the resident monkeys.

The fairways are fairly tight with excellent bunkering around tricky greens. An abundance of tall ancient trees protecting the narrow channel of fairway is enough to keep the driver in the bag on most holes. Given all the hilly terrain, the golf course is surprisingly flat on the front-nine. The cleverly designed sharp dogleg par-5 8th as a hole is one of the best on the golf course.

There are more elevation changes on the back-nine, where the closing sequence of holes supplies some needed additional features. The 15th starts the excellent closing stretch with a wonderfully plunging downhill par-3. The cleverly designed sharp dogleg par-5 8th as a hole is one of the best on the golf course, as well as the tricky par-4 16th with its overhanging giant trees preventing a simple route to the green for any short tee shots.

After the 16th take time-out from your 18-holes proper, to play the signature hole, a par-3 185-metre carry across the Andaman Sea. Finally, it’s back to a very good uphill par-3 and then the terrific short par-5 closing hole.

The course itself is part of a five star golf resort, which means the levels of service are excellent. The Golf Club Datai Bay offers the comfort of an international class golf club, including full facilities, locker rooms, a Pro Shop and F&B amenities. The golf equipment available is also good quality and a compulsory golf cart need to be added to the green fees. In comparison to other Malaysia golf courses, a round of golf at The Datai is quite expensive. Nevertheless, this Malaysia golf course should be added to everyone’s must play list. It is so much more than golf as you know it. Think of it more like golf with nature combined to their best.