Bago Golf Courses: Book Tee Times & Plan Your Golf Break Near Yangon in 2026/2027

Bago, formerly known as Hanthawaddy, is the fourth largest city in Myanmar and sits about 80 kilometers northeast of Yangon on the Yangon-Mandalay highway. It is one of the most historically significant cities in the country, having served as the capital of the Mon Kingdom and later the Taungoo Dynasty across several centuries before Yangon’s rise. For golfers based in Yangon who want to extend their program, the 90-minute drive north on the main highway puts two 18-hole courses within a practical day trip. Two courses are listed in the GolfLux database: Hanthawaddy Golf and Country Club at 6,361 meters with a slope of 137, and Yemon Island Golf Resort at 6,533 yards, a formerly military course now open to civilian visitors.

The slope of 137 at Hanthawaddy is the specific credential worth noting. Despite the modest yardage, that slope puts the course in serious company by Myanmar standards and reflects a design where difficulty is created through routing and terrain rather than length. For golfers who have covered the main Yangon courses, the Bago pair provides a different environment with historical heritage attached.

Bago suits golfers building an extended Yangon program who want two additional rounds north of the capital, travelers specifically interested in the Mon and Taungoo heritage of Bago’s temple circuit, and anyone taking the Yangon to Mandalay highway who wants a round before continuing north.

Golf courses in Bago

1. Hanthawaddy Golf and Country Club

Hanthawaddy Golf and Country Club is an 18-hole, par 72 layout measuring 6,361 meters with a slope of 137, located on the Yangon-Mandalay Road on 10 Mile Hill in Bago-East, about 90 minutes from Yangon according to the club. The slope of 137 from a course under 6,400 meters is the key specification: it indicates a design built for challenge through placement demands, elevation changes, and strategic hazards rather than raw distance. The club is described as offering a big challenge for golfers of all skill levels.

It suits experienced golfers who want a slope-challenge round on the Yangon highway, and as the primary Bago course for golfers who want the most technically demanding layout north of the capital.

2. Yemon Island Golf Resort

Yemon Island Golf Resort is an 18-hole, par 72 layout measuring 6,533 yards, located in Hlegu Township, Za Yet Kwin, Bago Region according to the club. The course was formerly a military facility and is now open to civilian golfers following the transfer of administration. The island setting within the resort gives it a different visual character from the highway-adjacent Hanthawaddy course.

It suits golfers who want the island resort setting and a slightly longer round than Hanthawaddy, or as a second-day option for visitors spending two nights in the Bago area.

Which course is better?

Hanthawaddy Golf and Country Club is the first choice by slope rating and the more technically demanding experience. Yemon Island suits a second round in a different setting. Most Bago programs cover Hanthawaddy on the primary playing day.

Best time to play golf in Bago

Bago follows the same seasonal pattern as Yangon. November through February is the most comfortable window with temperatures around 22 to 30 degrees Celsius and low humidity. March through May is hot and dry with early morning tee times the practical approach. June through October is the monsoon season with afternoon rain on most days.

Bago golf holiday and package tours

Bago works best as a day trip or one-night extension from Yangon rather than a standalone destination. The 90-minute drive on the Yangon-Mandalay highway is straightforward, and most golfers depart Yangon before 6:30am for a morning round at Hanthawaddy before returning to Yangon the same afternoon. For golfers who want two Bago rounds, an overnight at one of the Bago town hotels allows a second morning at Yemon Island before the return drive.

The Bago heritage circuit, covering the Shwemawdaw Pagoda, the Shwethalyaung reclining Buddha, the Kyaik Pun four-faced pagoda, and the ruins of the old Hanthawaddy Palace, fills an afternoon after a morning round and gives the Bago day trip a substantive non-golf program.

The Shwemawdaw Pagoda in Bago town, known as the “Great Golden God” pagoda, is one of the tallest pagodas in Myanmar at 114 meters according to Myanmar’s Ministry of Religious Affairs, taller than the Shwedagon in Yangon. The Shwethalyaung reclining Buddha statue, measuring 55 meters in length, is one of the largest reclining Buddha figures in the world and one of the most visited religious sites in Bago. Both are accessible from the golf courses within 20 to 30 minutes. Browse Myanmar golf packages or create a custom Myanmar itinerary that connects Bago with the Yangon and Mandalay programs.

Golf with Bago’s Mon and Taungoo heritage

Bago’s historical significance in Myanmar is substantial. The city served as the capital of the Mon Kingdom of Hanthawaddy from 1369 and later became the capital of the first Taungoo Dynasty, which unified much of mainland Southeast Asia under Burmese rule in the 16th century. Myanmar’s Department of Archaeology notes the Hanthawaddy Palace ruins as one of the most significant archaeological sites in the Bago Region, with the wooden palace foundations and the surrounding moat partially visible in the town center.

The Kanbawzathadi Palace Museum at the former Hanthawaddy Palace site documents the Taungoo Dynasty period with artifacts and reconstructed architecture. The Mahazedi Pagoda and the Shwegugale Pagoda add to the concentration of religious heritage that gives Bago more cultural density per square kilometer than most Myanmar provincial towns. For golfers combining a Hanthawaddy round with the heritage circuit, the city’s sites are accessible without a guide and the sequence of a morning round followed by three or four pagoda visits fills a full Bago day without rushing.

Book tee times in Bago

Hanthawaddy Golf and Country Club is accessible with a few days’ advance booking. Yemon Island Golf Resort should similarly be confirmed in advance given its formerly restricted access status. Booking through GolfLux or an established Myanmar golf operator is the most reliable approach for tee time confirmation and current access arrangements. Start planning here or view Myanmar golf packages to incorporate Bago into a wider Myanmar golf program.