Davao Golf Courses: Book Tee Times & Plan Your Golf Break in 2026/2027

Davao City is the largest city in the Philippines by land area and the main entry point to Mindanao. It sits at the edge of the Davao Gulf with Mount Apo, the country’s highest peak at 2,954 meters, visible from most of the city on clear mornings. Seven courses are listed in the broader Davao GolfLux database, and the two headline venues in the city itself both carry national credentials: Apo Golf and Country Club is the oldest course in Davao and the only one to have hosted the Philippine Golf Tour, while Rancho Palos Verdes Golf and Country Club is cited by publicly available rankings as one of the 30 best courses in the Philippines.

Davao does not draw the volume of international golf travelers that Manila or Clark attracts, and that is partly what makes it worth considering. The city has direct flights from Manila, Cebu, Singapore, and Hong Kong. Once you land, transfers are straightforward, the courses are well-maintained, and green fees sit below the Manila premium. What you do outside the golf, climbing toward Apo, crossing to Samal Island for a beach day, eating grilled tuna belly at the wharf, fills the rest of the schedule without any planning effort.

Davao suits golfers who want a complete Mindanao experience with proper championship golf included, Manila or Cebu travelers extending a Philippines trip south, and anyone specifically interested in playing the country’s oldest continuously operating tournament course outside of Luzon.

Best golf courses in Davao

Seven courses are listed across the Davao region. Two anchor the visiting golf program in the city.

1. Apo Golf and Country Club

Apo Golf and Country Club is an 18-hole, par 72 layout measuring 7,119 yards, established in 1968 in the Talomo district of Davao City according to the club. It is the oldest course in Davao and the only one to have hosted the Philippine Golf Tour, giving it a competitive heritage no other Mindanao course can match. The layout plays across undulating terrain with views toward Mount Apo from several positions, and wide fairways reward distance while the ground movement creates a genuine test of course management.

It suits experienced golfers who want the most historically significant round available in Davao, and any visitor who wants to play a course with verified tournament heritage south of the Visayas.

2. Rancho Palos Verdes Golf and Country Club

Rancho Palos Verdes Golf and Country Club is an 18-hole, par 72 layout measuring 7,039 yards, located about 20 kilometers north of Davao City in Barangay Mandug according to the club. Publicly available Philippine golf rankings consistently include it among the country’s 30 best courses. The routing uses undulating terrain with multiple risk-reward decisions, and at 7,039 yards it delivers a proper championship test. The drive from the city center takes about 30 to 40 minutes.

It suits golfers who want a nationally ranked layout in Mindanao, and as a natural second-day round paired with Apo Golf.

3. Dole Kalsangi Golf Club

Dole Kalsangi Golf Club is an 18-hole, par 72 layout measuring 6,430 yards at the base of Mount Matutum in Polomolok, South Cotabato according to the club. The Dole plantation setting gives it a different agricultural character from the city courses, and the shorter yardage makes it more accessible for mid-to-high handicap golfers. About two hours by road from Davao, it suits golfers extending the trip toward General Santos.

4. Camp Evangelista Golf Club

Camp Evangelista Golf Club plays as an 18-hole course using two tee boxes on 9 holes, par 68, measuring 5,573 yards in Cagayan de Oro City according to the club. Narrow fairways and military camp character give it a different atmosphere from the Davao courses. CDO is about three hours from Davao by road or accessible by direct flight from Manila, making it a separate destination rather than a day trip.

Which course is better?

Apo Golf is the first choice for tournament heritage and historical significance. Rancho Palos Verdes is the call for a nationally ranked layout with varied terrain north of the city. Most two to three day Davao programs pair both across consecutive mornings. Dole Kalsangi fills a third round for golfers driving south toward General Santos.

Best time to play golf in Davao

Davao has one of the most stable climates in the Philippines. The Philippines Tourism Authority notes the city sits largely outside the main typhoon belt and receives rainfall more evenly throughout the year than Luzon or the Visayas. Temperatures are consistently around 25 to 32 degrees Celsius year-round.

November to May is the drier and more comfortable half of the year, with clearer mornings and lower humidity. This is the most reliable window for the full Mount Apo panorama from the Apo Golf fairways.

June to October brings more frequent rain, particularly at higher elevations. Morning rounds in the city area remain generally playable. Davao’s relative typhoon safety makes it one of the more reliable year-round golf destinations in the Philippines, with fewer weather-forced cancellations than Leyte or Bicol.

Early morning tee times before 7:30am are standard practice regardless of season.

Davao golf holidays and package tours

Davao suits three to five day programs, either as a standalone Mindanao destination or as the southern leg of a wider Philippines circuit. Direct flights from Manila take about 90 minutes. From Cebu it is 45 minutes. International connections from Singapore, Hong Kong, and Kuala Lumpur remove the Manila layover for regional visitors.

A typical Davao golf program covers city-center accommodation, private transfers to Apo Golf and Rancho Palos Verdes, and one non-golf activity such as a Samal Island day trip, a Philippine Eagle Center visit, or a Davao fish market dinner.

Mindanao circuit: Davao for two rounds, domestic flight to Cagayan de Oro for a Camp Evangelista round and white water rafting on the Cagayan River, return Manila via CDO

For couples, the Philippine Eagle Center and Samal Island give non-golfing partners a full independent program on both non-golf and golf days. The island is 20 minutes by boat from Santa Ana Wharf and has beach resorts with clear water suited to a half-day or full-day stay. Browse Philippines golf packages or create a custom Davao itinerary to plan rounds alongside the wider Mindanao program.

Golf with Mount Apo and Davao’s natural landscape

Mount Apo’s presence shapes the Davao experience in a way that is visible from the golf courses. The Philippines Tourism Authority notes it as the highest peak in the Philippines within the Mount Apo Natural Park on the Davao-Cotabato boundary. Full summit treks take two to three days through licensed outfitters based in the city. Most golf visitors skip the summit and visit the lower slopes or the thermal springs within the park boundary instead, which are accessible without technical equipment and fill a half-day program comfortably.

The Philippine Eagle Center in Calinan, 30 kilometers from the city center, runs the national breeding and conservation program for the Philippine Eagle. The eagles are housed in large forest enclosures rather than small cages, giving the visit a more genuine wildlife character. It is the most worthwhile non-golf stop in Davao and consistently recommended regardless of how much time you have.

Davao’s food identity centers on yellowfin tuna from the Davao Gulf and Celebes Sea, landed through the fishing operations at General Santos and available fresh at the restaurants near Santa Ana Wharf. Grilled tuna belly is the dish most associated with the city. A post-round dinner at one of the waterfront seafood restaurants costs considerably less than equivalent quality in Manila and is as close to a required activity as any meal recommendation in this guide.

Book tee times in Davao

Apo Golf fills fastest on weekends and should be booked at least a week ahead for Saturday and Sunday slots. Rancho Palos Verdes is generally accessible with a few days’ notice outside of local holidays. Weekday availability at both courses is open with two to three days’ advance booking.

When organizing the trip, confirm your Apo Golf tee time first as the priority booking, private transfer logistics for the Rancho Palos Verdes drive north, accommodation in the Davao City center, and how the Eagle Center or Samal Island day fits around the playing schedule. Davao’s typhoon-safe climate makes year-round planning reliable, with fewer forced itinerary changes than most other Philippine island destinations. Start planning here or view Philippines golf packages to include Davao in a wider Philippines program.