Johor is the southernmost state in Peninsular Malaysia, separated from Singapore by the narrow Johor Strait, and its 38 golf courses are among the best-used in the country for a straightforward reason: Singapore golfers cross the Causeway regularly to play here at a fraction of what rounds cost on the island.
The course quality justifies the trip on its own merits. Horizon Hills Golf & Country Club in Iskandar Puteri is one of the most technically demanding layouts in Malaysia, with a design that rewards precise ball-striking and punishes positional errors in ways that separate it from more forgiving resort tracks. The course conditions are consistently maintained and the greens are among the truest in the region. Johor Golf & Country Club, the oldest and most established private club in the state, has a heritage and club infrastructure that matches any venue in Malaysia. Palm Resort Golf & Country Club’s Allamanda Course adds another challenging option with tropical parkland character and a layout that draws a regular following from both Singapore and KL golfers.
The depth of options across Johor’s 38 courses means multi-day itineraries can cover genuinely different course types without repeating a layout or travelling more than 30 to 45 minutes between venues.
Green fees across the state run at a significant discount to Singapore, which is the primary driver for cross-Causeway golf traffic and the reason Johor sees consistent midweek demand from Singapore members and visiting players.
Browse Johor golf courses below and contact GolfLux to build your package.
Key Highlights
| Feature | Details |
| Location | Johor State, southern Peninsular Malaysia |
| Distance from Singapore | Approx. 30–60 minutes by road via the Johor-Singapore Causeway or Second Link |
| Number of Courses | 38 golf courses across Johor |
| Course Types | Championship private club, resort parkland, forest-edge, and coastal layouts |
| Signature Experience | Championship rounds at Horizon Hills Golf & Country Club in Iskandar Puteri, consistently rated one of Malaysia’s most demanding layouts |
| Caddie Service | Available at all courses; mandatory at several private clubs |
| Facilities | Full-service clubhouses, pro shops, resort accommodation, dining across multiple venues |
| Best Playing Season | Year-round; March to August for driest conditions |
| Nearest Airport | Senai International Airport (JHB), Johor Bahru; or Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) with road transfer |
| Combine With | Singapore (30–60 min), Melaka (2 hours), KL (2.5–3 hours) |
| Best Suited For | Singapore-based golfers seeking affordable Malaysian courses, and international visitors combining Johor golf with a Singapore entry or exit point |
New to playing golf in Johor? These courses are the easiest entry points — well-maintained, caddie-assisted, and within 120 minutes of the city center. No local knowledge required.
No. 4, Jalan Danau, Desaru Coast, 81930 Darul Ta’zim, Johor, Malaysia
Holes: 27 Par: 108 Length: Over 7200 yd Slope: N/AThe Els Club Desaru Coast – Ocean Course offers 27 holes of championship golf designed by Ernie Els. Situated along the Desaru Coast in the southern state of Johor, golfers experience…
No. 2, Jalan Pantai 2, Desaru Coast, 81930 Desaru Coast, Johor, Malaysia
Holes: 18 Par: 72 Length: 7200 yd Slope: N/AThe Els Club Desaru Coast – Valley Course, the 18 hole golf course designed by Vijay Singh and jointly developed with Ernie Els Design, is suited for all skill levels….
No. 1 Jalan Eka,Horizon Hills,79100 Iskandar Puteri, Johor Darul Takzim, Malaysia
Holes: 18 Par: 72 Length: 6750 yd Slope: N/AHorizon Hills Golf Country Club , within such a short time since its opening in 2008, has become a household name in the golf industry in this region. The course is…
6.5KM, Jalan Kampung Maju Jaya, Kempas Lama, 81330 Skudai, Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
Holes: 18 Par: 72 Length: 6859 m Slope: 139Starhill Golf Country Club Bukit Course, as its name suggests, offers undulating hills to be the foremost feature of this course. The slopping terrains of the hills call for accuracy…
20km, Jalan Pontian Lama, 81110 Pulai, Johor, Malaysia
Holes: 18 Par: 72 Length: 6582 yd Slope: 71,7Pulai Springs Country Club Melana Course, nestled at the foothills of Mount Pulai, naturally endowed with breath-taking views and sweeping panoramas of rolling greens and undulating hills. Pulai Springs Resort…
20km, Jalan Pontian Lama, 81110 Pulai, Johor, Malaysia
Holes: 18 Par: 72 Length: 6819 yd Slope: 71,1Pulai Springs Country Club Pulai Course, nestled at the foothills of Mount Pulai, is naturally endowed with breath-taking views and sweeping panoramas of rolling greens and undulating hills. Pulai Springs…
Km 36, Mukim Tanjung Kupang, Gelang Patah, Johor 81550 Malaysia
Holes: 36 Par: 128 Length: 7058 yd Slope: N/APoresia Golf Club Resort (also called Senibong Golf Club) is the nearest Johor Bahru country club to Singapore. The golf course is located 15 minutes from the Tuas checkpoint and is…
Jalan Tanjong Puteri 1, Tanjong Puteri Golf Resort, 81700 Pasir Gudang, Johor, Malaysia.
Holes: 18 Par: 72 Length: 6163 m Slope: N/ATanjong Puteri Golf Resort Straits Course, designed by Akira Mamiya and is constructed following closely to the coastline of the Straits of Johor. This exclusive 6,163 metre 18-hole course is…
Jalan Tanjong Puteri 1, Tanjong Puteri Golf Resort, 81700 Pasir Gudang, Johor, Malaysia.
Holes: 18 Par: 72 Length: 6414 m Slope: N/ATanjong Puteri Golf Resort Village Course was under construction first in August 1994, designed by Akira Mamiya. The area originally was part of the oil palm estate with human settlements…
Jalan Tanjong Puteri 1, Tanjong Puteri Golf Resort, 81700 Pasir Gudang, Johor, Malaysia
Holes: 18 Par: 72 Length: 6454 m Slope: N/ATanjong Puteri Golf Resort Plantation Course course was designed by Max Wexler and was opened for play in November 1992. This course was designed and constructed with the priority of…
Lot 1302, Kebun Sedenak, PO Box 11 81000 Kulai, Johor Darul Takzim, Malaysia
Holes: 27 Par: 108 Length: 6710 m Slope: 74,2The Legends Golf Country Resort, located in beautiful Sedenak, Johor, an easy 40-minute drive from the Second Causeway via the North-South Highway, offers world-class golf courses in an unparalleled resort…
6.5KM, Jalan Kampung Maju Jaya, Kempas Lama, 81330 Skudai, Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
Holes: 18 Par: 72 Length: 6834 yd Slope: 73,8Starhill Golf Country Club Bintang Course, with a length of 6834 yards, par -72, offers an interesting range of difficulties for the golfer. Water serves as the primary obstacle factor…
NO. 3, Jalan Ponderosa 1, Taman Ponderosa, 81100 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
Holes: 18 Par: 72 Length: 6384 m Slope: N/APonderosa Golf Country Club is a masterpiece of terrain challenges, originally designed by Max Wexler and later re-modeled by Ronald Fream. The golf course measures 6,467 and 6,005 metres from…
Lot Ptd 58061, Jalan Mutiara Emas 8, Taman Mount Austin, 81100 Johor Bahru, Malaysia.
Holes: 18 Par: 72 Length: 5488 yd Slope: 131Austin Heights Golf Hotel Resort is located only 15 km from the Johor Bahru causeway and less than 30 minutes from Singapore via the EDL link. The resort boasts an 18-hole championship…
Discover some of the best golf courses near Johor, located just a few hours away and perfect for a quick golf escape. Enjoy a mix of scenic landscapes and well-designed courses suitable for all skill levels.
Jalan Gapam, Bukit Katil P.O Box 473, 75760 Melaka, Malaysia
Holes: 27 Par: 108 Length: Over 7200 m Slope: N/ATiara Melaka Golf Country Club is a 27 hole course containing three-nine, namely the Lake course, the Meadow course and the Woodlands course. The superb Woodlands-nine, with dense jungle lining…
Batu 16, Jalan Gapam, Ladang Gapam, Bemban 77200 Jasin, Melaka, Malaysia.
Holes: 27 Par: 108 Length: 6697 m Slope: N/AOrna Golf Country Club has gained a well deserved reputation as one of the toughest and most challenging golf courses in the south of the Peninsula since it opened for…
Jalan Pegawai, 77000 Jasin, Melaka, Malaysia
Holes: 9 Par: 34 Length: 3037 meters Slope: N/AJasin Heritage Golf Club (also known as Jasin Golf Club) is a 9-hole breathtaking course nestled in the heart of Melaka, Malaysia. This club stands as a testament to the…
Kg Lanjut, 26800 Kuala Rompin, Pahang, Malaysia
Holes: 18 Par: 72 Length: 3500 meters Slope: N/ASituated approximately 130 km south of Kuantan, the Villea Rompin Resort & Golf stands as the sole golf course in Kuala Rompin, Pahang. Originally architected by Lu Liang Huang and…
Johor is the southernmost state of Peninsular Malaysia and, for golfers arriving from Singapore, the most immediately accessible Malaysian golf destination. The Causeway and Second Link crossings put Johor Bahru within 30 to 60 minutes of the Singapore city center, and the state has 38 courses in the GolfLux database, the second largest state listing in Malaysia after Selangor. The quality distribution across those 38 covers everything from colonial-era 9-hole plantation clubs to the Els Club Desaru Coast Ocean Course, a 27-hole Ernie Els design measuring over 7,200 yards facing the South China Sea on the Desaru peninsula.
The state divides naturally into two golf zones. The Johor Bahru corridor, within 30 to 40 minutes of the causeway to Singapore, has Horizon Hills Golf and Country Club, Starhill Golf and Country Club with its Bukit Course at slope 139, Pulai Springs Country Club’s 36 holes at the foothills of Mount Pulai, and several more. The Desaru Coast, about 90 minutes east of JB on the South China Sea, has the Els Club Desaru’s 45 holes across the Ocean and Valley courses as a dedicated golf resort destination. Golfers based in Singapore use the JB corridor for day trips. Golfers building a multi-day dedicated program are more likely to split their stay between JB and Desaru.
Johor suits Singapore-based golfers who want more rounds than the island’s limited and expensive clubs can provide, international visitors building a KL to Singapore overland program, and anyone specifically drawn to the Desaru Coast as an East Coast Johor beach and golf resort.
Thirty-eight courses are listed. Five form the core visiting program.
The Els Club Desaru Coast Ocean Course is a 27-hole layout measuring over 7,200 yards, designed by Ernie Els, situated along the Desaru Coast in Johor facing the South China Sea according to the club. The Ernie Els design credit connects it to The Els Club Teluk Datai in Langkawi and the Els Club at Desaru Valley, and the oceanfront position on the South China Sea gives it a visual character that the JB corridor courses cannot match. The 27-hole format allows multiple nine combinations, and the full resort infrastructure at Desaru Coast makes it a self-contained two to three night program.
It suits golfers who want the most distinctive Johor course setting with named-architect credentials, couples who want a beachfront resort stay combined with serious golf, and Singapore-based visitors looking for a dedicated golf resort within a three-hour drive.
The Els Club Desaru Coast Valley Course is an 18-hole, par 72 layout measuring 7,200 yards, designed by Vijay Singh and jointly developed with Ernie Els Design, at Desaru Coast according to the club. The Singh design background makes it the only course in Malaysia bearing a major professional’s architect contribution other than through the Nicklaus, Palmer, or Els firms. The inland valley setting contrasts with the Ocean Course’s coastal character, and most Desaru programs pair both across two playing days.
Horizon Hills Golf and Country Club is a highly cited Johor Bahru course, consistently mentioned in public golf travel sources as one of the toughest layouts in the JB corridor, located in Nusa Jaya, Johor Bahru according to the club. The course is popular with professional and serious golfers for its challenging layout and conditioned greens. The Iskandar Malaysia development zone position puts it about 20 minutes from the Second Link to Singapore.
It suits experienced low-handicap golfers who want the most technically demanding JB corridor round, and Singapore-based golfers for whom Horizon Hills is the primary cross-border destination.
Starhill Golf and Country Club Bukit Course is an 18-hole, par 72 layout measuring 6,859 meters with a slope of 139, located in Skudai, Johor Bahru according to the club. The slope of 139 is the highest in the JB corridor and reflects a course where the sloping terrain demands accuracy throughout. The Bintang Course on the same property measures 6,834 yards, giving groups two 18-hole options without changing venues. The Skudai location is about 20 to 30 minutes from the Causeway.
Palm Resort Golf and Country Club, mentioned in the GolfLux destination introduction as one of the hardest courses in the area, is located in Nusa Jaya close to the Second Link according to the club. The club has multiple course options within its resort property. Publicly available golf travel sources cite it as one of the strongest resort golf venues in the JB corridor.
Which course is better?
Els Club Desaru Ocean Course is the most distinctive course in the state by setting and designer credential. Desaru Valley Course adds the Vijay Singh-Els Design collaboration as a second Desaru day. Horizon Hills is the most demanding JB corridor round. Starhill Bukit is the highest slope option near the causeway. Palm Resort suits groups who want resort accommodation alongside multiple JB rounds. Most dedicated Johor programs split two days in the JB corridor and two days at Desaru.
Johor follows the southern Peninsular seasonal pattern with two distinct monsoon influences. Malaysia’s Tourism Authority notes that the west coast around JB receives more consistent rain from October through January when the northeast monsoon affects the east coast more directly, while the Desaru east coast has its wettest period from November through January.
March to September is the most reliable window for both JB corridor and Desaru golf. Morning rounds are clear, the South China Sea at Desaru is calmer, and humidity is somewhat lower than the monsoon months. This is when Singapore-based golfers most frequently make the crossing.
October to February brings more variable conditions, particularly at Desaru on the east coast during the northeast monsoon. JB corridor courses remain generally playable with morning rounds, but Desaru sea conditions can be rough and beach activities less reliable. Green fees are consistent year-round.
Early morning tee times before 7:30am are standard year-round.
Johor suits three to seven day programs, structured around either the JB corridor as a Singapore extension or the Desaru Coast as a dedicated resort destination. The Causeway from Singapore Woodlands to JB Customs is the most direct crossing but can be congested during peak hours. The Second Link from Tuas in western Singapore to Gelang Patah in western Johor is generally faster for golfers heading to the western JB courses and is closer to the Horizon Hills and Second Link-adjacent courses. For Desaru, the drive from Singapore via the Second Link takes about two to two and a half hours.
Most JB corridor programs cover two to three days with one or two rounds per day, accommodation in JB city or at a golf resort, and an evening in JB’s food and shopping districts. Desaru programs are self-contained: the Desaru Coast resort complex has hotels, beach, and both Els Club courses in one area.
Practical formats:
5 days Johor golf package with three JB corridor rounds and two Desaru rounds, from USD 530 per person
4 days golf in Desaru with two Desaru rounds across Ocean and Valley courses, beach days, from USD 475 per person
8 days Desaru and Johor package covering the full JB and Desaru circuit across seven nights, from USD 850 per person
The Desaru Coast integrated resort zone is the most complete Johor non-golf program. Malaysia’s Tourism Authority notes Desaru’s beaches and the broader Johor east coast as a recognized coastal tourism area. The JB city itself has a large shopping and restaurant district along the Causeway end of the city that provides an evening program for golfers based near the Singapore crossing. Browse Johor golf packages or create a custom Johor and Singapore itinerary that combines the Desaru resort with the JB corridor courses.
Desaru Coast is the largest integrated resort development on the Johor east coast, occupying a beach peninsula about 90 kilometers east of JB on the South China Sea. Malaysia’s Tourism Authority notes the Desaru area as one of Johor’s recognized beach resort zones, and the Els Club’s 45-hole presence gives the destination a golf anchor that the older Desaru beach resorts never had. The Desaru Coast development includes multiple hotel properties, a water park, a convention center, and a beach strip, which makes it a functional resort destination without relying entirely on the golf.
The drive from JB to Desaru on the eastern Johor highway passes through palm oil and rubber estates with occasional fishing village stops along the coast road. The old Desaru town, north of the integrated resort development, has a different atmosphere from the resort complex and its seafood restaurants on the beach reflect the fishing community character of the pre-development east coast.
Johor Bahru city’s proximity to Singapore has driven significant commercial and retail development in the Causeway end of the city. The JB Premium Outlets at Nusa Jaya, Paradigm Mall, and the Johor Bahru Old Chinese Temple and Tan Hiok Nee Heritage Street in the city center give visitors both modern retail and a heritage street with late-colonial shophouse restaurants. The JB street food scene, particularly the crab curry and coconut water near the Causeway market area, is worth a dinner stop for any golfer crossing from Singapore for a round.
The Els Club Desaru Ocean Course and Horizon Hills are the most in-demand Johor courses, filling on weekends from Singapore golfers and during Malaysian school holiday periods. Booking two weeks ahead for weekend slots at these venues during peak season is sensible. Starhill, Palm Resort, and Pulai Springs are accessible with a week’s advance notice. JB corridor courses see highest demand on Saturday mornings when Singapore golfers cross early for their tee times.
When organizing a Johor golf program, confirm Els Club Desaru Ocean Course and Horizon Hills as priority bookings for any preferred weekend dates, Second Link versus Causeway crossing logistics based on which JB courses are planned, accommodation at Desaru Coast resort for the Desaru program or at a JB city hotel for the corridor rounds, and how any shopping, food, or beach days connect with the golf schedule. Start planning here or view Johor golf packages to find a program that covers both the JB corridor and the Desaru Coast circuit.
Johor has a tropical climate with rainfall year-round. The relatively drier period from March through August offers the most consistent morning conditions. October through January can see heavier rain on the east side of the state from the northeast monsoon, while the west coast around Johor Bahru and Iskandar Puteri tends to be somewhat more sheltered. Morning tee times are reliable year-round. Temperatures are consistently warm, between 25°C and 34°C, so early starts and light clothing are the standard regardless of month.
Show more...
The Johor-Singapore Causeway from Woodlands in Singapore to Johor Bahru is the main crossing, typically taking 30 to 60 minutes by road depending on traffic and time of day. The Second Link (Tuas Second Link) from Tuas in western Singapore to Gelang Patah is a faster alternative for courses in the western Iskandar Puteri area, where Horizon Hills is located. Both crossings are open around the clock. GolfLux coordinates private transfers that handle the border crossing logistics, timing the departure to arrive comfortably before your tee time.
Show more...
Johor Bahru has developed considerably alongside the Iskandar Puteri development zone. The Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman Glass Temple in JB is worth a visit for its distinctive glass-encrusted exterior. The Johor Bahru Old Chinese Temple on Jalan Trus is one of the oldest in the region. For food, the JB food scene is respected by Singaporeans who cross specifically for it, with favourites including crab bee hoon, JB laksa, and the char kway teow at Pasar Karat night market. Legoland Malaysia and Hello Kitty Town in Iskandar Puteri provide family-oriented options between rounds.
Show more...
