Kedah Golf Courses: Book Tee Times & Explore Malaysia's Rice Bowl Golf in 2026/2027

Kedah is the northernmost state of Peninsular Malaysia, running from the rice paddies and mountains of the mainland up to the island of Langkawi in the Andaman Sea. The GolfLux database lists twelve courses across the state, and the most significant split is simple: The Els Club Teluk Datai on Langkawi is one of the most recognized golf courses in Southeast Asia by international reputation, and everything else is mainland Kedah. Ernie Els designed the Teluk Datai course to run through ancient rainforest beside the Andaman Sea, and the combination of that setting with Langkawi’s UNESCO Geopark designation gives it a context that no mainland course can replicate. On the mainland side, Permaipura Golf and Country Club in Bedong with the Gunung Jerai mountain as its backdrop, Kulim Golf and Country Resort in the Kulim Hi-Tech Park, and Cinta Sayang Golf and Country Club in Sungai Petani provide quality 18-hole options at accessible prices for golfers based in the northern Peninsular corridor.

Kedah as a golf destination makes the most sense when framed correctly. A week in Langkawi with two rounds at The Els Club and one round at Gunung Raya Golf Resort, combined with the island’s duty-free shopping, beaches, and UNESCO Geopark geological sites, is a complete and self-contained golf holiday. Separately, the mainland Kedah courses serve as natural additions to a Penang program, particularly for golfers who fly into Penang International Airport and want rounds at both Penang-area courses and the northern Kedah mainland layouts before or after adding Langkawi.

Kedah suits golfers specifically drawn to The Els Club Teluk Datai, couples combining a Langkawi island holiday with golf, and visitors building a northern Malaysia circuit that connects Penang, mainland Kedah, and Langkawi.

Best golf courses in Kedah

1. The Els Club Teluk Datai

The Els Club Teluk Datai is an 18-hole, par 72 layout measuring 6,750 yards, designed by Ernie Els, located at Jalan Datai in the northwestern corner of Langkawi island according to the club. The course is described as situated on the mystical island of Langkawi with spectacular vistas of mountain peaks, virgin rainforest, and the emerald green Andaman Sea. Several holes run through primary rainforest that has not been cleared, and the Datai Bay position at the Andaman Sea end of the island gives it coastal views that the two other Langkawi courses cannot match from the same proximity.

The Ernie Els design credential and the primary rainforest setting make this the most internationally recognized Malaysia golf course outside of KL’s Saujana Palm Course. It suits golfers who specifically want to play a named-architect course in an extraordinary natural environment, couples staying at the Datai Bay luxury resorts who want the most premium island golf experience, and any visitor making a dedicated Langkawi golf trip for whom Els Club is the primary objective.

2. Gunung Raya Golf Resort

Gunung Raya Golf Resort is an 18-hole, par 72 layout measuring 6,377 yards, located at the foothills of Gunung Raya, Langkawi’s highest mountain, in Kisap according to the club. The course covers 300 acres of land and the mountain backdrop from the Gunung Raya slopes gives it a more enclosed, forest-and-mountain character compared to the coastal Els Club. The club description notes it as one of the most scenic golf resorts in Langkawi.

It suits golfers building a two-round Langkawi program who want a different character from the Els Club coastal setting, and as the practical second-day option for any Langkawi stay.

3. 99 East Golf Club

99 East Golf Club, previously known as The Langkawi Golf Club, is an 18-hole, par 72 layout measuring 7,300 yards with a slope of 121 in Bukit Malut, Langkawi according to the club. After a complete makeover, the course now offers an updated championship experience at the longest measured layout in the Langkawi listings. The 7,300-yard length suits golfers who want the maximum yardage challenge available on the island.

4. Permaipura Golf and Country Club

Permaipura Golf and Country Club is an 18-hole, par 72 layout measuring 6,556 yards with a slope of 130, located in Bedong, Kedah, with Gunung Jerai or Kedah Peak as its backdrop according to the club. The mountain backdrop and the 130 slope make it the strongest mainland Kedah option for visiting golfers, and the Bedong location puts it about 30 minutes north of Penang along the North-South Expressway. It suits golfers building a northern Malaysia program who want a quality mainland Kedah round alongside their Penang courses.

Which course is better?

The Els Club is the unambiguous first choice on Langkawi for international reputation and the most distinctive course setting in the state. Gunung Raya is the natural second round for any Langkawi stay. 99 East suits golfers who want maximum yardage. On the mainland, Permaipura is the strongest option by slope and mountain setting. Most Kedah programs are structured around the Langkawi island courses with the mainland adding supplementary rounds on a wider northern Malaysia circuit.

Best time to play golf in Kedah

Langkawi’s position on the Andaman Sea gives it a different seasonal pattern from mainland Kedah and Penang. The island’s northwest-facing position means the southwest monsoon from June through October brings more frequent rain to the eastern side of the island, while the northwestern Datai Bay area where Els Club is located sits in a somewhat more sheltered position. Malaysia’s Tourism Authority notes that Langkawi generally has its driest period from November through April.

November to April is the most reliable window for Langkawi golf. The Andaman Sea is calm, the island’s beaches are at their best, and morning rounds at both Els Club and Gunung Raya are generally clear. December through February is peak Langkawi tourism season and accommodation books out for holiday periods.

May to October brings more frequent afternoon rain, particularly on the east side of the island. Morning rounds at Els Club remain generally playable given the course’s northwestern position. Green fees and accommodation rates are lower, and the island is considerably less crowded. The duty-free shopping that draws regional visitors is available year-round.

Mainland Kedah follows the northwest Peninsular seasonal pattern, with drier conditions from November through April and the main monsoon season from May through September.

Kedah golf holidays and package tours

Kedah suits two distinct program structures. A Langkawi island program of four to seven days centers on two or three rounds across Els Club, Gunung Raya, and 99 East alongside the island’s beaches, duty-free retail, and UNESCO Geopark geological attractions. A northern Malaysia mainland circuit pairs mainland Kedah courses with Penang for four to six rounds across both sides of the Penang-Kedah border.

Langkawi International Airport has direct connections from Kuala Lumpur (about one hour), Singapore, and several regional hubs, making the island accessible without a complicated routing. Ferry connections from Penang to Langkawi take about two and a half hours and give golfers the option of a sea crossing rather than a domestic flight.

Practical package formats:

7 days golf in Langkawi, Kedah with three Langkawi rounds at Els Club, Gunung Raya, and 99 East, beach days, and UNESCO Geopark site visits, from USD 980 per person

9 days golf in Kedah and Penang covering mainland Kedah courses alongside Penang’s layouts, from USD 1,145 per person

10 days golf in Kuala Lumpur and Langkawi combining KL metropolitan rounds with Langkawi island golf, from USD 2,150 per person

Langkawi is one of the most naturally balanced golf and island holiday combinations in Malaysia. Non-golfing partners have the Pantai Cenang and Pantai Tengah beach areas, the cable car to the Mat Cincang mountain peak above Teluk Datai, the Langkawi Mangrove tour through the Kilim Karst Geoforest Park, and the duty-free shopping at Kuah town. 

Browse Kedah golf packages or create a custom Langkawi and Kedah itinerary combining island golf with the wider northern Malaysia program.

Golf with Langkawi’s UNESCO Geopark and the island’s natural landscape

Langkawi was designated as Malaysia’s first UNESCO Global Geopark in 2007, recognized for its ancient geological formations dating back approximately 550 million years. Malaysia’s Tourism Authority notes the geopark designation covers three main geological zones: the Machinchang Cambrian Geoforest Park in the northwest where The Els Club is located, the Kilim Karst Geoforest Park in the northeast with its mangrove waterways and limestone outcrops, and the Dayang Bunting Marble Geoforest Park in the south. This geological significance explains why primary rainforest was preserved on the Datai Bay headland where the Els Club runs its front nine, rather than cleared for development.

The Kilim Karst Geoforest Park mangrove tour, accessible by boat from the Kilim jetty on the island’s northeastern coast, is the most organized and widely cited natural activity on Langkawi. The tour covers the karst limestone formations emerging from the mangrove waterway, eagle feeding stations where sea eagles congregate, fish farms in the karst caves. It takes about two to three hours by boat and works as an afternoon activity after a morning round at Els Club, given the roughly 45-minute drive from Datai Bay to the Kilim jetty.

The Langkawi SkyBridge and cable car at the Oriental Village in Teluk Baru, accessible from the Ulu Melaka area, carries visitors to a ridge at 700 meters with views across the Andaman Sea and toward Thailand’s coast on clear days. The SkyBridge, a curved suspension footbridge hung from a single pylon, is one of the most photographed structures in Malaysia.

Book tee times in Kedah

The Els Club Teluk Datai is the most in-demand Langkawi course and fills during peak season December through February and during Malaysian public holiday weekends. Booking two weeks ahead for peak season weekend slots is the practical minimum. Gunung Raya and 99 East are generally accessible with a few days’ notice. Permaipura and the other mainland Kedah courses have good weekday availability with two to three days’ advance booking.

When organizing a Kedah golf program, confirm Els Club as the priority booking for any Langkawi visit, flight or ferry logistics into Langkawi, accommodation in the Datai Bay or Pantai Cenang area depending on budget and course proximity preference, and how the geopark boat tour and beach days align with the playing schedule. For the mainland program, the North-South Expressway from Penang to the Bedong and Sungai Petani area puts the mainland Kedah courses within 30 to 45 minutes of Penang’s Butterworth ferry terminal. Start planning here or view Kedah golf packages to find a program covering Langkawi alongside the wider northern Malaysia circuit.