Perlis Golf Courses: Book Tee Times & Play Malaysia's Northernmost Golf in 2026/2027

Perlis is the smallest state in Malaysia, wedged between Thailand to the north and Kedah to the south, covering just 821 square kilometers of rice paddy, limestone hills, and mangrove coast. Kangar, the state capital, is a quiet market town with none of the tourist infrastructure of Penang or Langkawi. Most travelers pass through Perlis on the way to or from Thailand via the Padang Besar border crossing, or miss it entirely by flying over it. One golf course serves the state. Putra Golf Club in Kangar is an 18-hole, par 72 layout measuring 6,983 meters, and at that yardage it is a longer course than many of the provincial Malaysian layouts that receive far more international attention.

The framing for Perlis is straightforward. You do not come here specifically for the golf. You come because you are already traveling the northern Peninsular corridor between Penang and Langkawi, or crossing to southern Thailand, and you want to add an unusual round to the itinerary. Putra Golf Club delivers a full-length course with undulating terrain, water hazards, and thoughtful bunkering according to the club’s own description, in a setting surrounded by the limestone hills and rice fields that define the Perlis landscape. That is more than most golfers expect from Malaysia’s smallest state.

Perlis suits golfers building a northern Malaysia overland circuit who want to tick an unusual destination off their list, travelers transiting the Padang Besar border crossing who have a half-day before or after the crossing, and anyone who specifically wants to play a course in every Malaysian state.

Golf course in Perlis

Putra Golf Club

Putra Golf Club is an 18-hole, par 72 layout measuring 6,983 meters, located in Sungai Batu Pahat, Kangar, Perlis according to the club. The course is described as challenging with undulating ground, water hazards positioned throughout the layout, and bunkers placed to test golfers of all skill levels. At 6,983 meters it is a longer course than many Malaysian provincial layouts, and the undulating character noted in the club’s description suggests terrain influenced by the surrounding limestone hill geography rather than a flat paddy-land routing.

The Kangar location puts it within easy reach of the Padang Besar border crossing to Thailand to the north, Alor Setar in Kedah to the south, and the Langkawi ferry terminal at Kuala Perlis about 20 kilometers west. For golfers using Alor Setar as a base for mainland Kedah rounds, the drive north to Kangar for a Putra Golf Club round takes about 45 minutes.

It suits golfers who want a genuinely uncommon Malaysia round, those transiting between Malaysia and southern Thailand who want to fill a morning before or after the border crossing, and anyone building the complete Malaysia state golf circuit.

Best time to play golf in Perlis

Perlis follows the northwest Peninsular seasonal pattern, broadly similar to Kedah and Langkawi. Malaysia’s Tourism Authority notes the northwest coast benefits from the southwest monsoon shield during the main monsoon season, with drier conditions from November through April being the most reliable window.

November to April is the most comfortable period. Temperatures are around 25 to 32 degrees Celsius, morning rounds are clear, and the drive between Kangar and the Langkawi ferry at Kuala Perlis or the Kedah courses to the south is easy in dry conditions.

May to October brings more frequent afternoon rain. Morning rounds at Putra Golf Club remain generally playable. The rice paddy landscape around the course is at its most vivid green in the wet season, which gives the setting a different visual character from the drier months.

Early morning tee times before 7:30am are the standard approach year-round.

Perlis golf holiday and package tours

Perlis does not function as a standalone golf destination in any practical sense. The most natural program structures that include Perlis golf are a northern Malaysia overland circuit from Penang north through mainland Kedah, Perlis, and then a Langkawi ferry; or a Thailand and Malaysia border crossing trip that includes a round at Putra Golf Club on the Malaysian side before or after the Padang Besar crossing.

The Padang Besar crossing connects to Hat Yai in Thailand, which has four courses of its own covered in the Hat Yai guide in this series. For golfers building a Malaysia and southern Thailand combined program, a round at Putra Golf Club followed by the Padang Besar crossing and two Hat Yai rounds is a logical five-day northern circuit.

The Langkawi ferry from Kuala Perlis takes about 45 minutes to reach Langkawi, making a Perlis round followed by a ferry crossing to Langkawi for Els Club and Gunung Raya a practical two to three day northern program.

Practical formats:

Northern Malaysia overland: Penang rounds, drive north through Mainland Kedah for Permaipura round, Perlis overnight with Putra Golf Club morning, Kuala Perlis ferry to Langkawi for Els Club and Gunung Raya

Malaysia and Thailand border circuit: Penang base, mainland Kedah round, Putra Golf Club in Perlis, Padang Besar border crossing to Hat Yai for two rounds, return via Kedah to Penang

Single-state completion: golfers building the full Malaysia state golf circuit who have covered all other states add Perlis as the final stop

For couples, Perlis State Park near Wang Kelian, accessible from Kangar in about 45 minutes, is the most distinctive natural attraction in the state. Malaysia’s Tourism Authority notes the park’s cave systems and limestone karst formations as unique to this northernmost part of Peninsular Malaysia. The Wang Kelian Sunday market on the Thailand border, where cross-border trade brings goods from both sides, gives the area a distinctly border-town market character that is specific to this corner of the peninsula. Browse Kedah golf packages which can incorporate a Perlis stop, or create a custom northern Malaysia itinerary connecting Perlis with Langkawi, Kedah, and Penang.

Golf with Perlis State Park and the Thai border landscape

Perlis State Park, covering 5,000 hectares of limestone forest in the Wang Kelian area near the Thailand border, is the primary natural attraction in the state. Malaysia’s Parks and Wildlife Department notes the park’s cave systems and the semi-deciduous limestone forest as distinct from the lowland dipterocarp forests that cover most of Peninsular Malaysia. The Wang Kelian visitor center is accessible from Kangar by road through the Nakawan Range hills, and the cave exploration and trail walking in the park provide a half-day program different from anything available in the more visited northern Malaysia destinations.

The Gua Kelam cave, a 370-meter limestone tunnel through which a river flows and a wooden walkway passes, is the most visited natural site in Perlis. Malaysia’s Tourism Authority notes it as a recognized natural attraction accessible from Kaki Bukit town about 25 kilometers northeast of Kangar. The cave and the small park surrounding it take about two hours to visit and work as a post-round afternoon stop for golfers who play Putra Golf Club in the morning.

Perlis’s agricultural identity is built around the cultivation of harum manis mangoes, a variety specific to this northern region that is considered among the finest in Malaysia according to the state’s agricultural authority. The mango season runs roughly April through June, and roadside stalls along the Kangar to Arau road sell the local variety at prices considerably below what the same fruit costs in Penang or KL. For golfers visiting in this window, a mango stop on the drive between the course and the Langkawi ferry is a practical and specific regional food experience.

The Wang Kelian border market, operating on Sundays and public holidays near the Thailand border in Wang Kelian, is one of the most active cross-border markets in northern Malaysia. Thai and Malaysian traders sell fresh produce, dry goods, and consumer items in an informal open-air market that reflects the practical commerce of border communities rather than a tourist market format. The drive from Kangar to Wang Kelian takes about 45 minutes through the limestone hills, and the market visit gives the Perlis program a genuine border-community character unavailable in any other Malaysian state.

Book tee times in Perlis

Putra Golf Club is the only course in the state and booking logistics are simpler than at the high-demand urban courses in KL or Penang. Weekend slots may see local demand from Kangar and Alor Setar golfers, and booking a few days ahead for weekend play is sensible. Weekday availability is generally open with a day or two’s notice.

When organizing a Perlis golf visit, confirm the tee time at Putra Golf Club, accommodation in Kangar or the option of a same-day program from an Alor Setar or Langkawi base, how the Gua Kelam cave or Perlis State Park visit fits around the golf morning, and the ferry or border crossing timing for any onward travel to Langkawi or Hat Yai. Start planning here or browse Kedah golf packages to incorporate Perlis into a wider northern Malaysia program.