Jakarta is the capital city of Indonesia and located on the west coast of Java, one of the world’s most populous islands. The island is situated between Bali and Sumatra with the Indian Ocean to the south and Java Sea to the north.
Home to 9 million people, the city of Jakarta has spread over many years and encompassed numerous other towns and villages in becoming a fantastic metropolis. The region of Jakarta spreads even wider and includes many traditional Indonesian villages and other rural locations which have kept their charm.
Covering such a wide area and with continued investment and development, Jakarta has become a great place for golf lovers and offers several fantastic golf courses for locals and visitors alike.
Travelling to Jakarta to play golf has never been easier and Soekarno Hatta International Airport accepts both domestic and international flights. Some of the most popular airlines which fly to Jakarta include Cathay Pacific, Emirates Airlines, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines.
However, by using Garuda Indonesia there are direct flights available from London in the United Kingdom and other major European airports but from the United States you will need to make one connection, usually in Japan or Taiwan.
Residents of some countries, such as the United Kingdom do not need a visa to enter Jakarta to play golf and this lasts up to the 30 days but always check the visa information for your country before leaving.
If you are planning on playing golf in Jakarta, you should be aware of the climate and plan your golf holiday accordingly. The climate is tropical monsoon and this sees the weather split into two main categories, the dry and the wet season. Due Jakarta’s location, the wet season is longer than the dry season, the latter of which lasts four months between June and September.
If you want the best chance of avoiding rain when playing golf in Jakarta you are advised to visit between July and August. The temperatures remain constant throughout the year, so you never need to worry about cold weather, with the daily mean throughout the year hovering around 27 degrees.
The wettest weather usually arrives in Jakarta between January and February so it’s best to avoid this time if you want to maximise your time on the golf course. In conjunction with July and August, September can also be a nice time to visit for golf, with average humidity also at its lowest during this period.
With more than its fair share of luxury hotels, you will not be left struggling to find a great hotel at which to base yourself for a golf holiday in Jakarta. By world prices, you will find some lovely hotels available at very good rates and may choose to spend your time in more than one or sample local, boutique style accommodation as part of your trip.
We can booking discount green fees and get the best tee times at all the golf courses in Jakarta and you can see all the latesst deals and promotions on our website.
Once settled into your accommodation you will be ready to play some golf and Jakarta has some special treats for you and there is no better place to start than Royale Jakarta Golf Club.
This golf course was established in 2008 and designed by Bob Moore Junior and JMP Design. Located just 15 minutes from central Jakarta the golf course is very convenient to reach and you can easily make several visits during your stay in the area.
Just a few years after opening, Royale Jakarta Golf Club won a flurry of awards including Best Course in Indonesia at the 2011-2014 Asian Golf Awards and at the Indonesian 2011 Tourism Awards. Not only that but Royale Jakarta Golf Club has played host to the prestigious Indonesian Masters, the flagship event on the Asian Tour.
Royale Jakarta Golf Club has hosted the event six times between 2011 and 2016 and will continue to host it in the future. Some great names have played and won on this course including Ryder Cup winner Lee Westwood, who has enjoyed some marvellous rounds on his way to winning the event three times.
The club consists of three nine holes courses boasting lovely manicured fairways and rolling greens. With a splendid mountain backdrop, the playing surface is kept in tremendous condition throughout the year and features mature trees, mounding and water hazards. Each set of nine holes is so good, it does not matter which you combine to make 18 holes but it’s recommended you try each combination to a true feel for the course.
The 9th holes on the South and West Courses are considered by many to be the best of the 27 holes. Both are par-5 holes and play across a lake, with clear thinking and a good strategy key to success.
The modern, tropical style clubhouse is a great place for a drink and something to eat after a round, with the Chinese food in the restaurant coming highly recommended. All visiting golfers to Royale Jakarta Golf Club can enjoy a ‘member for a day’ experience and this is a great option when playing golf in Jakarta.
Those looking for a real challenge when playing golf in Jakarta should head to Jagorawi Golf and Country Club. This 45-hole golf club boasts three different golf courses and the two 18-hole courses, the Old Course and the New Course have hosted the Indonesian Open in the past.
Situated 60 minutes away from the city of Jakarta, Jagorawi Golf and Country Club opened in 1981 and if you really want to test your golfing ability, you should book a tee time on the Old Course. The native grass on the fairways provides its own challengers and with narrow areas to hit on several holes, accuracy off the tee is vital.
There is no easy introduction to the Old Course at Jagorawi Golf and Country Club and the 1st hole is a par-5 with an elevated tee box looking down to a narrow fairway. There is a river flowing down the right side of the fairway and if you manage to find the middle of the fairway, the hard work is not over as the second shot is towards the narrowest part of the fairway. The green features a huge slope from back to front and it can be difficult to make approach shots stick.
The front nine continues much in the same way and the back nine does not get much easier. In fact, the 10th hole is probably the tightest of all the holes on the course and if you come away with bogey you will probably be happy.
Those who don’t fancy the challenge of the Old Course can play the New Course at Jagorawi Golf and Country Club, which is more open and has wider fairways. The front nine is easier than the back nine and look out for the holes between 11 and 13, which are the most difficult on the course.
With a club house built in the Padang, West Sumatra style and a restaurant serving Indonesian dishes, Jagorawi Golf and Country Club has something for everyone. You can take on the tough test of the Old Course or enjoy the more open feel of the New Course, at Jagorawi Golf and Country Club the choice is yours.
If you are short of time or don’t fancy making a trip outside the city than fear not as the Senayan National Golf Club is in the heart of the city, in the central business district.
Playing golf in Jakarta does not come much better than this and the course was given a complete makeover in 2012, making it one of the top-quality golf courses in this region of Indonesia. The course is short, playing at a par-69 and just 5,616 yards but it’s magnificent on the eye and one of the most picturesque golf courses in Jakarta.
You will tee off down one of the many undulating fairways and while all you can see in the foreground is an immaculately kept golf course, in the background there are modern skyscrapers everywhere, providing a stunning visual contrast.
Senayan National Golf Club starts with a narrow par-5 hole, with a tee shot which requires accuracy rather than length. There is a large lake on the left side and with trees on the right, you might be better served using a shorter and more accurate club for your opening tee shot.
Holes 3 and 4 are back-to-back par-3’s, the first of which features an elevated green with an excellent bunker complex waiting to collect anything which fails to find the dance floor. The second par-3 is protected by water at the front so you cannot afford to be short but with sand at the back of the green, accuracy is again the key to this hole.
The off-course facilities at Senayan National Golf Club are superb, with a modern club house featuring a golfer’s terrace and large balcony. There is also a European style coffee shop and Japanese restaurant in addition to a putting green and pro-shop.
With golf carts being optional, if you enjoy walking around a golf course then Senayan National Golf Club is perfect.
Playing golf in Jakarta would not be complete with visiting a course designed by the great Jack Nicklaus. Opened for play in 1992 and 45 minutes from downtown Jakarta, Damai Indah Golf, Bumi Serpong Damai or BSD Course for short was the first course in Indonesia to be designed by Nicklaus.
This course has won several awards including the 1999 Best Golf Course in Indonesia and 2015 IAGTO Excellence. At over 7,100 yards, BSD Course is one of the longest in Jakarta and features some of the fastest greens you will play in Indonesia. The greens are one of the biggest features of this course and often come with two or three tiers.
The fairways are wide but in the traditional Nicklaus style there are plenty of waste bunkers near the rough which will gobble up anything which is wayward. However, approach shots are key to scoring low on this course and you must pay close attention to pin position on each hole or face the prospect of two or more putts.
Following your round at BSD Course you are spoilt for choice when it comes to refreshment and there are several restaurant choices including Asian, Japanese and Korean. With an Olympic-size pool, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, driving range, practice green, practice bunker and chipping green you have everything you could hope for at BSD Course and it makes for a great day of golf.
Finally, you should head to the north of Jakarta, close to the Java Sea for a round of golf at Damai Indah Golf, Pantai Indah Kapuk, known as the PIK Course for short.
Situated 45 minutes away from Soekarno Hatta International Airport, PIK Course was designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. and has hosted many professional tournaments including the 2007 and 2010 editions of the Indonesia Open.
Undulating greens and tough fairway bunker complexes are the main ingredients of this golf course which incorporates the coastal wetlands to make an interesting design. Thanks to several tee options on each hole, PIK Course is suitable for golfers of all abilities, with the final three holes being the best of the round.
Starting with a long par-3 featuring water to the front and left of the green, a par-5 which can be reached in two shots and finishing with a risk/reward 18th hole, it’s a great way to end an excellent round of golf. With floodlights around the course, you can even play in late afternoon and evening, making PIK Course a great choice if you want to play later in the day.
Playing golf in Jakarta has never been better thanks to the great choice of world class golf courses in the region. It’s possible to base yourself in the city centre and play each of the above courses before returning to your hotel each night.
Jakarta is a great place to play golf and you will enjoy every minute of your golfing experience in this region of Indonesia.