Singapore is home to some of the best golf courses in the region which is really no surprise in a city as modern as Singapore. Unfortunately Singapore’s other claim to fame is being one of the most expensive places in the world to live and this is also reflected in the green fee prices in Singapore which can be very high. The good news is that if you are on holiday and can play midweek then there are some good deals at several golf courses in Singapore. One big advantage of golfing in Singapore is that the all of the courses can be reached inside 30 minutes from most downtown locations.
The best golf course in Singapore is the Serapong Course at Sentosa Golf Club which was designed by world-famous gold designer, Ronald Fream. This courses is as good as anything in Asia and it is the host of the famous Barclays Singapore Open. At the time of writing, its sister course, the Tanjong is undergoing a major renovation and is due to re-open sometime in 2016.
If Sentosa is the most expensive golf club in Singapore then the mantle of the most difficult goes to the Laguna National World Classic Course which is almost impossible with mountainous humps on the fairway, cavernous bunkers and impossible greens – a rating of 76.4 and a slope of 162 confirms this. It also has a sister course – The Laguna National Masters Course which is a little more playable and has often been honoured and ranks with the best in Asia and has also hosted a number of major tournaments.
Marina Bay Golf Courses is the only public course in Singapore and the only links-style course and it is located very close to the city centre. Unfortunately the government intend to take back the land to meet Singapore’s ever growing population so play it while you can.
The Warren Golf & Country Club has a long and rich history and started off life as a 9-hole course in another area of Singapore and has been in its current location for around 10 years. They are happy to receive visitors and their rates are very reasonable.
The Raffles Golf & Country Club is another top class golf club blessed with 36-holes. The Palm Courses was designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr and is often referred to as a “Thinking golfer course” as you need to pick your way round carefully in order to score well. The Lake course is more suited to the higher handicapper being more forgiving and having the additional benefit of great views.
Another course which is destined to close in a few years is Keppel Golf Club which was also designed by Ronald Fream and he has done a great job of squeezing 18 holes onto such a small plot. The course, as you would expect, is very tight with a number of narrow fairways, blind tee shots and strategic water hazards. The closest golf courses to the city.
It’s not easy to secure a tee time in Singapore, especially at weekends and it’s much better to play midweek. Whenever you want to play, Golfsavers have the best rates.