Why Johor should be your next luxury golf vacation

Johor is located in the southeast of peninsular Malaysia and has more than 25 golf courses to choose from, each providing a unique experience for the seasoned golfer. With excellent transport links to Singapore, the rest of Malaysia, and further afield, it has become the chosen golfing destination for many who love the variety, quality and value for money that is on offer from the regions courses. We’ve highlighted what are considered by many to be the two leading golf clubs in Johor, which both offer two championship golf courses to choose from. To ensure that your next luxury golf vacation is the ‘complete package’ our article also features our chosen luxury hotels where you can relax and rejuvenate after each of your rounds.

The Els Club Desaru Coast

Located on a pristine enclave overlooking the South China Sea, The Els Club Desaru Coast is destination golfing at its finest, offering a premier golfing and lifestyle experience for anyone choosing to play at this award winning facility. Just ninety minutes ferry ride from Singapore, or from the Woodlands Malaysia / Singapore checkpoint, the location makes it a favourite for Singapore based golfing enthusiasts who wish to escape the city and enjoy everything that The Els Club has to offer. We loved the warm welcome at the bag drop, the personalised lockers in the extensive locker rooms, and the expertly executed local favourites such as roti canai in the club house. We were suitably impressed before we had even set foot on the first tee.

Play eighteen holes on the Ocean Course

Designed by legendary golfer and four times major champion, Ernie Els AKA ‘The Big Easy’, playing eighteen holes on the Ocean Course is full of character building choices and challenges. Your first choice is to select from two of the three 9 hole courses to comprise your chosen 18 (namely Coast, Ridge and Lakes), whilst your ongoing choices and challenges will come from both club and shot selection as you try to navigate your way to success. We played our front 9 on the Ridge, and our second nine on the Coast, enjoying moments of success and frustration in equal measures. The generous fairways and large greens were inviting from the tees and fairways, but the strategically placed bunkers and omni present water hazards were always waiting to punish any wayward shots. Managing five pars during my round was the highlight, whilst continually finding the bunkers was frustrating and offered ‘room for improvement’.

Stay at The Westin Desaru Coast Resort

As guests of The Westin Desaru Coast Resort we can confirm that this luxury beach front resort is quite simply the perfect choice for your next golfing vacation in Johor. Located just 5 minutes from the exquisite greens, fairways and bunkers of The Els Club there was literally no wasted time both before and after our rounds. This meant that we could maximise our time enjoying everything that this luxury Marriott International resort had to offer in between our two rounds of golf. Early morning coffees on our balcony overlooking the South China Sea? Check. Creative culinary delights at both Prego and Seasonal Tastes? Check. Relaxing swims and rejuvenating post round treatments at Heavenly Spa? Check. I’m sure you get the picture, our stay at The Westin Desaru delivered everything that we could have wanted (and more) on our Johor golfing vacation. We certainly felt relaxed, refreshed and ready for our next round of golf.

Play eighteen holes on the Valley Course

Well, if we thought the bunkers on the Ocean Course presented a challenge, discovering that the Valley Course is home to 187 bunkers was certainly concerning! Three time major champion, Vijay Singh designed this stunning course which is beautifully curated with breathtaking views. The greens were smaller, demanding precise approach shots which were rewarded with receptive greens that enabled many of our shots to hold their positions nicely, even with longer irons. And whilst the greens were undulating, they were true so if you picked the right line and right speed you were further rewarded. We were certainly aided by the in cart GPS which helped with club selection, but playing any course for the first time is always a challenge. We both loved the Valley Course and can’t wait to return to make more golfing memories in Johor.

Marriott Malaysia and Singapore Charity Golf Day

June 2024 saw the inaugural Marriott International Malaysia and Singapore Charity Golf Day hosted by The Westin Desaru Coast and The Els Club. Golfers from Malaysia, Singapore and further afield enjoyed a golf tournament, gala dinner and charity auction which raised much needed funds to support the excellent work of UNICEF in the region. The United Nations Children’s Fund work tirelessly to protect the rights of every child with health care, immunisations, safe water, sanitation, nutrition and education. This brand new initiative was a resounding success and we can’t wait to see what is in store next year.

Forest City Golf Resort

When one of the finest golf clubs in Malaysia is located so close to the Singapore border, it’s no surprise that Forest City Golf Resort has become a favourite with golfing enthusiasts who call Singapore home since opening to the public in September 2018. The two championship courses are beautifully manicured and maintained, with what seems to be not a blade of grass out of place, from the moment we arrived we knew that we were in for a treat, the only question was whether our golfing ability would live up to the expectations created by our first rate surroundings. What we did know is that we were going to make the very most of having the chance to play on these two outstanding 18 hole courses.

Play eighteen holes on the Legacy Course

The perfectly pristine 7386 yard Legacy Course at Forest City was designed by none other than the ‘Golden Bear’ Mr Jack Niclaus. With his 117 professional tour wins including 18 major championships spanning a quarter of a century, we really felt that we were walking in the footsteps of a golfing legend. Our experience was challenging, enjoyable and frustrating all wrapped into one. The challenge came from the course management needed when playing at such a unique course. The enjoyment came from playing a round at this beautifully manicured and maintained championship course. The frustration came from continually finding our way into the seemingly endless sand that is a defining feature of the course. But we loved every minute of our round and can’t wait to return.

Stay at Forest City Golf Hotel

With far reaching views over the verdant green fairways of Forest City, it’s no surprise that Forest City Golf Hotel is the obvious choice for anyone wishing to combine a weekend of championship golf with luxury accommodation. Offering 298 spacious rooms and suites to choose from, many with golf course views, there is something for everyone. The two expansive freeform pools provided us with the perfect place to relax after our rounds, whilst for those who still have energy to burn, the well appointed gym is the place to head. Check out the competitive ‘Stay and Play’ offers that combine your hotel stay with green fees to ensure that not only is your Johor golfing vacation memorable, but provides excellent value for money too.

Play eighteen holes on the Classic Course

After a well deserved rest, our final round was on the slightly shorter, but equally as challenging Classic Course at Forest City, 7186 yards of manicured fairways, greens and bunkers that creates a unique course that was a joy to play. The second of three courses slated for development at Forest City, opened to the public in August 2019 and is the work of golf course architect, Mr Liang Guokun. We enjoyed the slightly less challenging and slightly shorter Classic Course very much, but as with any round of golf there were challenges that needed to be overcome and we tackled them head on. To have two such incredible eighteen hole golf courses at the same club is luxury golfing at it’s finest, making it no surprise that on both of our visits the tee times were fully booked with excited golfers from near and far.

The strategic location of Johor, combined with first rate golf courses and luxury hotels will continue to ensure that golf based tourism continues to thrive in the region. The quality of the courses and hotels on offer is unquestionable, which when combined with the excellent value for money, makes Johor an excellent option for your next luxury golfing vacation.

Paul Eyers

Paul Eyers is co-founder of Vegan Food Quest who write about luxury hotels and resorts in Southeast Asia with a focus on sustainable travel, eco travel and vegan travel. Currently based in Malaysia, Paul also writes about sporting events and some of the finest golf courses throughout the region.