Why Malaysia should be your next luxury golf vacation

With over 200 courses to fit all budgets and handicaps, Malaysia is a golfing destination waiting to be discovered, from hill country courses away from the heat and humidity to city centre courses and beautiful landscaped courses next to the ocean there truly is something for everyone. Once you’ve chosen where to play you’ll have no problem finding somewhere to stay with luxury hotels and resorts up and down the country to choose from. For our most recent golf trip in Malaysia we carefully selected two of the finest courses and two luxury hotels that were just a short drive away which when combined demonstrates exactly why Why Malaysia should be your next luxury golf vacation. Malaysia boasts a number of top tier courses, many of which are situated between Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru, offering easy access from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and also convenient for golfers heading over from Singapore explore Malaysian golf offerings.

Stay at Renaissance Johor Bahru

Renaissance Johor Bahru is where we stayed prior to our round at Horizon Hills Golf & Country Club, which being just a short drive away allowed us to enjoy a delicious breakfast at the hotel before heading to the course. This five star luxury hotel is located in the thriving township of Permas Jaya, making it an ideal choice for business and leisure travellers alike as there are countless restaurants, spas and eateries just a short walk from the hotel. Easy access to the highway and less than 10km from Johor Bahru city centre and the crossing to Singapore further enhance the excellent strategic location. Our Bayview King Room boasted modern amenities and views over the straits of Singapore, whilst the exceptional service from the moment we arrived ensured for a very enjoyable stay. We enjoyed a post golf unwind in the outdoor pool but didn’t find time to make use of the well equipped gym during our stay, instead we decided to explore the various dining options on offer within the hotel.

Dine at Renaissance Johor Bahru

We enjoyed all of our dining experiences at Renaissance Johor Bahru, whether it was during long and leisurely breakfasts at Cafe BLD, healthy and nutritious plant based bowls of goodness for a light lunch, or indulgent Cantonese feasts for dinner at Wan Li. The menus are clearly marked with vegetarian options, with many dishes that can easily be adapted to be vegan. They even offered a fully vegan set menu at Wan Li, which we of course we indulged in during our stay. With the multiple dining options to choose from at Renaissance Johor Bahru, and a staff team happy to make changes where required, we most certainly didn’t go hungry. Executive Chef Fiffi and his excellent team were the perfect hosts and made sure we had breakfast, lunch, and dinner options that were exciting and delicious. We even enjoyed vegan cakes from the breakfast buffet, a ‘naughty but nice’ treat that we made the most of!

Play at Horizon Hills Golf & Country Club

By choosing to play eighteen holes at Horizon Hills Golf & Country Club you are selecting one of the best courses in southern peninsular Malaysia. Located in Iskandar Puteri, this 18 hole championship course presents a challenging yet enjoyable experience for golf lovers of all handicaps. Designed by renowned golf course architect Ross Watson, the course is known for incorporating natural elements like lakes and elevation changes to further enhance the experience.

The highlight of our round was a perfect birdie on the par 3 third from Paul (my playing partner for the week) effortlessly hitting his 8 iron to with 15ft, then rolled the tricky downhill putt into the centre of the hole for a memorable two on his scorecard. That was the first and last birdie for either of us during what proved to be a challenging yet enjoyable morning of golf on this Johorean jewel of a course. The only other ‘notable achievement’ was us both avoiding the water on the par 5 eighteenth allowing us to end our rounds with a couple of pars, which left us wanting more, determined to return and post more respectable scores at the pristine Horizon Hills Golf & Country Club.

Stay at The Westin Kuala Lumpur

We chose to stay at The Westin Kuala Lumpur during the weekend of our round at Kota Permai Golf & Country Club as we wanted to be in the heart of the city with easy access to the bustling Bukit Bintang district where we planned to spend the evening. But before that we wanted to enjoy the blend of comfort , convenience and luxury that this five star hotel has to offer offer guests who choose to stay in one of the well appointed 443 rooms, suites or residences.

Our spacious and stylish One Bedroom Residence boasted a separate lounge area, small balcony and a bathtub which was very welcome after our golfing adventures. Having stayed at a number of Westin Hotels and Resorts in the region we knew that we were guaranteed a restful and relaxing sleep, as each and every room is equipped with their signature Westin Heavenly® Bed. Our chosen room type granted us access to ‘The Westin Club’ which is open from 0600-2200 daily and offers drinks, refreshments and a changing selection of food offerings throughout the day in addition to the various F&B outlets within this luxury hotel.

Dine at The Westin Kuala Lumpur

The Westin Kuala Lumpur made a strong impression with its vegan friendly approach to dining. Starting each day with a standout Indian breakfast selection that quickly became a daily highlight. Mini uttapam, lentil vadai, aloo mutter, spicy tomato chutney, and rice were just some of the dishes on offer, with Mr Anil always on hand to ensure we had enough vegan options to enjoy in addition to the excellent Indian dishes. These included vegan pancakes, oatmeal with berries, vegan noodle soup and healthy salads with organic leaves from BoomGrow Farms who have partnered with Westin in Malaysia to offer fresh and vibrant salad leaves in each of their three resorts.

We were very excited to discover a dedicated plant based section on the à la carte menu at The Living Room which is where we also enjoyed breakfast. During our stay, we worked our way through the menu, trying everything from cumin spiced lentil soup and protein packed chickpea quinoa salad to a ‘no chicken’ burger served in a green tea bun. The vegan bolognaise and sweet and sour vegan meatballs stood out as favourites, while mango sago with coconut cream and gula Melaka provided the perfect sweet ending. These thoughtful menu inclusions made dining as a vegan at The Westin Kuala Lumpur an absolute pleasure.

Play at Kota Permai Golf & Country Club

Located in Shah Alam, just south of Kuala Lumpur, Kota Permai Golf & Country Club is easily accessible via the highway from central Kuala Lumpur or direct from KLIA, making it a convenient destination for a weekend of world class golf. Widely regarded as one of Malaysia’s best courses, it has hosted the prestigious Malaysian Open and welcomed legendary players including Francesco Molinari and Rory McIlroy, who famously aced the par 3 fourth during the pro am.

Our own round may not have been as headline worthy, but we thoroughly enjoyed every moment of this exceptional course. Playing in a three ball with Mr Selva and guided by outstanding caddies, we were able to navigate the lightning fast greens and tricky pin placements with confidence. Their expert advice proved invaluable, and thanks to their support, we posted our best scores of the week, both comfortably in the eighties. Despite the strong performance, a few shots slipped away towards the end of our round. Reaching the green in regulation on the narrow par 4 16th kept us dry with the water hazard running left, but a frustrating three putt from 20 feet followed. On the par 5 18th, after reaching the green side in two on the 520 yard hole, a chip and another three putt left us with a disappointing double bogey to finish. But this didn’t take away what is a truly stunning course that should most certainly be part of your next Malaysia luxury golf vacation!

Being based in the region we are blessed with some amazing courses to choose from with those in Malaysia being some of the best. The value for money when compared to neighbouring Singapore where a round on one of the best courses combined with a stay at one of the finest hotels would be out of most peoples budget is truly remarkable, making Malaysia an excellent option for your next luxury golf vacation. Malaysia offers the perfect blend of world class golf courses, five star hotels, seamless connectivity between major cities and being adjacent to neighbouring Singapore further enhances the appeal. Whether you choose to tee off amidst the serene landscapes of Horizon Hills or navigate the challenging fairways of Kota Permai, your Malaysia luxury golf vacation promises memories to treasure, even if the golf lets you down. But this is golf right? If it was too easy we would all be turning pro and all of a sudden, the mystique and the never ending pursuit to improve your game would disappear which none of us want. But maybe we would? Touring the world in a private jet and playing golf on the best courses in the world doesn’t sound too bad after all…

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.