10 Best Golf Courses
Asia brings together Japanese design traditions, Korean coastal courses, Chinese private clubs and visitor-oriented destinations in Southeast and Western Asia. Confirm the exact course, guest eligibility, tee time, handicap documentation, equipment, caddie or cart arrangements and cancellation terms before paying for travel. For hotels, obtain a written breakdown of accommodation, rounds, meals and transfers. Check seasonal opening, maintenance and event closures. Private access must be authorised by the club; proximity or a hotel view is not a substitute.
Hirono Golf Club
Miki, Japan
Hirono is an essential candidate for an Asian guide concerned with architecture. C.H. Alison laid out the course in the early 1930s across wooded, uneven ground at Miki. Its character emerges from the relationship between ridges, gullies and bunkers, with approaches that reward careful positioning as much as a well-struck shot. Golf Digest’s assessment singles out the bunkering and the restorative work by Tom Mackenzie and Martin Ebert, making the case for inclusion more substantial than reputation alone. The practical experience begins before arrival. Hirono is a private club, and its published rules make members responsible for the visitors they accompany. No ordinary public booking route was verified for this edition. Anyone hoping to play should secure an authorised introduction and written acceptance before committing to a journey. The club also publishes unusually detailed clothing requirements and restrictions on photographs and online posting. This is therefore a selection for golfers who value classic design and can arrange legitimate access. Its exclusivity is an access condition, not a reason for awarding it a higher position. Confirm the club’s visitor rules and photography restrictions with the host before arrival.
Hirono’s appeal rests on the relationship between its rolling woodland, demanding approaches and distinctive bunkering. C.H. Alison’s design, subsequently restored by Mackenzie & Ebert, gives this Japanese private club a compelling architectural case for inclusion. Access is the practical obstacle: there is no verified public tee-time route. Secure an authorised introduction and the club’s confirmation before making travel plans, and read its detailed dress and photography rules.
Shanqin Bay Golf Club
Hainan, China
Shanqin Bay brings a rugged coastal setting to the Asian selection. The course occupies exposed ground on Hainan, where sea views, uneven terrain and expansive sand give the round its character. Its appeal is architectural and geographical rather than a conventional resort promise, and private access makes advance arrangements essential. The design is associated with Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, whose work here uses the site's natural movement to create choices of line and approach. This is a different proposition from a large hotel complex with several interchangeable rounds; the named course is the reason to make the journey. Treat the club as private. Obtain an authorised invitation and written playing confirmation before booking travel; no ordinary public tee-time route has been verified. Before travelling, ask for the current course conditions and the full cost of the intended round, including any required services. Keep the written confirmation with the itinerary, and allow enough time for check-in and preparation rather than arriving at the scheduled tee time.
Shanqin Bay brings a rugged coastal setting to the Asian selection. The course occupies exposed ground on Hainan, where sea views, uneven terrain and expansive sand give the round its character. Its appeal is architectural and geographical rather than a conventional resort promise, and private access makes advance arrangements essential. Treat the club as private. Obtain an authorised invitation and written playing confirmation before booking travel; no ordinary public tee-time route has been verified.
The Club at Nine Bridges
Jeju, South Korea
Nine Bridges offers a highland setting on Jeju rather than a beachside Korean resort round. Woodland, volcanic terrain and carefully shaped playing corridors give the course a distinct atmosphere. The selection concerns the original Jeju club, whose international reputation makes it a serious architectural candidate, with access arranged in advance. Do not confuse this course with Haesley Nine Bridges on the Korean mainland. The shared brand does not make them the same destination, and references to one club's facilities or access cannot be transferred to the other. Jeju's weather also makes the chosen travel season part of the planning decision. Request the Jeju course explicitly and confirm guest eligibility, local booking arrangements, caddies and any accommodation requirement directly with the club. Before travelling, ask for the current course conditions and the full cost of the intended round, including any required services. Keep the written confirmation with the itinerary, and allow enough time for check-in and preparation rather than arriving at the scheduled tee time.
Nine Bridges offers a highland setting on Jeju rather than a beachside Korean resort round. Woodland, volcanic terrain and carefully shaped playing corridors give the course a distinct atmosphere. The selection concerns the original Jeju club, whose international reputation makes it a serious architectural candidate, with access arranged in advance. Request the Jeju course explicitly and confirm guest eligibility, local booking arrangements, caddies and any accommodation requirement directly with the club.
South Cape Owners Club
Namhae, South Korea
South Cape's setting on the Namhae coast is central to its appeal. Headlands, open water and changes in elevation create an expansive round with a strong sense of place. The golf course forms part of a distinctive hospitality development, but this entry assesses the named layout rather than the accommodation. Kyle Phillips' design is associated with the property's coastal identity. The contrast between land and sea makes it especially attractive for golfers who value the visual rhythm of a round, while the exposed setting calls for sensible tee selection and attention to the conditions on the day. Ask South Cape reservations for a confirmed golf booking, guest eligibility, caddie arrangements and any stay requirement. An accommodation enquiry alone does not secure play. Before travelling, ask for the current course conditions and the full cost of the intended round, including any required services. Keep the written confirmation with the itinerary, and allow enough time for check-in and preparation rather than arriving at the scheduled tee time.
South Cape's setting on the Namhae coast is central to its appeal. Headlands, open water and changes in elevation create an expansive round with a strong sense of place. The golf course forms part of a distinctive hospitality development, but this entry assesses the named layout rather than the accommodation. Ask South Cape reservations for a confirmed golf booking, guest eligibility, caddie arrangements and any stay requirement. An accommodation enquiry alone does not secure play.
Kawana Hotel Golf Course, Fuji
Ito, Japan
The Fuji Course at Kawana makes a persuasive case for combining a golf journey with an overnight stay. Its holes occupy the undulating edge of Japan’s Izu Peninsula, where the sea provides a recurring backdrop and changes in level complicate seemingly straightforward shots. GOLF’s independent profile highlights the quality of the routing and the cliffside 15th, whose rolling fairway makes the landscape part of the challenge. The course opened in 1936, with C.H. Alison’s design central to its identity. The distinction between Kawana’s two courses matters. This selection covers Fuji alone. The hotel’s current experience page restricts Fuji play to staying guests, while allowing day-trip play on Oshima. A room reservation should therefore be coordinated with a confirmed Fuji tee time rather than treated as a guarantee of access. Prince’s golf page describes caddie-accompanied play and walking, but also lists chauffeured carts among the facilities. Ask the reservations team which arrangements apply to your date and mobility needs. That clarification keeps the practical advice accurate without weakening the central appeal: a classic coastal layout whose setting and architecture deserve to be considered together.
Kawana’s Fuji Course follows the changing contours of the Izu coast, with sea views that complement an unusually memorable routing. GOLF’s assessment praises the way its holes use the land, especially the rolling, cliffside 15th. This is the Fuji layout, not the neighbouring Oshima Course. Only Kawana Hotel guests are eligible to play, so arrange the room and tee time together and confirm the current caddie and mobility arrangements.
Naruo Golf Club
Kawanishi, Japan
Naruo offers a more intimate view of Japanese golf architecture than a large contemporary resort. Its rolling ground, established setting and distinctive greens make it a compelling selection for players interested in design history. The private-club context is essential to understanding the visit, and access must be arranged legitimately. The club's architectural history includes the influence of C.H. Alison, but its value lies in the experience of the whole routing rather than an architect's name alone. Approach play and recovery options deserve as much attention as the length of the course when assessing the challenge. Secure a club-approved introduction and confirm the guest rules before making travel plans. Public booking, visitor windows and current charges have not been established. Before travelling, ask for the current course conditions and the full cost of the intended round, including any required services. Keep the written confirmation with the itinerary, and allow enough time for check-in and preparation rather than arriving at the scheduled tee time.
Naruo offers a more intimate view of Japanese golf architecture than a large contemporary resort. Its rolling ground, established setting and distinctive greens make it a compelling selection for players interested in design history. The private-club context is essential to understanding the visit, and access must be arranged legitimately. Secure a club-approved introduction and confirm the guest rules before making travel plans. Public booking, visitor windows and current charges have not been established.
Tokyo Golf Club
Sayama, Japan
Tokyo Golf Club is a private golfing destination in Sayama, not a public city-centre attraction. Its established landscape and architectural standing make it an important part of Japan's strongest field. The appeal is a full round of considered golf, with the practical question of guest access resolved before the journey. The name can be misleading for a visitor planning around central Tokyo. Allow for the transfer to the club and avoid assuming that a nearby hotel can obtain a tee time. Course identity and the host's arrangements matter more than proximity on a general holiday itinerary. Arrange an authorised member or club-approved visit. Confirm dress, handicap documentation, caddies and arrival procedures directly; no public tee-time purchase is promised. Before travelling, ask for the current course conditions and the full cost of the intended round, including any required services. Keep the written confirmation with the itinerary, and allow enough time for check-in and preparation rather than arriving at the scheduled tee time.
Tokyo Golf Club is a private golfing destination in Sayama, not a public city-centre attraction. Its established landscape and architectural standing make it an important part of Japan's strongest field. The appeal is a full round of considered golf, with the practical question of guest access resolved before the journey. Arrange an authorised member or club-approved visit. Confirm dress, handicap documentation, caddies and arrival procedures directly; no public tee-time purchase is promised.
Yas Links Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Yas Links offers Western Asia a distinctive waterfront championship experience. Kyle Phillips created a links-inspired championship course on the western side of Yas Island, using shaped ground and a waterfront setting to produce a different challenge from the region’s parkland-style alternatives. Golf Digest’s assessment explains the constructed landform and identifies the closing waterfront stretch as a particular strength. Its current course page also places Yas Links within the publication’s world top 100. The course should be named precisely when planning a visit. Viya distinguishes the 18-hole championship layout from a separate nine-hole par-three academy course. This selection concerns the former. The operator links to direct online booking and its app, but those routes establish a way to enquire or reserve, not availability for a particular day. Tournament timing is especially relevant to this research date. DP World Tour coverage confirms activity at Yas Links for the November 2026 Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship. Readers should check event and maintenance closures, current visitor conditions and the total fee with the operator. The attraction remains a waterfront round with an architectural identity, supported by a practical visitor booking route when the course is available.
Kyle Phillips brought a links-inspired approach to Yas Island, shaping a waterfront course where contours, bunkers and exposed approaches create the interest. Golf Digest’s independent assessment supports its inclusion in a continent-wide comparison. This selection is the 18-hole championship layout, not the nine-hole academy course. The operator publishes online booking routes, but tournament use and other closures can restrict access; check the course and date before committing to a trip.
The Bluffs Grand Ho Tram
Ho Tram, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
The Bluffs earns consideration through the strength of its terrain. Greg Norman’s design moves over and between large dunes above the Ho Tram coast, where raised playing surfaces and exposed positions bring the wind into decisions throughout a round. Golf Digest’s assessment draws attention to shared fairways and short holes playing in different directions from a common elevated tee area. Those details give the course an identity beyond its ocean outlook. The current operator uses the name The Bluffs Grand Ho Tram. Older independent coverage calls it The Bluffs Ho Tram Strip; these refer to the same selection, not two separate courses. The official site provides a golf-only booking route as well as stay-and-play options, so accommodation should be treated as an optional arrangement unless a particular offer says otherwise. Read the club’s conditions before confirming. Its English-language policy allows smaller parties to be joined with other golfers and sets a four-and-a-half-hour pace for an 18-hole fourball. Weather credits depend on management declaring the course unplayable for the rest of the day. Ask for a written breakdown of the green fee, caddie, buggy and cancellation conditions rather than assuming every quoted package includes the same services.
Greg Norman’s Ho Tram course threads golf through substantial coastal dunes, using elevation and wind to give its holes a changing character. Independent coverage identifies shared fairways and contrasting short holes as part of its architectural interest. Visitors can use the club’s published tee-time route without assuming a hotel stay is compulsory. Confirm the full quote and group arrangements: the club reserves the right to combine parties of fewer than four.
Sentosa Golf Club, The Serapong
Singapore
The Serapong offers a particularly urban version of exceptional golf. Water, bunkers and Singapore’s commercial skyline share the view, giving the course a setting that is both recognisable and integral to the round. Golf Digest describes varied, challenging seaside holes and an exacting test from the tee. The club’s own hole notes explain how lagoons, sea channels and carefully placed sand influence the choice of line, making clear that the scenery is accompanied by strategic demands. This listing applies to The Serapong rather than Sentosa Golf Club as a whole. Its sister course, The Tanjong, has a separate identity and should not be substituted silently in an itinerary. Request the named layout and wait for confirmation from the golf office. Access needs more precision than a directory’s public-course label provides. The club publishes visitor pricing, but its bye-laws require a valid handicap and prior approval for visitors. Fees and ancillary charges should be confirmed against the latest booking form before payment. The resulting proposition is attractive for a Singapore golf visit, provided the reader understands that a published visitor route remains subject to approval, availability and club conditions.
The Serapong combines demanding seaside holes with an unmistakable Singapore backdrop. Its water hazards and bunkering give substance to the spectacle, while independent assessment supports its standing among the country’s strongest courses. Specify Serapong when booking, since Sentosa also operates Tanjong. Visitor rates are published, but access still requires club approval and a valid handicap. An enquiry is not a confirmed tee time, and current charges should be reconfirmed directly.