MALAYSIA
Ready Golf Packages and Course-by-Course Introduction to Golf Courses
Malaysia is a tropical paradise endowed with breathtaking natural beauty, exotic cultures and friendly people. Made up of peninsular West Malaysia and the two states of Sabah and Sarawak on the island of Borneo, together called East Malaysia. It is a destination that offers so much to see, do and experience.
Malaysia is easily accessible from the major cities in the region and the rest of the world. The new state-of-the-art KL International Airport (KLIA) at Sepang serves over 40 international airlines and several domestic airlines, while Port Klang, situated about 41 km from Kuala Lumpur, the country’s capital, is the main port of call for cruise liners. Malaysia is also accessible by road and rail from Thailand in the north and Singapore in the south. As a visitor to Malaysia, you will have the opportunity to experience and appreciate its rich historic and cultural heritage, exotic culinary delights, shopping splendours, nature-based adventures, and fun-filled activities. The warm and hospitable nature of its people will make your stay in Malaysia both pleasant and enjoyable.
Malaysia was formed in 1963 through a federation of the former British colonies of Malaya and Singapore, including the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak. The first several years of the country’s history were marred by Indonesian efforts to control Malaysia, Philippine’s claim to Sabah and Singapore’s secession from the federation in 1965.
Malaysia has a combined population of over 20 million people. Because of its central location, between the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea, Malaysia has traditionally been a meeting point for traders and travelers from both the East and West. As a result, Malaysia has a multicultural and multiracial population consisting of Malays, Chinese, Indians and numerous indigenous peoples. Although Malay is the official language, English is widely spoken, especially in business, and the English language is a compulsory subject in all schools. With such a varying ethnic composition, it is no surprise that a great diversity of religions is prevalent throughout Malaysia. Although the official religion is Islam, freedom of worship is practiced. As a result, it is common to see temples, mosques and churches within the same area.
Golf in Malaysia
Malaysia is a unique golfing destination, the diversity of its courses is unrivalled in the world. Numbering more than 190 throughout the country, they can be found high in the mountains, along the seashore, on tropical islands, amidst towering rain forests and in the heart of the city. As well as offering spectacular scenery, many of these courses are equipped with the best facilities and amenities to be found anywhere, to make your golfing a complete and unforgettable experience.
A number of courses have been designed by famous names including Arnold Palmer, Robert Trent Jones, Gary Player and Greg Norman just to name a few and they have brought out the best features of the environment whilst incorporating their own special signature skills.
This accounts for the tremendous variety of courses throughout the country, each with its own special features. And with Malaysia’s excellent road system and transportation, including frequent flights between all major cities, it is easy to get to the best of the country’s courses for a typically Malaysian golfing experience.
The visiting golfer will find a variety of grasses to play on. The older courses will feature Cowgrass or broad-leaf indigenous grass on the fairways and rough, with Serangoon or Bermuda Tifway covering the greens. Most of the newer courses will have the popular warm weather favourite Bermuda Tifway on the fairways and rough and Bermuda Tifdwarf on the greens. Some courses prefer the resilient Zoysia Martrellia species, while the Sea Shore Paspalum variety is the grass used for seaside courses. The golf courses in Malaysia generally do not have fast greens.
Tourism Malaysia organises the highly successful World Amateur Inter-Team Golf Championship. This annual tournament brings together amateur golfers from all over the world to play in some of the best courses in Malaysia as well as to savour the sights and sounds of this fascinating country.