The Best Golf Courses in Bali
Bali is a small island with an outsized golf story: a Ronald Fream links on the Uluwatu cliffs, a cool highland course in a volcanic crater, a polished Nusa Dua resort layout and a famous Greg Norman course at Tanah Lot now in redevelopment. Our ranked five of the island's best, with verdicts, access notes and how to play them.
Photo: New Kuta Golf via Google.
How we ranked them
Bali does not have many golf courses, but the handful it has are remarkable, spread from sea level cliffs to a mountain crater 1,142 metres up. The island packs more scenery and design pedigree into five courses than most full destinations manage, and almost all of it is open to visitors. We weighed the quality and pedigree of the design, the drama and condition of the setting, the variety across the island, and how easily a traveling golfer can actually get on and combine them into a trip.
Every fact here, the designers and the access, was checked at the time of writing in June 2026 by the GolfForKings editorial desk. One important note: the celebrated Greg Norman course at Nirwana, by Tanah Lot, has closed as that resort is redeveloped, so it is not currently playable and is ranked accordingly. Green fees move with the season and the tee time, so treat any numbers as a guide and always confirm directly before booking. The verdicts are ours.
The 5 best golf courses in Bali
New Kuta Golf
Our pick of the courses you can play today. Ronald Fream carved this links style layout into the limestone cliffs of the Uluwatu coast at Pecatu, the first course of its kind in Indonesia, with dunes, native scrub and the Indian Ocean as a backdrop. Several holes play right along the cliff edge, the wind is a constant companion and the views are extraordinary. Well conditioned on paspalum turf and close to the southern resorts, it is the most complete and dramatic round on the island.
Bali National Golf Club
The island's most polished resort course, in the heart of the Nusa Dua hotel enclave and the easiest to combine with a luxury beach stay. Opened in 1991 as the Bali Golf and Country Club, it was rebuilt to a Robin Nelson and Rodney Wright design with paspalum turf, moving through three distinct landscapes of valley, coconut grove and ocean side. Immaculate, walkable and supremely convenient, it is the safe, high quality choice for a Bali round.
Handara Golf & Resort Bali
The most distinctive golf experience in Indonesia, set in the cool highlands inside an extinct volcanic crater between Lakes Buyan and Beratan at 1,142 metres. Designed by five time Open champion Peter Thomson with Graham Wolveridge, it is a lush, misty parkland course with mountain air, jungle backdrops and the iconic Handara gate at the entrance. The drive up from the south is a commitment, but few rounds anywhere feel like this.
Bukit Pandawa Golf & Country Club
A thrilling 18 hole, par 3 course on a dramatic limestone ridge on the southern Bukit peninsula, opened in 2016 and billed as the first of its kind in Asia. Every hole is a one shotter, several played over ravines and toward the ocean, making it a fast, fun and spectacular round rather than a full championship test. A brilliant half day or a relaxed group outing to pair with the longer courses.
Nirwana Bali Golf Club
For years the most famous course in Bali, a Greg Norman design wrapped around rice paddies and coastline beside the Tanah Lot sea temple, with its much photographed par 3 seventh playing toward the temple itself. It earns a place on pedigree alone, but it is included with a clear caveat: the course and its former Pan Pacific resort have closed for a major redevelopment and it is not currently playable. Confirm any reopening directly before building a trip around it.
Designers, openings and current status verified June 2026 by the GolfForKings editorial desk from the clubs and recognized course databases. Most Bali courses are open to visitors; the Greg Norman course at Nirwana is closed for redevelopment. Always confirm visitor access and fees directly before booking.
Where they are, and indicative costs
Bali is compact but the courses are spread out, and the famous Bali traffic means drive times run longer than the map suggests. New Kuta, Bukit Pandawa and Bali National all sit on the southern Bukit peninsula and around Nusa Dua, within easy reach of the main resort areas and the airport, so they pair naturally for a golf focused few days. Handara is the outlier, a scenic 90 minute to two hour drive up into the Bedugul highlands, best done as a full day or an overnight in the mountains. Denpasar's Ngurah Rai International Airport is the gateway, and a private driver is the only sensible way to move a group between tees.
| Item | Indicative 2026 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Resort course green fee | Around US$120 to US$220 | New Kuta and Bali National, including cart and caddie, lower in the wet season |
| Par 3 or highland round | Around US$90 to US$170 | Bukit Pandawa and Handara, caddie included; Handara adds the drive |
| A Bali golf week, all in | Around US$2,000 to US$4,000 per person | Resort, several rounds, driver and transfers, excluding flights |
Indicative third party figures for the 2026 season, shown to set expectations only. We are a guide, not an operator, and never quote our own pricing. Always confirm directly before booking.
Plan your Bali golf trip
Tell us the courses you want and roughly when. One concierge costs the whole trip to the head, secures the tee times and a driver and replies within one working day, with no obligation.
Bali golf questions
What is the best golf course in Bali?
With the famous Greg Norman course at Nirwana closed for redevelopment, our pick of the courses you can play today is New Kuta Golf, a Ronald Fream links on the Uluwatu limestone cliffs. Bali National in Nusa Dua and the cool highland Handara course run it close. Our ranking weighs the design, the setting and how easily a visitor can get on.
Is Nirwana Bali Golf Club still open?
No. The celebrated Greg Norman course at Tanah Lot, part of the former Pan Pacific Nirwana resort, has closed as the site is redeveloped, with the golf course reported to be undergoing a revamp. It is not currently playable, so plan around the other Bali courses and confirm any reopening directly before relying on it.
When is the best time to play golf in Bali?
The dry season from April to October brings the most reliable golfing weather, with warm, sunny days and lower humidity. The wet season from November to March sees heavier afternoon showers, so morning tee times are wise. Bali plays year round, and green fees are often softer outside the July to August and Christmas peaks.
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