Asia builds golf resorts on a scale and to a standard the rest of the world struggles to match: rainforest fairways in Langkawi, the world's largest complex on Hainan, and a Vietnamese coast lined with new world class courses. Here are the ten luxury golf resorts we rate most highly, ranked, with our verdict and how to play each.
Photograph: Serapong Golf Course, Natalia Tan, via Google
The center of gravity in resort golf has shifted east. Over two decades, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, China and Indonesia have hired the biggest names in design, Ernie Els, Nick Faldo, Greg Norman, Gary Player and the Robert Trent Jones studio, and paired their courses with hotels and spas that set the global standard for service. The result is a region where a single trip can combine championship golf, beach and rainforest with a level of polish that is hard to find elsewhere.
We weighed the quality of the golf, the hotel and spa, the setting and the ease of building a multi course trip, and we noted access plainly, because nearly all of these are open to resort guests and visiting golfers. Every fact here, from designers and opening years to course style, was checked at the time of writing. Green fees and package rates move with the season and are best treated as indicative; the cool, dry months vary by country. The verdicts are ours, and our concierge will cost any of these to the head.
Part of the largest golf complex on earth, recognized by Guinness World Records. Schmidt Curley and Brian Curley routed ten courses across the black lava fields of Hainan, the volcanic Blackstone course the standout, paired with a vast spa resort and mineral springs. Tropical, year round and built for golf on an industrial scale. Open to resort guests.
A par 72 carved through ancient rainforest to the edge of the Andaman Sea, redesigned by Ernie Els and the first course in his portfolio to reach Golf Digest's world top 100. The setting, at the storied Datai Langkawi hotel, is among the most beautiful in golf, hornbills and monkeys included. Open to hotel and visiting golfers.
Sir Nick Faldo's par 71 between the mountains and a three kilometer beach on Vietnam's central coast, his own pick of more than 25 designs worldwide. Rice paddies, a river and dunes give three distinct stretches, and the Banyan Tree and Angsana resorts behind it deliver the luxury. Well placed for Hoi An and Hue. Open to resort guests.
The first Robert Trent Jones II course in Vietnam, an exposed true links along the sand south of Hoi An, with firm turf, sea breezes and a stern, championship character. The integrated Hoiana resort behind it brings beachfront hotels and a casino. The strongest test on the central Vietnamese coast. Open to resort guests.
The most famous course in Singapore, on the resort island of Sentosa with the city skyline and shipping lanes as backdrop. The Serapong, regularly remodeled, has long hosted the Singapore Open and a women's major, immaculate parkland with water at almost every turn. A private club beside luxury beach hotels, with limited visitor tee times.
Greg Norman built a dramatic dunes course on enormous sandhills above the South China Sea, two hours from Ho Chi Minh City, with vast elevation changes rare in the region. Paired with a beachfront resort and casino, it is one of the most thrilling rounds in Southeast Asia. Open to resort guests.
The benchmark of Thai golf, designed by Phil Ryan of Pacific Coast Design at the foot of granite hills inland from the royal resort town of Hua Hin. Twenty seven holes of flowing, well conditioned championship golf that have hosted the Asian and European tours. Paired with resort villas and an easy drive from Bangkok. Open to visitors.
Gary Player's seaside design on the Indonesian island of Bintan, a short ferry from Singapore, with the Ocean nine running through dunes and forest to the South China Sea. Calm, scenic and beautifully kept, paired with Banyan Tree and Angsana resorts for a long weekend of golf and beach. Open to resort guests.
The most celebrated course on Phuket, set in a former tin mine and rubber plantation, where Tiger Woods won the Johnnie Walker Classic. Yoshikazu Kato used old mining lakes for a watery, strategic test, the par 3 17th over a lake the signature. Paired with Phuket's beach resorts for a full Andaman trip. Open to visitors.
Built on a former tapioca and pineapple plantation above Pattaya, Schmidt Curley's Plantation course has long hosted the LPGA, its old irrigation lakes and rolling terrain making a varied championship test. With the historic Old Course alongside, Siam Country Club is the heart of golf on the eastern seaboard. Open to visitors, near Pattaya's resorts.
Designers, opening years and tournament history verified June 2026. Nearly all of these are open to resort guests and visiting golfers, with Sentosa a private club offering limited visitor play. Green fees and package rates move with the season and are indicative only. The best playing months vary by country. Always confirm tee times and fees directly before booking.
Tell us which countries and resorts you want, Vietnam's coast, Thailand's beaches, Malaysia's rainforest or Hainan, and roughly when. One concierge costs the whole trip to the head and replies within one working day, with no obligation.
For the combination of golf, hotel and setting, The Els Club Teluk Datai at The Datai Langkawi is our pick, an Ernie Els course in ancient rainforest beside one of the world's great hotels. Mission Hills Haikou, the largest complex on earth, and Vietnam's Laguna Lang Co and Hoiana Shores lead a deep field.
It depends on the country. Thailand and Vietnam play best in their cool, dry season from roughly November to February, while Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia are warm year round with afternoon storms most common from October to March. Green fees and package rates move with the season, so always confirm tee times and fees directly before booking.
Asian resort tee time windows, new course openings and the warm weather trips our concierge is quietly building. Every other week.