Bukit Jawi Golf Resort, Malaysia

Bukit Jawi Golf Resort on Peninsula Malaysia is about a 45 minutes’ drive from Penang International Airport. The 36-hole at this Penang golf resort were designed by Khor Kheng Teik and Wong Yew Kuan, the course is set in a lush tropical landscape and was built on a former hilly oil palm plantation and around large bodies of contoured lakes. Bukit Jawi is 20 kilometers from Penang Island and has consistently been ranked among the 20 best golf resorts in Malaysia.

Bukit Jawi is a scenic course and the surrounding countryside can be seen from most every tee. Laid out on pleasantly and continually undulating terrain, Bukit Jawi boasts two excellent, challenging and very absorbing championship layouts. The Hill Course and Lake Course offer golfers of varying handicaps a challenging and rewarding experience through with carefully landscaped greens and strategically placed hazards. The fairways and tee boxes are covered with Japanese Zoysia and the greens are turfed with fast-rolling Bermuda grass. 

The longer Hill Course, at 6,385 meters, is an 18-hole par-72 championship course. The course’s long and undulating fairways coupled with strategically placed hazards presents a challenge to every aspect of the golfer’s game from stroke accuracy and distance to course management. The Hill Course will encourage big-hitters with its usually good-width fairways, even if six or seven of them require blind, uphill drives from the tee. Good bunkering and a pleasant line of palms and other tree varieties, ensure every fairway benefits from good definition.

Among many memorable holes, the excellent downhill par-3 12th is seriously defended by a small lake in front of the green. The long par-3 16th, heading in the opposite direction, also utilizes the same lake. Elevation changes and substantive greenside bunkering are bigger factors here than water hazards, although the 9th and 18th holes have threatening water hazards crossing the fairways, both warranting a clear strategy from tee-to-green.

If you’ve navigated your way around the course and putted well on its often elevated greens, prepare yourself for a serious putting challenge at the seemingly innocuous par-4 17th. Your approach shot should factor in a putting surface that shelves steeply from right to left. This is a green that’s seen several top golfers struggling to get down in four or more, the “victims” claiming it is too sloping and too unfair! This course is a true test of skills to even the most seasoned golfer.

As its name suggests, the Lake Course features more water hazards and sand bunkers. The signature 15th island green is surrounded by water and guarded by bunkers at the most strategic place. This course puts a premium on the golfer’s accuracy and short game.

The Lake Course is also an 18-hole par-72 track covering 6,163 meters. The Lake Course will challenge your shot-making and course management in equal measure, while also serving up many of Bukit Jawi’s most visually impressive holes. With plenty of elevation changes, water menacingly present on over half the course and a few sharp dog-legs to negotiate, accuracy rather than length is often at a premium here.

On several occasions you may need to keep the driver in the bag and play well-positioned irons or three-woods, setting up your approach shots to the undulating and never easy to read greens. Especially on the back-nine there are some wonderful views across the course from its higher elevations, as well as lily-filled water hazards and a liberal scattering of palms and other tree varieties, all contributing to the Lake’s very pleasant, parkland credentials.

Some of the best holes include the par-4 5th. This is probably one of the best and most exciting holes on the course. It’s an L-shaped dogleg right, covered by forests on all sides. If brave enough, you can tackle the one-on by driving over the forests, which many a golfer has tried…and failed. But it’s definitely possible. The elevation change here is so great your ears can pop just walking down the fairway. The par-4 14th is also another beauty, with the ravaging lake on the left and a thin strip of fairway to drive to.

However, among many scenic holes, the attractive par-3 island green 15th steals the show. Played from an elevated tee, you’ll get an excellent view of the green’s rocky frontage and its seriously protective bunkering. The finishing par-4 18th, rather than an island green, has a water enclosed section of “island” fairway, onto which you may need to lay-up before playing a long second shot uphill towards the green.

Both courses at Bukit Jawi are an enjoyable test of golf and the idyllic setting of the resort guarantees the golfer a truly memorable round. Bukit Jawi Golf Resort also has a 48-bay driving range available for golfers to practice their swing and the clubhouse has all facilities and restaurants expected of a Malaysia golf resort.