Top 10 Golf Courses in Hong Kong
Hong Kong packs more golf prestige into a smaller area than almost anywhere in Asia. The territory has a golf culture dating to 1889, making it one of the oldest in the continent, and despite land being among the most expensive on Earth, it maintains courses of genuine international quality. The Hong Kong Golf Club's Fanling complex is the flagship — a century-old institution that hosts the Hong Kong Open on the DP World Tour — and the other clubs that operate in the territory's New Territories and island zones offer their own distinctive characters. The season is essentially year-round, though June through September brings heat, humidity and typhoon season; November through April is by far the most comfortable playing period.
1. Hong Kong Golf Club (Fanling/Composite Course), Fanling
The Hong Kong Golf Club is the oldest and most important golf institution in the territory, operating three 18-hole courses at its Fanling complex in the New Territories. The club was founded in 1889 and the Fanling site has been in use since 1911. The Old Course was originally designed with input from Robert Black, and subsequent refinements over the decades have produced a course — the composite championship layout draws holes from Old, New and Eden courses — of considerable subtlety. Par 70 for the composite, the Fanling courses are defined by mature woodland, firm turf and small but precisely bunkered greens that reward complete shot-making. The Hong Kong Open, a DP World Tour event, has been played here for decades. The club is private; access for visitors requires a letter of introduction from a home club or a formal society booking.
2. Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club, Clearwater Bay
Clearwater Bay occupies a headland on the Sai Kung Peninsula with sweeping views of the South China Sea — one of the more dramatic golf settings in Asia. The course, par 70, around 6,100 metres, is a compact but demanding parkland layout that makes inventive use of its hilly coastal terrain. Elevation changes of more than 100 metres between the highest and lowest holes demand accurate distance control on approach shots, and the sea wind creates conditions that shift meaningfully throughout the round. The club is private, catering primarily to the expatriate business community and wealthy local membership. Visitor access requires an introduction; green fees are at the premium end of the Hong Kong market.
3. Hong Kong Golf Club (New Course), Fanling
The New Course at Fanling is the most open and longest of the three HKGC layouts, offering a different rhythm from the tighter Old Course. Designed in the post-war years as the club's membership expanded, par 72, around 6,500 yards, it has a more parkland feel with wider fairways and more conventional green complexes. For members and introduced guests wanting a round with fewer of the quirks of the historic Old Course, the New is the consistent choice. The club's professional operations — caddie service, course marshalling, instruction — are run to an exacting standard that reflects the institutional seriousness of the HKGC.
4. Shek O Country Club, Shek O
Shek O is the most scenic of the Hong Kong golf clubs, its course draped across hillsides on Hong Kong Island's southeastern tip with views over the South China Sea in multiple directions. The 9-hole course is unusual in a market dominated by full 18-hole layouts, but what it lacks in length it compensates for in character: the terrain is dramatic, the turf conditions are well-maintained, and the sense of playing above the ocean is unique in the territory. The club is private and primarily social, but the golf course is one of the most atmospheric afternoon rounds available anywhere in Hong Kong.
5. Discovery Bay Golf Club, Lantau Island
Discovery Bay occupies a residential enclave on Lantau Island, accessible from the city by ferry, and its golf course is integral to the community's identity. The layout is compact — 9 holes — but the ferry journey and the car-free environment of Discovery Bay make it feel like a proper escape from the urban intensity. The turf quality is solid and the course is maintained to a standard appropriate to the premium residential context. For visitors staying in the Discovery Bay hotel development, it provides a relaxed and practical golf option with easy access from the airport via Lantau connections.
6. Kau Sai Chau Public Golf Course, Sai Kung
Kau Sai Chau is Hong Kong's only public golf facility and it is a remarkable resource: a car-free island in the Sai Kung archipelago accessible by dedicated ferry, operating 36 holes across two 18-hole courses. The South Course is the more demanding of the two, par 71, around 6,400 metres, with sea views from several elevated tees and wind conditions that can be substantial. The North Course is more forgiving and better suited to developing players. Green fees are the lowest available for 18-hole golf in the territory, and the absence of membership requirements makes it the natural entry point for visitors without club introductions. The ferry departs from Sai Kung pier.
7. The Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau (North Course), Sai Kung
The North Course at Kau Sai Chau is managed by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, which runs several of the territory's public sporting facilities with a standard of professionalism that consistently punches above what the green fees suggest. Par 70, approximately 5,800 metres, the North Course offers a less exposed game than the South, with more sheltered valleys and a layout that accommodates golfers of intermediate ability well. The island setting — arriving by boat, playing on terrain with sea views, returning by ferry — creates an experience that is quite unlike any other urban golf day available in Asia.
8. Discovery Bay Golf Club (Extended Layout), Lantau Island
Plans for a full 18-hole expansion of Discovery Bay's existing course have been periodically discussed as part of the community's development planning. The existing 9-hole layout has enough quality to justify a full 18-hole round when played twice; the elevated terrain and sea views make it one of the most scenic compact courses in the territory regardless of its size. For now, it operates as a 9-hole facility with a productive driving range and short game practice area.
9. Hong Kong Golf Club (Eden Course), Fanling
The Eden Course is the third of the HKGC's Fanling layouts, shorter and more intimate than Old or New, par 63 over approximately 4,800 yards. It is used principally for junior development, society rounds and as an introductory course for new members. Several holes are genuinely challenging despite the shorter overall card, and the wooded mature setting that characterises all three Fanling courses is at its most enclosed and atmospheric on the Eden. Access for visitors follows the same member-introduction protocol as the main courses.
10. Mission Hills Golf Club (Shenzhen), Dongguan/Shenzhen
Though technically across the border in mainland China, Mission Hills Shenzhen is within easy reach of Hong Kong and operates 12 championship courses — the world's largest golf complex by hole count. For visiting golfers who can manage the border crossing, the scale of the facility and the variety of international architects represented — Jack Nicklaus, Norman, Vijay Singh, Ernie Els and others each designed a course — makes it worth the extra hour of travel. The resort operates fully commercially; green fees are reasonable by Hong Kong standards.
Planning a Hong Kong Golf Trip
The best playing season is November through April. Peak summer humidity and typhoon risk make June to September unappealing. Most of the private clubs require formal introductions; Kau Sai Chau is the accessible public option and genuinely worth a full day's visit including the ferry journey. For a comprehensive view of golf facilities across Hong Kong and adjacent mainland areas, open the map to plan your itinerary by club location and access type.