The city’s members’ club, with hills and a mountain view.
Sabah Golf & Country Club is the private club at Bukit Padang, in the middle of Kota Kinabalu, and it celebrates 50 years of golf in 2026. Robert Muir Graves designed the course, which opened in 1976. Nelson & Haworth remodelled it in 2004. It is hillier than the coastal resort courses, with lakes, hidden bunkers and wind, and the club describes it as one of the toughest courses in Southeast Asia. More than 2,000 members play here, but the club welcomes visitors who book ahead.
Sabah Golf & Country Club green fees and tee times.
There is no online tee sheet. Where2Golf says visitors are welcome on weekdays and at weekends but must book in advance. The club office answers on +60 88 247 533, and the club lists sabahgolfcountryclub@gmail.com as its email. Golfasian also confirms tee times here, with groups of up to four. Prepaid packages sold by Pelago and WAUG set minimum group sizes: two players on weekdays and three at weekends and on public holidays. They also ask everyone to show a passport at check-in. The club does not publish its visitor green fee, so ask for the current rate when you book.
The round, in perspective.
The par-72 course measures 6,335 metres from the back tees and carries a course rating of 73.3, according to the club. The club credits the 2004 remodel to Nelson & Haworth Golf Course Architects. The club lists what makes the course hard: hilly terrain, undulating fairways, lakes, hidden sand bunkers and awkward wind. Hilly ground means plenty of uneven lies, and bunkers you cannot see from the tee make a caddie’s line useful. The club also promises fast greens and views towards Mount Kinabalu, which are clearest in the early morning. The practice area has a 14-bay driving range and two putting greens.
Know before you go.
Booking
In advance by phone or email; no online tee sheet
Group size
Up to four; agency packages need two on weekdays and three at weekends
Check-in
Passport required for agency bookings
Practice
14-bay driving range and two putting greens
Make the trip work.
This is a club for members first, so call before you build a day around it, particularly at weekends. WAUG’s package lists a caddie fee of RM128 for 18 holes and a single-cart charge of RM65, neither included in its price. Its tee windows run from 06:00 to 08:00 and from 12:00 to 14:00, which are a useful guide to when visitors get on. The club also has a pool, tennis courts, a fitness room, a sauna and a snooker room, so non-golfers have something to do.
Golfasian puts the club about 14 minutes and 8.5 km from Kota Kinabalu International Airport (BKI). It sits on Jalan Kolam in Bukit Padang, just east of the city centre, so a taxi or Grab car from a downtown hotel takes 10 to 15 minutes. WAUG’s package includes pick-up from hotels in the city for bookings of two or more players.
The club has no accommodation, so most golfers stay in the city: the waterfront along Jalan Tun Fuad Stephens and the streets around Gaya Street put you close to restaurants and the night market. The Pacific Sutera Hotel and The Magellan Sutera Resort at Sutera Harbour suit a week that mixes both city courses. For beach time, the resorts at Karambunai and Pantai Dalit are 40 minutes north.
Make a trip of it.
Sutera Harbour is the obvious second round, a flat 27-hole resort course by the sea about 15 minutes away. Nexus Karambunai and Dalit Bay make a coastal day out to the north. Off the course, the Signal Hill observatory looks over the city and the islands. The Tunku Abdul Rahman Park islands are a short boat ride from Jesselton Point.
Find your season.
February to April usually brings the driest, clearest weather on Sabah’s west coast and the best chance of a mountain view. Rain builds from May and peaks between October and January. Midday heat on the hills is tiring, so the early tee window is the one to ask for.
Yes. It is a private members’ club, but Where2Golf lists visitors as welcome on weekdays and at weekends with advance booking. You can call the club office, email it, or book through agents such as Golfasian.
Who designed Sabah Golf & Country Club?
Robert Muir Graves designed the original course, which opened in 1976. Nelson & Haworth Golf Course Architects remodelled it in 2004, according to the club.
How far is Sabah Golf & Country Club from Kota Kinabalu airport?
About 8.5 km, or roughly 14 minutes by car, according to Golfasian. It is one of the quickest rounds to reach on the day you land or fly out.
Last checked 11 November 2026. This is an independent planning guide, not a first-hand review or a booking service. Check live availability, access, fees and travel details with the operator before booking. Airport suggestions are starting points for route planning.
