By: Nuss_Boy
Indonesia might not be the first country you think of as a golf destination. But golf is a fast growing sport, especially in Jakarta. Golf courses in all shapes and sizes offer overworked city dwellers a unique chance to relax. Want to practice your swing? Why not try one of the Jakarta driving ranges to perfect your skills?
I am a Singaporean living in Jakarta for the last 13 years. Golf and business have been a twin passion for many years. At 47, I consider myself a man mellow to a stage whereby at least you know what you want and what you are interested in. I am in the lucky position of having friends visiting me regularly in Jakarta. Inadvertently somehow the topic of Golf will always pop up and one of the favourite question has always been:
‘What are the best places in Jakarta for a game of golf?’
So along this line of thought, let me give you 3 places to go to depending on your wishes, budget and skills. And if you don’t have time to wrestle your way through Jakarta traffic to one of the greens, you can always vent your frustration on one of the driving ranges in the city center.
- Golf course Halim I and Halim II
Halim Golf Course Jakarta
Best value for money: A game at Halim I and Halim II during holidays costs only about Rp 240,000 all in (excluding tips). The putting green is amazingly well maintained and if you wish, the caddies most of whom have been working there for over 10 years, can coach you for no extra charge. Halim I and Halim II are good golf courses to go to if you’re a beginner because the greens are wide and easy to play.
The Halim I golf course is an easier and shorter course than Halim II. At Halim I, there are tall trees, tight fairways and many lakes that are also used for irrigation purposes.
Halim II is a very long, hilly course with wide fairways, small greens and many bunkers & water hazards. Putting greens are all well maintained. It is difficult to find a better value for money place to golf.
Address :
Halim Golf Club
Jalan Skadron, Halim Perdana Kusuma, Jakarta 13610
- Royale Jakarta Golf Club
Royale Jakarta Golf Club
Best power golf business style: Royale Jakarta Golf Club is the cream of the crop when it comes to golf courses. The president plays here, the military and government guys play here and the Vice president and CEO’s play here. Biz people play here to impress their customers and to talk shop in between. Games are to be booked in advance and you can have your own private dining room and a private changing room for a fee. The game itself will cost you Rp 500,000 on a weekdays and even more during a weekend. It is about 10 minutes from Halim I golf course, mentioned above.
Royale Jakarta Golf Club is landscaped to impress, from the club house to the greens, it features dramatic “shaping” with long range vistas previously unheard of in the relatively flat topography of inner-city Jakarta. There are lots of bunkers, so this is not a beginner golfer, plus…what if your shot lands on the head of one of the big shots who consider this their playground;-)
Address :
Royale Jakarta Golf Club
Perdanakusuma, JL Raya Halim Tiga, Hali, Jakarta, Indonesia
- Cengkareng Soewarna Golf Club
Best Quick-Game-of-Golf-n-Catch-a-Plane Golf Course Jakarta: This is the “best” course to play if you have golf crazy guest who is about to go cold turkey, who must have a game in between meetings, flight departures and souvenir shopping. It is conveniently located at just 25 minutes to the international airport in Jakarta. Normally you don’t have to be afraid of traffic jams from the course to the airport. Cengkareng Soewarna Golf Club is the perfect opportunity to have a game and get to the airport on time!
Cengkareng Golf Course Jakarta
The course is very accessible, but still offers a challenging layout meeting international standards. The only downside is that you have to bear with the noise of the planes taking off and landing from the nearby airport.
Address :
Cengkareng Soewarna Golf Course
Taman Niaga Soewarna
Blok G Lot 1-2, Bandara International Soekarno Hatta 19110 DKI. Jakarta
As an afterthought, if you don’t have time to get to a golf course but are in a die- hard must practice mood, I recommend the following driving ranges. Perfect for visitors who want to practise their swing but have no time to get to full greens.
- Prestasi Golf Andalan
This place is a complete driving range with 62 bays for tee off, a nice enough cafe, changing rooms and showers and to round off a comfortable spa if you need that after that hard practice.
SCBD driving range Jakarta
For most of the locals here, we just call it the SCBD driving range, mention that to an experienced driver or taxi driver and all know where the SCBD area is at.
The full address of the driving range is:
Kawasan Niaga Terpadu Sudirman, Lot 16 Jl. Jend. Sudirman kav. 52-53 Jakarta 12190,
Indonesia Telp. (021)527-9381 Fax. (021)527-9382
Email. info@pgagolfworld.com
If you wish to stay near SCBD driving range, you can try the 5-star The Ritz Carlton Jakarta, Pacific Place or the nearby Balitung Breeze guest house. If there is time, also drop by Pacific Place, a high end all in one shopping mall that has everything from the usual Starbucks, cafes , restaurants and electronic stuff and yes, of course, a golf shop!
If you need more info on golf in Jakarta, drop me a direct message at Nuss_Boy on Twitter
