Gemas Golf Resort

Near the northern border of Johor

Gemas Golf Resort is located 30 minutes from Malacca at the northern border of Johor, south-west of Gemas train station. The Malaysia golf course is also accessible from Singapore or Kuala Lumpur in 2 hours.

The developers of the Gemas Golf Resort have shown that a golf course can be built in an environmentally friendly manner.  Every tree on the golf course was identified and labeled during construction. Every indigenous species of tree is now retained on the fairway and along the course perimeter.

Officially opened in 1996, the 18-hole golf course is surrounded by the Gemas forest reserve and Mitnas oil palm plantation and provides very natural surroundings for golf in Malaysia. It is not surprising to hear or even spot monkeys and other animals from the forest reserve wondering to the fringe of the golf course.

Gemas Golf resort is one of the hillier Malaysia golf courses. Both front and back nines play to an identical distance of 2,852 meters from blue tees. The front nine is hillier with water and sand hazards being almost non-existent.  The exception is the par-4 ninth where a bunker is situated between two trees to trap drives of approximately 190 meters from tee. 

Water and sand hazards become more prominent on the back nine of the Gemas course.  On the par-5 16th, a carry of 200 meters from tee box is required to ensure that your ball does not get stuck in the banks of the lake.

Other notable holes include the par-3 eighth which requires a long iron or rescue wood to hit the green 163 meters away. The longest par-4 is the 14th. Playing at over 430 meters, a bogey is a good score here. The most difficult hole is the par-5 seventh. A slight dog left it is a undulating and slopping left uphill to the green.  The green is located at the top of a steep gradient hill. 

The 3-storey clubhouse houses a small hotel, meeting and function room, a golfers' terrace & restaurant, and locker rooms.  While it is adequate for a small town golf course resort, it is not as impressive as the bigger and more modern clubhouses at other Malacca golf courses. Bare patches on some fairways and a few greens could be improved too. Nevertheless golfing at Gemas Golf Resort is an enjoyable and interesting Malaysia golf experience.