Golfing in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah - Dalit Bay Golf & Country Club

They say, leave the best for last and that's what we did.

Our weekend of Golf in Kota Kinabalu was quickly coming to an end. But we still had time for one last round at the exclusive Dalit Bay Golf & Country Club.

I don't know about you, but when one speaks about golfing in Kota Kinabalu, courses like Sutera Harbour, SGCC and Nexus Karambunai usually come to mind. 

I can do no better but refer to Dalit Bay's website for an introduction which reads:-

"About Dalit Bay. Ensconced within the 400 acres of Shangri-La's Rasa Ria Resort, this superbly 18-hole championship course designed by Ted Parslow, provides the challenger with a stimulating playing experience, and was designed with the sensitivity to the natural beauty and the character of Sabah." 

Truth be told, I had never heard much about Dalit Bay prior to our tee-off and so had no idea of what to expect. 

And boy was I pleasantly surprised. The Dalit Bay Golf and Country club is a beautiful golf resort. 

Everything from the clubhouse, the facilities and ultimately, the golf course was reminiscent of the Golf Courses in Thailand. In fact, I can say with some confidence that it is on-par with some of the top golf clubs there and in Kuala Lumpur.

The clubhouse is modern classy and the course is gorgeous. Conditions were immaculate and the views, breathtaking. 

I didn't take alot of pictures at Nexus Karambunai or SGCC but I was compelled to take a bunch here, so I will let the pictures do the talking. (looking back though, I should have taken more, but I was simply enjoying the golf)

We couldn't have asked for better weather. Fairways were in tip top condition, greens were in great shape and the landscaping was top notch. Oh and did I mention that the views were breathtaking?

I honestly felt like I was playing abroad (not to say Kota Kinabalu isn't great, but you know what I mean)

While there were a few holes that I thought were difficult, the course on a whole wasn't over challenging so it made for an enjoyable round of golf, even for a high handicapper like me. 

There were a number of contenders for most scenic hole, but the Par 3, Hole 11 really lived up to its signature hole label.  

The tee box is set against the backdrop of the south china sea. When setting up, golfers face the Tambalang river mouth and then take aim of the green with the imposing Mount Kinabalu in the background. Simply stunning.

View from the tee-box. Pardon the distorted panoramic picture. 

Fortunately I didn't play too bad so that made for an enjoyable round. But alas, we eventually reached the 18th green and made our way for a well deserved rest at the golfer's terrace before hitting the showers. 

The locker room was also very nice. Spacious, modern, clean with plenty of shower cubicles. 

If I had to nit pick, I noticed though that there was a shortage of staff (i.e. bag attendants, marshalls, caddies, locker room staff) and food and beverage were rather pricey (but that is to be expected really) 

After a nice soothing shower, we made our way back to town for a late lunch of, you guessed it, Sang Nyuk Mien before making out way for our flight back to Kuching. 

And that brings our Kota Kinabalu golfing weekend to an end.

My ratings:-

Course conditions:- 5/5 (conditions were immaculate and the landscaping, beautiful)

Course difficulty:- 3/5 (a few difficult holes, but the course on a whole wasn't overly challenging)

Caddy rating:- No caddies available

Club House facilities:- 4/5 

12/15 - MUST PLAY! Overall, I was thoroughly impressed with the experience and will definitely return again in future.

Take note though that with top Golf Clubs, expect to pay 'top' green fees. I think a kaki of ours managed to get us a promotional rate so we paid less then RM200.00 per person. Though, I would have happily paid full price (Published rate is RM420.00 inclusive of buggy-twin sharing and insurance)