Golf Courses

Sri Lanka's golf heritage stretches back more than 130 years, making it one of the oldest golfing destinations in Asia. The Sri Lanka Amateur Golf Championship, first held in 1891, is modelled on the British Amateur and ranks among the longest-running national golf championships in the world. Today the island offers four championship 18-hole courses, each set against a dramatically different landscape — from sea-level coastal fairways to cool hill-country greens above 1,800 metres.

What golf courses are in Sri Lanka?

Sri Lanka's four principal 18-hole courses are distributed across the island, giving travelling golfers a genuine reason to explore beyond a single base:

• Royal Colombo Golf Club — Colombo
• Victoria Golf & Country Resort — Digana, near Kandy
• Nuwara Eliya Golf Club — Nuwara Eliya hill country
• Shangri-La Golf & Country Club — Hambantota, south coast

Each course has a distinct character shaped by its elevation, ecology, and history. A dedicated golf tour can link all four within a single itinerary.

Royal Colombo Golf Club — Sri Lanka's oldest course

Founded over 140 years ago, the Royal Colombo Golf Club holds the distinction of being the second-oldest Royal Golf Club outside the United Kingdom. It sits inside Colombo's urban fabric, surrounded by residential neighbourhoods and business districts, yet the course itself feels removed from the city's pace — a quiet, tree-lined sanctuary maintained to exacting standards. Membership is private, but reciprocal arrangements and visitor green fees are available through recognised channels. If you are arriving from Colombo city, the club is well within reach for a morning or afternoon round before heading upcountry.

Nuwara Eliya Golf Club — the hill-country classic

Established in 1889, the Nuwara Eliya Golf Club is among the oldest golf clubs in Asia. It was founded by British tea planters who needed recreation at altitude, and the colonial atmosphere — formal dress codes, a period clubhouse, and traditions carried quietly from one generation to the next — remains largely intact. At roughly 1,868 metres above sea level, the air is cool year-round and the fairways stay green without the irrigation demands of lowland courses. The surrounding landscape of rolling tea estates and mist-covered hills adds to the sense that a round here is unlike any other in the region. Nuwara Eliya's association with Ceylon tea culture means a post-round visit to a working estate is easy to arrange.

Victoria Golf & Country Resort, Digana — the course for serious players

Victoria Golf & Country Resort, located near Digana in the Kandy district, is widely regarded as Sri Lanka's premier championship venue. The 18-hole, par-73 course spanning around 6,933 yards was designed by Donald Steel & Co, an award-winning British golf architecture firm responsible for courses across Europe and beyond. The layout follows the natural contours of a hilly peninsula that borders the Victoria Reservoir, so no two holes feel the same. Tee shots across valleys, approaches with water in view, and elevation changes that demand accurate club selection make this a rewarding test for mid-to-low handicappers. The resort also offers on-site accommodation, making it a practical base for multi-day stays in the Kandy area.

Shangri-La Golf & Country Club, Hambantota — the coastal newcomer

The Hambantota course is the newest addition to Sri Lanka's golf landscape. Designed by Rodney Wright on land that was formerly a sapphire mine, the 18-hole layout sits within the grounds of the Shangri-La Hambantota resort and spreads across a broad coconut palm plantation close to the south coast. The terrain is flatter than Digana or Nuwara Eliya, and the course has been positioned as ecologically sensitive — wetland habitats and native vegetation have been incorporated into the design rather than cleared. For golfers combining the course with a wider southern itinerary, the proximity to Udawalawe National Park and other wildlife areas means a safari can easily precede or follow a round.

When is the best time to play golf in Sri Lanka?

Sri Lanka's climate varies considerably by region, which works in a golfer's favour: when the southwest receives heavy monsoon rain (roughly May to September), the northern, eastern, and hill-country courses remain largely playable, and vice versa. Nuwara Eliya and Victoria Golf Resort are generally at their best between December and April, when skies over the central highlands are clearest. The Hambantota course benefits from the drier conditions of the south coast between November and April. Royal Colombo Golf Club, shielded within the city, is accessible most of the year, though afternoon thunderstorms are common from May through October.

How do I get to Sri Lanka's golf courses from the airport?

Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) near Colombo is the main entry point. From there, Royal Colombo Golf Club is reachable in under an hour by road. Victoria Golf Resort near Digana is approximately three to four hours by car via the Kandy expressway, or a shorter journey by helicopter if time is limited. Nuwara Eliya takes around five to six hours by road from Colombo, or roughly four hours via a combination of expressway and the scenic A5 mountain road. Hambantota is served by the Southern Expressway and is typically around two and a half to three hours from the airport. Lakpura can arrange private airport transfers directly to each property.

Can beginners play golf in Sri Lanka?

All four courses welcome golfers of varying abilities, although the difficulty levels differ. The Hambantota course, with its flatter terrain, is generally more forgiving for beginners and high-handicappers. Royal Colombo is a traditional parkland layout that suits most skill levels. Victoria Golf Resort and Nuwara Eliya both present more technical challenges — variable lie angles, altitude effects on ball flight, and wind — making them more rewarding for experienced players. Caddies and equipment rental are available at most venues, so travelling without clubs is practical.

What else can I do near Sri Lanka's golf courses?

Sri Lanka's compact geography means a golf trip naturally overlaps with broader travel. The Kandy region around Victoria Golf Resort offers access to the Temple of the Tooth, the Kandy city experience, and botanical gardens at Peradeniya. Nuwara Eliya golfers can visit Horton Plains National Park, with its cloud-forest plateau and dramatic World's End viewpoint, within an easy half-day trip. Hambantota is positioned close to Bundala National Park and the elephant gathering grounds around Udawalawe. Hot-air ballooning over the Cultural Triangle, safaris, and tea-estate tours can all be woven around tee times to create a trip that goes well beyond the fairway.