The History of Tawau Golf Club
Tawau Golf Club (Kelab Golf Tawau) was officially registered on 25 October 1967, making it one of the earliest post-independence golf clubs in Sabah, Malaysia. What began as a modest community venture with a palm-thatched hut for a clubhouse has grown into an operation spanning two distinct locations — a compact 9-hole town course at Jalan Kukusan and an 18-hole championship layout carved from 345 acres of tropical rainforest at the Tanjung Forest Reserve. The club's most remarkable distinction is that its flagship Hot Spring Course was designed entirely in-house by volunteer committee members and built with RM1.8 million raised from member contributions — a rare feat in Malaysian golf. Today, TGC stands as a pillar of Tawau's sporting and social life, hosting state-level championships and nurturing junior golfers across eastern Sabah.
The Early Days and the Kukusan Course
The club's origins were humble. According to the official TGC website, Tawau Golf Club "started with a humble beginning in the 1960s, with a simple atap hut as club house." Atap — woven palm leaf thatch — was the quintessential roofing material of Borneo, and this makeshift structure served the club's earliest golfers on what was then a basic course near downtown Tawau on Jalan Kukusan.
By the early 1970s, the club had grown to over 500 members, necessitating the construction of a "new respectable wooden building" to replace the atap hut. This wooden clubhouse served the community for nearly two decades until 1992, when a modern new clubhouse was built at the Kukusan location.
The Kukusan Course itself — a 9-hole, par-36 layout designed by the Sabah State Department — was built or significantly redesigned around 1991. Located along Jalan Kukusan near the heart of the city, this walking course became a favourite for beginners and those looking for a quick round after work. It plays as an 18-hole round of par 72 by going around twice, at 5,774 yards for the double loop, with a course rating of 70.7 and slope of 136.
The adjoining clubhouse hosts a swimming pool, gym, karaoke lounge, billiards room, games machines, and a Chinese restaurant — a nostalgic landmark for many long-term members. Because of these facilities, the Kukusan venue serves as much as a social club as a golfing venue, drawing non-golfers into the club's orbit.
Expansion into the Rainforest
As the popularity of golf grew in the 1980s, the club looked toward a more ambitious future. In 1982, Datuk Harris Mohd Salleh, then Chief Minister of Sabah, granted the club a 345-acre parcel of rainforest land at the Tanjung Forest Reserve along Jalan Air Panas, approximately 17 kilometres from Tawau's town centre. This extraordinary gift — dense tropical jungle — would take over a decade to develop but ultimately became the club's crown jewel: the Hot Spring Golf Course.
Rather than hiring a professional golf course architect, a group of dedicated committee members undertook the in-house design themselves. The project was funded entirely through member support, contributions, and donations totalling RM1.8 million, embodying a true community spirit.
Construction began in January 1996. The first nine holes opened for play in May 1999, and the full 18-hole, par-72 championship layout was completed in July 2001.
The course's double-storey modern clubhouse — featuring men's and ladies' changing rooms, a golfer terrace overlooking the incoming 18th hole, a well-manicured putting green, and a dining area — was designed by VW Akitek and built by contractor Ku Tah Ming. It was officially opened in October 2007, coinciding with the club's 40th Anniversary celebration.
Two Courses, Two Personalities
Today, Tawau Golf Club operates across its two distinct courses, each with its own clubhouse and character.
The Kukusan Course (Town Course) offers 9 holes at par 36, played as an 18-hole round of par 72 by going around twice. Its flat terrain and proximity to town make it the preferred choice for beginners and casual players.
The Hot Spring Golf Course is the more dramatic offering — an 18-hole, par-72 mountain course set within the Tanjung Forest Reserve. The course plays at 6,161 metres from the Black tees (course rating 73.3, slope 141), making it one of the more challenging layouts in Sabah. Its defining features include:
- Dramatic elevation changes across hilly, undulating terrain carved from primary rainforest
- Proximity to the Tawau Hot Springs (Air Panas), the natural thermal springs for which the course is named
- Frequent Bornean wildlife encounters — golfers regularly spot hornbills and other native species during their rounds
- Landscaping widely regarded as the best among Tawau's golf courses, despite the challenging terrain
Visiting golfers have described the Hot Spring Course as "very beautiful, very scenic and ever challenging." The course "definitely demands careful course management and not to be heroic in your approaches." Another reviewer described it as "a golfer's paradise" with "elevated tees full of wildlife."
Championships, Junior Development, and Community Bonds
Tawau Golf Club has hosted several significant competitive events, most notably the 27th Sabah Amateur Open Golf Championship held at the Hot Spring Course from 22–24 April 2011. This 54-hole stroke play event, organised in partnership with the Sabah Golf Association, attracted amateur golfers with USGA Handicap Indexes of 10.2 or below (men) and 21.2 or below (ladies).
The club also hosts the Datuk Kho Choon Seng Sabah International Junior Masters — the 14th edition of which was held at TGC in December 2025 — along with regular events including the Chinese New Year Ang Pao Golf Tournament, the President Challenge Cup, and inter-club competitions. Through participation in the Sabah Golf Association's annual events, TGC maintains strong ties to the state's broader golfing community.
The club maintains reciprocal playing arrangements with golf clubs across Malaysia and internationally, including Subang Golf & Country Club, Kelab Golf & Rekreasi Petronas, Kelab Golf Bintulu, and clubs in New Zealand, Australia, China, and the Philippines.
Perhaps most significant is the club's commitment to youth development. In February 2020, TGC President Larry Kho announced a policy change to welcome junior golfers aged 9 to 18 with free admission and play. The program extended beyond Tawau to neighbouring Lahad Datu, Semporna, and Kunak, with training provided by US-qualified coach Albert Cheang and PGM Golf professional Ronnie Pancratius. Schools throughout the region were invited to send interested students.
Leadership
Several key figures have left clear marks on TGC's trajectory.
Datuk Harris Mohd Salleh, Sabah's Chief Minister who donated the 345-acre forest reserve land in 1982, made arguably the single most consequential decision in the club's history. Without that land grant, the Hot Spring Course would never have existed.
Datuk James Pang holds the distinction of being the longest-serving golf club president in Malaysia, having led the club for over three decades.
Larry Kho has served as club president in recent years (confirmed from 2020 onward), driving the junior development initiative and presiding over tournament activities including the President Challenge Cup.
Mr. Ma Sui Kong has served as a long-standing club administrator and key operational contact.
The unnamed committee members who designed the Hot Spring Course themselves — forgoing professional architects to create an 18-hole championship layout through sheer dedication and local knowledge — represent perhaps the club's most remarkable leadership story, even if their individual names have not been fully preserved in public records.
The club's governance operates as a registered society under Malaysian law (Registration Number PPM-001-12-25101967).
Tawau Golf Club's nearly six-decade journey encapsulates a distinctly Malaysian story of community self-reliance and sporting passion. From its humble beginnings in 1967 with an atap hut for a clubhouse, to its expansion into the depths of the Tanjung Forest Reserve, the club's most enduring legacy is the collective act of building an 18-hole championship course from rainforest to fairway using volunteer design and member funding alone.
The RM1.8 million Hot Spring Course stands as physical proof of what committed club members can achieve without professional architects or corporate backing. With its junior development programs extending free golf access across eastern Sabah, its reciprocal relationships linking Tawau to golf clubs internationally, and its two courses offering everything from beginner-friendly town golf to challenging mountain layouts where hornbills outnumber spectators, TGC remains both a guardian of local golfing tradition and an active builder of its future.