Most people who know Forest City know about the ghost town narrative. Fewer know that its golf resort has ranked in Asia's Top 100 for seven consecutive years, or that one of its two courses was designed by Jack Nicklaus and currently sits 49th in the Asia-Pacific rankings. This article is about the golf — and about what it actually means for someone considering buying property here.
Two courses, two different personalities
Forest City Golf Resort has two distinct 18-hole championship courses operating on the island. They are not interchangeable — they have different characters, different design philosophies, and attract different types of players.
The Classic Course — seven years in Asia's Top 100
The Classic Course at Forest City Golf Resort has been ranked in the Top 100 Golf Courses in Asia for seven consecutive years, from 2020 through 2026. That is not a one-off recognition or a marketing claim — seven consecutive years of independent ranking is a sustained acknowledgment that puts it alongside the most consistently respected courses in the region.
The course plays through the tropical landscape of the island, with water features, mature palm-lined fairways, and the kind of visual drama that makes a round genuinely memorable rather than merely functional. It hosts over 100 international golf tournaments annually — meaning professional and competitive play is a regular presence on the course, not an occasional event. For residents living in adjacent villas or highrise units with course-facing balconies, tournament weekends are a bonus, not a disruption.
The Classic Course is the course most residents engage with day-to-day. Its layout is accessible to a wide range of handicap levels while still presenting enough challenge to satisfy competitive players. Golf villa owners receive a five-year complimentary membership covering both courses — which, at a course of this ranking, represents meaningful lifestyle value built into the property itself.
The Legacy Course — Jack Nicklaus, ranked 49th Asia-Pacific
The Legacy Course was designed by Jack Nicklaus and his son Jack Nicklaus II — a genuine design lineage, not a branded name-only association. Jack Nicklaus has designed over 400 courses globally, and a Nicklaus-designed course in the Asia-Pacific top 50 is a specific credential that serious golfers understand immediately.
In the 2024—2025 Asia-Pacific Top 100 Golf Courses rankings published by Cloud Golf, China's largest golf platform, the Legacy Course was ranked 49th. That places it in the top half of the most elite golf destinations across the entire Asia-Pacific region — above courses in Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, and Japan that have significantly older reputations.
The Legacy Course has a more dramatic layout than the Classic Course, with elevation changes, strategic water placement, and the longer carries that Nicklaus designs typically demand. It rewards course management over raw distance, and plays differently in the morning sea breeze versus the still afternoon air — a detail that regulars learn to read and visitors often underestimate.
For context: Golf courses of this ranking in Singapore or Hong Kong typically charge membership fees in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, and green fees for non-members run SGD 200—400+ per round. At Forest City, Golf Villa owners receive a five-year complimentary membership covering both courses as standard with their property purchase.
What does this mean for property buyers who are not golfers?
This is actually the more interesting question. If you golf, the answer is obvious — two ranked courses at your doorstep with membership included is a significant lifestyle benefit. But what if you do not play?
The golf resort matters for non-golfers for three reasons. First, the visual environment. Golf course-facing units look out over 200+ acres of maintained green landscape — a visual quality that has no equivalent in a highrise overlooking a carpark or another building. The course is essentially a private park that you look at rather than use. Second, the hotel infrastructure. The five-star Forest City Golf Hotel exists because of the golf resort. Its pools, spa, dining, and gym are available to residents — facilities that would not exist at this standard without the anchor of a ranked golf destination. Third, the tournament calendar. Over 100 international tournaments annually brings a steady stream of international visitors and professionals to the island. That activity — and the international profile that comes with it — is part of what makes Forest City something more than a purely residential development.
Who should seriously consider the Golf Villa specifically?
If golf is part of your life — whether seriously competitive or socially recreational — the Golf Villa configuration is one of the most unusual property propositions in Southeast Asia right now. A landed villa with private garden and rooftop terrace, 2-bedroom with option to extend to 3-bedroom, set directly alongside two internationally ranked courses, with five-year complimentary membership included. At the current pricing, this combination does not exist at comparable quality anywhere in the region.
I have walked golfers through the villa cluster who were initially here to look at highrise units. Most of them left having changed their minds. If you play golf and you have not seen the villa in person, it is worth the viewing trip before you make any decision about Forest City property.
Interested in the golf villa or a course-facing highrise unit?
I can arrange a viewing that includes both the villa cluster and course-facing highrise units so you can compare in person. Send me your interest and I will put together the right itinerary.
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