Nirwana Bali Golf Club is closed. It has not been open for play since 2017.
The course at Tanah Lot cannot be booked — there are no green fees, no tee times and no visitor access, and there is no announced reopening date. Bali still has excellent golf: see the courses you can play today.
If you have been looking for tee times at Nirwana Bali Golf Club — the Greg Norman course beside the Tanah Lot sea temple — this page explains what happened to it, whether it is coming back, and which Bali course now comes closest to that experience.
We are Bali Golf Tours, a local golf operator based in Denpasar arranging rounds on this island since 2008. The answers below are the ones we give our own guests.
What happened to Nirwana Bali Golf Club?
Nirwana opened in 1997 at Tanah Lot, on Bali's south-west coast, as the golf course of the Pan Pacific Nirwana Bali Resort. Greg Norman routed it through rice terraces and along the clifftops, and for two decades it was comfortably the most celebrated golf course in Indonesia.
In 2015 the site was signed into a redevelopment deal between the Indonesian developer MNC Land and the Trump Organization. In 2017 the resort and the golf course were closed and the staff were let go. The plan announced at the time was to reopen the property as Trump International Golf Club Bali, with an entirely new 18-hole layout designed by Phil Mickelson replacing Norman's original.
That work has been delayed repeatedly. Reporting through 2025 described the old Nirwana course as dormant and overgrown, and no public opening date has been announced. The practical answer for a golfer planning a trip: you cannot play Nirwana, and nobody can reliably tell you when — or under what name — golf will return to the site.
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1997 | Bali Nirwana Golf Club opens at Tanah Lot, designed by Greg Norman Golf Course Design as part of the Pan Pacific Nirwana Bali Resort. |
| 1997–2016 | The course becomes Bali's best-known layout, regularly listed among the top 100 courses in the world outside the United States. |
| 2015 | Indonesian developer MNC Land announces a deal with the Trump Organization to redevelop the Nirwana site as a six-star resort. |
| 2017 | The resort and the golf course close. Staff are laid off. Phil Mickelson is announced as the designer of an entirely new 18-hole layout, to reopen as Trump International Golf Club Bali. |
| 2018–2025 | The redevelopment stalls. Reporting through this period describes the old Nirwana course as dormant and overgrown. |
| Today | Still closed. No public reopening date has been announced, and no tee times can be booked at Nirwana under any name. |
The course golfers remember
Nirwana was a par-72 of roughly 6,805 yards, and its reputation rested on a handful of holes where the routing ran straight out to the Indian Ocean. The par-3 7th — played across an ocean inlet, with the Pura Tanah Lot sea temple sitting behind the green — was one of the most photographed holes in Asia and remains the image most people picture when they search for the course.
The layout was regularly ranked among the top 100 courses in the world outside the United States, and it was the course that put Bali on the golf-travel map in the first place.
| Location | Tanah Lot, Tabanan Regency, south-west Bali |
| Opened | 1997 |
| Architect | Greg Norman Golf Course Design |
| Layout | 18 holes, par 72, approx. 6,805 yards |
| Signature hole | The par-3 7th, played across an ocean inlet with the Tanah Lot sea temple behind the green |
| Status | Closed to play since 2017 — not bookable |
| Future | Redevelopment as Trump International Golf Club Bali (Phil Mickelson design); no announced opening date |
Where to play golf in Bali instead
Bali has four golf courses, three of which are open for play right now. If it was the ocean setting that drew you to Nirwana, New Kuta Golf is the closest match on the island today.
New Kuta Golf Course
Closest to Nirwana
Bali's clifftop links course, on the Bukit Peninsula above Dreamland Beach. Like Nirwana it is routed along the cliff edge with the Indian Ocean in play and in view, and it is the course we send most former Nirwana golfers to. 18 holes, par 72, about 20 minutes from the airport.
See prices & book
Bukit Pandawa Golf & Country Club
Ocean views, half-day round
An 18-hole par-3 course on the Ungasan clifftops, with an ocean backdrop on practically every tee. Short enough to play in a morning, dramatic enough to be worth the trip - a good fit if you wanted Nirwana for the scenery.
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Handara Golf & Resort
Mountain golf, cool air
An 18-hole, par-72 mountain course laid out inside an extinct volcanic crater at Bedugul in north Bali, ringed by forest and framed by the famous Handara gate. Completely different in character from the coast - and much cooler.
See prices & book
Bali National Golf Club
Currently closed for renovations
The championship parkland course in Nusa Dua, 15 minutes from the airport. It is closed for renovation work at the moment - talk to us before planning a round there and we will tell you where it stands.
Every round we arrange includes the green fee, golf cart, caddie, club rental if you need it, drinks, and return private transfers from your hotel or villa — plus someone reachable on WhatsApp for the whole day. Compare all four Bali golf courses or see our packages and prices.
Nirwana Bali Golf Club – frequently asked questions
Can I still play Nirwana Bali Golf Club?
No. The course closed in 2017 and has not reopened. There are no green fees, no tee times and no visitor access, and no tour operator can book you a round there.
Why did Nirwana Bali Golf Club close?
The Pan Pacific Nirwana Bali Resort and its golf course were shut in 2017 so the site could be redeveloped, following a 2015 licensing deal between the Indonesian developer MNC Land and the Trump Organization.
Will Nirwana reopen as Trump International Golf Club Bali?
That remains the stated plan, with a new 18-hole layout designed by Phil Mickelson replacing Greg Norman's original. The project has been delayed repeatedly and no public opening date has been announced, so we would not plan a golf trip around it.
Which Bali golf course is most like Nirwana?
New Kuta Golf Course. It is the island's clifftop links course, on the Bukit Peninsula, with the Indian Ocean along much of the routing - the closest thing to Nirwana's coastal setting that is open today.
How many golf courses are open in Bali?
Four: New Kuta Golf Course, Bukit Pandawa Golf & Country Club, Handara Golf & Resort and Bali National Golf Club. Bali National is currently closed for renovations, so three are playable at any given time.
Where was Nirwana Bali Golf Club?
At Tanah Lot in Tabanan Regency on Bali's south-west coast, roughly 45 minutes from Seminyak and about 90 minutes from Nusa Dua.
Planning a golf trip to Bali?
Send us your dates and how many players. We will come back with a tee time, a price and a pickup time — no account and no upfront online payment.
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Playing golf in Bali?
Nirwana is gone, but we still have three great courses open. Tell us your dates and how many players and we will put a round together — green fees, hotel transfers, clubs, caddie and assistance, all handled.
No account, no upfront online payment.
