In this guide
Where can you play golf in Malta?
What is the Royal Malta Golf Club like?
How much does it cost to play golf in Malta?
Do you need a handicap, and what’s the dress code?
Can you learn golf in Malta as a beginner?
When is the best time to play golf in Malta?
How do you get to the Royal Malta Golf Club?
Where can you play golf in Malta?
You can play golf at one place in Malta: the Royal Malta Golf Club in Marsa, just outside Valletta. It is the only golf course across the entire Maltese archipelago, including Gozo and Comino. The club sits inside the Marsa Sports Club grounds and welcomes both members and visiting players throughout the year.
This matters for planning. Because there is a single course rather than a choice of ten, you do not need to research and compare venues, but you do need to book ahead, especially in the cooler months when northern European golfers arrive to escape the rain at home. The course is small in footprint and shares its setting with tennis courts and other club facilities, so tee times fill up and walk-ups are not guaranteed.
The one-course reality.
If a website lists “the top golf courses in Malta,” treat it with caution. There is genuinely only one. Any longer list is usually padded with driving ranges, courses on other islands, or unrelated venues. For an honest overview of attractions across the islands, see the Rozie guide to things to do in Malta.
What is the Royal Malta Golf Club like?
The Royal Malta Golf Club is an 18-hole, par-69 course of a little over 5,600 yards, making it short but tight. It rewards accuracy off the tee rather than raw distance, with narrow, tree-lined fairways and small, subtly contoured greens. Founded in 1888, it is one of only around 63 clubs worldwide to hold a “Royal” prefix, and it plays in good condition all year thanks to full irrigation.
The club was founded by the Maltese Governor, Lieutenant-General Sir Henry D’Oyley Torrens, who first laid out a nine-hole course around the dry moats and bastions of Valletta. The course moved to its present site at Marsa in 1904 and was extended to 18 holes in the 1950s; the British Army handed the club over to its Maltese members in 1971. Greens were more recently upgraded to a USGA specification, and the modern clubhouse, opened in 2013, includes a restaurant, bars, a members’ lounge, and a well-stocked pro shop.
The signature hole is the par-3 4th, known as “The Maid’s Bedroom.” The tee shot is played over the remains of an old house where the club’s maids once lived, with bunkers tucked left and right of the green. It is not the hardest hole on the course, but it is the most photographed.
Key takeaway: Royal Malta is short and tight rather than long and brutal. Leave the driver in the bag on several holes and you will score better and lose fewer balls in the trees.
How much does it cost to play golf in Malta?
Green fees at the Royal Malta Golf Club typically start from around €65 for a round and can rise towards €90–€100 on weekends and in peak season. The fee includes temporary membership of the Marsa Sports Club and the golf club, club hire starts at roughly €25, and parking on site runs about €2–€5 per hour. Always confirm current rates when you book, as prices are reviewed annually.
Be candid with yourself about one thing: with no competing course on the island, there is no price competition. Some visitors feel the fees are high for a short course, while others value the rarity of playing golf “between the stones” on a rocky Mediterranean island. Either way, booking ahead and bringing a valid handicap card avoids surprises at reception.
Figures are indicative starting points. For current 2026/27 rates, check directly with the Royal Malta Golf Club.
Do you need a handicap, and what’s the dress code?
Yes to both. Visitors playing the course should produce a handicap card or certificate with a maximum of 28 for men and 36 for ladies, and the club enforces a dress code even for guests. You also need to book in advance through the club’s online tee-time system rather than turning up unannounced.
The dress code is standard for a traditional club. No blue denim and no tracksuits are allowed on the course. Gentlemen should wear a collared polo shirt with tailored slacks or shorts. Ladies may wear sleeveless non-collared tops but not strap tops, with tailored slacks, skirts, or shorts. Only golf shoes with soft spikes or trainers are permitted, as it is a non-metal-spike facility.
Pro tip
If you are flying in for a short trip, pack one collared shirt and a pair of soft-spike golf shoes or clean trainers in your hand luggage. It saves a wasted journey to Marsa if your only footwear is sandals or your jeans are denim.
Can you learn golf in Malta as a beginner?
Yes. The Royal Malta Golf Club runs a full coaching programme under its PGA-qualified club professional, and lessons are open to non-members. One-to-one coaching starts at around €50 for 45 minutes, and there is a popular three-month beginner induction course priced at roughly €485, which includes group sessions, equipment during lessons, temporary club membership, parking, and daily access to the practice facilities.
The practice setup includes a covered driving range with a bunker, dedicated pitching and putting areas, two putting greens, and a couple of driving cages near the first tee. That makes Malta a realistic place to take up the game from scratch, or to brush up your swing during a longer stay, without needing your own clubs to begin with. The associated Golf Academy Malta caters to all ages and skill levels through the same Marsa facilities.
Worth knowing: the induction course is the most cost-effective route in if you think you will play more than a handful of times, since part of the fee is redeemable against full membership.
When is the best time to play golf in Malta?
Malta’s mild Mediterranean climate keeps the course playable all twelve months, but the most comfortable golf is from autumn through spring. Summer rounds are best teed off early in the morning, before the midday heat that regularly pushes well past 30°C makes a four-hour walk punishing. Many overseas visitors deliberately come in winter, when Malta is mild and their home courses are frozen or waterlogged.
Two local quirks are worth planning around. Saharan dust events occasionally leave a fine red film on everything outdoors, including parked cars at the course, and the strong island wind can change how the short, exposed holes play from one day to the next. If you are visiting in summer, it is worth reading up on how locals handle the heat in the Rozie guide to surviving summer in Malta, and budgeting realistically using the cost of living in Malta breakdown if you are staying a while.
How do you get to the Royal Malta Golf Club?
The club is on Aldo Moro Street in Marsa, a short drive south of Valletta and central enough to reach from most tourist bases in 20–30 minutes. You can drive a rental car right up to the course and park on site, or take a taxi. Remember that Malta drives on the left, which catches out first-time visitors from mainland Europe.
If you are renting a vehicle for your stay, the Rozie guide to cars in Malta covers driving rules and rental tips, and the taxi in Malta guide explains fares and airport pickups if you would rather not drive. For tourism logistics more broadly, the official Visit Malta site is a reliable starting point.
Making a trip of it.
Plenty of expats settle in Malta partly for the year-round outdoor life, and golf visitors often extend a long weekend into a full stay. If you are moving into a rental or prepping a home for visiting golf friends, you can hand the cleaning to verified local cleaners through Rozie rather than spending your trip scrubbing — browse the cleaning in Malta archive for practical home guides.
Is there golf in Gozo or Comino?
No. Neither Gozo nor Comino has a golf course. The Royal Malta Golf Club at Marsa is the only course across all three inhabited islands, so a day trip to Gozo is for its countryside, diving, and the Citadel rather than for golf. Plan any round around your time on the main island of Malta.
If you are island-hopping and want a golf fix on a Gozo day, the practical answer is to play before or after the ferry rather than expecting to find a course there. Gozo’s draw is its slower pace and rugged coast, not its fairways.
Keeping your Malta base effortless between rounds
Finding reliable help for a Malta home the traditional way often means scrolling Facebook groups, texting numbers, chasing quotes, and hoping whoever turns up actually does a good job — exactly the kind of admin you do not want eating into a golf trip or a busy expat schedule.
Rozie was built to remove that friction. You post the job once, pick a date and any extras you need, and verified cleaners send you offers with the exact price before you accept. Every booking is backed by 7-day payment protection and professional liability insurance of up to €1,000,000 per occurrence, underwritten by Lloyd’s Insurance Company S.A., covering accidental property damage and bodily injury caused by cleaners during a booking, with Rozie covering the deductibles so you pay no excess.
Here is the full booking process in under 60 seconds:
Compare Cleaning Offers on Rozie ->
Frequently asked questions
How many golf courses are there in Malta?
There is one. The Royal Malta Golf Club in Marsa is the only golf course in Malta, and the only one across Malta, Gozo, and Comino. Any “top courses in Malta” list you see is padded with unrelated venues or courses on other islands.
Can non-members play at the Royal Malta Golf Club?
Yes. Visitors are welcome on weekdays and weekends, provided they book a tee time in advance and produce a valid handicap certificate (maximum 28 for men, 36 for ladies). The club’s dress code applies to guests as well as members.
How much is a round of golf in Malta?
Green fees start from around €65 per round and can reach €90–€100 on weekends and in peak season. The fee includes temporary membership of the Marsa Sports Club and the golf club. Confirm current rates when booking, as they are reviewed each year.
Do I need to bring my own clubs?
No. The pro shop hires out club sets from roughly €25, so you can travel light and still play. Buggies are also available. Bring a collared shirt and soft-spike golf shoes or trainers to satisfy the dress code.
Can I learn golf in Malta as a complete beginner?
Yes. The club’s PGA-qualified professional offers lessons to non-members from about €50 for 45 minutes, plus a three-month beginner induction course of roughly €485 that bundles group lessons, equipment, temporary membership, and practice-facility access.
Is there a golf course in Gozo?
No. Gozo has no golf course, and neither does Comino. The only course in the Maltese islands is at Marsa on the main island, so plan your round around your time in Malta.
What’s the easiest way to get my Malta home cleaned during a stay?
Rozie lets you post a cleaning request once and receive offers from verified local cleaners, usually within minutes, so you can compare the exact price before you accept. Bookings include payment protection and up to €1,000,000 in professional liability insurance, which is useful whether you are an expat resident or a host preparing a place for guests.
