Best Credit Cards for Golfers 2024

Best Miles Card for Avid Golfers: Maybank World MasterCard

Apply Now

Foreigners

Apply Now

Foreigners

Consider this if you are an avid golfer who travels frequently to golf clubs worldwide

Read Review

more details less details

• Pros
  • Great perks for golfers who enjoy local and global courses
  • Good fit for budgets between S$1,000 to S$2,000 monthly
  • Awards dining and high-end retail shopping

• Cons
  • Not a good fit for non-golfers or infrequent golfers
  • Doesn't reward everyday spend
  • Lacks travel perks and privileges

Maybank World MasterCard is the absolute best miles-earning card for golfers on the market–in fact, it offers the most comprehensive set of privileges out there. Cardholders enjoy 2 free green fees every month at 120 top-notch fairways in 25 countries. Competitors limit privileges to SE Asia, but Maybank World offers access to courses as distant as Turkey, Portugal, Italy, the UAE, and even the United States.

In order to access these golfing privileges, cardholders must spend S$1,000/month. However, this spend can be put to great use. Every S$1 spend on select dining & luxury retail earns 4 miles in rewards–which couples nicely with perks like free travel insurance and airport lounge access. This rewards rate also applies to supplementary cardholders, making Maybank World MasterCard a great option for couples where one person loves golfing and the other enjoys shopping.

Even better, spend by both the primary and supplementary cardholders counts towards earning a fee-waiver. After combined spend reaches S$24,000 for the year, the S$240.0 fee is waived. As a result, Maybank World MasterCard is not only the best miles card for golfers on the market, it’s also an exceptional no-fee rewards card for luxury shoppers.

Read Our Full Review

Best Luxury Card with Dining & Golfing Privileges: American Express Platinum

PROMO: None currently available

Consider this if you want luxury dining & lifestyle perks within Singapore

Read Review

more details less details

• Pros
  • Exclusive local privileges
  • Great local dining discounts and rewards on designer brands

• Cons
  • Lacks luxury travel perks
  • Limited miles accrual

If you're an affluent Singaporean looking for local and regional luxury, consider American Express Platinum Card. Cardholders enjoy discounts of up to 40% off a la carte services at elite spas and up to 50% off at high-end restaurants and hotel buffets through the Love Dining programme & Amex Selects. Other perks include free drinks at upscale bars through Amex Chillax and special invitations to Michelin guest chef dinners, as Amex Platinum is the official card partner of Michelin Guide Singapore.

Beyond these perks, cardholders also enjoy one of the best golfing benefits on the market–complimentary green fees at 50 fairways across 8 countries in Asia Pacific. Cardholders must be accompanied by 1 paying guest on weekdays and 2 on weekends, still must pay for their buggies and other expenses, and must have golfers insurance to play, but these limitations are fairly standard across competitors. Even better, there are no clear restrictions on the number of waived green fees a cardholder can enjoy per month.

Finally, cardholders also earn miles for their spend, though rates are quite low–0.69 miles (1.25 pts) per S$1 general spend. Purchases with Platinum EXTRA Partners, which are typically designer fashion, watch and jewellery brands, earn 3.44 miles (6.25 pts) per S$1. Amex Platinum has a S$321 fee with no waiver option, so it's more expensive than other cards with golfing perks. However, given its many local and regional privileges, Amex Platinum may still prove valuable to affluent Singaporeans seeking luxury in their day-to-day lives.

Read Our Full Review

Best Card for Luxury Perks & Golfing Privileges: Citi Prestige MasterCard

Consider this if you want special travel perks like free hotel nights and unlimited lounge access

Read Review

more details less details

• Pros
  • Great luxury benefits
  • Ideal for higher budgets
  • Great golfing and travel perks

• Cons
  • Very high annual fees
  • Unsuitable for moderate budgets

Citi Prestige MasterCard is the best luxury travel credit card with golfing privileges on the market. To begin with, cardholders enjoy high rewards rates of 1.3 miles per S$1 spend locally and 2 miles overseas. This is complemented by 25,000 annual renewal miles (worth S$250), which help to offset the admittedly high S$535.0 fee.

Citi Prestige Card stand out, however, for its top-notch travel perks. Cardholders receive unlimited lounge access for themselves and a guest, with no minimum spend requirement. In addition, bonus 4th nights at hotels worldwide, complimentary limo transfers, free travel insurance & more.

Citi Prestige Card also offers golfing privileges that exceed those offered by many competitors. While other travel credit cards just offer discounts, Citi Prestige provides cardholders with 6 free green fees/year–3 for use at select fairways in Singapore, 3 for use overseas at clubs in China, Malaysia, and Indonesia. There are no minimum spend requirements, and privileges apply to both weekday and weekend rounds. Other cards are not this flexible.

Ultimately, Citi Prestige Card is ideal if you’re a golfer that prioritises comfort and convenience in travel; you’ll earn high rates and enjoy luxury perks, all while receiving free green fees for use year-round.

Read Our Full Review

Cashback for Social Spenders, with Golf Perks: CIMB World MasterCard

Apply Now

Apply Now

Consider this if you want a free credit card with golf benefits

Read Review

more details less details

• Pros
  • Great fit for big leisure budgets
  • Rewards dining, entertainment and duty free shopping
  • Perks for avid golfers
  • No-fee & maintenance free cashback card

• Cons
  • Lack cashback on essentials (ie groceries, bills)
  • Doesn't reward airline & hotel spend
  • Doesn't fit monthly budgets of S$3,000/month and below

CIMB World MasterCard offers social high spenders the opportunity to maximise their cashback while also enjoying golf perks. Cardholders earn 1% cashback, with no minimum spend requirement and no earnings caps. This is slightly lower than what other unlimited cashback cards offer. However, CIMB World MasterCard also offers a boosted 2% unlimited cashback with a minimum of S$1,000 monthly on leisure spend–this includes on wine & dine (including food deliveries), movies & digital entertainment, taxi & automobile and luxury goods. Cardholders earn both locally and overseas.

In terms of perks, consumers enjoy lounge access and 50% off green fees at 42 golf courses across Asia. Even more, the card is free forever. Overall, CIMB World MasterCard is a great option for social spenders who want unlimited rewards, plus golfing perks.

Read Our Full Review

Standard Chartered Visa Infinite X: Highest Bonus Miles

Apply Now

Apply Now

Consider this if you have +S$100k of cash you can put into a banking account with Standard Chartered

Read Review

more details less details

• Pros
  • Earn up to 300,000 bonus welcome miles
  • Earn 2 miles/S$1 spend overseas
  • Special privileges with elite hotels

• Cons
  • Bonus miles limited to affluent consumers
  • Very high & unwaivable S$702 annual fee
  • Lower rewards rates than other lux. cards

Standard Chartered Visa Infinite X Card provides the best welcome offer in the market for high income consumers, and therefore highly relevant for golfers. If you can deposit S$300k into Standard Chartered's Priority Banking Account and keep it there for at least 3 months, you can earn a substantial 100,000 KrisFlyer miles welcome bonus, which is worth about S$10k when redeemed for business class tickets. This reward can increase to up to 300k miles for those who can deposit S$1.5mn or more. Besides this welcome bonus, SC VI X Card provides pretty standard set of rewards for high-end cards, like 1.2 miles and 2 miles earned per S$1 spent locally and overseas.

SC Visa Infinite X Card's golfing privileges come through Visa Infinite & Concierge, which includes 30% off green fees at 24 fairways across 12 countries (Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, China, Japan, Korea, & beyond). Other perks include 2 free lounge visits/year, complimentary breakfast & upgrades at various premium hotel chains, Hertz Asia rental privileges, free travel insurance and more. Though SC Visa Infinite X Card's annual fee is on the high side (S$695.5 per annum, non-waivable), it's more than offset by the generous welcome bonus for those who qualify.

Read Our Full Review

No-Fee Miles Card with Affordable Perks: DBS Altitude Visa Card

Apply Now

Apply Now

Consider this if you want a good miles credit card with an easily waived annual fee

Read Review

more details less details

• Pros
  • Great for online travel bookings

• Cons
  • Those willing to pay an annual fee for more bonus miles
  • Affluent travellers who are willing to pay a high fee for luxury travel perks

DBS Altitude Visa Card is a great travel card if you’re a golfer seeking affordable miles and travel perks. Cardholders earn 1.2 miles per S$1 locally, 2 miles overseas, and 3 miles for online travel bookings. Miles earned never expire. In addition, they receive 2 free lounge visits/year, free travel insurance, and dining privileges with Visa Foodie Trail. Cardholders even have access to 30% off green fees across SE Asia through Visa Infinite & Concierge. The S$192.6 fee is far lower than that offered by travel credit cards with similar benefits, and can even be waived with S$25,000 annual spend. Overall, if you want an affordable miles credit card with great perks, but without a massive fee, you might want to consider DBS Altitude Card.

Read Our Full Review

Best Travel Card for Flexible Miles Redemption: OCBC Voyage Card

Consider this if you want flexible miles redemption and dine out frequently

Read Review

more details less details

• Pros
  • 2.2 miles per S$1 overseas retail and dining spend
  • 1.3 miles per S$1 local retail spend
  • 15,000 annual bonus renewal miles (worth S$150)
  • Unlimited lounge access, limo transfers & more
  • Up to 19% fuel savings with Caltex

• Cons
  • High S$488 annual fee (no waiver)
  • Recurring bills ineligible for rewards
  • Access to limo transfers requires S$5,000 minimum spend

If you have a shifting travel schedule, you might want to consider OCBC Voyage Card. Cardholders earn 2.2 miles per S$1 overseas, and 1.3 miles locally. This is perfect if you travel often, but also spend extended periods of time at home. The miles you earn can also be redeemed with no black-out dates, no transfer or conversion fees, and with minimal processing time, making OCBC Voyage Card one of the easiest credit cards for miles redemption on the market.

OCBC Voyage Card offers more than high rates and flexibility, however. Cardholders also receive unlimited airport lounge access and up to 2 free limo transfers/month. Other perks include up to 50% off green fees at 50 fairways across Southeast Asia(through Visa Infinite & Concierge service). Overall, the flexibility and balance of great rates and luxury perks make OCBC Voyage Card on of the best travel cards out there for golfers.

Read Our Full Review

Best Card for Overseas Business Travellers: Standard Chartered Visa Infinite Card

New SC Customer

New SC Customer

Consider this if you travel frequently for business

Read Review

more details less details

• Pros
  • Great rewards for high overseas spend
  • Rewards banking activity

• Cons
  • Not suitable for average spenders who mostly buy local essentials
  • Annual fee

If you’re a golfer who frequently travels, you can easily maximise rewards for your overseas spend–while also enjoying discounted green fees–with Standard Chartered Visa Infinite Card. Cardholders enjoy the highest rewards rates on the market, at 1.4 miles per S$1 locally and an incredible 3 miles overseas. In addition, they receive 35,000 welcome miles (worth S$350), which offset the S$588.5 fee. What really stands out, however, is that SC Visa Infinite Card rewards cardholders for banking activity–tax payments, fixed deposits, investments, mortgage loans, savings accounts & more–which many competitors exclude from their rewards programmes.

SC Visa Infinite Card also provides golfing privileges through Visa Infinite & Concierge. Cardholders receive 30% off green fees at 24 fairways across 12 countries (Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, China, Japan, Korea, & beyond). Other perks include 6 free lounge visits/year, a free annual yacht hire, Hertz Asia rental privileges, free travel insurance and more. Overall, SC Visa Infinite Card is an excellent option if you want the highest rates on the market for overseas spend, with the added benefit of luxury travel privileges.

Read Our Full Review

Summary of Best Credit Cards for Golfing Privileges 2024

Below, we've prepared a summary of our picks for the best credit cards for golfing privileges2024.

Compare the Best Credit Cards with Golfing Privileges by Dollar Value

To help you find the best credit card with golfing privileges, we have prepared a chart below organizing credit cards by 2-year dollar value. We have estimated an average Singaporean's monthly expenditure patterns through research to model out likely savings from credit cards. You should note that the dollar value can heavily depending on your spending habits, so make sure to read through each card's review and see if it fits your monthly budget. There are also other "intangible" benefits like travel perks whose values are difficult to quantify but nevertheless incredibly valuable to some consumers.

Best Credit Cards with Golfing Privileges By Estimated 2-Year Dollar Value

How Much Does It Cost To Play Golf?

Golf club memberships used to be seen as a type of investment but these days, it has become more of a lifestyle purchase. Membership at open market prices are definitely not cheap, typically starting in the 6-figure range. For example, a club membership at the more exclusive Sentosa Golf Course costs around $245,000 and one at the Tanah Merah Country Club costs around $175,000. The good news? You don't really need a membership to play if you go to a public golf course, but be prepared that it will be pretty crowded.

If you are new to golf or wants to pick up golfing, you will no doubt need lessons as the sport is not something you can learn on your own. Coaching sessions typically cost between $100 to $300 per session and it is more economical to learn with a friend or two. This fee does not include the rental for your golf clubs, green fees and buggy rides. Green fees depend on the club, but to give you an indicative price, an 18-hole game for the weekend at Keppel Club costs $320 net with buggy rental included.

Read More: