Thailand Golf Holidays, Phuket Golf Packages, Hua Hin Golf Vacations

Thailand Golf Gloves

One of the most important but overlooked pieces of golf equipment in Thailand is the glove.  With hot and oftentimes sweaty tropical weather conditions the only thing stopping a golf club from flying out of a Thailand golfers hand is the glove. If the glove is wet or slick, it will not grip the club and a mishit is very likely.

Moreover, one of the most important parts of a good Thailand golf swing is the grip. That comes as no surprise. If a Thai golfers grip is off, then the swing will probably be off.  I see many golfers in Thailand slice, hook, and otherwise mishit the ball. That's because their hands are the prime mover of the shaft and the controller of the clubface. If the hands aren't doing their job, a poor shot will always result.

How can you tell if your glove is correct? I recommend an all-weather type that does not get slippery when wet, or at least holds some of its tackiness.  Sometimes I use 3-4 gloves during a round alternating between gloves to keep them dry and fresh. Moreover,  I always check the wear patterns on my golf glove.
Here are three common wear patterns and what it means to my golf swing.

Hua Hin’s Hidden Golf Gem: Kaeng Krachan Country Club

Everyone knows the best regarded Hua Hin golf courses are Banyan Golf Club and Black Mountain Golf Club.  How about other Hua Hin golf courses for the more adventurous?

Located an hour north and 40km inland from Hua Hin in the Thai Kaeng Krachan Estate lies what might just be Hua Hin’s least known, most under rated and best valued golf course? The 27 hole Kaeng Krachan Country Club is hardly known by the locals, no less Thailand golf holidaymakers.

After travelling due north from Hua Hin and leaving the main highway, the road to Kaeng Krachan deteriorates into virtually a dust path. Don’t be put off by this or worry you have taken a wrong turn, just keep following the signs to the Kaeng Krachan Estate. Sure enough fifteen minutes later the Kaeng Krachan golf course can be seen and first impressions of a natural parkland course are excellent.

How To Judge Green Speed Of Thailand Golf Courses

Recently I have seen green speeds on Thailand golf courses run from a slow 7 on the stimpmeter at Majestic Creek Country Cub in Hua Hin to a speedy 10 at Red Mountain Golf Club in Phuket.  At other times, like after a professional event, green speeds can run as high as 11 or 12. Siam Country Club Old Course was like this in February after the Honda LPGA.

With such a great variation in green speed and importance on distance in lag putting, how can the visiting golfer in Thailand be successful in judging the green speed at each Thai golf course?

Well fortunately all of the golf courses in Thailand have practice putting greens and I find that hitting some long pouts just before starting my round helps allot to be successful on the golf course.

The Best 18 Phuket Golf Holes

Golfing in Phuket is great from May until July as the courses are not crowded, accommodations very reasonably priced, and the weather is generally overcast with little other than a late afternoon shower to cool things off. Therefore it is timely that Ian, our semi-pro Phuket resident, has for a bit of fun put together his Phuket “Dream 18”, which when you take time to think about the golf options, it’s not that easy

Hole 1, Blue Canyon, Canyon Course – Not the easiest opening hole and a fairly tight tee-shot. Hitting the fairway is a must if you want to get your second close on this severe undulating green.

Hole 2, Loch Palm – Good par 5 winding its way round Crystal Lake. Water in play all the way to the green, but reachable in two for the long brave hitters

Hole 3, Red Mountain – Spectacular par 3 where the designer had made the very best of the rocks and the natural surrounds

3-4-5 Star Hotel Or Villa For A Thailand Golf Holiday

It’s not always easy to recommend the right accommodation for a golf holiday. For example, there are many excellent value-for-money hotels that can make a Thailand golf package very affordable. Great deals can often found from May to October on the beach resorts of Phuket and Hua Hin where hotels sell at less than half their normal cost during the high season.

However, for some, luxury is more important than price. At the other end of the spectrum there are some 6-star properties that are truly luxurious luxury and will create an once-in-a-lifetime Thailand golf holiday memory. These properties can be found mostly in Phuket and Hua Hin.

For golf buddy groups and families, staying together is more important than anything else. In this case, a large villa or multi-bedroom suite can be a great option. My friend Ian recently visited some new Phuket golf villas near Blue Canyon. The villa owner lives on site, cooks breakfast, takes orders from the fresh market to cook in the evening after golf, arranges for in-villa massages, and practically everything else imaginable. This really comes across as a very relaxing way to enjoy a golfing trip with total privacy away from the main tourist areas.

Personally I favor, and often stay at, 4-star properties, as I cannot get the full value of a 5-star hotel when I am out golfing each day. Moreover, when I travel with friends I like that I can get a large 60 sq meter room in 4-star hotel for less than half the price of a similar size room in a 5-star hotel. This makes it easy for those who like to share rooms or use one room as the central gathering/partying place when traveling with friends. Excellent 4-star golf properties can be found in Pattaya, Hua Hin, and Chiang Mai.

Whatever one’s preference, it can most likely be found as there are over 1000 hotels scattered throughout all of the main Thailand golf destinations.

My Thailand Short Game

I was playing with friends last week at Royal Gems Golf City and they mentioned that my short game was pretty good. I was able to get up-and-down around 50% of the time, even on the sloped green on August #10. That saved par for me on an otherwise poorly played hole.

Therefore, this week I thought to share my Thailand golf short game tips here.
My chipping is mainly due to my special grip. So if your chipping leaves something to be desired, try changing grips.

Most Thailand golfers use a standard neutral grip to hit chips. But too often I see that leads to either long putts to the hole or worse fat shots that do not even make it to the green.

If this sounds like you when golfing in Thailand then you're not helping yourself. You need to get closer to the hole to have a short makeable putt.

Below are three keys that I use for the Thailand golf chip shot:

Après Golf Fine Dining in Hua Hin

Here are a few fine dining do’s and don’ts for Hua Hin golfers that were complied by long time area resident, gastronomical expert, and Swiss Amateur Golf Team captain Marco Scopetta.

If you plan to spend few days golfing in Hua Hin, these are the best restaurants you can experience after your round.

The well-established Sofitel Centara Grand Resort and Villas has become the Centara Grand Beach Resort and Villas Hua Hin. While the Hua Hin resort has been rebranded, the incredible Saturday night buffet at Railway Restaurant has not changed a bit! It is a MUST if you really want to experience a great dinner.

Insiders Tip: Bring your own wine and save a fortune. Corkage charges are only a fraction of the wine cost and the local wine shops in town have some great bargains.

Baan Itsara, beach front Thai restaurant not far from the center is well-known by the locals and Hi So of Bangkok. A little expensive compared to other local restaurants but excellent. The best grilled Lobster in town.

Sea Pine Golf Course: Nice But Be Aware Of....

The newest Hua Hin golf course is the Sea Pine Golf Course (also known as the Army Golf Club II).  This golf course opened is the pride of the Royal Thai Army and much better than any Thai municpal course I have seen.

Designed by active Major General Weerayudth Phetbuasak (same designer as Suwan Country Club in Bangkok and Phokeethra Coutry Club in Siem Reap), Sea Pine is a good track with 4 holes longing the beach that play like a links-styled course.  The majority of the other Sea Pine area is comprised of bracken pine trees and is enriched by the beauty of oceans and mountains.

My favorite hole is the 16th, a long Par 5 with an exciting 2nd or 3rd shot. The hole is facing the sea which means depending on the direction of the wind it can be extremely long and very challenging especially for the design of the hole.  In front of the green there is a huge lake to cross and just behind it the ocean. The difficulty is that the green is not deep so you must get the distance right! The view is absolutely astonishing.

The maintenance of the golf course is generally good. If you want to play this Hua Hin golf course I recommend you to play weekdays. If there is a group of Thai army officials in front of you it can take more than 5 hours to play a round!.

Otherwise, if you do encounter slow play, as they say in Thailand, never mind!  You are on a Thai golf holiday, so enjoy the nice pine tree lined environment, ocean views, and a Singha or two!

Just prepare yourself to this kind of eventuality and you will greatly enjoy your round at the new Hua Hin Sea Pine Golf Club.

Santiburi Chiang Rai Country Club

Chiang Rai in far northern Thailand is a bit off the beaten path for most foreign tourists golfing in Thailand. However the Robert Trent Jones Jr. designed Santiburi Chiang Rai Country Club is a name that often comes up when Thai residents talk about their favorite Thai golf courses. 

While there is no one single outstanding quality to the course, it is instead a combination of factors that all come together in creating a thoroughly enjoyable playing experience: the scenery with rolling terrain and tree lined fairways, challenge, playability, diversity, maintenance and service.

Jack Nicklaus once said that “Golf is a better game played downhill”, and Santiburi uses this concept to great effect with several elevated tees and downhill holes which invite golfers to ‘tee it up and have a go’.  The clubhouse itself sits on one of the highest points of the property, providing excellent vantage points for viewing the action on #9 and #18 as well as creating elevated tees for #1 and #10.

Donald Ross preached that the first hole of any golf course should be designed to allow golfers an encouraging start without too much trouble.  The opening hole at Santiburi does this with a medium length par five that has enough elbow room both left and right that mishit shots can at least be found and played.  However miss the fairway and you will quickly learn what gives Santiburi its primary line of defense:  the Rough.

Make More Short Putts In Thailand

Travelling half way around the world to golf in Thailand is an experience if a lifetime. However the last thing you want to do on a Thailand golf holiday is miss allot of short putts during your rounds.

Golfers in Thailand probably face on average 10 short (less than 6 foot) putts in any given round. Master putting from this range and I bet you have an even better time golfing in Thailand.

But sinking 6 footers isn't as easy as it sounds. Confidence is a big factor and so is practice. I recommend getting a small putting mat at home where you can practice 10 minutes a day, regardless of the temperature or weather outside. In addition here are four tips on sinking short foot putts that will work for everyone on a Thailand golf holiday.
 
1.    Think speed more than line: I always aim for the back of the cup on short putts. The greens in Thailand are not very undulated, especially on the flatter Bangkok golf courses. Thailand golfers tend to focus only on the break on short putts, but speed is equally important. Putt aggressively, but not too aggressively to avoid a nasty lip out.