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

Insider's Guide To Non Golf Activities in Bangkok Thailand (Part 1 of 2)

Some people come to Thailand on golf trips, play golf everyday for two or three weeks and, by the end of their trip, whilst still enjoying their golf, are beginning to tire of tourist traps, partying, or sitting in their hotel room or in a bar each evening.

Over the next 2 days I will discuss 16 alternative things to do in Bangkok on your days off from golf or in the evenings. Please note that I am not talking here about the ‘must do’ tourist attractions such as the Grand Palace, the Chao Praya River, Wat Arun , Wat Pho, Jim Thompson’s House, the Floating Market, etc., or the usual nightspots.

1. Take in a movie. Most of Bangkok cinemas are world-class - crystal clear viewing, digital sound and very comfortable seating. Some theatres even have a first class section with  lazy boys in single or love seat configurations, free blankets, soft drinks, hors d'oeuvres and of course popcorn. Check the English language papers (Bangkok Post and The Nation) for locations and current offerings. The Emporium and Siam Discovery Centre are convenient as both can be reached by Skytrain. The very latest films are shown, sometimes months before the overseas release date, with the normal English soundtrack subtitled in Thai.

2. Experience Thai Boxing.  Muay Thai, is best enjoyed at Lumpini Boxing Stadium. You can get front row seats and meet the star attractions after their bouts for a photo session.

3. Go bowling. Usually located on the top floor of shopping malls alongside a host of other entertainments - cinemas, video games, karaoke, computer games and food halls- bowling alleys in Bangkok are state-of-the-art.

Amazing Golf Cart (Buggy) Sharing in Thailand and Special Prize Competition

Long time Thailand Golf Zone readers know of my preference for not using golf buggies when playing golf in Thailand. I feel that riding takes away from the social nature of golf, provides limited exercise for the golfer, and disrupts the natural environment I so much love about the game of golf.

Well the other day I found a Thailand golf course that allows 4 person to share a cart, all but eliminating my anti-social argument against the use of electric buggies. Imagine this, 4 farang golfers barreling down the fairway at 1km per hour in ONE CART! What a sight!

Actually I doubt the fragile golf buggies used in Thailand could withstand the load and I am quite sure the sign board above was not meant for what it appears to be. In fact am still scratching my head as to why any golf course would go through the trouble of posting such a local rule. Even 5 ball Thai groups would never attempt such a stunt as sharing one cart among 5 golfers.

Asian PGA Golf Tournament 2007 Schedule

As a follow up to yesterdays post, the next and last Asian PGA tournament events of 2007, the Johnnie Walker Classic and Asian Volvo Masters, respectively, will both be good examples of prestigious golfing in Thailand this year.

Therefore, I thought it appropriate timing to post this years remaining event schedule. Also, just a thought, but if anyone is thinking about a golf vacation in Asia this year, why not plan it to coincide with one of these golf tournaments. Not only will you be able to sharpen your game, but you can also see up-close how the pros do it on tour.

Here is the 2007 Asian PGA golf tournament line up of events along with prizes up for grabs.

Asian PGA Golf Tour

Officials of the Asian PGA Tour which began its 2007 season last month are heralding the start of a "golden era" for professional golf in the region – and Thailand golf courses and stars will figure prominently. A bumper schedule consisting of a minimum of 29 events with an all-time high of US$26.5 million in total prize money await Asia's best golfers in their chase for the coveted UBS Order of Merit crown.

Established names will include Thai stalwart Thongchai Jaidee, who was the winner of the season-ending Volvo Masters of Asia held at the Thai Country Club last December and who achieved a highly creditable 14th place in January at the Abu Dhabi Championship European PGA Tour event. Thongchai will be joined by compatriots Thaworn Wiratchant, Prom Meesawat, third on the ranking last year, and teenage phenomenon Chinarat Phadungsil, already a two-time winner. The major events on the Asian Tour in 2007 will include the Barclays Singapore Open, which at US$4 million will be Asia's richest national Open, the UBS Hong Kong Open, the Volvo China Open, the BMW Asian Open, the HSBC Champions tournament, the Maybank Malaysian Open, the Volvo Masters of Asia and the Johnnie Walker Classic, the latter tri-sanctioned by the European, Asian and Australasian PGA Tours.

A Winter Golf Thought

When was the last time you picked up your golf clubs?

The winter has finally hit the USA and Europe and the short cold days means that golf is, at best, difficult. More likely, even for the die hard golfers, playing has become a difficult experience, practicing is out of the questions, and instead of being in the trunk of your car, your golf clubs reside in some closet at home. Late March and longer days will be evident;  warmer weather cannot come quick enough!

What is going to happen in April?

You are going to get all excited when you get an hour’s more sleep because you know that the spring is on the way. You dust off the clubs and make sure the grooves are all cleaned up (probably the only time in the year that you perform this task). You make it to the golf club and spend the next 2 weeks to a month trying to get your game back. Isn’t it amazing how bad your putting and short game can be after a winter layoff?

Krungthep Kreetha Golf Club, Bangkok Thailand

Do you not find it frustrating that there some Thailand golf courses that you play on where you normally score well, and others which, for some reason, you struggle on? One of the later such golf courses for me is the Krungthep Kreetha Sports Club on the eastern side of Bangkok, only around 30 minutes from the Sukhumvit and Silom tourist areas.

Krungthep Kreetha is not well known among travelers who golf in Thailand as it is rarely included in Bangkok golf packages. The original golf club opened in 1969, so it is one of the older layouts in Bangkok. I used to play this course regularly in the early 90’s (that being the year, as well as my score usual score!) when I was coming to Bangkok weekly for business. At that time, it was already a demanding test of golf with large mature trees and many hidden water hazards in the form of shallow channels.

Thailand Lazy Putter Syndrome

My last 2 tournament rounds golfing in Thailand I counted 6 missed easy short putts. This was very frustrating indeed considering my golf club does not allow tournament gimmies and the rest of my golf game was spot on.

Who hasn't experienced the same thing now and then? I have found golfing when in Thailand that it is easy to get a “lazy putter” causing more than your share of short missed putts. This putter laziness comes because either you have had a late night on the town before an early morning golf round or you’re decelerating the putter head before impact, causing you to hit the ball offline.

Well I can not do anything for the former, but if the cause is the later then read on.

Acceleration is the increasing speed at which the club head moves through the ball. It's important for all shots, even putts. The key to accelerating and curing putting laziness is keeping your hands ahead of the ball, which prevents excessive wrist motion on the forward swing.

One technique for encouraging acceleration is the left-hand low grip. It forces you to accelerate through the stroke. This has worked so well for me I sometimes use my shortened putter with extra long grip, allowing me to keep both hands fully on the grip, even when gripping low. The grip prevents the hands from releasing too much and helps keep the putter head square to the target line, even after contact.

6 Best Phuket Golf Vacation Activities

Here are my six suggestions to insure complete Phuket golf vacation satisfaction:

1. Golf: Well what else would be number one?

The magnificent seven! There are no less than 7 (or 8 depending on how you count) golf courses in (or near) Phuket. They are, in specific order of my personal preference;

1. Blue Canyon Country Club Canyon Course (18): expensive, nevertheless a famous must play.
2. Loch Palm Golf Club Old Course (18) and New Course (9): new course maybe the best in Phuket as of February 2007, one of only 3 courses with golf buggies.
3. Blue canyon Country club Lakes Course (18): now even better after the 2006 renovations.
4. Phuket Country Club Old Course (18) and Country Club Course (9): both courses are great, probably most under-rated of all Phuket courses.
5. Thai Muang Golf and Marina (18): takes 1.5 hours to reach but worth it, spectacular golf adjacent to the Andaman Sea.
6. Laguna Phuket Golf Club (18): balanced resort course with mostly average golf.
7. Mission Hills Phuket Golf Resort (18): fairways unplayable, avoid for a while.
          

Although all the courses deserve more of their own mention, Blue Canyon Country Club Canyon Course is by far the most famous being the site where the site of the 1998 Johnny Walker Classic -- won by Tiger Woods who came from a last round 9 stroke deficit to beat Ernie Els in a sudden death playoff, one of the most spectacular finishes in golf ever. Blue Canyon will again host the Jonnie Walkker Classic, from March 1-4, 2007

Rent Or Bring Your Own Golf Clubs To Thailand?

Most Thailand golf courses and Thailand golf travel agents offer rental golf sets and there is quite a difference in quality.  At all but the best courses, like Thai Country Cub or Blue Canyon, the available golf clubs are generic brand clubs. The same is true for the Thailand golf agents. If you are booking a Thailand golf vacation through a golf tour operator, many of them carry their own rentals.

However, being in the business I can tell you without exception and contrary to what may be advertised, the branded rental clubs from agents are 100% fakes! While not disastrous, you should nevertheless be aware of the situation. These clubs usually look new and very good. The irons are practically indistinguishable from the real clubs, but you will probably notice a difference in performance, especially with the woods.
 
Thailand golf course club rental fees range between 600 and 1,000 baht a set a round. If you are planning on playing multiple rounds in Thailand and are on a tight budget, it may make financial sense to bring your own clubs. For left-handed golfers the choices are limited, and calling ahead to make sure the course has left handed rental sets available is a good idea. Some Thailand golf courses require a deposit or passport for renting clubs and few will reserve clubs in advance. So again, it’s a good idea just to check on the day of play if there are any tournaments or large groups that may have taken all the rental clubs.

Thailand Golf Pigs

No, I do not think Thailand golfers are “pigs”, read on:

A popular time to be in Thailand for a golfing holiday is in February, which often coincides with Chinese or Lunar New Year. This year is the Year of the Pig and the start of the New Year falls on February 18.

The first-time Thailand golf visitor may register a bit of confusion as to why the timing of some important Buddhist and traditional holidays seems to float across the calendar rather than occurring on fixed days each year as is customary in the West. The answer is such holidays are scheduled according to the ancient Thai lunar calendar, rather than the western Gregorian calendar which has been official in Thailand for many years.

However, the traditional lunar calendar is very much in use for determining Thai holidays. Rural Thais still mostly count the date according to the phases of the moon, and Thai calendars commonly show both the western date together with the Thai lunar date. Astrologers also use lunar calendars to fix auspicious days for weddings, journeys, new houses, and similar important occasions.