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

Golf Travel History

We all need to get away occasionally and escape the routine of our jobs to find a few days to golf away from the town or city we call our home. Since the early 1800s international tourism has grown from humble beginnings to a multi-billion dollar industry that spans the globe. Even the Romans needed a break and the first documented examples of holidays show wealthy families getting away to coastal villages and towns such as Baiae; albeit with no mention of any golf being on offer.

In the 17th century it became common practice among aristocrats for their children to embark upon a ‘grand tour’ of Europe to gain experience and achieve maturity. Again, it seems unlikely that golf clubs were included in the vast quantities of baggage they carried with them.

It wasn’t until 1841 that the seeds of today’s package holiday empire were sown. Thomas Cook organized the first package tour in July 1841, even if it was a fairly understated affair. He joined forces with a rail company to charge one shilling each (about ten cents US) to a group of 570 temperance workers traveling from Leicester to Loughborough for a rally.

Narai Hill Golf Resort & Country Club Review

Another pleasant surprise for those of you looking for a course with challenge, variety and rolling terrain is the very scenic Narai Hill Golf Resort located around 140 km north of Bangkok. It is a little long for a one day drive but they do have rooms and villas at a golf resort where you can overnight and make it two days of golf and have loads of fun overnight.

The course was designed by Major Veeryot Pethbuasak and opened in 2006. Although the Paspalum fairways are still a bit thin, especially with the recent dry season, it has a very nice design with plenty of doglegs, bunkers, uphill and downhill holes. Khun Veeryot also designed Suwan Country Club and Phokeethra Country Club in Cambodia, both also excellent courses. Distances on this course are well established at 7357 from the black tees, 6825 from the blue tees and 6378 from the white tees. Thus all golfers can select a set of tees which will present them with a good challenge.

Fairways are generous and often gently sloping so Thai golfers should listen to their caddies and play to the appropriate side of the fairway in order to take full advantage of the terrain. An interesting feature of the designer on this course is that many fairways have a tree right in the middle but players should be able to hit around or over the trees with little problem. It actually functions as a directional target.

Call For Golf Course Reviews

Throughout this Thailand Golf Zone blog you can find numerous reviews of many of Thailand’s almost 300 golf courses. These have been posted by myself and other regular contributors. You can also find brief reviews of all of the Thailand golf courses used regularly by my Thailand golf vacation company on our website.

Now it’s your turn!

Yes, I would really appreciate it if you could let me have your comments on any of the golf courses you have played recently in Thailand, whether you are a visitor to Thailand or an expatriate living here or a Thai national. I will feature your reviews on the Thailand Golf Zone. To help you, here are some of the topics you could comment on:

Name:
Home Country:
Date:
Course:
Location:
Distance/Time From/To Town:
Checking In / Locker Rooms:
Tees Played Off:
Yardage:
Course Strong Points:
Course Weak Points:
Star Hole:
Caddies:
19th Hole:
Overall Verdict:

Golf Caddy Selection In Thailand

One of the great pleasures of playing golf in Land of Smiles is the availability of walking and having your own caddy. Having your own “assistant” to hand you water, clean your clubs, hold your umbrella, track your ball flight and “carry” (though virtually all caddies pull a cart nowadays) your clubs really enables golfers in Thailand to truly focus on their game.

Often you can book a caddy that you have used previously, however there is no guarantee that she will be available when you arrive at the course. The more common option is to select a caddy when your car pulls up to the bag drop. You will be given the next caddies in the queue, but you can request one that speaks a bit of English.

Thai golfers find that their caddies read greens pretty well. It is best to have her read your putts during the first couple of holes and you will confirm she is accurate and a great help.

If you can develop a rapport with your caddy, golf in Thailand will be much more enjoyable. Personally I have been able to salvage a round by my caddy being able to settle me down and uttering the standard Thai phrase “mai pen rai” (interpreted as never mind, no problem). Try to get to know her if she speaks a bit of English.

A Hua Hin Golf Holiday: 3 Pros and Cons

Hua Hin, located on the Western shores of the Gulf of Thailand is not as well known for golf as Phuket or Pattaya. However there are some very good reasons to plan a Hua Hin Golf Holiday and a few other points to also consider when choosing your Thailand golf holiday destination.

The 3 best reasons to take a Hua Hin Golf Holiday are:

1.    Hua Hin is one of the cleanest and most sophisticated Thailand golf destinations. There town itself is quaint and clean, a stark contrast to many other of the Thailand golf destinations. Moreover, there is little in the way of prostitution or beer bars which makes Hua Hin a great choice for families, couples, and newlyweds.

2.    There are 2 excellent golf courses within 30 minutes of Hua Hin and 1 additional championship golf course set to open in 2008. Black Mountain is a new layout that is as challenging as they come. The venerable Springfield Golf Club, a Nicklaus creation, continues to draw good feedback from Western and Thai golfers alike. Banyan Golf Club, the newest addition to the Hua Hin golf scene will be ready for play for the 2008 tourist season.

3.    Hua Hin is easily reach by land from Bangkok and makes for a nice 2-centered golf package holiday. Playing the 2-3 best Bangkok and 2-3 Hua Hin golf courses, experiencing the Thailand’s cosmopolitan capital city, and lounging at the beach of a quaint seaside village is one of the nicest golf holidays I could imagine anywhere!