Golf in Thailand measured by numbers of players, rounds played, and equipment sold could be generously described as flat this year. While some golf tour companies are seeing increases in arrivals, the number of rounds played at Thailand golf courses overall are 30% off from last season. Why the slowdown in the game’s growth and where is it headed?
First of all, the good news for golfers who like to take golf vacations. Just look at how many people are discovering Thailand as the premier affordable Asian golf destination, if not the world, in spite of instabilities. For example, over the past 3 months more than 35% of Thailand golf tours originated from the USA. This compares to only 15% the year earlier and is amazing considering the ongoing economic crisis in the States. Traditional golf vacation destinations for Americans such as Scotland, Ireland, and Spain have become prohibitively expensive for those getting squeezed by the faltering economy and/or are unattractive for golfers seeking the best golf holiday deals.
So if Thailand is such a great destination for golf traveler, what is causing the declining interest locally? In my view this centers around three challenges.
1. The increase in the cost of golf. There is no doubt about it, while still a great deal by international standards, the cost of golf in Thailand is high for local Thais and foreigners living here on fixed incomes. Building and running championship quality courses means more money for land, equipment, suppliers, and staff. Just look at Red Mountain, the most spectacular course in Phuket, if not all Thailand. On a normal day this $160 US Dollar course gets only 20-30 golfers, while it’s sister course Loch Palm costing only $40 US dollars for locals gets over 100 golfers a day.
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