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

To Rent Or Not To Rent?

Many golfers ask about packing their own golf clubs when coming to Thailand.

My advice is this: If your Thailand trip is mainly for golf, you will be happier using your own, full set of 14 clubs. You will feel more comfortable, confident and not have to get used to anything new, thus promoting better scores in the process. A trip arranged by a specialist and licensed golf tour operator, will include transfers. Moreover, company drivers/guides will take all the lugging out of the luggage process ensuring your clubs are moved from airport to hotel to golf course throughout your Thailand golf tour. Additionally, on most airlines the golf tour packager you have used will be able to get you extra luggage allowances, so you do not even need to pay anything for having your own golf clubs along with you in Thailand.

On the other hand, if you are traveling to Thailand more for sightseeing, business, or have arranged your own golf and transfers, then I would suggest renting clubs at each course. Thailand golf courses all have golf clubs for hire and the better courses like Blue Canyon on Phuket or Black Mountain in Hua Hin for example regularly stock the latest equipment from brands like Titleist, Cobra, and Taylormade. Costs vary from around $30US to $40US per set per round.

Hot Tip: Beware of any local “pro shop”, golf store, golf tour operator, club fitter, or other person claiming to sell or worse rent the latest clubs at costs too good to be true. You can be sure they are 100% fakes!

Can Thais Design Golf Courses?

With almost 300 courses and over 600,000 registered golfers in Thailand, it is no surprise that there are a number of Thai golf course designers. Unlike most foreign designers, I have found it very difficult to find much personal information about the local course designers.

The most prolific and perhaps best known is Dr. Sukitti Klangvishai, the designer of Phuket Country Club (1989) and Loch Palm Golf Club (1993) in Phuket, Tanya Tanee Country Club (1993) in Bangkok, Majestic Creek Country Club, Hua Hin (1993), Seoul Siam Resort & Country Club, Nakhon Ratchasima (1993, formerly Pakchong Highland Country Club), and Rachakram Golf Club in the Bangsai area of Ayutthaya province, which opened in December 2006.

Dr. Sukitti was originally a dentist, and maybe still is, and I have no idea how he got into golf course design. The main characteristics of courses designed by Dr. Sukitti include the abundant use of water hazards (maybe overuse in the case of the Phuket Country Club ‘New’ course), making the most of the local terrain to produce tight, narrow holes, and links-like undulating fairways.

Three Thailand Golf Vacation Add-On Hot Picks

Many a golfer on a Thailand golf tour asks about other nearby destinations to visit in combination with Thailand or as an addition to a Thailand golf holiday. Here are my 3 hot picks for nearby Asia golf destinations.

1. Siem Reap, Cambodia: This traditional town is most famous of course for the 1000 year old Angkor Wat complex. However, now armed with 3 modern 18 hole golf complexes (Phokeethra CC, Angkor Golf Resort, and Siem Reap Lake), the Cambodia golf destination is making headway on the international golf travel scene. Siem reap is only a 40 minute flight from Bangkok, visas are efficiently provided on arrival, and the small airport makes baggage claim and customs formalities a process of only minutes.

HOT TIP: Travel on the morning flight from Bangkok to Siem Reap and you will be able to tee-off by 10:00AM, not much different from golfing in Bangkok in fact.

A three day stay with 2 rounds of golf is par for the course. Those who have not been to Angkor should do so before the rest of the world’s golfers find out.