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

Suwan Golf & Country Club 4 Years Later

Last reviewed here in 2007, I thought it time to check in on this Bangkok Golf Club. Billed as the only exclusive, world class public country club in Thailand, Suwan Golf and Country Club certainly did not let me down!

My friends, two professionals and a happy 80's hitter like me, all decided that they wanted a new challenge. All of them had heard good reports about Suwan from me, but none of them had played the Bangkok golf course before.
The drive from the center of Bangkok takes around one hour. From the clubhouse, my friends commented that the greens looked immaculate and although the region had experienced rain and flooding, the course was totally dry.

At 7110 yards at the black tees the course proved too much, even for the golf professionals. So everyone settled for the 6600 yard blue tees. Teeing off at the first hole everyone noticed the numerous lakes and coconut trees. The 418 yard par 4 is was test as only one of the pros managed a par.

PGA Golf Tournament In Khao Yai Solidifies Panorama’s Reputation

Khao Yai’s Panorama Golf and Country Club, managed by Quality Golf, hosted its first ever professional event in the Thailand golf course’s 18 year history.

Played over 3 days in April the Thailand Senior Professional Golfers Association tournament was won by local Thai favorite Jamnian Chitprasong. Quality Golf managed to keep the usually tricky greens at a speed of 9.5 feet during the tournament. However, keeping the ball below the hole still proved to be sound advice for the top finishers. The conversation around the even was that the extreme green challenge, perfect course conditions, well trained local caddie force, and  facilities of the newly renovated clubhouse led to the successful inaugural Panorama golf tournament.

Panorama Golf and Country Club is a scenic golf course set in the Khao Yai Mountains. It was formerly known as Voyage Panorama. Quality Golf, the Khao Yai golf club’s new manager took over 2 years ago and they draw on their prior golf in Asia experience. Previously Quality Golf was involved at Thai Country Club, Alpine, Blue Canyon, and Santiburi Samui.

It’s not that often you can easily and cost effectively golf where golf professionals do.  Therefore, I suggest anyone interested in playing this Khao Yai golf course under tournament conditions either include it a complete Khao Yai golf package or just contact the course directly and make a day trek from Bangkok out to Khao Yai.  Either way, I am sure you will be very glad you did!

Eliminates Bad Chips in Thailand

Poor chipping hurts my game. Last week at Alpine Golf Club in Bangkok I had the great opportunity to golf in a former European golf professional. He saw my bad chips and gave me the following tip. I immediately improved and was able to get up and down more than 50% of the time afterwards. Poor chipping stemmed from my poor technique. Below is the 4 step routine that showed most improvement:

1. I soled my wedge on the ground and raised it on its toe.
2. I stood slightly closer to the ball with my stand slightly narrower than normal.
3. I shifted my weight slightly forward.
4. I took the club back like putting and made a smooth forward stroke.

Chips shots are specialty shots, so when I used my standard setup to chip, I sometime hit it fat and or other times thin. When I adjusted my setup and not only did I eliminate all further bad chips, but I was able to get the ball closer than 5 feet to the hole in all cases. This set me up for some great up-and-down par saves.

Bad chipping used to cost me strokes. Now I don't let it. I am sure every Thai golfer can Improve by following the simple routine explained above.  I bet everyone will not only improve their chipping, you they chop a boatload of strokes off their golf handicap and adding even more enjoyment to golf in Thailand.

Thai Golf After The Meeting

With positive signs that the global economy is at last showing signs of improvement, many companies are now scheduling overseas trips again, which means sending their staff back on the road and the Thai capital is again flooded with businessmen.

But with a close eye on the bottom line costs, travel budgets are tight and gone are the chances of grabbing a few extra nights in Bangkok to fit in a couple of rounds of golf with the local VP or sales agents! In Thailand golf and business however are still a great way of clinching that business deal or renewing contacts.

So with this in mind I was curious to find out exactly what were the options of conducting a bit of social business around golf while travelling in Bangkok on a tight schedule.

Airfares and Hidden Fees For A Thailand Golf Vacation

Sorting out flights and airfare for a Thailand golf vacation can be time consuming and full of potential pitfalls.  Here is some guidance based on both my own experiences and what Golfasian’s clients tell me.

In general, you will get the best options and pricing by arranging international airfare in your country of origin and booking round trip tickets.  As route and landing rights have become less restrictive and more players have joined the game, the options have opened up considerably for international golf travelers.  One hot trend in recent years has been low cost no frills budget carriers, though they should be approached with caution as quality, staff, training and equipment can vary significantly and many have not been able to stay in business for long.

When choosing among airlines to Thailand, be sure to take into account the ‘total’ cost, which is often not readily apparent.  In addition to taxes, fees and potential surcharges, Thailand bound golfers need to pay particular attention to luggage allowances especially for golf clubs. If traveling Business or First Class the luggage allowances are generous to the point where you will not encounter luggage surcharges. Economy Class travelers need to be more careful.