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

How To Organize A Successful Group Thailand Golf Trip (Part 1 of 3)

Has your regular golf group kicked around the idea of taking a Thailand golf trip together?  Well it’s time to stop talking and take action. Here are the first two of six steps to organize your Thailand golf and insure you have a successful Thailand golf holiday.

1. Pick a Group Leader
One of the key factors in ‘making it successfully happen’ is to pick the right Thailand golf group leader.  Don’t just pick the best Thai golfer.  Far more important are to designate someone that:

A - Is responsible, has organization skills and can be counted on to take initiative, follow-up and follow through

B - Is a consensus builder the group is comfortable with

C - Has good communication skills to communicate both with your tour provider and all group members on a regular basis

Often someone (usually one with plenty of initiative or who has been a Thailand golf vacation before) will take it upon himself to put together a group trip and recruit participants, perhaps on a regular recurring annual basis.  This can work fine.

Another approach that can work equally well is a Golf Society / League or less formal group of friends who take turns passing the group leader responsibility around for different golf trips.  Just be sure to pick ONE leader for each trip, or else you will get bogged down endlessly with different members going in different directions, considering endless options and nobody ever making any decisions.  The Thailand golf group leader does not need to do all the work himself though, he can get assistance or delegate tasks to others.

Better Business For Golf In Thailand

Perception is one thing; reality is often very different. So it was with flooding that affected a large area of countryside near Bangkok in October and November.

To outsiders, the perception was that the inundation – as real and damaging as it was for many communities – had halted play on many of Thailand’s 260 golf courses and that it would take months for courses to re-open. Dispatches declaring that “Bangkok’s airport is under water” failed to mention that the airport was, in fact, Don Muang, replaced in 2006 by Suvarnabhumi on the other side of the city, which was unaffected by floodwaters or disruptions to flights.

The reality is that only a handful of Bangkok golf courses closed, some for just a few days, and often because of difficult road access rather than unplayable fairways and greens. Of all the Bangkok golf courses played by inbound golf tourists, only three remain closed: Pinehurst and the two Royal Gems layouts – its original resort course north-west of Bangkok and the new Royal Gems City course closer to the city that had put a temporary halt to accepting visitors until its new clubhouse is completed. Pinehurst is reopening on December 20 and the twin Royal Gems layouts in February.

Don’t Slice It In Thailand

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could hit it straight or better yet with a slight draw when golfing in Thailand? On the driving range before your first round of golf in Hua Hin does your ball striking leaves something to be desired?

If so, try changing grips. Most Thailand golfers use a standard neutral grip. But if you're ending up with shots that go to the right, then you're not making solid contact and you're not helping yourself. The straighter your shots go, the more fun you will have when you golf in Thailand.

Here are two easy things to getting a good score at any Thailand golf course:

1. Turn both hands slightly right
2.  Keep your wrists firm when you swing

There's nothing wrong with using the standard neutral grip if it's producing good results. The standard neutral grip is hit with both thumbs on top of the shaft. But I see too many high handicappers golfing in Bangkok that struggle to hit it straight. If this is you, then you may want to do something about it. Using a stronger grip can save you strokes and adds to the enjoyment of your Bangkok golf holiday.