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

Panya Indra Excels on Several Counts

Playing golf in Thailand is an experience every time you tee off, and certainly that is what you get when you step up to the tee box at Panya Indra Golf Club.

Not far from the center of Bangkok, this 27-hole golf club is open for both day time and night golf. The course was designed back in 1989 by U.S. designer Ronald Fream. Fream used only 800 rai of land just outside Bangkok to make you forget that you are on the outskirts of a major city. There are three separate 9-hole courses, with their own individual design aptly named the Lagoon Course, Palm Course or Garden Course.

The Bangkok golf course was so clever that they constructed a man-made dyke around the course to protect it from last year’s floods. It worked and in spite of water in the roads outside the course, the course was kept dry and is now in pristine condition.

Thailand's Soft Sand

First time visitors golfing in Thailand often mention to me about how difficult it is hitting good shots from greenside bunkers at many of the Thailand golf courses. What I see when we play together is that their sand wedges dig into the often fluffy sand found on many golf courses in Thailand and these same Thai golfers leave their first shot in the bunker and take two or worse three shots to get on the green.

The cause of this is that many of these same Thailand golfers don't open the clubface enough on bunker shots.  When I ask why? They mention that they are afraid that opening the clubface will cause the shot to go right. This is a very common mistake when golfing in Thailand, especially after a long layoff during the cold winters at home, it is totally wrong!
The good news is that this error can be easily overcome, even during your first round of golf in Thailand.

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

In my last 2 articles I covered the first 4 steps towards a successful group Thailand golf trip. They were group leader and date and location selection along with requesting quotations. Here are the final 2 steps.


5. Communicate and Build Consensus

After you’ve gotten the Thailand golf package quote(s), distribute the information to your group and call a meeting to discuss (maybe over a beer after next Saturday’s round).  Then it’s time to build consensus – sometimes easy / sometimes difficult.  The consensus may be ‘let’s go with it’, or it may be ‘we need to request some changes/options, get another quote and have another meeting’.  This is a KEY time.  The importance of giving everyone a chance to share opinions, and directing the group toward building a consensus cannot be overstated.

Also be sure everyone is aware of any terms relating to the Thailand golf tour offer validity, payments and cancellation terms.  If unclear ask your tour operator to provide more information.

Once the itinerary is more or less set, you’ll need to get into details regarding the flights if you have not already done so.   For international flights I find it is almost always best to arrange then in your country of origin for the best prices and options. Don’t be fooled by a local golf tour operator who states differently as he maybe just wanting to make more money from you and not have your best interests in mind.

How To Organize A Successful Group Thailand Golf Trip (Part 2 of 3)

In my last article I covered the first 2 steps towards a successful group Thailand golf trip. They were group leader and date selection. Here are the next 2 steps.

3. Pick the Location

Sometimes the group is already set on a particular Thailand golf destination.  Other times the group will be interested in considering alternatives - in that case a discussion is necessary to let everyone view their thoughts in an effort to narrow down the list to a few workable candidates.  Then an ‘assignment’ is made to get more general information on the prime candidate Thai golf destinations – sometimes the group leader does all that himself, though a shared approach also works whereby different members research different locations, perhaps the Thailand golf locations ones they are already familiar with.  Another meeting or two is held to discuss and debate, then make a final decision on Thailand golf holiday location, after which you start working on the itinerary and getting quotes.

Here are four things to consider when choosing location:

a. Accessibility (how far are you willing to travel and how easy is it for the group to get there?)

b. Golf Quality and Quantity within reasonable travel time of hotel(s), typically 1 hour or less for most groups

c. Golf & Thailand Golf Resort Price Ranges (note: price can reflect land and construction costs as much or even more than quality, so don’t mistakenly assume more expensive means better.)

d. Off course preferences (beaches, nightlife, spas, shopping, culture and sightseeing, peace and relaxation, … different groups obviously have different preferences … this aspect can have a big impact on the overall success of the Thailand golf trip and should not be overlooked)