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Thailand Golf Holiday: Think More Than Hangover 2

Here is a great Thailand golf piece written by freelance journalist Jack Mairoo.

Great weather, good food, glittering temples, bargain-filled markets, stunning beaches and verdant golf courses…. A dream! For an increasing number of visitors, Thailand is the ideal recession-friendly golf holiday destination, down to a tee.

If you were one of the millions who saw "The Hangover Part 2", then you probably know this raunchy sequel takes place in Thailand. If you've seen the first one, you pretty much know what happens in part 2. Instead of Las Vegas, they're in Bangkok…. And there starts the problems!

Like the first one, memory loss is involved, and the characters try to reconstruct what happened to them the night before, revealing layers of insane and embarrassing incidents. The cool part, though, is that it's in Thailand, and the movie depicts many of this great country's treasures, such as its architecture and traditions. Of course, Thailand also has some mighty fine resorts and pretty fair golf courses. Being there all year round, I can attest to the golf and hotel scene, which is outstanding. The one thing that really sets apart golf in Thailand, however, are the caddies – they're all women.

And if you're thinking along the Hangover lines, think again: these ladies are actually very well trained for the most part, are professional and know their way around a golf course. And they are mandatory, which means you can't go ultra-cheap and decide not to take one. The mandatory part is actually pretty cool because it puts people to work in respectable jobs.

You can also get a massage right after golf, and it's very affordable. (I call Thailand the land of the eternal massage, which might be better than golf but isn’t because I simply love golfing and I do enjoy a good massage). A foot massage for around $10 isn't uncommon, and if you're walking the green, there's nothing better. Or you can go for a full-fledged Thai massage, which is more like chiropractic session than a massage, but totally feels good after golf. The bottom line is if you're looking for an exotic golf vacation, Thailand should be high on your destination list. The water's clean, the food's good, the cities and the sights are interesting. And the best part of all: the people are really friendly and respectful.

Enjoy golf in Thailand to its fullest!

Bermuda Grass On Thailand's Golf Courses

If you’ve played golf in Florida, Mexico, or Hawaii, you are probably familiar with Bermuda grass like Thailand golfers enjoy. Bermuda is a type of grass used in tropical climates, especially on seaside layouts, because it is a heartier strain of grass that is easier to maintain than traditional bent grass.

When you play Bermuda greens, you may find multiple grain configurations on a single green so it is wise to examine your shot from all angles. This allows you to see whether the Bermuda looks pale and shiny or rich and green. Rich and green appearance means the grain of the Bermuda is growing toward your vantage point and not reflecting light so much as when the grain is running away from you and looks shiny and pale. But, the grain isn’t always with you or against you.

Thailand golfers know that Bermuda grain running ninety-degrees to the shot path can influence ball behavior. A right to left grain can cause a putt to break right to left, exponentially if there is any surface break inherent in the terrain. The converse is also true, that Bermuda grain can minimize break when it is running counter to the lay of the land.

Night Golf In Thailand Is Over!

June marks the end for night golf in Thailand as courses such Panya Indra in Bangkok, Laem Chabang in Pattaya, and Summit Green Valley in Chiang Mai shut off their lights in exchange for low priced summer golf days.

The night Thai golf season typically runs from November to May, where you can tee-off anywhere from 3-7 PM and finish by midnight! That’s right golf in Thailand until midnight is not only possible, it is fun and affordable.  Green fees run around $30-40 US Dollars.

My favorite time to play night golf is during the hot months of March & April where I get out around 3PM, get nine holes in the daylight and the back nine under the lights.

However, I don’t take night golf to seriously though; it’s more about having a fun time with my friends and the caddies.