Thailand Golf Holiday, Thailand Tours, Golf Resorts & Vacation Information

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!

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.

Best Place For A Relaxed Thailand Golf Retreat

Chiang Rai is away from the crowds and still offers a great golf holiday.  Thailand’s northern most city of significance, Chiang Rai may not have a quantity of golf courses but with Santiburi Chiang Rai Country Club it certainly has quality.  And with conditions at Waterford Valley Golf Club having improved in recent years there are now two courses well worth checking out.  A variety of cultural attractions in the area also add appeal with the Golden Triangle, the Queen Mother’s Botanical Gardens, a mountain-top Chinatown, opium museum, and long tail boat upriver excursions.

The Chiang Rai Robert Trent Jones Jr. designed Santiburi Country Club is laid out over vast fields with excellent placement of holes and an abundance of water hazards and bunkers. The golf course is widely regarded as one of the best conceived and maintained golf courses in Asia. Golfers living in Thailand will tell you that Santiburi in Chiang Mai is one of their favorite golf courses in Thailand, and this is no small compliment! Santiburi Country Club was the first Chiang Rai golf course.

Best Place For A ‘Quiet and Peaceful’ Thailand Golf and Beach Holiday?

Hua Hin is the winner here, with Phuket’s north and west coasts posting an honorable challenge.  Until recently the golf in Hua Hin was mostly ‘so-so’ quality, though that has changed with some of newer venues which are up to world class standards. Banyan Golf Club won the “2009 Best New Golf Course in Asia” award, while Black Mountain Golf Club, only 2 years old, was voted as the second best Thailand golf course, just behind Thai Country Club. Both courses are located in the foothills above Hua Hin, which make for spectacular après golf views from the clubhouses overlooking vast and fertile valleys below.

The old favorites like the Nicklaus designed Springfield Royal Country Club and Palm Hills Golf Club along with the newer Hua Hin golf courses mentioned are all only around 15 minutes from town, which makes golf in Hua Hin also the most convenient in Thailand.

Mature couples in particular are drawn to Hua Hin specifically because of the ‘quieter and gentler’ nightlife here, and it continues popular as a weekend retreat for Bangkok residents as well. The “downtown” area is populated by boutiques, shops, and quaint restaurants and in comparison with the other Thailand golf destinations like Pattaya and Patong Beach on Phuket, practically free of beer bars and discotheques.

The Hua Hin golf area is located 2 hours from Bangkok by road or 2.5 hours from the new Suvarnabhumi airport.

Best Place For a Thailand Golf With Nightlife Holiday

Depends on what you are looking for.  For raw and wild “in your face’ action Pattaya is the place for many. Golf lovers can play the 2 excellent Siam Country Club courses in between visits to the infamous Walking Street.  Be prepared though, for some the action is just too much and it spoils the otherwise wide selection of reasonably priced Pattaya golf courses

For those Thailand golfers who can do without the bar scene but a Jazz Festival sounds appealing?... Hua Hin is it. Many consider golf in Hua Hin to be the best value in Thailand at the moment with championship courses like Black Mountain Golf Club and Banyan Golf Club leading the pack. In fact, this year Banyan Golf Club was voted the best new course in all Asia. Hua Hin town itself, while much more subdued than other Thailand seaside resorts, still has its share of nightlife. Most hotels have in house live bands and I can think of no other better way to unwind after golf than listening to live Jazz under the stars during the Hua Hin Jazz Festival.

If a street with a zillion beer bars does the trick than Phuket might be your choice (Bangla Road in Patong).  Many also visit Phuket to enjoy its white sandy beaches and golfers will find plenty of both beach and nightlife for sure. Add to that top courses such as Blue Canyon Country Club where Tiger Woods claimed one of the best come from behind PGA victory’s in 1998 and Red Mountain Golf Club, arguably the most spectacular course in the island, and you have a recipe for the best golf and nightlife holiday destination in Thailand.

Best Place For A Thailand Golf and Culture Holiday?

Chiang Mai, the “Rose of the North”!  Elephant camps, mountains, hill tribe villages, a 900 year old city with over 500 temples, gentle people, arts and crafts, a moated ‘old city’, a popular night market, a Sunday walking street and a vibrant riverfront scene.  Gourmets can feast on tasty local Lanna cuisine, which is generally less spicy than the more famous southern Thai dishes. Chiang Mai attracts nature enthusiasts, history buffs, lovers of fresh mountain air, and golf enthusiasts.

Chiang Mai is a city built on the roots of a traditional culture and heritage. It’s a city with a beautiful cultural personality of its own. In addition, it’s been blessed with much natural beauty. The Thai people themselves look to those hailing from Chiang Mai as the most cultured in the country. Handicrafts of silk, silver and wood are timeless souvenirs for golf visitors. Along with all this, a wide variety of accommodations, restaurants, and entertainment all help to make Chiang Mai one of Thailand’s prime golfing and tourist destinations.

Chiang Mai has 2 excellent (Chiang Mai Highlands and Alpine Chiang Mai) and 3 very good courses (Summit Green Valley, Mae Joe, and Royal Chiang Mai).

Plus it is the best value for money Thailand destination. Hotel and golf prices are much lower than for Phuket or Koh Samui for example.

While the southern beach resorts can feel a bit too westernized at times, in Chiang Mai you will still know you are in Thailand.

Chiang Mai is easily reached in 1 hour from Bangkok by air with over 20 non-stop flights daily. There is also one daily nonstop flight to/from Phuket which opens up numerous multi-destination options for those looking to combine their Thailand golf with the best in culture and beach resorts.

Best Place In Thailand For A Golf and Beach Holiday?

Phuket wins this one easily with eight championship golf courses, some of most beautiful beaches anywhere in the world, first class resorts, and unsurpassed Thai hospitality.

Phuket is the largest Thailand island and is located in the Andaman Sea. Spectacular scenery, tropical sunsets over palm lined clear blue water beaches, luxurious accommodations and a vast array of nightlife are what made Phuket famous with Europeans looking for a warm weather winter getaway.

Golfers will find eight top courses on the island. Several of the Phuket golf courses are of PGA standard. For example, golfers in Phuket can follow the footsteps of Tiger Woods where he won the 1998 Johnnie Walker Classic at the Blue Canyon Country Club. Also the Jack Nicklaus designed Mission Hills Country Club is a top draw as it is the only course in Phuket that plays along the Andaman Sea. Finally, the recently opened Red Mountain Golf Club is gaining in popularity as it is one of the most spectacular golf courses in Thailand!

Become An Expert At Reading Thailand Golf Greens

Probably the most important thing to learn about golf in Thailand is how to read the greens.  While Thai caddies can tell you where to hit a putt, it is always helpful to understand why putts break the way they do.  Grass in Thailand is mostly Bermuda and very grainy.  Grain, or the direction the grass blades grow, is many times just as important to the line and speed of a putt as is the slope of the green itself.  To read the grain, there are a couple of things to pay attention to. 

First, look at the color or shade of the grass between your ball and the hole.  If it all looks the same color, turn around and look in the opposite direction.  You should be able to see that in one direction the grass is a lighter color or shiny and in the other direction it will appear darker.  The light shade means the grass is growing in that direction, or “down grain”.  If your putt will travel over mostly light shaded or shiny grass, it will be much faster than normal.  Conversely, if the grass is a darker shade, your putt will be slower than normal, as it is “into” or “against” the grain.  Grass is darker because you are actually looking under the blades of grass and the small shadows they cast as it grows toward you.  Grass is shiny because you are looking at the top of the blade as it grows away from you.  If grain is growing to the right or left, you will have to play more or less break depending on slope and grain direction of that putt.

The second trick you can use to determine grain is to look at the hole itself.  All of the better Thailand golf courses like Alpine and Amata Spring will relocate the hole each day. After it has been cut in the morning, as the day goes on, one side of the hole will turn brown.  This happens as the grass blades die around that edge of the hole, where the roots have been cut.  Only one side or portion of the hole will turn brown and this will tell you the grain is growing in that direction.  Again, if you are putting toward the brown side of the hole the putt will be slower than normal.  Remember, this trick will only tell you where the grain is growing at the hole.  You must look at the entire putt to able to judge accurately.  Also, how the grass is growing near the hole will have slightly more influence on a putt, as the putt will typically be moving slower the closer is gets to the hole and be more vulnerable to the grain. 

Once you get the hang of reading grain, you will be good at putting on your Thailand golf holiday!

Thailand Golf Tips

Golfers travel from thousands of miles away everyday to enjoy Thailand golf courses, tourist attractions and cultural experiences.  Tour guides can answer many questions and provide necessary insights regarding the sights.  Likewise, golfers in Thailand benefit from the help they get from the delightful caddies at all Thai golf courses.  Still, there are some things all golfers should learn about golf in Thailand, which will make their rounds more enjoyable.

Thailand is in the tropics and while that affords all year golfing weather, the heat, especially in the sun, can be quite taxing. Drink lots of water before you play and keep drinking during the round.  Isotonic drinks, such as Gatorade, M Sport and the locally made B-Ing are available at drink huts every 3-4 holes on all Thailand golf courses. They are quite helpful for keeping up your stamina. For food, bananas and boiled eggs are good choices on the Thai golf courses as they will replenish many of the minerals that your body looses during the round. Beers and fatty meats will do the opposite and should be avoided, at least until the end of the round.

6 Thailand Golf Picks That Are “Twice As Nice” (Part 1 of 2)

Of the many quality golf courses available to visitors in Thailand, some of the best are at facilities with 36 holes.  A visit to any of these will provide a golfing experience that is “twice as nice” as an 18-hole offering. Here are 6 of the best picks; 3 today (all by chance happen to be Bangkok golf courses) and 3 in the next post.

1. Lam Luk Ka Country Club is located about 30 minutes from the old Don Muang International Airport.  Lam Luk Ka is a real “sleeper”, as it is quietly one of the best-kept secrets in Thai golf.  The short Resort West Course is a favorite amongst tourists; however, with water on 15 holes one must manage their shots carefully.  The Championship East Course has hosted several professional events including the 2009 Asian tour qualifying event. Its small, sloping greens will provide a daylong challenge for even the most skilled players.  Tree lined fairways, well placed bunkers and menacing water hazards call for accuracy and skill but good shots are consistently rewarded on this well manicured layout.  The clubhouse offers scenic views back to the course while enjoying a cold beverage or meal at the fine dining facilities inside.