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

Siam Country Club, Pattaya: Site Of Honda LPGA Thailand 2007

The new Siam Country Club in Pattaya, a par-72 that will play at 6,469 yards, will be showcased during the Honda LPGA Thailand, October 25-28.This will be the first professional golf tournament held at the Siam Country Club, Pattaya after renovations were completed in 2007.

Siam Country Club, Pattaya, one of the best golf courses in Thailand, has been opened for more than 35 years and is the oldest golf course in Pattaya. It is situated among breathtaking views on an 800 rai land pl only 15 minutes from Pattaya Beach, Thailand.Major renovations to the course and clubhouse were completed in May. The original layout has been preserved, but modifications were made from tees to greens to be ready to host international tournaments.

Newest Thailand Golf Blog

Have you ever wanted a place to share your Thailand and Asian golf stories or just read about the antics of an expatriate Thailand golfer who knows more about golf in Thailand than anyone in the world?

Well look no further. The word is out; Thailand’s newest golf blog can be read at where else than http://www.thailandgolfblog.com, what an appropriate name indeed!

The Thailand Golf Blog author has lived, worked and played golf for over 30 years all around the Far East, with spells in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan and, of course, Thailand. He first visited Thailand in 1977 and eventually relocated to the Land of Smiles in 1991, setting up and running one of the first inbound Thailand golf tour agencies, with offices for golf in Bangkok and golf in Phuket. He now spends most of his time in his native United Kingdom, living with his Thai wife, and is a frequent visitor to Thailand, where he intends to finally retire.

He has made regular contributions to this blog and since then I have invited him to author Thailand Golf Blog in his own inimitable style. You are welcome to post and comment on the new Thailand Golf Blog, preferably in the same light hearted way as the author. Or you can email him at nifteenev@golfasian.com.

Enjoy the reading and let me know what you think!

Ladies Golf in Thailand

Whenever I am traveling overseas and extolling the attractions of golfing in Thailand, sometimes I hear men whining, “Oh, my wife would not let me go on a Thailand golf trip”.  In fact, I am seeing a growing trend where couples are favoring a Thailand golf tour over more traditional destinations. Also, my Thailand golf travel company is hosting more and more dedicated lady golf groups.

Thailand is indeed a 'Paridise For Lady Golfers', not just because of its wide range of golf courses, but also thanks to all those other pluses that most ladies enjoy - fabulous spas, world-class cuisine, lots of value-for-money shopping. Plus, contrary to the old days in Europe and the USA, there’s little golf sexism here. Ladies are very welcome everywhere! Clubhouses have changing facilities for ladies, there are ladies only spas and beauty salons, plus ladies are not only welcome but encouraged to eat/drink at all 19th holes.

Pattaya Golf Societies: Part 2 or 2

Here is the continuation of my post on Pattaya golf social clubs, staring with the conclusion on the Pattaya Sports Club (PSC) and then covering some of the lesser clubs in Pattaya.

Weekly PSC Golf is run through several member groups operating from different venues in Pattaya, notably Cafe Kronborg, Tropical Bert’s Bar and Lewinsky’s Bar/Restaurant. This is to accommodate the large number of golfers who want a wide range of golf courses, competition formats and starting times.  PSC also organizes a monthly tournament and an annual Charity Classic Tournament. The PSC membership is probably the most international you will find in any one club in the world. Rarely will you play in a four ball with players of one nationality. For those who travel frequently to Pattaya the PSC is a good choice.

Another popular Pattaya golf and social club is run from the  O.K. Corral Bar, situated in Rungland Village, just off South Pattaya Road. It is the home of the Pattaya Golf Society , "the bunker boys", claimed to be Pattaya's oldest golf society. This golf society is the second most popular in Pattaya with either stableford or medal competitions arranged twice each week on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The membership is comprised of long term residents and golf travelers alike. All are welcome, regardless of gender, age or handicap.

Pattaya Golf Societies: Part 1 or 2

Golf in Pattaya and the Thai eastern seaboard is some of the best in Thailand. As such it is no coincidence that Pattaya also hosts numerous regular golf societies and has by far the largest in Thailand, The Pattaya Sports Club, founded in mid-1979. At that time, Pattaya was a quiet, out-of-the-way seaside fishing village. Weekenders came mostly from Bangkok to enjoy the beach, water sports, and breezy outdoor seafood restaurants. The locals were mainly fishermen and small shop owners. Among the few foreign residents were a handful of Vietnam expatriates who had settled in Pattaya.

One of them, Bill Gilmore, called together thirty-one sports-minded Charter Members, men and women, Thais and foreigners.  They named the club, approved the club symbol and agreed that the objectives of the club would be to conduct and promote sports events and contribute to local charities.  Through the years Pattaya has grown into an internationally known tourist destination, albeit now with many beer bars and the ever present prostitution.

Phuket, Hua Hin, and Chiang Mai Golf Societies

Here is the continuation of my posts about Thailand golf societies, which can be an excellent choice for frequent Thailand golf travelers.

Golf societies also thrive in Phuket and Hua Hin. The Phuket Expat Golf Society (PEGS) was established some 12 years ago and has grown to a membership of over 500 golf enthusiasts from many parts of the world and different walks of life.  There is a  program of regular tournaments on golf courses on and around Phuket whilst periodic challenges with other societies take place in various parts of Thailand, notably the Pattaya Sports Club and the Hua Hin Golf Society. Golf tourists are not allowed to join , but Phuket golf visitors are invited to participate in all of the PEGS competitions – go to the Island Lager Bar, Soi Lion, Patong Beach and make enquiries.

The Mulligan Golf Society was founded in Phuket in 1999. It is the brain child of two of the most colourful characters on the island, Bepy Graziani di Ceneda, owner of Toto's bar and Restaurant & Peter Tkac, whose calling cards describe him as a “Free Lance Human Being”. After four years playing a weekly 9-hole competition at The Laguna Golf Club, the Mulligan Golf Society now hosts an 18-hole competition every Tuesday at the Blue Canyon Lakes Course. No membership is required, just walk into the pro shop, and they will take care of you. After golf, a party and prize-giving is normally held at one of three establishments at the entrance to the Laguna Resort (Toto’s Italian Restaurant & Piano Bar, Toto’s Pizzeria & Wine Bar, or JJ'S Irish Pub). You can't help liking the Mulligan Golf Society’s events in Phuket with its cheerful adaptation to the island's relaxed lifestyle.

Bangkok Golf Societies

For those of you who are frequent golf travelers to Thailand, you might want to consider joining one of the local golf societies. Not only is it a good way to meet and socialize with like minded gofers in Thailand, it also can be a significant savings on green fees. Most Thai golf clubs are non-profit organizations and receive substantial group green fee discounts from the Thailand golf courses here.

As might be expected, Thailand’s capital, Bangkok, boasts the highest number of golfing societies of the country’s main golfing locations. There is even a Societies Golf League, founded in 1995. Participating clubs and societies have included Thunderbirds (now O'Reillys), the British Club, the Bangkok Wanderers, The Golfers Cocktail Lounge, The Japanese Society, the Lighthouse Golf Group, the British Embassy Golfing Society (now The Londoners), the American Embassy Golfing Society, Delaneys, Dynasty, Larry's Dive, Soi Dogs, Bourbon Street Gators, R.S. Scandinavians, Gee Gee's, Doug's Hoodlums, Dunlop Duffers, the Bangkok Irish and an additional club from the British Club, the BC Lords.

Thai Golf Societies

As with many other places in the world, Thailand has its fair share of golf societies (clubs). There are many regular golf groups in the main Thailand golf destinations for travelers, especially Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket, and Hua Hin. Apart from the natural tendency for golfers to play with the people they socialize with, there is one other very good reason for this. Thailand golf club memberships can be very expensive, even though memberships can be traded or sold.

In any case, most golfers want to have the opportunity to play a variety of golf courses. If you are not a member of a golf club, it is difficult for you to maintain an official handicap. A number of the golf societies in Thailand are registered as USGA member clubs, thus enabling them to issue official handicaps. Some have their own society handicapping system. Many of the clubs and societies are named after Thailand's more respectable drinking establishments. The Crown Royal Pub has a golf group which plays every week-end, either Saturday or Sunday. The group is a registered USGA club which results in their “clubhouse” being listed in the USGA Handbook as The Crown Royal Pub, Soi Patpong II, Bangkok! I can just imagine the first time golf traveller wandering around Patpong mystified as to why he cannot find a golf course!

Thailand Guest House, Is It Suitable For A Thailand Golf Vacation

Some of you planning a golf trip to Thailand may wonder about staying in a guest house to save costs during your Thailand golf holiday. Unless you specify a particular location, I usually suggest that you would be better staying in a recommended and, if possible, internationally branded hotel. Let me explain.

In Europe and the USA you are likely to find a wide selection of bed and breakfasts, which are most always clean and comfortable at a reasonable cost. This is not the case in Thailand. In the first place, hotel rooms, even at 5 star properties, are already much less expensive than in Europe and the USA. In addition, most of the lower cost Thailand guest houses have some combination of unsanitary conditions or bug infestations and almost always located in the least desirable parts of town, thus making them unfit for western golf tourists. This is because, unlike in the more developed countries where the lodging industry is heavily regulated, including periodic inspections, there are few such safeguards in Thailand.

Insider's Guide To Non Golf Activities in Bangkok Thailand (Part 2 of 2)

Here are the final 8 of my best suggestions for non golf and non tourist activities to do while winding down or taking a day off from your Bangkok golf.

9. Take a walk in the park. Lumpini Park, at the intersection of Silom Road and Rama IV, is the city's oldest and most popular park. It's location near the centre of the business district means that is attracts an upscale early morning crowd of exercisers and Tai Chi practitioners from the time it opens at 6am until around 8am. The park has two lakes, and paddle boats are available for rent. There is also a library, and at certain times of the year the park becomes the domain of the city's kite flyers.

10. Use an Internet Café. Over the past few years the number of Internet Cafes has grown enormously, not only in Bangkok, but across Thailand. Regardless of where you stay there will almost definitely be an Internet Cafe within walking distance. Most offer high speed broadband access at reasonable cost and some offer refreshments and food.

11. Shop at Chatuchak "Weekend" Market. Claimed to be the biggest weekend market in the world, it's actually open every day except Tuesday, but with many more traders at the weekend, especially on Sundays.