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

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.

Thailand's Ryder Cup Once Again

Asian and European Golf Teams will be able to boast their own royal connections when Europe and Asia do battle in the fourth Royal Trophy this weekend January 8-10 at Amata Spring Country Club in Bangkok.

Asia's bid to defend the trophy donated by His Majesty the King of Thailand, will be spearheaded by Ryo Ishikawa, also know to his army of fans as 'The Bashful Prince'.

The European challenge will be led by Colin Montgomerie, who was installed as a Member of the British Empire and awarded the even more prestigious Order of the British Empire.

While Ishikawa's royal link is an affectionate one, born out admiration for the way he handles himself on and off the golf course, Montgomerie is justifiably proud that his talents have been officially recognized by Britain's royal family.

Despite his youth and relative inexperience, Asian Team Captain 'Joe' Ozaki was happy to pinpoint Ishikawa as the man to inspire his team when he made his debut in the 2009 Royal Trophy. As the Asian team's highest ranked golfer and a hugely charismatic figure, the 18 year old Japanese star is certain to take on the role of their talisman again this time.

The Royal Trophy sponsors include Heineken, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), PTT, Sports Authority of Thailand and Siam Commercial Bank. The Championship is also supported by Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and Chonburi Provincial Government.  Anyone in the country on a Thailand golf tour should not miss the event, which is free to the public.

See everyone on Sunday at the event!

Honda LPGA Thailand Ladies Golf Event Comes Back To Pattaya

The Honda LPGA golf tournament will return to Pattaya on February 26. After a 1 year absence, the event will be held once again at Siam Country Club. However, this time the golf tournament will be held on the more challenging Siam Country Club, Plantation Course instead of the 2007 tournament site, the Siam Country Club Old Course. The new venue should make for some great golf, even if the scores are on the high side.

Two young pro golfers from Thailand, Thidapa Suwannapura, and 13 year old Moreeya Jutanukarn have been invited to play among sixty of the world’s top women players over the four-day, 72-hole stroke play with no cut in the field.

Some of the best players gracing the tournament are recent winner of the Women’s Australian Open Golf championship, Laura Davies; golf babe Natalie Gulbis; and Asian golfing stars Mika Miyazato and Shiho Oyama.

The very prestigious golf event, scheduled from 26 February to 1 March 2009, is also expected to make headlines as Rolex Rankings’ world number one Lorena Ochoa of Mexico and world number three Paula Creamer from the USA, two superstars in women’s golf are participating.

The tournament offers a prize purse of US$1.45 million, which makes it the wealthiest professional golf event in Thailand in 2009.

If you are interested in visiting Pattaya on a golf holiday and/or attending the event, please drop me a line at my Thailand Golf Vacation company and I will put something together for you. We have some great deals at other area top courses like Laem Chabang and St. Andrews Hill as well as a golf special at the Pattaya Marriott Resort & Spa.

Golf Travel History

We all need to get away occasionally and escape the routine of our jobs to find a few days to golf away from the town or city we call our home. Since the early 1800s international tourism has grown from humble beginnings to a multi-billion dollar industry that spans the globe. Even the Romans needed a break and the first documented examples of holidays show wealthy families getting away to coastal villages and towns such as Baiae; albeit with no mention of any golf being on offer.

In the 17th century it became common practice among aristocrats for their children to embark upon a ‘grand tour’ of Europe to gain experience and achieve maturity. Again, it seems unlikely that golf clubs were included in the vast quantities of baggage they carried with them.

It wasn’t until 1841 that the seeds of today’s package holiday empire were sown. Thomas Cook organized the first package tour in July 1841, even if it was a fairly understated affair. He joined forces with a rail company to charge one shilling each (about ten cents US) to a group of 570 temperance workers traveling from Leicester to Loughborough for a rally.

A Tale Of 2 Bangkok Thailand Airports

If it is a little while since your last Thailand golf tour, or if your on a golfing holiday in Thailand for the first time, you will need to be aware that Bangkok now has two airports, Suvarnabhumi (pronounced su-wan-na-poom), and Don Muang. All international airlines fly in and out of Suvarnabhumi, while domestic flights are operated at both airports. Domestic flights with 3 digit flight numbers and the airport code BKK operate at Suvarnabhumi, while those with 4 digit flight numbers and the airport code DMK operate to/from Don Muang.

For those golfers who have been used to arriving in from overseas at Don Muang, you will be pleasantly surprised at the ultra-modern Suvarnabhumi, especially if you fly in at night when the airport buildings are spectacularly floodlit. Not that the new airport has been without teething problems. After numerous delays, the airport opened for all commercial flights September 2006. The airport, 25 km east of Bangkok, is the main hub for all international airlines.

Christmas Presents For Thailand Golfers

With the Festive Season approaching at breakneck speed, like me, you may be in a state of panic as to what presents to buy. Here are six ideas for your Thailand golfing loved one:

1. For his/her next golfing holiday in Thailand, a new travel golf bag will be well received. One of the best I have seen recently is the OGIO Mammoth (US$330.00). This sturdy golf travel bag stands upright and glides effortlessly in transit thanks to four sturdy, swiveling wheels. The OGIO Mammoth has a wide mouth opening that unzips the full length of the bag. Once inserted, your golf bag stays securely in place.. There is a shoe pocket,  carry handle, hat pocket, plus four exterior pockets for rain gear or other last minute check-in items.

2. Very handy when you are golfing in Thailand on a hot day is the Golf Club Kooler Klub (US$49.99), the best way to discreetly carry beverages with you on the Thailand golf course. This high-tech cooler club holds 48oz of hold or cold beverages (enough to satisfy a thirsty foursome). It looks like an ordinary golf club, however just a few taps on the dispenser is all it takes it fill your glass or flask. The shaft of this Golf Club Kooler Klub fits easily into your bag takes ice cubes, carbonated beverages, or alcohol. Just do not tell the club officials, as outside drinks are frowned upon at most Thailand golf courses.

Thailand Professional Golf Update

Congratulations to the Thailand team that won the Fortis International Challenge at the Kota Permai Golf and Country Club, Malaysia two weeks ago. Thai hotshots Thongchai Jaidee and Prayad Marksaeng put on an outstanding exhibition of golf with a final round eight-under-par 64 to win this prestigious event. Thailand had a great start to the tournament by firing an 11-under-par 61 for the joint first round lead.

The pair then produced a battling two-under-par 70 to take a one-stroke halfway lead, and carded a bogey-free 63 in the third round, thanks to a sparkling performance from Prayad who sank eight birdies. They finished the qualifying event for the Omega Mission Hills World Cup with a staggering 30-under-par 258 aggregate, three shots in the lead.

Prayad Marksaeng, born January 1966 in Hua Hin is one of Asia's finest players. He was a member of Thailand's winning golf team at the 1987 South East Asian Games and turned professional in 1991. He has been a member of the Asian Tour since it began in its modern form in 1995. He has won five events on the tour and was one of the first ten men to reach a million U.S. dollars in career earnings on it.

Eagle Par Birdie Welcome From Thailand

To start the week off on a high note I thought I would let you know about the great golf site which I came across the other day. Eagle Par Birdie is a multi-media blog site devoted to amateur golfers. It’s written by Chris Henry, a veteran Canadian broadcast journalist and golf writer with more than 30 years experience covering international news and sports.

Eagle Par Birdie touches all the bases for the amateur player: equipment news, instruction advice, tour news, course reviews, golf travel destinations  and golf interviews. In the future you may even see some posts on Thailand golf! The audio interviews can be listened to right at your computer by simply clicking the hot link indicated in the body of the text.

In keeping with the openness of this Thailand golf golf blog,the Eagle Par Birdie blog also welcomes feedback, so you can post your comments at will.

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.