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

Destinations For A Thailand Golf Package

Many golfers ask me what is the best destination for golf in Thailand. My answer is always ‘it depends”.

For those who like a sunny beach destination, then the best golf in Thailand is either Phuket or Hua Hin. On the other hand, Thailand golfers looking for more authenticity and value-for-money would like golfing in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai the best.

Next up are golfers in Thailand who are here for only a short break and want  a taste of Thailand’s best shopping. In this case, Bangkok has by far the best golf in Thailand with over 60 courses to choose from all located 30-60 minutes from the city center and many local markets where everything under the sun is on offer at reasonable prices. For the best golf and partying, golf in Pattaya is the choice. The resort’s nightlife is infamous and there are over 20 Pattaya golf courses to select from.

Golf In Bangkok

Bangkok is an enchanting city with rich golf, culture and attractions. It is known as an international golf destination for its diversity of 60 golf courses, year-round golfing weather, delicious food, numerous attractions, and most of all friendly people. Bangkok was voted “World’s Best City” by Travel +Leisure magazine in 2010. The championship golf courses and vibrant streets of Bangkok never stop to amaze vising golfers.

Courses such as Thai Country Club, where Tiger Woods cruised to a 10 shot victory in the 1997 Asian Honda Classic and Alpine Golf Club where again Tiger Woods won at the 2000 Johnnie Walker Classic exemplify some of Bangkok’s best golf. Nowadays, there is Royal Gems Golf City where golfers can experience August National by day and Bangkok by night.

Not only are the famous golf courses available for visitor play, but also some of the lesser known golf courses are truly gems in their own right. Thana City is Thailand’s only Greg Norman design and is located only 20 minutes from downtown Bangkok. Muang Kaew is similarly located and is one of the best maintained Bangkok golf courses.

Bangkok offers a truly unique golfing experience in its own chaos that defines the city where anything is possible. A place where golfers from the east meets golfers from west, where flat courses configured from rice paddies meet hilly layout designed by the world’s greatest golf architects, where high-rise buildings meets enticing temples and where street markets meets high-end retail shops. There is a Bangkok golf holiday for everyone.

It’s Not Only Thailand Golf

 
Golf for many of us is a very serious addiction. We have to have our regular fix!

Come rain or shine, family vacations, or business meetings, we all make all the excuses needed to arrange that very crucial meeting which just happens to clash with golf. That is our ‘speak’ for sod it I am going to play golf anyway.

Here golfing in Thailand, a lot of business is conducted on the golf course. Golfers in Thailand often travel with their so-called business associates and in some companies; it is seen as an asset if you play golf.

There are amateur tournaments, club tournaments, Pro Ams, weekday shotguns, and social expat clubs, all where you can join do some serious networking. In fact, I am running a couple of events myself. They are the 2011 Phuket Amateur Week, 1st Team Amateur Championship, and the 2011 Chiang Mai Amateur Week. All three are good examples of how you can make your Thailand golf tour around a  competitive golf events and ‘legitimize’ your Thailand golf holiday to the missus at the same time.

The Asian Tour and One Asia visit Thailand several times a year along with the LPGA. In fact the next event is the Thailand Open at Bangkok’s Suwan Country Club in August. These events are good for Thailand golf visitors to play in the pro-am and rub shoulders with some of the world’s best golfers.

It’s amazing how many slots on the tournament’s Pro Am’s are not taken up by the main sponsors. Case in point, last year’s European Seniors Open at Royal Gems did not have enough amateurs to fill its field. Moreover, 2 years back I managed to get slots for 12 Phuket golf visitors at the Thailand Open at Laguna Phuket Golf Club and this was undoubtedly the highlight of their Thailand golf holiday.  Pro Ams are an experience golfers in Thailand are unlikely to forget.

The Future Of Thailand Golf

The future is looking bright for Thailand golf with investment again seeing a surge with one new golf course estimated to be opened every 3 months or so for the next two years. Thailand’s visiting golfers are also on the rise and the ‘Tourism Authority of Thailand’ recognizes the positive effects of Thailand golfing tourism on the country’s economy which is why it heavily supported inbound golf tourism since its landmark success with the first ‘Visit Thailand’ campaign back in 1987. Today over 500,000 golfers visit Thailand each year and this number just keeps going up.

Many of Thailand’s courses have been designed by internationally recognized golf course builders & architects such as Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo, Greg Norman, Pete Dye and Robert Trent Jones Jr. The landscape is indeed varied, offering courses carved out of the jungle, atop of mountain retreats and bordering onto some of the world’s whitest sand beaches. An apt case study is the picturesque Laguna Phuket Golf Club, which was awarded this year an IGOLF ‘Laureate Course Status’ by the International Golf and Life Foundation (IGOLF) for its commitment to environmental and social responsibility. Laguna is a shining example, having been rehabilitated from a barren tin mine. It now plays home to a variety of wildlife, including kingfisher birds, fishing eagles and white egrets.

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.