-
For many golf vacationers, they are used to playing in Phuket, Hua Hin, Bangkok and Pattaya. However, Khao Yai with over seven golf courses, is also ... -
According to Thai Super Star Thongchai Jaidee, Thailand’s secret weapon when playing a round of golf has to be the Thai caddies. With over 240 g... -
-
Amazingly according to recent statistics, golf in Asia is on the rise with 205 new courses in various stages of design and construction. This more tha... -
Contrary to popular belief and Swedish regulations, golf is fun and easy to learn, as my teaching pal pro Tony Meechai often says. With an abundance o...
Thailand Golf Zone - Asia's #1 Golf Blog & Travel Insider News
CEO’s Lost Golf Balls are a Winner.
Most golfers hate to lose an expensive golf ball, but American Mark Siegel doesn’t mind, as he has a clever ulterior motive.
Siegel is the CEO of Golfasian, one of the most established inbound golf tour operators in Asia.
“About five years ago I had the idea of printing my own Titlist golf balls with the simple message. Reward Offered If you return this ball to www.golfasian.com”, said Siegel.
Since then over five lucky golfers, who actually returned his golf ball, have enjoyed complimentary rounds at several of Thailand’s top golf courses, courtesy of Golfasian.
Launched in 1997 in Bangkok, Thailand, Golfasian now has over 100 loyal staff members operating in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia and Singapore. They have a membership base of over 162,000 golfers and last year handled over 15,000 golf vacationers.
Seigel added, “What started out as a bit of fun, has now turned out to be a great marketing initiative, as now many golfers are hoping one of these Reward balls may turn up at their course anywhere across Asia”
The chances are fairly good as this busy CEO likes to play all their recommended courses in eleven countries across Asia, and often plays up to four rounds a week.
So, keep looking and you too maybe teeing off for your free round soon!
Thailand Golf Resorts and Hotel
Alpine Golf Resort Chiang Mai – Northern Thailand’s Most Funky Go...
Emerging from the lush greenery like a beacon in the night, Alpine Golf Resort rests among the rolling hills outside the beautiful city of Chiang Mai. As soon as I made my first steps into the entrance hall of the hotel I was unexpectedly hit with a sense of awe as the foyer led itself to a gorgeous rocky backdrop that disappeared into a tranquil water garden teeming with vibrant colorful fish. Now, like most of you, I try to find the “wow” factor on each of my new adventures, and I was pleasan...
Thailand Golf Updates – Coming This Year Lotus Va
One of the few Gary Player–designed golf courses in Asia, and the only one in Thailand, Lotus Valley Golf Resort has a unique look and feel as well as a progressive thinking management team and Board of Directors. They have plans to upgrade...
Golfing Thailand as a Single
Titirangi Golf Club My name is John Billington. I live in Aukland, New Zealand, which is the largest and most populace area in the country. I am a member of Titirangi Golf Club, a course designed by Alastair McKenzie on his trip south to de...
Interesting Thailand Golf Snippits
Pattaya Golf Courses Update
Over the last several years I have rarely ventured to the Eastern Seaboard, and found myself quite out of touch with what is going on there. Recently this has changed and experiences over the last couple of months have reconfirmed three of my long-held beliefs, and updated my knowledge base: Pattaya is a great place to play golf. Period. Nobody does golf like Pattaya. The entire region is interconnected and is a golfer’s paradise. Not so long ago the hotels were a collection of a hit-...
Beating the Low Season Blues
As many of the readers here know, Hua Hin is home to some of Thailand’s best courses, and the best time of year to play here is during the annual Hua Hin / Cha Am Golf Festival, which has taken place every year during the months of August ...
Thailand Golf Updates – Coming This Year Lotus Va
One of the few Gary Player–designed golf courses in Asia, and the only one in Thailand, Lotus Valley Golf Resort has a unique look and feel as well as a progressive thinking management team and Board of Directors. They have plans to upgrade...
Latest Posts
CEO’s Lost Golf Balls are a Winner.
Most golfers hate to lose an expensive golf ball, but American Mark Siegel doesn’t mind, as he has a clever ulterior motive. Siegel is the CEO of Golfasian, one of the most established inbound golf tour operators in Asia. “About five years ago I had the idea of printing my own Titlist golf balls with the simple message. Reward Offered If you return this ball to www.golfasian.com”, said Siegel. Since then over five lucky golfers, who actually returned his golf ball, have enjoyed complimentary r...
Thailand’s Secret Weapon
According to Thai Super Star Thongchai Jaidee, Thailand’s secret weapon when playing a round of golf has to be the Thai caddies. With over 240 golf courses dotted around Thailand, you are literally spoilt for choice and can experience all types of challenges that you will never experience back home. The course notes on hole Number 1 at the popular Banyan Golf Club in Hua Hin states….‘Aim for the Coconut Tree and try to avoid the Pineapples in the rough.’ If that does not ...
Are You In The Right State of Mind To Play Your Best Golf?
We all want to play our best golf, whether at home, or especially if we are away on a Golfing Holiday in Asia. The one thing that can bring a sour type mood to a beautiful Golf Vacation is playing poorly, as this not only upsets your day on the golf course, but all of a sudden, the food does not taste as good, the bed is not as comfortable, the sights and sounds all feel a little off. Yes, playing poorly affects us in many ways as we feel frustrated and wonder if this vacation was the right ide...
To Rent Or Not To Rent – That is the Golf Holiday Question
One of the most frequent questions we receive before guests book their Thailand golf holiday with us is “Should I bring my own clubs” or “Are the rentals at the courses any good?”. The answer to this question has a lot to do with you as an individual golfer, but here is what I can share. As far as the quality of rentals goes, the majority of Thai (and other Asian country) courses and resorts that we deal with will have new updated equipment from a top of the line club company. Most c...
Thailand Golf – Courses that might “Suit Your Eye”?
The picture at the head of this article is of Tiger Woods after one of his 8 victories at the Arnold Palmer Invitational played at Bay Hill. The phrase “This course really suits his eye” is mostly used by golf commentators on US television networks about professional golfers on the Tour. They are almost always referring to a player who is returning to a tournament venue as the defending champion. The premise is, this player has won here fairly recently and is therefore filled with positive memor...
Which golf ball should I play in Thailand?
Of all the variables that determine a golf ball’s performance compression may be the most mysterious. You’ll know it as a number on the ball, usually 90 or 100. If you see slow motion videos of balls impacting the club face you’ll see it as the ball deforming or “mushing”. The ball launches as this compression releases. Generally, professional advice says the faster you swing the less compression you need but there are way more issues to consider namely spin speed g...
Drain Putts In Thailand
If you can do only one thing to improve your enjoyment when golfing in Thailand, the making more putts would be what I suggest. Thailand golfers face more putts than any other shot. I have taken the time to master putting in Thailand and I was able to cut 3-4 stokes off my score in the process. Here is how I did it. 1. I think more about the speed than line on my putts. For example, when my caddie tells me inside right or inside left, I just putt to the center of the hole and make sure my speed ...
Tips On Playing Thai Country Club
Most of you know that my home course is Thai Country Club. Having played this excellent Bangkok golf course more-or-less one time per week for the past 3 years, my scores have ranged from a few over par to over 90. Looking back on my rounds I can see a few things in common that led to good scores. 1. Stay out of the rough. Hitting fairways in regulation is the single biggest key to scoring well at Thai Country Club. The rough at Thai Country Club is formed by thick Zoysia grass that is next t...
Siam Country Club Playing Tips
I had the good fortune of playing at Siam Country Club Plantation Course in Pattaya this week. A usual the course was in excellent condition and in fact just two weeks prior Siam Country Club Plantation Course was awarded the best conditioned course in Asia by the readers of Asia’s largest golf publication. In order to get maximum enjoyment and a good score at Siam Country Club Plantation Course I realized 4 very important points. 1. Use your B-game: Why this sounds counterintuitive I found t...
Straight Driving For Thailand Golfing
Lately I have been taking some golf lessons and I have gone from a controlled fade to a pull hook off the tee. I have begun pulling the ball off the tee. What I want is a straight ball flight so yesterday I went out to Thai Country Club and hit two bags of balls on the range with my driver. To stop pulling my drives I found that I must swing the club on an in-to-out swing path and/or change the clubface’s position at impact. I was able to do both by implementing one, all, or a combination ...
Make All 4 Footers When Golfing In Thailand
When you golf in Thailand you can complain about slow greens, grainy surfaces, poor caddies, and whatever you can think of to blame for poor putting. However, none of these are likely to be the cause for Thailand golf putting woes. Where you putt from is the key to how well you putt. The closer you are to the hole the better your putting – PERIOD! Average Thai golfers probably face 4 foot putts 10-15 times a round. Many golfers simply call these a Gimmie, but this is cheating (Gimmie’s are only ...
Which Golf Ball Is Right for YOU When Golfing In Thailand?
For the regular Thai golfer, the news on the modern golf ball is all good. The ball doesn’t slice or hook anywhere near as much as it did 15 years ago and it goes a lot further. But why hasn’t the average Thailand golf visitor’s handicap dropped? The answer is almost certainly in the golf ball they are teeing up when golfing in Thailand. Today a solidly hit golf ball doesn’t move. The manufacturer’s designers have worked the long night hours to make it so. But for most playing the Thai golf fair...
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...
Thailand Golf Gloves
One of the most important but overlooked pieces of golf equipment in Thailand is the glove. With hot and oftentimes sweaty tropical weather conditions the only thing stopping a golf club from flying out of a Thailand golfers hand is the glove. If the glove is wet or slick, it will not grip the club and a mishit is very likely. Moreover, one of the most important parts of a good Thailand golf swing is the grip. That comes as no surprise. If a Thai golfers grip is off, then the swing will p...
How To Judge Green Speed Of Thailand Golf Courses
Recently I have seen green speeds on Thailand golf courses run from a slow 7 on the stimpmeter at Majestic Creek Country Cub in Hua Hin to a speedy 10 at Red Mountain Golf Club in Phuket. At other times, like after a professional event, green speeds can run as high as 11 or 12. Siam Country Club Old Course was like this in February after the Honda LPGA. With such a great variation in green speed and importance on distance in lag putting, how can the visiting golfer in Thailand be successf...
My Thailand Short Game
I was playing with friends last week at Royal Gems Golf City and they mentioned that my short game was pretty good. I was able to get up-and-down around 50% of the time, even on the sloped green on August #10. That saved par for me on an otherwise poorly played hole. Therefore, this week I thought to share my Thailand golf short game tips here.My chipping is mainly due to my special grip. So if your chipping leaves something to be desired, try changing grips. Most Thailand golfers use a standard...
Make More Short Putts In Thailand
Travelling half way around the world to golf in Thailand is an experience if a lifetime. However the last thing you want to do on a Thailand golf holiday is miss allot of short putts during your rounds. Golfers in Thailand probably face on average 10 short (less than 6 foot) putts in any given round. Master putting from this range and I bet you have an even better time golfing in Thailand. But sinking 6 footers isn't as easy as it sounds. Confidence is a big factor and so is practice. I rec...
Thailand’s Soft Sand
First time visitors golfing in Thailand often mention to me about how difficult it is hitting good shots from greenside bunkers at many of the Thailand golf courses. What I see when we play together is that their sand wedges dig into the often fluffy sand found on many golf courses in Thailand and these same Thai golfers leave their first shot in the bunker and take two or worse three shots to get on the green. The cause of this is that many of these same Thailand golfers don't open the clu...
Don’t Slice It In Thailand
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could hit it straight or better yet with a slight draw when golfing in Thailand? On the driving range before your first round of golf in Hua Hin does your ball striking leaves something to be desired? If so, try changing grips. Most Thailand golfers use a standard neutral grip. But if you're ending up with shots that go to the right, then you're not making solid contact and you're not helping yourself. The straighter your shots go, the more fun you will ha...
Are You A Thai Golf Swinger Or Hitter?
Here is something to think about from Mike “Spike” Collier, Director of Golf at Three Generation Golf Academy (TGGA). When golfing in Thailand what is the difference between being a swinger and a hitter? The number one difference is in the concept/mind-set and physical action between the two.That is to say, for a Thai golf swinger the club is pulled and thrown utilizing the feel of the weight of the swinging club head. A Thai golf hitter pushes against the club stressing the shaft using the ri...
Eliminates Bad Chips in Thailand
Poor chipping hurts my game. Last week at Alpine Golf Club in Bangkok I had the great opportunity to golf in a former European golf professional. He saw my bad chips and gave me the following tip. I immediately improved and was able to get up and down more than 50% of the time afterwards. Poor chipping stemmed from my poor technique. Below is the 4 step routine that showed most improvement: 1. I soled my wedge on the ground and raised it on its toe.2. I stood slightly closer to the ball with my...
6 Tips For Golfing In Thailand When It Is Hot
I played golf in Thailand last week with an Australian golf group. After 15 holes several of the golfers felt so tired that they had to sit down and stop their rounds. That golf incident prompted me to write this post. Playing in tropical climates such as Thailand creates special situations. You must watch out for dehydration and fatigue and in some more severe cases, heat exhaustion, else risk a poor round, or worse. Here are a few tips perform at your best when golfing in Thailand: 1. &...
My Take On Golf Carts At Thailand Golf Courses
While most of my Thailand golf is played walking, there are times when a golf cart (buggy) is also useful. For example, for corporate days and golf tournaments carts are more versatile, suit a wider variety of players, and help keep the golf speed of play moving along at a reasonable pace for all. Then there are the Thailand golf courses with extreme elevation changes that are better left for walking by mountain goats as opposed to golfers in Thailand. These include the incredibly hilly Santibu...
Chipping From Thick Grass Around The Greens In Thailand
The other day at Thai Country Club in Bangkok I found myself in the thick rough next to the green four times during my round. I used my normal chip shot to get out, only to find to my horror that two times the ball just got stick and two times the ball sailed clear over the other side of the green. Needless to say I could not saved par and was lucky to made bogey each time. When Tiger Woods played at Blue Canyon in Phuket in 1998 and then again at Alpine Golf Club in Bangkok, both Johnnie Walke...
8 Do’s & Don’ts When Golfing In Thailand
1. Given that you’ll be out on the course for at least four hours do make sure you put plenty of sunscreen on. It’s also advisable to wear a hat or cap. The Sun when golf in Phuket can be the strongest compared to all other Thailand golf destinations. 2. Although golfing in Thailand is relaxed, don’t expect to be allowed onto the course wearing inappropriate clothing. Do wear a collared shirt with slacks, Bermuda shorts, or a skirt (provided you are a lady). Mock collars (aka Tiger Woods) are a...
Thailand Golf Blog Reloaded
Have you seen the newest blog about golf in Thailand? Well it is not really new, just a sleeper that has woken up from a 2 year nap. Graham our new man in Phuket and ex-star of the Asian Tour is at the helm and with his expert advice, information, and insights about golf in Thailand the Thailand-Golf-Blog is sure to be a renewed hit. Take a look and of course feel free to comment.
Getting Out Of High Lipped Thailand Bunkers
Have you ever faced a high lipped greenside bunker like those at Chiang Mai Highlands Golf Club or worst yet one of those humongous fairway bunkers at Siam Country Club Plantation Course in Pattaya? Most Thailand golf holidaymakers in this situation open up there sand wedges, ht as hard as they can, and either skull the ball clear over the green or worse, leave the ball in the face of the bunker in an even more demanding uphill lie. In both cases the result is surely one of frustration. A gol...
Roughing It In Thailand Golf
The golf courses in Thailand have some very thick rough. For example, off the fairway at the Nicklaus designed Springfield Country Club in Hua Hin can wreak havoc for even the most accomplished golfers in Thailand. If you lie is near the green, the shot becomes even more critical as it can mean the difference between making a par, bogey or worse. To score low, you must know how to get it close from the really deep stuff. Blue Canyon in Phuket and Thai Country in Bangkok are two Thailand golf c...
Lagging It Close Golfing in Phuket and Hua Hin
My approach shots often stop 20 feet short of the hole when I play the hilly Phuket golf courses like Blue Canyon and Red Mountain or the new Banyan Golf Club in Hua Hin. These golf courses have many elevated greens compared to my relatively flat home Bangkok golf course, Thai Country Club. Therefore, my lag putting becomes extremely important to achieve a good score and avoid three putting at these Thailand golf courses. I have found that good lag putting is a function of my ability t...
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 at...