Author Archives: Thailand Golf Holiday

Are Phuket’s 5-star Hotels & Golf Resorts Worth It?

I have been thinking about this for quite some time and the short answer is yes and no. Considering the glamorous location that Phuket is perceived to be, I have often though the quality of the 5* hotels are not up standard they should be. Many of the so-called luxury resorts are quite old and in serious need of renovation. There are exceptions with hotels like the Andara, Paresa and Trisara resorts, but generally the hotels seem to be more geared for large corporate groups and lacking the intim...

Thailand Golf Holiday: Think More Than Hangover 2

Here is a great Thailand golf piece written by freelance journalist Jack Mairoo. Great weather, good food, glittering temples, bargain-filled markets, stunning beaches and verdant golf courses…. A dream! For an increasing number of visitors, Thailand is the ideal recession-friendly golf holiday destination, down to a tee. If you were one of the millions who saw "The Hangover Part 2", then you probably know this raunchy sequel takes place in Thailand. If you've seen the first one, ...

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...

Night Golf In Thailand Is Over!

June marks the end for night golf in Thailand as courses such Panya Indra in Bangkok, Laem Chabang in Pattaya, and Summit Green Valley in Chiang Mai shut off their lights in exchange for low priced summer golf days. The night Thai golf season typically runs from November to May, where you can tee-off anywhere from 3-7 PM and finish by midnight! That’s right golf in Thailand until midnight is not only possible, it is fun and affordable.  Green fees run around $30-40 US Dollars. My favorite ...

4 Golf Holiday Destinations To Combine With Thailand

Many people ask me to suggest non-Thai golf destinations that can be combined together with a Thailand golf holiday. Here are a few of the most common locations outside Thailand that can easily be part of a two or three centered Thailand golf holiday. 1. Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam: Low cost hourly non-stop flights between Bangkok and Saigon and numerous international connections make Saigon an easy destination to combine with any Thailand golf holiday. I suggest 4 days in Saigon includin...

Bangkok’s New Replica Golf Course

Damaged by the great floods in December 2011, Asia’s first and only replica course, The Royal Gems Golf City, is now reopened in Bangkok’s outskirts. Imagine playing famous holes as the ‘church pew bunkers” at Oakmont Country Club, the “Island Green” at TPC Sawgrass, Royal Troon’s “Postage Stamp”, and the “Road Hole” of St. Andrews Old Course? If they are not enough to tantalize your appetitive for great golf holes, then maybe the back nine of Augusta National including “Amen Corner” will. Last...

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...

Hua Hin’s Hidden Golf Gem: Kaeng Krachan Country Club

Everyone knows the best regarded Hua Hin golf courses are Banyan Golf Club and Black Mountain Golf Club.  How about other Hua Hin golf courses for the more adventurous? Located an hour north and 40km inland from Hua Hin in the Thai Kaeng Krachan Estate lies what might just be Hua Hin’s least known, most under rated and best valued golf course? The 27 hole Kaeng Krachan Country Club is hardly known by the locals, no less Thailand golf holidaymakers. After travelling due north from Hua Hin ...

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...

The Best 18 Phuket Golf Holes

Golfing in Phuket is great from May until July as the courses are not crowded, accommodations very reasonably priced, and the weather is generally overcast with little other than a late afternoon shower to cool things off. Therefore it is timely that Ian, our semi-pro Phuket resident, has for a bit of fun put together his Phuket “Dream 18”, which when you take time to think about the golf options, it’s not that easy Hole 1, Blue Canyon, Canyon Course – Not the easiest opening hole and a fairly t...

3-4-5 Star Hotel Or Villa For A Thailand Golf Holiday

It’s not always easy to recommend the right accommodation for a golf holiday. For example, there are many excellent value-for-money hotels that can make a Thailand golf package very affordable. Great deals can often found from May to October on the beach resorts of Phuket and Hua Hin where hotels sell at less than half their normal cost during the high season. However, for some, luxury is more important than price. At the other end of the spectrum there are some 6-star properties that are truly...

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...

Après Golf Fine Dining in Hua Hin

Here are a few fine dining do’s and don’ts for Hua Hin golfers that were complied by long time area resident, gastronomical expert, and Swiss Amateur Golf Team captain Marco Scopetta. If you plan to spend few days golfing in Hua Hin, these are the best restaurants you can experience after your round. The well-established Sofitel Centara Grand Resort and Villas has become the Centara Grand Beach Resort and Villas Hua Hin. While the Hua Hin resort has been rebranded, the incredible Saturday night ...

Sea Pine Golf Course: Nice But Be Aware Of….

The newest Hua Hin golf course is the Sea Pine Golf Course (also known as the Army Golf Club II).  This golf course opened is the pride of the Royal Thai Army and much better than any Thai municpal course I have seen. Designed by active Major General Weerayudth Phetbuasak (same designer as Suwan Country Club in Bangkok and Phokeethra Coutry Club in Siem Reap), Sea Pine is a good track with 4 holes longing the beach that play like a links-styled course.  The majority of the other Sea ...

Santiburi Chiang Rai Country Club

Chiang Rai in far northern Thailand is a bit off the beaten path for most foreign tourists golfing in Thailand. However the Robert Trent Jones Jr. designed Santiburi Chiang Rai Country Club is a name that often comes up when Thai residents talk about their favorite Thai golf courses.  While there is no one single outstanding quality to the course, it is instead a combination of factors that all come together in creating a thoroughly enjoyable playing experience: the scenery with rolling te...

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...

Buying Golf Equipment On A Thailand Golf Holiday

Many people ask me if it is a good idea to buy new clubs on their Thailand golf holiday. My short answer is NO and here is why not. 1.    Cost: Golf equipment prices are generally lower in the USA, Europe, and Australia as compared to Thailand. This is due largely to the import duties on sports equipment. However, golf consumables and apparel like gloves, hats, bags, shirts, and towels are all very reasonably priced in Thailand. These all make great presents for yourself or you...

Pattaya Golf Update

This past weekend I had the opportunity to watch the Honda LPGA at Siam Country Club as well as play two of my favorite Pattaya golf courses. The ladies second event of the 2012 season was won once again by the world’s #1 Yani Tseng. It was a good finish as she and AI Miyazato were in the race until the last hole. In spite of IMG missing my ticket delivery, the ladies professional golf tournament went off without a hitch and I still managed to get admission to watch the ladies on their final day...

Perfect Swing Asia At Thana City Golf & Sports Club

Thana City is a longtime favorite of mine and Greg Norman’s only Thailand golf course. Over the last 2 years this Bangkok golf course has been on a massive upgrade campaign under the management of Absolute Golf Services. This regeneration is continuing and the latest project is the renovation of the former Ledbetter Academy at the driving range and practice facilities. Nowadays, PGA Member and Bangkok resident Andrew Knott moved-in and  his Golf Performance Coaching academy, Perfect Swing ...

LPGA Shines In Thailand

Thailand knows how to put on a show, and the top LPGA players will be at the Honda LPGA Thailand this month. With the worlds 59 best lady golfers in attendance, the Siam Country Club in Pattaya will be the perfect backdrop to kick off the LPGA tour season in style.This popular tournament was launched in 2006 when a certain Miss Hee-Won Han from South Korea won the inaugural event. Since then the likes of Suzann Petersen from Norway, Lorena Ochoa from Mexico , Ai Miyazato from Japan, Yanni Tseng ...

Panya Indra Excels on Several Counts

Playing golf in Thailand is an experience every time you tee off, and certainly that is what you get when you step up to the tee box at Panya Indra Golf Club. Not far from the center of Bangkok, this 27-hole golf club is open for both day time and night golf. The course was designed back in 1989 by U.S. designer Ronald Fream. Fream used only 800 rai of land just outside Bangkok to make you forget that you are on the outskirts of a major city. There are three separate 9-hole courses, with their ...

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...

How To Organize A Successful Group Thailand Golf Trip (Part 3 of

In my last 2 articles I covered the first 4 steps towards a successful group Thailand golf trip. They were group leader and date and location selection along with requesting quotations. Here are the final 2 steps. 5. Communicate and Build Consensus After you’ve gotten the Thailand golf package quote(s), distribute the information to your group and call a meeting to discuss (maybe over a beer after next Saturday’s round).  Then it’s time to build consensus – sometimes easy / sometimes diffi...

How To Organize A Successful Group Thailand Golf Trip (Part 2 of

In my last article I covered the first 2 steps towards a successful group Thailand golf trip. They were group leader and date selection. Here are the next 2 steps. 3. Pick the Location Sometimes the group is already set on a particular Thailand golf destination.  Other times the group will be interested in considering alternatives – in that case a discussion is necessary to let everyone view their thoughts in an effort to narrow down the list to a few workable candidates.  Then...

How To Organize A Successful Group Thailand Golf Trip (Part 1 of

Has your regular golf group kicked around the idea of taking a Thailand golf trip together?  Well it’s time to stop talking and take action. Here are the first two of six steps to organize your Thailand golf and insure you have a successful Thailand golf holiday. 1. Pick a Group LeaderOne of the key factors in ‘making it successfully happen’ is to pick the right Thailand golf group leader.  Don’t just pick the best Thai golfer.  Far more important are to designate someone that:...

Better Business For Golf In Thailand

Perception is one thing; reality is often very different. So it was with flooding that affected a large area of countryside near Bangkok in October and November. To outsiders, the perception was that the inundation – as real and damaging as it was for many communities – had halted play on many of Thailand’s 260 golf courses and that it would take months for courses to re-open. Dispatches declaring that “Bangkok’s airport is under water” failed to mention that the airport was, in fact, Don Muang,...

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...

Hua Hin: The ‘Other’ Golf Courses

Just about all golfers in Hua Hin want to play the two area 5 star courses; Black Mountain and Banyan Golf Club. Next on the list and a notch below for most golfers are Springfield Royal and Palm Hills. Then there are the ‘Other’ courses. Some golfers skip them altogether, and if you are one who demands pristine country club conditions, luxurious clubhouses with lots of niceties and amenities and only modern designs, perhaps you should too.  For the rest of us though these courses all have...

Golf Pride Of The Royal Thai Navy

Here is a great story from a good friend in Pattaya. I was once like you folks—playing all the Pattaya golf courses, tipping those lovely caddies twice as much as I should, riding a la cart rather than do the plebeian trudge that would scuff my alligator Foot-Joys, gamboling over golf courses in Cambodia where the game is just getting a foothold…Then, one by one, my old and now ex-friends in foreign lands started treating the loans I had given them as largesse. Subsequent penury has separated me...

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 ha...