Although sister courses, the only thing in common about Loch Palm Golf Club and Red Mountain Golf Club is the common drive way entrance and pedigree. Owned by MBK (the same company who owns the famous Bangkok shopping center), each of these two Phuket golf courses presents itself to the visiting golfer in very different ways.
It is very rare these days that I get to play a new course in my own backyard. Therefore, when my golfing buddies suggested playing at Pattana Golf Resort in Pattaya, I jumped at the change with much excitement. Pattana is a bit out of the way as getting to the course involved around a 1 hour drive from Pattaya or 2 hour ride from Bangkok. Either way the drive is pleasant enough as the road are good and there is little traffic along the way. Upon arrival I immediately saw the large club house, g...
Thailand has 5 main golf destinations, two are cities (Bangkok and Chiang Mai) and three are beach resorts (Hua Hin, Pattaya, and Phuket). Bangkok is home to over 10 million residents. However, it’s safe to say that Bangkok has the most golf courses of any destination in Thailand. There are 60 golf courses located within 1 hour from the center of Bangkok; of which 20 or so are well-suited for visitor play. Bangkok also has world-class hotels, the best restaurants in Thailand, and a wide range of...
Why golf in Thailand? Thailand is probably the most spectacular golfing destination in the world, the beauty of her golf courses expresses it all. We have lush greenery year round with palm trees and every other type of tropical flora and flowers creating a feast for the eyes. Beautiful lakes and waterways, birds you’ve never seen before become a breathtaking walk in the park. Churchill was so wrong when he said “golf is a good walk spoiled” – he never played in Thailand! The challenge of g...
Here are my rankings on the golfing in these 2 countries on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being best. Quality (30%) Turkey (8): Golf in Turkey is well-developed, especially the area around Belek (Antalya). There are some 15 golf courses to choose from here, all being located only 30 minutes from the main resorts. Most modern golf course architects are represented including Jack Nicklaus, Pete Dye and Robert Trent Jones Jr. Thailand (7): Thailand has 280 courses open for play. The best of these courses...
Here are my rankings on the golfing in these 2 countries on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being best. Quality (30%) Russia (5): There are only 20 golf courses in Russia and most are located in and around Moscow. The best golf club is the Jack Nicklaus designed Tseleevo Golf and Polo Club. The inaugural Russian Open and first ever European Tour event played in Russia was held at Tseleevo in 2013 Thailand (7): Thailand has 280 golf courses and many have won numerous “best of” awards including Black Moun...
Here are my rankings on the golfing in these 2 countries on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being best. Quality (30%)Qatar (7): There is only 1 golf course in Qatar and since 1998 Doha Golf Club has hosted a European and Asian Tour event; the Qatar Masters. The quality of Doha Golf Club somewhat makes up for the lack of other courses. Thailand (7): The best courses in Thailand are located in the major cities and resorts. Pattaya sports over 20 courses and in 2012 was voted the best golf destinati...
Here are my rankings on the golfing in these 2 countries on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being best. Quality (30%) Portugal (9): Even though there are only 70 golf courses Portugal is one of Europe’s best golf destinations. The Algarve region is the most famous golfing area and the best course there is Victoria Golf Vilamoura, home of the 2013 Portugal Golf Masters and tour stop for the European Tour. However, my course in Portugal is the Seve Ballesteros designed Porto Santo. This traditional links...
Here are my rankings on the golfing in these 2 countries on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being best. Quality (30%)New Zealand (10): With over 400 golf courses, New Zealand is a golfer’s paradise. My 2 favorite New Zealand golf courses are Cape Kidnappers and Paraparaumu Beach, both of which rival any of the best golf courses in the world. Many other great golf courses in New Zealand can be found around the big cities of Auckland and Christchurch and also among the smallest country towns. Thailand (7...
Here are my rankings on the golfing in these 2 countries on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being best. Quality (30%)Laos (5): Laos is behind other neighboring countries with only 7 golf courses open for play. Most Laos golf courses are in the capital Vientiane and are only average in quality. However, Luang Prabang Golf Club, in Luang Prabang is the country’s best having hosted 2 Asian Tour events, with spectacular scenery, and excellent playing conditions. Thailand (7): There are many champion...
Here are my rankings on the golfing in these 2 countries on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being best. Quality (30%):Korea (7): Korea is a mountainous country with around 200 golf courses scattered from North to South. However the best golf courses are located on Cheju Island, sometimes called Korea’s Hawaii due to the year round temperate climate. My two favorite Korean golf courses are Nine Bridges and Sky 72, both of which have hosted numerous professional golf tournaments. Thailand (7): The...
Here are my rankings on the golfing in these 2 countries on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being best. Quality (30%)Japan (7): The country has over 2,400 golf courses from North to South. Unfortunately, the best clubs are private, so make sure you call ahead to see if unaccompanied visitors are allowed. Some of my favorites that do allow visitors are the Fuji Course at Kawana Hotel and Taiheiyo Club Gotemba Course. Thailand (7): The vast majority of golf courses in Thailand are open for daily fee play....
Here are my rankings on the golfing in these 2 countries on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being best. Quality (30%)Ireland (9): The country is home to some of the world's best golf courses. Most all are pure links courses. The best Irish golf courses include K Club (Ryder Cup), and the incredible Druids Glen. Thailand (7): Of the 250 Thai golf courses, 60 are standouts. Thailand’s best golf course is Black Mountain in Hua Hin. Other notable favorites are the spectacular Red Mountain in Phuket and ...
Here are my rankings on the golfing in these 2 countries on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being best. Quality (30%)Hong Kong (6): There are some excellent golf courses in Hong Kong; many with great views over the surrounding South China Sea. The only public golf course is also one of the islands best. The 36-hole Gary player designed Kau Sai Chau Golf Course is set on an island just off the coast. Other standouts, albeit private, include the Hong Kong Golf Club’s Fanling Course; home of many professio...
Here are my rankings on the golfing in these 2 countries on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being best. Quality (30%)Germany (6): Since the 1980’s many new golf courses have been built and the golf in Germany has flourished. There are now more than 600 German golf courses across the country including hundreds of excellent ones and a handful of outstanding resorts. The Sport & Spa Resort A-Rosa set among pine forests is one of the best examples with the Nick Faldo 18 being the best of the 4-co...
Here are my rankings on the golfing in these 2 countries on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being best. Quality (30%)France (8): Excellent golf courses are found in almost every area of France. The most popular areas for golf holidays are Le Touquet in the north, Paris and its surroundings, and Biarritz and Bordeaux in the south. The best golf courses in France include Golf National near Paris and the Evian Masters Golf Club in the Alps. Thailand (7): Golf courses in Thailand are spread out across the c...
Here are my rankings on the golfing in these 2 countries on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being best. Quality (30%) Egypt (6): Golf in the Egypt is widespread, especially in the resort areas such as Taba and Sharm El-Sheikh. Additionally, the Gary Player course at Soma Bay Resort is a sure standout. A high concentration of golf courses can also be found are in and around Cairo with the 27-hole Katameya Heights leading the pack. Thailand (7): Over 250 golf courses in Thailand are spread out across the ...
Here are my rankings on the golfing in these 2 countries on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being best. Quality (30%)Dominican Republic (9): Golf in the Dominican Republic is well-developed. The areas around Punta Cana and Casa de Campo are worth travelling to as they have some incredible golf courses thanks to the work of golf-course designers like Pete Dye and Robert Trent Jones Sr. Thailand (7): Thailand boasts over 250 courses and the best courses are located in one of five major golf destinations. ...
Here are my rankings on the golfing in these 2 countries on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being best. Quality (30%)Bulgaria (6): While a relatively new sport and hardly played by locals, Bulgaria golf courses range from best in the world to rather ordinary. The best Bulgarian golf courses by a long shot are Thracian Cliffs and BlackSeaRama, both of which are Gary Player Signature courses. If there were a few more courses in this category, then Bulgaria would score even higher. Thailand (7): There are ...
Here are my rankings on the golfing in these 2 countries on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being best. Quality (30%)Australia (10): Most courses are set up for serious Australian golfers, who comprise some 10% of the overall population. The average Australian golf course is by far better than most other countries top courses. The top Australian courses include Royal Melbourne, Barnbougle Dunes, and New South Wales, all of which have hosted major PGA events. Thailand (7): Thai golf courses vary from av...
In the next 20 or so posts I will compare and contrast golfing in Thailand to golfing in other countries around the world. Using golf course quality, service, scenery, value for money, and overall experience as the five equally weighed factors I will rank each destination to see how it compares with golf in Thailand and to determine whether or not Thailand is really the best golf destination in the world. Let’s get golfing!
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 ...
The course designers have done a wonderful job integrating Santiburi Samui Golf Club into the jungle and mountains that are synonymous with the region. The Samui golf course plays through an elevation change of over 100 meters – yes 100, which makes Santiburi Samui one of Thailand’s hilliest golf courses! As golf course it really tricked out and really a better creation of panoramic views than easy pars. There are many aspects to this course that will frustrate, as lost balls can be expected fo...
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...
For many golfers, relaxing on the couch for a weekend of watching sports is one of life’s simple pleasures. Most gladly sit for hours, replenished with suitable liquids and sustenance (beer and chips), watching their favorite teams or players duel it out. Yet I bet when you tell your golfing buddies that you want to travel to golf in Thailand, one of the first questions you get is, “how long is the flying time”? Irrespective on where you are coming, the answer is more than likely “...
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 ...
Happy City Golf Resort now provides Northern Thailand golfers 3 international standard Chiang Rai golf courses; the other two being Santiburi Chiang Rai and Waterford Valley. Happy City boasts a total of 29 holes, with 2 of those closed as ‘maintenance holes’ on any given day. Five sets of tees offer challenges for every level of golfer. I recommend picking your tees carefully and maybe moving up a set from where you normally play as the course is quite long. The master project includes 5 large ...
Here is a new story from Davy, previously the number one golf retailer in Southern California and now a converted Thai golf addict. When the phone rang it was a Thailand golf buddy all excited to tell me he had a game set up with some movers and shakers that were coming to town; and after a great lunch he had planned we would entertain them with a round of golf. Lunch was indeed great; authentic Thai delicacies rolled out by smiling courteous servers. Thailand hospitality may be the greatest in ...
As with everything Jack has done in golf, one name stands out among them all: the Golden Bear, Jack Nicklaus, perhaps the greatest player of all time and now one of golf’s design gurus. Nicklaus’s 18 Major victories remains unchallenged, as does his name on more than 300 courses around the world that were designed personally by the Golden Bear or by his company, Nicklaus Design. Six of these courses are in Thailand and while they may be just a sprinkling of his work, Nicklaus and his fellow des...
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 ...
