Thailand

Thailand Golf Courses

Like the food, Thailand golf courses are full of spice which will push the envelope of your golfing palette. One day you can experience a super challenging parkland layout of palm tree-lined fairways with well-guarded greens, and the next day enjoy 5 star golf Thailand-style resort service.The generous culture of the people will always leave you feeling warm, refreshed, and relaxed.

The famous Thai smile radiates from the friendly faces of caddies at hundreds of Thailand golf courses around the country. This will make the bad shots you hit much more bearable and the great shots you pull off that much more memorable. The quality of the golf courses in Thailand is only exceeded by the level of service provided first and foremost by the caddies, as well as the other helpful staff you will engage with throughout your day.

golf in Thailand can be split into five distinct destinations. In the northern highlands is Chiang Mai where you can breathe fresh air and engage with the most authentic local people in the country. Bangkok is the high-flying leader with 52 million passengers traveling through Suvarnabhumi Airport and providing access to the biggest concentration of courses in the urban metropolis.

Two and a half hours drive from Bangkok lie the golf destinations of Pattaya and Hua Hin on the west and east coast of the Gulf of Siam respectively. If you have the time, a one hour flight to the south opens up the discerning golfer to the pearl island of Phuket that features the most luxurious Thailand golf courses in the country managed by top international chains.

golf in Thailand has a rich history of producing strong golfers who rise through the ranks of junior golf development programs that help launch their careers on to the professional circuit. Golfers like Thonchai Jaidee and Ariya Jutanugarn, who is one of he hottest female professional golfers on the LPGA TOUR, both hail from Bangkok. Even the great Tiger Woods has connections to Thailand with his mum having been born and raised in the country before relocating to North America.

The rule of thumb is to visit Thailand golf courses from November to February when the northeast monsoon is blowing cool, dry air as a break from the hot summers. During this cool season, the temperature ranges from 18 to 32 degrees Celsius in Bangkok, while in northern and northeast Thailand, temperatures can get quite cool with morning temperatures as low as eight to 12 degrees Celsius with the occasional 20 degree day.

The south stays more temperate year around with the rainy season taking place from April to November on the west coast and vice-a-versa for the east coast as well as the Gulf of Siam islands. Try and avoid April, unless you plan to be permanently submerged in the ocean, because this is the hottest month across the country.

It’s always tricky when booking golf courses in Thailand to be very mindful of what is included in the green fee and what’s not. Some courses make caddies and golf buggies compulsory where as other courses only require the golfer to pay for the caddie fee, which in many cases goes directly to your looper.

What you will learn is that communicating with the locals beyond a smile or a “same same” can often be challenging. This makes online golf tee time bookings slightly more convenient for the international visitor, affectionately referred to by the Thai people as ‘Farangs’. While you might only set out to golf Thailand once, the buzzing atmosphere and entertainment away from the course will most certainly have you coming back again to this golfing gem.