We usually picture the humid sunny weather, pristine beaches, great food, nightlife, and diverse culture and tradition when we think of Thailand. Besides the beauty of its scenery, It’s also home to some of the best golf courses in Asia.
If you’re traveling to Thailand for a vacation and you’re looking for the best spots to play golf, be sure to check out these magnificent golf courses in the country:
10 Best Golf Courses in Thailand
1. Black Mountain Golf Club, Hua Hin
This golf course is probably the most high-profile golf course in the country. It has hosted several professional events, including the Asian PGA Tour, Royal Trophy, and the Thailand Classic, which is an Asian and European Tour co-sanctioned event that attracts some of the biggest names in golf. It was even recognized as the best golf course in Asia in 2016. Don’t be intimidated – the course caters to all skills and is specifically designed for both resort and tournament golfers.
Located in Hua Hin, the incredible Black Mountain Golf Club opened in 2007 and was designed by Phil Ryan of Pacific Coast Design. It consists of 27 holes – it started with 18 holes and introduced new 9 holes in 2016 as the West Course. The signature 11th hole is an outstanding par 3 over water onto an island green. The site is set on a valley surrounded by big black granite rock mountains and was transformed from a lush jungle and pineapple plantations 10 kilometers west of Hua Hin.
2. Red Mountain Golf Club, Phuket
Set in the center of Phuket Island, Red Mountain Golf Club is a shining example of the quality of golf in Thailand. This brilliant course was designed by Jonathan Morrow and Al Tikkanen, as they managed to carve out a golf course among red sandstone hills, hence the name of the place. Only 15 minutes away from the Karon and Patong beaches, this place is considered Phuket’s most spectacular, challenging, yet playable golf course.
Thrills abound here, both in every view and shot to be played. You can find deep ravines, rocky outcrops, steep elevation changes, and dense forests that can add to the wonder and complexity of the game. Each hole represents a different challenge with a variety of options. The final stretch of the remaining six holes is challenging, but they are considered to be some of the most spectacular in Thailand, thanks to the red rocky cliffs and elevation changes.
3. Alpine Golf Sports Club, Bangkok
Alpine Golf Sports Club is one of Thailand’s top-rated courses and one of the best in Asia. Created by legendary golf course architect Ronald M. Garl, Alpine once hosted the Johnnie Walker Classic PGA Tournament in 2000, where Tiger Woods won.
There appear to be no easy holes in this course – its layout makes it one of the most challenging golf courses in Thailand. It features lightning-fast greens, tight boundaries, expansive water bodies, and undulating fairways to keep golfers engaged. Significant elevation changes, water hazards, and bunkers are also strategically placed to add some challenge.
4. Banyan Golf Club, Hua Hin
The Banyan Golf Club, along with Black Mountain Golf Club, are the core of any golf vacation in Hua Hin. No one can be called a golf junkie in Thailand if they haven’t played both these courses. Since its opening in 2008, the golf course has gained multiple accolades, such as the Order of Zenith by Asian Golf and Rolex’s Top 1000 in the world. It was designed by architect Pirapon Namatra from Golf East.
This world-class, 18-hole championship golf course was built among a former pineapple plantation. It provides a spectacular ocean and mountain views from almost all the holes. Elevation changes on a hilly landscape, along with strategically placed bunkers, ponds, and streams, are key features of the layout.
5. Thai Country Club, Bangkok
Thai Country Club is one of the most exclusive private members golf clubs in Bangkok and in the country. Opened in 1996, this golf course was designed under US PGA international standards by the then-president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects, Denis Griffiths. This 18-hole championship course was usually voted as a Top 5 course in Asia. Not long after it opened, the golf club hosted numerous international and domestic tournaments featuring pros worldwide, such as the Johnnie Walker Super Tour, Asian Honda Classic, and Volvo Masters. This is another course that has b]een graced by Tiger Woods when he won the Honda Classic here in 1997.
The course is as hard as you make it, and it’s popular with golfers of different abilities. Many of the fairways have been contoured, and the greens are often elevated and well-protected by bunkers. The most notable hole here is the 6th, which includes water on the right side and bunkers in front and behind the green.
6. Siam Country Club Old Course, Pattaya
Siam Country Club Old Course in Pattaya is one of the most famous golf courses in Thailand and was the country’s second course when it opened in 1970. Originally designed by Japanese architect Ichisuke Izumi, the Old Course was renovated by Brian Curley and Lee Schmidt. This wonderfully mature parkland course annually hosts the LPGA Honda Classic.
Most of the original routing was kept intact, but all the other aspects of the course were modernized to keep up with international championship requirements. Since the revamp of the course, Siam Country Club Old Course has hosted several international golf tournaments. The 18-hole par 72 course offers many dramatic challenges, particularly in the last four holes.
7. Siam Country Club Plantation Course, Pattaya
Established in 2008 by the same architects that renovated the Old Course, the Plantation Course is the most difficult course in the Siam Country Club stable and probably the most picturesque. While the Old Course attracts attention as the host of the Honda LPGA, the Plantation Course can be more fun. Its hilly landscape and several natural features deliver an exhilarating track.
The course creates challenge after challenge in the shape of blind tee shots, huge bunkers, undulating fairways, and fast greens. It’s also very long – at nearly 7,500 yards, it’s one of the longest in Thailand. Featuring Asia’s first triple green, Tapioca 7th and Pineapple’s 4th and 9th holes play to a single green that measures more than 20,000 square.
8. Laem Chabang International Country Club, Pattaya
One of Thailand’s most beautiful golf courses, Laem Chabang International Country Club was designed by architecture legend Jack Nicklaus back in 1995. Located between Pattaya and Bangkok, this course has managed to maintain its position as one of the premier courses in Thailand. The course is perfectly manicured, with picturesque mountains surrounding the country club, providing golfers with an impeccable experience.
The 27-hole course features numerous bunkers, water hazards, and sand traps strategically placed around the course, along with natural hazards like lakes, ponds, and exposed rock formations – all adding to the challenge to gold games played here. Every tee is named for a distinctive shrub or tree planted nearby, giving the course a unique nature-oriented emphasis.
9. Santiburi Country Club, Chiang Rai
Opened for play in 1993, Santiburi Country Club was the first golf course in Chiang Rai. It has earned some rave reviews, as some deem it one of the very best golf courses in Thailand. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., the golf course is home to a natural landscape, breathtaking views, and excellent conditioning, contributing to an enjoyable golf experience.
Water plays a huge role in the course layout and combines it with bunkers to offer some challenge to the fairways. The fast greens and undulating fairways make this a championship-quality golf course. Santiburi Country Club is known as one of the best-conditioned courses in the country, benefitting from the glorious natural scenery of Chiang Rai. People travel from far and wide to play a round at this country club.
10. Royal Gems Golf City, Bangkok
Royal Gems Golf City is Asia’s first replica course, as its back nine replicates the Augusta National’s back nine. Often referred to as the “Dream Arena,” this golf course has holes that replicate the best and most iconic holes around the world. Course designers have created more challenges and elevation changes from what was a previously flat farmland.
After the first 9 amazing holes, every golfer dreams of playing comes the back 9 of Augusta, even including the Amen Corner.