The nation of Thailand is a place where a golf enthusiast can enjoy a great game. Boasting with over 250 courses throughout the country, the title of “golfing paradise” is well deserved. But, with such an abundance of golf courses to choose from, picking the course you want to try out first or the course that may be right for you can be challenging and frankly intimidating.
What are the best golf courses in Thailand? The six best golf courses in Thailand, in no particular order, are:
- Black Mountain Resort
- Banyan Resort and Golf Club
- Red Mountain
- Alpine Golf Club
- Siam Golf Club
- Amata Spring
The rankings for the courses mentioned above are based on reviews and ratings from golf enthusiasts who have previously visited Thailand. In the remainder of this article, we will look at these highly rated golf course locations in more detail, so you know exactly where to go golfing on your next Thailand trip. But first, let’s talk about how golfers can determine whether or not a golf course will be a good fit for their game.
How Do I Know If a Golf Course is Good or Bad?
Before we dive deeper into the breakdown of the best courses golfers can visit in Thailand, let us consider the features we are looking for in golf courses that are worth their salt. In the words of a legendary golf course architect, George Thomas, “the strategy of the golf course is the soul of the game.”
This famous quote from Thomas implies that the best golf courses will have a course architecture that has a strategy. The holes in the course should feature different hazards and challenges that offer different routes of play to players and allows them to choose the level of risk they want to take on.
Through great designs and layouts, great golf courses close the gap between great players and average players, making it possible for all golfers—no matter the skill level—to enjoy a good game.
6 Best Golf Courses in Thailand
There may be varying opinions on the best golf courses in Thailand; six of them, which we break down below, have a great architecture,—as described above—offer awesome amenities, are accessible to tourists, and are fun to play on, in general.
1. Black Mountain Resort
Opened in 2007, Black Mountain Resort has a beautiful course that is well-kept and shimmers with emerald green, grass-covered valleys, and hills. It was awarded the best golf course in Asia in the year 2016, amongst many other notable accolades, and it has hosted a number of professional tournaments.
Although the course was designed for professional gameplay from the offset, a number of its more difficult holes are cleverly designed to allow amateurs to pick an easier route to the green. The main course is situated within a mountain valley. Several creeks have been integrated into the course’s design, and there are several aquatic hazards lining it.
Most who have played a round of golf on this course would say that the long-par five sixth, played from tees that are benched into a hillside, and going downhill to a putting surface that sits behind a large lake, is the signature hole of this course.
In addition to its beautiful course layout, it is also equipped with a number of amenities that will allow you to go and have a great day there with family, even if everyone does not want to golf. The club also has a water park, a spa, tennis courts, and miniature golf. The resort offers luxury living spaces near the court that can be rented for a week-long or a weekend stay of fun.
2. Alpine Golf Club
Alpine Golf Club is artistically situated just outside of greater Bangkok, one of the biggest urban centers in the world. The course has a large stretch of land and does not feel cramped, as well. While the course is challenging, with many slopes and bodies of water placed throughout, most holes more or less play by themselves with a degree of isolation.
Alpine Golf Club has been the host of a number of international golf tournaments. The course itself was created to be a tropical-looking paradise with rustic surroundings, lined with palm trees and bearing some semblance to a botanical garden. Some of the parts of the course also resemble beaches.
Like all of the other courses on this list, Alpine has other amenities for guests to enjoy, such as a jacuzzi, a place for refreshments, etc. But, it does not have an additional place for accommodations, so make sure you plan accordingly if you want to head out there on an adventure.
3. Banyan Resort and Golf Club
The Banyan Resort and Golf Club is situated in the tourist city of Hua Hin and, in addition to stunning accommodation and great amenities such as a spa, a restaurant and bar, etc., it provides its guests with the ultimate golfing experience. It has been awarded third place for the best course in Thailand for three years consecutively before.
The layout features a rolling landscape and three different types of grass to challenge your game. Golfers of all skill can have fun playing on this course. The course has 18 holes, par 72, and is 7,631 yards long. Another notable thing about this course is how it can resonate serenity and seclusion, although it is close to the Hua Hin center.
4. Red Mountain
This course is generally considered the most challenging and visually dazzling course in the city of Phuket. Granted, with its abundance of tourist activities, temples, and beaches, the course has to compete with the city’s tourist appeal to get folks to come down. However, it is a highly recommended course for golfers heading to the south of Thailand.
It is set within a former tin mine and has a landscape that naturally has varying elevations and different landforms scattered across it. For any golfer who can play a good game, Red Mountain is a must-play course.
5. Siam Country Club
Unlike most of the other locations on this list, The Siam Country Club was built in the early ’70s and has undergone some recent renovations to modernize and improve the layout of the park to meet modern preferences.
The club does not just have one, but three different courses that one can golf on; a fourth course was introduced at the end of 2019. The courses are called Old Siam, Plantation, Waterside, and Rolling Hills (the newest addition). While this golf club does not boast some of the amenities most of the other courses on this list do have, its option of four different courses sets it apart from the others in this list.
The club has hosted a number of high-profile events as well, such as the Honda LPGA Thailand tournament. The fourth course, in particular, is also designed with the intention of hosting an LPGA tournament in the future.
6. Amata Spring
Amata Spring boasts all the features of a top-notch modern course in Southeast Asia, greenside bunkering, long undulating fairways, putting fast surfaces, and a lot of water obstacles near holes. It is situated midway between Bangkok and the beach resort of Pattaya.
While here, you could visit the resort town of Pattaya. You can read our guide to Pattaya here.
The layout’s signature hole is situated between two sizeable lakes, a grand and memorable water hazard. The island green at this hole floats, and parts of the carry to the hole are accessed by boat.
The course first opened in 2005 and has hosted a few high-profile Thai golf tournaments. The architecture on this course is just breathtaking, offering a beautiful mix of challenging and fun holes for any skill level golfer.
Honorable Mention: Ayodhya Links
Ayodhya Links is undeniably one of the nicest golf courses in Southeast Asia. However, because of its exclusivity, it is an honorable mention on this list. While the course has an excellent layout and an intuitive architecture with water features at every hole, it is known for being a challenging course and was voted 76th in the world in 2018. Only members and their guests are permitted to play on this course, and membership is solely by invitation.
Conclusion
With such a large number of different options to choose from, Thailand offers a variety of golfing experiences for any golf enthusiast looking to play golf there as a tourist. In this article, we looked at six of the best courses in Thailand for a tourist who wants to go out and have an exciting and fun game of golf, as well as one honorable mention that you may not get access to, but it cannot be unincluded in a list of the best. If you find that you will unfortunately not be staying near one of these popular golfing locations, check out this ultimate list of the 100 best golf courses in Thailand. You are sure to find a pristine spot for a relaxing and fun game of golf.
