Foothill golf with a villa at the end of the round.
Chiangmai Highlands sits in the foothills of Mae On district, about 45 minutes east of the city. Lee Schmidt of Schmidt-Curley designed it, and Golfasian notes that Asian Golf Monthly ranked it third among Asia’s best new courses in 2007, then named it Best Golf Resort in Asia in 2015. The draw is the turf and the setting: paspalum fairways, quick TifEagle greens and a small resort of private villas with a spa. It is the place to base yourself if you want a quiet golf week rather than city nights.
Chiangmai Highlands Golf & Spa Resort green fees and tee times.
Most visitors book through a Chiang Mai golf agency or a stay-and-play package, and agencies such as Olsen Tours and Golfasian quote tee times on request. Golfasian caps groups at five. Olsen Tours publishes 2026–27 high-season packages that bundle green fee, caddie, a cart each and van transport; the club does not post a visitor rate online. If you stay in one of the villas, ask the resort to hold your tee times when you book the room. Golfasian lists rental clubs at ฿1,500, shoes ฿200 and an umbrella ฿100. The course is open daily from 06:00.
INDICATIVE GREEN FEE · CHECKED NOVEMBER 2026From ฿5,250
Per player in a group of five or more for 1 November 2026 to 31 March 2027, as listed by Olsen Tours; includes 18 holes, caddie, one cart each and van transport, not the tip. A group of four pays ฿5,700 each.
2 players, per person
฿6,600
3 players, per person
฿5,800
4 players, per person
฿5,700
5 or more, per person
฿5,250
Prices change by season and booking route, so confirm the current rate with the operator. Official rates ↗
The round, in perspective.
The Valley and Highlands nines opened in 2005, and a third, the Mountain nine, followed in November 2015, again from Schmidt-Curley. The championship 18 measures 7,003 yards, par 72, with five sets of tees on every hole. Golfasian counts more than 130 bunkers, most with high front edges, so a thinned approach rarely runs on. The greens roll at around 10 on the Stimpmeter and many slope from front to back. Closely mown catchment areas give you a choice of chip, pitch or putt. The 1st drops downhill with the whole valley in view. The 4th on the C nine is a long par four with a hard dogleg right, bunkers left off the tee and water right of the green. The round ends on a short downhill par five that long hitters can reach in two, but a broad river crosses the fairway, and most players lay up and chip uphill.
Know before you go.
Group size
Up to five players
Carts
Cart hire ฿700 (Golfasian); may be kept to paths after heavy rain
Caddie tip
฿400 per caddie (Olsen Tours)
Turf
Paspalum fairways, TifEagle greens
Make the trip work.
Two rounds here, on different nine combinations, make better use of the drive than one. Warm up on the 300-yard grass range, which has a separate short-game area and several practice greens. A 2026 Golfasian reviewer reported that carts were kept to the paths in the rainy season, which slows a round on this hilly site. Allow for that in the wet months. The spa offers massage and a sauna, and a pool looks over the course. Caddies know the slopes, though one reviewer wished their English were better.
The resort is at On Nuea in Mae On district, east of Chiang Mai. Golfasian allows 45 minutes and Olsen Tours about 50 minutes by car from the city, heading out past San Kamphaeng; add a little more from the airport (CNX), which is on the far side of town. Golf agencies include van transfers in their packages, and the drive is easy to combine with a stop at Alpine on the way back.
The resort has 19 private villas near the clubhouse, along with the spa and pool. Golf Digest Middle East described it as one of Thailand’s most awarded golf resorts. If you want a choice of restaurants, stay in Chiang Mai and drive out. Alpine Golf Resort, on the way back towards the city, has another 78 rooms.
Make a trip of it.
Alpine Golf Resort’s 27 holes are the nearest championship golf, south-west towards Ban Thi. Gassan Panorama and Gassan Legacy in Lamphun can be reached in under an hour. For a rest day, the geysers and mineral baths of San Kamphaeng Hot Springs are a short drive away in the same district. The forest village of Mae Kampong, known for its homestays and coffee, is further up the valley.
Find your season.
The foothills stay a little cooler than the city, which makes December and January mornings fresh. Haze from field burning is common from late February to April. The wet season runs from about May to October, with the heaviest storms in August and September.
Schmidt-Curley Design, with Lee Schmidt as the lead. The firm built the Valley and Highlands nines in 2005 and came back for the Mountain nine, which opened in November 2015. Golf Business News reported that the resort was runner-up for best golf resort in Asia Pacific at the 2015 Asian Golf Summit.
Can I stay at Chiangmai Highlands?
Yes. The resort has 19 private villas plus a spa and a pool overlooking the course. Stay-and-play packages are sold on request through the resort and Chiang Mai golf agencies. Staying on site removes the 45-minute drive from the city before an early tee time.
How far is Chiangmai Highlands from Chiang Mai airport?
Allow 45 to 50 minutes by road from the old city and a little longer from Chiang Mai International (CNX). The resort is out in Mae On district, beyond San Kamphaeng. Olsen Tours’ package prices include a van, driver and fuel for the day.
Last checked 11 November 2026. This is an independent planning guide, not a first-hand review or a booking service. Check live availability, access, fees and travel details with the operator before booking. Airport suggestions are starting points for route planning.
