Phoenix Gold Golf & Country Club

Three nines on a hill south of Jomtien.

Phoenix Gold is a 27-hole course in Huai Yai, south-east of Jomtien, with a hilltop clubhouse surrounded by its three nines. It opened in 1993, changed owners in 2013 and was renovated from 2014, and it has since hosted professional events, including the Ladies European Thailand Championship. The appeal for visitors is a clear published rate card, cheaper than the Siam courses, and some variety in one visit: sea views on the Ocean nine, ponds on the Lake and the Khao Chi Chan Buddha on the Mountain.

Phoenix Gold Golf & Country Club green fees and tee times.

Visitors are welcome every day. Book by phone on 084 873 5363 or 092 225 8449, by email to reservation@phoenixgoldgolf.com, or with the booking-request form on the club website. The rate card distinguishes 18 holes, 27 holes, an extra nine after 18 and two twilight rates. Caddies are standard, and you can choose a premium caddie at ฿800 instead of ฿400. The green fee is also sold as a prepaid package on KKday, with caddie and cart included and the tip paid on the day. Fourballs are the limit at weekends, though Golfasian says five can play together on weekdays.

The round, in perspective.

The original three nines are credited to Denis Griffiths (Golfasian spells it Dennis), and Golfasian lists 6,812 yards at par 72. The club says the makeover that began in 2014, led by Pirapon Namatra, re-routed much of the Lake nine, added water hazards and rebuilt tees and greens. Large mango and eucalyptus trees and flowering shrubs line the rolling ground. The Ocean nine has no water at all, while the Lake nine has a demanding par-four 8th that doglegs around a lake. The Ocean nine finishes with a par five from the highest tee on the property, looking out over the Gulf and the Pattaya skyline. From the Mountain nine you can see the laser-cut Buddha on Khao Chi Chan.

Know before you go.

Caddie

฿400 for 18 holes; premium caddie ฿800

Cart

฿700 for 18 holes, ฿1,050 for 27

Hours

06:00 to 18:00 daily (club website)

Rentals

TaylorMade or Titleist set ฿1,300, shoes ฿300, umbrella ฿200

Make the trip work.

A weekday 18 with caddie and cart comes to ฿4,100 before the tip, and ฿4,600 at weekends. Playing all 27 holes costs ฿4,100 in green fees on a weekday, plus ฿600 for the caddie and ฿1,050 for the cart. The twilight nines are good value after a late arrival: ฿500 after 16:00 on any day. The club also rents a townhouse at ฿6,000 a night and a private villa at ฿20,000. Lessons start at ฿1,000 for 30 minutes.

The club is at 111 Moo 9, Sukhaphiban 2 Road, Huai Yai. Golfasian puts it about 15 kilometres from Pattaya, past Jomtien, roughly 30 minutes by car. U-Tapao (UTP) is the nearest airport. From Suvarnabhumi (BKK), the drive runs down Highway 7 past the city.

Where it is.

Nearby: 1. Chee Chan Golf Resort (5 km) · 2. Siam Country Club Rolling Hills (9 km) · 3. Siam Country Club Waterside (10 km) · 4. Siam Country Club Old Course (11 km) · 5. Siam Country Club Plantation (12 km) · 6. Pattaya Country Club (15 km)

Somewhere to settle in.

Phoenix rents its own townhouse and villa, which suit a group that wants to be on site. Otherwise Jomtien is the natural base, with the beach road and Na Jomtien’s quieter resorts on the way to the course. Central Pattaya means a longer morning drive.

Make a trip of it.

Chee Chan is a few kilometres away near the Silverlake vineyard area, and the Siam Country Club courses are north-east. Together they make a southern Pattaya circuit with short transfers. For a day off, Khao Chi Chan’s Buddha is open to visitors, and Nong Nooch Tropical Garden is close by.

Find your season.

The best months are November to February, when it is dry and the breeze off the Gulf helps. March to May is very hot; the 06:00 opening allows an early start. From May to October, rain usually comes in afternoon bursts, and the twilight rates are less useful on stormy days.