Thailand is Asia’s easiest golf holiday. Flights are frequent, courses are open every day, and every round comes with a caddie. Most trips focus on one of four areas. Phuket mixes resort golf with tournament courses and beaches. Hua Hin is the country’s traditional golf town, home to Royal Hua Hin, which opened in 1924, and Black Mountain. Pattaya offers the most courses within a short drive. Bangkok can be combined with a city break. The price you are quoted is rarely the whole bill. Most clubs charge the green fee, a caddie fee and a cart separately, then expect a cash tip. A ฿5,600 green fee can easily become ฿7,000 by the end of the round. The courses also vary widely: some publish their rates to the baht, while others sell almost only through agents and booking platforms.
A 1992 Max Wexler layout of palms and hillside holes, minutes from Hua Hin’s airport.
Destination imagery
Where to base yourself.
Phuket
Four strong courses within half an hour of each other. Blue Canyon, two kilometres from the airport, has the Canyon Course where Tiger Woods won in 1998. Laguna Golf Phuket sits inside the Laguna resort and publishes its rates. Red Mountain, in Kathu, is the island’s hilliest round. The season runs from November to April.
Hua Hin & Cha-am
Thailand’s original golf resort, about three hours south of Bangkok. Royal Hua Hin starts beside the railway station and dates from the 1920s. Black Mountain’s 27 holes have hosted the Asian Tour, and Banyan, Springfield Royal and Lake View are all within 30 minutes. The Gulf coast is drier than Phuket for most of the year.
Pattaya & the eastern seaboard
The densest cluster of courses in the country, 90 minutes from Suvarnabhumi or 45 minutes from U-Tapao. Siam Country Club’s Old Course has hosted the Honda LPGA Thailand since 2010, with three sister courses next door. Laem Chabang’s 27 Nicklaus holes are half an hour north.
Bangkok & Ayutthaya
Good for an arrival or departure round or a city-and-golf trip. Royal Bang Pa-In, a 2017 Schmidt-Curley design, is an hour north near Ayutthaya’s ruins. Courses such as Muang Kaew and Green Valley sit close to Suvarnabhumi Airport. Traffic is the main constraint, so tee off early.
When to go.
Jan
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November to February is peak season everywhere: drier, less humid and in demand, especially with European visitors escaping winter. Book tee times and hotels early then. March to May is the hottest period, when the earliest tee times matter. The rainy season runs from about May or June to October on the Andaman coast and around Bangkok, with afternoon storms and mornings that are usually playable, and rates fall. Hua Hin, on the Gulf, is the exception: it stays drier through the middle of the year, and its heaviest rain usually comes from September to November.
Getting around.
Bangkok Suvarnabhumi (BKK) is the main gateway. Don Mueang (DMK) handles many domestic and regional flights and is the closer airport for courses north of the city. Phuket (HKT) has direct international flights in season. U-Tapao (UTP) serves Pattaya, and Hua Hin is reached by road (about three hours from BKK) or by train to the station beside Royal Hua Hin. Self-drive is uncommon with golf bags. Most golfers use hotel cars, private transfers or golf operators that include daily transfers in their packages.
Plan it well.
Expect a caddie on every round; at almost all clubs it is compulsory. Caddie fees run from about ฿350 to ฿500, and tips are paid in cash on top. Clubs and booking agents suggest ฿400 to ฿500 as a starting point. Carts are compulsory at hilly or tournament courses and are sometimes one per golfer. Weekend rates can be about 30 per cent higher. Collared shirts are required. Some clubs publish full rate cards, including Laguna Phuket, Siam Country Club and Black Mountain, while others quote only through agents and booking platforms, so compare the all-in price. Book through the club, through platforms such as Greenfee365 and golfscape that show live tee times, or through a local golf operator who bundles transfers.
Questions golfers ask.
How much does a round of golf cost in Thailand?
It depends on the course. Royal Hua Hin starts at about US$73 with a caddie, while Siam Country Club’s Old Course costs ฿6,500 on weekdays plus a compulsory ฿500 caddie and ฿1,000 cart. Laguna Phuket charges ฿5,600 plus a ฿400 caddie. Add a cash tip of ฿400 to ฿500 for your caddie.
Do you have to take a caddie in Thailand?
At almost every course, yes. The caddie fee is usually charged separately from the green fee, and the caddie drives or walks with your cart, reads the greens and handles your clubs. Tips are paid in cash at the end of the round and are expected.
What is the best time of year for golf in Thailand?
November to February is the most comfortable and the busiest. March to May is hot but playable early in the morning. From May to October the rainy season brings afternoon storms and lower demand, although Hua Hin stays drier than Phuket and Bangkok through most of that period.
Is Phuket or Hua Hin better for a golf holiday?
Phuket suits golf mixed with beaches and nightlife, with four main courses and peak conditions from November to April. Hua Hin is the more golf-focused town, with a larger cluster of courses within 30 minutes and drier weather for more of the year, but it takes about three hours to reach from Bangkok.
Can I book Thai tee times online?
Yes. Some clubs take online bookings directly, such as Laguna Phuket and Black Mountain, whose booking runs on golfscape. Platforms such as Greenfee365 list live tee times at about 20 Thai courses. Others are easiest through a local golf operator, which can also arrange transfers.
