We have chosen the cities of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai in Northern Thailand as a sample for your perusal. Facilities in all other destinations in South East Asia, though different, are of similar standard.
You can find out more on golf courses in the individual countries of Southeast Asia in
Packages.
The Newest Golf Course in Chiangmai - Open now - Your one-stop shop for Golf!
3 minutes from Airport and less for downtown Chiangmai! Full facilities - Superbly maintained
"Tell your agents to go fly kites if a 9-hole quickie before the last boarding call is not possible!"
In mid-2007 a new 9-hole 'Jewel of the Crown' golf course in Chiang Mai was officially openned. Situated right in the middle of the city, it is the latest addition to the whole
array of top class golf courses in and surrounding the city easily putting it at par with, if not well surpassing
already, most others like Bangkok and Pattaya as the haven for golf in Thailand if not the entire South East Asia.
Featuring Tifway 419 Bermuda turf, this 3,350-yard Par 36 course was designed by Golf Service Professional Co. Ltd.
and is named Pimantip Golf Course or Stardome Golf Club of Chiangmai by its owner Stardome.
Confusing? Not really. As open as the
royal summer retreat of the Phu Ping Palace, high up the mountain where the must-go Temple of Doi Suthep is, is
clearly visible right from the first tee, the course is laid out flat throughout and at some point almost adjoining
the Chiang Mai International Airport.
Easy course management? Yes and no! Where the flat terrain offers few obstructions to the view
to the holes, the fairways are actually built around no less than five lakes and therefore requiring many
across-the-water hits. Clearly, where it saves on draws and fades, it compensates with lots of psychological
barriers having the water in between. In particular, Hole#3 Par3 167-yard offers almost an island green while
Hole#5 Par4 423-yard tests your judgment and accuracy of your tee-off drive as a lay-up for an over-the-water
landing second easily making it the signature hole of the entire course. Also, check out the tee-off box on
Hole#6 Par3 187-yard, it just might be more deceptive than a
tee-off box is always flat. There's not a 30-meter right high cliff drop to the sea here the like of the
Le Meridien Nirwana Golf
& Spa Resort in Tanah Lot, Bali, but two-thirds of the flight path hover above the shore line of a lake
to the right all the
way to the pin. But otherwise, this course is a true delight, if not a walk in the park.
Interested? Well...this golf club is actually 'Truly Private - Exclusively for 200 Members Only', so says it's
brochure. But don't be put off, members can always sign you in as guests. The club, under the able management
of Stardome, was conceived
as a 'Concept Club' for its members by
providing more than just the golf course and the superbly built driving range. Key facilities include an all-day
round 'Exclusively Members Only Lounge' for social gathering, relaxation and recreational activities, conference
and function rooms, luxurious and serviced members' shower room, free wi-fi access etc. Other facilities open to
the public include fine restaurants and coffee houses, golf accessories outlets, golf pro-shops, flight schedule
monitoring, shuttle bus service to the airport...yes, you need a bus to take you to the airport because it is
3 minutes away!...Like to know more? Contact Us!
Top class golf courses surround the city of Chiang Mai and are easily accessible with the furthest being less than a 2-hour drive away. Just as a guide, one could be in a new course each time one takes to the tee for the first time in the day, for as long as the duration of a usual length of stay. In addition, one could always choose to extend one's stay in Northern Thailand by opting for more rounds of 18-holes in nearby Chiangrai (or Chiang Rai - 3 hours' travelling time) where international tournaments have consistently been staged.
Test your driving prowess on this long and open championship course! The course slopes towards the Mae Ping River.
It is a long and testing course with water hazards coming into play on almost every hole. Most holes are heavily
bunkered making play even more demanding. Play ideally early in the morning or late in the afternoon; this
tournament course has one of Chiangmai's most superbly conditioned and maintained fairways and greens.
Put your course management skills to test! This course nestles in a valley
surrounded by beautiful rolling hills and shaded by mature native trees. Together with well designed
traditional-style buildings, they give the golf course its unique and distinctive Northern Thai character. Its
contoured terrain, with creeks and water hazards, offers a real challenge to golfers of all levels.
Located about an hour's drive from Chiang Mai City, this former fruit garden provides a
spectacular view of the mountain in the distance. Sitting at an altitude, it is even cooler with fresher air than
the region of Northern Thailand already is. Designed by Peter Thomson, this Par-72 6,900-yard course is
characterised by the links-style feature that distinguishes itself from the many other courses in the area.
Accurate placement shots rather than long hitting ones are key to a good score here. This is further accentuated by
the strategically placed pot bunkers near the greens making the approaches very deceptive. For those unsuspecting
or new to the course, there is also a tendency to under-club playing here.
Located just 15 minutes from the city, Lanna Golf is one of Chiangmai's finest old style courses. Opened in 1974,
this 27-hole course shares the land of the adjacent race track for its fairways. It offers three distinctly
different styles of design all enveloped in the panoramic view of the majestic Doi (Mount) Suthep with the famed
temple of the same name at top west of the mountain. The course features boulevards of huge mature trees and large
lakes and ponds with numerous streams and small klongs (canals) criss-crossing the fairways. For a long while, it's
the rough that's not so quite friendly here at Lanna Golf. But under pressure for survival from the numerous new
golf venues that have mushroomed in the vicinity over the last few years, the grand lady of golf courses of
Chiangmai has now become much more forgiving partly because of increased patronage owing to its proximity to the
city but mostly it was the because of the course having been kept up to standard with its peers.
Surrounded by distant hills, Santiburi Golf in Chiangrai is set on low hilly land. It
features a wide range of sloping lies and natural hazards. Most greens are well protected by bunkers. There are
also several very challenging dog-leg holes. Designed by R J Jones Jr., the course offers
a superbly landscaped golf course that winds beneath a canopy of leaves of tall trees and across crystal clear
lakes and streams.
If you are vulnerable to distraction by beautiful scenery, amongst the many of your
weaknesses, you will be further handicapped playing this stunningly scenic course well tucked atop a plateau surrounded
by lush mountains and valleys of the north. Located less than an hour's drive from the pleasant Chiang Rai city
and also not far from the Burmese border, this Rather International-designed 18-hole 7,100-yard Par-72 course enjoys great
course layout and exceptionally refreshing climate. It always guarantees an unforgettable day of golf for all levels.
A course with a view? This is it. The best view of the majestic Doi Suthep Mountain range
that rings Chiangmai city is best taken at the tee-box of Hole#15. A course with a difference? This is it too!
Unlikely as it is, here is a course with fairways lined with fruit-bearing mango and other popular local fruit
trees, and guests are greeted not only by sweet looking lady caddies but also plenty of colourful orchid of a wide
variety often in full bloom. For those new to the country, crunchy-green and sour mango is the No. 1
nationally-adored fruit (alongside with the 'love it/hate it' 
Less than a mere hour's drive from downtown Chiang Mai, Gassan Khuntan is generally rated one of the best in the
region. Located in the Khuntan National Park area and at an altitude of 500 meters above sea level, it enjoys as a
backdrop the spectacular Mount Khuntan and its cool surrounding with scenic views of endless lush green. A railway
bridge and a tunnel connecting it only lifen up what appears a scenic landscape painting on the wall.
This is the second in the chain of Gassan golf courses. Also designed by the owner,
Pravit Reang-Po himself, this 18-hole 6,400-yard Par-72 course features heavily on ponds and lakes with water
hazards present on almost every hole. But the 'cheese behind the brain' in the design of this course lies in the
long holes appearing deceptively benign and so luring unsuspecting drivers off the tee while water dangers lurk.
Accurate placement shots and good pitching appear the key to a good score here but otherwise it is a good ground
for high reward for risk-takers.
Golf somewhere different? Here it is. Gassan Marina is yet another of the golf courses by the Gassan Group and
not unexpectedly, it is also designed by owner/architect, Mr. Pravit Reang-Po. Located just a mere 20-minute drive south
of Chiangmai city, it features an Arabian theme for its clubhouse architecture, if you think memory will fade on
courses that you have played, not this one! But, there are more to it.
