Thailand 2011 - (Page 19)

Golf the North The northern cities of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai nestle in the foothills of the mountains bordering Myanmar and Laos. Cool weather makes the region extra appealing to golfers who have a choice of nine top courses— many attached to resorts—in Chiang Mai. A top pick is the Alpine Golf resort, which has a beautiful 18-hole course designed by Ronald Garl (same designer as the famous Alpine Golf Course in Bangkok). The royal Chiang Mai Golf Club has an excellent 18-hole course, whose designer was Peter Thompson. And another popular golf venue is the lanna Golf Club just north of the Old City. It has a challenging, wooded 27 holes, as well as great views of the Doi Suthep Mountain. Way up the road (three hours), in the area called the Golden Triangle, Chiang Rai is home to the Santiburi Country Club with its beautifully maintained Robert Trent Jones, Jr.-designed course, featuring lots of water hazards and bunkers. The country club is part of the Santiburi hotel Group. CrAdle of Golf The first 18-hole golf course was established in Hua Hin, hence the resort’s soubriquet as Thailand’s “cradle of golf.” Located two hours (165 miles) from Bangkok on the western side of the Gulf of Thailand, the resort area was put on the vacation map in the early-1920s by King Rama VII and is still a favorite royal family and high society retreat. Hua Hin today has eight golf courses, including that pioneer royal hua hin Golf Course with a parkland layout of wide fairways, some bordered by topiary figures. Here, too, you’ll find the royal Springfield Golf Club & resort, with a Jack Nicklaus-designed course in a beautiful valley setting. Golf oN the ISleS Phuket The golf picture is exceptional in Phuket, one hour by air from Bangkok and probably Thailand’s premiere holiday and golfing destination. All the golf courses are on the northern half of the island, making perfect sense for golfers to pick a nearby hotel. Blue Canyon Country Club’s two courses are considered Phuket’s best. The Canyon Course is one of the most famous and challenging in Asia and has hosted the Johnnie Walker Classic and the Honda Classic tournaments. A championship par 72 walking course, it’s dotted with several large lakes, trees and natural hazards. On the lakes Course, water hazards come into play on almost every hole. There are many other top golfing picks. The Mission hills Golf resort & Spa has a Jack Nicklaus-designed, 18-hole course. It’s laid out close to the ocean—some holes actually run up to the water’s edge—with stunning views of the Andaman Sea. Additionally, there’s a 9hole, bay-view night course. laguna Phuket Golf Club, host of the 2009 Singha Thailand Open, is an 18-hole, par 71 resort course that meanders through a labyrinth of lagoons. The club also offers golfers extensive practice facilities and a state-of-the-art teaching center. Jon Morrow created a challeng- ing 6,900-yard layout of the red Mountain Golf Club to complement the shorter, gentler and older sister course of loch Palm Golf Club. krABI From Phuket by ferry or air or from Singapore by air, golfers are drawn to Krabi between November and April. Ecofriendly Krabi boasts not only beautiful beaches, scenery and wildlife, but some challenging golf. While the island’s largest resort, Sofitel krabi Phokeethra Golf & Spa resort, now offers a 9-hole course, golfers have other and larger, 18-hole playing fields. There’s golfing gold in them thar hills surrounding the scenic and challenging rajjaprabha dam Golf Course in Khao Sok National Park, where the course is beautifully landscaped with an abundance of jungle and a profusion of water. Rental equipment is top quality for those coming to play this par 72 course, 7,009 yards from the Medal tees. The Pakasai Country Club is another top choice. Scenic and surprisingly challenging, the tight course (par 72) can cause problems for wayward hitters while obstacles of water and bunkers test a golfer’s accuracy. koh SAMuI Smaller than Phuket and located in the gulf of Thailand, Koh Samui is Thailand’s second favorite island, which has only one golf course, but a very good one: the Santiburi Samui Country Club, an official PGA Championship course with 18 holes (par 72). Built on the side of a mountain in the middle of a coconut plantation, the course has stunning views of Mae Nam Bay. There are no handicap limits for playing this “professional” course, but beginners are encouraged to play only nine holes. The golf club is 10 minutes from the luxury Santiburi Beach resort & Spa, with complimentary shuttle for golfing guests. PAttAyA In addition to beaches and an over-the-top nightlife, the golf scene—more than 30 courses— is pretty spectacular in Pattaya, one hour south of Bangkok. The must-play courses are the Jack Nicklaus-designed laem Chabang International Country Club with three 18-hole courses and ranked among the top 10 in the country by Golf Digest, and the two courses at the Siam Country Club. Siam’s old Course is said to be among the country’s most challenging, and continues to welcome international tournament play. The Siam Country Club’s new Plantation Course—four miles from its sister course—is a 27-hole, SchmidtCurley design, situated on a former pineapple and tapioca plantation and fitted with worldclass practice facilities. Both have hosted LPGA tours. Thailand is well packaged for golf vacations with luxury tours at affordable pricing, taking care of golfing clients with airport transfers in and out, as well as accommodations and golf playing arrangements in between. You’ll find that packages come with pre-booked tee-times, greens fees, caddy fees, topquality equipment rentals and an umbrella. ❖ T19

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Thailand 2011

Cultural Highs
Medical Tourism
Romance, Thai-Style
Think Green
Thailand Tee Times
Muay Thai
A Culinary Feast
All Aboard
Touring Thailand
Fast Facts

Thailand 2011