Lihn's Best Of Thailand Golf Guide 2013

f O t

s e B

www.lihnsgolfguide.com

Thailand

2013 US $30

Banyan GC

Black Mountain GC

Springfield Royal CC

HUA HIN – Regal Golf LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

1

Twenty Green Years SPRINGFIELD ROYAL COUNTRY CLUB

“because we care”

Bangkok Office 9M Floor, Thaniya Plaza Building, 52 Silom Rd., Bangkok 10500 Thailand Tel : +66 (2) 231 2244 Fax : +66 (2) 231 2249 E-mail : golfbooking@springfieldresort.com

Cha - am office Springfield Royal Country Club 208, Moo 2, Sampraya, Cha - am, Phetchburi 76120, Thailand Tel: +66 (0) 3270 9222 Fax: +66 (0) 3270 9233 E-mail: golfbooking@springfieldresort.com

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

3

Persian Carpet Showroom Fine Hand Knotted carpets & Kilims

WAshing & Repairing also undertaken

188/3 Young Place Bldg., Soi Sukhumvit 23, Sukhumvit Rd., Wattana, BKK. 10110 62/39 Soi Sukhumvit 26, Sukhumvit Rd., BKK. 10110 Tel: 0 2260 2224-5, Mobile: 081 633 4156, 089 616 9694

www.persiancarpets.webs.com

4

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

Bangkok’s Exclusive Golf Membership Club 29,500 Baht Annual Benefits Include: 14 green-fee vouchers (including): Alpine Banyan Bangkok GC Black Mountain Lotus Valley Riverdale

Royal Gems City Vintage Siam CC (two) St. Andrews 2000 Soi Dao Rayong Green Valley

Rancho Charnvee KhaoYai GC Chiangmai Inthanon Springfield Royal CC

Golf Lessons (Doug Hood, PGA) – private, on-course Logo Shirt (Fenix) Golf Equipment – golf bag (Coca-Cola), shoe-bag, hats, bracelet, etc.

Fitness and Spa Vouchers Thailand Hotel/Resort Room Vouchers Member Tournaments Lihn’s Guides: Golf / japanese / best of class

For more information call: 089 516-9865 Info@lihnsgolf.com www.lihnsgolfguide.com

6

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

Publisher’s Letter David Lihn Publisher/Author Kineeya (Bew) Somsuan Director of Operations Warathron (Bow) Nimcharoenwan Salinthip ( Joyce) Tangpanjapon Editorial Assistant Richard Lord Copy Editor Tanasé Constantin Pongthep Kerdnaiwong Graphic Consultants ________________ Tharaporn (Ying) Yokchawee Sales Manager Sriprapa (Larn) Mongkoltriratana Sales Executive Prathana (Nan) Homvanich Sales Executive Prapassorn Seang-Arun Distribution Lihn’s Best of Thailand Golf Guide 2013 is published annually

by Lihn’s Golf Guide (Thailand) Co., Ltd., at 199/12 Chicha Castle, Sukhumvit Soi 31 Wattana, Bangkok, Thailand 10110 +66 (0) 2 259 5185 and (0) 87 3517722 info@lihnsgolf.com.

We are thrilled, again, to be publishing our golf guide in this glorious golfing playground with its stunning geographical diversity, astonishing value and cultural beauty.

For the 2013 edition, we have expanded our featured golf courses to 50 covering a north-to-south swath of 1,200 miles: from the mountains of Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai in the north; around the massive national park in Khao Yai in the center; through Bangkok, into Pattaya to the east on the edge of the Gulf of Siam; down through the regal resort town of Hua Hin; further south to the beaches of Phuket; and the island of Samui in the Gulf of Siam.

Further, we have stretched our golfing borders to the northeast and followed our sponsor, Coca-Cola to a new market: Laos. Six courses in Vientiane – the charming, French-colonial capital of the six million populated country – offer varying degrees of proficiency and challenge are included. One – the new Long Vien GC – is a stunner and worth the one-hour flight from Bangkok to play it and marvel at the clubhouse and condition.

When you go, call the Mercure and ask for the most informed man in town, Christopher Yeo, the venerable general manager, and a Vientiane fixture for more than 20 years.

Finally, we have added more five-star hotels and resorts for your reading – and staying – pleasure. And look for our inaugural Best of Class 2013 – Thailand’s Luxury Hotels and Resorts coming out next month.

All contents Copyright © 2013 by Lihn’s Golf Guide (Thailand) Co., Ltd., All rights reserved.

The production or use, in whole or in part, of any contents of this magazine without prior written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited.

Lihn’s Golf Guide (Thailand) Co., Ltd. is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photography or artwork.

Welcome to your vacation paradise!

David Lihn

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

7

Tel. 089 449 7555, 086-9999-603 Fax 02-893-9163 www.guangdongdrink.com

SS Electric Golf Cart Sale & Service Electric Golf cart 2 - 14 Seat

DOUBLE S DEVELOPMENT CO.,LTD. 88/121 Moo.4 Kingkaew-Srinakarin Rd. BangPleeYai BangPlee Samutprakarn 10540

SS Coupon 5,000www.ssgolfcar.com Lihn’s Golf LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013 8

Tel : (6681) 751-4343 Fax : (662) 751-2323 Email : ssgolfcar@gmail.com

Table of Contents Springfield Royal CC Publisher’s Letter

7

THAILAND FEATURES • Introduction • Places to Stay • Tips for Thailand • Caddies

22 24 37 38

PLACES TO STAY • Bangkok • Hua Hin • Pattaya • Phuket and Samui • Chiang Mai • Laos

24 28 29 31 36 46

FEATURE Hua Hin 11 Banyan Golf Club 12 Black Mountain Golf Club 14 Springfield Royal Country Club 16 Notes 20 OTHER COURSES LIST

92

MAPS • Thailand Map • Golf Course Maps

10 94

Laos Long Thanh-Vien Golf Club Dansavanh Nam Ngum Golf & CC Lao Country Club SEA Games Golf Club Lao Inter Golf Club Vientiane Club KM6

40 42 43 44 45 45

GOLF COURSES BANGKOK Alpine Golf Club Bangkok Golf Club Cascata Golf Club Lotus Valley Golf Resort Riverdale Golf Club Royal Gems Golf City Suwan Golf & Country Club Thai Country Club Thana City Golf & Sports Club The Vintage Club NOTES

49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59

16

PATTAYA, RAYONG and EASTERN Burapha Golf and Resort Khao Kheow Country Club Laem Chabang International Country Club St. Andrews 2000 Rayong Green Valley Country Club Silky Oak Country Club Soi Dao Highland Golf Club NOTES

KANCHANABURI NOTES

64 65 66 67 68 68 69 70 73

CHIANG MAI and CHIANG RAI Alpine Golf Resort – Chiangmai Chiangmai Highlands Golf & Spa Resort Santiburi Country Club Summit Green Valley Chiangmai Country Club NOTES

76 77 78 79 80

KHAO YAI and KHON KAEN Khao Yai Golf Club Rancho Charnvee Resort & Country Club Sir James Country Club (Forest Hills) NOTES

82 83 84 85

PHUKET and SAMUI Blue Canyon CC Red Mountain Golf Club Santiburi Samui Country Club NOTES

88 89 90 91

www.lihnsgolfguide.com

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

9

THAILAND

10

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

HUA HIN Banyan Golf Club Black Mountain Golf Club Springfield Royal Country Club

NOTES Eagle Milford GC & Resort Hua Hin Imperial Lakeview Resort & Golf Club Majestic Creek CC Palm Hills Golf Club & Residence Royal Hua Hin Golf Club Sea Pine Golf Course

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

11

Banyan Golf Club

I

n the 19th century, the King of Siam, King Mongkut, established a summer palace in the lovely mountains and hillsides.

This is where the game of golf had its genesis in the Kingdom when, in the early 1920’s, King Rama VI took advantage of the new railway south to Malaysia to establish a palace and hotel at Hua Hin on the cool, breezy west bank of the Gulf of Siam. By 1925, 18 holes were operating contiguous to the railway station.

Hua Hin remained a haven for the golfing elite well into mid-century when the military began constructing courses (and a new one just popped up).

Superb. Simply superb.

HUA HUA HINHIN

It towers, dips, twists, climbs, slopes, slants, bends and surprises.

A holistic calm suffuses this verdant, cascading golf course.

The Banyan Golf Club, heralded as Asia’s best new course in 2009, is perched upon the quiet edge of a sprawling mountain and spread across a golfing promontory with hushed,cinemascopic views of both the distant Burmese mountains and the visually contiguous Gulf of Siam.

It sweeps and rolls, descends and rises with naturalistic grace and repose. Stately Bayan trees arbor the roiling fairways and serve as towering sentries to the tumbling

12

topography. Creeks and streams and lakes (and a waterfall) accent the lush landscape.

and the eventual reality is splendid.

And handsome, crafted bunkers dot the 18 holes of the course – 10 minutes from the center of regal Hua Hin. For the beleaguered urban dweller, Banyan is a dreamscape.

It crackles with enthusiasm, energy and elan. “It is one of Thailand’s finest,” intones Stacey Walton, the GM. “We get golfers returning month after month for the quiet but challenging experience. It’s just a great place to play.”

The only sounds that filter through your senses are the happy palpitation of your heart, a flutter of bird-speak and a susurrous windsong whirling around the forested edges of this golfing sanctuary.

Banyan’s Residences (which have become investment opportunities for golfers or second homes) are designed to embrace the tropical lifestyle of Thailand with open terraces and private infinity pools.

Elevations enable you to see the possibilities. Your imagination hovers

When you visit, ask at the pro shop about the Clubhouse Suites available

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

Recreational “One of the most peaceful, relaxing golfing environments I’ve seen.”

“Wonderful golf along hillsides and streams.” “The best.”

Professional “Excellent condition, superb layout and a genuine challenge from all of the tees.”

The Specifics Type: resort Greens Fees: 2,300 Baht Caddies/Carts: 300/750 Baht Layout: 18-hole, par-72 Rating/Slope: 7,361 Black 75.2/137 6,774 Blue 72.2/130 6,286 White 70.3/120 5,087 Red 69.7/114 Designer: Pirapon Namtra, 2009 GM: Stacey Walton Director of Operation: Stuart Daly

Getting There 101 Moo9, Tab-Tai, Hua Hin, Prachuabkirikhan 77110 +66 (03) 261-6200 reservations@banyanthailand.com www.banyanthailand.com

HUA HIN

on the course.

This 7,361-yard championship course features: elevations, doglegs (two double), ample tee boxes, commodious greens, lakes, ponds and streams and drama. Three of the par 3s average 235 yards and possess some daunting greens.

The par 4s tumble from 377 to 488 yards; and the par 5s range from 527 to 610 yards (a dogleg with a mere 14 handicap). The round begins with a lovely 423-yardpar-4 dogleg-right that, off to the right, surveys much of this campestral golf course.

Then a pastoral par 3 past a draping course (50 yards closer from the

13

second set of tees) is followed by a downhill par 5 (the shortest at 527 yards) with bunkers sprawled at the landing zone.

The 7th is the tougest hole on the course. Running 488 yards downhill, the prodigious drive must pass a huge tree on the left and an intersecting creek 200 yards out. Then pound an uphill approach to an elevated green with braids of bunkers in the front.

The back nine has unpredictable zest. I saw the 10th hole in construction, anticipating its 2 handicap. The drive is downhill with lots of fairway to negociate. Then

travel the remainder of the 430 yards uphill past a left-side bunker and a large tree on the right.

The plateau green is – similar to the 9th – 19 yards narrow and 50 yards long.

Consecutive par 5s role out at 593 and 610 yards of flexuous doglegs.

The 12th concludes its long journey with a big green that slopes to the rear and spills down to a bunker.

Avoid it.

The 15th is the postcard hole with a panorama of the Gulf. This short par 3 is a scant 147 yards, but has a testy pin placement behind a bunker.

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLFLIHN’S GUIDEBest 2013 of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

13

Black Mountain Golf Club

B HUA HUAHIN HIN

lack Mountain GC was completed in 2007 as part of an ambitious plan to develop a tasteful golf community with condominiums (76) and villas (71) – many that now stand in proud sentry on the hillside off of the sparkling 11th hole (and recently an expanded par-3 course and a new Water Park).

It has been an impressive project.

Three lakes were dug, mountains of earth excavated and moved – and the contoured valleys, in a remarkable 18-months, took the shape of a fashionable golf course framed by the black rocks that dominated the mountainside.

January 2011 it hosted the fifth (and exciting) edition of the prestigious Royal Trophy Cup, pitting eight-man teams of Asian versus European golfers (for the first time, the Asian octet prevailed as an announced 40,000 gleeful spectators cheered them on). It was voted best host venue on the by the Asian tour players in 2010.

It has garnered countless accolades as the “best”, including Top 100 in the World Outside the

Dedicated ownership dealt with the normal start-up difficulties but stayed the course (so to speak…) and continued to adapt and craft a respected garden-scape in the mountains 16 kilometers (15 minutes) west of downtown Hua Hin. It began to mature and in early

14

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

US by Golf Digest (the first course in Thailand to make that list).

Recently I traversed the popular, well-mannered and nurtured golf course. Some frustration in the details as a result of popularity – but a beautiful day and a manicured round.

The 7,257 track (from the “Pro” tee with a Slope Rating of 146) boasts six sets of tee boxes (the “Champ” tee runs a daunting 7,645 yards – make a special request and play it with a

Recreational “A most difficult course despite the fact it’s popular and expensive.” “It has a Top 10 cachet.”

Professional “One of the best in Thailand.”

The Specifics Type: semi-private Greens Fees: 3,600 Baht Caddies/Carts: 300/600 Baht Layout: 18-hole, par-72 Rating/Slope: 7,645 76 - Champ N/A 7,257 73 - Pro 75.5/146 6,956 70 - Low 73.3/142 6,501 65 - Men 72.2/135 6,061 61 - Men 70.4/131 5,657 57 - Ladies 73.3/134

Designer: unknow GM: Harald Elisson Walking: Permitted

Getting There 567, Moo7, Nong Hieng Rd., Hin Lek Fai, Hua Hin, Prachuapkhirikhan 77110 +66 (03) 261-8666 proshop@bmghuahin.com www.bmghuahin.com

cannon). The longer front nine features a Champ 639-yard par-5, and a prodigious 488-yard par-4 (a dogleg-right that invites a risk-reward drive over the lake in the angle and a long approach to a large, flat green flanked generously by bunkers. It sports a 3 handicap).

Doglegs (five), water hazards on half of the holes, elevations (and blind drives), and a plethora of strategic bunkers (many deep and sprawling) all highlight the round.

course, and constitute the five most difficult holes. The shortest of these, the 413-yard 5th is the testiest. Plumb-line straight and up-hill, the shallow green and five bunkers require accuracy.

The par 5s are handicapped in the teens and start from 547 yards from the Pros. The 6th is a 595-yarder that travels downhill and offers an approach at the angle over a pond

to a 40-yard deep, front-sloping green flanked by bunkers.

The 588-yard 18th plays longer because it travels uphill. It is peppered by five fairway bunkers and a sprawling trap sunk deep along the entire right edge of the 40-yard long green. Use an extra club as you march up the steep fairway.

A popular golf course.

The par 3s (but for the 154-yard 3rd) all exceed 190 yards. The two on the inward half sport handicaps of 6 and 8. The former, the 210-yard 11th, is pastoral beauty. From a terraced tee-box drive downhill over a pond and past a left-side waterfall nestled in a copse to a receptive green with water on three sides a two bunkers in the rear and right.

The par 4s are the challenge on this topographically tumbling

LIHN’S LIHN’S Best Best of of Thailand Thailand GOLF GOLF GUIDE GUIDE 2013 2013

15 15

Springfield Royal Country Club

S

HUA HUAHIN HIN

pringfield Village Golf & Spa is celebrating its 20th anniversary this autumn.

Opened in 1993, this 7,043-yard layout (Mountain and Lake courses were designed with diligent craft by Jack Nicklaus), has a slope rating of 130, and features: a plethora of sand bunkers; manmade lakes; doglegs; generous, tumbling, fast greens; and creative inclusions (the18th is an island green, framed by the imposing clubhouse).

In August 2006, the course expanded with the nine-hole Valley Course, built by Schmidt-Curley, featuring long, narrow, heavily-bunkered fairways.

16

It has been chosen as the venue to host the Asian Tour Q-School final stage for the past four consecutive years (2010-2013).

– managed the course and they then became the force behind the hotel and Spa. My eldest sister resides in the U.S.”

Springfield Golf has always been a family affair. Dr. Tasnawat Sombuntham, the youngest of four siblings, was introduced to golf when he was seven by his physician-father. “My brother-in-law visited Nicklaus in Florida before embarking on the threeyear construction. Jack was terrific, my brother-in-law told me. Many visits and lots of concern with landing areas and ball positioning.

Dr. Tom is a courtly, US-trained, practicing physician who now helps oversee much of the operation of the resort. “We take great pride in our extended ‘family’ here. We have many caddies and staff who have been with us from the very beginning and we have helped send many of their kids to college. We are also proud of the fact that we have many nationalities of golf pros on hand to assist and guide our international guests, should the need arise.

“My sisters, one an accountant, another a medical doctor – a dermatologist; and a painter and spa-buff

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

“In addition, we have taken a long-

term view of the ecological impact of our 1,200 acre resort. We are caretakers and think ‘green’ on and off the golf course.” He smiles at the double entendre. “Water is our challenge and we preserve it.” A gentleman.

Indeed, the course is, also, courtly and hosts more than 100 species of native birds, and fish occupy 12 lakes (water impacts two-thirds of the holes). “We are a proactive member of the Audubon International, a world-renowned environmental organization.”

The impressive and stylish 97-room resort and spa was added in January 2006. The hotel wraps around a sprawling pool with a quiet waterfall

(serving as a backdrop to an Italian fusion restaurant).

Additionally, a 15-minute drive east, the 105-room, beachfront Springfield @ Sea serves up a beach and gargantuan pool with Favonian sea breezes flowing through the seaside restaurants.

The 18-hole course has moderate par 5s, which, with the exception of the 18th, are reachable in two.

The par 3s, ranging from 167 to 209 yards, are typical short-and-long Nicklaus with two lengthy tests, the 4th and 17th.

The 6th is the shortest and may be the most fun. With distant mountains unfolding and rolling down in back-

drop, this plays tougher than its 18 handicap. The tee shot must carry a huge waste bunker and intersecting creek. The green is 20 yards wide and 37 deep and encircled by three bunkers.

Par 4s constitute seven of the eight hardest holes on the course and stretch as far as 460 yards (the 15th). The 393-yard 8th is a slight dogleg left which becomes more difficult as the years progress. The inside angle has a large over-hanging tree which, at the time of the construction was supposed to have been cut. However, the caring locals would not remove it: the spirits and ghosts wanted it to be protected.

And be aware of this spirit-hole as

LIHN’S Best Best of of Thailand Thailand GOLF GOLF GUIDE GUIDE 2013 2013 LIHN’S

17 17

Springfield Royal Country Club Recreational

you approach for your second shot – the tree is said to be over 150 years old.

The big challenge is the uphill, right-angle 422-yard 13th. Your tee shot must miss the traps on both sides of fairways and expansive water running up to the entire right side start at the landing zone. The approach must carry water to a long, narrow, sloping green.

The daunting finishing hole is a par-5, 527-yard double-dogleg that travels in three different directions over the flexuous fairway. Your tee-shot must avoid two bunkers short on the left side and a trap running up the right, and lay up at the lake. Floating on the other side is a generous circular green with a slight mound.

Amble back to the handsome clubhouse, walk up the stairs, hang a left, check in for the night, enjoy dinner and do it all again.

“Superb early-Nicklaus layout and a comfortable resort with an outstanding spa, good food and tennis courts.” “Course condition has improved.”

Professional “When maintained, Springfield provides an excellent, fair round of golf.”

The Specifics Type: resort (97 hotel rooms and suites) Greens Fees: 3,500 B Caddies /Carts: 300/750 Baht Layout: 18-hole, par-72 Mountain/Lake 18-hole, par-72 7,043 Gold 6,695 Blue 6,285 White 5,660 Red 4,964 Green Valley 3,673 3,454 3,251 2,991 2,534

Gold Blue White Red Green

Rating/Slope: 73.2/130 71.6/127 69.6/119 72.0/123 n/a With Lake 74.3/136 72.6/132 70.7/123 73.7/128 n/a

Designer: Jack Nicklaus, 1993 / Valley course: Schmidt-Curley, 2006 GM: Pro Jack Arnajak Attapreyangkul DoG: Michael van Amelsvoort Instruction: Golf Learning Center ( Junior Camps, Golf School) Practice Facility: driving range, chipping green, putting green Walking: permitted

Getting There 208 Moo 2, Sampraya, Cha-Am, Petchburi 76120, Thailand Tel. + 66(0) 3270-9222-5 Fax. +66(0) 3270-9234

HUA HUAHIN HIN

www.springfieldresort.com reservationbkk@springfieldresort.com

18

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

Nonsurgical Face-Lifting You can see the difference after your first treatment

Call for FREE Trial 087-351-7722 089-691-4442 www.bell-essential.com

4th floor, Times-Square Buildling, Sukhumvit 12-14 (Asoke)

LIHN’S Best Best of of Thailand Thailand GOLF GOLF GUIDE GUIDE 2013 2013 LIHN’S

19 19

Notes

MAJESTIC CREEK CC

MAJESTIC CREEK CC

EAGLE MILFORD GC & RESORT HUA HIN

This water-strewn, 27-hole course (built on 400 acres) was opened in 1993. This year the owner has taken a hands-on interest and the word on the street is that positive changes are being made. Bunkers to the left, bunkers to the right (totaling more than 100) and doglegs galore, will keep you on your toes. Water on 19 holes and rolling fairways placed against a backdrop of majestic mountains (they form the border with Myanmar) add to the visual splendor. I like the layout and ambiance. A leitmotif of understated, landscaped elegance: a rock sculpture as you approach the 1st tee, the quaint bridges at the 15th and 17th. +66 (03) 2 619 169

www.majesticcreekcc.com

Designed by Robert McFarland in 1992 and revamped in 2010, this course, 15-minutes south of Hua Hin in a wonderful bucolic setting, is dated and has been marginal in maintenance. It exists as an option for beginners looking for some practice, quiet, and a naturalistic backdrop. The 6,475 -yard track features nine quiescent holes followed by a scenic back side with uninterrupted views of the Gulf of Thailand and surrounding mountains. Check out the scampering peacocks running through the edge of the fairways. And the views. +66 (03) 257-2444 www.milford.co.th/golf_huahin.htm

HUA HIN

SEA PINE Royal Thai Army Sports Center Suanson Pradipat The Army originally developed this seaside site as a retreat for soldiers and veterans. Opened in September 2010 (four kilometers south of town) the course is set within bracken pine trees, towering mountains and the Gulf of Siam. It is “a tropical version of a links course,” the Generals say.

Designed with six holes beachside and 12 inland (divided by the railroad tracks), the sea breezes often dominate and dictate the degree of difficulty. The 7,350yard (6,350 from the middle of five sets of tees) track is diverse (ample carries over water on 14 holes; half are doglegs; sprawling beach bunkers abound), fun and aquatic. It sports a fair 131 Slope Rating. +66 (03) 251-5470 www.suansongolf.com

20

rtasportscenterii@hotmail.com

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

SEA PINE

Notes ROYAL HUA HIN

ROYAL HUA HIN The oldest golf course in Thailand, it is carved over 240 acres of natural terrain – in an era when bulldozers did not exist and men and mules sculpted the landscape.

Construction began in 1919. This 6,678-yard course (with only two tees) has preserved its aura, class, the original clubhouse and all 18 holes. A 130 slope rating makes this more than just a viewing pleasure. The course has adorable simplicity. The flat, wide terrain has no gimmicks (except for some marvelous topiary). It was built by hand and is still watered by hand. +66 (03) 251- 2475 www.golfhuahin.com/royalhuahin

IMPERIAL LAKEVIEW Sitting on the western side of the Gulf of Thailand in Cha-Am, a two-hour drive south of Bangkok, this is the oldest beach resort in Thailand. The 6,915-yard Championship Course opened in 1993 amidst 1,100 rai (500 acres) of rolling hills and lakes with bunkered fairways, plentiful doglegs and more than 100 mounded bunkers.

The greens are fabricated and gyrating and, perhaps, a bit too tricky and sloping. A nine-hole track, the Desert Course, was added in 1997 and is strikingly distinct.

Resort villas have 75 rooms along with a pool, squash court, tennis courts and fitness facilities. Maintenance continues to be an issue. +66 (03) 270 9100

www.imperialhotels.com

iMPERIAL LAKEVIEW PALM HILLS

Anchored by its affordable 6,892-yard golf course on 1,600 rai (750 acres) of rolling landscape, it offers some distant sea views. Designed in 1992 by American architect Max Wexler, the topographical highlights are the low hills that edge and accent many of the holes and several distant views of the Gulf of Siam. The course features wide and gently rolling fairways; 11 doglegs; and water on more than half the holes. With the strategic placement of fairway bunkers and water framing a good deal of the course, it requires accuracy. Conditioning and water recurring problems. +66 (03) 252-0801 www.palmhills-golf.com

info@palmhills-golf.com

PALM HILLS

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

21

22

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

23

BANGKOK BANGKOK

PLACES TO STAY

O

ne of the principal benefits of visiting Thailand is value. The glory of the trip emerges when that value blends in an extraordinary fusion of luxury, service and special amenities.

Then your vacation becomes something special.

During my nearly 10 years of traveling in and out of Thailand (with considerable time spent in Bangkok), I have been a guest at countless (literally) hotels, resorts and serviced apartments.

Nowhere in my exhaustive travels have I encountered a country (and major city) with such value-added luxury. It’s a wonderful currency.

Centre Point Petchburi Centre Point Sukhumvit Centre Point Silom Centre Point Langsuan Centre Point Saladaeng Centre Point Wireless Road Centre Point Sukhumvit-Thong Lo Grande Centre Point Ratchadamri Grande Centre Point Sukhumvit -

Terminal 21

+66 (02) 630-6345-9 reservations@centrepoint.com www.centrepoint.com

C

entre Point is the premium provider for both longand short-term guests in Bangkok. The spacious rooms and suites are elegantly designed with fullyequipped facilities (pantry and kitchen utensils, microwave, and washing machine with dryer in many).

The studio, one-bedroom and executive suites house long-term guests, a hallmark of the Centre Point brand (which has six hotels and residences and three dedicated serviced apartments in Bangkok).

I stayed for weeks with my brother at the imposing Grande Centre Point Hotel & Residence Ratchadamri, where we dwelled in a capacious two-bedroom apartment in this marvelous 500+ room hotel. He suffered from vitamin deficiency and spent two nights in a hospital. The thoughtful GM, Khun Ying, visited him (with a glorious bouquet!). Upon his return– the staff looked after him, sending up desserts and a get-well card.

Impressive.

GRANDE CENTRE POINT HOTEL & RESIDENCE RATCHADAMRI

24

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

BANGKOK

THE PENINSULA BANGKOK

I

f this hotel were a woman, I would propose.

Elegant, sleek, worldly, sophisticated and suffused with Old-World charm, the Peninsula is one of the best in Bangkok. It holds your hand, caresses you and whispers in your ear. It’s love at first visit.

Towering over the frenetic Chao Phraya River – and a rapid ferry ride to the shopping and business enclaves (and the BTS) – this gracious hotel personifies class and luxury.

“We make your visit special,” says Khun Chalee, the Director of Public Relations, as she took my impressed CEO, Khun Bew and me from room, to spa, to pool, to the restaurants.

And much to relate here: it’s eye-opening and superb.

Arrive by car, riverboat or helicopter. Travel in a Rolls Royce or a custom, open-air tuk-tuk.

It is grand. Plush. Oozing style. It’s a favorite. And it was honored at the Top City Hotel in Asia in 2012 by Travel + Leisure.

Its 370 spacious guest rooms (a sumptuous 46 square meters) rising 37 floors and classical suites all provide sweeping, river views of the City of Angels.

The three-tiered pool flows t o w a r d t h e r i v e r. Te n n i s courts and a Fitness Center keep you buff, and our restaurants require you to (try the idyllic Thipara, for Thai food by the river; Mei Jiang is award-winning). The spa is magic.

Romantic? You bet. Busin e s s ? Vo t e d t h i r d b e s t business hotel in Asia-Pacific.

A must.

Rooms: 370 Fitness: splendid Pool: infinity (above) Restaurants: Chinese, Thai (outdoor) especially 333 Charoennakorn Road, Klongsan, Bangkok 10600 +66 (02) 861 -2888 pbk@peninsula.com www.peninsula.com/bangkok

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

25

BANGKOK

SHANGRI-LA HOTEL, BANGKOK

Rooms:

Pools: Spa: Restaurants & Bars: Fitness:

802 (two adjacent towers: Shangri-La Wing and Krungthep Wing) one at each Wing award-winning CHI, The Spa Salathip, Angelini, NEXT2 Café, Shang Palace, The Chocolate Boutique The Long Bar, Lobby and Riverside Lounges Health Club; tennis courts

I

f you travel in this hemisphere, this hotel is no stranger to you. World-renowned and elegant in every aspect, the Shangri-La brand is synonymous with tasteful luxury and distinguished service.

I have listened to the string symphony playing nightly in the cathedral-ceiling lobby of the Makati Shangri-La in Manila; boated to the stunning new resort in Boracay; been dazzled by the extended architecture in Singapore (and, ohh, that Valley Wing!). I had a blissful stay in Abu Dhabi (and still have the leather-encased flash-drive they gifted me!).

And enjoyed the pomp and celebration of an international film festival in Bangkok.

The brand is superb. It’s all class.

The Shangri-La has towered over the Chao Phraya River for 26 years and continues to impress and shine.

While all of the formal accoutrements and details gives the guest comfort, it’s the exuberance that makes it special.

26

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

+66 (0) 2 236 7777 +66 (0) 2 236 8579 Fax 89 Soi Wat Suan Plu, New Road, Bangrak, Bangkok, 10500, Thailand www.shangri-la.com/bangkok

BANGKOK

HANSAR BANGKOK HOTEL

Suites: Pool: Spa:

94 (five categories, 59 to 125 sqm) 26-meter infinity swimming pool full-service spa (eight treatment rooms) with garden, and salon Restaurants Eve, Café Boca, Vue (live piano) & Bar: Zest (pool bar) Fitness: double story, state-of-the-art Lifefitness

equipment and yoga room Parking: 40 spots for hotel

“H

ansar: …to be in the moment of great happiness or enjoyment.”How apt is that Sanskrit: sky gardens and vertical green walls with tropical plants; a fantastic, central-Bangkok location; muted grace and sophistication; handsome, capacious suites.

The roomy guest suites (59 to 82 sqm; and two duplex Loft Suites at 125 sqm – with butler), are bedecked with teak furniture and built-ins, imported silk fabrics and wall coverings, hand-woven carpets, and lighting fixtures – all custom-designed. It is suffused with Thai culture.

Everything, it seems, is elegantly-outsized:

+66 (0) 22 091 234 +66 (0) 22 091 1212 Fax 3 Soi Mahadlekluang 2 Rajdamri Road, Lumpini Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330 www.hansarbangkok.com

•

the dramatic, 10th floor, Luxsa spa with a 100-meter teak corridor with eight treatment rooms (turn right and walk to the end for a special premier private suite with Jacuzzi and shower surrounded by tropical gardens)

•

a double-story fitness center and yoga room

•

the spacious but cozy restaurants: Eve (romantic) and Café Boca

•

the Rooftop Sky Terrace

The warm-tones, high ceilings, hanging gardens and sensational space make this a splendid, luxurious aerie in the heart of bustling Bangkok.

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

27

HUA HIN

T

Golfers who enjoy athletic diversity will enjoy the tennis and squash courts, the fitness center the riding track (saddle up), and a potpourri of water sports. And the Spa.

This is a complete resort experience. With 52 acres, privacy and quiet prevail.

And the luxurious and essential details: plush bathrobes; thick pillows; a bathtub and shower; a scale; shoeshine (my sandals never looked so good); and bottled water everywhere.

his is a class act: aristocratic, stately, elegant and a wonderful blend of cozy and grand.

Entering the majestic, lofty, high-ceiling lobby makes you wish you wore your tuxedo and brought your butler. Yet a pervasive sense of relaxation hovers. Happy faces greet you, inquire about your needs and assist along the way.

Its long beachfront and capacious swimming pool gleam from the terraces of the 296 rooms and suites spread across seven floors.

It is special. It is looked after by a general manager who has been on hand since the opening 22 years ago. The PR director has been there for 10 years. Hey, why leave?

I enjoyed the food. Four restaurants provide superb options. Breakfast is a favorite of mine and the Dusit starts off your day in style: hot waffles, smoked fish, fruit, breads…

Spoil yourself and jump into a suite: 84 square meters of well-appointed joy with a living room.

Elegance.

Rooms: 296 Fitness: imposing Pool: more imposing Restaurants: elegant and great choices 1349 Petchkasem Road, Cha-am, Petchburi 76120 +66 (03) 252-0009 dthhrsvn@dusit.com www.dusit.com

DUSIT THANI HUA HIN HILTON HUA HIN

I

have always enjoyed this resort hotel. Nestled in the heart of quaint Hua Hin, I have stayed often during the past 10 years. It is a favorite.

It towers over the sea and all of its capacious 296 rooms have balconies that overlook the Gulf of Thailand.

Secluded gardens invite a nocturnal stroll.

The location is ideal; the décor and ambiance warm; the cozy but stylish lounge – with soft, live music, drinks and snacks – is a charming conclusion to an active day; the terrific spa will energize and relax you (do it right after a round of golf); the dining first-rate (five restaurants, two award-winning White Lotus, Chinese cusine on the 17th floor); and the service always hands-on: lots of smiles from a ubiquitous staff.

The pool (with Jacuzzi and slide) is perched on the edge of the beach. If that doesn’t dazzle the kids, enlist in the Siam Adventure Club and jump into the Fitness Center, onto the two tennis courts, try yoga, darts… and, by all means, use Kidz Paradise to entertain the youngsters while you are at one of six area golf courses.

If you are going with your buddies to play golf, bringing the family for a holiday, or simply for a weekend of pure romance – this is it.

Rooms: 296 Fitness: complete Pool: imposing Restaurants: five and six bars

28

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

33 Naresdamri Road, Hua Hin, 77110 +66 (03) 253-8999 huahin.reservations@hilton.com www.huahin.hilton.com

PATTAYA

PATTAYA MARRIOTT RESORT & SPA

PATTAYA

Rooms: 298 Fitness: huge (2 tennis courts) Pool: courtyard (big) Restaurants: two plus bars

D

uring my maiden trip to the golf courses in Pattaya in 2004, I was a guest at this city-center resort (JW Marriott and the Minor Group were a major sponsor of that Guide).

The venerable GM, Somsak Tanruengsri (an avid golfer), was a gracious host, providing a late-night dinner and a welcoming (and rejuvenating) Thai massage in my room. I needed it and he could tell.

Beside its excellent location, this 10-story hotel (268 rooms and 30 suites) features a marvelous spa, two restaurants, complimentary indoor parking, and a swimming pool (that is so mysteriously peaceful you marvel that through the back entrance the Beach Road has traffic hurdling south toward the Walking Street).

I n e v e r f o r g o t t h a t h o s p i t a l i t y. G r a c i o u s , professional and courteous. Made me want to return.

So I did over the years.

The hotel is, also, a favorite among repeat guests because of this attentive and cosseting treatment that extends from all of the staff.

Golfers thrive here because of the service and amenities. In the morning they haul their bags and radiate out to the nearly 20 courses populating the region (two Siam CC courses and St. Andrews 2000 are outstanding).

For convenience, service and cozy comfort in an urban setting, drop in. Khun Somsak and his attentive team are there to graciously greet you.

218 M.10 Beach Road,Pattaya, 20260 +66 (03) 841-2120 pattayamarriott@minornet.com www.marriott.com/PYXMC

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

29

PATTAYA

Rooms: 61 Fitness: yes Pools: yes, and in villas Restaurant: on the beach (new chef coming!)

78/4 M.8 Sukhumwit K.M. 163 Na Jomtien, Sattathip, Chonburi 20250

PATTAYA SEA SAND SUN RESORT AND SPA

I

visited this jewel of a villa-resort twice during the course of the summer and – how does the song go: “…love’s more wonderful the second time around…”

A 20-minute drive south of Pattaya, this boutique vacation jewel provides a glorious romantic get-a-way and/or a happy family retreat.

I ran on the quiet, private beach this morning, dunked into the infinity pool later in the afternoon, and nibbled some terrific food (prepared by a new and enthusiastic chef just in from Bangkok).

“We are a smaller brand and must exemplify service to satisfy our guests,” says Nitipat (Magun) Patchimnan, the energetic managing director for the past five years. “We expect them all to return. Our staff is excellent.” Witness the new chef, who is designing a special menu for November guests. This is a handson operation.

The treat here are the elegant 61 spacious villas that each provide: a living room, outdoor shower (indoor bathtub) and a Jacuzzi/pool on your private deck (with an awning). Pretty swank.

And the privacy. Glorious.

Golf courses are close by, as is the famous Nong Nooch Garden.

But closest of all is the cheer, conviviality and attention to detail (check out the amenity box in the bathroom – Khun Magun, I took it home! – a great touch) that make the stay special.

30

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

+66 (03) 823-8654-8 sales@seasandsunpty.com www.seasandsunpty.com

SAMUI

INTERCONTINENTAL SAMUI BAAN TALING NGAM RESORT

Rooms: 79 Fitness: yes Pools: see below Restaurants: many enticing options; and private dining (pier, fireside) 295 Moo 3, Taling Ngam Beach Suratthani, Koh Samui, 84140 +66 (07) 742-9100 reservations@ickohsamui.com www. samui.intercontinental.com

B

aan Taling Ngam” means “home on a beautiful cliff.” Talk about an understatement.

Weather and schedule kept interfering. But my sponsor from Coca-Cola made the journey and raved.

Koh Samui is blessed with a cornucopia of luxury beach properties.

This western Samui resort – tucked away on 22 acres and hovering on a breathtaking 120-meter cliff – is exquisite.

“Whew! It’s a classic,” according to Tanaporn Khositaphai, the marketing guru from Coke. “Elegant. Service, style, views, peaceful, seven swimming pools, an elevated Spa, a private beach [with 150m licensed private jetty]…” he reminisced. “First-class. It’s in that

I haven’t been to this resort aerie yet, but not because I haven’t tried.

L

SHASA HOTELS

ayered with a quiet, understated charm – but exuberantly spatial – this 33-villa resort exudes cheerfulness.

This is simplistic but outsized luxury with ballroom-sized interiors and sweeping balconies extolling sea views.

Eight 3-BR villas each sprawl over 250 sqm (a giant bath tub serves as an indoor kidie pool); a two-BR, duplex beachfront villa (320 sqm) comes with a butler, plunge pool and a roof-top veranda that could land a Huey helicopter (and urges you to beckon the Spa masseuse

book as one of the thousand places to go before I die,” he laughed.

The 79 guest-rooms, suites and beachfront villas with private plunge-pools feature outstanding vistas.

And this news just in: World Travel Awards has just anointed Samui Intercontinental Thailand’s Leading Beach Resort and Thailand’s Leading New Resort.

I’m on my way.

to the covered sala). And 24 convertible one/two-BR “suites” (I call them apartments) offer nearly 150 sqm of magnanimous, comfortable living space (with a washer/ dryer).

Music floated in the air. In the morning an orchestral, Mozart-like fugue hovered over the hydrotherapy pool (this you have to experience) and drifted past the fish pond, the two terraced pools, and down to the beach.

“But tell me now, and I won’t ask again, will you still love me to-mor-row?” The Shirelles. You bet I will.

Hopeful and happy.

Rooms: 32 enormous villas; one mammoth three-BR Beachfront Pool Villa Fitness: small, with a sea view pools: three, narrow Restaurants: casual / poolside 116/1 Moo 2 Tambon Mared, Laem Set Koh Samui, +66 (07) 791-3888 +66 (07) 791-3899 Fax www.shasahotels.com unforgettable@shasahotels.com

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

31

PHUKET

Rooms: 190 rooms, suites and private villas Fitness: above the pool near the kiddie center, Spa pools: see above – idyllic Restaurants: four (great views, classy service and sea breezes) 338/1 Prabaramee Road, Patong Beach Kathu, Phuket, Thailand 83150 rsvn@kalimaresort.com www.kalimaresort.com +66 (0) 76 358-999 +66 (0) 76 358-988 Fax

KALIMA

T

his towering, contemporary resort grips the steep acclivity of a terraced cliff overhanging Kalim Beach and rises dramatically (and precipitously) high over the western coastline of Phuket.

Actually, it hovers. What a view!

I arrived in the lobby, greeted by the enthusiastic and kinetic GM, Somchai Suwannagate, who – believe it or not – patrols, inspects and watches after his guests on foot, upand-down what must be a

thousand stairs. What a work out.

An Ironman with a happy smile. The property personifies his enthusiasm.

The pool is majestic. The rooms have balconies. And we have many options for couples, honeymooners, families…” [even Bedouin tribes – the Private Pool Villa at the top of the property is 361 sqm; and if you walk, hire a Sherpa].

Seaview elevators and ubiquitous stairs ascend gloriously to infinity pools, a fitness center, spa, two openair (lovely breezes) restaurants (four

Rooms: 67 pool villas Pools/Beach: at the beach, at the villas / sweeping and isolated Spa: overwhelming – you need a week to enjoy all

of the glorify (try Watsu) Restaurants: My Grill (dinner), Tonsai, at the beach; in-villa dining & Bar: Z Bar tapas and drinks by the sea at

in all) with 220-degree vertiginous views focusing on panoramic Patong Beach and the arcing shoreline stenciled with beachfront architecture.

From all of its 190 spanking-new rooms – and the options,generous: Seaview (45 sqm); Family Suite (72 sqm); a bevy of Honeymoon suites and duplexes; private villas – you see the Sea. Talk about “rising to the top” of hotel significance over Patong Bay. Towering and terrific.

THE NAKA ISLAND

I

t’s a wonderful and exhilarating beginning: foam in the air and wind in your hair as you begin your 10-minute speedboat scamper across the sea – on a moment’s notice: “you don’t wait for it, it waits for you”* – to this private, delightfully romantic, naturalistic, and tropically-exotic island.

And what is in store at this newly-anointed and stylish Starwood Luxury Collection Resort & Spa as you float in?

Well…the aura of a soothing nature-preserve; a profusion of smiles at the dock; cheer and exuberance as you are escorted to one of the 67 private-pool villas; a divine (the best on the beach I have seen) fitness center; a Brobdingnagian, über-luxurious spa (you could have each digit of your toes and hands rubbed in a separate space and still have treatment rooms left over); cycling, BBQ-ing; snorkeling and…kayaking.

32 MOO 5 TAMBOL PAKLOK AMPHUR THALANG, PHUKET 83110 theluxurycollection.com/naka

But, ala-The Naka, this, also, is done with fun-filled panache: the engaging and vigorous GM, Erich Friedl*, (whose ubiquitous presence throughout the resort – he meets and greets guests at the dock, and at the Z Bar as the shimmering sunset erupts in its evening glory – personifies the benchmark attentive service), encourages guests to paddle around the [ ]-kilometer island.

Service and style; intimacy and smiles. Terrific.

+66 (0) 76 371 499

32

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

PHUKET

T

CAPE SIENNA

his tropical-urbane resort tiptoes up the serene Kamala Beach hillside. Perched in three ascending tiers on Phuket’s western edge, Cape Sienna boasts space, grace, a wonderfully casual attitude and sweeping views into the deep, Andaman Sea sunset.

It’s peaceful, popular, buoyant and relaxing – with a subdued, chic swagger that belies its poised demeanor and cosmopolitan decor.

The enthusiastic staff sports a delightful combination of serious service and happy bonhomie. They keep it cheerful for the many couples that come to luxuriate (children must be over 12) and hold hands (indeed, it was Travellers’ Choice 2010, Most Romantic Hotel in Asia).

“All 146 rooms are blessed with sea views,” smiled Frank Dreist, the GM, gate-keeper and project midwife who nurtured the opening four years ago. “We have nine exclusive, spacious, three-to-four be room villas, which sit on the oceanfront cliffs, each with a private pool. Quite a romantic setting for the dazzling sunsets!”

The epicenter of the relaxation is the 30-meter marble pool and infinity Jacuzzi, and nests of chaise lounges.

A state-of-the-art health club keeps you buff; and the Balance Spa is a perfect antidote to the all-day stress of deciding which part of your body to tan.

I

Rooms: 146; nine luxurious villas Fitness: complete pools: the centerpiece/a short journey Restaurants: three, with views 18/40 Moo 6, Nakalay Road, Kamala Kathu, Phuket, Thailand 83150 mail@capesienna.com www.capesienna.com +66 (0) 76 337-300 +66 (0) 76 337-399 Fax

by flickering torches.

certainly enjoyed this journey.

I climbed on board, and the cheerful crew-of-two revved it up. We skimmed southeast for 35 minutes on our 20 kilometer voyage to Racha Yai Island with the sinking sun to our backs.

Ahhh…the sensations and the visuals: warm salt spray, islands on the horizon becoming happy reality, a young couple in front of me snuggling and giggling in anticipation – and did I see dancing dolphins and mermaids on the leeward side?

Then the peerless cove and arcing beach; and, above, the terraced sweep of villas (and the Lighthouse) all framed by lush green palm trees.

You dream about a romantic rendezvous on a private island, holding hands on a powder-puff beach, sitting on the edge of your villa pool contemplating infinite contentment, dining under a blaze of stars – your table softly illuminated

Can it get any better than this?

I asked Gerard Tan, the affable and courtly GM who had been shaping this glorious vacation experience (20 acres of luscious tropical scenery and 85 luxurious “eco-chic minimalist” villas in eight categories) for six years, how he manages to keep the magic going.

“We create memories here. Private, quiet, intimate moments.

We are self-contained. That wonderful beach, private pools, world-class spa [25,000 sqf, famous Dive Center; and kayaking, snorkeling, yoga, cooking classes, tennis, even star-gazing!” he laughed.

If it’s secluded intimacy and contemplative privacy you seek, this is your Nirvana.

A wonderful sanctuary.

Rooms: 85 villas (eight categories, six with pools) Fitness: has it all plus a beach view pools: large and many / idyllic cove, Restaurants: four

THE RACHA PHUKET

42/12-13 Moo 5, Rawai, Muang, Phuket 83130 reservation@theracha.com www.theracha.com +66 (0) 76 355-455

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

33

CHIANG PHUKET MAI

MAIKHAO DREAM VILLA RESORT & SPA

L

ess than 15 minutes from the airport (ahhh….location), it exemplifies excellence without opulence. It suffuses elegance.

event I got lost. I needed a map to find the fourth bathroom.

But I certainly enjoyed the handsome stroll (s) through the labyrinth of eurythmic interior design.

The resort offers a stately venue for the elite vacationer who seeks solitude, grace and luxury – and, certainly, space. But count your farthings: this surfeit of sumptuous pleasures and superb detail comes at a price.

And he escorted me to the serene, expansive, private beach – so privileged, it seemed that each wave, too, had its own butler; each ripple its own valet.

This romantic resort showcases 22 capacious pool villas.

The 11 three-bedroom quasi-mansions, are each a gargantuan 650 square meters (imagine: a Brobdingnagian two-story villa with a second-story pool that waterfalls below to the main pool; a pantry the size of most hotel rooms; two outdoor decks; a pool-side sala; four bathrooms; five TVs; a living room that can serve as a conference center; four stop signs and a traffic light – I made that up).

I kept the butler (né villa tour-guide) at my side in the

Villas: Pools/Beach: Spa: Restaurants: Fitness:

I was a guest of Zhanel Tyurina, the intensely animated MD (and its sister resort in Natai – 20 minutes north on another gorgeous beach) who clearly has her heart, soul and vigorous mind into enhancing every operating aspect of this property: “We aspire to make this a significant, memorable experience for the wealthy vacationer seeking pampered service, consummate style and privacy. Vacationing with us is a considerable commitment.”

With its private, spacious and classic luxury, it personifies the very best.

22 (11 three-BR; 11 two BR) 33 (expansive) /serene, technicolor elegant (spa suite, double treatment…) four (beachside to haute cuisine) private training, Pilates, yoga

138/12 Moo 4, Mai Khao, Thalang, Phuket, Thailand 83110 +66 (07) 637-1371 Fax: +66 (07) 637-1372 maikhaorsvn@maikhaodream.com - www.maikhaodream.com

34

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

So at the end of a long, frenetic Phuket visit, I picked up on an invitation from Zhanel Tyurina, the MD who had earlier hosted me at the Villa, followed my instinct about hotel gene pools, and drove north to Phang Na into the edge of a sunset.

Well, someone had sprinkled a bit of pixie dust before I arrived. New, buoyant and elegant – it was a happy surprise.

With the sun arcing over the Andaman Sea and adding ambient illumination to the soothing sand, this became a luxurious rendezvous with a classy, fully-accoutered resort.

What a terrific spot to simply unwind. For the relentless lounge lizards, this is nowhere near the thumping Phuket

PHUKET

T

his property, a half-hour north of Phuket Airport in quaint and sleepy Natai, was not on our five-star map.

cacophony of Patong Beach (well over an hour to the south).

This resort is about respite, relaxation, peace of mind and a special date with Mother Nature (the beach side of the family) – and a lot of attention to felicitous details (flowers, amenities, slippers, newspapers…).

A 56-room, horse-shoe shaped building framing a pool features splendid diversions: an elegant spa; fitness center; supervised playroom; pool table; business center .

Two restaurants (fresh vegetables and fruit are organically farmed down the road) of Epicurean simplicity nest at either end of the building on the lip of the secluded, unspoiled (and divinely quiet) beach that spills into the sea.

This is a restorative Camelot.

MAIKHAO DREAM NATAI Rooms: Pools/Beach: Spa: Restaurants: Fitness:

intimate 56 (78-107 sqm) sprawling/private, gorgeous three-story, seven rooms four (rooftop, beachside, fine dining) motivational design!

55 Moo 6, Kok Kloi, Takuathung, Phang Nga +66 (07) 640-1301 Fax: +66 (0)76 401-305 natairsvn@maikhaodream.com www.maikhaodream.com

T

TWIN PALMS

his was a delightful reunion.

I had met the Swedish owner(s) and many of the Thai staff when this sleek and refined contemporary resort first opened in 2004.

I remembered Khun Somjai, now the Executive Manager (and all-purpose asset of the resort). Over her shoulder I noticed the elongated pool, handsomely arbored by trees (“330,” she tells me “and over 6,000 plants”) that seemed like thin reeds nine years ago. The refurbished sun deck boasted frolicking bare feet.

“We are always improving the property,” she smiled.

I discovered that the consummate hospitality, compassion, style, camaraderie – and benchmark service – remained after all of these years. Conscientious staff members, whose smiling faces I remember, remained to serve. Vacationers return in seasonal rhythm.

The charm, the elegant minimalist style, the infectious joy, the animated guests, the exceptional kitchen, the plethora of pools – the sunshine – are all still in place. And more: Burnishing the luster of this 97-room resort idyll are: 21 suites added in 2009 (the Residences) Catch Beach Club, a seven-minute stroll from the lobby, showcasing a scrumptious dinner buffet ; and three bakeries (ask Khun Somjai for the story).

And a spa, wine room, fitness center, library and – if you desire an ocean outing – a 76-foot yacht. Classy.

Rooms: Pools/beach: Spa: Restaurants: Fitness:

97 (21 duplexes, penthouses and suites) enormous and many / short walk to the cove Palm Spa three at the hotel and the beachclub wine Room, international guest chefs extensive

+66 (07) 631-6500 - +66 (07) 631-6599 Fax Surin Beach Road, Cherng Talay, Phuket 83110 book@twinpalms-phuket.com - www.twinpalms-phuket.com

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

35

CHIANG MAI +66 (81) 882-8345 Howie@HowiesHomeStay.com http://howieshomestay.com

Y

ou talk about an exquisite B&B! This is off the charts.

HOWIES HOMESTAY

First, a disclosure: I know Howard Feldman, and watched as he and worldfamous architect Bill Bensley created this manse over a 10-year period. Lovingly designed and magnificently constructed, this is a masterpiece, a veritable tour de force.

I have spent many weekends visiting him and his darling wife and have thrived on the hospitality. This guy can cook, entertain, fix your luggage, and book your next flight to Bhutan. He may be Chiang Mai’s only renaissance man!

The neighboring Four Seasons often uses his estate for functions.

For the guest, it is an elegant sanctuary.

Quiet, luxurious, private, stunning, and – most of all – tasteful. And expensive.

Check out the Web site and drool. Six stars. Maybe a constellation.

Go.

36

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

Tips for Thailand Street Food It proliferates and is cheap.

Portable kitchens pop up at lunch and dinnertime like forest mushrooms and people dine al fresco at tables on the sidewalk. Fruit vendors are a good deal.

Business The Thailand Tango…too often in Thailand transactions are delayed or stalled because of a face-saving custom that believes that “saying no” is bad. So the Westerner thinks he has evoked some interest, only to discover none exists. Or the Thai businessman changes his mind. Or she signs an agreement and then changes her mind. I have dubbed this: “the Thailand Tango” – three steps forward, two steps back (and many to the side). Don’t be frustrated – prevail with patience.

Transportation Cheap with varying degrees of efficiency.

BTS (Skytrain): limited to downtown, but glorious and great exercise up the stairs.

MRT (Underground): excellent, clean, efficient.

Taxis: Bring directions. Some of the most disoriented drivers on the planet. KNOW THE WAY. But cheap. Have correct change.Be patient. There is no grid system and Sois wander.

Directions: It’s hilarious to listen to a three-minute “na ka” session of direction-giving and then you take 2 turns and go straight. I limit my driver to 30 seconds to get it right.

Sidewalks: Not great and crowed with stalls. Take your strolls early in the morning.

Canals: Fetid. Chao Praya River is as dirty as any waterway I have seen. When you take a ferry across, you will avoid three strains of meningitis by keeping dry. But a boat shuttles many along the canals.

Tuk-Tuks: If you are a farang, be careful to avoid overpaying. Never pay more than 100 Baht (US $2.50) Motorbikes: These “Bangkok helicopters” are often the only way to negotiate the mean, over-trafficked, stop-and-never-go bedlam of the Bangkok streets. But you must be brave, for they are not for the timid. They weave, negotiate one-way streets (both ways – “Isn’t this a one-way street?” I once queried to a semi-bilingual driver. “I am going one way!”)

Car Service: if you must travel around Bangkok, use one.

Shopping And Sightseeing Splendid and so affordable. Tailored suits, shirts, blouses, dresses, slacks. Jewelry. Fabric. Leather goods. Street food. DVDs. Places to go and things to eat on the way.

Malls • Central World • MBK • Siam Paragon • Emporium • Terminal 21 (6th floor food court) • Gaysorn Plaza • Central Chitlom (basement food court) Chatuchak Weekend Market, Night Markets Bustling, inexpensive markets are scattered all over Thailand. In Bangkok, this is the main attraction – acres of it – steps away from the BTS and MRT. Also Suan-Luan across from Lumpini Park, Patpong, on Silom and up and down Sukhumvit and Khao Sarn Road (also budget hotels and pubs).

Muay Thai Exciting, kinetic and noisy. Lumpini Boxing Stadium on Rama 4 Rd. Siam Niramit A grandiose tour through Thai culture and history, as it keeps the mystical past alive.

Grand Palace, Vimanmek Palace Musts for the enthusiastic sight-seers. The former is grand, the latter the largest golden teak building in the world (19th century).

Wat Arun, Wat Pho, Wat Phra Kaew The Temple of the Dawn, the reclining Golden Buddha (and Thai massage) and the Gallery of Murals.

Nattayasala In 1985, Joe Louis revived the puppets that had been missing from the Thai culture for 50 years.

Massage Fantastic. Everywhere in the Kingdom. Thai massage to stretch and oil to relax. Very inexpensive at spas and shops dotting – it seems – every Soi.

Bicycles: How? Where? Try Lumpini Park.

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

37

Caddies

C

addies. Female caddies. Savvy, female caddies. Savvy, well-trained, female caddies. And some who are better golfers than you.

They walk with you or drive your “buggy,” chose your club, calibrate the distances, analyze the wind, fill your divots, find your errant shot, correct your putting line and keep your record-breaking score.

They know every valley and hazard in the fairway, every dip and danger in the turf and every break and bump on the greens.

And smile.

In Thailand, caddies are as traditional and significant to the game of golf as dimples on a golf ball. Caddies in the Kingdom are as relevant as diamonds to an engagement ring wings to an airplane, wheels on a golf cart and sticky-rice with mangos.

In multi-colored uniforms and wide-rimmed hats, which zealously protect them for the ubiquitous sun, as many as 300 to 600 caddies populate a golfing facility.

The fee is 200 Baht (US $4) plus tip. Are you kidding?

Helpful, marvelous valuable and fun.

Some members have a steady favorite and many golfers hire two or more hold an umbrella, bring extra cheer or simply join the party.

It makes golf in Thailand unique and special.

And, thanks to the wonderful vagaries of international exchange rates, probably the most compelling golf value in Asia, and maybe the planet.

Welcome to the Kingdom of Smiles.

For 18 pampered holes she’s a butler, a valet, a cheer leader, a partner and a strategist. All for the price of a topgrade golf ball at your country club pro shop. Another astonishing value.

Smiling, perky, cheerleading and knowledgeable. Many are university educated who caddied after school and weekends and find the outdoors, the hospitality, conviviality and generous tips too much of an allure to trade for a mundane job at a desk.

38

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

LAOS Long Thanh-Vien Golf Club Dansavanh Nam Ngum Golf & Country Club Lao Country Club SEA Games Golf Club Lao Inter Golf Club & Resort Vientiane Club KM6

LIHN’SBest Bestof ofThailand ThailandGOLF GOLFGUIDE GUIDE2013 2013 LIHN’S

39

Long Thanh-Vien Golf Club

LAOS

Y

40

ep, there’s a new kid in town and he’s taking over the high school. He happens to be the star football player, Homecoming King, Class Valedictorian and every mother’s favorite boyfriend. A certifiable All-Star and All-Asian superhero. And a polite, humble, class act. Just a great kid.

ambitious 557 hectare (1,380 acre) master-plan that will include: 1,600 residential units, an additional 36-hole golf course, a five-star hotel, a school, hospital, and supermarket; all in a new free-trade zone 20 kilometers east of Vientiane. The US $1 billion projected investment is the largest foreign project in Laos.

Well, this golf course deserves the same accolades: it is one sensational, gorgeous, world-class facility.

Long Thanh-Vientiane GC is the younger brother of Long Thanh Golf Club & Residential Estate, an exclusive, classy, 36-hole resort located 40 minutes from Ho Chi Minh City in the southern economic triangle, built in 2001.

Long Thanh-Vientiane Golf Club, which rolled out its emerald green carpet this past November, is an unexpected – but brilliant – addition to golf in Vientiane. Its immaculate condition, intelligent layout, superlative (and humongous) clubhouse, dazzling driving range, and service is, frankly, astonishing in the burgeoning golfing environment of Laos.

This Laos golf sibling comes from the same outstanding DNA.

I was awed by the infrastructure and attention to details.

The course is gracious, extravagant and lovingly diverse. Five sets of tees begin at a staggering 7,538 yards (Black). My point of reference will be the Gold tees at 7,252 yards (the Blue is a reasonable 6,843).

The golf course is part of an

The magic of this layout is in the

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

reality that the local topography is Florida-flat. So to craft an elegant, challenging and absorbing course in this context is commendable. To make it fun and playable is terrific.

The par 3s are comfortably short (but for the 222-yard 5th) and wonderfully landscaped. The attractively short 7th and 17th (an elevated tee-box treats you to the best view of the course) are mirror-images with water down

l

l

l

l

l

l

the fairway, peninsula greens, and bookend bunkers.

The par 4s range from 373 yards (the 4th, a marvelous bunkerchallenged mini-dogleg with a false-front trap in front of a swale, in front of the green) to 471 yards.

The variety of variables gives this course vigor and verve – in a word, panache.

Water: the footprint of this course is a tapestry of lakes, ponds and creeks – which appear on every hole. It seems like Venice. I gave up my cart and caddy and asked for a boat and gondolier.

Distance: its championship-long (grueling) from the tips and even a wee lengthy from the Gold.

Fairways: besides being meticu lously manicured and shaped like a Miss Lao World contestant, the course boasts eight doglegs Bunkering: only 31 fairway and 24 greenside bunkers intrude and they are carved and sculpted. Interestingly, three par-4s (the 428-yard, dogleg-left 2nd; the 386-yard 11th; and the plumb straight 471-yard 16th) have no fairway and one greenside bunker.

Clubhouse: too regal, commodious and extraordinary to define. Walk into the Mens’ Locker Room and marvel.

Surprises: I counted seven blind tee- shots and 19 forgiving green side swales.Glorious golf.

Glorious golf.

Recreational “Absolutely sensational! Gobsmacked!”

“Brilliant infrastructure, unbelievable maintenance.” “One of the best in Asia.

Professional “This handsomely crafted track is in marvelous condition and already mature”

The Specifics Type: public

Greens Fees: $42 to $56 Caddies/Cart: inclusive/$22 Layout: 18-hole, par-72 Rating/Slope: 7,538 Black N/A 7,252 Gold 6,843 Blue 6,360 White 5,318 Red Architect: Peter Rousseau, 2012 Director of Golf: Long Hung, Nguyen Superintendent: Cong Minh, Duong Practice Facility: superb driving range, chipping green, extensive putting green(s) Walking: permitted

Getting There Km17, Tha Deua Road, Hatxaifong District, Vientiane, Lao PDR +856 (21) 335011, +856 (30) 977 8888 +856 (21) 335007 Fax booking@longviengolfresort.com Directions: one kilometer from Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge

The par 5s are long (two are over 600 yards) and straight (except for the 611-yard 14th) and sport three of the toughest handicaps.

LAOS

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

41

Dansavanh Nam Ngum Golf & Country Club

Recreational “Potentially, this is an outstanding course, but it has been ignored for too long.”

“New management came and went, so who is watering the grass?”

Professional n/a

The Specifics

T

he promise hangs in the air.The The resort was the brainchild of a Dansavanh Nam Ngum Golf & Malaysian family, who painstakingly Country Club sits almost 2,000 constructed it in 1999, completing the feet above sea level atop a rolling golf course three years later. mountain range in the midst of some But the years lapsed and ownermajestic real estate. ship interest and financing diminSixty kilometers (36 miles and ished. The erstwhile handsome one hour) north of Vientiane, it is a resort had decayed,was neglectsporting complement to a 220-room ed, than ignored. In mid-2012, a resort and 24-hour casino (only one Chinese/Hong Kong conglomerate of four in Laos). The resort is etched purchased the large property and out of a sloping hillside overlooking the ambitious and energetic the southern edge of Nam Ngum restoration began in January. It is Lake – a massive man-made (250 a daunting task. square kilometers) reservoir gouged The golf course, opened in 2002, into the mountain 40 years ago and roams for 7,107 yards over dubbed the “Lake Geneva of Asia,” captivating, lush, forested terrain. one of the largest lakes in Asia.

It, too, is being resuscitated.

The imaginative design showcases:

LAOS

• a gorgeous mountain-chainback drop

• tilting, sloping, angled fairways (often narrow) framed by forest • lakes and abundant intersecting creeks (water is in play on 13 holes) etched into the landscape –strategic accents embellishing the layout • gentle, ascending doglegs on half the holes • ample carries over water, crevic es and mini-gorges

42

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

Type: resort Greens Fees: $20 to $50 Caddies/Carts: $7/$20 Layout: 18-hole, par-72 Rating/Slope: 7,107 Gold 74.6/137 6,705 Blue 72.5/132 6,131 White 69.3/123 5, 528 Red 72.1/135 Architect: unknown, 1999 Practice Facility: driving range, chipping green, putting green Walking: permitted

Getting There Ban Phonkham, Toulakhom District, Vientiane, Laos Tel: +856 30 5200 666 www.dansavanh.com

• sit-up, dartboard greens • minimal bunkering (Mother Nature provides the hazards) and • some serious, contemplative vistas The layout is pleasantly diverse and a serious challenge (the Slope Rating is 137).

The scenic par-3s all exceed 200 yards, but for a quaint 156-yarder.

The par-4s gambol (couldn’t resist) dramatically from 354 yards (the uphill dogleg right 1st hole) to 477 and 480 yards (respectively, the doglegged 8th and 17th), both with water carries to the elevated greens.

It is pastoral, peaceful and as naturalistic as it gets. The significant question is: what is being done to revive it?

Will it return to its glory years?

The potential is inspiring. Stay tuned.

Lao Country Club Recreational “First course in Vientiane and rebuilt nicely.” “Lots of water and sand on a flat layout.”

Cascata Golf Club

Professional “I expected better fairway maintenance.”

“Solid layout with some fine tests.”

The Specifics

T

his was the first golf course (1997) built in Vientiane. Called Youth Garden GC it was short, par-71 and ordinary.

In 2009 a local Lao businessman bought the golf club and spent two years giving it a major makeover.

A Korean company manages the course.

In 2011 it rose like Phoenix from the ashes and has been flapping its busy wings ever since. Now an impressive 7,303 yards from the tips (but step down a tee-box to a cordial 6,737), this popular track – an easy-going 30 minutes from the city – has flat fair ways, fast greens, and is straight, wet, decorative and playable. Two hundred members dominate the busy weekends.

Interestingly, the par-5s on the front side (both in the mid-500 range) are peppered with fairway bunkers (each with five). The 553-yard 5th has a total of nine. Yet the par-5s on the inward side are without. The 595 11th, the longest and most difficult, has water two-thirds up the straightand-narrow fairway, and no bunkers until they triangulate the green.

The par-4s start out short and tolerant (the 1st is 349 yards with a right-side trap at the landing area) and the 4th is another plumb-line running 373 yards. Then they get feisty: the 6th and 7th and the 14th and 15th range from 445 to 489 yards.

Getting There KM 14 Thadeua Rd., Nahai Village, Hadsayfong District, Vientiane, Lao PDR +856 (21) 812 390 +856 (21) 812 395 Fax www.laocountryclub.com

The 7th is the monster and is the toughest hole on the track. The landing zone is flanked by a bunker and a lake. The long approach is to a characteristically broad, flat green with three bunkers and a ribbon of water around it.

But this course is on the level – the fairways (which I expected to be a bit better maintained) are flat with an elevation change of only a dozen meters – and with no doglegs. So it is a gracious walk. Bring waders and a pail and shovel, though.

LAOS

Water is the prevailing characteristic here and appears dramatically on every hole (but for a cosmetic touch around the tee-box of the 553-yard 5th). Your best golf-bag ad-on is a sleeve of floating golf balls.

horseshow in the rear; the 205-yard 8th is encircled by three sprawling bunkers (a 7 handicap); the daunting 13th (handicapped 4) travels 218 yards with both sides and the front (270º) carpeted with bunkers.

Type: private Greens Fees: guests of members $34 to $40 Caddies/Carts: no Layout: 18-hole, par-72 Rating/Slope: 7,303 Black N/A 6,737 Blue N/A 6,184 Gold N/A 5,790 White N/A 5,196 Red N/A Architect: unknown, 1997 GM: Nouchanh (Chan) Sirisombat Practice Facility: no driving range; chipping green, putting green Walking: mandatory

Bunkers are, also, a salient (and pleasantly random) feature: the green complexes are smothered by more than 50 and where few lurk, they are cosmic. The par-3s (three of which exceed 205 yards and sport tough handicaps) are particularly bunkercentric: The picturesque, 207-yard 3rd showcases an island green with a sand

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

43

SEA Games Golf Club Recreational “Comfortable, gracious, nicely maintained.” “Flat as a pancake, but in great shape and night golf.”

Professional

“Korean owned with a lot of weekend traffic, but a terrific 27 holes.” “Place was buzzing when I showed up, but it moved and the round was fun.”

The Specifics

I

f I hadn’t checked my compass and coordinates or had arrived here in a jet-lagged mental torpor, I would have mistaken these well-groomed 27 holes for a central Florida golf course.

Palm trees drape shadows over a flat, manicured, pampered landscape whose rectangular footprint has seven misshapen toes of water splayed throughout. Water is, indeed, in earnest play (on 21 holes by my count). The first nine has the majority of the dry holes, and ironically, one of the prettiest of the inundated, the 9th.

LAOS

A comfortable 40 minute drive from

city center, the course deserves a more enchanting name. It was built for the 25th Southeast Asia Games (hence, Sea Games GC) by Boo Young Co., Ltd, a Korean company that has been in the residential home-building business for 20 years.

It completed the commendable construction in less than two years at a cost of US $15 million and opened in late October 2009.

Night golf was introduced in March 2010.

The 27 holes travel 10,704 yards making each of the three 18-hole combinations 7,100 yards or more from the back of four sets of tees.

The scorecard, Web site and tee-box markers differ as to yardage and handicap, so I am relying on the numbers on my scorecard in hand.

The first impression of this facility is the condition. The grass is certainly green and well-maintained. The first impression (I get two because I visited twice) is, also, the abundance of water in play. My final first impression (well, one for each of the nines) is the level topography of the course.

The three nines (prosaically named A, B and C – what happened with the naming rights/PR department here?) are not dramatic, but offer solid, enjoyable golf. Wind is a factor.

Type: public Greens Fees: $48 weekly – $55 weekend Caddies/ Carts: inclusive ($11/$10) Layout: 27-hole, par-36 Rating/Slope: Course A Course B 3,582 Blue 3,516 Blue 3,331 White 3,425 White 3,092 Gold 3,036 Gold 2,788 Red 2,788 Red Course C 3,066 Blue 3,367 White 3,146 Gold

2,911 Red Architect: unknown, 2009 Practice Facility: driving range; chipping green, putting green Night Golf: yes Walking: permitted

Getting There Saythany District, Vientiane, Lao PDR +856 21 732 238 +856 21 732 145 Fax www.seagamesgc.com

(181 yards with a big water carry) are handicapped third hardest for each nine.

The par-4s earn four of the six toughest handicaps, ranging from 372 yards (B4th handicapped 3, is a dogleg left with a blind tee shot) to a bodacious 481 (C4th, which is straight, flat and narrow with water down the entire right side, a bunker at the landing area and one in front of the green – handicapped 1). My favorite is A9th, a 416-yard dogleg right with three bunkers circling the landing zone outside of the angle (with a lake on the inside) and a flat green 42-yards deep.

The par-5s are long with two over 600 yards. The most compelling, however is the 569-yard B1st, which travels inland past five bunkers to a The six par-3s are thankfully mod- left-sloping, sit-up green with a wide, est and range from 164 to 191 yards. high-mounded bunker at the front However, A7th (164 yards) and C 3rd right.

44

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

W

ell, it does exist. This golf club was a riddle when we were researching the Vientiane courses. Little local feedback was available and several calls to the clubhouse went unanswered.

Nevertheless, I followed a hint that Lao Inter GC was in the quiet (and undeveloped) hills, 19 kilometers northwest of the city. It was quite an adventure.

Lao Inter Golf Club & Resort be completed by the summer; (4) and it is managed by a Korean company with not a lot of play.

With the help of our four-wheel drive and some wide paths, I was able to survey six holes. The elevated and naturalistic par-73 course (almost 200 acres or 79 hectares) seemed sparingly maintained, but the layout (hovering around 7,300 yards) actually showed some vigor and promise.

Woodlands line the wide fairways and a few sharp doglegs, chasms, intersecting creeks, ponds and ample bunkers demonstrate promise.

Recreational “A puzzle. Nice lay out, but in the middle of a mountain with tough access. Not in great condition.”

Professional n/a

The Specifics Type: public Greens Fees: $40 to $75 Layout: 18-hole, par-73 Rating/Slope: 7, 307 Blue GM: Songsak Limbanyen

We drove north on route 13(Nongteng Rd) past Wattay Airport for 15 minutes and turned left at Nong Teng Village on a local road under construction. It was a rugged, 10 kilometer uphill journey, the last half of which was on a rutted dirt road (no sign of workers). Two mules and a Conestoga wagon would have helped.

The par 3s are all about 200 yards, but for the 251-yard 15th. The par 4s begin with a 463-yard dogleg right (the 17th is 466 yards), but three range in the high-300s.

My interpreter interviewed the buoyant Director, Kiettisack, and we learned that: (1) the course opened in 2009; (2) it took four years to build at a cost of US$8 million; (3) the road will

One highlight is the 9th, a 687-yard +856 30 5704-411 par-6 that runs uphill with mid-fairway www.laointergolfclub.com trees and bunkers (many of which were not raked). encourage more golfers and enHopefully, the completed road will able better maintenance.

Getting There Ban Champa, Sikhottabong District, Vientiane 01000 Laos

Vientiane Club KM6 Recreational “Cute neighborhood course with a happy crowd of talkative seniors.”

Professional n/a

The Specifics

1, and the 170-yard 4th is indexed 3!); and four par-4s ranging from 245 yards (the picturesque 9th), 310 yards (the 2nd) to 400 yards (7th), play here is genial and relaxed.

Given the outlying commercial neigh-borhood, it is a pleasant surprise to see densely tree-lined fairways. The fairway on the 330-yard 1st hole looks like a runway cut through a forest carpet.

Several holes have trees intruding near the landing areas, so some deft shot placement is required.

Getting There KM6, Ban Nonesavang, Vientiane Laos PDR +856 21 460 888

LAOS

V

ientiane Club KM6 is an amiable, nine-hole neighborhood course, as the name states, six kilometersnortheast of the city to the right of Highway 13.

Built in 1996, it is a short (2,700 yards depending on which set of tees), “executive” track, which is popular with both locals and seniors who can walk the gently flat fairways in under two hours.

With one reachable and one extended par 5 (405 and 555 yards); three par 3s (the 130-yard 6th is handicapped

Type: public Greens Fees: $10 to $25 Caddies / Carts: $8/no Layout: nine-hole, par-35 Rating/Slope: 2,675 Out 2,755 In Architect: unknown,1996 Director of Golf: Phisith

Practice Facility: driving range, chipping green, putting green Walking: mandatory

The short, dogleg right, 9th has a mound at the left side of the angle.

The round, flat, front-sloping green is flanked in the front by two bunkers.

Water is in play on five holes around three ponds.

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

45

Places to Stay

Vientiane

V

ientiane is a surprisingly charming, relaxed, sleepy, quietly-cosmopolitan city with regal colonial villas along its tree-lined boulevards and French colonial roofs shading clean, crisp architecture.

Part of its laid-back appeal is the easy access in and out of the airport, (a 15-minute drive to city-center).

It is the capital and largest city (750,000) of Laos (six million), situated on the Mekong River near the Thailand border. The First Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge, built in the 1990s, crosses the river 18 kilometers down-

stream from Nong Khai, and is the major crossing between the two countries.

During French rule, Vientiane was the administrative capital and, has now become the economic focal point of Laos.

The city hosted the 25th Southeast Asian Games in December, its international coming-out party.

The memorial monument, Patuxai, (completed in 1968), the most prominent landmark in the city, offers panoramic views. Inspired by the arc de Triomphe, the design incorporates typical Lao motifs including “Kinnari”, a mythical bird woman.

Settha Palace

Lao Plaza Hotel The country’s first designated five-star hotel, the business-oriented Lao Plaza Hotel offers 134 rooms (30 sqm) including 20 suites (60-120 sqm) in the heart of the city. It features a pool, four restaurants, a lounge and bakery. Refurbishment will be completed by year’s end.

Others 46

Built in 1932, and restored in 1999, the vintage, French colonial-style, 29-room Vientiane landmark strains to offer Old-World luxury. The hotel showcases Italian marble floors and crafted rosewood furniture, European fine-dining, a café and pool bar.

Swank, expensive.

Best Western Vientiane, Salana Boutique Hotel, Ansara Hotel, Beau Rivage Mekong Hotel, Lao Orchid Hotel

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

Mercure Vientiane

M

y favorite. Cannot beat the personalized service of this full-service, four-star retreat. Only three kilometers from the airport, the genial (even zealous) staff whisks you up and delivers you within 10 minutes to the 172-room business hotel, on the western edge of the city.

Christopher Yeo, the venerable GM, left Singapore for Vientiane 20 years ago and his knowledge of the ins-andouts of the entire locale make him an invaluable host. His

buoyant staff displays constant courtesy and efficiency.

“This is a four-star hotel which prides itself on service,” he smiles. He seems to meet and greet everyone.

The fourth floor hosts an Executive Lounge and offers comfortable rooms and an Executive, a Junior and a Presidential Suite(s).

Particularly outstanding are the recreational facilities: a pool, fitness center and tennis court. A sauna and steam room and a spa make the experience complete.

The dining is versatile and capacious, serving a fulsome buffet breakfast and various themed dinners.

Casual comfort, marvelous service and copious smiles.

Unit 10, Samsenthai Road P.O.Box 585,Vientiane Tel : +856-21-213570 ~ 1 Fax : + 856-21-213572 ~ 3 Email: resvn@mercurevte.com www.accorhotels.com www.mercure.com

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

47

BANGKOK Alpine Golf Club Bangkok Golf Club Cascata Golf Club Lotus Valley Golf Resort Riverdale Golf Club Royal Gems Golf City Suwan Golf & Country Club Thai Country Club Thana City Golf & Sports Club The Vintage Club

NOTES Amata Spring CC Bangpoo Golf & Sport Club Bangsai CC Best Ocean Golf Green Valley CC Krung Kavee GC & CC Estate Lakewood CC Legacy GC Muang Kaew GC Navatanee GC Panya Indra GC Pinehurst Golf & CC Rajpruek CC Rose Garden GC Royal Gems Golf & Sports The Royal Golf & CC Subhrapuek CC Summit Windmill GC Uniland Golf & Resort Windsor Park & GC

48

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

Alpine Golf Club Recreational

E

xciting, beguiling, charming, stylish, mesmeric, groomed and gracious, it provides a marvelous aggregation of superb architecture, elegant landscaping, excellent routing, exceptional diversity and immaculate conditioning.

This is a course that is defined in superlatives.

It has the presence and grace of an exquisite, stunning, patrician lady of intelligence, stature, charm and wit.

Alpine, a private club of 1,200 members, was opened in December 1996 He created mounded, rolling fairways, nine lakes, 128 bunkers, a waterfall, tiered greens and a veritable botanical garden. And charm.

The long par 3s are highlighted by a 238-yarder. The par 4s are fearsome, commanding three of the four most difficult handicaps.

The par-4 8th is the longest and hardest on the course. The landing area is narrow and decorated by bunkers. You need a good rip to cover most of the 441 yards. The approach is to a shallow green (15 yards), tiered and sloping to the front.

The back nine is just as extravagantly dramatic. The 433-yard 10th has a narrow landing zone and some trepidation in the approach: up a fairway (with a bunker stretching the length) and a pond to the left of the green.

It boasts a 2 handicap.

And that brings us to the signature hole. The 12th is a 200-yard loft to an 18-by-36-yard front-sloping green with a beach bunker swirling around the front right on the edge of a pond.

Picturesque.

Recreational “It’s a Top Five. Gorgeous setting. Like a fairy-tale on rice paddies.” “First-class and maybe the best in Thailand.”

Professional “World-class layout and service.”

“Great assortment of par-defying holes.” “One of the best.”

The Specifics Type: private Greens Fees: Guests 1,800 to 3,000 B Caddies/Cart 400 / 700 B Layout: 18-hole, par-72 Rating/Slope: 7,100 Black 75.3/148 6,579 Blue 72.5/142 6,048 White 70.0/134 5,226 Red 71.1/128 Designer: Ron M. Garl, 1996 MD: Udomsak Ngowsiri

Getting There Klong 5, Klong Luang Pathumthanee 12120 +66 (0) 2 577-3333 alpine@alpinegolfclub.com www.alpinegolfclub.com

They stretch as far as 441 yards (the 8th, handicapped 1), but also appear in short form (four holes ranging from 355 to 380 yards) with marvelous shaping. The par 5s average 550 yards. Only the 546-yard 14th affords a good birdie opportunity.

BANGKOK

The 7,100-yard track has a 148 slope rating. “This is a most challenging, spectacular layout,” states Udomsak Ngow-siri, the venerable Managing Director for Alpine Golf Group. “It’s modern, hilly, and strategic—and we continue to refine it. The maintenance is fantastic.”

par 4s and is a beauty. The 376 yards curve around a lake that must be carried over a bulkhead to the fairway landing area, which slopes, toward the water. The 6th is the behemoth par-3. Your tee shot must travel a prodigious 238 yards to a 46-yard long green that slopes both back and front. Bunkers flank the front and rear and water runs past the right side.

The 4th is the first of the four short

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

49

Bangkok Golf Club Recreational “Good location and a garden golf course. It survived yet, another, flood.”

Night golf, practice facilities, a par-3 course – all post-flood refurbished.”

Professional “Has hosted many tournaments over the years and always measures up.”

The Specifics

B

angkok GC is defined by its convenience, accessibility, championship layout, superlative landscaping, flocks of fowl and environmental sensitivity. Its location – 20 minutes from the Don Muang International Airport; 50 minutes from Suvarnabhumi; and a half hour from downtown Bangkok – and it’s night-time golf make it, perhaps, one of the most popular (and busiest) in the Kingdom.

It is a golf facility of countless, charming characteristics: it boasts botanical abundance, claims a virtual outdoor aviary, seems to have more waterways than Venice, and displays defining doglegs, an island green (the 11th), an island tee (the 6th) and a handsome waterfall presiding over interchangeable greens (the 17th).

BANGKOK

It features: floodlit golf; a nine-hole par-3 course replicating famous international holes (also floodlit); a 168-room resort and spa.

Tucked into an urban neighborhood, the course excels at making you forget that. An estimated 1,500 different species of trees, shrubs and flowers bespangle the artfully laid-out acreage, and many birds.

provide extra humidity and humility.

Doglegs abound, with six on the back nine and a double dogleg beauty concluding the front.

The par-3s are all long, highlighted by the 175-yard island green at the 11th (handicapped 9) with a turtle-back green and high-lipped bunker at the front.

Only three par-4s exceed 400 yards and two are the finest: the 416yard 4th is handicapped 2. A long, water carry, a narrow fairway, a new right-side bunker at the landing area and the largest green on the track make this a top-notch test. The 6th sports that island tee, a verdant garden island in the lake, boulders at the front edge of the fairway, a narrow landing area, bunkers on the right and a prevailing wind.

The par-5s command three of the most difficult handicaps and two are beauties. The 9th is a 564-yard double dogleg with water

Founded as an 18-hole course in 1993 during the incipient stages of Thailand’s golfing boom, the course was deluged during an intense and damaging flood in late 1995. Although it was inundated (and shut down for nearly a half year) by the recent flooding, it has been revived yet again.

The 6,812-yard course is dominated by water, flora and fauna. Over a dozen lakes and ponds are a habitat for both water fowl and golf balls – 17 holes

50

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

Type: semi-private Greens Fees: 1,700 to 2,500 Baht Caddies/Carts: 300/700 Baht Layout: 18-hole, par-72 Rating/Slope: East Course, A-B 6,812 Yellow 72.6/132 6,337 Blue 70.8/129 5,928 White 68.9/122 5,399 Red 69.7/124 Designer: Chird Boonyarattanavej, 1991; Mah Boonkrong International Par-3, 1999 GM: Songsak Limbanyen Golf Manager: Antonio Choy

Getting There 99 Moo 2, Tiwanon Road, Bangkadi, Muang, Pathumthani 12000 +66 (02) 501-2773 bkgolf@ksc.th.com www.bangkokgolfclub.com

on the left and bunkers on the right of the landing pod.

The 562-yard 17th is a dandy with two greens, one spectacularly set on a ridge above a stream and beside a grandiose waterfall. The dogleg left has seven menacing fairway bunkers and a 7 handicap.

Casacata Golf Club

Cascata Golf Club

Recreational

C

ompleted in November 2007, this owner-designed “Tropical Links” 27-hole golf course is a family-affair and the result is a polished, courteous and contented experience.

According to Jui Saprungrueng, the GM and son of the progenitor, Khun Tanawat, the course is a result of the passion of his Dad: “My father was in the construction business for many years and found it tiring. He has invested in three other courses in the area, but he wanted to shape and design his own course.

Jui has a PhD in finance, taught in Australia, and then worked with a Cambridge colleague in the UK, who also was a currency exchange expert.

The ancillary features are, also, commendable. The clubhouse, pro shop and driving range are first-class.

The four tees provide solid options, which they must, considering that the A/C course ambles 7,394 yards from the tips (5,684 from the forward tees).

The par 5s range to a boisterous 620 yards (the pencil-thin A4 with a narrow green) and half of the par 3s average 210 yards. The par 4s extend from 342 to 453 yards.

The shortest nine, Course B at 3,360 yards, is the easiest. Course C (on a separate parcel) seems to be the toughest. The greens are tricky and severe mounding appears at the edges.

The marvelous 4th hole, a par 3 travels 183 yards over a large lake to a peninsula green that slopes precipitously down to the water. “Many golfers hit that green and watch the ball trickle down. Japanese golfers call this hole: ‘The Impossible’! a caddy told me.

The 581-yard par 5 requires three

Professional “The East Course is a real challenge – despite that dopey slope rating – and is excellent (and championship) golf.”

The Specifics Type: public Greens Fees: 1,700 to 2,700 Baht Caddies/Carts 300/600 Baht Layout: 3 nine-hole, par-36 Rating/Slope: Course A A-B 3,687 Yellow 73.2/138 3,472 Blue 71.0/130 3,263 White 69.4/121 2,979 Red 72.0/128 Course B 3,360 Yellow 3,158 Blue 3,010 White 2,762 Red

B-C 73.8/144 70.9/135 68.9/124 71.1/128

Course C C-A 3,707 Yellow 75.5/149 3,369 Blue 72.7/140 3,074 White 70.5/125 2,705 Red 73.0/132 Designer: Thanawat Saprungrueng, 2006 GM: Jui Saprungrueng Head Pro: Takeshi Nagasawa

Getting There 87 Moo 2 Lumlukka Klong 15 Road, Amphur Ongkarak, Nakornnayok 26120 +66 (087) 493-3888 info@cascata.co.th www.cascata.co.th

BANGKOK

Near Lam Luk Ka and Lotus Valley, Cascata is carved out of rice paddies on 1,000 rai of sculpted and groomed grounds. The three nines offer: smooth, wide fairways; receptive greens; pervasive lakes (water surrounds every hole but one); a dozen bending, angling and arcing dog-legs; and ample – often strategic – bunkers. No homes are in sight.

It is tranquil, clean, lean and serene.

“This is quality golf at a great value.”

“Gorgeous vegetation and very quiet.”

water-carries to reach a sit-up green flanked by water and sand. The landing pods are immaculate and the main option must be accuracy.

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

51

Lotus Valley Golf Resort

A

BANGKOK

palpable feeling of commitment hovers in the air.

Renewal suffuses the tranquil environs that envelop the Lotus Valley Golf Resort, a 75-minute winding drive northeast of Bangkok (and a 40-minute jaunt from Suvarnabhumi Airport).

52

courses around Thailand for 10 years.

The elongated layout plays as nicely as it looks. With pervasive lakes and ponds, crossing creeks, ample doglegs, long (236 yards) and short (164) par 3s, a diverse range of par 4s (311 to 467 yards) and two long Established in 1998 as World Trade par 5s (587 and 600 yards), the track Golf, this renovated Gary Player has terrific repose. course ambles amiably over 7,015 It begins and ends with style: yards of pastoral landscape and offers a arboreal landscape.

The 434-yard 1st hole sets the tone.

A wide and receptive fairway It is tranquil. No homes gather around the carpeted fairways and (it looks like a carpet) – sans there is little visual distraction or aural bunkers – provides the landing pod interruption. The elliptical footprint for a long approach shot over a of the course resembles a dragon, deceptive crossing creek to a frontsloping, sit-up green (characteristic with lakes and streams as veins. here) flanked by spreading bunkers.

Player has shaped this course with Steer clear of the trees at the left front artistic diversity: – unless you feel like unpacking a picnic lunch and spreading a blanket l 75 bunkers selectively (and eclectically) pepper the course: near the flowerpots at the bridge.

14 here (the par-4 6th); a Captivating par 3s add to the consuming waste-bunker there adventure. The short 3rd is a beauty. (the par-3 17th); and none (or A stone bulkhead rises up to a one) all around (the 8th and 9th) wide bunker which protects a long, l water serenades the course like front-sloping green. canals in Venice, and is an integral The par 4 6th is handicapped 1 and part of the tapestry of the elliptical footprint: its many tributaries doglegs left 437-yards past a lot of sand. The landing zone sits between weave around 16 holes water and a cluster of seven bunkers l the greens are uniformly frontsloping, sizeable, occasionally on the right. sit-up, and polished.

The uphill approach is over a The course has a sparkling, false-front bunker to a sit-up green emerald luster. And it is enjoyable. 45 yards deep and 26 across. All “This course is in superb condition,” you need is power and touch. states Derek Schade, a Thai-speakThe finishing holes are favorites: ing, Canadian PGA member, who The 17th is long. This 236-yard par had been managing high-end golf

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

Recreational “Beautifully restored. Serene.” “It’s a bit of a drive, but what a surprise!!” “I have been back three times. I would like those fairways in my living room…”

Professional “First-class.” “I lost sight of this course and was glad to see it back so dapper.”

The Specifics Type: resort Greens Fees: 2,000 to 3,500 Baht Caddies/ Carts : inclusive Layout: 18-hole, par-72 Rating/Slope: 6,911 Black 73.1/133 6,527 Blue 71.3/129 6,147 White 69.4/124 5,506 Red 71.5/129 Designer: Gary Player, 1998 GM : Derek Schade, PGA Superintendent: TurfPro Golf, Robert Barnes and Kittipong Suabsaun

Getting There Ongkarak-Bangnamprieo Rd. Chachoengsao 24170 +66 (03) 883-5555 info@lotusvalley.co.th www.lotusvalley.co.th

3 flies over a desert running up the right side (and water on the left) and into a wide green smothered on the left by four bunkers.

“It’s a beauty,” Derek smiles.

Hey, it ain’t braggin’ if it’s true.

Riverdale Golf Club Recreational “Delightful experience: service, location, and great shaping.”

“One of my favorites in Thailand. When the trees grow out, it will be irresistible.”

Professional “This is the real deal. Wonderful layout with lots of clever shaping.”

“Bunkers, water, mounding – all add to the excitement.”

The Specifics

T

his golf course is a consensus beauty.

This course is on the radar of every Bangkok golfer with whom I have spoken.

A 45-minute expressway ride north of the city, this track is a marvelous confluence of design diversity, ingenuity and maintenance.

Built up from exurban flatlands, the shaping is commendable, the grounds-keeping superb and the landscaping elegant.

The course rolls, tumbles and impresses with ponds and lakes (in serious play on 14 holes); acres of bunkers, (nearly 100) sprawling, beach, pot, false-front and mounded (the 623-yard par 5, 6th is like an hour at the beach); and some commodious and perilous greens (surprisingly, both of which are at the glowing par-3 8th – more about that later).

The 15th scampers 231 yards, boasting an 8 handicap. No wonder: from a terraced tee box you must angle your drive over a left-side lake and avoid a convocation of seven greedy bunkers assembled in front of the wide, deep (43 yards) green (and one in the rear).

The 162-yard 11th is poetic, with a water carry to an artistic green set in a valley and framed by high-mounded, twin bunkers.

The par 4s are creative and exuberant. They are long and short and dappled with water. The 2nd is 319 and the 17th is 322 yards; but the 3rd elongates to 447 yards and features: water to the right of tee boxes, a beach bunker crawling up the right side of an elevated fairway; and a long, sit-up green flanked by bunkers. It earns the 3 handicap.

The par 5s are resplendent not

Getting There 123/5 Moo 1, Bang Kadi, Mueang, Pathum Thani, 12000 +66 (02) 501-2789 riverdale@riverdalegolfclub.co.th www.riverdalegolfclub.co.th

only in their judicious length, but in their verve. The 556-yard 13th has a receptive fairway, but water runs up the left and seven bunkers require accuracy.

My favorite is the imposing 6th.

The good news: no water. The rest of the reality, however, is scary: the 1 handicap, 10 bunkers, and 623 yards of flexuous fairway strewn with eight traps on the two landing zones (your drive must avoid the planted bunker preening along the right); and a situp green fronted by mounded sand.

It is formidable.

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

BANGKOK

This track has an intelligent set of four tees with a 7,001-yard journey from the tips (and 6,625 o ne step down). No rating has been established, but my guess for the Slope is in the high 130s.

The par 3s sparkle. Long, short (and shorter), they are handsome and fun (and all display water). The signature 8th is unique: atop terraced tees you peer down 40 meters to an island green a scant 127 yards away, which you can reach by parachute.

Daunting and clever, however, is the option: an alternative green perched high to the left, 182 yards out, with

a hilltop putting surface only 17 yards wide and 36 long. Take your pick of greens. It is a terrific hole.

Type: daily fee Greens Fees: 2,750 Baht Caddies/Carts: 350/700 Baht Layout: 18-hole, par-72 Rating/Slope: 7,001 Black N/A 6,636 Blue 6,220 White 5,852 Yellow 5,309 Red Designer: Jonathan Morrow, 2010 GM:Nattaphon Thoopputsar

53

Royal Gems Golf City

T

he plan is grand: 1,400 rai (560 acres) of prime real estate 45 minutes north of Bangkok in a golf-centric neighborhood; 63 holes of world-classgolf; an elegant clubhouse and driving range facilities; and a delightful soupçon of smiles and service.

BANGKOK

“Pornsit Sriorathaikul, the president of Royal Gems Golf City, has always had an extraordinary passion for golf. This project fulfills his dream,” said the soft-spoken GM, Arthorn Sutthisomboon, as we lunched in the stylish clubhouse restaurant contemplating four different cuisines (I chose Japanese).

An 18-hole, eco-friendly lighted course by Lee Schmidt (Moon Walker) is on the drawing boards; as well as a 27-hole tournament course.Ron Garl (who crafted the Alpine courses) designed the par-71 6,629-yard “Dream Arena,” a paean to golf’s greatest holes (the 17th at TPC Sawgrass – the 140yard 3rd – was on the cover of my first golf guide), which replicates the finest holes of Augusta, Firestone, Royal Troon, Bay Hill, the Blue Monster).

The course post-flood will need time to mature, but – for now – the groundskeeping is both superb and immaculate. Platinum Paspalum grass adds luster and the landscaping is fecund and colorful.

“The two nines are quite different,”

54

Nat asserts. The shorter front nine, with 40 bunkers, has three par 3s (which are playful and tricky – note the convex/saddleback green at the 3rd) and the longer par 5s (the 580-yard 2nd is a dogleg-left arcing around a lake).

The par 4s are the true test on this track (they earn seven of the eight toughesthandicaps). They range from 337 yards (the 9th) to 459 (four are over 440 yards).

“The inward nine [3,452 yards] is old school with many blind drives [I counted six]; water on five holes and two doglegs. And only 18 bunkers. The 18th has to be one of the most difficult on the course once the official handicapping is completed.”

He may be correct. The uphill 459-yard par 4 doglegs right with two commodious bunkers at the angle in the landing area. Stay right (and may be short) and approach 170 yards to the flat, deep (35 yards), front-sloping green, protected in front by flanking bunkers.

Recreational “A lot of attention to detail. Fun to play the famous holes!” “As it grows out and gets some Augusta foliage, it will be a world-beater.”

Professional “I loved it! The conditioning was great considering the flooding and the layout is terrific.” “Exciting and first-class”

The Specifics Type: private Member’s Guest Greens Fees: 2,000 to 3,500 Baht Caddies/Carts: 350/800 Baht Layout 18-hole, par-71 Rating/Slope: 6,629 Black N/A 6,182 Blue 5,694 White 4,978 Red Architect: Ron Garl, 2011 GM: Arthorn Sutthisomboon DoG: Varong (Nat) Sooppipatt

Getting There 101/1Moo 3, T. Rungsit, Pathum Thani, 12110

My favorites are the five par 3s, beginning with the TPC 3rd hole and followed by the 123-yard Royal Troon chip shot (the 5th). The 155-yard 12th is handicapped 10 and features a hotdog green only 20 yards deep with eye-glass bunkers in front and back.

parkland ambiance as Mother Nature takes over and adds her rooming grace to the design alchemy.

This articulated course will grow out of its links-look into a glorious

Even now, it showcases golf’s finest – and Thailand’s, too.

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

+66 (02) 577-8500 sales@royalgemsgolfcity.com www.royalgemsgolfcity.com

Suwan Golf & Country Club Recreational “Consistently one of the best-kept courses in the region.” “No topographic drama, but a great experience.” “Classy and exceptional golf.”

Professional “It’s a Top 10.” “Attentive service.”

The Specifics Type: resort Greens Fees: 1,800 to 3,500 Baht Caddies/ Carts: 300 /650 Baht Layout: 18-hole, par-72 Rating/Slope: 7,125 Back 74.0/144 6,721 Blue 71.7/136 6,378 White 70.1/132 5,712 Red 72.6/134 Architect: Veeyos Phetbuasak, 2005 Director of Golf: Pongsakorn Pongsak

Getting There 15/3 Moo 2 Srisathong, Nakornchaisri, Nakhompathom 73120 +66 (03) 433-9333 reservation@suwangolf.com www.suwangolf.com

T

his is an exclusive golf course – with exemplary service – available to the public, and dedicated to the proposition that a first-class golfing experience need not be confined to a pricey, private country club.

Twilight golf on the final three holes – an exquisite par 3, a dogleg par 4 (the signature hole) and a bodacious dogleg 631-yard par 5 into the clubhouse – make this a wonderful (if not fitful) end to a round of golf on some of the finest fairways in Thailand.

Opened in November 2005 (and featured on the cover of our 2007 Japanese-language Guide), the 7,125-yard golf course, less than an hour west of central Bangkok in Nakhom Pathom, is elegant, exciting, daunting and manicured – and popular. It graciously hosted the Asian Tour International in 2009 and 2010, and the Thailand Open 2011.

The gently rolling track is encom-

Three of the par 3s require water carries and none exceed 190 yards. The par 4s earn three of the hardest handicaps and range from 381 to 445 yards. The par 5s are uniformly unreachable in two (and the 18th is barely reachable in three) and are delightful to tumble over.

The most difficult holes close out each nine. The par 4 9th is a 406yard, double-carry on a straight, gilded fairway.

must finesse a green surrounded by bunkers and flanked by water.

The 18th is the bomb. Water trickles up the entire left side of the 631-yard extravaganza and crosses in front of the hilltop green, which is adorned by bunkers in the rear. The hole is handicapped 2 and means business.

Suwan is not an overly dramatic course with spine-tingling vistas or bracketing mountains. But it possesses a design aplomb and course condition that continues to draw repeat golfers.

The intersecting water past the tee box carries up the right side and is buffered by a series of bunkers at the landing area. The second shot must carry water to the long green flanked by rear-side bunkers. Handicapped 4, it earns it.

BANGKOK

Seashore Paspalum grass on tee boxes and the fairway and Ultra-dwarf Mini Verde for the greens provides consistent quality and durability.

passed by water (it is in play, or sight, on every hole except the 7th) and six doglegs require prudent course management.

The signature hole is the shortest par 4, the 381-yard, dogleg left 17th.

You must carry a mid-fairway bunker to a landing zone with sand on the right at the angle. Then turn left and prepare for a tricky approach as you

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

55

Thai Country Club

Recreational “For pampering and service, what’s not to like?” “Fun golf, but not a severe challenge.”

Professional “They roll-out the old red carpet here and make you feel special.” “The golf is more stylized than exciting.”

The Specifics

T

hai CC, a 45-minute drive east of Bangkok, features a striking 4,000-square meter clubhouse hovering over a lake; locker rooms paneled in wood and accoutered with Venetian marble; an attentive staff of 400, including knowledgeable female caddies; and Paspalum grass that tempts you to remove your spikes and play barefoot on the cushioned fairways – or just lie down and picnic.

The members contend that golf here is a religious experience and they genuflect at the opportunity to putt at this altar of expectation.

BANGKOK

It is a quintessential country club experience. Stay at the elegant Peninsula Hotel (a dignified favorite) and book a tee-time.

Designed by the prolific Denis Griffiths in 1996, the 7,101-yard course is bedecked by palms trees; bespangled by 80 strategic, fingered, pot, sweeping and humungous (the 2nd) bunkers – most on the back side – and swathed in lakes and ponds (in play on 15 holes). A handfu l of doglegs add some risk-reward moments.

Although not a topographically dramatic course, this is its virtue. It is playable, satisfying and immaculate, but is more functional than sizzling, with a Slope Rating of 129. The

56

course is ideal for walking. Golf carts are optional.

It features artful flora as well as conifers and a variety ofpalm trees.

The fairways (and tee boxes) are radiant. Even the divots seem manicured. Your body should be in this kind of condition. In its former life, the course must have been a royal garden.

The Tifeagle greens are cosseted and manicured and have more tiers than a weepy Merchant-Ivory movie.

While it is one of the most expensive courses in Bangkok, it hasn’t dissuaded the locals. It’s 2,000 members hail from nearly 30 nationalities, and arrive by car and helicopter.

The par 3s are contentious. Indeed, the 230-yard 6th (the longest) carries a 4 handicap and is a classic. The hole plays generally into the wind and has ample trouble on both sides: the right is bordered by water with a trap between the lake and the green. The left side has two bunkers and swales. The two-tiered green slopes to the front and stretches 43 yards.

The par 4s are not a stern test on the front, but for the 424-yard 5th, a straight, narrow fairway with two landing-area bunkers. The tiered

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

Type: Private; guests of the Peninsula Hotel Bangkok are welcome and are charged at member guest rate.

Greens Fees: 4,800 to 6,000 Baht Caddies: compulsory Carts: optional; caddies drive Layout: 18-hole, par-72 Rating/Slope: 7,101 Black 73.9/129 6,558 Blue 71.3/129 6,043 White 69.0/128 5,279 Red 69.8/120 Designer: Denis Griffiths, 1996 General Manager: John Blanch

Getting There 88 Moo 1, Bangna-Trad Km. 35.5, Thambon Pimpa, Bangpakong District, Chacheongsao 24130 +66 (03) 857-0234 inquiry@thaicountryclub.com www.ThaiCountryClub.com

green is protected by sand on the front right and slopes to the front and slants to the sides in the rear.

The back nine sports gentle par 3swith short water carries, but it’s the lengthy par 4s and 5s that add to tension. The par 5s are 600 (the 14th carries the 1 handicap) and 570 yards (17th). The par-4s range to 449 yards (the 12th, handicapped 3).

The 18th is a scenic and courtly dénouement to a grand day of golf: the 432-yard par 4 runs straight to the clubhouse, which hovers in the background. Avoid the bunker 150 yards from the green and your approach earns you the satisfaction.

The diagonal, sit-up green stretches an elliptical 57 yards with a spread-eagled bunker in front and a smaller one at the rear left. Stay to the right here.

Thana City Golf & Sports Club

Recreational “Easy to get to and lots of great changes.”

“It’s been renovated and is, now, well-maintained.” “Convenient and has all of the goodies: great range, restaurant and nice track.”

Professional “It is professionally operated now and presents some solid play. Nicely done.”

The Specifics Type: semi-private Greens Fees: 1,200 to 3,000 Baht Caddies/Carts: 300/ 600 Baht Layout: 18-hole, par-72 Rating/Slope: 6,966 Shark 72.6/128 6,400 White 70.5/124 5,615 Red 72.8/128 Designer: Greg Norman, 1993 GM: Nathawat Aksornchat Head Pro: Yosunthorn Nichapanich

Getting There 100/2 Moo 4, Km 14 Bagna-Trad Highway, Bangplee 10540 +66 (02) 336-0567 reservation@thanacitygolf.com www.thanacitygolf.com

Doglegs, pervasive water (lakes, streams and ponds dominate – only the 8th is dry), peninsula greens and Norman-esque bunkers (the

533-yard 14th and the 440-yard 18th boast them all and carry the 1 and 3 handicaps) embellish this playable course (an enjoyable 128 Slope).

The par 3s are benign, rolling from 148 (the splendid water-borne 13th) to 239 yards (the 16th).

The par 4s are diverse and wholesome, ambling from 302 to 462 yards and provide some fun shot-making.

The 9th (440 yards – but far shorter from the Whites), leaning left with water all the way up; and the 18th

(442), angling right with water streaming up the right side to a peninsula green, are the toughest.

The par 5s greet you at the 1st hole with a 585-yard dogleg left trek over six bunkers and six more greenside. If you drive to the right and are cautious with your approach, you will have a comfortable loft to the small, circular green.

BANGKOK

C

onvenience counts: this semi-private golf course (800 members), is located a halfhour from Bangkok. After extensive (and excellent) renovation, the 6,966yard course is showing its pedigree: mature landscaping accents this track, featuring three tee boxes, fast greens, many lakes and streams and strategically placed bunkers.

The signature hole, the13th is the shortest. The 28-yard wide green wears a necklace of bunkers at the other end of the water. Lovely.

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

57

The Vintage Club Recreational “Wonderful clubhouse.” “Peaceful out there.”

Professional “The enhancements are gracious and professional. This is a terrific player’s course with little penalty.”

The Specifics Type: public Greens Fees: 2,300 to 3,400 Baht Caddies/Carts: 300/750 Baht Layout: 18-hole, par-72 Rating/Slope: 6,952 Black 71.0/ N/A 6,279 Gold 69.3 5,865 White 68.3 5,072 Red 68.3 GM: Sunthon Chitsuntisuk

Getting There 549/1-4 Moo 3, Panviti Rd. Samutprakarn 10550

BANGKOK

T

+66 (02) 707-3820-5 marketing@vintagegolfthai.com www.vintagegolfthai.com

his 16-year old course is draped with hoary trees, adorned by gracefullandscaping and accented by myriad lakes and ponds.

4 15th and 17th where they flank the landing area) – and only 15 are on the front nine. The greens are level and small. Even tiny.

flat, deep green.

Redesigned in January 1996 by Arthur Hills (I have been on several of his outstanding tracks in Michigan and Florida), it is a 40-minute drive east of Bangkok. Now owned by the Central Department store group, it has undergone significant changes. The stately clubhouse and the 6,952-yard course has: groomed fairways; an assortment of flat bunkers; water in play on 14 holes; an audacious 434-yard dogleg (handicapped 1); and two, quaint, water logged par-3s on the front side.

Thus, it is a golfer-friendly experience. No Slope Rating is posted, but Khun Sunthon and I are guessing 128. Congenial it is. It’s a great walk.

My favorites are the par-3s. The 2nd (see photo) is a delightful and handsome 147-yard loft from a floral tee-box over a pond to a wide green with two backside bunkers. A postcard.

“It’s the maintenance that sets us apart,” said Khun Sunthon, the GM. “We even have a managing director who is out here almost every day and helps us remove weeds!” The superintendent is a veteran and – astonishingly – the original Bermuda grass is still growing.

The par 4s are the test here and dominate the difficult handicaps (six).

They range from 394 to 434 yards. A bunker here, a splash of water there and a frequent dartboard green all test your accuracy.

The dogleg-left, 434-yard 6th is stern but fair, despite its 1 handicap.

An accurate drive avoids flanking bunkers at the angle. No water intrudes, just a long approach to a

The Vintage Club has dignity, patrimony and harmony. No homes are encroaching (or even in sight).

The fairways are uniformly flat with generous landing areas. The 60+ bunkers are strategic but not onerous (with the exception of maybe the par

58

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

The par-5s are not daunting, the longest and most difficult at 571 yards (the 5th) with a 7 handicap.

The 8th is also aquatic and travels 191 yards to a sloping green flanked by water and guarded by bunkers.

Khun Sunthon and I had an idyllic ride around the course on a mild August afternoon and we talked about nature, fishing and picnics.

The course puts you into that frame of mind.

Notes BEST OCEAN GOLF

AMATA SPRING CC

This Lee Schmidt-designed links course has been struggling with its identity for several years. It is 45 minutes southwest of Bangkok and sits in a residential community with an airstrip. It certainly has ample potential, but I am still not sure what their plan is. Its direction puzzles me. +66 (086) 300-0894

www.bestoceangolf.co.th

GREEN VALLEY CC

Superbly conditioned and designed, this exclusive club features glowing service, a motif of elegance, velvet fairway carpets and two man-made lakes. It’s an urban golf-scape, a golfing oasis in a business-park desert. However, putting aside the peripheral distraction of the towers, cables and warehouses, the 7,450-yard golf course is immaculate. Golfers exult over the “green carpets” that luxuriously spread from tee to green. The centerpiece of the course is water.

Two gargantuan lakes spread out from the clubhouse and edge eight holes. +66 (03) 846-8888

www.amataspring.co.th

BANGPOO GOLF & SPORT CLUB This congenial Arnold Palmer course is on the sea, 45 minutes southeast of Bangkok, and stretches 7,048 yards over flat, wide fairways, with sea breezes, flower boxes and 130 bunkers. Sloped at a modest 121, it is a pleasure to play for the recreational golfer (and family).

Deceptively casual (check out the severe doglegs at the 5th , 7th and 15th) and landscaped artfully, it’s a pleasant day of golf. Just ask the 700 members. +66 (02) 324-0320

www.bangpoogolf.com

The name is an ideal sobriquet for this colorfully gardened and artfully planted Robert Trent Jones, Jr. course. Built in 1988 and a short drive from Bangkok, it stimulates and entertains with fine green complexes.

Rolling putting surfaces, an abundance of sand, sugar palm clusters, peaceful lakes and ponds sprinkled with fountains, abound on these 307 acres, with water on 17 holes. This 7,028-yard course has a Slope Rating of 130. www.greenvalleybangna.com

BANGSAI CC Located 27 miles south of Ayutthaya, the historical capital of the Kingdom, the track is a delight. Charming, imaginative, affable and full of quirky surprises, it will keep you entertained. Designed by a local father-son team in 1996, the course is the result of intelligent, collective cogitation. Its 6,923 yards weave around lakes and streams with sand appearing in some astonishing shapes and forms. Rolling fairways, tumbling terrain, ample doglegs and elevated greens add excitement. +66 (01) 643-9121

bangsai@hotmail.com

BANGKOK

+66 (02) 312-5883

BANGSAI CC

LIHN’S Best Best of ofThailand Thailand GOLF GOLF GUIDE GUIDE 2013 2013 LIHN’S

59

Notes KRUNGTHEP KREETHA GOLF & SPORTS CLUB

LEGACY GC Diasappointing. The glass-doomed clubhouse is aging and the course looked unkempt during my August visit.

The 25-year-old, 7,003-yard course (contiguous to Safari World), is quintessential Jack Nicklaus with ample hazards, doglegs (10), two substantial lakes and lots of sand: broad and generous expanses of waste areas from start (the first two holes have over 900 yards stretching up the right fairways) to finish. Water hazards will whet (sorry) your appetite on eight holes. The par 4s range to 451 yards. +66 (02) 914-1930

www.legacygolf.com

MUANG KAEW GC “Water, water everywhere,” is true for this compact 6,735yard course, a 30-minute drive from Bangkok. You will be impressed by the landscaping, flower-bedecked bridges and the meandering peaceful waters. This accommodating course (built in 1969) carries a 129 slope. A traditional Thai look and feel provides an Eastern tranquility that comes from its elegantly groomed gardens and natural flora. Like a martial arts master, accuracy rather than force governs. +66 (02) 379-3716

www.krungthepkreetha.co.th

+66 (02) 316-3918

LAKEWOOD CC Diversity and enjoyment intersect nicely within 27 holes of distinct landscaped fun 40 minutes east of Bangkok.

Built in 1994 with a lovely mix of native flora, sculpturedwaterways, artful sand traps, blooming shrubbery,palms fluttering in the breezes, and 26 groomed lakes, it provides a calming atmosphere. The diverse layout offers surprising challenges: two daunting par 3s; the shortest par-5 at 504 yards (Rock 7th) is the most difficult; and five par 4s exceed 440 yards. +66 (02) 312-6278

www.lakewoodcountryclub.co.th

BANGKOK

LAM LUK KA CC

When golf was still a fledging sport 40 years ago, a course was built in the rice-paddies 20 kilometers north of Bangkok to attract international, championship golf for the 23rd World Cup Tournament (1975). Navatenee helped shape the development of golf in Asia. The 6,902-yard track was rated by Golf Digest as the best golf course in the Kingdom. Today more than 1,000 active members enjoy the sanctified experience of play at this historic club. With manicured fairways and lush environmental accoutrements, it carries an enjoyable 123 slope rating. +66 (02) 376-1031

www.lamlukkagolf.net

www.muangkaewgolf.com

NAVATANEE GC

A manicured, trimmed, gracious golf facility created out of an environmental wonderland consisting of 36 holes of golf, 10,000 trees, quaint bridges, and over 100 species of birds and wildlife populating an impressive 3,000 rai (1,200 acres) of erstwhile, low-lying wetlands. In 1994, Roger Packard lifted and floated these fairways like ribbons of green and stretched them along canals, lakes and waterways. The four nines radiate from the estimable clubhouse in four aquatic quadrants. The vigorous East Course (the A and B nines) expands in a heart-shaped, drenched footprint from the back, and the West (C and D) stretches out from the front door. +66 (02) 995-2300-4

60

One of Bangkok’s most popular courses because of its excellent location. Leo Schmidt redesigned the course years ago and every green, tee and fairway was reconstructed – and five new holes created. It plays long and tough at 7,015 yards. Both convenient and classy, it is characterized by a naturalistic look with meandering lakes and klongs. In fact, one canal passes the 1st and 3rd holes and every afternoon a local businessman returns from the market and sells his wares as he floats along. Bring a shopping bag! The fairways are wide, flat and surrounded by water. The greens are tricky.

LAM LUK KA CC

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

www.navatanee.com

Notes RAJPRUEK CC

PANYA INDRA GC This is a dynamic, vigorous, golf operation with 27 holes of kinetic and bustling golf. With nighttime golf, the course runs in overdrive. This convivial, parkland facility is 45 minutes northeast of Bangkok and may be the most frequented golf facility with nearly 100,000 rounds of golf annually (night and day) over this well-kept course.

More staggering is the caddie statistic: 700 females roam the golfing earth here, and are considered to be some of the most knowledgeable and perky in the golfing universe. +66 (02) 943-0000

Courtly, manicured, studiously private and conveniently located 20 minutes north of Bangkok en route to the Don Muang airport, this elegant 6,568-yard track is fun to play and a rigorous challenge if you can get a member (and they are zealots) to bring you along. Or just call the club and see if a tee time is available. It’s a beauty. +66 (02) 955-0055

www.rajpruek.com

www.panyagolf.com

PINEHURST GOLF & CC Built in 1988 this 27-hole facility is one of the busiest in Thailand. The flood closed it down and it has struggled.

The three nines – all with water, bunkers and mounding in play – provide some compelling golf. Check out the West (4th and 6th) and the 8th hole on the North and South. No template golf here. Night golf is available. +66 (02) 516-8679

www.pinehurst.co.th

PRESIDENT CC This full-service country club features 36 holes of Robert Trent Jones, Jr.-designed golf, an unusually spacious Mediterranean-style clubhouse, excellent practice facilities, fitness center (sauna and Jacuzzi) and swimming pool. The four nines, designed in 1993 utilizing 1,500 rai of level terrain, offer engaging links-style golf and present two pleasurable golfing alternatives. Flat, open tracks feature: water tactically placed on half of the holes; a grouping of doglegs (the East); strategic bunkers – many of them framing contoured (and fast) greens; and a vast double-green in the shadow of the welcoming clubhouse. Native grasslands and trees, which have matured nicely over the course of the decade, accent the myriad lakes. +66 (0) 2988-7555-63

ROSE GARDEN GC

www.president.co.th

+66 (03) 432-2770/422-5517

BANGKOK

Like a splendid geisha, this course, located 40 kilometers southwest of Bangkok is courtly, stylish, groomed and grand in tradition. It is one of Thailand’s oldest courses – and also a leading venue for cultural shows at the Rose Garden Hotel. Built in 1972, it runs 7,085 yards. At 8 a.m. you can view elephants from the Cultural Show taking a morning stroll. The condition is superb. Water is a pervasive obstacle. www.rose-garden.com

LIHN’S Best Best of ofThailand Thailand GOLF GOLF GUIDE GUIDE 2013 2013 LIHN’S

61

Notes THE ROYAL GOLF & CC

SUBHRAPUEK CC A handsome and beguiling golf course that rolls gently over manicured terrain punctuated by hundreds of palm trees, pervasive water and trademark Pete Dye bunkers, it’s as classy as they get.Flower beds, bridges, waterfalls, lush landscaping and bouquets of palm trees add to the earnest appeal of this flat and imposing 6,837-yard layout. A special feature (and it possesses many) is a 148-yard par-319th hole that provides ample banter and post-game wagering. +66( 02) 705-6262-6, +66(02) 317-9149-50, +66 (02) 2316- 2636 www.subhapruekgolf.com

This scenic, 7,123-yard course, just minutes from the airport, is spread over 2,000 rai and uses all of Mother Nature’s embellishments to burnish the experience. Canals flow through many of the holes and the soft-sand bunkers are flat, wide and decorative. The greens are tiered and fast.

Two long par 3s (the 17th is handicapped 8) and par 4s (the 14th is 466 yards) add some whimsy (a “Mickey Mouse” hole) and adventure. The course is bathed in repose. Four of the last five holes – while long – are a joy to play. +66 (02) 738-0138

www.royalgolfclubs.com

UNILAND GOLF & RESORT An hour west in Nakorn Pathom (near Rose Garden and Suwan), these 27 holes (A and B play at 6,986 yards) are graceful, well-managed and popular among the denizens.

Over a dozen lakes and ponds curl around the courtly fairways, and the atmosphere is pleasant – with a touch of suburbia – cheerful and colorful. The B Course, 641yard double-dogleg (book-ended by water, no less) is the champion hole. A group of the 350 caddies were taking Japanese lessons when I visited. +66 (03) 424-3444

www.unilandgolf.com

SUMMIT WINDMILL GC

BANGKOK BANGKOK

Nearly 80,000 golfers a year visit this groomed, classy but difficult golf course (146 Slope). But popularity has its price, so be prepared for a five-hour round. Often cumbersome. Trademark Faldo bunkers (96) embroider the 6,964 yards and water weaves and courses its way around all 18 holes. Over 5,000 trees serenade and shelter the grounds (2,000 of them palm). Then add to the drama the heaving, roiling and bumptious mounding and hills with valleys and depressions. Along with water and sand and bumps, doglegs dominate. Play under the lights until midnight. +66 (02) 750-2112

www.summitwindmillgolfclub.com

WINDSOR PARK & GC Cheerful golf is spread through 27 holes of a lovely, naturalistic landscape with rolling fairways, mounded bunkers, wavy greens with palm tree backdrops, chirping bird life and pervasive lakes. Opened in 1993, and 75 minutes from town, it has a sparkle and panache. The atmosphere is scenic and buoyant, the golf first-rate. It’s pacific, and sets the mood for a delightful day of golf. +66 (02) 989-4200

62

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

www.windsorpark.co.th

EASTERN Burapha Golf & Resort Khao Kheow Country Club Laem Chabang International Country Club Rayong Green Valley Country Club St. Andrews 2000 Silky Oak Country Club Soi Dao Highland Golf Club

NOTES Bangpakong Riverside CC Bangpra International GC Crystal Bay GC Eastern Star CC & Resort Green Wood GC Mountain Shadow GC Pattana Golf & Sports Resort Pleasant Valley Golf & CC Phoenix Golf & Country Club Royal Lakeside GC & Resort Wangjuntr Golf Park

LIHN’SBest Bestof ofThailand ThailandGOLF GOLFGUIDE GUIDE2013 2013 LIHN’S

63

Burapha Golf & Resort

Recreational “Well-maintained and a nice links game.”

“Deceptively difficult on the West course.”

“Good value and nice, wide-open setting.”

Professional “The course has matured nicely over the years and the longer holes have increased the difficulty.”

The Specifics

C

onceived in 1995, homes (and boasting an attractive “California lifestyle”) were built around two 18-hole golf courses spreading impressively across 721 acres.

EASTERN

Designed by the Arizona team of David Graham and Gary Panks, the four nines (which have been reconfigured and lengthened) have emerged in a hilly, links-style landscape with some delightful vistas. Impressive mango trees, coconut palms, and free-standing Jamjuree trees accent the rolling fairways, which are further decorated by mounded bunkers. Two dozen lakes sprinkle the track.

64

I have watched this course mature over the past nine years and superintendence and management have kept it first rate.

The 36 holes are crisp, clean, conditioned and functional links golf.

The fairways are uniformly rolling and bumpy with bunkers in bas relief and isolated vegetation. The greens are in excellent shape, and bend and roll and twist and turn consistently. Above all, the four renamed nines – Augusta (“A”), Belfry (“B”), Cypress (“C”) and Dune (“D”) – are diverse and anything but predictable.

Iconoclastic and quirky; but challenging and zestful. For example, the 3,662-yard Dune nine, has a distinctive combination of holes: The 1st is a 506-yard par 5. At the 7th, you tee off at a 290-yard par 5, which travels uphill past severely mounded bunkers to a hilltop green featuring two deep traps at the front and hollows in the rear.

The 8th is a 250-yard, downhill par 3 that delivers some sweeping vistas and a terrifying shot opportunity; and the 9th is a 514-yard par 4 that tumbles downhill.

Type: semi-private Greens Fees: 2,000 to 2,700 Baht Caddies/Carts: 300/600 Baht Layout: 36-hole, par-72 Rating/Slope: East (A&B) 7,185 Tournament 74.6/141 6,713 Championship 73.2/131 6,174 Regura 71.8/123 5,504 Ladies 70.8/119 West (C&D) 6,947 Tournament 73.4/136 6,491 Championship 72.5/130 6,030 Regura 71.2/122 5,421 Ladies 70.7/118 Designer: David Graham/ Gary Panks GM: Kullatorn (Mike) Meesommont

Getting There 281 Moo 4, Tombon Bung, Sriracha, Chonburi 20230 +66 (03) 837-2700 info@buraphagolfthailand.com www.buraphagolfthailand.com

The Dune and the Cypress comprise the West Course, which is the more daunting 18 holes. The Cypress marches in at 3,479-yards (the shortest), with a wild assortment of yardage opportunities.

The 9th is a prodigious 471 yards (this 3,635-yard nine is the longest) and earns a number 1 handicap. The hole doglegs right and surrounds you with stunning mango trees at the tee box before you drive gently downhill past the only bunker on the right.

The East course, comprised of Augusta and Belfry, boasts the best scenery.

The “A” course is the home of the par-3, newly-extended, 171-yard signature hole, a beautifully manicured, bowl-shaped green complex with a circular putting surface, surrounded by sand and adorned by a boulder garden that circles the rear fringe.

The Belfry nine travels 3,550 yards and features a lovely 193-yarder at the 8th, as well as a 451-yard par-4 to begin the nine. The drive here is slightly uphill and concludes at a 24-yard wide green with swales all around.

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

Take note of the lovely pond and tree garden between the 6th and 7th holes.

Khao Kheow Country Club Recreational “A nice Pete Dye confection with quiet scenery relaxing you.”

Professional “Always has been a solid experience.”

The Specifics

W

rapped in the embracing arms of forested hills and conical mountains, this 27-hole golf course, wonderfully fashioned by Pete Dye in 1992, is handsome, gracious and tranquil. It is also popular, servicing nearly 60,000 rounds a year.

The price is right, the condition admirable and the quiet, country look gives it appeal.

Comprised of three nines (A, B and C) that each range about 3,500 yards, the course – 45 minutes southeast of Bangkok } on the Motorway – features narrow fairways dominated by mounds at the edges. Lots of water and the beautiful mountain backdrop are the highlights.

Tall coconut palms give the course an almost tropical look. Many fairways are on plateaus with drop-offs to ample flat bunkers (see A-2). The greens are generally small with gentle slopes and tiers.

to Dye’s famous 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass in Florida, home of the Players Championship.

The par 4s range from 354 to 465 yards. The longest two are on the A and B nines. The 462-yard 4th (A) is handicapped 1, which you’ll understand as you try to navigate bunkers and a diminutive green. The 465-yard 7th (B) arcs around water on the left side.

Course A was the longest on the course, this 592-yard par 5 is a beast. From an elevated green drive to a narrow plateau of a fairway a threatening sunken trap at the bottom edge of a steep slope.

The B course is the longest at 3,584 and features the signature Dye par 3, followed by the 430yard 9th with water up the left side and plenty of palm trees and mounding to add to the adventure

Type: semi-private Greens Fees: 2,000 to 2,800 Baht Caddies/ Carts: 300/800 Baht Layout: three nine-hole, par-36 Rating/ Slope: Course A: 3,493 Blue 3,107 Yellow 70.9/126 2,815 White 68.0/117 2,441 Red 68.9/120 Course B: 3,584 Blue 3,252 Yellow 70.5/119 2,965 White 67.8/116 2,608 Red 68.6/116 Course C: 3,472 Blue 3,102 Yellow 70.4/121 2,841 White 67.5/115 2,442 Red 68.0/114 Designer: Pete Dye, 1992 GM: Khun Suraphol Komuthanond

Getting There 220/15 Moo 12, Bangphra, Sriracha, Chonburi 20210 +66 (03) 831-8000 info@khaokheowgolf.com www.khaokheowgolf.com

(2 handicap).

The C course is the shortest (3,472 yards), referred to as the “resort” track. It is relatively flat, but features ample water: a challenging 547-yard, dogleg right par 5 at the start with water all the way up the left edge of the fairway; and finishing with a 357yard mini-par 4 with water on the right.

EASTERN

The “Mountain Course,” consisting of the A and B nines (7,077 yards), is the championship track.

The six long, thin, dogleg par 5s range from 489-yards (with a 3 handicap) to 592-yards (both on the A course), five of which have water in play.

The par 3s use crafted bulkhead g r e e n s s u r r o u n d e d b y w a t e r.

The signature hole, the 146-yard 8th (B), is a characteristic island green similar in length and terror

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

65

Laem Chabang International CC Recreational “Great facility. I rank it top five.” “And now it has nine holes of floodlit golf !”

Professional “Consensus Top Ten. Facilities superb, service great, food yummy and nice people all around.”

The Specifics Type: resort Greens Fees: 1,250 to 3,750 Baht Caddies/Carts: 200/600 Baht Layout: three nine-holes (par-36) Rating/Slope: Course A: Mountain Course A-B 3,446 Black 72.5/136 3,298 Blue 70.9/131 3,050 White 68.6/122 2,704 Red 70.5/124 2,319 Yellow n/a

R

EASTERN

olling for 27 holes over and around 700 verdant and luxurious acres of valley, hills, lakes, waterfalls and vivid vegetation, the Laem Chabang International CC – 30 minutes from Pattaya – provides style, grace and challenge.

66

In 1994, Jack Nicklaus shaped the natural rock, hilly terrain, indigenous landscaping and meandering streams to fashion a scenic and lush golf course.

The facility has a fecund beauty about it. Coconut and palm trees embroider the fairways and gardens and flower-beds splash color from tee-box to green.

Several bridges are festooned with floralarrangements that provide glorious softness to the already serene setting.

The three distinct nines range up to 3,619 yards (the Valley). The six par 3s do not exceed 212 yards, but keep an eye on the 175-yarder on the Mountain course with its sneaky 4 handicap. The par 5s travel from 518 to 550 yards. The par-4s are the struggle. The Lake and Valley courses boast a 441- and 454-yard one handicap par 4s. Indeed, the

Course B: Lake Course B-C 3,419 Black 3,265 Blue 3,032 White 2,700 Red 2,409 Yellow

two most difficult holes on each nine are 4s.

The fairways are characteristically wide, bunkered, slightly rolling and slanted. The greens are modest with subtle undulations and occasional gentle tiers. Other touches add grace: the mounded tree and rock garden adorning the intruding bunkers in the middle of the fairway on the Mountain 4th hole; trellised waterfalls accenting the edges of several fairways; and wooden bridges that clatter over streams edged with flora.

The Mountain course has elevations, drops and views, along with ample doglegs. The signature hole is the 384-yard 6th hole, with water on the left. You approach over a narrowing fairway to a green 35 yards deep sitting on a bulkhead on the edge of that left-side lake. A deep bunker protects the right side.

The Lake course is dominated by doglegs and water. The 6th is a 441-yard beauty. The prodigious drive must avoid a bunker (and water) on the inside angle at the

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

73.3/133 71.3/132 69.3/121 72.0/127 n/a

Course C: Valley Course C-A 3,619 Black 73.8/139 3,456 Blue 72.0/137 3,255 White 69.9/124 3,009 Red 72.6/128 Designer: Jack Nicklaus, 1993 GM: Somsak Hataipiemsuk

Getting There 106/8 Moo 4, Beung, Sriracha, Chonburi 20230 +66 (03) 837-2273 info@laemchabanggolf.com www.laemchabanggolf.com

dogleg right. Then leave this pod, carry a pond and hit the target green resting behind a high bulk head bordering the lake. The green is 24 yards deep.

The Valley, the most difficult nine, features more doglegs, a beach-load of bunkers and water intersecting the first four fairways. Labor your way through the first four holes, three of which are par-4s that average 435 yards. They all feature fairways intersected by water.

This nine now has night golf (the first in the region).

St. Andrews 2000 Recreational “It has stood the test of time. Top 10.”

“This is a golf course! Two par-6s!”

“It is designed with off-the-wall artistry and is a delight.”

Professional “This is a big-league challenge from the tips.” “It’s a carefully calibrated course that demands respect.” “Top tier.”

The Specifics

T

his is, still, the most creative course in Thailand. Daring, full of energy and exhilaration, it is a surrealistic stretch of the golfing imagination, pushing past the boundaries of design expectation.

It is also beautifully groomed and as decorative as they come. It has swagger, pizzazz and accomplishment.

Kinetic in conception, frenetic in implementation, it is topographically gyroscopic and wonderfully kaleidoscopic. The fairway mounding is bodacious, the landscaping artistic, and the routing outrageous.

How about: a gargantuan boulder garden at the 4th fairway, gracious waterfalls, spouting fountains, pervasive lakes, playful islands, misshapen canyons and hollows, insistent elevations and views, split-level and tiered fairways, an extra par-3 hole with an island green, festering bunkers (15 on the diabolically tempting, dogleg par-4 6th, a fairway shaped liked a wom-

an’s body and two demonic par 3s?

These 18 (well, 19) holes sparkle with eccentric excitement. This is a course on steroids with implausible possibilities: roiling, dramatic mounds; two-tiered fairways; oversized, heaving, elevated greens; water (in a multitude of aqueous forms); and glorious flowers all add to the buzz of this whirling-dervish track.

The links-style, out-and-back course is highlighted by the 700yard 4th and 910-yard 13th with huge tiered-greens set amidst bunkers and water.

Although outsized in length, the course has balance and plays at an accessible 6,862 and 6,303 yards from the two mid-tees. The par 3s are exceptional and difficult. The prodigious 239-yard 17th is handicapped 2. The par 4s travel from 326 to 468 yards and offer a great range of golf shots. The two par 5s are handicapped 16 and 17! (the 7th is 602 yards).

Getting There 9/36 Moo 7 T. Sumnukthon, Banchang, Rayong 21130 +66 (03) 803-0660 golfing@standrews2000golf.com www.standrews2000golf.com

to the long fairway running 500 yards to the green. If you are both lucky and long, you will reach the green (which, thankfully, has but two bunkers and a berm backboard to stop your 200-plus approach) in four and enjoy a twotiered, dipping putt. It’s handicapped 1.

Stop at the kiosk for a valium to go.

Prepare the artillery for the longest consecutive holes in the universe: the 910-yard par-6 (no typo) and the 468- yard 14th: 1,378 yards of par-10 golf.

If you played from the back tees, file your flight plan and find the masseuse.

It’s audacious, stunning and inspiring. But it’s also difficult. So don’t come to conquer. Come to be stimulated, regaled and humbled.

EASTERN

Designed by the estimable, flamboyant and whimsical Desmond Muirhead, the par-74 St. Andrews 2000, was crafted with a sweeping Scottish links-look over 7,540 yards of picturesque, rolling countryside.

His is a creative mind twirling with the wonders of golfing possibility. He is the Salvador Dali of golf architects.

Type: resort Greens Fees: 2,500 to 3,000 Baht Caddies/Carts: 300/600 Baht Layout: 18-hole, par-74 Rating/Slope: 7,540 Blue 77.7/143 6,862 Yellow 76.1/138 6,303 White 71.5/130 5,334 Red 71.6/127 Designer: Desmond Muirhead, 2000 MD: Narongdej Sinthukiow GM: Nirand Phimwong

The par-6 4th voyages 700 yards of dogleg terror with two significant water carries. Drive an expansive lake nearly 200 yards to reach the first fairway pod. Your second shot flies to the right

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

67

Silky Oak Country Club Recreational Rayong: “Great layout and solid challenge. Really like it.” “It’s a course you keep playing and enjoy every time.”

Professional “Excellent track and popular.”

“It’s underrated.”

The Specifics

S

ilky Oak CC has 18 of its new 36 holes up-and-running.

They are shaping up to be a sterling addition to the two adjoining courses. Designed by the St. Andrews 2000 staff, they feature elevations and distant views, flaunt 10 lakes and ponds, and present a host of terraced tee-boxes.

When completed at the end of the year, the “A” course will be a British-style design with pot bunkers and small, oval or round, flat greens; the “B” is American in style with freeform bunkers and bigger, shapely greens.

For now you have a nine from each

totaling 7,041 yards with a terrific balance of playful par 3s, testing par 4s (four run from 420 to 468 yards) and judicious par 5s with gentle handicaps (except for the 585 13th the most difficult on the “A” nine).

The distinguishing feature of this irriguous course is the “twin” design concept: contiguous tee boxes, matching greens, and shared fairways. And, oh, the water.

The halfway house is perched on a hill with panoramic, 360-degree views, and just below the enticing, hilltop par-3 5th, a sylvan beauty that loops 150 yards into an amphitheatre green (see at right).

Rayong Green Valley Country Club

P EASTERN

icturesque Rayong Green Valley CC is framed by rolling hills and adorned by colorful flowers and shrubbery. It shares the sprawling acreage with its sisters, St. Andrew’s 2000 and the new Silky Oak CC. I like this track.

If St. Andrew’s is the busty, brassy, over-the top big-night out, then this is the pleasurable, courtly blind date: demure, well-dressed, well-mannered with a wonderful personality.

one long (239 yards) and three short, stylish par 3s. The par 4s stretch as far as 456 yards (the 1st), and five in the 368+ range. The par 5s feature water and doglegs and range from 506 to 575 yards.

Happy wonder marches along with you as you negotiate the: subtle double-dogleg 536-yard 3rd with water on the left and bunkers on the right; the 6th, a 395-yarder with mid-fairway bunkers; and the 8th,

The first three holes are all dolled-up with plenty of adorable accessories: flowering bushes form bracelets around the fairways and swaying palm trees are draped like necklaces around the greens. Lakes and waterfalls are lovely accoutrements and towering trees, tumbling fairways, dramatic doglegs and diverse greens all add romance.

Designed by Peter Thomson in 1992, this 6,980-yard course boasts

68

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

Type: resort Greens Fees: 2,000 to 2,500 Baht Caddies/Carts: 300/600 Baht Layout: 18-hole, par-72 Rating/Slope: Silky Oak 7,041 Blue N/A 6,514 Yellow 5,973 White 5,232 Red Designer: in-house team, 2011-2012 Rayong Green Valley 6,980 Blue 73.5/137 6,306 White 70.1/125 5,217 Red 69.7/115 Designer: Peter Thomson, 1992

MD: Narongdej Sinthukiow GM: Nirand Phimwong

Getting There 9/36 Moo 7 T. Sumnukthon, Banchang, Rayong 21130 +66 (03) 803-0660 golfing@standrews2000golf.com www.standrews2000golf.com

the longest par-5 with no fairway bunkers, water on the left and a hilltop green.

Perhaps the personification of the landscaped loveliness of the course appears at the 174-yard 16th. As you finish your drive past an expansive rock and cactus garden which sprawls along the cart path.

Love is in the air.

I am told that the second date is as thrilling as the first.

Soi Dao Highland Golf Club Recreational “One of the best golf courses, and unquestionably the best value. You just have to get there!” “Don’t miss this.”

Professional “An excellent course. Top 10.” “I brought 50 people here to play and saw 51 smiles.”

“It’s special and underplayed.”

The Specifics Type: resort Greens Fees: 1,000 to 2,000 Baht Caddies/Carts 300/650 Baht Layout: 18-hole, par-72 Rating/Slope: 7,162 Blue 71.9 6,642 White 67.8 6,180 Yellow 71.1 5,379 Red 68.5 Designer: Denis Griffiths, 1995 GM: LtG. Bharawee Janlekha

Getting There 224 Moo2 T. Tabsai A. Pong Nam Ron Chanthaburi 22140 +66 (03) 9460960-2, 089-9343008 soidaogolfclub@hotmail.com www.soidaohighland.com

C

an you justify the three-hour drive from Bangkok? You bet.

Clearly country, maybe rustic, but definitely worth the excursion, this course is a jewel located deep in the southeast region.

The golf is just as fruitful. Long par 4s – the 6th reaches 476 yards – are the challenge. Five par 4s go beyond 430 yards. The par 3s are long, three exceeding 200 yards. The par 5s stretch from 533 to 583 yards.

Intersecting creeks and ponds come into play on more than half

the holes and several gentle doglegs add drama.

The real fun kicks in at the 3rd and 4th holes. The 3rd, the signature hole, is a 206-yard par 3 stunner (see photo).

The 4th, the toughest handicapped hole, travels 552 yards on a slight dogleg left path.

The back nine begins with perilous par-4s running 419 and 469 yards.

The 11th is handicapped 2. The slight dogleg left is shaped by a rim of mountains.

It is a perfect setting for golf. Take the journey.

In 1995, Denis Griffiths designed the gently rolling fairways and slanting greens that tumble for 7,162 yards. “When the course was built,” according to LtG. Bharawee Janlekha, the GM, “no damage was done to nature. Not one tree fell down. They were moved and replanted.”

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

EASTERN

Scenic? For you movie buffs, it’s as if “Sound of Music” meets “South Pacific.” Rimmed by the beautiful Khao Soi Dao mountain chain, the property ripples with forest and mountain elan. Blessed with surrounding forests; embroidered with indigenous trees; and sporting a splendid terrain that rolls and dips around and through creeks, ponds and lakes (with a waterfall or two), this course is as rewarding and gratifying a Sweet Sixteen party at Harrod’s, a bowl of Beluga at a bar mitzvah, or owning a water cannon at Songkran.

And it shows. Trees that are indigenous such as the ngew (“like a big rose bush”), samrong (“it bears a big, juicy fruit”) and the chamoung (“a delicious food only in the east where the leaf is eaten like a curry – but not so hot!” says the General, who also oversees the cozy, 46-room hotel on site) flourish here.

69

Notes BANGPRA INTERNATIONAL GC

EASTERN STAR CC & RESORT

The club had its genesis in 1958 when the tourist authority decided to engender an interest in golf. The 7,209-yard course was taken over by Japanese owners and reconfigured in 1987. The valleys and hillsides echo with color from the mature trees and flowering shrubbery as well as dozens of lakes and ponds that lace and decorate the fairways. Water is in play on 13 holes and temperate doglegs add excitement. The par-5s, are long and longer (622 yards). The par 3s stretch from 206 to 228 yards. The par-4s are prodigious with four exceeding 431 yards. +66 (03) 834-1149

www.bangpragolf.co.th

BANGPAKONG RIVERSIDE CC

Built in 1991 by Robert Trent Jones, the 7,134-yard track was carved out of a coconut palm plantation and weaves its way around the residences on the resort. Water is in play on a dozen holes (11 lakes pepper the landscape), as are 10 doglegs (one double – the short 8th). Bunkers (65) and over 2,000 palms decorate your round. +66 (03) 863-0410

EASTERN

Halfway between Bangkok and Pattaya, the 18 holes sit like a vast island in a network of rivers, lagoons and lakes. At 7,140 yards and spread out over a 600-rai reserve, the club was voted one of Asia’s most popular golf courses at its inception in 1981. While it has a linksflavor, its decades of growth and the wonderful ecological patina give it more of a parkland feel. Spread along the Bangpakong River, this long, appealing, hybrid track ripples with a leitmotif of water. Doglegs accent the wide, level fairways on a dozen holes.

70

+66 (03) 850-0500

www.brc-golfcourse.com

www.easternstargolf.com

GREEN WOOD GC This 1994 Peter Thomson-designed course is under new ownership. A good thing: these 27 holes of creative architecture are too splendid to be left languishing.

Punctuated by mounding, swales, hollows, sand (beware) and palm trees, the five-time British Open champ has affectionately replicated the UK links courses he dominated on this inland landscape. It’s about as relaxed a layout as you’ll find and a great value. +66 (03) 826-3158

www.gwgolfclub.com

CRYSTAL BAY GC MOUNTAIN SHADOW GC This 27-hole layout is just over an hour from Bangkok.

Some rugged doglegs (A2nd and B3rd) and a trio “of short, signature, par-3 island greens (A8th, B4th and C7th) provide ample adventure and diversity. The par 4s are the test here and the reason the slope ratings run up to 135. Any combination of the three nines comes out to nearly 7,000 yards.

A Ronald Fream signature course, this 6,722-yard, spreads its seductive fairway tendrils down a hillside, around ponds and lakes and among old growth mango orchards. This course has three long par-5s, twinkling par 3s with island greens, and some eviscerating doglegs (11th, 14th and 16th).

+66 (03) 839-3001

+66 (03) 839-3001

www.legacygolfthailand.com

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

www.legacygolfthailand.com

Notes PATTANA GOLF & SPORTS RESORT

PHOENIX GOLF CLUB The burnished, bronzed-capped roof unfolds its wingspan over an imposing, open-air clubhouse, which presides over 27 holes of scenic and comfortable golf.

Three nines stretch over 1,000 rai (450 acres) of lush landscaping. Bouquets of multi-hued shrubbery weave bracelets around the front lawn; and ponds, fountains and botanical artwork enhance the back yard. It caters to over 70,000 pairs of legs annually. The course plays through streams, lakes, hillsides and rolling fairways.

Km.158 + 66 (03) 823-9391

pgccpataya@yahoo.co.th

PLEASANT VALLEY GOLF & CC I did not spend much time here and none of my team has played it. Minutes from the attractive Khao Kheow national park, the 7,002-yard course is – as it name suggests – pleasant. The par 3s range from 140 to 240 yards. The par 4s run long and rugged; and one par 5 stretches to 601 yards. The course features ample water around its rolling fairways. Walking is recommended. +66 (03) 826-0825 Money and affection have been poured into this marvelous, 1,169 rai (500 acres) resort, featuring: 35 three-bedroom villas, a hotel, a 70-room serviced apartment, a humongous clubhouse – and 27 holes of golf. It promises to be stunning if a management team can be gathered to organize the glorious elements and make the cohesive whole work. Two par 6s and some lengthy par 4s give you 7,361 yards to meander over.

This is potentially a most impressive golfing facility. It just keeps losing focus. +66 (03) 831-8999

www.pleasantvalley-golf.com

ROYAL LAKESIDE GC & RESORT

www.pattana.co.th

WANGJUNTR GOLF PARK

An impressive clubhouse and landscaping splendor capture your attention. A virtual botanical garden, your jaunt to the first tee is as pretty as it gets. The 18 holes are surrounded by a flowing, narrow lake, which serves as a marina for the terra-cotta-roofed homes that arc and stretch along the canals. The course traverses 6,815 yards, with 14 holes exposed to the lakes and a plethora of bunkers.

+66 (03) 896-5088

+66 (03) 857-3275

www.wangjuntrgolf.com

EASTERN

If you slide east past Chonburi for about 45 minutes, you will be in the fringes of Rayong where an expansive and ambitious set of forested mountain golf courses await your attack. They are imposing, daunting and scary-long. Just 1.5 hours from Bangkok, these 36 holes (plus, now, a nine-hole Jungle Course) are smothered in nature. Each of the Valley and Highland courses has two sets of greens, so you can play four golf courses. The Highland is long (bring your Thunder-stick for the three par 5s that tumble from 606 to 679 yards), wet, forested and brutal (a 153 Slope!). The Valley is more gentle but just as doglegged, wet and elevated. Accommodations aplenty are on site, as are activities (kayaking, biking and hiking). A nice weekend get-a-way for the long-ball adventurer and his outdoor-happy family.

www.royallakeside.com

LIHN’SBest Bestof ofThailand ThailandGOLF GOLFGUIDE GUIDE2013 2013 LIHN’S

71

KANCHANABURI NOTES NOTES Blue Sapphire Golf & Resort Grand Prix Dragon Hills Golf & CC Eagle Milford GC & Resort Hua Hin Evergreen Hills GC And Resort Kaeng Krachan CC And Golf Resort Petchaburi Majestic Creek CC Mida Golf Course Mission Hills GC Kanchanaburi Royal Ratchaburi Sawang Resort GC & Hotel

72

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

Notes BLUE SAPPHIRE GOLF & RESORT

EAGLE MILFORD GC & RESORT

Tucked away two hours west of Bangkok (170 kilometers), the resort was constructed in 2002 on an exhausted gem mining site. The 6,975-yard Canyon and the newer 6,756-yard Ocean courses are surrounded by water (not ocean!), and accented by the elevations (resulting from the gorges and valleys created by excavation over the years), island greens, and countless doglegs. The tracks need grooming, but are full of imagination and surprises and some memorable golf holes. Water is everywhere. The par 5s are long and the greens bodacious (Canyon 609-yard 17th). The Ocean features benign par 5s and some testing par 3s on the inward half (the 10th is 224 yards with an 8 handicap).

A little more superintendence and it is a solid 10-carats.

Designed by Robert McFarland in 1992 and revamped in 2010, this course, 15-minutes south of Hua Hin in a wonderful bucolic setting, is dated and has been marginal in maintenance. It exists as an option for beginners looking for some practice, quiet, and a naturalistic backdrop.

The 6,475 -yard track features nine quiescent holes followed by a scenic back side with uninterrupted views of the Gulf of Thailand and surrounding mountains.

Check out the scampering peacocks running through the edge of the fairways. And the views.

+66 (03) 458-1322

This is an expansive residential/resort golf undertaking (2,000 rai). The course is glowing. The project will include a boutique hotel, detached housing, condominium units and a comprehensive range of sporting facilities, restaurants and shopping venues. The par-72 track has five sets of tees and runs 7,136 yards. Fifty bunkers pepper the front side (none on the 460-yard 4 , which feels like an island fairway). It is planned to be an exclusive, private club. Stay tuned.

www.bsgolfclub.com

DRAGON HILLS GOLF & CC

+66 (03) 257-2444 www.milford.co.th/golf_huahin.htm

GRAND PRIX

+66 (0) 87 160 0141

KAENG KRACHAN CC AND GOLF RESORT PETCHABURI

This 97-room resort and golf course – similar to many Kanchanaburi tracks – caters to vacationing Koreans as well as locals. The 6,879-yard course features the water-borne, par-3 16th with a green in the middle of the lake; and par-4 17th with water bookending the fairway. Nice condition.

This course is, unfortunately, remote and, therefore, underrated (and underexposed). An hour north and inland of Hua Hin (51 kilometers) and nestled in an impressive mountain range, the location dissuades many golfers. Too bad. Load up the camel and take the hike. Opened in 1994, the Lake and Valley nines were designed by Cherd Bunyaratavej, a popular local architect. The fairways are lush and the greens tricky. Several lakes offer water hazards on six holes. The new Jack Nicklaus nine-hole Mountain course opened for play in early 2008, and stretches over 3,600 yards, offering some dramatic elevation. Great value!

+66 (08) 1 928-1992 www.evergreenhillsgolfclub.com.th

+66 (08) 1 867-6701

+66 (03) 222-8222

www.dragonhillsgolf.com

EVERGREEN HILLS GC & RESORT

WESTERN

This course, located in the middle of valley and hills, offers routing that ranges from serene to dramatic and is tucked inside 1,500 acres of naturalistic terrain. The original course, designed in 1994 by Jim Engh as part of an extensive residential community 90 minutes west of Bnagkok, winds for 6,821 yards and is characterized by tumbling fairways; narrow and daunting landing areas; roiling mounding, particularly around the greens – which are long, tiered, front-sloping and hugged by a captivating assortment of bunkers. Water on 14 holes, 11 doglegs and lovely mountain forestry makes this track exciting. Two more courses, designed by Isao Aoki and Jack Nicklaus, have been part of the original site plan.

www.bluediamondgolf.com

kkcclubhouse@hotmail.com

LIHN’SBest Bestof ofThailand ThailandGOLF GOLFGUIDE GUIDE2013 2013 LIHN’S

73

Notes MAJESTIC CREEK CC

MIDA GOLF COURSE

This water strewn, 27-hole course (built on 400 acres) was opened in 1993. This year the owner has taken a hands-on interest and the word on the street is that positive changes are being made. Bunkers to the left, bunkers to the right (totaling more than 100) and doglegs galore, will keep you on your toes. Water on 19 holes and rolling fairways placed against a backdrop of majestic mountains (they form the border with Myanmar) add to the visual splendor. I like the layout and ambiance. A leitmotif of understated, landscaped elegance: a rock sculpture as you approach the 1st tee, the quaint bridges at the 15th and 17th. +66 (03) 252-0162

majesticgolf@thailand.com

MISSION HILLS

Adorning the outskirts of busy Kanchanaburi, this resort has been growing bountifully for 20 years. Two hours west of Bangkok, it changed ownership three years ago and the rustic, scenic course took on a new glow – as well as a sparkling new clubhouse. The 7,073-yard naturalistic track maximizes its foliage, mountain and forest backdrop (they claim 20,000 trees) and half-dozen lakes. While the fairway grass is not perfect, the condition and ambiance are lovely. Several doglegs, ample water, sit-up greens (many tiny), a half-dozen mid- fairway trees, and (but for the 550-yard 8) minimal bunkers (I counted 49) highlight the track. +66 (03) 452 7250, +66 (0) 8 1173 1976 www.midagolfclubkanchanaburi.com

ROYAL RATCHABURI

WESTERN

This scenic and contoured golf course lies at the base of a forested mountain range and shares the ridges with hundreds of happy monkeys, a 90-minute drive west of Bangkok, in a town of ample and impressive Buddhist temples, shrines and mammoth statuary. Opened in 1988, it ranges to 6,852 yards. The defining features are the explosion of bunkers on the back side (more than 70) and a network of lakes that influence a trio of holes at the end of the front nine and the 13th through 16th.

74

+66 (03) 226-1223

www.royalratchaburi.com

Set in a splendid forested mountain range 84 kilometers west of Bangkok, these 27-holes could be fantastic. But no one is paying attention to maintenance. The hotel is weary and the condition of the course is neglectful.

Huge potential, though. Let’s hope someone and brings it in to this century.

This is the first Jack Nicklaus-designed course in Thailand. Opened in 1991, it provides delightful playability with accommodating fairways, strategic bunkers and calm. The natural terrain is flat, but the tumbling fairways are accented by rolling and dramatic bunkers. Long par 4s pr ovide most of the par-hardship with four of them exceeding 430 yards. Typically, one par 3 is long (the 219-yard 6th). The par 5s range from 513 yards to 553 with a nifty double-fairway featured on the 545-yard 12th.

+66 (03) 256-2555

+66 (03) 464-4147

SAWANG RESORT GC & HOTEL

www.sawangresort.com

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

www.ksc.th.com

CHIANG MAI AND CHIANG RAI Alpine Golf Resort - Chiangmai Chiangmai Highlands Golf & Spa Resort Santiburi Country Club Summit Green Valley Chiangmai Country Club

NOTES Chiangmai Inthanon Golf and Natural Resort Gassan GC & Resort (3) Mae Jo Golf Club & Resort Royal Chiangmai Golf Resort Waterford Valley Chiang Rai GC & Resort

Chiang Mai was rebuilt in the late 18th century when the Burmese were expelled and a diverse aggregation of multi-tongued artisans from Burma, Laos, China and East Bengal were conquered and brought to live in the fertile basin. Chiang Mai formally became part of Siam after the Thai King helped drive out the Burmese.

Chiang Mai then slowly grew in cultural, trading and economic impor-

tance to its current status as the unofficial capital of northern Thailand, second in importance only to Bangkok.

The city burgeoned with cultural diversity and flourished with beautiful handicrafts, principally silver jewelry, handcrafted goods and wood carvings. More than two million foreign tourists visit each year.

NORTHERN

Since the 13th century, Chiang Mai has been the pulse of the northern Kingdom of Thai Lanna. This culturally significant city, more than 700 kilometers north of Bangkok, is enveloped in a narrow valley among the highest mountains in the country.

Regal and elegant, with serenading mountains decorating its verdant valleys (Doi Inthanon is 2,565 meters or 8,415 feet), Chiang Mai continues to make every guest feel like a prince.

LIHN’SBest Bestof ofThailand ThailandGOLF GOLFGUIDE GUIDE2013 2013 LIHN’S

75

Alpine Golf Resort – Chiangmai Recreational “A handsome and robust course.” “I miss the charm of the old layout, but the new design and conditioning here is special.”

Professional “This is a big league track with exceptional holes. And I do enjoy the cooler climate!”

The Specifics Type: resort Greens Fees: 3,000 Baht Caddies/Carts 300/700 Baht Layout: 18-hole, par-72 Rating/Slope: 7,541 Black 70.2/123 6,915 Blue 68.8/121 6,414 White 71.3/132 5,562 Red 76.9/151 Designer: Ronald M. Garl, 2008 GM: Pan Thaweewat Head Pro: Nupat Pruengprasith Superintendent: Somsak Tanpanya

Getting There

B

Brobdingnagian 4th to the 7th (a pair of par 4s and 5s) total 2,080 yards (the Whites are 1,997), or two kilometers! Hey, rent a jet-pack.

Everything is new: the stately golf course has been redesigned with Paspalum grass on the fairways, the resort (78 rooms with views) is capacious and harmonic, the spa fetching, and the clubhouse classy.

Few bunkers intrude on the fairways (on the front nine only the first two holes have fairway traps).

Water is pervasive and is in serious play on every hole but for the 444yard 5th.One favorite is the slender, flexuous 456-yard 9th, an arcing par 4 (handicapped 5) that slides along a right-side lake.

NORTHERN

uilt within 450 rai of valley and forest, this is an elegant restoration of parkland golf in a gracious mountain setting. Adorned with a bracelet of mountains, it has resort charm, and is wonderfully conditioned.

I first saw this property in 2003 when it was Chiangmai Lamphun GC and “draped in arboreal elegance.

Golden teak and rain trees, along with countless blossoming shrubs, flowerbeds and vines decorate beautifully crafted stone walls.”

Three years later and it was dry and neglected.

The monster is the 11th, a whopping 485-yard dogleg-left par 4 (475 from the Whites!) with yet another water carry from the tee box. Drive past an elegiac Jamjuree tree draping its tendrils over a tiny island and

In 2008 the restoration began.

Unfortunately, none of the antique course was saved. Not preserving some of the exquisite features was a disappointment (the par 3 15th, the “Rose Hole”, had been a gem).

The Black tees measure 7,541. The Blues are 7,174, so my comments are based on that sane yardage.

Two of the par-3s are in the 150s, so that provides some relief. But the

76

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

San Kamphaeng-Banth Rd., Chiangmai 50130. +66 (05) 388-0888 chiangmai@alpinegolfresort.com www.alpinegolfresort.com

reflecting off the blue pond.

The bragging rights, however, belong to the “Signature Zone:” the 14th, 15th and 16th holes. The former is a picturesque 527-yard par 5.

The drive carries water and passes twin palms in the middle of the fairway.

The post-card 15th is a 151-yard loft to a stone bulk-headed, island green with a bunker providing protection in the front.

Chiangmai Highlands Golf & Spa Resort

I

visited in 2005 as the course was being completed by the Lee Schmidt and Brian Curley design team and was delighted to see the attention to detail: a handsome clubhouse, a soothing 10-room spa, family villas and 19 capacious rooms.

The track rumbles an impressive 7,227 yards. The Blues measure 6,621. It has consistently garnered “Best Of” awards.

The course highlights water on 11 holes – oddly, on five consecutive holes on each nine; bunches of bunkers: 46 on the front side (the 438-yard 8th has 11 splayed down the left side up to a characteristically commodious green), although four fairways are without sand (4th, 13th, 16th and 18th); and accommodating putting surfaces – and the Paspalam lawn.

The par 3s are pleasant and modest. One on each side has a water carry. The 201-yard 14th is

the longest.

Recreational

The par 4s range from 342 to 460 yards and feature the seven most difficult holes.The prodigious 5th is handi capped 1.

“Got to love the cooler mountain weather and conditioning of this course.” “Really neat service and comfy quarters.” “Excellent golf !”

Three par 5s are long. The 3rd does a 601-yard, dogleg swing left with five bunkers at the two landing zones on the right side and water down the left.

Professional

The rollercoaster, 558-yard hilltop 18 is the signature hole with an 8 handicap.

From the terraced tee boxes, launch downhill to the inside angle of the dogleg-left fairway, where you might catch the slope and get a roll. No bunkers here. Eitherlay-up in front of the crossing creek (125 yards out) or sail over and try to land in front of the sit-up green. But be wary on the uphill approach: four deep bunkers encase the 40-yard wide putting surface.

“It’s a first-class track with courteous and professional service.”

The Specifics Type: resort Greens Fees: 3,000 Baht Caddies/Carts: 300/600 Baht Layout: 18-hole, par-72 Rating/Slope: 7,227 Black N/A 6,621 Blue 6,287 White 5,056 Red Designer: Schmidt-Curley Design, 2006 GM: Prayoot Attasillapakit Superintendent: Sathip Chaonchom

Getting There On Nuar, Mae On, Chiangmai 50130 +66 (05) 326-1354-9 sales@chiangmaihighlands.com www.chiangmaihighlands.com

NORTHERN

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

77

Santiburi Country Club Recreational “Immaculate, elegant, loved it.”

“Perfect for the serious recreational golfer.”

Professional “About the best-conditioned and groomed course in the north, if not the country.”

The Specifics Type: public Greens Fees: 1,600 to 2,200 Baht Caddies/Carts 250/700 Baht Layout: 18-hole, par-72 Rating/Slope: 7,076 Gold 71.9/140 6,434 Blue 69.9/122 5,792 White 67.5/114 5,083 Red 69.7/114 Designer: Robert Trent Jones II, 1992 GM: Chotivud Gajesanandana

Getting There 12 Moo 3, Huadoi-Sobpao Rd., Wiangchai Province, Chiang Rai City 57210

I

f you are seeking a truly playerfriendly golf course in immaculate condition with gracious landscaping and terrain adorned with arboreal elegance, take the pilgrimage north to the valleys and mountains of Chiang Rai.

NORTHERN

D e s p i t e D e c e m b e r ’s w i n t e r grass, the course sparkled emerald green. And the grounds were flawless. Was there even a loose twig on the ground? The leaves seemed hand-polished and the sand must have been blow-dried.

The lake water is probably changed daily and the powder-puff clouds ordered the night before. And the birds had manicures.

This course has more nice touches than 20 soothing aestheticians at your favorite spa. This is scenic eye-candy. It dazzles and it calms.

The track begins with a casual double-dogleg that meanders 522 yards down a bunker-less fairway and winds up at a flat green with an array of bunkers running up the right side.

Then it becomes rhapsodic. It’s an Elegy Written on a Sylvan Fairway: Scene I: Haunting The 384-yard 5th stretches past your imagination. Lovely? Gaze out at anintersecting lake that

78

twists around the left side of the fairway. A bridge, with a glorious potted garden framing the railing, carries you to the tee. The green is encapsulated in crafted rock bulkheading. Trees on the left edge are embroidered into the landscape with quiet majesty. Puffy clouds linger in a cerulean winter sky accenting the bluest firmament witnessed since Gainsborough. Oh, the golf…a languid, flexuous fairway, a couple of bunkers and an elevated, frontsloping green.

Scene II: Exquisite From the 6th tee box, a 573-yard dogleg right begins its extension uphill. Another “Landscape Moment” – this one worthy of Van Gogh, surrealistic in its isolated beauty.

A mushrooming Jaamjuree tree sits down the right edge of the pod, spreading like an awning over the fairway. Carry the bisecting canal 40 yards further up and avoid the double-decker bunker on the left (part of a pair flanking the fairway) 150 yards out and a mounded, giant, false-front bunker 50 yards out. The green sits in hilltop repose embraced by hollows, swales, a pot bunker on the left and more sand on the right. It’s two-tiered, only 20 yards wide. It earns the 1 handicap.

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

+66 (05) 377-4685 Cr_golfreservation@santiburi.com www.santiburi.com

Scene III: Enthralling Wildflowers – bright, yellow and glimmering – scramble over the rising dale as you reach the tee box.

Drive to the right of this 370-yard split airway, preferably on the plateau above the bunker in the middle. An elegant garden in crushed stone sits at the base of a lake. Orangeblossoming Khaesaad trees add to the peripheral pleasure.

Scene IV: Penultimate The back nine is as verdant with more surprises and delights. The 13th is a double-dogleg right that bends 503 yards. The green complex has five bunkers stretching up the right side from inside the last angle past the green. The 15th, a 421-yard dogleg right, features a stunning stone and boulder garden spreading around the cart path behind the green.

Scene V: Finale The trio closing out your ethereal afternoon begins with the 447-yard 16th (handicapped 2). The 17th is the signature hole, a quaint, 170-yard short-iron over water.

What a denouement.

Summit Green Valley Chiangmai Country Club Recreational “This is an unheralded, special place.

Gorgeous and a challenge.”

Professional “Big-time golf course. Play smart and long.” “If you’re up north, visit.”

The Specifics Type: semi-private Greens Fees: 1,800 to 2,400 Baht Caddies/Carts: 250/600 Baht Layout: 18-hole, par-72 Rating/Slope: 7,202 Blue 74.5/142 6,875 Yellow 72.9/133 6,490 White 71.1/128 5,509 Red 72.1/125 Designer: Denis Griffiths, 1991

Getting There 186 Moo 1 Chotana Rd., Mae-Rim,Chiangmai 50180 +66 (05) 329-8222 – 3 info@summitgreenvalley.com www.summitgreenvalley.com

T

his 7,202-yard course, designed by Denis Griffiths in 1991, embraces approximately 1,300 rai to accommodate its intimidating 142 slope rating.

Bring your best game and be prepared for quite a shootout. Even if you move up a tee-box you’re still dealing with nearly 6,900 yards of daunting grace (this slope is 133).

The fairways are long, the greens are fast and vary in size. Water is pervasive and bunkers are prolific (more than 100; several garrulous, boisterous traps run up the 8th and

9th fairways).

Despite its length, the layout has good balance. The par-3s are in the 180 s, but for the monster 236-yard 16th. All the par 4s, except the 396-yard 7th, are greater than 400 yards and top out at 467 (the 13th). The 5s are respectable and average 530 yards except for the migraine-producing 1st hole, which is a 610-yard gorilla with a 2 handicap.

Start with a 610-yard par 5, with a two-level fairway, water running up the entire left side and seven

bunkers plastered like a plague on the fairway.

Bunkers: The 521-yard par 5 5th has 12 of them buried in a mountainous to pography from 90 yards into the green.

The toughest and longest par 4 is the dogleg-left, 467-yard 13th.

Then finish in elongated fashion with a consecutive par step-up: the par 3 16th is 236 yards; the par 4 17th is 446 yards of wavy fairway; the par-5 18th is a dogleg right that travels 536 yards past a 130-yard bunker.

NORTHERN

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

79

Notes CHIANGMAI INTHANON GOLF AND NATURAL RESORT

ROYAL CHIANG MAI GC

Set within 1,200 acres (a former mango and longon forest), this clever, delightful and bosky track courses its way over serene hilltops, lush, forested vegetation and past copious streams, lakes and ponds (the only dry hole is the 15th).

Highlights are the flexuous and angled doglegs; forced water carries; island greens (the 13th and 18th); a split fairway (the 7th); clusters of bunkers (the par-3 6th has a bracelet of seven encircling the green); towering trees, looming mid-fairway; long and short par-4s; and capacious greens. +66 (05) 326-7115 www.chiangmaiinthanongolfresort.com

GASSAN GOLF CLUB Three golf courses, two resorts and more than 2,000 rai of prime Chiang Mai real estate. The Gassan Group purchased an idyllic tract of mountain property 45 kilometers southeast of Chiang Mai. In 2004, the Khuntan resort was built, surrounded by Doi Khuntan National Park, famous for historical structures like The Railway Bridge and Khuntan Tunnel. The sprawling resort features 63 rooms overlooking the valley that embraces the 7,068yard golf course and the terraced hills and mountains.

The 7,089 yard Lake City opened in August 2005 and is dominated, as you might guess, by lakes. A 75-room resort provides comfortable lodging.

Gassan Marina runs nearly 7,600 yards. It has been built around Chiang Mai’s largest lake. +66 (05) 350-7006

www.gassangolf.com

NORTHERN

Mae Jo Golf Club & Resort

80

Refined and stylish, this golf course (designed in 1996 by five-time British Open winner Peter Thomson) is 6,969 yards (with a modest 50-room resort), about 40 minutes north of the airport, sports a solid 130 Slope Rating.The par 5s are lusty, averaging 565 yards.

The par 3s are accommodating (but for the 202-yard 6th, with a 3 handicap), and the 4s range from a pleasant 358 to a boisterous 438 yards. Pastoral, peaceful and lovingly landscaped. +66 (05) 384-9301

www.royalchiangmai.com

WATERFORD VALLEY CHIANG RAI GC & RESORT

Built in 2004, this attractive and enjoyable course, spreading over 500 rai (and 20 minutes north of Chiang Mai), runs a comfortable 6,570 yards (5,375 from the forward tees) through wide fairways. It is tranquil and composed. It has become progressively more impressive as the years add maturity. The gardening has been superb as colorful flowers and shrubs blossom en route.

Water (except from the 13th through the 16th holes) is sprinkled around the track and is in play on 11 holes.

Doglegs proliferate on more than half the holes (with two doubles, the 4th and 6th).

The attractive, rolling terrain of this nearly 7,000-yard course, approximately 40 minutes northeast of Chiang Rai, offers a cool counterpoint to most courses in Thailand. Nine holes were built in 1995, and the other nine finished in 1997. With wide, rolling fairways, large greens, pleasant elevations, lots of foliage and ample water, this naturalistic course provides mountain backdrops and lovely resort golfing. The views are worth the trip. A quaint resort lodge and condominiums with two-bedroom units provide restful and affordable accommodations. The par 4s provide the test with five holes less than 390 yards, but also a 478-yard, uphill-beast par 4 (3A) and a 444-yarder (5B).

+66 (05) 335-4431

+66 (05) 395-3440

www.maejogolfclub.com

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

www.waterford.co.th

KHAO YAI AND KHON KAEN Khao Yai Golf Club Rancho Charnvee Country Club Sir James Country Club (Forest Hills)

NOTES Bonanza Golf & CC Hillside Country Home Golf & Resort Iyara GC Kabinburi Sport Club Kirimaya Golf Resort & Spa Korat CC Mountain Creek Golf Resort and Residence Naraihill Golf Resort & CC Panorama Golf and Country Club Royal Hills Golf Resort & Spa Toscana Valley Singha Park

LIHN’SBest Bestof ofThailand ThailandGOLF GOLFGUIDE GUIDE2013 2013 LIHN’S

81

khao Yai Country Club Recreational “Gorgeous topography!”

“Except for the excursion to the 2nd hole, really a heck of golf course.”

“Was dazzled.”

Professional “Given the geography and the layout, it’s a solid golf experience. Wonderfully redone.”

The Specifics

T

his is a stunning, verdant course bestriding the Khao Yai National Park framed with lush backdrops and featuring glorious elevations.

KHAO YAI and KHON KAEN

What a comeback! It looks terrific.

A two-hour drive northeast of Bangkok in the bucolic Saraburi region of Thailand, this is a splendid resurrection of a 20-year old, 7,058yard course designed by Jack Nicklaus (with a big helping hand from Mother Nature) that had been neglected and managed poorly.

Two years of sedulous and passionatework by the Bangkok Airways new ownership have paid off handsomely.

Okay, we caught it on a perfect, sun-drenched, blue-sky afternoon – but Jack would be proud.

Khao Yai is part of Thailand’s largest topographical region and boasts indigenous trees, exported flora, fruit orchards, horseback riding, dairy

farms, and the oldest national park in Thailand (built in 1962, some 31 miles of nature trails meander and traverse over what is considered some of the richest terrain in Asia). The Park has more than 300 species of exotic birds and elephants, leopards, pig-tail macaque and gibbon, along with black bear, wild dogs, python, Siamese cobras, and green tree vipers in its jungle habitat.

You certainly have a lovely golf course to play. The first and final 12 holes embrace the lower edges of forested hills and mountains t hat frame the beauty of this entire region. The routing, however, requires a long ride uphill to the 2nd hole.

Once you finish this five-hole mountain-top roundelay, you will speed down the hill and continue to be thrilled.

Hazards are minimal: water is in play only on four holes (highlighted

Type: resort Greens Fees: 1,500 to 2,500 Baht Caddies/Carts: 300/700 Baht Layout: 18-hole, par-72 Rating/Slope: 7,058 Black N/A 6,659 Gold 6,295 Blue 5,765 White 5,031 Red Designer: Jack Nicklaus, 1993 GM: Pitikarn Puangrod

Getting There 151 Moo 5, Moosi, Pakchong, Nakhonratchasima 30130 +66 (08) 1 977-1952 info@khaoyaigolfclub.com www.khaoyaigolfclub.com

by the 407-yard, downhill 16th with looming hills as backdrop); a few doglegs scamper across the hilly terrain; and the bunkering (except for the 549-yard 5th that throws up eight at this difficult hole) is not onerous.

It’s the wind and the roiling terrain – and the distracting vistas – that get you.

The par 3s are less than 200 yards (but for the 208-yard 4th). The 8th is a 176-yard cutie with bunkers wrapping around the front-sloping green with water lingering off to the right.

The par 4s are uniformly robust, but for the short 7th, a 359-yard beauty.

The monster par 4 is the 14th, a 472-yard excursion that is helped by prevailing winds and a downhill fairway.

The par 5s earn three of the six toughest handicaps on this course.

They range from the 508-yard 2nd to the more bodacious 572-yard 18th.

As Khao Yai emerges as a favored golf destination, this course adds to the luster.

82

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

Rancho Charnvee Country Club Recreational “New and friendly. Enjoyed it.” “Short drive, great countryside and fine golf.”

“It will grow beautifully”

Professional “This is shaping up to be a real treat as it matures. Wonderful attention to detail.”

The Specifics Type: resort Greens Fees: 1,200 to 2,400 Baht Caddies/Carts: 450/600 Baht Layout: 18-hole, par-72 Rating/Slope: 7,131 Blue N/A 6,559 White 5,936 Red Designer: Bob McFarland, 2010 GM: Lerson Lohachalitanon

Getting There 333/2 Moo 12, Khanongphra, Nakhon Rachasrima, Khao Yai 30130

N

estled in the bucolic foothills of Khao Yai – a two-hour drive from Bangkok – Rancho Charnvee CC and the commodius 64-room resort (which opens in November) is an excellent addition to the burgeoning golf landscape of this tranquil vacation region.

Both the course, opened in 2010, and the enveloping area are charming and idyllic. And management is hands-on and passionate.

Cutting the corner over a towering tree is an option. Then uphill to a commodious green. It earns the 1 handicap.

The 6th (handicapped 3) runs 450 yards with three bunkers sprinkled on the fairway and two at the front of the wide, front-sloping, tiered green.

Notice the stables and practice track off to the right. Hey, forsake the golf cart and saddle up.

Only two of the par 4s are less than 400 yards, the highlight being

the 330-yard 18th. This exquisite closing hole features seven festering bunkers and an approach over an uphill moonscape to a round, tiered, sit-up green. Nice finish.

The most troublesome par 5 is the 540-yard 14th, sporting a 2 handicap.

The dogleg left begins with a blind drive past bookend bunkers. The second shot must avoid a right-side bunker. The long, saddleback (what else at the ranch?) green runs nearly 50 yards and slopes to the left.

The course is contoured, curved and gracious – and lovingly looked after.

Rancho Charnvee is a userfriendly resort layout. While not rated yet, my guess has the Slope at about 130.

It features playful and scenic par 3s, with ample sand and water.

The 4th, at 205 yards, is the most difficult. The 178-yard 17th is charming with the lake and yacht off to the right in front of the clubhouse.

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

KHAO YAI and KHON KAEN

Minus the wildlife (except for the horses), this links-style 7,131-yard course utilizes three sets of sensible tees. It sweeps along a gently rolling terrain with sprawling bunkers strategically placed (or not at all, on five of the first 10 fairways) and pacific water hazards on eight holes.

Doglegs (seven) and a few blind tee-shots add some adventure and risk-reward to the round. And a yacht in the lake.

The par 4s are lengthy and dauning and carry the three most difficult handicaps. The 470-yard 3rd is a sharp-angle, dogleg right with no bunkers until the flanking pair at the edge of the green.

+66 (04) 475-6210 ranchocharnvee@gmail.com www.ranchocharnvee.com

83

Sir James Country Club

O

ld-world, stylish, manicured and graceful.

dexterous approach shots to the elevated greens.

Featuring a 100+-room hillside hotel with picturesque views of the cascading sylvan scenery, it is an environmental delight. Built in 1993 on more than 500 rai of panoramic terrain, the fairways extend 7,026 yards. They roll, lift, dip, tilt and slant along narrow passageways.

The course features a delightful moderation of playable par 3s (not exceeding 206 yards). The par 4s are the biggest challenge, your first one right at the starting gate: the boisterous 483-yard 1st. Two more on the front nine exceed 450 yards. The par 5s are all balanced, ranging from 533 to 560 yards.

The accents are the thing here: many English-garden inspired bouquets of flowering bushes, perky hedges and a copse or two of native coconut palm and cypress to accompany the surrounding mountain forests.

The backside offers as much drama.

Start with the 555-yard 10th with its 3 handicap. The long sliver of fairway is accompanied by a lake the entire way and doglegs right at the last minute.

Pause at the lovely garden.

The 15th and 16th holes provide more charm.

KHAO YAI and KHON KAEN

The fairway bunkering is strategic but sparse with no traps on half the holes. Water both intersects and accompanies fairways on nine holes. The biggest obstacles are the surrounding and engulfing greenside bunkers that require meticulous and

The front nine boasts a handsome par 3s, the 203 yard 6th. Four bunkers surround the 29-yard deep elevated green, which is rimmed by an elegant horseshoe of high pine trees.

84

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

Recreational “A nifty get-a-way not far from Bangkok.”

Had a short weekend and wish I had extended it.” “Loved the golf here.”

Professional “An antique course that plays lovingly.”

The Specifics Type: resort Greens Fees: 2,000 Baht Caddies/Carts: 300/500 Baht Layout: 18-hole, par-72 Rating/Slope: 7,026 Blue N/A 6,520 White 6,177 Yellow 5,669 Red Designer: John William Rogers and Col. Veerayuth Phetbuasak, 1993 Director of Golf/GM: Puritat Pochawongse

Getting There 195 Moo 3, Mittrahab Road, Saraburi 18180 +66 (03) 634-3200 mail@sirjamesresort.com www.sirjamesresort.com

Notes KABINBURI SPORT CLUB

BONANZA GOLF & CC This is an overlooked course with a lot of potential. Tucked away in the foothills of Khao Yai, it stretches over long plateaus. Begun as a nine-hole excursion in 1997, it was expanded in 2001 to 7,480 yards. It augments a rustic cowboy-themed resort with a modest hotel overlooking a quiet lake, a new hotel off the first fairway, bungalows and an apartment complex, and a panoply of outdoor extracurricular activities (horseback riding, an aviary and flower farms). The layout is well conceived, but the course is a bit rugged at the edges. It is still a worthy and swarthy challenge featuring water, dominating doglegs, mid-fairway trees and distracting vistas. +66 (04) 492-1009

www.bonanzakhaoyai.com

+66(0) 3728-3888, +66(0) 82486-3631, +66(0) 82486-3633 www.kbscgolf.com

KIRI MAYA GOLF RESORT & SPA

HILLSIDE COUNTRY HOME GOLF & RESORT Set in a forested mountain backdrop, this rustic golf course rolls, tumbles and angles (nine doglegs) for 6,752 yards over sloping terrain. It features a terrific (well, maybe, terrifying) 680-yard par 6 dogleg-left with water drifting up the entire right side of the fairway and a fulsome, lily-covered pond fronting the green.

Two dogleg-left par 5s (on the back side) range from 590 yards (the 14th, boasting a 2 handicap) to 505 yards.

The 11 par 4s feature: a playful 295 yarder (the 4th); seven ranging from 321 to 394 yards; and the 12th, a 493-yard dogleg-right beast. The notable par 3 is the 244-yard 13th with a 5 handicap. A heavy Korean contingent populates the 150-room resort, with a conference center (300 conferees were in session during my visit). +66 (03) 721-5492

The early-morning drive (on quiet highways) was less than two hours from Bangkok and well worth the trip. Built in 2006, the course is long, flat, gurgling with water (on every hole), manicured and gracious. It features garlands of flowers around the picturesque, par-3 11 (234 yards) and the shorter 16th fairways and capacious greens define this humongous golf course (7,504 yards – a sensible 6,652 from the Whites). You can land an Airbus on the par-5 fairways, the shortest of which is 637 yards.

Two are in the 660s from the tips (all average 550 yards from the Whites).

The national park is stunning. The mountain weather is temperate all year around. The drive is less than 90 minutes north of Bangkok. A first-class, Jack Nicklaus golf course has been restored to its simplisticbeauty.

It’s a metaphor for Khao Yai: serene, naturalistic, manicured, topographically mesmerizing – and, at sunset, even enchanting.

With minor iterations, this out-and-back, par-72 track courses 7,115 yards on lush fairways embroidered by doglegs, forests, intersected by streams and marshes, serenaded with ponds, and framed by forested mountains. +66 (0) 44 426 000

www.kirimaya.com

www.hillsidecountry.com

IYARA GC

A splendid leitmotif of elephants (Iyara is the king of the Thai mastodon) permeates the impressive 400-room hotel and spa spread over the 250 elegant acres in Uthai Thani, 2.5 hours north of Bangkok. A host of sporting options complement the 5,728-yard, out-and-back golf course. What it lacks in length, it compensates in charm and craft. The fairways are narrow and most of the dartboard greens are barely large enough to hold the flag and two golf balls. The island-green par 3 finishing hole is the signature beauty.

A 15-minute drive east from Korat on route 24, this 15year old, 7,127 yard course exists principally for the locals. The clubhouse is aging. The course is satisfactory and hoary, but will not really provide a special day of golf. Minimal bunkering (except for the three finishing holes), water on half and scattered doglegs highlight this forested track. The par 4 are difficult (ranging from 346 to 444). The par-5s have length with the 602-yard 16th (575 from the Whites) the big bully.

+66 (05) 651-6333

+66 (04) 424-9060

www.iyaralake.com

KHAO YAI and KHON KAEN

KORAT COUNTRY CLUB

www.koratcountryclub.com

LIHN’SBest Bestof ofThailand ThailandGOLF GOLFGUIDE GUIDE2013 2013 LIHN’S

85

Notes NARAIHILL GOLF RESORT & CC

ROYAL HILLS GOLF RESORT & SPA

Brought to you by the veteran owners of Lake Wood CC in Bangkok, this new, dramatic and scenic Seve Balle steros-designed course is part of an ambitious development, hosting 27 holes (Highland, Creek and Valley), a five-star hotel, recreational and spa facilities, outdoor concert zone and a shopping center. It should develop into a beauty. When I saw it in the summer it was rumored to be up for sale. The potential is vast.

Framed by the forested, overlapping hills of the Khao Yai National Park, this 7,372-yard course gleamed even in the mist I encountered when I visited with the daughter of the Mom who built the course 21 years ago (and the 253-room resort 10 years thereafter). The par 4s, which range from 389 to 422 yards from the mid-tees (6,550), define the difficulty on this track capturing the four toughest handicaps.

Worth the drive to the foothills. Lovely.

+66 (081) 842-5311

www.naraihillgolf.com

+66 (081) 842-5311

info@royalhillsresort.com

TOSCANA VALLEY PANORAMA GOLF AND CC Here is the start of a solid resurrection. Constructed 20 years ago and languishing in the rolling, rustic foothills of the Khao Yai National Park, this course has new ownership and is drawing attention. The track is commendable and had my sidekick drooling for a round under those azure skies with the forest and mountains preening. My favorite is the slanting, tilting 10th, a 380-yard poke from an elevated tee box over a gyroscopic fairway, bracketed by a forest on the left and graceful landscaping up the right side.

KHAO YAI and KHON KAEN

+66 (0) 4 443-6298 www.panoramacountryclub.com This course is setting a new standard in golf course elegance and is beginning to define Khao Yai as a significant, upscale golf destination. It is an exclusive, private country club residential development sprawling over 1,000 acres of rolling hills and plentiful lakes and ponds framed by the verdant Khao Yai National Park. It is redolent of the carved grace of Tuscany, Italy and certainly replicates the tasteful, dignified and colorful ambience of the lush Mediterranean hills. The 7,007-yard course features crafted excellence: swales, natural bulkheads, mounds, lakes, plateau-greens, sculpted fairways and impeccable landscaping. +66 (0)875497222

SINGHA PARK The Singha Beer Brewery sits on ample acreage and generates copious waste water from its expansive plant.

In late 2009, the land and the water was put to symbiotic use. Four tee boxes present bodacious golf from the surrealistic tips (you must sip a special brand of steroid Singha to conquer these 7,502 yards), to the Ladies tees at 5,258 yards. The two mid-tees are perfect. So is the layout.

In the flatlands of Khon Kaen, some stately excellence has been shaped out of a mundane rice paddy with the brewery as a sturdy backdrop. +66(0) 4320-9000

86

www.toscanavalley.com

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

infosinghapark@santiburi.com

Phuket and Samui Blue Canyon Country Club Red Mountain Golf Club Santiburi Samui Country Club

NOTES Laguna Phuket GC Loch Palm GC Phuket Mission Hills GC Phuket Country Club Phunaka Golf Course

87

LIHN’SBest Bestof ofThailand ThailandGOLF GOLFGUIDE GUIDE2013 2013 LIHN’S

87

Blue Canyon Country Club Recreational “Difficult but compelling on the Canyon and a lovely day on the Lakes.”

“Becoming spotty.”

Professional “Great balance, diversity and adversity.”

The Specifics Type: resort Greens Fees: 1,400 to 4,500 Baht Caddies/Carts: 300/700 Baht Layout: 18-hole, par-72 Rating/Slope: The Canyon 7,179 Black 74.8/141 6,664 Blue 73.0/137 6,330 White 71.5/134 5,943 Red 75.2/134 Designer: Yoshikazu Kato, 1991 The Lakes 7,129 Black 74.0/128 6,504 Blue 70.0/115 6,073 White 68.3/114 5,366 Red 68.9/119 Designer: Yoshikazu Kato (Gary Player), 1999

Getting There 165 Moo 1, Thepkasattri Road, Maikaw, Thalang, Phuket 83110 +66 (07) 632-8088 reservation@bluecanyonclub.com www.bluecanyonclub.com

SOUTHERN

T

his club has been struggling with ownership issues and it has affected the quality of play. It’s a shame because the core institution is terrific: clubhouse, resort rooms and the layout of both courses.

bunkers accent the course; large, fast greens require legerity; flexuous, tight fairways demand scrupulous course management; doglegs offer angles; and ravines and canyons provide trepidation.

Minutes from the airport and wrapped in mountains, this had been the most established golf resort in Thailand.

The world-renowned Canyon was built in 1991; and the Lakes Course, also completed in 1999.

CANYON: This 7,129-yard track (141 Slope Rating) had been the paragon of championship play in Asia years ago.

But the facility has dipped in quality for several years as land deeds and titles are being sorted out.

The course is a cornucopia of challenge. The par 3s average nearly 210 yards (the shortest is the 194yard, downhill 14th). The par 4s are diverse and range from 357 yards (the dogleg left 16th) to a prodigious 449 yards (the 2nd). The par 5s are humongous, averaging 575 yards.

A former rubber tree plantation and tin mine, this facility was sculpted from the original contours of the vast property: the existing lakes, towering trees and primordial canyons are all woven like a basket-weave into the natural routing.

Water is in play on 13 holes; 87

88

The 11th is 600 yards of angst. The drive extends down the faiway pod to a crossing creek 280 yards. The approach earns this the 1 handicap: four bunkers engulf the 45-yard long, front-sloping, tiered green, and water horseshoes around it.

The 221-yard 17th is glorious. From an elevated tee, survey the long, bending green as it arcs to the right with water running up the entire right side. A bunker before the water and two in the rear make this a tough 3 handicap.

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

LAKES: More user-friendly, this is a fine counter point to its fitful sister course.

Boasting water on all but the 17th – and flowers blooming throughout – this out-and-back 7,129-yard track is fun, with trees in the midst of several fairways. The front nine plays at par 35.

The par 3s average 200 yards, except for the 164-yard 12th. The par 4s are assorted and attainable – until you confront the 18th, a 471-yard behemoth.

The par 5s are 514 yards to long, but fair and straightforward. The 9th (591 yards) and the 10th (573 yards) are handicapped 3 and 4.

The slight dogleg-right 18th (handicapped 2) arches for 471 perilous yards uphill, over ravine, water and past a mid-fairway tree.

Drive uphill and stay to the left on the high ground. Your second shot must carry the ravine and water to a hilltop green, thankfully flat and accommodating (44- by 23-yards).

Red Mountain Golf Club Recreational “It’s expensive and has sensational topography for Phuket. A first-class round.” “The price keeps it quiet, so the glorious golf is uncrowded.”

Professional “Unusual and excellent golf.”

The Specifics

C

arved out of the detritus of a 1,400 rai tin mine in the belly of the Kathu Mountains, this course is terrific not only in design but in ambience. Regal, yet serene; complicated but unencumbered; daunting, but a pleasure to play.

The closing three holes are about as striking and theatrical as they get: a short, dogleg, cliff-side par 4 with a tee-box view of Greenland; a delicious Alice in Wonderland 169-yard par 3 17th with a 150-foot, rabbit-hole vertical drop; and a 559-yard finish from a tee box brocaded by forested hills to a fairway shared with a looming lake that edges the green.

Designed by Jonathan Morrow and opened in 2007, it has set a standard for style – and expense (one of the priciest at 5,500 Baht).

It tumbles and rolls 6,781 yards from the tips with a 136 Slope Rating.

In addition to the elegant elevations, the course features: water in play on 10 holes; a half-dozen doglegs; and jungle vegetation. The par 3s are picturesque with forced carries over forest and water. The only difficult test of the four is the 191-yard (handicapped 6).

The par 4s range from 301 yards (the 16th) to a bodacious 480 yards: the flexuous (and most difficult)

Type: resort Greens Fees: 5,700 Baht Caddies/Carts: 300/700 Baht Layout: 18-hole, par-72 Rating/Slope: 6,781 Black 72.7/136 6,341 Yellow 70.4/128 5,925 White 68.4/121 5,203 Red 70.4/123 Designer: Jonathan Morrow, 2007 GM: Theera Wongsawanon Head Pro: Michael Brasier

Getting There 119 Moo 4, Vichitsongkram Rd., Kathu, Phuket 83120 +66 (07) 632-2000 info@redmountainphuket.com www.redmountainphuket.com

6th with a procession of sprawling bunkers crawling up the right-side of the narrow fairway.

The par 5s also offer yardage diversity and are modest. The 2nd is a delightful dogleg right that scampers a mere 484 yards, but is unreachable in two.

SOUTHERN

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

89

Santiburi Samui Country Club Recreational “Quite a collection of memorable holes.” “At the 17th you pause and thank the golfing Gods.” “It was a tough course for me.”

Professional “The visuals are overpowering and the routing splendid but difficult: elevated, plunging, tilting and challenging. But it’s cleverly strategic and fair if you hit the ball straight.”

The Specifics

C

onquering the northern edge of the exotic, tropical island of Koh Samui, this dramatic golf course spreads its fulgent tendrils over the exotic landscape in harmony with the indigenous decor. The 18 holes – with elevation changes of 800 feet – are elegant, regal, imposing, Herculean and a marvel.

This 6,930-yard track (4,717 from the Reds) courses through verdant jungle, climbs into forested mountain terrain and proudly towers and presides over the Gulf of Siam.

SOUTHERN

Fascinating in design, this golf course offers tantalizing angles, stunning views, coconut mangrove jungles, daunting activities, dramatic vertical drops, vertiginous tee boxes, gentle waterfalls, beguiling landscaping, mid-fairway obstacles and gyroscopic greens. And birds and monkeys, iguanas and butterflies.

course” is like calling the Statue of Liberty a figurine, the Taj Mahal a house, a Formula One race a Sunday drive, or Noah’s ark a canoe. It is memorable.

Stand on the tee box at the 1st hole and survey the possibilities: The sumptuous clubhouse behind you; the waters of the Gulf off to your right, touching the beach at Mae Nam and rippling out to the island of Koh Pha Ngan, known by locals for the notorious full-moon parties; and straight ahead to the decep-tive, abridged 462-yard par-5 which begins your golfing excursion (a 30-yard rise).

The back nine is hilly, dramatic, doglegged, extended and exciting.

The 17th is transcendental. If you ever thought that your game would go downhill – and you’d be happy – this

The dual hallmarks of this course is its relentless, tumbling diversity and its degree of difficulty. It’s a rugged, demanding test.

The par 3s range from 157 to 219 yards, highlighted by the shortest (the audacious 6th with a daunting vertical drop and waterfall). The par 4s are whimsical, querulous and lengthy (fluctuating from 357 to 454 yards).

The par 5s start at 462 yards (the uphill 1st) and end at the signature 17th with 631 yards of downhill travel (or travail). The fairways are tilted and the greens are uniformly tumbling.

Calling this new facility a “golf

90

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

Type: resort Greens Fees: 3,350 Baht Caddies/Carts: 300/750 Baht Layout: 18-hole, par-72 Rating/Slope: 6,930 Gold N/A 6,506 Blue 75,8/ 145 5,792 White 73,5/ 137 4,717 Red 72,5/ 128 Designer: Edward A.Theile (front nine) and Pirapon Namartra, October, 2003 GM: Derek McKenzie

Getting There 12/15 Moo 4, Baan Donsai, Amphur Koh Samui, Surat Thani 84330 +66 (07) 742 1700-8 golfreservation@santiburi.com www.santiburi.com

is it. Stop at the red tee box and soak up the best view in the Kingdom with a gaze at the Gulf of Siam and Koh Pha Ngan in the distance.

A 631-yard, downhill, sharp-angle dogleg left, without a flat lie, with an intersecting stream and an escort of bunkers beginning at the angle, 150 yards out (2 handicap). Whew!

Notes LAGUNA PHUKET GC

Phuket CC

This casual resort course, nestled on over 190 acres, is verdant with well-manicured greens, coconut groves, lagoons, more than 100 bunkers and local flora and fauna. Water is featured on 13 holes. This player-friendly, resort course calls for patience and accuracy. Several memorable holes add luster: the exquisite 9th (a short par-4 with a target, rock bulk-headed island green); the signature 17th (a 612-yard excursion with more sand and water than on many of the surrounding beaches).

Whether you stroll past cliffs and jungle playing the amenable18-hole Old Course (built in 1989, the oldest in Phuket), or attack the rigorous nine-hole Country Club Course (with a 140 slope rating) – sitting since 1995 across the road in splendid solitude around a lake – you are sharing country club service with 700 happy members and frequent guests. A colorful palette of sweeping, landscaped artistry is etched in the hillsides, lakes, forests and valleys. Designed in 1989 along 800-rai (over 360 acres), the course was converted from a tin mine. Three sets of tees, from 6,484 yards (with a 124 slope rating) to 5,719 yards, offer excellent options.

+66 (07) 632-4350

www.lagunaphuket.com

+66 (0) 76 319 200-204 www.phuketcountryclub.com

PHUNAKA Golf course This is a splendid day-and-night option for: serious practice, fine-tuning, or simply to bring the family to enjoy all phases of start-up golf. A commodious, double-decker driving range (56 bays looking out over 330 yards of grass), a golf academy, a pro shop, good eats, and a nine-hole course floodlit for nighttime play – all make this facility a pleasant golfing watering-hole. It’s a short drive from Phuket Town. The facility is cozy, comfortable and affordable. +66 (0) 7652 1991-5

www.phunakagolf.com

MISSION HILLS GC The 18 holes are bordered by the Gulf of Thailand and a rim of mountains. Water comes into play on all of the holes except the 1st, 10th and 11th. Doglegs dominate the fairways (on every hole except the 17th and the par 3s) and several blind shots add suspense and adventure.

The Nicklaus-designed course, which showed suchpromise when built in 2005, was a major disappointment when I saw it last. The condition was poor. +66 (07) 631-0888

www.missionhillsphuket.com

SOUTHERN

LOCH PALM GC PHUKET It spreads and rolls over 170 acres of hilly mountainside descending into valleys and forest. The centerpiece of this recently restored 6,555-yard course is a 48-acre lake, around which wrap the first three holes that offer some compelling shot-making and landscaping.

Additionally, the course boasts 1,400 towering palms embroidering the fairways. Although short, it possesses a solid Slope Rating of 130. Interestingly, the par 4s measure from 319 yards and only one is longer than 400. +66 (07) 632-1929-34

www.lochpalm.com

LOCH PALM GC PHUKET

LIHN’SBest Bestof ofThailand ThailandGOLF GOLFGUIDE GUIDE2013 2013 LIHN’S

91

Other Courses BANGKOK& CENTRAL REGION Adisorn Golf Center 54/275 Mitraphap Road, Saraburi 18000 Tel. (036) 212-945 700 baht Artitaya Golf & Resort 16 Moo. 10 Rangsit-Ongkharak Road, Klong 14, Nakhonnayok 26120 Tel. (037) 300-712 800 baht Ayodhaya Links 199 Moo. 10 Boh Ta Lo, Ayutthaya 13170 Tel. (035) 257-999 (Private) 200,000 baht /year Ayutthaya Golf Club 16/2 Moo. 1 Leang Muang Ayutthaya Road, Koarean, Pranakhon, Ayutthaya 13000 Tel. (035) 703-664-6 1,800 baht Chuan-Chuen Golf Club 100 Moo. 8 BangkokPatumthani Road, Bangkuwat, Patumthani 12000 Tel. (02) 598-2878 1,700 baht Chomponpor Golf Course 13rd Royal Thai Army, Thale Chupsorn, Nawatkai Road, Lopburi 15000 Tel. (036) 413-133 700 baht Dynasty Golf & Country Club 99 Moo. 3 Poldanri Rd, BangLane, Nakhonpathom 73130 Tel. (034) 993-333-7 1,550 baht Ekachai Golf & Country Club 8 Moo. 5 Ekkachai Rd, Bangnamchuea, Samutsakorn 74000 Tel. (02) 416-5557-9 1,800 baht Kantarat Golf Course Royal Thai Airforce, Donmuang, Bangkok Tel. (02) 534-3840-3 700 baht Khao Cha-Ngok Golf & CC Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy, Promanee, Muang, Nakhonnayok 26000 Tel. (037) 393-001 700 baht

92

Kiarti Thanee Country Club 199-200 Moo. 5 Bangna-Trad KM.29 Bangboh, Samutprakan 10560 Tel. (02) 707-1700 2,800 baht Kritsada Golf City Hill 110/215 Moo. 1, Bang Krabao, Nakhonchaisri, Nakhonpathom 73120 Tel. (034) 231-101-3 1,600 baht Muang Ake Golf Course 52 Moo.7 Pahonyothin Road, Muang, Patumthani Tel. (02) 533-9335-40 1,200 baht Muang Ake Visa Golf Course 52/999 Pahonyothin Road, Lukhok, Patumthani Tel. (02) 997-8501-6 830 baht Muang Ake Wang Noi Golf Course 85 Moo. 4 Pahonyothin Road, KM.61, Lumsai, Wangnoi, Ayutthaya 10137 Tel. (035) 214-825-9 1,300 Baht Na Khone Chai Sri Country Club Golf & Marina 104/105 Moo. 14 Bangluang, Banglane, Nakhonpathom 73130 Tel. (034) 399-012 1,000 baht Northern Rangsit Golf Club 19/2 Moo. 7 Pahonyothin Road, KM.58, Wangnoi, Ayutthaya, 13170 Tel. (035) 744-596-9 1,750 baht Panurangsri Golf Club 70 Moo. 7 Burachat Military Academy, Muang, Ratchaburi 70000 Tel. (032) 391-019 800 baht Pine Golf & Lodge 39 Moo. 8 Sanghasantisuk Road, Kratumrai, Nongjok, Bangkok 10530 Tel. (02) 178-3666 1,350 baht Prime City Golf Club 82/3 Moo. 5 RangsitOngKharak Road, Klong 15, Prakog, Nakhonnayok 26120 Tel. (089) 771-5341 900 baht

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

Rachakram Golf Club 84 Moo. 1 Changyai, Bangsai, Ayutthaya 13290 Tel. (035) 367-060 1,500 baht Rangsit Sport Club 29 Moo. 3 Klong 13, Nong Sam Wang, Rangsit-Ongkharak, Patumthani 12170 Tel. (02) 904-0468-70 400 baht Royal Dusit Golf Club 183 Pitsanulok Road, Suan Chitlada, Disit, Bangkok 10300 Tel. (02) 281-1330 800 baht Royal Thai Air Force GC (Dhupatermiya) 14 Moo.8 Kookod, Lumlukka, Patumthani 10130 Tel. (02) 523 6404 1,100 baht Royal Thai Army Sports Center 4 Ramintra Road, Bangkaen, Bangkok 10220 Tel. (02) 521-5338-93 1,120 baht Thanont Golf View & Sports Club 61/601 Moo. 6 Pracharoumjai Road, Klongsamwa, Bangkok 10510 Tel. (02) 916-9100-4 1,660 baht Watermill Golf and Garden 44 Moo. 2 Pholand, Rangsit-Ongkharak Road, Nakhonnayok 26120 Tel. (02) 546-3392-4 1,800 baht Woosung Castle Hill Country Club 79 Moo. 12 Jombung, Ratchaburi 70150 Tel. (02) 758 5154-6 800 baht

Other Courses Jiraprawat Golf Course Jiraprawatti Camp Nakornsawan 60000 Tel. (056) 255-806 ext. 3091 600 baht Lanna Golf Course Lanna Sport Center, Chotana Road, Changpuek, Muang, Chiangmai 50300 Tel. (053) 221-911 1,400 baht

KHAO YAI/ KHON KAEN Dancoon Golf Club 222 Moo. 2 Dangyai, Khonkaen 40000 Tel. (043) 522-107 800 baht Pra Pha Sri Golf Club Kritsiwara Camp, Muang District, Sakhonnakorn 47000 Tel. (042) 713-342 280 baht Suranaree Golf Club Ratchadamnern Rd, Muang Nakhonratchasima 30000 Tel. (044) 255-530-9 ext. 2218 500 baht Victory Park Golf & Country Club 191 Moo. 1 Khaibogvan, Nongkai 43100 Tel. (042) 407-296-9 1,100 baht PATTAYA/ RAYONG Treasure Hill Golf & Country Club 222 Moo. 7 Klongkyu, Sriracha, Chonburi 20170 Tel. (038) 420-766 1,050 baht HUAHIN/ KANCHANABURI Army Sport Center II Petchakasem Road, Hua-Hin, Prachuabkirikhan 77110 Tel. (032) 515-470-3 2,000 baht Dhanarat Golf Club 125/10 Moo. 3 Khao Noi, Pranburi, Prachuabkirihan 77160 Tel. (032) 622-033 800 baht

Green World Hot Spring Hotel Resort & GC 127 Moo. 5 KM.107, KanchanaburiThongphaphum Road, Kanchanaburi 71110 Tel. (02) 539-4613-6 700 baht Nichigo Resort & Country Club 106 Moo. 4, Wangdong, Kanchanaburi 71190 Tel. (034) 518-518 1,000 baht River Kwai Golf & Country Club 191 Moo. 2 Wangkrajae, Saiyok, Kanchanaburi Tel. (085) 931-8024 200 baht Srinakharin Dam Golf & Resort 300 Moo. 4 Thakradan, Srisawad, Kanchanaburi Tel. (034) 574-001-2 ext.2511 400 baht Thanarat Golf Club Thanarat Camp, Pranburi, Prachuabkirikhan 77000 Tel. (032) 555-232 1,000 baht CHIANGMAI/ CHIANGRAI Gold Canyon Golf Club 231 Moo. 9 Muangjee, Muang, Lumpoon 50100 Tel. (053) 560-333 1,400 baht

Mae Moh Golf Course 801 Moo. 6 Mae Moh, Lampang 52220 Tel. (054) 254-970 500 baht Regina Golf Course & Hotel 230/26-27 Pahonyothin Road, Mae Sai, Chiangrai 57130 Tel. (053) 731-790-1 800 baht SOUTH Hat Yai Resort & Golf Club Ton Nga Chang Waterfall, Hat Yai, Songkla 90110 Tel. (074) 434-770-3 900 baht Rajjaprapha Dam Golf Club 53 Moo. 3 Khao Phung, Ban Takoon, Suratthani Tel. (077) 242-545 ext. 4 1,000 baht Southern Hills Golf & Country Club 128 Moo. 8 Kanchanawanit Road, Ban Pru, Hat Yai, Songkla 90250 Tel. (074) 553-683 1,400 baht Thong Yai Golf Club Ratchadamri Road, Songkla City, Songkla 90000 Tel. (074) 323-761 350 baht Tublamu Navy Golf Course 38 Moo. 5 Thai-Muang, Pang Nga 82120 Tel. (076) 443-288 1,600 baht

Kwan Pha Yao Lake Golf Club Koon Jeung Than Mik Ka Rat Camp, Thawangthong, Muang, Pha Yao 56000 Tel. (054) 431-230 ext. 2156 300 baht

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

93

Uniland Golf & CC

Bangpakong Riverside CC

94

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

Wangjuntr Golf Park

N 5

10 km.

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

95

96

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

97

Memorable experience along the river..

Buri Tara Wine Bar & Restaurant is a place you can enjoy the experience of dining on the banks of the Chao Phraya River. You can choose to either relax in the cool comfort of our modern air-conditioned indoor, alternatively you can enjoy spectacular views of the Chao Phraya River from our outdoor riverside lounge. Wherever you choose to sit you can enjoy a wide choice of Thai, Chinese and International cuisine.

Buri Tara private dining room offers an unsurpassed setting for private dining with spectacular views overlooking the Chao Phraya River and Bumiphol Bridges. A range of private dining packages can be custom designed to suit every occasion and make your experience both personal and memorable.

Reservation: +66 2286 9457-9 www.buri-tarabangkok.com

98

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013

99

100

LIHN’S Best of Thailand GOLF GUIDE 2013