When travelling to Thailand, one needs not forego his favourite leisure activities. Apart from exploring the beautiful beaches and spending romantic rendezvous at luxury villas, Thailand has a range of activities to offer– including playing golf!
Playing golf is really popular amongst wealthy families from the region. From simple fields to championship golf courses, Thailand has all types of golf courses for all types of players. Playing golf in Thailand has gained widespread popularity in the last few years. The quality and quantity of Thailand golf courses are now well-established in the minds of golf travellers.
Golf courses in Thailand are approximately 250 in number spread from up north down to the peninsular beauty of Phuket. Thus it is not quite easy to find a place to play a game of golf with the number of choices available, and each of them is a sight to behold.
Playing Golf is now a pillar of tourism in Thailand in its own right. This makes one intrigued, why is Thailand so special when it comes to its Golfing experience? Below lies our answer.
1. Right concoction of Golf, Culture and More
Thailand is a unique country with its own identity unrivalled in other parts of Asia. As a predominantly Buddhist country, it is steeped in an amazing culture that one would unlikely find anywhere. Thailand golf tours are increasingly popular. It is the overall offering as a wholesome experience that is the key differentiator. This comes in the form of the different offerings of Thailand like the beaches, nightlife, cuisine and of course, not the least – its culture. The country formerly known as Siam retains and reflects an interesting mix of Hindu, Buddhist, Tao and Asian influences.
Historically Thailand is the only country in the Asian region, never to have been ruled by a colonial power. Today Thailand is one of Asia’s more progressive economies. The contrasting collocation of these various elements to playing at world-class golf courses is what defines the Thailand golf experience.
2. The Southeast Asian Climate
Golfers from Europe and North America, count the opportunity to play golf in the winter months as a blessing. Many golf courses in these continents are closed, and the freezing temperatures are hardly the right accompaniment to playing golf. Thailand earns a brownie point here as has the big advantages of the tropical Southeast Asian climate. Thailand, which is part of Southeast Asia, has its most pleasant weather in the extreme winter months of Europe and North America. In the cool season from November to February, Thailand has a fantastic climate – Light breezes, constant sunshine, and great conditions for a golfing holiday are what Thailand has to offer. Even in the summer months when it gets a bit warmer, golfing conditions are still acceptable. It is an absolute joy to be playing golf in Thailand during these months if one hails from the Northern hemisphere.
3. The Caddies and Thailand Golf Hospitality
Thai people by nature are warm and welcoming people. Thus needless to say their hospitality is legendary. The infrastructure that accompanies the Thailand golf courses adds to the overall golf experience. An integral part of playing golf in Thailand, the caddies provide exceptional value-added service. They are known for greeting a guest player upon arrival at the clubhouse. Following that they take care of the arrangements before the player tees off. They are there to guide the player around the course with a constant smile on their face. They give the distances to the green, mark balls and give the lines of the putts, and as an added gesture of care, help to keep one cool, hydrated and refreshed.
Some golfers are not necessarily thrilled about the “compulsory” caddy, but mostly many love the compulsion and embrace it as part of golfing in Thailand. Having someone to bring clubs, fill divots, rake bunkers, repair pitch marks, and clean the ball cannot be all bad after all. And many caddies even help with planning the shots in accordance with the course layout and reading greens. Golfing provides employment to locals who live in the vicinity of the golf course.
4. World Class Golf Courses
Thailand offers a great game of golf as many courses are being developed by leading professionals such as Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Greg Norman. In addition, a number of courses have been designed by famous course architects such as Pete Dye and Robert Trent Jones together with leading Japanese architects. There are over 250 courses spread throughout the country, with a number of new high-quality courses opening every year, ensuring a huge choice for the visiting golfer.
It can be easily acknowledged that other destinations in the world like the UK or USA offer the best golf courses in the world. This is because of their layouts, their designs, their natural topography or their roots in the history and traditions of the game. Thailand golf lags a little compared to them yet the top golf courses in any Thai golf destination will leave anyone little cause for complaint when it comes to quality. Their standards can be found as second to none. It attracts all spectrums of golf enthusiasts from newbies to international elites. Some of the golf courses provide simple and easy grounds for beginners. Others offer courses with complex land formations for professionals. Every year Thailand welcomes an increasing number of golfers. Thailand Golf courses are well equipped with facilities like well-designed clubhouses, restaurants and bars, offering even saunas and massage. Thus one of the most coveted components of Luxury Travel in Thailand is Golfing.
5. Variety in Golf Destinations
Thailand is a beautiful country and offers a number of totally different destinations to play golf. The topography of the country is diverse. From the bustling capital of Bangkok to the beautiful mountainous countryside of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, from the stunning beaches in Phuket and Koh Samui to the bright lights and amazing nightlife of Pattaya, from the quieter seaside town of Hua Hin to the waterfalls and stunning scenery of Khao Yai, Thailand has a location for everyone. There are plenty of destinations to choose from for a Thailand golf tour. All are sufficiently developed to offer a reasonable variety of golf courses at the least. Numerous locations in Thailand could qualify as full-fledged golf destinations in their own right. The list comprises Bangkok, Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Hua Hin, Phuket, Khao Yai and Kanchanaburi. As golfers’ affinity for playing golf in Thailand grows, such a variety of destinations brings them back to explore something new.
6. The Food
Ranging from local Thai dishes to cosmopolitan cuisine, the choice of cuisine Thailand has to offer is truly amazing. There is a huge variety of choices with local cuisine and a wide selection of international restaurants for those who prefer a bit of something closer to home.
7. The Choices Outside Golf
Everyone likes to let their hair down once in a while and golfers are no exception. There are so many things to do outside golf that one would be spoiled for choice. Thailand has plenty to offer with a wonderful selection of great restaurants, plenty of excellent pubs and sports bars, some with live music, and numerous bars and the like.
While visiting Thailand one can visit the amazing temples and shrines the local night markets and street stalls that sell almost everything imaginable. Thailand is truly a tourist magnet. Stunning beaches, beautiful waterfalls and mountains, international-style shopping malls, world-class spas, boat trips to idyllic islands, elephant trekking, and the list is endless. When not playing golf, enjoy Thailand’s unique culture. There are plenty of temples and historic sites to explore, plenty of water sports available in the major beach resorts and numerous man-made attractions on offer throughout the country. Thailand would mesmerize you for sure as you would be spoilt for choice.
So here are our 7 top reasons why we think you should consider Thailand as your next destination for a golf holiday. A warm welcome everywhere you go – great golf courses – exceptional food and a vibrant nightlife. We at Travel Motivations would design your Thailand Golf Packages to best fit your needs. Be rest assured that all your requirements for Travel (Hotels, Villas, Jets, Experiences) would be taken care of by specialists in Luxury Travel in Thailand.
