Southern Thailand

Map of Southern Thailand

Fourteen of Thailand’s 76 provinces are located in Southern Thailand, strung out in a narrow strip down the narrow Isthmus of Kra which connects the country with the Malay Peninsula. To the west lies the Andaman Sea, to the east the Gulf of Thailand, and there’s been talk for some time of building a canal to connect the two, providing an alternative shipping route to the Straits of Malacca.

The main golfing centre of excellence in this region is found off the west coast, on the island of Phuket in the Andaman Sea, which is one of Thailand’s most popular tourist destinations. Here, half a dozen international standard resort courses are dotted around the island, with the Blue Canyon Country Club near the international airport recognised as one of the nation’s best 36-hole golf facilities.

Off the opposite coast to the east, the island of Samui is home to a fabulous 18-hole layout at Santiburi Samui Country Club whilst, back on the mainland, the course at Southern Hills Country Golf & Country Club is a well-regarded Perry Dye design which is set out in a narrow river valley in the deep south of the country, close to the Malaysian border.

Top 100 Golf Courses - Southern Thailand

Blue Canyon (Canyon)

1^st

The Canyon course at Phuket’s Blue Canyon Country Club is one of Asia’s more exacting golfing examinations. It is not possible to play poorly here and score well.

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Red Mountain

2^nd

Built on the site of an old tin mine in Phuket, Red Mountain Golf Club was Jonathan Morrow's first 18-hole design and he made a fantastic job of routing fairways through dense vegetation and around rocky cliffs.

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Blue Canyon (Lakes)

3^rd

The Lakes course at Blue Canyon Country Club opened in 1999, eight years after the Canyon was created. Built on the site of an old mine, the fairways of the Lakes layout feature water hazards on all but one of the holes.

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Santiburi Samui

4^th

One of Thailand’s leading architects, Pirapon Namatra, designed the 18-hole golf course at Santiburi Samui Country Club. Located in the mountain foothills of Samui Island, this championship course makes full use of the plunging topography.

Laguna Phuket

5^th

In January 2015, after an 18-month makeover by Paul Jansen, the upgraded course at Laguna Phuket Golf Club re-opened with environmental sustainability at the heart of the masterplan. Sand areas were reduced by more than half and numerous natural features highlighted.

Southern Hills Golf & Country Club

6^th

Laid out by Perry Dye, the course at Southern Hills Golf and Country Club is set in the south of the country, near the border with Malaysia, where fairways are routed along a narrow river valley which is surrounded by dense jungle.

Rajjaprabha Dam

7^th

Carved from the dense jungle that prevails across much of southern Thailand, Rajjaprabha Dam Golf Course lies close to Khao Sok National Park, where this dramatic 18-hole layout was constructed by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand.

Phuket (Old)

8^th

Established on the reclaimed site of an old tin mine, the 18-hole Old course at Phuket Country Club has hosted several national ladies, senior and junior events since it first opened for business in 1989.

Mission Hills Phuket

9^th

Golfers searching for an archetypal resort course in Phuket need look no further than the Jack Nicklaus-designed course at Mission Hills Golf Resort and Spa.

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Loch Palm

10^th

With fairways routed around the sparkling waters of Crystal Lake, the course at Loch Palm Golf Club is an early 1990s layout, with several holes designed to test how well golfers can handle playing in close proximity to intimidating water hazards.