Thailand or Vietnam

golfpro009 · December 11, 2008

I am thinking of planning a golf holiday to Thailand or Vietnam, a fiend of mine recently played in Thailand and got stuck there during the airport closure and did not have many good things to say about it. I have never been to either place and would appreciate some none biased feedback on which place is the better for golf. I am looking for great courses, service - price is not that important but at the same time dont want to be paying $300 for a round of golf. Can do that in the US!

Thanks in advance for any advice on this subject. Is Thailand safe now?

Ridgecrest18 · December 11, 2008

I can think of several reasons to return to Thailand, but only one or two would prompt a return visit to Vietnam......... their Golf courses would be on neither list.

mkrolewski · December 11, 2008

I played a couple of rounds in Bangkok, Thailand this summer. A really great experience. Not recalling the exact price, I am thinking 4-6000 Baht ($120-$180) for a round, clubs, a cart, and a caddie. The caddie experience is probably worth the money by itself. She is wonderful: helpful, energetic, informative and, of course, attractive. Most speak English (and some speak Japanese and Korean, too). Most courses limit the number of caddies per player to 3, so be aware.

I had trouble figuring the tip for the caddie. The standard course caddie fee is 200-300 Baht. My best guess is 1000 Baht.

Given the weather, inexpensive labor, and water, the courses are all good. The major issue is the temperature -- pretty hot and humid in the middle of the day.

My wife just got out of Bangkok -- her stay ended right in the middle of the airport closure. The people are wonderful. Costs are low. Thailand is very different culturally. We both found the experience really wonderful.

mogster · January 1, 2009

Hi There,

I have lived in Thailand for 15 years and I can certainly vouch for the fantastic golf courses, wonderful friendly service, and of course the unbeatable Thai hospitality.

There are hundreds of quality golf courses within the country. Where I live, in Phuket has 11 world class courses within driving distance. Another Thai resort, Pattaya has at least double that amount.

I would not concern yourself too much with 'safety' at the moment. Once you are away from the airport the resort towns cater very much for the foreign tourist. The golf course is probably the safest place to be anyway. I was on the golf course during the Tsunami and didnt even know there had been an incident until I got back to the clubhouse.

Do a search for Red Mountain, Phuket, Blue Canyon - Phuket, or Laem Chabang - Pattaya, or take a loook at some of the photos in my gallery to whet your appetite.

With regard to Vietnam. I have worked there a number of times and love the place. It is not as developed as Thailand, and I didnt play golf there but I am sure it will also have some beautiful course.

Good Luck

Mogster

back9clicks · June 20, 2009

I played a couple of rounds in Bangkok, Thailand this summer. A really great experience. Not recalling the exact price, I am thinking 4-6000 Baht ($120-$180) for a round, clubs, a cart, and a caddie. The caddie experience is probably worth the money by itself. She is wonderful: helpful, energetic, informative and, of course, attractive. Most speak English (and some speak Japanese and Korean, too). Most courses limit the number of caddies per player to 3, so be aware.

I had trouble figuring the tip for the caddie. The standard course caddie fee is 200-300 Baht. My best guess is 1000 Baht.

Given the weather, inexpensive labor, and water, the courses are all good. The major issue is the temperature -- pretty hot and humid in the middle of the day.

My wife just got out of Bangkok -- her stay ended right in the middle of the airport closure. The people are wonderful. Costs are low. Thailand is very different culturally. We both found the experience really wonderful.

If you tipped the caddie 1,000 baht she probably would have wanted to go home with you! Most locals tip the caddie about 200-300. I tip 300-500, sometimes more if they're good, but anything more than 200 and she will be happy. Of course, it's not much for "us", but a lot for them, so good on you - and if you need any advice/help on your next trip look me up!

GolfVN · July 23, 2010

Hey, posting from Vietnam.
Vietnam is relatively new on the world golf map, but that does not mean that the courses are not worth playing.
Around Hanoi: 7 golf courses
Around HCMc: 7 more
Danang: 2
Would recommend playing either in Hanoi or Danang since the courses are not quite packed as compared to HCMc.
Two courses in the middle of Vietnam (Danang) are designed by Greg Norman and Colin Montgomerie, and each has it's own charms and challenges.
Golf courses in the North and Middle of Vietnam are beautiful visually as well. I have played golf in Australia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and the views usually don't come close except for top-notch courses.
The bad thing is that it would take anywhere from 1 to 2 hours to get to the golf course from the city, except for Danang where there is little traffic.
Walk-in fees ranging from $80-$120 depending if it's weekday or weekend, however, could be lower if you book thru local tourist companies.
Caddies cannot be categorized as helpful, but then, at the very least you don't have to carry your own bag or wipe your clubs clean.
If anyone wants to explore Vietnam, please shoot me a pm and I can help set you up for the trip.
Regards,

bilabong32 · January 24, 2011

Sorry to resurrect this thread but I will be going to Thailand at the end of March, specifically Bangkok, and am looking for things to do and I would love to be able to get some golf in. Suggestions?

Golfing_Lefty · February 25, 2011

[quote name='bilabong32' timestamp='1295895740' post='2921037']
Sorry to resurrect this thread but I will be going to Thailand at the end of March, specifically Bangkok, and am looking for things to do and I would love to be able to get some golf in. Suggestions?
[/quote]

Several courses around Bangkok you can actually play at night and they are actually cheaper than playing during the day. Specifically, Bangkok Golf Club and Summit Windmill. I just played them about a month ago and both were in great shape. Summit Windmill is a beautiful track!

[url="http://www.summitwindmillgolfclub.com/description.asp.htm"]http://www.summitwindmillgolfclub.com/description.asp.htm[/url]
[url="http://www.bangkokgolfclub.com/"]http://www.bangkokgolfclub.com/[/url]

If you are not tied to staying in Bangkok I would suggest taking the 1 1/2 trek down to Pattaya and staying there and golfing in that area. There are a lot of course there and prices are much better. Plus, there are several establishments that organized golf events daily so if you do not have a group you can play with them, just simply sign up the day prior or before that even. Below is a link to one such place.... I have known the owner (John Emerson) there for several years and he is a great guy and runs a very professional establishment!

[url="http://www.golfclubpattaya.com/site/"]http://www.golfclubpattaya.com/site/[/url]

Good luck and hope this helps! If you have anymore questions send me a PM I have been golfing in Thailand for 9 years.

Cheers!

Troy

mozgolf · February 25, 2011

Thanks for the Pattaya link, looks like thats my next holiday agenda sorted

falang · March 27, 2011

Concerning golfing and caddies in the Pattaya area. The normal caddie fee is in the 250 Baht range and the lowest acceptable tip is 200 Baht. If he/she is a good caddie they would be very happy with 300. I have given 500 on occasion for a particularly great/pretty one lol. Please DON'T give more than 500 as it has a very bad effect on attitudes and expectations. To give an example, a labourer on a building site here will make 200 Baht for a 10 hr day! A caddie has a very good job by Thai standards.
The courses are for the most part in good condition (depending on season) with fast true greens. As with most courses you get what you pay for but prices are very reasonable, ranging from 600 baht to 3000. Do not book your tee times through any of the booking sites as you will pay over the rate. Just phone on arrival in Thailand. All the numbers are listed on the web.
Also be sure to join The 'Pattaya sports club' Most courses give large discount on green fees to members on varying days of the week. It also gives the holder 5%-20% discounts in 100 or so restaurants and hotels when you show your card. It costs less than 1000 Baht and soon pays for itself (on the first visit to the more expensive courses). The office is located just off 3rd road Pattaya.
This is the site [url="http://www.pattayasports.org/site/"]http://www.pattayasports.org/site/[/url]
Many of the reviews on Pattaya courses on the net are well out of date and don't give a true reflection of their current condition. Best just ask local golfers on arrival, the town is full of them!
Many of the local bars and driving ranges organise golfing days, usually 2-3 times a week each. Transport etc is provided for 2-300 Baht and you will get the cheapest deals for green fees.
Definitely the best option.
Just watch out for Koreans in their 5 balls which is a high season problem (Dec- March).............They haven't heard about letting through no matter how far behind they have fallen.

Enjoy!