Phuket is one of the most popular golf destinations in the world. As well as manicured, world class courses and luxury resorts, Thailand’s largest island is home to palm fringed beaches, iridescent turquoise seas, flawless five-star service and mouth-watering cuisine.
Huddled amongst rubber plantations and mangroves, Mission Hills is an inspiring, ocean-lined golf course. 6,806 yards from the Tiger tees, this 18-hole, par-72, Nicklaus-designed course has several holes which flirt with the sea and large white beach bunkers that contrast with the lustrous blue of the ocean. Well-kept Bermuda fairways and Paspalum Sea Isle 2000 greens are manicured to perfection and the gentle sea breeze makes club selection key.
Laguna Golf Phuket is an 18-hole, par-71 golf course set within the Laguna Phuket Resort. It’s a beautiful location blessed with pleasant breezes from the Andaman Sea and several scenic lagoons – and at 6,756 yards, it doesn’t play too long. The front 9 has some tight driving holes that are lined with lush tropical foliage, while the second 9 is cut out of coconut groves with some well positioned large bunkers.
Conveniently located just a short drive from Phuket Town and Patong Beach, Loch Palm is understandably a popular choice with golfers, earning a reputation as the most relaxing golf course on the island. This 18-hole, par-72, 6,555-yard course is challenging enough for low handicap golfers, yet enjoyable for more casual players with its generous landing areas. The many lakes that line the fairways and subtly cut in to the line of play make for many entertaining risk and reward holes.
Established in 1989, Phuket Country Club is the oldest existing golf club on the island. It was also the first in southern Thailand to meet the high standards of its international counterparts, providing a suitable venue for many national tournaments. At just over 6,500 yards, the club’s par-72 ‘Old Course’ is a friendly test of golf with its wide fairways and generous bail out areas. Winding through rolling hills, scenic woodland and limestone cliffs, players get to enjoy a setting of great variation. A testing par-36, 9-hole course has been added for time-limited golfers.
The Canyon Course ranks 7th in Thailand on All Square
The Blue Canyon Country Club is rightly regarded as one of the most impressive golf clubs in Asia with two spectacular, award-winning championship courses that effortlessly wind their way through rubber plantations and disused tin mines. It features the ‘Canyon Course‘, built in 1991 and the ‘Lakes Course‘, which followed eight years later. The former hosted the Johnnie Walker Classics on two occasions, while the visually spectacular latter brings into play the magnificent Andaman Sea. There are 32 fully serviced rooms for those opting for the convenience and luxury of the ‘Stay and Play’ packages.
At just under 7,000 yards from the back tees, Red Mountain is a strategic and challenging test of golf with a plethora of risk and reward holes. Imaginatively laid out through a rugged old tin mine, there are natural waste bunkers, towering precipices, cavernous ravines and flooded gullies – and the elevation changes are so drastic that golf carts are compulsory. With its thrilling diversity of holes and spectacular panoramas, Red Mountain has quickly become one of Asia’s top courses since it opened in 2007.
