If you are a golfing fanatic, Hua Hin is the perfect holiday destination, as some of the best golf courses in Thailand are within striking distance of Hua Hin, which is a picturesque coastal town about 3 hours’ drive from Bangkok, heading south. The following courses are what we feel the best in the area of Hua Hin, in no particular order.
- Banyan Golf Club – Opened in 2008, the Banyan has taken the golfing world by storm, with elevated greens, sloping fairways and perilous bunkers. The course was built on an old pineapple plantation, with mountains to the west and the coast to the east, and the scenery is breath-taking. Fast greens and lush fairways await the golfing visitor, and watch out for the water traps, which are positioned well and will likely draw at least one ball into the water, never to be seen again. Appropriate grip and the perfect golf shaft are a must at this course.
- Black Mountain Golf Club – Some would say this is the best course in the country, and it would be hard to disagree, with 27 holes that are more than a little challenging on a course that was designed by Europeans. Black Mountain sits about 12km west of the town of Hua Hin, and with so many great hotels and resorts, you could book a hotel in Prachinburi and be able to reach many great courses over a week or ten days.
- Palm Hills Golf Club – Created in 1992, Palm Hills was the very first international standard golf course in Hua Hin, with a 6,880-yard course that includes wide fairways with spectacular mountain and lake backdrops. This is one course that everyone loves, whether a beginner or semi-pro, Palm Hills has it all, and some more! The female caddies are very experienced and they love to practice their English, while advising you on every aspect of the course.
- Springfield Royal Country Club – The legendary Jack Nicklaus designed this course, which opened in 1993 and a further 9 holes were added in 2005, making it a very challenging and exhilarating experience. A firm favourite with Europeans, Springfield offers fine dining and some excellent walks for non-golfers and they have a top-rated Thai chef if you would like authentic Thai cuisine.
- Royal Hua Hin – This golf club was the very first in Thailand, when in 1924 a Scottish engineer designed a course that included multi-level fairways that run through limestone cliffs, with a few nice dog-legs and short holes with elevated greens. The greens are mainly elevated and are quite fast, so if you are not on par with your approach game, you could be severely punished, and while there are no water hazards, your ball could be stolen by a monkey, so watch out for that!
Many UK and European golf fans book their annual holiday in the Hua Hin area of Thailand, and with so many world-class courses in a relatively small area, you can challenge some of the very best 18-hole courses in the Land of Smiles.