Category Archives for Thailand Golf

If you have only ONE course to play while in the Bangkok area, Nikanti is the place. This is easily hands-down the best experience I have had in Thailand for golf. 

What makes Nikanti unique?

• 18 holes broken into six of each par 3, 4, 5 - The course is not overly long and the plentiful par 5 and par 3 (six of each) make it such a pleasure to play instead of endless par 4s.
• The best service in golf - From moment one you are greeted by everyone, and ushered around to make sure you don't get lost. You are treated like a true guest and not like an intruder. This is incredible and you feel like a total boss.
• All inclusive pricing! You pay ONE price. There is no worrying about drinks, food. You pay for the day. You get either a free breakfast and lunch or free lunch and dinner. And yes, you can order more of the dishes included. It's not like some airline food either. it's LEGIT good food. The tip, the green fee, caddie fee, food, free water, golf cart are all included. 
• Caddies are HIGHLY trained - With the inclusivity and the condition of the course, the caddies are also superb. Absolutely great fun and good natured, but well trained to be totally efficient. 
• Nikanti in Thai language has something to do with the number 6, hence the 6/6/6 split of the course into 3 courses of 6 holes, 6 par 3, 6 par 4, 6 par 5.
• The whole experience is superior to EVERYTHING else in Thailand. From when you arrive to when the caddie puts your bag back in the car, you are treated as a guest. There's no dual pricing. You are taken care of with a smile.
• It's super laid back. Despite being the best, most well kept, highest end service establishment, it is still chilled out. You don't have to feel rushed, or anything. you're a baus for a day. 

How does Nikanti look?

Here's a video of us playing Nikanti Golf Club.

The cold hard fact about Nikanti Golf Club

It is well maintained, has great service but if you are looking for a LONG course, this is not the one for you.

If however, you're looking for a place you will not forget easily, this is the course. Forget every other famous name course in the Bangkok/Nakon Nayok/Nakhon Pathom area. This course is hands-down the best experience and one you can take with you back home or keep coming to if you live here.

Play it early in the morning for a great view, temperature and quiet time. 

Nikanti Golf Club Green Fee

Green fees: You can expect to pay between 3,500 THB ($110) and 6,000 THB ($200). Midweek is always toward the lower end of this price range.

Caddie fee: Included in the price above.

Caddie tip: Not included in the price but starts at 400 THB ($13)

Cart price:  Included in the price above

Guides for how to play Nikanti Golf Club in Nakhon Pathom

Follow my channel and watch these videos of us playing there.

Other things to do around Nikanti Golf Club

It's quite a distance from Bangkok center. It's 1 hour or 67km from downtown.

You want to leave 1 hour 45 minutes before your tee time. If you want to stay in Nakhon Pathom, I don't think you'll find much to do out there. Find a transfer or rent a car to Nikanti and return in the evening.

Drivers on GRAB app and taxi drivers in Bangkok would be more than willing to drive you out there, wait around for 5-6 hours and then drive you back for the right fee. I'd guess you could get that for about 3,000 baht for 3-4 people and a big Toyota Fortuner. 

Red Mountain is the most well-known course on Phuket island and mainly because it was once the most expensive at about 7,000 Thai Baht for 18 holes. 

It's an interesting course with a difficult lay out, and some beautiful scenery. The pictures are worth the trip. But for 7,000 THB ($220 US), I don't know about that.

If you can get on the course with promotions for less than 2,500 baht then I would say that's a pretty good deal and worth the memory if you're only going to be here once. 

What makes Red Mountain unique?

• Two 18 hole courses  - Loch Palm is next door and run by the same Group - MBK. MBK also run Riverdale in Bangkok plus its close neighbor, Bangkok Golf Club.
• The course is cut through insane terrain like a video game. The drops and the rises, the slopes and the scenery look like something out of a Tiger Woods PGA Tour Playstation game. Carts are mandatory and you cannot walk this course that's for sure. It has been designed by Jonathan Morrow and been open since 2007.
• Photogenic - You'll get some great views and some nice pictures to share with buddies back home.
• Caddies are phenomenal - The caddies at Red Mountain always know what club you need after the first 2-3 holes and take care of you knowing when you need a towel, rangefinder, water...everything.
• Built on a tin mine - this makes the place look really wild with old jungle and untouched forest
• Smooth bermuda greens and paspallum tees and fairways make for a brilliantly conditioned course. 

How does Red Mountain look?

Here's a video of us playing Red Mountain.

The cold hard fact about Red Mountain Golf Course in Phuket

It is a scenic golf course but at times can feel gimmicky. It is built on an old tin mine so the terrain is very outstanding. The 17th hole is the craziest one with a drop off of about 50 yards from tee to green on the par 3. 

The condition is very good and the greens are very challenging and also perfectly manicured. Condition and layout really are unique and the back nine, which wasn't in the video above, is EVEN MORE scenic than the first.

Riverdale and Red Mountain by the MBK group are very high-end golfing experiences so if it fits into your budget, you should play Red Mountain for the experience. 

I'd really suggest bringing your own clubs from overseas if you decide to play because it will be WAY LESS fun if you rent clubs that don't suit you.

Red Mountain Phuket Green Fee

Green fees: Generally upwards of 2,500 Thai Baht as of mid 2021. This price includes caddie, cart and green fee. 

Caddie tip: Usually you want to match the caddie fee for the caddie tip.

My standard tip everywhere now since the pandemic is 500 THB if the caddie was remotely better than average. 

Other things to do around Red Mountain

Red Mountain is the most well known and challenging course in Phuket island and is located right in the middle of it.

Every well-known beach is within a 20 minute drive from the course. A lot of people rate Loch Palm (attached to Red Mountain property) as being an even better course, so check that out!

Phuket has tons of nightlife, and with so many transfer and taxi companies around, getting to Red Mountain should be easy, and even better if you rent a car. 

Blue Canyon is the site of one of Tiger Woods victories when he was super young. He won the Johnnie Walker there and there's a plaque on one of the par 4s where he hit a drive on the green.

That doesn't sound like a big deal nowadays, but this was back in the day when he was playing balata golf balls, steel headed driver and steel shafts!

What went wrong with Blue Canyon?

For a while, there was a Singaporean company that owned the course and they really screwed the place up. They messed the members around and then cut costs everywhere.

The greens shrunk, the condition was bad and it seemed the course had its glory days WAY back. 

BUT!

A local Thai investor purchased the golf course and has restored the Canyon Course to its former glory. I got a chance to play it before it was reopened to members in 2021. Even before opening, it was special. The greens have been restored to world class quality and the layout and conditioning is superb. 

They've removed some trees and made it overall a picturesque golf course and one of the best value places on the island of Phuket. 

What makes Blue Canyon unique?

• Two 18 hole golf courses - The Canyon and the Lakes courses are both super. The Canyon course was the site of the Johnnie Walker for very many years.
• Located on an old tin mine. There are some spectacular drops and naked earth scenery that is breathtaking. 
• Clubhouse overlooks the 9th and 18th green of the Canyon course. You sit perched high up on the grounds, overlooking the reshaped 9th hole and the now-restored 18th green. 
• The food is so well priced, it's CRAZY. I usually flinch when someone gives me a menu at a golf course restaurant. But here, you want to order 4 or 5 dishes because the value is so good.
• My friend, Golf, from Golf Every Second Youtube channel practices there and they gave him a very good deal as a local pro to use their facilities. He also teaches there in his time away from the tour due to Covid restrictions. You can see him for sure if you play Blue Canyon.
• Tiger Woods made history here. He won the Johnnie Walker extremely young. To stand on the tee where he drove the green and imagine him doing that when everyone else in the field just would play it way to the right, is mesmerizing. I hit it over the green on my tee shot but I have a titanium driver, graphite shaft and Pro V1. He didn't Amazing to see such historical sites. 

How does Blue Canyon look?

Here's a video of Golf and me playing the Canyon Course.

The cold hard facts about Blue Canyon Country Club in Phuket Thailand

The courses are very walkable. There are constantly promotions but with the country reopening, you may find, as tourists return, the price may increase a lot.

I say this because the place is in fantastic condition now and while and is worth the time. You can get two great courses while in Phuket. 

I would say it's a must play. 

Be careful on Google maps though. If you put it into the map, it may take you up a side road. Both courses are accessible from the same entrance but make sure the route you use is the blue one indicated in the map below.

Using the red route or any route other than the blue one below will send you up a service road to NOWHERE!

Blue Canyon Country Club Green Fee

Green fees: Generally between 1,500 and 3,000 Thai Baht depending on the season and day of the week. Courses are generally cheaper on weekdays and more expensive on weekend.

Caddie fee: around $13 USD. This is mandatory at all golf courses in Thailand anyway.

Caddie tip: Usually you want to match the caddie fee for the caddie tip at a minimum. The maximum should be reasonable but not insane. Anything above 600-700 Baht and you will be spoiling the market for the locals and members.  

My standard tip everywhere now since the pandemic is 500 THB if the caddie was remotely better than average. 

Guides for how to play Blue Canyon Country Club Phuket

Follow my channel and watch these videos of us playing there.

Guide for how to play Blue Canyon Lake Course

Other things to do around Blue Canyon

Phuket is a large island with plenty of beaches. 

There's a ton of nightlife and you can do anything you want there. The world is your oyster. 

Black Mountain is the most well known golf course in Hua Hin and probably the most or second most famous course in Thailand.

The reason is simple. Great marketing. The course is easily the best marketed course in the country with advertising boards scattered throughout the town of Hua Hin showing the price, the deals and the name everywhere.

Often marketing leads to disappointment. But not here. Black Mountain is infinitely playable and fun.  

What makes Black Mountain unique?

• Three nines - North, East, West. North and East are the championship courses they use on the Asian and European Tours.
• Six (6) sets of tees. ANYONE can play this course, from the pro's at 7,300 to 7,600 yards all the way down to 5,600 yards. 
• Clubhouse overlooks the 9th and 18th green of the championship courses. This is not unique in the west but in Thailand, this is VERY unique and makes you feel at home.
• Caddies are HIGHLY trained and some are tour caddie quality. They provide a service second to none with conscientiousness, and accuracy. Their demeanor is ALWAYS cheerful and they always enhance your experience. 
• The estate is run by Scandinavians and only residents are allowed to be members. The place is well manicured, spotless, brilliant.
• They have a full practice facility: grass and mat driving range. Chipping green with bunker. Practice green. You can get fully warmed up. Many courses do not have driving ranges.
• The entire golf experience is more 'international'. From when you arrive to when the caddie puts your bag back in the car, you are treated as a guest. There's no dual pricing. You are taken care of with a smile.
• It's super laid back. Despite being a high end, championship experience, you never ever feel like you're in some stuffy place. It's super relaxed, everyone is having a great time, and the locals are totally chill.

How does Black Mountain look?

Here's a video of us playing Black Mountain.

The cold hard fact about Black Mountain Golf Course in Hua Hin

It is a superb golf course. 

Not just because it's well maintained and championship quality, but because everyone can play the course. It's set up in a way that challenges the better player. At the same time, a newer player can also enjoy the course without pressure because the vibe is so relaxed. 

The greens are easily my favorite in the entire country. They're always in good condition and run no lower than 9.5 on the stimp meter. Down grain and downhill putts beware the speed! The grass on the greens is TifEagle Bermuda which is my favorite. 

Fairways are tightly knitted bermuda and rough is kept shortish for general play.

It's a tough walk especially if it's rainy season due to the soft ground. Getting a cart is recommended if you're not used to walking up and down slopes on the golf course. 

Black Mountain Hua Hin Green Fee

Green fees: Generally 1,600 and 2,000 Thai baht most of the year. That's roughly $55 to $65 USD.

At times, it can be closer to 3,000 Thai baht ($100) in high season.

Caddie fee: around $13 USD. This is mandatory at all golf courses in Thailand anyway.

Caddie tip: Usually you want to match the caddie fee for the caddie tip.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Don't tip too high because you spoil the market for the locals - this is not a joke and not "mean" - people playing golf locally are not holidaymakers so they are not blowing cash left and right for two weeks a year. Don't go too low because it's not that much money to you, but a lot to the caddies. If the caddie fee is $13, tip $13 (400 THB) for a standard service. If the service was especially good and you shot a great score with her help, tip more. Try not to tip higher than $20 though otherwise this becomes the 'expected amount' after a while.  

My standard tip everywhere now since the pandemic is 500 THB if the caddie was remotely better than average. 

Guides for how to play Black Mountain Hua Hin

Follow my channel and watch these videos of us playing there.

Other things to do around Black Mountain

Black Mountain has their own Water Park called the Black Mountain Water Park.

You can stay on the course or nearby the course with Black Mountain stay and play for multiple days and multiple rounds. 

The course is in Hin Lek Fai which is about a 15 minute drive to the beach in Hua Hin and about 30 minute drive to Khao Takiab which is also a lovely seaside town attached to Hua Hin city.