Hello. This is Miyagawa from Monosus Thailand.
Do you play golf? In fact, many Japanese tourists visit Thailand for the purpose of golf. I have been living in Thailand for six years now and go golfing with friends about twice a month, but on weekends the golf courses are crowded with Japanese expatriates and tourists, and golf is enjoyed as a part of life as the most familiar form of entertainment.
This time, we will introduce the golf situation in Thailand, which can be called a golf paradise.
Characteristics of Golf in Thailand
There are many golf courses within 30 minutes to an hour's drive from Bangkok, the capital of Thailand.
There are fewer mountains than in Japan, so there are many flat courses and fewer out-of-bounds holes, but in return there are many ponds scattered throughout the course.
Thailand has a tropical climate with high temperatures exceeding 30°C throughout the year, and many golfers want to finish their round and go home before the sun comes up and it gets too hot. The earliest start time is set just before sunrise, and I usually start between 6 and 7:30, but I finish my round as early as 10am, and at the latest around 12pm. For this reason, there are some golf courses where you can play at a cheaper rate if you start later, such as after 11am. For those who are concerned about sunburn, there is also the option of night golf.
Perhaps because Thailand is closer to the equator than Japan, the sunrise and sunset times are shorter, and although it was pitch black when I arrived at the clubhouse in the morning, I was surprised to see that it was light once I got changed and went outside.
We started early in the morning. It was still cool and pleasant in the morning.
To briefly explain the rules of golf, a round of golf consists of 18 holes, with the first 9 holes played and the second 9 holes played.
I have never actually played a round of golf in Japan, but I have heard that in Japan, after playing the first half of the course, players go to a restaurant for lunch before playing the second half.
Golf in Thailand is played through the course without lunch between the first and second halves. If the group behind you is busy, you usually play the second half without taking a break. For me, who has only played golf in Thailand, having lunch in between is unthinkable. I'm worried that if I eat lunch in the middle of the course, I'll get sleepy and lose my momentum in the second half.
In Thailand, after playing 18 holes, people typically take a shower, have Thai food at the golf course restaurant, and then head home.
1 caddy, 1 cart per person
The biggest difference between golf in Japan and Thailand is the caddies and golf carts.
In Japan, players may play by themselves without a caddy, or one caddy may be assigned to each group, but in Thailand, each person is always assigned their own personal caddy.
The caddy will take care of the golfer's personal needs by handing over the clubs and providing an umbrella. They will also tell you the remaining distance to the pin and how the ball is rolling on the green. They are all-inclusive.
If the ball curves to the right, the caddy will give you advice like, "Aim for the second cup on the left."
However, there are good and bad caddies, and many of them are unprofessional, so you may be engrossed in your smartphone and not see the ball flying away, or you may not know the remaining distance and ask the other caddies. Some caddies become increasingly upset at your mistakes (they may bet with each other). The ages of caddies vary from junior high school girls to middle-aged ladies.
If there are no problems with the service, it is customary to give a tip of 300B (about 1,000 yen, roughly the same amount as the caddy fee) when parting after the round.
Regarding golf carts, in Japan it seems that a group shares one large cart, but when using a cart in Thailand, each person gets their own two-seater cart driven by a caddy.
The fee is about 700B (just over 2,000 yen), which is cheaper than in Japan, so many people bring carts to play golf in Thailand under the scorching sun. Many golf courses require you to use a cart on busy weekends. I also get the impression that most golf courses allow you to bring a cart onto the fairway.
While waiting for the previous group to play, the caddies chatted with each other. Time passed slowly.
In my case, if I have a companion who wants to walk, I sometimes play rounds on foot, but if you are used to playing golf with a cart, walking golf is tiring and feels like a completely different sport. Walking 18 holes is 6 to 7 kilometers, and in professional matches like those you see on TV, you walk nearly 8 kilometers, so I personally wonder why professional matches don't use carts. If carts had been around when golf first started, people back then would have chosen to play with carts.
Estimated price
The estimated cost is about 2,000B to 5,000B (about 6,000 to 17,000 yen) including green fee, caddy fee, and cart. It may be cheaper on weekdays or at golf courses in rural areas, but the cost varies depending on the grade of the golf course. Still, it is cheaper than in Japan, and you will be provided with a caddy and can use a cart, so you will feel like you are in luxury.
I feel like the golf courses I usually go to are mostly in the 3,000B range (just over 10,000 yen).
Recommended golf courses
Thailand has many luxurious golf courses where famous tournaments have been held, but this time we would like to introduce some golf courses near Bangkok city.
Convenience is also important for me and other travelers who don't have a car. There are tours that include transportation, but they are inevitably expensive, so I chose golf courses that can be easily reached by using the convenient " Grab " (a ride-hailing app) or a taxi.
As an aside, the ride-hailing app Grab is very convenient in Thailand. When you visit Southeast Asia, I recommend that you insert a local tourist SIM card into your smartphone and use it. Once you register your credit card, you won't need to pay cash on the train. I think ride-hailing apps have revolutionized overseas travel.
UNICO GRAND GOLF COURSE (UNICO)
http://www.unicograndegolf.com/
Unico is located 20-30 minutes by car from central Bangkok towards Suvarnabhumi Airport (if the roads are not congested), and is the closest golf course. Its appeal is its closeness, which makes it easy to get to. As of August 2018, the course is still under renovation and only 9 half holes are open, but it has been transformed from the previous course, which was simply flat and had streams on both sides, which I found difficult, into a strategic and enjoyable course.
MUANG KAEW GOLF
About 30 minutes by car southeast from central Bangkok. This golf course is also quite close and is popular with foreign tourists. It is a tricky course with many ponds and deep bunkers around the greens, making it a difficult course. The course is well maintained and the quality of the service is high, but the prices seem a little high.
LEGACY GOLF CLUB
It is about a 40-minute drive northeast from central Bangkok. It is next to the zoo called "Safari World."
This golf course was designed by Jack Nicklaus, a professional golfer who was once called the emperor of Japan, and the course is strategically designed as expected. It is enjoyable no matter how many times you go. It is the golf course I have used the most.
Thailand's Golf Course Specialties
There are animals on the golf courses in Thailand, such as dogs and monkeys, including large lizards that you won't see in Japan.
Water monitor lizards are found in abundance in Southeast Asia and can also be seen in large parks in cities.
They are quite large, so when they come out we all take photos together. Meeting such animals is also a small pleasure during the round.
Learning about life through golf
On a vast expanse of land created just for the purpose of playing golf, you hit the ball as hard as you can and put it into the hole in as few strokes as possible. Although there are many complicated rules, golf is, in a word, a simple game.
The actions of hitting the ball and putting the ball in a hole are the same as in other sports, but there seems to be something instinctively appealing about golf, which is played in an extraordinary space surrounded by nature.
I started playing golf seriously five years ago when a friend happened to give me some golf balls during a Christmas gift exchange. After practicing at the driving range a few times, I played my first round, and although my memorable first tee shot rolled into the pond in front of me, the feeling of exhilaration when I actually went out on the course and hit the ball well was something special.
Since then, he has been going to driving ranges in silence to relieve his daily stress, and now golf is all he does in his private time. He watches only golf channels on TV, and even has a putting mat and approach net at home so he practices every night. He may have wanted something to devote himself to, like the club activities he did in his school days.
Golf is a sport that can be enjoyed by everyone, from children to the elderly. You may have an image of it being for old men, but if you're going to start playing as an adult, I think it's better to start early. It also expands your network of contacts. I don't know of any other sport where you can chat like that.
Also, golf brings out your personality. There are some aspects of golf that are similar to how we live our daily lives, such as how to manage your course strategy and how to improve your swing, but the big difference is that no one will blame you no matter how many times you fail (though sometimes caddies do...lol).
As I attack and defend, and experience both failure and success to my heart's content, I also feel like I am gaining a deeper understanding of myself.
I'm determined to do it next time! But there are days when it just doesn't go well, and there are days when I unexpectedly get a low score. I'm learning about life through golf.
I hope that many people will be able to experience this fun.
Let's go golfing together in Thailand! You are also welcome to visit our office.
MIYAKAWA Takuya