Golf In Asia

If you're in Phuket or southern Thailand and are looking for something different, head for Rajjaprabha Dam Golf Course in Surat Thani province. The course is in Khao Sok National Park, about two and a half hours drive north of Phuket. It's well worth the trip. A wonderful and challenging layout beckons, surrounded by towering limestone peaks. This is one of the best golf courses in rural Thailand and is better than many in Phuket and Hua Hin. Green fees are very reasonable at 1000-1200 baht. The clubhouse is tired, but has a good restaurant and reasonably-priced accommodation can be found easily nearby.

THAILAND's CENTURY OF GOLF
It seems to have escaped most people, but 2024 is the centenary of Thailand's first golf course, Royal Hua Hin, designed by a Scottish railway engineer which opened, appropriately near the town's railway station, in 1924. RHH is still open for play, offering an iconic, although somewhat dated, golf experience. Newer courses like Black Mountain, Pineapple Valley (Banyan) and Springfield get most attention these days, with good reason, and Hua Hin is a significant golf tourism destination, home of the Centara World Masters that attracts hundreds of international golfers each June. It is one reason Thailand has become the powerhouse of golf tourism in Asia, with 260+ courses, and hundreds of thousands of golf visitors each year.
This is the history of golf courses, by country, in Asia: India 1829, Indonesia 1872, Sri Lanka 1879, Pakistan 1886, Myanmar 1887, Hong Kong 1889, Singapore 1891, Malaysia 1893, Philippines 1901, Japan 1903, Nepal 1917, Korea 1921, Vietnam 1922, Thailand 1924, Brunei 1934, China 1984*, Cambodia 1996, Laos 2012.
* Chuiwan, which means “striking ball,” was a popular leisure activity during the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD) in China. It involved players using a bamboo stick to strike a ball made of leather into a series of designated holes, marked by ornate flags, much like flags on golf courses today.
Photo: The 2nd hole at Black Mountain, an exceptional golf experience near Hua Hin.

Golf In Asia Golf in Asia is a boutique PR agency specialising in golf tourism in Asia