Thai Golf News

24/09/2024

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1Yy8eubd_8

17/09/2024

We're thrilled to announce the 2nd Edition of Asian GOLF & More Magazine by Golfasian! 🌏🏌️‍♂️

Packed with expanded content and exclusive insights, this issue takes you on a journey through Southeast Asia's top golf destinations, including Phuket, Northern Vietnam, and Cambodia. 🏖️⛳
🔹 In-depth course reviews (Nikanti, Ba Na Hills, Bali National)
🔹 Exclusive interview with renowned course designer Brian Curley
🔹 Expert tips on managing golf courses in SE Asia's climates
🔹 Unique activities beyond golf - temple visits, zip lines, and more!
Plus, check out our new dedicated website to access the latest edition and connect with fellow golf enthusiasts: www.asiangolfandmore.com.

https://bit.ly/golfasian-asian-golf-more-2

We're thrilled to announce the 2nd Edition of Asian GOLF & More Magazine by Golfasian! Packed with expanded content and exclusive insights, this issue takes you on a journey through Southeast Asia's top golf destinations, including Phuket, Northern Vietnam, and Cambodia. - In-depth course reviews (N...

12/08/2024

Golf actually won the Gold and many new fans in Paris
It just took a couple of weeks, 144 holes, six actual medal winners, and hundreds of enjoyable and heartbreaking memories at Le Golf National to gain loads of new fans,
The back-to-back TV coverage was seen all around the world, with the stars playing alongside many lower-ranked players representing their countries with passion.
The Stars came out on top on Sunday in the men’s final round; however, the Women’s four rounds gave some low-ranked players a chance to shine.
From American Scottie Scheffler’s Sunday victory to New Zealand’s Lydia Ko’s third golf medal, these Paris Games didn’t disappoint.
Le Golf National played its part, offering drama around every corner.
Over 160,000 came to cheer on their players with their country flags, and nobody cared if they played on the PGA, LIV, LET, or LPGA tours. They just were there to enjoy competitive golf.
Being a public course, anyone can now book a round there.
Of course, six medals were won; however, in the long term, golf is expected to be the real winner, with many youngsters taking up the game, too.

12/06/2024

350 Golfers from Seventeen Countries Descend on Hua Hin
The 9th Centara World Masters Golf Championship has already captivated the hearts of golf enthusiasts from around the globe.
This year, 350 golfers from 17 countries will gather in Hua Hin, Thailand, for an extraordinary week of competition, camaraderie, and celebration. The tournament, running from Sunday through Friday, June 9th to 15th, is being hosted at three of Hua Hin’s most prestigious courses: Pineapple Valley Golf Club, Springfield Royal Country Club, and Palm Hills Golf Resort and Country Club.
The Centara World Masters, recognized as Asia’s largest and most esteemed amateur golf tournament, has continually attracted a diverse and enthusiastic group of golfers since its inception. This year’s event is supported by a distinguished lineup of sponsors, including Centara Hotels & Resorts, the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Coca-Cola, Titleist, Lazudi, Bangkok Hospital, and Carabao Beer.
Participants in this year’s tournament hail from Australia, Germany, India, Ireland, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Portugal, Singapore, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and the United States, showcasing the event’s international appeal and the universal love of golf.
Mark Siegel, Managing Director of Golfasian, reflects on the tournament’s impact: “The Centara World Masters continues to enhance Thailand’s standing as a premier golfing destination. This tournament not only brings together golfers from around the world but also fosters a spirit of unity and goodwill.”
Peter McCarthy, CEO of GoGolfing, adds, “The Centara World Masters is more than just a golf tournament; it’s a celebration of friendship and shared passion. Each year, we see returning golfers who bring new friends and spread the word about the incredible experience here in Hua Hin. This event has become a highlight in the amateur golfing calendar, and we are proud of the joy and connections it creates.”
For detailed information about the tournament and to stay updated with the latest golf events, visit www.thailandworldmasters.com. For those looking to explore more amateur golfing adventures, check out www.vietnamworldmasters.com or www.asiagolftournaments.com.
Embark on an extraordinary golfing journey where camaraderie flourishes, memories are made, and the love of the game reigns supreme.

31/03/2024

Happy Chocolate Cream Eggs everyone

21/12/2023

Soi Dao was in Top Condition just before Christmas.
Billed as one of Thailand’s most beautiful country golf courses, Chatrium Golf Resort Soi Dao attracted a good number of international golfers this week, who enjoyed perfect weather.
Although there were Christmas decorations around the clubhouse, the temperatures in the 20’s were in fact ideal for a round or two with the 18 holes in tip top condition.
The driving range is unique and even has bunkers at all lengths.
We went down to film a new video which will eventually feature the course, hotel and clubhouse and to capture the magic of playing in the country.
The sunrises and sunsets are spectacular, and if you are into your deserts, their chocolate lava cake has become a firm favorite there too!
One golfer even described his experience over two days at the resort as “Pure Heaven!”
For more information on how you and your friends can sample some of this golfing magic check out https://www.chatrium.com/golfsoidaochanthaburi?gclid=CjwKCAiAvoqsBhB9EiwA9XTWGeFxQmaB8lP5PDARt2V7SOF0x6Jj1BlHurZvIBBepbGpwVzZBUJGNxoCI_cQAvD_BwE
For the record we took a leisurely 3 hours 20 minutes to drive from Pattaya and a friend told me they took just over four hours to arrive from Bangkok.
The drive may be a bit longer than normal, however if you want the ultimate golfing fix, the journey is well worth it.
Merry Christmas.

07/10/2023

The Best Golf Resorts in SE Asia
Golf.com one of America’s top online golf sites has just announced their best golf resorts in Asia (2024-25) and SE Asia had eight in the listings.
They included four in Vietnam, two in Thailand, and one each in Cambodia and Indonesia.
Vietnam has four representatives: Laguna Golf Lang Co (Thua Thien - Hue), Ba Na Hills Golf Club (Da Nang), The Bluffs Grand Ho Tram Strip (Ba Ria - Vung Tau) and FLC Halong Bay GC & Luxury Resort (Quang Ninh).
Thailand’s representatives were Banyan Golf Club in Hau Hin and Chiang Mai Highlands in Chiang Mai.
Sir Nick Faldo’s Vattanac Golf Resort in Phnom Penh was Cambodia’s only representative and Indonesia’s Ria Bintan also was listed.
Great to see that many of these popular resorts mentioned are regularly used by Golfasian’s https://www.golfasian.com/ golf vacationers.
For details of the Golf.com top 100 resorts click here https://golf.com/travel/top-100-resorts-world-2024-25/

19/09/2023

One of Thailand’s Best-Kept Golf Secrets

Chatrium Golf Resort Soi Dao has a great 18-hole country-style golf course with the majestic mist-covered Pong Nam Ron mountain range as its backdrop.
Just under three hours from Pattaya or four hours from Bangkok, it is well worth the trip to discover this treasure.
All 18 holes offer a great challenge with plenty of raised tee boxes, wide fairways, a few tricky bunkers, and some large undulating greens.
Apart from a very comfortable 4-star Chatrium-run hotel and a large modern clubhouse, there is a lot to do away from the course.
You could go jogging along their 4km private driveway, perhaps go wet biking on one of the resort’s lakes, relax by the swimming pool, or enjoy the incredible sunsets with a cool drink on the terrace…..oh and of course, there is their legendary chocolate lava cake and ice cream to end the perfect day in this peaceful part of Thailand.
If you would like to visit this piece of golf heaven, then just email info@sdao@chatrium.com and ask for their package rates. You will not be disappointed.

07/09/2023

Dad Gives Son a Wild 21st Birthday Present….entry to the Pattaya Men’s Golf Week!
Normally for your 21st birthday, you might get a slap-up dinner at a local restaurant or maybe the latest mobile.
However, Scott Dial from Dubbo Australia went one further by paying for his son Logan to fly to Thailand to celebrate his 21st by competing at the Pattaya Men’s Golf Week 2023.
Apart from his father, Logan even took two golfing mates along with him to enjoy playing four rounds of golf with over 100 other competitors.
And these courses were no shabby country tracks, but genuine championship courses. They played Siam Country Clubs Rolling Hills and Plantation, the Jack Nicklaus-designed Laem Chabang International Country Club, and the Chee Chan Golf Resort.
We asked Logan what he thought about the beautiful Thai caddies, and he said he had never had a caddie before. He was obviously enjoying the experience as he had the best score in his group at Chee Chan.
Logan and his party were the youngest in the event, which attracted golf vacationers from 15 countries including players from Singapore, America, Thailand, India, the UK, Mauritius, and Australia.
In fact, the largest group of players flew in from the Philippines, all members from Eagle Ridge Golf & Country Club, and they were certainly enjoying the Thailand hospitality.
The interest in competitive golf vacations has really taken off according to Mark Siegel Managing Director of Golfasian https://www.golfasian.com/events/ , one the co-organisers of this event.
This will be the second of three golf weeks in Pattaya they have run this year along with their partner Go Golfing.
They also run tournaments for both men and women in Thailand’s Phuket and Hua Hin plus in Vietnam as well.
Siegel said,” Although we started running professionally organized amateur golf tournaments few years back, since the end of the pandemic they have really taken off and in 2023 we will host over 2,000 players.”
Their Centara World Masters is now recognised as Asia’s largest amateur golf tournament.
Peter McCarthy CEO at Go Golfing https://www.gogolfing.net.au/ added, “ We attracted over 430 entries for this year’s Centara World Masters, and the income generated for the city of Hua Hin was enormous, with over 1,200 bed nights. Even the Tuk Tuk drivers were asking if we could return every month.”
“ At all our golf is still the Hero, however at our nightly 19-hole drink parties and our gala dinners the players get to meet, socialize, and have fun,” he added.
With the surge in bookings, they are now aiming to add additional destinations to host these popular tournaments throughout 2024.

26/08/2023

Thailand’s Hardest Golf Course
Of course, we all enjoy a challenge, however, on some occasions, you get to the tee box and suddenly you are faced with a difficult decision whether to go for it or take the easy way out.
OK with over 260 courses to choose across Thailand, there are a few 18 holes that one would say are intimidating. Here are the Golfasian Society’s top three selections.

1. Santiburi Samui Country Club, Koh Samui
With its rolling fairways, undulating greens, water hazards, and bunkers, Santiburi Samui Country Club offers an unforgettable experience for any golfer looking to test their skills on one of the toughest courses in Thailand. Their two most challenging holes on the course are the 3rd and 17th. The 17th named “The Summit” is the signature hole, and players need to avoid the cliffs along the right side of the fairway (be prepared for a blind tee shot!) The views may be stunning, but you will need to bring a couple of boxes of balls.
2. Laem Chabang’s Valley Course, Chonburi
Designed by the legend Jack Nicklaus, at a massive 3,619 yards, at each of these nine holes, Jack asks you to think first about how you plan to attack the hole. Here there are plenty of water hazards, cleverly placed bunkers, and several intimidating risk and reward holes too. A few knee-trembling decisions here and certainly not for the faint-hearted.
3. Riverdale Golf Club, Bangkok
Here their 18 holes feature hill and down dale golf. This relatively new 18 holes is maturing into one of the city’s beasts, and according to Golf Digest’s top 100 golf course adjudicators, they described it as one of the hardest new challenges they had played in SE Asia, especially from the back tees.
So, there you have our three most challenging rounds of golf.
I am sure some might add Black Mountain or Alpine to the list too.
However, what would you say are the most scary 18 holes you have experienced in the Land of the Smiles?
Naturally, you may not all agree with our choice, so go to the Golfasian Society’s page and let us have your top three too.

24/08/2023

Why not join this facebook group?

The Golfasian Society brings golfers who love to golf in Asia together. Here we share the best golf holiday photos and golfers are free to discuss any questions/comments/feedback they have about their golf holidays with Golfasian.

You can also register to receive their new online Golfasian Asia Golf Guide

20/08/2023

Chatrium Soi Dao Golf Resort is one of Thailand's most beautiful golf courses.
They have just launched some great new group rates starting from only THB4,500 including two rounds of golf, a deluxe 4-star bedroom, breakfast plus a free cart, caddie, and range balls it is a fantastic offer.
If you and some friends are keen to visit the minimum would be for 4 players either sharing or in single rooms.
If you are interested work out your dates and for more information please email at [email protected]
I will then get back to you within 48 hrs.

02/05/2023

How much to tip your caddie?
This week Taylor Gooch won his second LIV Golf event in the space of just two weeks winning a staggering US$ 12 million.
Spare a thought for his lucky caddie Australian Mal Baker who would be getting around US$ 1.2 million if he was taking the usual 10%.
Good work if you can get it, but us mere mortals who take in a round of golf in Thailand often wonder how much to tip their beautiful female caddie.
Mark Seigel CEO at https://www.golfasian.com/ recommends after your round-tipping them US$10 but most expats tend to tip up to US$15 especially if it is a hot humid day.
Of course, if you get a hole-in-one or a fistful of birdies maybe it would be a lot more.
At least they are a lot prettier than your average professional bagman!

15/03/2023

Asia has become the Hotspot on the Golf Map
Golfasian, Asia’s most popular inbound golf tour operator is currently attending the Asia Golf Tourism Conference (AGTC) which is being hosted for the first time in Japan, specifically in Miyazaki.
IAGTO, the global golf tourism organization, has organized this important event with buyers attending from around the world.
AGTC provides the opportunity for IAGTO member golf resorts, golf clubs, hotels, DMCs and other golf tourism suppliers from across the Asia Pacific region and from around the world to meet with IAGTO golf tour operators from around the world, with some 70% of buyers attending from Asian markets.
The two days of Convention activities include 11.5 hours of one-to-one meetings organized between buyers and suppliers, along with networking opportunities including a Welcome Reception, Business Lunches, Social Evenings, Golf Tourism Seminars and the Golf Tournament.
Asia has become the hotspot on the golf map since the end of covid and therefore many tour operators are keen to talk to local courses and travel agents in order to bring international golfers to Asia including Japan, Vietnam, Singapore, Cambodia Malaysia, and Thailand.
Pascal Orczech, Business Development Director at Golfasian https://www.golfasian.com/ said, “We are glad we are able to join AGTC this year. After the first few hours we have already made some excellent new contacts and everyone is very keen to know more about our golf holidays across Southeast Asia.”
The AGTC is taking place at the Seagaia Convention Centre from 14-16 March 2023 and is supported by the Miyazaki Government and the Japanese Golf Association.

03/03/2023

Asia Golf Records All-Time High Bookings
According to a recent study published by IPK International, one of the world's leading tourism consultancies and tourism research agencies, in 2022 the travel industry experienced a significant recovery.
Worldwide, outbound trips increased substantially year on year, but without regaining 2019 levels.
IPK’s World Travel Monitor stated that worldwide, outbound travel in 2022 rose by 90 percent year on year, equivalent to a global volume of almost 700 million trips in 2022.
Compared to outbound travel before the pandemic in 2019, this is 66 percent of pre-crisis levels.
Variations were evident with regard to individual continents, destinations, and travel markets.
So, we caught up with Mark Seigel the CEO of leading golf tour operator Golfasian https://www.golfasian.com/ to find out how the Asian golf travel industry is getting along.
During the Covid pandemic did you have to shut your offices, or did you stay open?
Mark: We had to shut down some offices as people were unable to travel, however, we kept our HQ office in Bangkok open to handle all inquiries and develop new business.
When did you start to see international golfers start returning again?
From July 22nd we had arrivals as clients were keen to get back out onto the courses. The return was very quick only took first 3-4 months to recover to pre-Covid levels.
Has there been a shift in where your customers are coming from now?
Pre covid our top country for bookings came from Europe. Now Japan, India, and Malaysia are our top markets.
Do you see this changing soon?
Yes, next winter our focus will be on European golf travellers.
What countries are you currently selling golf tours to?
We sell golf tours to Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Indonesia.
Was it hard to re-group and bring back staff up to pre covid levels?
No, as we kept our business development staff and those that had left came back immediately.
With the influx of tourists into countries like Thailand have you found it has been hard to secure good hotel rooms for your clients?
Last month was difficult during the Chinese New Year when some regions were full, however, although hotels are busy, we are able to secure rooms as we bring a large number of golfers all year round.
The Golfasian events department https://www.golfasian.com/events/ seems to be growing. Do you find that more of your customers want to include a tournament in their golf vacations?
Yes, we have seen a growth in international and local golfers keen to compete in our amateur tournaments. Many golfers want to participate in an event or festival.
Finally, do you predict that you will be back to pre-covid inbound bookings in 2023?
Well, we passed pre-covid bookings last November and 2023 will be a bumper year for golf tourism in Asia.
With SE Asia starting to see good results with travellers keen to return and airlines with full planes, seems there is light at the end of the tunnel at long last.