Chiang Mai has five top class golf courses in Chiangmai Highlands GC, The Green Valley GC, Ghassun Khuntum GC, Royal Chiang Mai GC and Chiangmai-Lumphun GC. In mid-2007 a new 9-hole course (Read story below) was added to the long list of prominent venues. And there are more if these are not enough. All the golf clubs have excellent club house facilities.

Chiang Mai is Thailand's second largest city and is about 900 km. north of Bangkok. It is an extremely appealing destination with sights and charms peculiar to the northern region of Thailand. This region is renowned for its beautiful mountain scenery and hilltribes, and certainly not to be left out, the beauty of its women. Other attractions include trekking, golfing, shopping and its clean mountain air. The quality and variety of accommodation, shopping and food are second to none.

Chiang Rai has two international golf courses set in beautiful valleys, surrounded by teak-forested mountains. Santiburi GC is by far the more famous because of the international tournaments held there. It is some 150km north of Chiangmai. It is renowned for its natural mountain scenery, the Mekong river, interesting hilltribe villages, the Golden Triangle, temples, ancient sites and ruins. It is a good crossing point into Myanmar for a glimpse of the mysterious country and perhaps even a round of golf in the country governed by a strong socialist regime.

Inthanon Golf & Nature Resort
Just when you thought you've played it all in Chiangmai!

Early in the new year of 2011, a new course, The Chiangmai Inthanon Golf & Nature Resort, joined the fray of golf courses that have so far made Chiangmai one of the most popular golf destinations in Southeast Asia. This Par-72 7,268-yard course spreads over a 200-acres of foothill slopes with the touristy Doi (Mount) Inthanon as the back drop.

Owing largely to the openness of the entire area, the key feature of this course is the deceptively gentle slopes. Designed by architect Khun Silamon, the generous Tifway-covered fairway slopes invariably to the sides, mostly more severely than they appear. On any sunny day, the fairway and green will be fast, and that only means placing the ball squarely on safe areas demands good club control and skill.

Intentionally or otherwise, almost all of the t-off boxes are also quite severely inclined. It therefore calls for a consistently good finishing playing with the ball often either below or above ground, testing ability to adjust and maintain a good balance throughout in addition to good judgment for distance and club selection.

With the planted trees still in infancy, playing on this course on a hot afternoon can be quite frustrating even if you had a pleasing and helpful caddy; but that's exactly what golf is all about - finding a situation not entirely fitting the imagination and having to sort in situ the best practice to manage and execute.

If one challenge is not too many, try it out if you head to Chiangmai again; it's more promising than the good view of the course from the very open and cool club house would have you believed!

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The Newest Golf Course in Chiangmai - Open now - Your one-stop shop for Golf!
3 minutes from Airport and less for downtown Chiangmai! Full facilities - Superbly maintained
"Tell your agents to go fly kites if a 9-hole quickie before the last boarding call is not possible!"


In mid-2007 a new 9-hole 'Jewel of the Crown' golf course in Chiang Mai was officially openned. Situated right in the middle of the city, it is the latest addition to the whole array of top class golf courses in and surrounding the city easily putting it at par with, if not well surpassing already, most others like Bangkok and Pattaya as the haven for golf in Thailand if not the entire South East Asia. Featuring Tifway 419 Bermuda turf, this 3,350-yard Par 36 course was designed by Golf Service Professional Co. Ltd. and is named Pimantip Golf Course or Stardome Golf Club of Chiangmai by its owner Stardome.

Confusing? Not really. As open as the royal summer retreat of the Phu Ping Palace, high up the mountain where the must-go Temple of Doi Suthep is, is clearly visible right from the first tee, the course is laid out flat throughout and at some point almost adjoining the Chiang Mai International Airport.

Easy course management? Yes and no! Where the flat terrain offers few obstructions to the view to the holes, the fairways are actually built around no less than five lakes and therefore requiring many across-the-water hits. Clearly, where it saves on draws and fades, it compensates with lots of psychological barriers having the water in between. In particular, Hole#3 Par3 167-yard offers almost an island green while Hole#5 Par4 423-yard tests your judgment and accuracy of your tee-off drive as a lay-up for an over-the-water landing second easily making it the signature hole of the entire course. Also, check out the tee-off box on Hole#6 Par3 187-yard, it just might be more deceptive than a tee-off box is always flat. There's not a 30-meter right high cliff drop to the sea here the like of the Le Meridien Nirwana Golf & Spa Resort in Tanah Lot, Bali, but two-thirds of the flight path hover above the shore line of a lake to the right all the way to the pin. But otherwise, this course is a true delight, if not a walk in the park.

Interested? Well...this golf club is actually 'Truly Private - Exclusively for 200 Members Only', so says it's brochure. But don't be put off, members can always sign you in as guests. The club, under the able management of Stardome, was conceived as a 'Concept Club' for its members by providing more than just the golf course and the superbly built driving range. Key facilities include an all-day round 'Exclusively Members Only Lounge' for social gathering, relaxation and recreational activities, conference and function rooms, luxurious and serviced members' shower room, free wi-fi access etc. Other facilities open to the public include fine restaurants and coffee houses, golf accessories outlets, golf pro-shops, flight schedule monitoring, shuttle bus service to the airport...yes, you need a bus to take you to the airport because it is 3 minutes away!...Like to know more? Contact Us!

Top class golf courses surround the city of Chiang Mai and are easily accessible with the furthest being less than a 2-hour drive away. Just as a guide, one could be in a new course each time one takes to the tee for the first time in the day, for as long as the duration of a usual length of stay. In addition, one could always choose to extend one's stay in Northern Thailand by opting for more rounds of 18-holes in nearby Chiangrai (or Chiang Rai - 3 hours' travelling time) where international tournaments have consistently been staged.

Green Valley Golf Club - Test your driving prowess on this long and open championship course! The course slopes towards the Mae Ping River. It is a long and testing course with water hazards coming into play on almost every hole. Most holes are heavily bunkered making play even more demanding. Play ideally early in the morning or late in the afternoon; this tournament course has one of Chiangmai's most superbly conditioned and maintained fairways and greens.

Just 25-minute drive on the way to eco-tourism suburb of Mae Rim, this 18-hole 7,200-yard Par-72 course was designed by Dennis Griffiths, the same designer for the Championship course of Thai Country Club in Bangkok. Water hazards in the form of lakes and ponds are the main feature of the course. Fairways are acceptably wide and lined with palm trees. Sand traps are quite plentiful near the greens. The Signature Hole has to be the Par-4 416-yard Hole#9 where the tee-off shot carried over water is threatened by fairway bunkers on both sides. This is to be followed by a second landing shot, also over water, to an elevated island green surrounded by tall palm trees. Strong wind in uncertain directions often decides the winner on this memorable hole.

Alpine Golf Resort (formerly Chiangmai-Lamphun Golf Club) - Put your course management skills to test! This course nestles in a valley surrounded by beautiful rolling hills and shaded by mature native trees. Together with well designed traditional-style buildings, they give the golf course its unique and distinctive Northern Thai character. Its contoured terrain, with creeks and water hazards, offers a real challenge to golfers of all levels.

Just half-an-hour's drive east of Chiangmai, this 18-hole 7,022-yard Par-72 beauty was designed by Dr. Sukhun Sukapanpotharam and opened in 1990. It hosted the golf event for the 18th. SEA (South East Asian) Games in 1995. Here, accurate placement for strategic play is the key to a good score. The most memorable hole, the Par-4 Hole#9, demands a careful tee-shot to land between two water holes to position for a long carry-over another lake for the treacherous sloping green.

Royal Chiangmai Golf Resort - Located about an hour's drive from Chiang Mai City, this former fruit garden provides a spectacular view of the mountain in the distance. Sitting at an altitude, it is even cooler with fresher air than the region of Northern Thailand already is. Designed by Peter Thomson, this Par-72 6,900-yard course is characterised by the links-style feature that distinguishes itself from the many other courses in the area. Accurate placement shots rather than long hitting ones are key to a good score here. This is further accentuated by the strategically placed pot bunkers near the greens making the approaches very deceptive. For those unsuspecting or new to the course, there is also a tendency to under-club playing here.

Lanna Golf Club - Located just 15 minutes from the city, Lanna Golf is one of Chiangmai's finest old style courses. Opened in 1974, this 27-hole course shares the land of the adjacent race track for its fairways. It offers three distinctly different styles of design all enveloped in the panoramic view of the majestic Doi (Mount) Suthep with the famed temple of the same name at top west of the mountain. The course features boulevards of huge mature trees and large lakes and ponds with numerous streams and small klongs (canals) criss-crossing the fairways. For a long while, it's the rough that's not so quite friendly here at Lanna Golf. But under pressure for survival from the numerous new golf venues that have mushroomed in the vicinity over the last few years, the grand lady of golf courses of Chiangmai has now become much more forgiving partly because of increased patronage owing to its proximity to the city but mostly it was the because of the course having been kept up to standard with its peers.

Santiburi Golf & Country Club, Chiang Rai - Surrounded by distant hills, Santiburi Golf in Chiangrai is set on low hilly land. It features a wide range of sloping lies and natural hazards. Most greens are well protected by bunkers. There are also several very challenging dog-leg holes. Designed by R J Jones Jr., the course offers a superbly landscaped golf course that winds beneath a canopy of leaves of tall trees and across crystal clear lakes and streams.

While the front 9 follows the contour of the lowly hill going down and up, the second 9 sweeps across the steep valley with lakes on the way. In all there are eleven relatively long Par-4s and many of which are dogleg holes. And, of these, Hole#2, 3, and 4 run along edge of water all the way to the greens. The Par-5 Hole#18 is no different in skirting the side of the pond making the approach shot to the pin a little trickier.

Waterford Valley Chiangrai Golf Club & Resort - If you are vulnerable to distraction by beautiful scenery, amongst the many of your weaknesses, you will be further handicapped playing this stunningly scenic course well tucked atop a plateau surrounded by lush mountains and valleys of the north. Located less than an hour's drive from the pleasant Chiang Rai city and also not far from the Burmese border, this Rather International-designed 18-hole 7,100-yard Par-72 course enjoys great course layout and exceptionally refreshing climate. It always guarantees an unforgettable day of golf for all levels.

The fairways on this course are generally generous and provide much leeway for long hitters. The greens are generally flat and quite forgiving having few undulations. It is the water hazard in the form of streams meandering around the greens in addition to the ponds found along the way. There are in all eight OB areas; just in case you are swept off your feet already on arrival by the beauties of this course. Be warned!

Maejo Golf Club - A course with a view? This is it. The best view of the majestic Doi Suthep Mountain range that rings Chiangmai city is best taken at the tee-box of Hole#15. A course with a difference? This is it too! Unlikely as it is, here is a course with fairways lined with fruit-bearing mango and other popular local fruit trees, and guests are greeted not only by sweet looking lady caddies but also plenty of colourful orchid of a wide variety often in full bloom. For those new to the country, crunchy-green and sour mango is the No. 1 nationally-adored fruit (alongside with the 'love it/hate it' durian of course) and orchid is almost the national flower.

Located just behind the Mae Jo University which is just 20 minutes away from the city center, Maejo Golf is an 18-hole 6,700-yard Par-72 course designed by local golf personality Seni Thirawat. It is extremely popular among locals as well as throngs of foreign golf enthusiasts for its easy access and the high quality course. It's as if Chiang Mai is not international enough, the fairways are turfed with Zoysia Japonica grass and the greens, Korean Velvet. The fairways are not particularly wide, perhaps having to accommodate the precious fruit trees but the greens are generally more generous in space albeit most are quite steeply sloping. Several dogleg holes on long Par-5s with water hazards as the main obstacle add difficulty to an otherwise interesting 'walk in the orchard' course suitable for all levels.

Gassan Khuntan Golf Club - Less than a mere hour's drive from downtown Chiang Mai, Gassan Khuntan is generally rated one of the best in the region. Located in the Khuntan National Park area and at an altitude of 500 meters above sea level, it enjoys as a backdrop the spectacular Mount Khuntan and its cool surrounding with scenic views of endless lush green. A railway bridge and a tunnel connecting it only lifen up what appears a scenic landscape painting on the wall.

Being set in a terrain of a 'theatre' valley, this Pravit 'The Owner' Raeng Po-designed 18-hole 7,100-yard Par-72 course features many sharp-turning doglegs complemented by water hazards along the Bermuda-grassed fairways and island greens. The most memorable hole appears to be the Par-3 163-yard Hole#5 which requires a good carry-over the water to a Tidwarf grass-covered island green well guarded by sand traps. Anything short of a good landing in the middle of the green usually spells disaster. Good club selection could be vital here depending on the position of the pin.

Gassan Lake City Resort & Golf Club - This is the second in the chain of Gassan golf courses. Also designed by the owner, Pravit Reang-Po himself, this 18-hole 6,400-yard Par-72 course features heavily on ponds and lakes with water hazards present on almost every hole. But the 'cheese behind the brain' in the design of this course lies in the long holes appearing deceptively benign and so luring unsuspecting drivers off the tee while water dangers lurk. Accurate placement shots and good pitching appear the key to a good score here but otherwise it is a good ground for high reward for risk-takers.

Hardly half-an-hour south of the city, playing here will save much time for shopping and other entertainment activities that Chiang Mai is famous for.

Gassan Marina Golf Club - Golf somewhere different? Here it is. Gassan Marina is yet another of the golf courses by the Gassan Group and not unexpectedly, it is also designed by owner/architect, Mr. Pravit Reang-Po. Located just a mere 20-minute drive south of Chiangmai city, it features an Arabian theme for its clubhouse architecture, if you think memory will fade on courses that you have played, not this one! But, there are more to it.

This Par-72 7,761-yard course is built around a 10,000-square meter lake, the largest in the region, and fringed by the majestic high mountain range that sets the topography of the north apart from the rest of Thailand. The main obstacles on the course are quite naturally the water play and numerous bunkers guarding the holes and as well along the fairways just so reaching the green can be made more testing. Interestingly, there are no Par-5s on this course. Easy hits? Not really. If you had taken note of the large lake area around which the holes hug along, you'd probably have guessed it. For the absence of the long holes, there are four longer ones awaiting the unsuspecting. There are four Par-6s all measuring nearly 670 yards long.

Chiangmai Highlands Golf & Spa Resort - Feng Shui golf, anyone? For those who are into geomantic energy flow and power of the site on which buildings are erected, Chiangmai Highlands is one such prime example being built on the hermitage ground of the revered monk, Kuba Sivichai who founded the famous temple of Doi Suthep. And here's the description of a golf and Feng Shui expert on being enlightened on first sight of the course: This very special site is breathtaking in every direction and literally tingles with an energetic aliveness. Its profound tranquility, high elevation, cool climate, fresh air, pure water and fertile soil form the perfect place to sculpt a living golf treasure. Talking about a devout seeking to lower your handicap, can you ask for more playing here?

Additional to the blessed environment, this course is the latest (in 2006/7) to add to the string of golf courses surrounding Chiangmai. Reputedly blends well into the natural landscape of the area and is suitable for all levels of play, this Schmidt Curley-designed course is a symbol if you like of the very promising development in this burgeoning city if the coming up of the latest of world class hotels downtown is not convincing enough.

Starting from the down-hill Hole#1, a sense of golfing adventure begins with the course flowing effortlessly along the contour of the natural terrain and the magnificent view of the mountain skyline as a backdrop in a distance. Located in Sankampheng, the bamboo umbrella handicraft capital of Thailand, the paspallum-grassed fairways will lead you to no less than 90 sand traps and water hazards though. The greens are generally wide for safe landing but are not necessarily easy to play as they are mostly undulating and well guarded by bunkers and water holes. Good course management and strategic play are key to a good score. As new as it is most would not probably have played on this course. So why not be one of the first to check it out!