More renowned for the Death Railway over the Kwai River of WWII, golf in Kanchanaburi has been something of a well-kept secret. Those lucky few who have discovered it, have found a new dimension to the game and that, only Thailand's slowly-emerging new premier golfing destination can produce.

Kanchanaburi is Thailand's fourth largest province and borders Myanmar to the west of Bangkok. It is of course the site of the world famous Bridge Over the River Kwai immortalised in books and movies, and is noted for its rugged natural beauty where mountains and river valleys have inspired development of scenic golf courses. Dam reservoirs and wet-land areas, in addition to the numerous waterfalls, caves, national parks and tranquil riverine settings only further add to the scenic beauty of this place.

Mission Hills Golf Club - A spectacular 18-hole Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course that will test your mind, swing, spirit & soul. It's an awful lot to experience if the words of the operator are true. Measuring 6,600 yards, this course is approximately 2-3 hours' drive from Bangkok and provides a perfect get-away if you have had enough of the big capital city. The least one can expect from playing here is it will give you a unique golfing pleasure and holiday enjoyment in beautiful natural surrounding.

This is a challenging course; meets Professional Golf Association's standards and no expense was spared to achieve excellence. The relatively flat and lightly wooded terrain together with the few roughs and water hazards present a perfect deception to the casual golfers. There are in fact quite a few sand traps along the way. It staged the World Cup Qualifying Rounds in 1995.

[For those keen on the Mission Hills brand, click to visit Mission Hills' Golf Courses in Shenzhen, China or Mission Hills Golf Resort & Spa, Phuket.]

Nichigo Golf Resort & Country Club - This 27-hole course designed by Mitsuaki Kobayashi consists of three Par-36 9-hole courses, namely the Lake 9, the River 9 and the Mountain 9. Measuring 3,330 yards, 3,325 yards and 3,240 yards respectively, the fairways are covered by the environmental friendly Norshiba grass, which requires little fertilizers and pesticides, and the greens, Tifdwarf.

Covering an area of about 500 acres in natural surrounding, Nichigo is a fully integrated golf and recreation resort sandwiched between the highlands along the Thai/Myanmar border on the western side and the famed River Kwai of World War II.

Evergreen Hills Golf Club - Set in a valley between hills of jungle vegetation, this 18-hole Par-72 Artnan Yomchinda-designed course lies about 26 km from Kanchanaburi City and is about 140 km south-west of Bangkok.

As the course lies in a natural water catchment area, water hazards inevitably constitute the main feature of the course. There are at least three holes each on both nines heavily guarded by waters with Par-4 Hole#17 in particular where water encroaches on both sides of the fairway making it difficult even for making par.