Where to play golf in Phuket in 2023?
How many golf courses are there in Phuket? You are spoilt for choice if you are intending to play golf in Phuket with seven golf courses on the island and several more just across the border in Phang Nga province.
Most of the golf courses in Phuket are in the northern half of the island so if you plan to play several rounds, we suggest staying no further south than Patong Beach. Here is a list of the golf courses in Phuket.
✳️ Blue Canyon Country Club – Lakes Course
Excellent course suitable for players of all standards but plenty of water
The Blue Canyon Country Club, Lakes course is the “sister” course to the extremely difficult Canyon Course and although easier, it still provides plenty of challenges for the average golfer and not many scores well the first time they play here. The course is usually in good condition and dry weather, the greens can be extremely fast.
As its name suggests, water comes into play on 15 of the 18 holes and the trouble starts immediately with the opening four holes being particularly difficult and all demand accurate shots across the water or over canyons. In addition to the numerous water hazards, canyons, and ponds you also have to avoid the rubber trees which line both sides of the fairway on most holes.
It’s important to choose the correct tee box and we recommend that unless you are a low handicapper you choose to play from the white tees, especially if you have never played here before.
The Lakes Course has one of the most dramatic finishing holes in Thailand and although it’s a par 4, most will choose to lay up as most average players will be faced with a 180-yard shot over water to reach the green.
Location: Thalang
Address: 165 Thepkrasatree Rd, Mai Khao, Thalang District, Phuket 83110
Open: 6.15 am – 3 pm
Phone: 076 328 088
Distance from Phuket International Airport: 3.4 km
Distance to Patong: 32 km
Distance to Phuket Town: 31 km
✳️ Blue Canyon Country Club – Canyon Course
Play in the footsteps of Tiger Woods but check the condition before playing here
Blue Canyon Country Club, Canyon Course is a famous championship golf course which twice hosted the prestigious Johnnie Walker Classic which was won by Tiger Woods. The layout of the course is the best in Phuket and probably the most challenging with tree-lined fairways, thick rough, some long carries over water or ravines and extremely fast greens.
Unfortunately, this iconic layout is not always in the best condition and needs a makeover so better to check the condition before booking to play a round here.
The pick of the holes on the front nine is the par 3, 7th demanding an accurate 170 + yard tee shot over a ravine to a sloping green protected by bunkers in front and behind. The ninth is a challenging par 5 which will reward a good drive with the opportunity to go for the green although most players play up short of the water which leaves a short iron into the putting surface.
The back nine is even more difficult and the stretch of holes from 11 through 14 can wreck your card. The 13th which is a par 4 and known as the “Canyon Hole” was made famous by Tiger Woods who managed to drive the green and this is followed by a wonderful downhill par 3 to an island green.
Despite its rough edges this golf course remains one of the best layouts in Thailand and is a must-play for visitors to Phuket.
Location: Thalang
Address: 165 Thepkrasatree Rd, Mai Khao, Thalang District, Phuket 83110
Open: 6.15 am – 3 pm
Phone: 076 328 088
Distance from Phuket International Airport: 3.4 km
Distance to Patong: 32 km
Distance to Phuket Town: 31 km
✳️ Red Mountain Golf Club
Rated by most who play here as the best course in Phuket
Most golfers when asked to pick the best course they have played in Phuket will probably choose Red Mountain Golf Club as the scenery is amazing and the layout is one of the most unusual in Thailand. It also happens to be the most expensive but if you can afford it you will be rewarded with a wonderful experience. It is not easy, but the wonderful views alone make this worth playing.
The course meanders between the hills that inspired its name and numerous lakes and ponds which are a reminder of its former life as a tin mining area. There are often long stretches between each hole making a buggy essential as even they struggle to get up some of the hills.
The jungle encroaches close to many of the fairways so any wayward shots will lead to a dropped shot and on many holes, it’s advisable to play conservatively and use a club that you feel confident of hitting straight.
So many wonderful holes it’s tough to mention them all. The most memorable hole is the par 3 17th with its tee box perched on the side of the canyon more than 70 metres above the green. The 18th hole is a picturesque downhill par 5 which offers the exceptionally long hitters a good chance of going for the green in two.
Location: Kathu
Address: 119 Wichit Songkhram Rd, Kathu, Kathu District, Phuket 83120
Open: 6 am – 6 pm
Phone: 076 322 000
Distance from Phuket International Airport: 33 km
Distance to Patong: 6.7 km
Distance to Phuket Town: 8 km
✳️ Laguna Golf Phuket
Excellent resort course which is much improved following a major refurbishment
Laguna Golf Phuket is an extremely popular resort golf course right in the middle of the Laguna hotel and resorts complex close to Bangtao beach. It used to be a very flat and uninteresting layout but a few years ago it was totally remodelled and re-designed and it now provides a challenge for golfers of all standards. It’s not a very long course and its main defence is the strategically sited bunkers and water hazards and the newly shaped greens which have plenty of bumps and hollows which makes putting a challenge.
The course was originally built on the site of a former tin mine and many of the holes run alongside the lakes and ponds left over from the mining operation. Our favourite holes on the front nine include the 2nd hole which is an extremely attractive par 3 with water all along the right-hand side and over the back so it’s better to play towards the left of the green. The 7th is a short par 5 with water on both sides of the fairway and you must cross the water again for your second shot to reach the fairway and big hitters can go for the green.
As you make your way home you will enjoy the 16th which is a long downhill par 3 with water along the right-hand side of the heavily contoured green. The final hole is a very long par 4 and if you want to have any chance to get on in regulation then you need to cut the corner but overdo it and you will end up out of bounds.
The Laguna Phuket Golf Club offers superb facilities, with a well-stocked shop and a friendly and relaxed approach from the staff.
Location: Bang Tao
Address: 34 Moo 4 Choeng Thale, Thalang District, Phuket 83110
Open: 6 am – 7 pm
Phone: 076 324 350
Distance from Phuket International Airport: 16.5 km
Distance to Patong: 18 km
Distance to Phuket Town: 23 km
✳️ Loch Palm Golf Club
Sister course to Red Mountain but is much easier and cheaper
Loch Palm Golf Club is one of the easiest golf courses in Phuket and is situated in a valley overlooked by jungle-clad hills. The first few holes circle a huge lake, but the course becomes easier once you cut inland. Not too many exciting holes, but interesting enough for most golfers in Phuket.
If you can avoid the lake on the first few holes, then you’re set up for a decent round, but most holes demand a straight drive if you want to avoid the many palm trees that border most fairways. The 4th hole which is a medium-length par 3 with water from tee to green is the pick of the front nine.
The back nine begins with a risky dogleg par 4 and if you get out of position with your drive then your path to the green will be blocked by trees.
Then you have an opportunity to open your shoulders on Par 5, 11th as you drive downhill to a generous landing area and then for your second shot, you have to negotiate the stream which crosses the fairway before attempting to land on the tricky table-top green protected by a steep bank. There are two great par 3’s on the back of the nine and the best is the 14th, where you play from an elevated tee box to a green far below you almost surrounded by water.
The course is usually in excellent condition but the green speed is inconsistent so you may need help from your caddie. They have a unique driving range and you play in the lake using floating golf balls.
Location: Kathu
Address: Thailand Kathu, Kathu District, Phuket 83120
Open: 6 am – 7 pm
Phone: 081 893 6302
Distance from Phuket International Airport: 35 km
Distance to Patong: 6.7 km
Distance to Phuket Town: 8 km
✳️ Mission Hills Phuket Golf Course
Wonderful views over the ocean but spoilt by poor maintenance
Mission Hills Phuket Golf Course was designed by legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus and is the only golf course in Phuket with holes that run beside the sea – the downside of this is that it can be affected by strong winds at certain times of the year, It is a very picturesque course with a magnificent clubhouse with all the facilities you would expect.
The most interesting holes on the front nine are the par 5 2nd which starts with a daunting tee shot over a huge sandy waste area and then a challenging approach to an island green and the 4th which is a medium-length par 3 and the first of the holes bordering the ocean. On a good day, it offers wonderful views towards the surrounding islands.
The opening hole on the back nine at Mission Hills Golf Club demands an excellent drive to be in the best position for your approach to the green which is surrounded by bunkers. Excellent finishing hole with water protecting the right and you need to flirt with the water to avoid the bunkers and have the opportunity to attack the pin.
Maintenance of the course has been a problem for some time and the draining on the fairways is especially bad following heavy rain and, as a result, your drive can plug, and you may never find your ball. The condition of the greens is also inconsistent, and we suggest you check on the condition of the course before playing here.
Location: North East Coast
Address: 195 Pa Klok, Thalang District, Phuket 83110
Phone: 076 310 888
Distance from Phuket International Airport: 10.6 km
Distance to Patong: 33 km
Distance to Phuket Town: 31 km
✳️ Phuket Country Club
Oldest golf club in Phuket but still a firm favourite with locals
Phuket Country Club is one of the oldest courses in Phuket and is quite short compared to some of the more modern golf courses, but it is still extremely popular with locals and visitors and is an ideal choice for high handicappers. It used to be a walking course, but they have recently installed buggy tracks and buggies are now available.
As you make your way around the course the landscape is quite varied with a combination of open and undulating fairways, a relatively flat middle section and several holes which take you close to the jungle.
It’s quite a challenging start to the round with an intimidating opening tee shot across a ravine to the safety of the fairway and this is followed by a short par 3 which is downhill to the slightly raised green. An excellent par 5 to end the front nine with a large tree as your target off the tee and if you can find the right position you have the chance to get up in two.
The 10th which circles the large lake in the centre of the course is the most memorable hole on the course. Shaped like a banana it is the ultimate “Risk & Reward* hole – you can play it the traditional way and play around the lake or you can go straight for the green. Any mishit shot will end up in the water but if you can make it across it’s an almost certain birdie. The 17th is another pretty hole – short downhill par 3 to an island green.
Location: Kathu
Address: 97 Vichitsongkram Rd, Kathu, Kathu District, Phuket 83120
Open: 6 am – 8 pm
Phone: 076 319 365
Distance from Phuket International Airport: 34 km
Distance to Patong: 7.3 km
Distance to Phuket Town: 5.5 km
✳️ Katathong Golf Resort
Beautiful location surrounded by jungle-covered hills with some unusual holes
A relatively new addition to the Phuket golfing scene Katathong Golf Resort near Phuket is situated around 60 minutes north of Phuket airport in a picturesque jungle-clad valley.
Like many of the golf courses in Phuket it was built on the site of a former tin mine and this is evident from the clubhouse as they have constructed a beautiful waterfall to channel the natural stream which cascades down the hill in front of the clubhouse and winds its way across the course.
The front nine is the easier of the two but with water encroaching close to the fairway on many holes and the OB line also in play on many holes you do need to play conservatively. The dogleg 6th is typical of many of the holes on the outward nine and demands great accuracy off the tee – stray too far right and you are in the trees and a hook will land you in the water hazard.
It’s a very challenging start to the back nine as you survey the green far below you almost surrounded by water with only a very small bailout area to the right of the green. You get a great view of the course from the 16th tee although the drive across a deep ravine is not quite so inviting. The 17th is probably the strangest par-3 in Phuket with a green more than 30 metres above the tee box and fronted by a cliff – it’s just a question of “hit and hope” or head straight for the drop zone. A very modern clubhouse with on-site accommodation and a spa.
Location: Phang Nga
Address: 51 Moo 4 Thung Kha Ngok, District Mueang Phangnga, Phang-nga 82000
Open: 6 am – 6 pm
Phone: 061 173 8338
Distance from Phuket International Airport: 79 km
Distance to Patong: 111 km
Distance to Phuket Town: 106 km
✳️ Aquella Golf and Country Club
A new course in a picturesque location beside the ocean north of Phuket
The Aquella Golf Resort and Country Club have been built beside the Andaman Sea overlooking Thai Muang Beach around 40 minutes north of Phuket International Airport. It used to be known as Thai Muang Golf Club and is now being redeveloped as an integrated resort with private residences, a hotel and a marina
The course has been redesigned and rebuilt with little left of the original Andy Dye design.
The 186-yard par-3 eleventh is the signature hole and from the tee box, you get great views of the Andaman Sea behind the new green which is also flanked by beautiful landscaping and ground cover. The course and the greens have been built using the latest technology and you can be sure that the course will drain well even after heavy rain and the putting surfaces will be great to play on.
The course is quite open and gently undulating and requires time for the trees to mature but some of the holes go close to the mature casuarina trees which line the beach.
As you would expect the clubhouse facilities are top class with the clubhouse and restaurant looking towards the courses and the sea in the background.
Location: Phang Nga
Address: 157/12 Moo 9, Limdul Road, Thai Mueang District, Phang-nga 82120
Open: 9 am – 5 pm, Sat, Sun closed
Phone: 02 150 0575
Distance from Phuket International Airport: 44 km
Distance to Patong: 76 km
Distance to Phuket Town: 70.5 km
This article was written in collaboration with Golfsavers.com
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The 20 Most Beautiful Phuket Beaches ⛱️
FAQs about Phuket Golf
Q. What are some popular golf courses in Phuket?
A. Some popular golf courses in Phuket include Blue Canyon Country Club, Laguna Phuket Golf Club, and Phuket Country Club.
Q. What is the best time to play golf in Phuket?
A. The best time to play golf in Phuket is between November and April, during the dry season, when the weather is sunny and comfortable.
Q. Are there any golf packages or deals available in Phuket?
A. Yes, many golf courses in Phuket offer packages or deals for golfers, including green fees, equipment rental, and transportation
Q. Is it necessary to make a reservation for golfing in Phuket?
A. It is recommended to make a reservation in advance, especially during peak season, to ensure availability and to get the best rates.
Q. What is the cost of playing golf in Phuket?
A. The cost of playing golf in Phuket can vary depending on the course, season, and package chosen. It typically ranges from 2000-5000 baht ( around 60-150 USD) per round.