Red Mountain Golf Club

Phuket’s Best Golf Course on a Former Tin Mine

Red Mountain Golf Club is the course most golfers talk about after leaving Phuket. Built on a former tin mine in Kathu, the layout uses extreme elevation changes, exposed red rock cliffs, and dense jungle to create 18 holes that feel completely different from anything else in Thailand. Designer Jonathan Morrow opened the course in 2007 and turned what could have been an industrial wasteland into what many consider the most visually dramatic course in Southeast Asia. It’s the most expensive round on the island, but for most visitors, this is the one course worth paying full price for.

Red Mountain Golf Club Quick Info
Par / Yards	72 / 6,781 yards (6,900 from pro tees)
Difficulty	Hard. Rewards accuracy over distance
Green Fee	~5,500-6,500 Baht (high season). Lower May-Oct
Cart	Compulsory (included). You would not want to walk this course
Caddie	Mandatory. Fee ~400 Baht + tip 300-500 Baht
Designer	Jonathan Morrow / Al Tikkanen (2007)
Signature Hole	Par-3 17th. Tee sits ~50 m above the green
Location	Kathu (centre of island). 15 min from Patong, 8 km from Phuket Town
Hire Clubs	Yes. Premium brands (Titleist, TaylorMade) in good condition
Next Door	Loch Palm Golf Club (easier sister course)

What Makes Red Mountain Special

The terrain is unlike any other course in Phuket. Morrow inherited a disused tin mine with flooded canyons, towering cliffs, and raw red laterite ridges, and rather than flattening everything, he built through it. The result is constant elevation changes, blind doglegs through jungle, and tee shots that drop you into valleys before climbing back up to ridgelines. Even the cart rides between holes feel like a safari. The course rewards accuracy over power. Fairways are narrow, and the jungle encroaches close on both sides. A wayward tee shot doesn’t just find rough, it finds unplayable jungle. On many holes, taking an iron off the tee and hitting the fairway is a smarter play than swinging driver and hoping. Water comes into play on several holes, and the greens are fast, especially in dry weather. They vary in size and shape, with some having subtle breaks and others with sharp slopes that punish anything above the hole. Caddies at Red Mountain are well trained and genuinely useful. They know every green, every slope, and every hidden danger. Listen to their club suggestions, especially on the approach shots. The competition for caddie positions here is high, so the standard is above average for Phuket.

The Holes You’ll Remember

Every hole at Red Mountain has character, but some are genuinely unforgettable. Hole 1 (Par 4): Sets the tone immediately. An elevated tee looking down a sloping fairway with rocks splitting the landing area. You know right away this isn’t a normal course. Holes 13-18 (The Closing Six): This is where Red Mountain goes from great to exceptional. The back six are widely regarded as some of the toughest and most beautiful holes in Thailand. The elevation changes become more dramatic, the jungle tighter, and the risk-reward decisions more intense. Hole 16 (Par 4): The green sits in a natural amphitheatre. Turn around after putting out and you’ll see a panoramic view across the valley that stops most golfers mid-conversation. Hole 17 (Par 3): The signature hole. The tee box perches on a cliff roughly 50 metres above the green. The card says 156 yards, but the drop means it plays much shorter. Club selection is everything. Wind, slope, and adrenaline all affect the shot. Your caddie will take your photo here. Everyone’s caddie takes their photo here. Hole 18 (Par 5): A downhill finisher overlooked by the clubhouse terrace. Long hitters have a genuine chance of reaching in two, but the approach needs precision. It looks more forgiving than it plays. A great way to end the round.

What to Expect on the Day

Check-in: Arrive at the modern clubhouse about 30 minutes before your tee time. The pro shop is well stocked. If you need hire clubs, they carry premium brands (Titleist T100 irons, TaylorMade drivers, Scotty Cameron putters) in good condition, not the beaten-up rental sets you might expect. Practice: There’s a grass driving range and a putting green. Worth using both, especially to get a feel for the green speed before you head out. On the course: Golf carts are compulsory, and you’ll understand why at the first hill. There are well-stocked halfway houses every few holes where you can pick up cold drinks and snacks. The round takes around 4 to 4.5 hours at a comfortable pace, though slow groups ahead can push it to 5. After the round: The clubhouse terrace overlooks the 18th fairway and is the best place to sit with a cold beer and decompress. The restaurant serves both Thai and international food at reasonable prices. Modern locker rooms and showers are clean and well maintained.

Who Should Play Here

Red Mountain works for a wider range of golfers than its “hard” reputation suggests. The elevation changes and views are enjoyable regardless of your score, and multiple tee positions let higher handicappers play a manageable yardage. Golfers who play off 24 and above will lose balls in the jungle, but they’ll still have a great time if they listen to their caddie and accept the challenge. That said, single-figure players and scratch golfers will get the most from the strategic elements. There are risk-reward opportunities on almost every hole, and the greens reward precise iron play. If you only play one course in Phuket, this should be it.

Red Mountain vs Loch Palm

Red Mountain sits right next to Loch Palm Golf Club, and many golfers play one course each day as a two-course Kathu trip. They’re very different experiences. Red Mountain: Dramatic, hilly, tight fairways, harder, more expensive, unforgettable scenery. The course you’ll talk about. Loch Palm: Flatter, wider fairways, easier, cheaper, relaxed atmosphere. The course where you’ll score better. Playing Red Mountain first and Loch Palm second is the popular order. You tackle the big challenge fresh, then enjoy a more relaxed round the next day. But some golfers prefer the reverse, using Loch Palm as a warm-up before the main event.

Insider Tips

Red Mountain is the best golf course in Phuket and one of the best in Thailand. After visiting this course many times and talking to golfers who’ve played courses across Southeast Asia, that’s a consistent verdict. The closing six holes (13 through 18) are what everyone remembers. The elevation changes become more dramatic, the views open up, and the difficulty steps up. If your energy and concentration are fading by the back nine, you’ll miss the best part of the course. Eat something at the halfway house after the 9th and stay focused. Book through a golf agent rather than walking in. The green fee difference can be 500-1,000 Baht, and agents include hotel transfers. Morning tee times are best, both for temperature and because you’ll finish by lunchtime and still have the afternoon free. The central Kathu location means you can be back at Patong Beach or Karon Beach within 20 minutes. Bring sunscreen and drink plenty of water. The elevation changes mean more walking than you’d expect even with a cart, and the Phuket sun is relentless. The course plays year-round, but rainy season (May to October) offers lower green fees, softer greens, and fewer golfers on the course.

Red Mountain Golf Club Through the Years

Red Mountain opened in 2007 on land that had been a tin mine for decades. Jonathan Morrow and co-designer Al Tikkanen saw the potential in the raw terrain and built a course that used the canyons, cliffs, and elevation changes rather than fighting them. The course was voted among the top three new courses in Asia in its opening year. Since then, Red Mountain has consistently been ranked as Phuket’s best course by golfers, travel writers, and golf agencies. The conditioning has remained strong, the caddies are well trained, and the clubhouse facilities have been kept modern. The hire club quality improved significantly in recent years, with premium Titleist and TaylorMade sets replacing the older rental equipment. The course is next door to Loch Palm Golf Club, and together they form the Kathu golf hub, the most convenient golfing location on the island for visitors staying in Patong, Karon, or Phuket Town.

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