Golf in the Kingdom (of Thailand)

[Pinsplitter59]

Due to overwhelming demand ( Tembolo actually), this will be an ongoing tale of golfing and stuff in Thailand.

i have spent a lot of time here over the years and arrived again 2 weeks ago for just a 5 week stint.

Went straight from the airport to Pattaya, a tourist city 120km from Bangkok, taxi is 1200 baht ($40) approx.

I keep a kit of clubs here and a car, motorbike and assorted junk. First chores are always charging batteries and pumping up tyres then we are off to the driving range usually around 4pm when its not so hot.

Went to my usual range and it was defunct, was told the owner was over 1 million $ in debt and couldn't make the interest payments.

So back to my former , the Greenway Driving Range, its ok (see pics), balls are 35 baht ($1 and bit) a tray of 40, and are all real balls, old yep but not those awful gooey practice balls. I arrived and stepped out of the car to immediately see a discarded used wrapper of Kamagra on the ground (the Indian made and very cheap version of Viagra), yep I must be in Pattaya.

A lot of regulars, Thai and farang (foreigner) are always here. Its a popular area for golf, around 20 courses within 45 mins drive. Easy to play, lots of groups are run out of bars, so you just go there and put your name on a list for the day you want to play. So after 2 weeks of practice ad a late radical swing change this afternoon (rotation-connection hooey pooey nonsense goodbye), am playing Green Valley tomorrow, quite a nice course, B1350 $45 green fee and caddy, B600 $20 for cart (too old to walk in hot climate), plus tip for caddy if she gives you some massage between shots. Very expensive in Thai terms, a building labourer gets around B200 ($6.60) a day.

This is all the boring factual preamble, hopefully the story improves in the days ahead.

Some of the mess i had to tidy up before leaving.

 

At B40 ($1.40) each for Kamagra you know why Viagra is such a huge cash cow.

 

My kit, MP32 irons and odd long sticks.

 

View of Greenway Range.

 

It rains sometimes too.

 

Disappointing so far has been my tour of the local golf shops, no old quality sets to be found, i often pick up good stuff like Wilson Staff FG59 irons last time and Epon AF Tour irons (in Bangkok that was), new stuff is more expensive than home in Aus so I don't bother with that.

more tomorrow...............

[tembolo1284]

Beautiful my friend beautiiiiiiiiiiful!

[tembolo1284]

How about some shots of the caddies and golf holes?

Let's try to keep this a bit more kosher this time around!

[hebsan]

Looking forward to your posts. I have played several Thai courses (mainly Bangkok area) and patiently waiting to when I can retire and move to Thailand (wife is Thai) permanently.

[Blade Junkie]

I've played a couple of courses in Thailand when I had a business out there.

One was in Bangkok, up near the old International Airport - Pinehurst Golf & Country Club I think it was called ... I told my caddy to start clubbing me after 9 holes, and she got very excited when I hit the flagstick with the 9-iron she gave me first up. I think we paid about 1500 baht for the round, 500 for club hire and 500 for the caddy. An excellent lunch was included.

Then I played 18 holes with a friend who lives about 12km from that sh*thole Pattaya (sorry Pinsplitter59 but I loathe the place!). I think we played at the Phoenix Club (?) ... but it is all a bit of a blur as we were out partying on Walking Street from 21h00 until 08h00 and then tee'd off at 10h00. I recall hitting an awesome drive on the 1st, and then have no memory at all until the 5th. I also vaguely recall a bar called the 19th hole somewhere near the entrance where we got roundly (more) smashed after the game finished in a rainstorm.


Thailand is always fun .. enjoy!

Chok dee Khrap!

[dudewheresmypar]

Awesome. Flying out to Bangkok in two weeks with 2 good buddies. Not a golf trip but I hope I can convince them to get at least 18 holes in. Any good tips for nice courses with decent rental gear?

[hebsan]

[quote name='r4vgolf' timestamp='1384283749' post='8138334']
Awesome. Flying out to Bangkok in two weeks with 2 good buddies. Not a golf trip but I hope I can convince them to get at least 18 holes in. Any good tips for nice courses with decent rental gear?
[/quote]

Most of the courses are in the outlying areas, probably a 30 - 45 minute drive. I have played at Panya Indra, Windsor Park, President, Thai CC, Royal Gems Golf City, Cascata. Panya is known for their beautiful caddies (you can do a Google search), and they also have night golf. Thai CC was the former site of the Johnnie Walker Classic. Royal Gems Golf City is a fairly new course which is designed using the inspiration of some of the famous holes (17 at Sawgrass, 1 at Oakmont, The Road Hole, amongst other). The back nine was inspired by the back nine at Augusta. In time, this course will be absolutely fabulous.

[url="http://thaigolfer.com/course/searchAdvanced"]http://thaigolfer.com/course/searchAdvanced[/url]

[markheardjr]

I played in Chiang Mai in 1998 at a little 9 hole muni track (Sand Creek I think.) Couldn't get on the expensive one at the time I was only in High School. From my memory most of the holes were shorter, around 300y or so and the grass was like crab grass. The caddies were all women, they were barefoot. I tipped her 200 Baht which at the time was $5 and she got teary eyed. My buddy said she could probably feed her family for a week with that. It was very humbling to be a high school kid and realize that little amount was enough to move someone to tears.

[2zlinks]

I played in Thailand years ago while working for Caterpillar. I remember pulling up to the course. There had to be 20-30 women caddies all dressed in white. One caddie to carry the clubs, one to carry a chair, and one to give you a neck and shoulder massage between shots. Quite an experience to say the least.

[dudewheresmypar]

[quote name='hebsan' timestamp='1384289187' post='8138850']
[quote name='r4vgolf' timestamp='1384283749' post='8138334']
Awesome. Flying out to Bangkok in two weeks with 2 good buddies. Not a golf trip but I hope I can convince them to get at least 18 holes in. Any good tips for nice courses with decent rental gear?
[/quote]

Most of the courses are in the outlying areas, probably a 30 - 45 minute drive. I have played at Panya Indra, Windsor Park, President, Thai CC, Royal Gems Golf City, Cascata. Panya is known for their beautiful caddies (you can do a Google search), and they also have night golf. Thai CC was the former site of the Johnnie Walker Classic. Royal Gems Golf City is a fairly new course which is designed using the inspiration of some of the famous holes (17 at Sawgrass, 1 at Oakmont, The Road Hole, amongst other). The back nine was inspired by the back nine at Augusta. In time, this course will be absolutely fabulous.

[url="http://thaigolfer.com/course/searchAdvanced"]http://thaigolfer.co.../searchAdvanced[/url]
[/quote]

Thanks for that! Will look into it.

[scotee]

[size=3]
[size=4]Thanks for sharing and stirring a long ago memory. I lived in Bangkok for one year age 11 1963. My uncle, aunt and cousins picked me up at the airport and immediately went on vacation to Pattaya. We rented a two story primitive bungalow right on the beach for next to nothing. The beach then was pristine with almost no tourism. I have heard that it is a whole different world there now. [/size][/size]
[size=3]
[size=4]My uncle played a little golf and we caddied for him at a course near there and that was my 1st exposure to golf. I remember having to look out for cobras. [/size][/size]
[size=3]
[size=4]Back in Bangkok we were at a hospital in the middle of the city and had a great time climbing over the compound wall and buying fireworks that we would send off the top of the hospital roof. I remember how inexpensive everything was! Now 61 I can still count to 10 and say the Thai alphabet and a greeting, a few phrases and a few swear words we picked up from the locals.[/size][/size]
[size=3]
[size=4]I would love to go back for a visit. Great people and food and lots for small and big boys to do.[/size][/size]

[damnorcross]

Is that a set of 845s? Great clubs.

[Sean2]

My brother-in-law goes every year for about four weeks. Hua Hin, Phuket, etc.

[tembolo1284]

Oh boy...this is getting niiiiiiiiiiiiiiice.

[tembolo1284]

Pinsplitter how are the chicks there? Do they like golf dates?

Can impress her with some pokes on the range.

How about wild animals on the course? I don't want to be devoured by a snake when I play. Freaks me out..just like in Australia. Spiders the size of my head. Freaks me out indeed.

[tembolo1284]

Pinsplitter where you go?

[tembolo1284]

Pin?

[Steff_P]

Try going to Black mountain in Hua Hin, awsome place! I did not like Thailand that much but Black mountain was awsome!


[url="http://www.blackmountainhuahin.com/"]http://www.blackmountainhuahin.com[/url]