With four visits and 20-something rounds under his belt, our senior

[ TRAVEL ] thailand
THE
BUTTERFLY
EFFECT
With four visits and 20-something rounds under
his belt, our senior writer gives his approval to
Thailand as a golf destination. BY ROHAN CLARKE.
Situated 1,000 feet above sea level
in the mountainous northern region,
Chiangmai Highlands is regarded by
many as the best course in Thailand.
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/ may 2012
[ TRAVEL ] thailand
Travel hints
Once dubbed ‘The Venice of the East’, Bangkok has evolved into
a bustling, cosmopolitan city. While there is so much history
and culture to see, every first-time visitor should partake a
klong tour around the old canals.
With more than 600 hotels in Bangkok, there are plenty
of options for all price points. A number of boutique hotels
have opened recently and most have reasonable prices. LIT
Bangkok is a perfect example, paying attention to detail with
themes to reflect different parts of Thailand in its 79 rooms
(It also has six massage theatres). Aloft Bangkok is a swanky
modern hotel aimed at the youth market. I got a room for
2,111 baht per night ($66), including breakfast.
Getting around Bangkok can be a little intimidating for
the uninitiated. (Don’t be surprised if your taxi doesn’t have
seat buckles in the back seat.) Traffic jams are a regular
occurrence. Hence, transfers between airports, hotels and
golf courses can be problematic if you haven’t done your
homework.
Given the logistics, using a tour operator is recommended.
“Sound advice by an experienced sports travel specialist is
crucial when booking your overseas golf travel,” says Philip
Strachan, CEO of International Sports Tours (sportstours.com.
au), a Sydney-based tour operator with 28 years’ experience.
“We also save our client’s time and give them peace of mind
that everything is taken care of, so their golf experience will
be memorable.”
Once our cart takes off from the first tee,
somewhere along the fairway I turn to
my Thai caddie and catch her eye before
uttering the words: “Khun suay mak
mak.” Without fail, the famous Thai smile
emerges and laughter ensues.
Who wouldn’t be flattered when a
bashful prince from the Land Down Under
informs her: you are very, very beautiful?
Usually, the caddie responds playfully:
“You butterfly.” Other times it’s “Sweet
mouth” or the Thai equivalent “Pak wan.”
I confess that small things amuse small
minds. But I like to think this jocularity
sets the tone for a jovial round in The Land
of Smiles. Always mindful of appearing too
creepy, I reassure my caddie that I’m “Ting
tong farang” – a crazy Westerner.
In my humble opinion, Thailand is
the most fascinating place to play golf.
Bangkok-based tour operator Mark Siegel
of GolfAsian (www.golfasian.com) agrees:
“If you’re looking to play good golf, stay
home. If you want the best golf experience
of your life – second to none – come to
Thailand.” It’s the combination of carefree
golf, an exotic location and good company
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/ may 2012
in the form of playing companions and
caddies that makes the experience.
Young or old, thin or chubby (and even
the occasional ladyboy) – I’ve never met a
Thai caddie I haven’t liked during four golf
trips spanning 14 years and 20-odd rounds
of golf. A Thai caddie is akin to having your
own personal cheer squad. Apart from
raking bunkers and cleaning clubs, they
offer encouragement and support. Plus,
they’re versed in the rules of golf and are
trained extensively about club selection
and how to read grainy Bermuda greens.
Little wonder locals are inclined to use a
favourite caddie at their home course.
Thai caddies are actively involved in
the round’s fun. A local custom on par
3s determines that each member of a
foursome outlays 20 baht for nearest to
the pin – with 60 baht ($1.87) going to the
winning caddie if the closest player can
validate the shot with a two-putt. However
the bounty jackpots to the next par 3 if
nobody hits the green and pars the hole.
Nevertheless, farang can be sceptical
of a caddie’s worth. Some well-mannered
Australians, used to pulling their own
clubs, struggle with the prospect of a
little Thai woman at their beck and call.
I’ve seen the frustration burn inside them
after a wayward shot hurtles towards the
Out of Bounds when a caddie utters that
most gorgeous phrase of ambiguity: “5050.” There are the cumbersome complaints
about a caddie’s ineffectiveness at reading
greens. Of course, your caddie doesn’t
know how hard you intend to hit the putt.
Besides, somebody with any pretence of
being a golfer would only ask for a caddie’s
advice as a second opinion.
From personal experience, I’ve found
the majority of Thai caddies to be very
knowledgeable. A perfect example
occurred on the tee of the short seventh
at Chiangmai Highlands. I had marched
to the back of the tee box where the
plate read ‘152’ yards. I subtracted 15 and
made the conversion to 137 metres. Then
I walked forward eight paces to the tee
markers and calculated 129 to the centre
of the green where the pin was located.
After seeing a limp flag and not feeling
any wind on my face, I was confident
with my club selection. I turned around
c o u r t e s y o f g o l f asian
Thai Country Club is the most
prestigious course in the Kingdom.
It’s where Tiger Woods won the 1997
Asian Honda Classic and his name is
on the No.1 locker in the clubhouse.
[ TRAVEL ] thailand
The superb finishing hole
at Chiangmai Highlands,
designed by Lee Schmidt.
Royal Gems Golf City is the newest
course in Bangkok and features holes
that are based on the most famous
in the world. The entire back nine is
influenced by Augusta National.
to my caddie and said, “8 iron”. To my
astonishment she was standing there
waiting with an 8 in her hand.
It’s hard not to feel a little sympathy for
the caddie’s plight – covered head to toe
in sun-repelling garments as they scurry
around to help relatively rich foreigners
find their balls. However with no welfare
system in Thailand and other parts of
South-East Asia, the golf industry is a very
important employer. At Thai Country
Club in Bangkok approximately 80 per
cent of the 195 caddies are mothers. This
exclusive golf club provides housing and
a day-care centre for its caddies and also
offers English classes.
An average caddie at Thai Country Club
is said to earn between 12,000-15,000 baht
per month ($375-468). A popular caddie
can make in excess of 20,000 baht ($624)
from two main sources of income. A caddie
fee of 350 baht is paid prior to the round
(with 255 going to the caddie, 65 to a
caddie fund for medical insurance and the
rest to the government). The real bonus
comes from tips. It’s recommended that
golfers offer 500 baht after the round.
So a generous tip can leave the caddie
with 1,000 baht ($31) – not a bad return for
a day’s work in Thailand. By contrast, one
expat told how his caddie at Riverdale
was made redundant after last year’s
floods devastated parts of Bangkok. She
now earns 300 baht working in a tyre
factory – 12 hours a day, six days a week.
Caddies at
Chiangmai
Highlands set a
high standard for
Thai caddies to
achieve.
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/ may
/ april
20122012
One aspect I appreciate about Asia is
the manner in which they embrace
certain aspects of western life without
abandoning their own culture. This is
evident in the attitude towards golf. For
instance, the Thais have an obsession with
island greens – such is the preoccupation
with Pete Dye’s 17th green at TPC
Sawgrass. Five of the six courses I visited
last year had green complexes that were
completely surrounded by water.
Royal Gems Golf City in Bangkok
has taken imitation to the extreme. All
18 holes have been copied from famous
holes around the world of golf. The first
replicates the third at Oakmont Country
Club with its ‘Church Pews’ bunker.
c o u r t e s y o f g o l f asian
Golf in a Kingdom is like no other
Another tries (rather awkwardly) to
emulate the Road Hole on the Old Course
at St Andrews. And the entire back nine
has been modelled on holes 10-18 at
Augusta National. Having capitulated
at Royal Gems I acquired the nickname
‘Rory’ for a few days after the Northern
Irishman’s Sunday meltdown at Augusta.
Humidity can be stifling. However I like
to recall the time I visited Blue Canyon
on the island of Phuket, which hosted the
1998 Johnnie Walker Classic. Standing
on the first tee in sweltering heat, it
took some convincing to start my round.
But after a few holes, the body’s natural
cooling system had taken over and an
enjoyable round ensued. Come to think
of it, I can’t recall a golf course without a
gazebo stationed every few holes where
you can stop and refresh with anything
from bottled water and Singha beer to
boiled eggs, fried chicken or some sort of
sweet confectionary.
All of the clubhouses serve authentic
Thai food, reasonably priced at $3-4 per
dish. But there is always Western food on
the menu so you can be unadventurous
and eat a club sandwich with a Diet
Coke – like one of colleagues did after
every round at six different courses. (To
his chagrin, I usurped him one day by
convincing another tourist to switch from
a club sandwich to the stir-fried sea bass
with Thai herbs.) Meanwhile, you can
even get a massage at some of the betterserviced clubs.
This year I finally experienced night
golf after being invited to play with a
couple of long-time expats at Panya Indra
where green fees are discounted after
3.00pm. This 27-hole complex in Bangkok
has floodlights on two of its three nines.
But after reaching the turn at 5.30pm in
a little over two hours, I wondered how
much night golf we would actually get
to play. Eventually, the floodlights were
switched on as we proceeded to play from
the forward tees (a local concession given
the back tees are lit insufficiently.)
Floodlights are an immovable
obstruction as I discovered after blocking
a drive right on No.11. My approach shot
seemed destined for the green until it
struck the top of a floodlight, shattering
one of the globes. “You’ll have to pay for that,”
said Brian.
Shortly afterwards the round came to
an abrupt standstill when we arrived at the
gazebo behind the 12th green. Two groups
were waiting inside and everybody was
ordering either the pork or duck noodle soup.
Naturally, we followed suit (as there wasn’t a
club sandwich on the menu). Afterwards with
a full belly, we stepped outside to find our
caddies waiting for us to play another par 3
with an island green. Brilliant.
The remainder of the five-hour round
was an eye opener. Night golf can be
disconcerting when the ball lies in your
shadow, while depth perception is thoroughly
tested when addressing the ball. It stands
to reason better players with repeatable
swings will fare much better than hackers.
Regardless of your ability, the sound of a
well-struck shot sailing through the night sky
is a sight to behold.
There is a good reason why 600,000 foreign
tourists are expected to come and play
golf in Thailand in 2012. It’s not about why
you should visit Thailand for a golf holiday.
Rather, why not?
The Plantation Course at Siam
Country Club is just one of 17 resort
courses in the Pattaya region,
south of Bangkok.
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/ may 2012
c o u r t e s y o f g o l f asian
[ TRAVEL ] thailand
[ TRAVEL ] thailand
A plethora of golf destinations
Planning a golf holiday to Thailand begs the obvious questions: When and where
should I visit? The high season (November-March) is popular with Europeans
and Americans seeking to avoid the northern winter. Since it clashes with the
southern summer, not too many Australians choose to come during this period.
However Thailand is ideal to visit during its low season (May-September) when
quieter courses make golf a very pleasant experience.
Bangkok would have to be one of the best cities in the world for golf given its
accessibility to modern resort courses. Perfect to break up a flight, 36 courses are
located within an hour of downtown Bangkok. Having replicated 18 holes from
around the world of golf, Royal Gems Golf City is a must-play if you can sneak on.
Thana City is a Greg Norman/Bob Harrison design that has been injected with
a new lease of life. Best known for hosting the 1997 Asian Honda Classic won by
Tiger Woods, Thai Country Club no longer carries the ultra-exclusive image from
when it opened in the 1990s. Night golf is possible at courses such as Panya Indra.
Away from the capital there are four other main golf destinations that
comprise many more of the 280 courses throughout Thailand. The island of
Phuket stands out if you want a golf/beach holiday. Blue Canyon is outstanding
with two layouts. But it can be expensive and tee-times can be difficult to obtain in
peak season.
I prefer Hua Hin, the royal family’s playground for a century, which is situated
just under three hour’s drive south of Bangkok. This quaint seaside village has
been transformed into a holiday haven for northern Europeans, especially
older Scandinavians that typically escape to Hua Hin after Christmas to spend
a minimum of six weeks there each year. Of the three outstanding clubs, Black
Mountain has a modern design by the Australian Phil Ryan, who has added an
impressive 9-hole par-3 course. Banyan is the second-best layout and a little
known Thai designer has created a wide and expansive course on slightly
undulating terrain. Jack Nicklaus left his mark at Springfield.
If you want to play golf and party, head for Pattaya about two hours south of
Bangkok. Pattaya boasts 17 resort courses, including two at Siam Country Club
(where the US LPGA hosted a tournament in February), the Nicklaus-designed
Laem Chabang and St Andrews 2000, which has the novelty of two par 6s
designed by the late Scottish architect Desmond Muirhead. Incidentally, Pattaya
was named the Golf Destination of the Year 2012 for Australasia and Asia by
IAGTO, the International Association of Golf Tour Operators. It’s a timely accolade
for a region that is being promoted as a family orientated in spite of its image as
the sex capital of Thailand.
Up in the highlands is the charming ancient city of Chiang Mai. Situated 700 km
from the capital, Thailand’s second largest city is serviced by more than 30 flights
daily. Designed by Lee Schmidt, Chiangmai Highlands is one of the top-three
courses in Thailand. With dramatic topography and mature vegetation, it’s an
expansive course with breathtaking, panoramic mountain views. Alpine Chiang
Mai is a flat, tree-lined layout also with delightful scenery.
Last year our touring party of golf writers was treated to the little known golf
destination of Khao Yai, approximately three hour’s drive northeast of Bangkok.
Apart from the lush countryside, the rural setting is evident once you witness an
elephant walking along the roadside. Our splendid lodgings at the Muthi Maya
Resort were in a tranquil setting that couldn’t be any more of a contrast to the
hustle and bustle of Bangkok. Muthi Maya was also in the process of restoring
an adjacent 18-hole layout by Jack Nicklaus. Toscana Valley was surprising
– a challenging layout in the hills with an Italian theme around the clubhouse
facilities. Rancho Charnvee was also better than expected and some of the
clubhouse architecture and furnishings would have been appropriate for a
spaghetti western starring Clint Eastwood.
Australia’s Phil Ryan designed Black
Mountain near the seaside town
of Hua Hin, just under three hour’s
drive south of Bangkok. It was named
the best course in Thailand last year.
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/ may 2012