Phuket Golf & Culture Package

Laguna Golf Phuket features a resort golf course with pleasant breezes from the Andaman Sea. The Phuket golf course reflects the natural beauty and tropical surroundings as it's set on a valley floor overlooked by low wooded hills and marshlands.

While Loch Palm Golf Club is not the longest Phuket golf course, it is one of the most enjoyable and consistent.  Nestling among a range of jungle-clad hills, Loch Palm is natural going although still capable of throwing down many challenges and giving any Phuket golfer a thorough workout. As the club’s name suggests, palm trees are liberally dotted around this parkland layout, although never too densely.

On the front nine, the primary objective is keeping the golf ball on dry land; many holes play alongside the loch (a sizeable lake), which has a habit of cutting across some of the gently undulating fairways. The short 2nd hole is one of many holes that tests golfers’ nerves around water. A par-5 with a significant amount of extensive and open bunkering that also comes into play. Shots too wayward require longer lengths to avoid finding the perimeter real estate or worse out-of-bounds.

The back nine has some tighter and more undulating holes, starting with the short but testing downhill par-4 10th. The narrow and challenging par-5 11th has villas flanking the left side; be ready to shout 'Fore !'. Among several excellent holes on the back nine, one of the best is the 14th, a par-3 played downhill to a green surrounded on three sides by water.

Golf carts are optionally available, and the course is always in top playing condition. The clubhouse serves excellent Thai food at reasonable prices. The clubhouse was renovated in 2008 and is equivalent other Phuket golf courses.

A small on-site golf resort caters to local golfers wanting to stay over the night and have a hit early the next morning. However, most Phuket golf visitors are better advised to stay in one of the better beach areas which are more equipped to handle all tourists’ needs.

The Blue Canyon Lakes Course is the 2nd golf course at Blue Canyon Country Club. Located close to the airport on the northern end of Phuket Island, the course is suitable for those arriving or departing the same day. Five sets of tees make this Phuket golf course ideal to a wide range of golfers from professionals to amateurs alike.

The Lakes Course hole routing makes good use of meandering creeks and water-filled canyons created by abandoned open cast tin mining with natural land flow left relatively unchanged from the original jungle contours. The front nine runs through a landscape of lakes and natural canyons, while the back nine weaves its way around stands of rubber trees.

When playing the Blue Canyon Lakes Course driving it in the fairway is essential to have any chance of scoring well. Many of the approach shots are over small creeks or canyons that run across the fairways, and getting to the greens in regulation is only possible from a good lie.

The 18th hole is widely considered one of Thailand’s best finishing golf holes. The long par-4 is only reachable in two by long hitters. Most Phuket golf visitors are better advised to play their second shots well short of the green and away from the jungle growing out of the open canyon fronting the green.

The Blue Canyon Lakes Course underwent a total renovation and further upgrading in 2006. The course quality is at least on par with the more famous Blue Canyon, Canyon Course. With less blind shots and a more honest test of golf the Lakes Course may even be the better of the two Blue Canyon golf courses. Moreover, golf carts are included and this makes playing the Lakes Course an excellent choice for the Phuket holiday golfer.

Facilities are a bit aging, but still are adequate for what is on offer. Caddies are mostly older, but well trained and also enjoy having a good laugh.

If you are looking for a sea facing picture postcard golf course to play while in Phuket, the Jack Nicklaus designed course at Mission Hills Golf Resort in Phuket is the one to play. The golf course sits among mangrove forests on the scenic north-east coast of Phuket. The golf course incredible ocean views from almost every hole and even includes several ocean holes playing out over the Andaman Sea like you sometimes see on the televised PGA tournaments.

Large white sand beach bunkers contrast with the translucent blue hues of the ocean waters and the vibrant greens of the Bermuda grass on the fairways and Paspalum Sea Isle 2000 grass on the putting surfaces. The ocean views come at a price, as water comes in to play on seven holes and the prevailing sea breezes make the play at certain times of the day very tricky.

Jack Nicklaus designed some distinguishing features at Mission Hills Phuket. The top holes include the par-5 2nd hole requires two well-placed shots to set up a reasonable third shot into the island green. Next is the 4th which is the first of the ocean holes, and a medium-length par-3 with spectacular views across the sea. The putting surface is an island of grass in a sea of white sand.

The par-4, the 5th hole plays to an island green from an island tee. A solid sandy waste near the beach with a substantial elevation change that runs through the middle of the fairway also adds to the excitement of the hole.

The signature 12th hole and index 1 is the longest par-4 on the golf course, measuring 481 yards from the black tees. Two long straight hits are required, or an accurate one-chip and one-putt for a shorter hitter to make par. The tee shot needs to carry well over 250 yards from the black tees and land on the left-hand side of the fairway. The angle will give the shortest shot to a well-guarded green.

The green is protected by a lake on the right-hand side and a deep hollow to the left, penalizing those bailing out to stay away from the water. If you are fortunate to land your second shot safely on the green or close by, you should walk away happy with a par, or even a respectable bogey. Whatever the outcome, take your time on this most challenging hole and appreciate the breathtaking ocean view by the green and picturesque mountain peaks in the distance.

Mission Hills playing conditions can vary.  Fairways and greens are always being improved so check with us for exact maintenance. Individual golf carts are compulsory even though the course is relatively flat and an easy walk. 

Service both on the golf course and at the accompanying spa and resort is first class. You can even order food and drinks to be delivered to you on the course as you play. Afterward, the spa and clubhouse restaurant works well for those golfers having the time and wishing to make their round at Mission Hills into a full day's total Phuket golfing experience!

It's not difficult to see why this Phuket golf course was named Red Mountain. It is harder, however, to imagine how such a dramatically undulating landscape, where soft red rock and dense jungle were the principal ingredients, could be transformed into a challenging, yet playable layout.

Red Mountain Golf Course opened in 2007 and is now considered Phuket's most spectacular golf course. The course was designed to take advantage of a huge variety of landforms and dramatic elevation changes, making it Phuket's hilliest course.

The entire Red Mountain site is an abandoned tin mine. The hole routing explores the four corners of the former tin mine property representing a memorable tour of Phuket's historical landscapes. Cliffs and gullies etched in sandy tailings over the years by storm waters feature on several holes. Towering cliffs cut out of the hills and flooded canyons frame several other holes. Golfers face the full range of natures hazards; wind, water, slopes and elevation changes. This is the highest golf course on Phuket Island and dramatic views are realized from many of the points on the golf course.

The concept of variety has been carried into all areas of Red Mountain. There are large and small greens; some with subtle breaks, some with wilder contours. Bermuda grass is used on the greens which make for fast but smooth putting surfaces. Fairways and tees are grassed with Seashore Paspalum; a popular turf being used at other Thailand championship courses like Amata Spring and Thai Country, both in Bangkok. Wild, local grasses have been preserved in some rough areas to complete the natural look.

Regarding playability, the closing six holes- and final stretches don't get much tougher. The elevation changes, red rocky cliffs and dense tropical vegetation combine to make these six holes some of the most spectacular in Thailand. A truly breathtaking panorama awaits at the back of the 16th green. The short par-3 17th is a dramatically plunging downhiller: hitting a postage stamp in the jungle-filled depths below has never been more fun! The subsequent downhill par-5 requires strategic placement from tee-to-green, and can easily add double-figures to an otherwise respectable scorecard. Prior to this magnificent closing six, the rest of the course contains its fair share of undulations, rocky outcrops, wonderful risk-reward holes and liberal array of water hazards. To avoid your immensely scenic Red Mountain round turning into a rocky horror show, the advice is simple - carefully consult your caddie on club selection, take dead aim and trust your swing.

Red Mountain Golf Club is located almost in the exact center of Phuket Island which makes this course one of most accessible to those staying on the poplar Patong and Karon beaches. Only 15 minutes is needed to get to/from the course which makes it a real possibility for those with non-golfing families to spend the better part of the day with their family after a quick early morning round.

For golfers wanting to spend more time at the course, there are excellent practice facilities, a grass driving range, as well as a fully stocked modern club house for 19th hole formalities. Golf carts are compulsory at Red Mountain and it’s a good thing as anyone who opted to walk this layout would surely regret it.

It's not often that such a great course is created. Hats off to Red Mountain for what the club literature describes as 'the most exciting golf course in Phuket' ... perhaps 'in Asia' might also apply.

Blue Canyon Country Club’s Canyon Course was the original 18 hole layout and leaped to fame when selected as the venue for the 1994 Johnnie Walker Classic. Since then the same tournament has returned two times with Tiger Woods winning in 1998.  Blue Canyon recognized as a world championship golf course continually ranks as one of Thailand's best golf courses.

The course set in an abandoned tin mine displays old strip mine characteristics throughout the property. Streams filled with rust-colored water, canyons with sheer cliffs exposing red and white tin ore-laden rock, and tailings from former mining operations are a few of the many throwbacks to days of time gone.

The front nine plays up and through palm-oil tree-lined fairways. The back nine gets even better with holes 11-15 and probably the best five stretch in Thailand, if not all Asia. These five memorable golf holes will undoubtedly be the center of after round discussions.

The Par 5 11th is a challenging 600-yard par 5 with water crossing the fairway on the first shot and water guarding the green left and right on the third shot. A penalty-free bogey is a good score here. The famous Par 4 13th over a canyon tempts the daredevil in every golfer, and the following Par 3 14th from an elevated tee to an island green is one of the most beautiful, while also challenging par 3's for all players who tee it up and go for it. There is no bailout area and unless playing the course before, trusting the right club and gauging the wind effects is difficult. Watery, not happy, endings are more typical for most visiting Phuket golfers.

The 17th is also one of the most intimidating Par 3’s anywhere, and even from the white tees, it’s a long iron or fairway wood to a partially hidden green that tucked behind the canyon on the right.

Blue Canyon has a large clubhouse, with three restaurants, well-stocked pro shop, lockers and shower facilities, massage and spa. In its glory days of the 90’s, it set the standard for golf club excellence. However, nowadays the whole facility is a bit tired and in need of a facelift and renovation. Most Phuket golf visitors skip the onsite resort and prefer to stay close to one of the leading centers or at least at one of the resorts on the nearby Mai Khao Beach.