Golf Ready for Tourists?

 

 

A quick survey around many Asia golf courses, and almost 100% in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam are now open for business.

 

With locals plus foreign residents making up the main numbers, naturally golf clubs are at least welcoming golfers at last. And perhaps more importantly, the staff and caddies are at last earning some badly needed income.

 

During the shut down most clubs used their closures to upgrade their courses, so a lot of courses have never been in better playing condition.

 

When they did actually reopen in Vietnam at the end of April, and Thailand in mid-May, initially it was very hard to get a tee time at most of the golf courses. With no golf played for so long, both local and expats rushed to get out on the course after the long lock down period.

 

After the initial rush, business has now slowed down a bit and weekdays are relatively quiet, however some courses are still busy especially at weekends.

 

Executives Have More Leisure Time

 

Many foreign multi-national companies automatically include golf club membership in their employment packages particularly offered to senior staff. 

 

Therefore, with some large companies currently operating just a three-day week, many Korean and Japanese players based here are currently finding more free time to book a round of golf with colleagues.

 

Naturally golf vacationers still make up a large percentage of income in a normal year. So general managers at all the leading courses, are hoping that the Thai Government’s proposed travel bubbles with low risk neighbors, may be implemented soon. 

 

This may include, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. China was on the bubble list, but not many Chinese are coming to SE Asia to play golf yet.

 

Meanwhile with low green fee rates, promotions on golf carts, great course conditions and fine weather, locals and expats are able to enjoy almost millionaires golf!

 

 

 

While it has been great to play on near empty courses since the reopening, the courses and the caddies have been suffering.  Caddies rely on tips and the caddy fee and that's about it.  There are limited options for them if they can't earn and like many Thais, they had zero work for 2 months.  So with the only golfers those who live here, the lack of tourists coming to play golf hurts them and I don't see it improving until the country opens up again. And I don't see the government doing any time soon as they have been so very careful.  Here's hoping both the courses and those who work there can weather this economic downturn.

3 hours ago, Bobobirdiebuddy said:

While it has been great to play on near empty courses since the reopening, the courses and the caddies have been suffering.  Caddies rely on tips and the caddy fee and that's about it.  There are limited options for them if they can't earn and like many Thais, they had zero work for 2 months.  So with the only golfers those who live here, the lack of tourists coming to play golf hurts them and I don't see it improving until the country opens up again. And I don't see the government doing any time soon as they have been so very careful.  Here's hoping both the courses and those who work there can weather this economic downturn.

I saw this coming at the end of Feb. I have a regular caddie that I use 2-3 times a week. During the shutdown, I got her banking information and made sure she got 1000 baht a week so that her family was able to put food on the table since she's the main bread winner of the family. This was all done with my wife's blessing, as the two are good friends.

Golf is nice but 6000+ thb a round means I don't even bother to play here anymore!

1 hour ago, theonetrueaussie said:

Golf is nice but 6000+ thb a round means I don't even bother to play here anymore!

please feel free to play up in northern thailand! you will find some very good golfcourses!

the greenfee starts for example for a brand new golfcourse (at the moment 6 holes) for only 30 baht one round - so if you play 3 rounds (=18 holes) you pay 90 baht - plus caddy-fee is 100 baht per round and 100 baht per round, if you like to rent a cart!

facebook-link

this golfcouse is outside chiangrai - waypoint in google maps is here:

https://goo.gl/maps/LdbwUxWLhcBuw7Mk7

 

or actually is a promotion on the maekok-army-golfcourse - 18 holes - in very good shape

greenfee incl. caddyfee is 300 baht only plus tipp up to you!

this fine golfcourse you will find here on google maps:
https://goo.gl/maps/x2c4wsXyteR8XktD9

 

someone told me, that actually you have many golfers from bangkok who fly from bangkok to chiangrai play one round of golf and fly back in the late afternoon - cheaper and faster then to play around bangkok  or somewhere on the eastern seaside!

 

enjoy golf in one of the most beautiful areas from thailand!

 

BTW: santhiburi and waterford golfcourse have also special promotions!

Edited July 19, 20205 yr by sibille

2 hours ago, theonetrueaussie said:

Golf is nice but 6000+ thb a round means I don't even bother to play here anymore!

Yeah it's expensive for golf all year, ok for tourists, i play the 9 hole Navy courses now, much cheaper but you have to lower your standards, still fun though

2 hours ago, theonetrueaussie said:

Golf is nice but 6000+ thb a round means I don't even bother to play here anymore!

Golf in Thaialnd, for those of us here full time, is no longer cheap.  But it is not, by any stretch THAT expensive unless you play at peak time on top course all the time.

 

For example, Greenwood Sports Day is 600GF + 350Caddy.  So under 1500 all in, or 2200 if you take a cart

Laem Chabang Sports Day is 2059 all in (GF, caddy,cart) so under 2500 all in.

 

There are many similar promotions throughout the country

 

PH

Edited July 19, 20205 yr by Phulublub

Its all well and good to say golf is ready for tourists but just a little problem.

 

Whilst some countries open to let ypu in its the quarantine when going home that is not so appealing.

2 hours ago, theonetrueaussie said:

Golf is nice but 6000+ thb a round means I don't even bother to play here anymore!

Plenty of courses around Pattaya/Rayong under 1350 thb inclusive

 

https://pattayasports.org/golf-rates/

Edited July 19, 20205 yr by dodgybros

30 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Yeah it's expensive for golf all year, ok for tourists, i play the 9 hole Navy courses now, much cheaper but you have to lower your standards, still fun though

Please tell me it is not either of the 2 Navy courses that did not want foreigners to play there.

9 hours ago, keithsimmonds said:

Please tell me it is not either of the 2 Navy courses that did not want foreigners to play there.

Marine is still closed to foreigners AND Thais which I've told you at least twice already. Fleet did close to foreigners but open now, ACDC which i dislike has been open throughout

10 hours ago, Phulublub said:

Golf in Thaialnd, for those of us here full time, is no longer cheap.  But it is not, by any stretch THAT expensive unless you play at peak time on top course all the time.

 

For example, Greenwood Sports Day is 600GF + 350Caddy.  So under 1500 all in, or 2200 if you take a cart

Laem Chabang Sports Day is 2059 all in (GF, caddy,cart) so under 2500 all in.

 

There are many similar promotions throughout the country

 

PH

Over the course of a year these fees are way more than playing golf back home, so expensive, most people haven't done the sums so don't know

Some very good deals up North with quality courses offering green fees,caddy fee and cart for around 800 baht.

 

The best for 18 holes in Chiangmai is Sand Creek, which has been just taken over and is being refurbished. 280 baht green fee and caddy fee.

13 hours ago, Phulublub said:

Golf in Thaialnd, for those of us here full time, is no longer cheap.  But it is not, by any stretch THAT expensive unless you play at peak time on top course all the time.

 

For example, Greenwood Sports Day is 600GF + 350Caddy.  So under 1500 all in, or 2200 if you take a cart

Laem Chabang Sports Day is 2059 all in (GF, caddy,cart) so under 2500 all in.

 

There are many similar promotions throughout the country

 

PH

Greenwood are advertising 390 bt green fee ---but only for Thais. The sport day rate of 1350 bt all-in does allow everyone that rate, but only twice a week.

The 2059 bt all-in at Laem Chabang is only available to card-holders of Pattaya Sport Club.

3 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Marine is still closed to foreigners AND Thais which I've told you at least twice already. Fleet did close to foreigners but open now, ACDC which i dislike has been open throughout

Fleet made it clear that expats are not welcome, and many now will never play it.

More welcoming and better value is Kwan, 220 bt walking for 18 holes or 350 bt sharing if you need a cart.

2 hours ago, Thailand said:

Some very good deals up North with quality courses offering green fees,caddy fee and cart for around 800 baht.

 

The best for 18 holes in Chiangmai is Sand Creek, which has been just taken over and is being refurbished. 280 baht green fee and caddy fee.

Very good value in the North.

 

Unfortunately, courses around Pattaya have jumped on the bandwagon of compulsory carts @600 bt and made carts single-use where not compulsory. So around 2K all-in when you include caddy "tip"

 

There was a promotion from "Amazing Pattaya" advertising half-price green fees, but when we arrived at the courses (Phoenix, Greenwood, Burapha) this was only for Thais. Driving licence or pink book counted for nothing.

 

Not surprising that many (who are able) choose to walk now.

1 hour ago, fulhamster said:

Greenwood are advertising 390 bt green fee ---but only for Thais. The sport day rate of 1350 bt all-in does allow everyone that rate, but only twice a week.

The 2059 bt all-in at Laem Chabang is only available to card-holders of Pattaya Sport Club.

That is discrimination and lets face it there are plenty of wealthy Thai golfers , just look at their cars in the car park at the courses . Also some play for money and 1000 s of baht changes hands . 

The topic is about tourists who will be prepared to pay the higher golf fees and some have booked an arranged golf tour all prepaid .  I like to play 3 times a week at an army course  but could not afford to play on some of the top Chon Buri courses to that extent , I do however manage to get away 2 or 3 times a year to play some beautiful manicured Thai courses with palatial club houses . 

At the moment things are not looking good for Thai courses as there is no indication of when the Thai immigration will opens its doors to foreign tourists . Something needs to happen soon .

5 hours ago, fulhamster said:

Fleet made it clear that expats are not welcome, and many now will never play it.

More welcoming and better value is Kwan, 220 bt walking for 18 holes or 350 bt sharing if you need a cart.

Yes Kwan and ACDC are both more welcoming but I don't want to play either, think I'd rather give up

5 hours ago, superal said:

That is discrimination and lets face it there are plenty of wealthy Thai golfers , just look at their cars in the car park at the courses . Also some play for money and 1000 s of baht changes hands . 

The topic is about tourists who will be prepared to pay the higher golf fees and some have booked an arranged golf tour all prepaid .  I like to play 3 times a week at an army course  but could not afford to play on some of the top Chon Buri courses to that extent , I do however manage to get away 2 or 3 times a year to play some beautiful manicured Thai courses with palatial club houses . 

At the moment things are not looking good for Thai courses as there is no indication of when the Thai immigration will opens its doors to foreign tourists . Something needs to happen soon .

Yep, Thai's will never learn that "cash is king" in all businesses, even golf courses; the goal of a well managed golf course is to keep the tee times ticking over to get the maximum number groups on the course per day while still maintaining a balance of an acceptable rate of play. 

 

The only reason most of these military courses are two tiered pricing is they are owned and operated by the military which of course as we all know is Thailand's cash cow of endless funds; so they afford to be choosy and in addition it reflects on their opinion of foreigners.  

 

The privately owned courses I play have a single price for all golfers and in this COVID-19 hard times I ensure I support them and steer well clear of all military discriminative pricing courses. 

7 hours ago, fulhamster said:

The 2059 bt all-in at Laem Chabang is only available to card-holders of Pattaya Sport Club.

Not true.

 

PH

11 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Marine is still closed to foreigners AND Thais which I've told you at least twice already. Fleet did close to foreigners but open now, ACDC which i dislike has been open throughout

I don't play Marine so i would Never have asked you whether it was open or not.

3 hours ago, keithsimmonds said:

I don't play Marine so i would Never have asked you whether it was open or not.

"Please tell me it is not either of the 2 Navy courses that did not want foreigners to play there"

 

which 2 navy courses were you referring to?

On 7/20/2020 at 8:15 AM, fulhamster said:

Unfortunately, courses around Pattaya have jumped on the bandwagon of compulsory carts @600 bt

Nonsense. Compulsory carts are in the minority unless playing the higher end courses - and we have been here before. Just check the list from PSC posted earlier in the thread.