Santiburi Golf Course

[BusyBee123]

Hi, my parents are coming to Samui in Feb after a 3 month holiday in New Zealand (though judging by the great time they are having i do wonder if they will come back) i'm meeting them for a week in samui and want to surprise them with a round of golf at Santiburi. Has anyone played there? They are leaving their clubs in Singapore so I was wondering if you could rent clubs at the course? Has anyone used the driving range near the post office near Lamai? I would like a practise before they come as i dont really play a lot as it bores me to be honest, unless in the right company of course then it is fun, but they play a lot and it will be a nice end to their holiday i think as it looks fantastic. Any tips advice welcome.

[mark lamai]

Santiburi.

you can rent clubs and shoes.

green fee, caddy fee, golf cart, and clubs will cost around 5000 baht, maybe more.

they have a 9 holes promotion now, after 3:30pm its 1200 baht for green fee, caddy and cart.

new 9 hole course in the mountainous jungle between lamai-chaweng is open i have been told.

difficult to get to, need 4WD on steep dirt road.

1200 baht for 9 holes includes caddy and cart i was told.

lamai driving range is fine.

50 baht for 50 balls. You can hire clubs.

Directly into the sun in the afternoon. so it gets hot.

Other driving range in the hills behind the temple faces more south and is better in the daytime.

[Samuian]

Santiburi Golfcourse is a good recommendation, breathtaking views!

[BusyBee123]

excellent thanks very much for the information, i've passed the driving range at lamai so many times but just thought i would need my own irons, kicking myself now. Santiburi sounds a little pricey but as a one off experience it will be more than worth it i'm sure.

[Mark Wolfe]

I would be surprised if the "Royal" course is open in Lamai. They were very, very far from completion some months ago, but I will take a look today. Anything is possible. And yes, there is a part driving up there that is so steep it is almost a joke. It must be close to 40 degrees. I have a fairly new Yamaha Mio and I am certain that it would not make it up with a pillion passenger.

The driving range near the post office is fine, and the sun problem has been addressed with "curtains." The woods are all from the era of, "Gee, the head is made of metal!? How bizarre!" They are all <deleted>. The irons are almost decent.

There is another driving range in the hills behind the petrol station in Lamai, thereabouts, and one more behind Bandon Hospital past Big C.

Santiburi is a nice course but challenging if you are not a fairly straight shot. It is overpriced, but for a one-off for tourists, ...well, what do you expect?

There is the Bohput Hills short course -- nine holes with the longest about 135 yards and the rest around 115 or so. It's actually pretty and can be fun, but the greens are far too extreme in their pitch -- it's like playing goofy golf when you get on. There are almost no places on any of the greens where you have a putt without some drastic break. Number nine is absurd; all they need is a dragon head with open mouth to hit through to the hole (where your ball comes out on the tee of the ninth....).

I should mention that all the caddie girls in every course have been very nice and fun. Some are better than others regarding finding out-of-bounds balls, but they are as a whole competent additions.

[yantzen]

Santiburi has on Wednesday, sportsday. You pay for greenfee, caddyfee and cart 2700 Baht. Once in two weeks there is an special competition with nice prices! For more information: Peter Adams [email protected]

[mark lamai]

i see today that santiburi are offering a 50% green fee discount for dec 24,

plus chip and putt competition and prizes. and other stuff.

can only guess that xmas eve bookings are kinda small.

[Mark Wolfe]

new 9 hole course in the mountainous jungle between lamai-chaweng is open i have been told.

difficult to get to, need 4WD on steep dirt road.

1200 baht for 9 holes includes caddy and cart i was told.

I stand corrected...

I drove up there...take the hard right at the sign once you get off the main road. It's not steep at all. It's the part just off the main road that is steep.

I walked up and looked at the first and second tees; the first hole is surreal, but if you like an uphill elevation change of about 6 stories, this is the hole for you. It has "13 strokes" written all over it.

But the course looks like it's got amazing views and the grass is good and the greens look perfect. I will have a go next week and report back, maybe with pics.

In about 18 months the back nine will be finished.

[duncaw]

Just played the new Royal course after reading this thread.

It's short, 3 par 3s and 6 par 4s. Longest hole is 330 yards from the back tee, some of the par 4s are reachable from the tee even for me although if you mishit you can forget ever seeing that ball again. Two of the par 3s are very short - approx 100 yards from the back tee.

It's extremely narrow, huge hills, a fair amount of water so despite being short it is challenging.

They don't seem to have any caddies yet so it's tough to know where you're going first time round. A lot of the tee shots are blind.

Course is in very good condition. Greens are a bit slow although expect they'll improve as the course matures.

Some stunning views of lamai, particularly from the 6th green and 8th tee.

Only a limited number of carts - you'll need one. Clubhouse isn't finished yet and looks to be at least 6 months away.

Overall I was quite impressed, especially with the price - 1700 baht for two of us (9 holes) including cart.