A Year In The Pattaya Rough

[jackdawson]

hi.

i am thinking about living in pattaya for a year , playing golf everyday (M-F) and trying to get my handicap down into the mid to high teens.

i live in bangkok now and never pay over 1,000 for green fees and caddy (and sometimes, on sport day, less).

problem is green fees seem higher in pattaya .

then again, other things may be less .

what courses in pattaya would you recommend and do you know if annual/lifetime memberships are available.

thx

i appreciate it

jack

[Fore Man]

hi.

i am thinking about living in pattaya for a year , playing golf everyday (M-F) and trying to get my handicap down into the mid to high teens.

i live in bangkok now and never pay over 1,000 for green fees and caddy (and sometimes, on sport day, less).

problem is green fees seem higher in pattaya .

then again, other things may be less .

what courses in pattaya would you recommend and do you know if annual/lifetime memberships are available.

thx

i appreciate it

jack

I lived in Pattaya and even bought land at a local course (and sold it later). I found Pattaya courses too expensive (those worth playing), all way oversubscribed, and too hot most of the year (51 weeks out of 52). There were too many greedy locals, too many transients (the source of much petty larceny and other crimes), too many drunken hooligans about, prices too high for everything, and too much traffic. So...we moved to Chiang Mai and never looked back. I live on a golf course up here and play all the area courses, the most expensive of which is THB 1,600 in the peak of the high season; in the low season, we play almost anywhere for THB 800 plus caddy fee. Some smaller/shorter courses charge even less (Hang Dong and San Sai). We have a few courses that sell lifetime or annual through 5-year memberships. This can bring the green fees down in the THB 400 area and pay for the membership costs over time in savings. Give Chiang Mai some consideration. The weather is tons better, the people are a lot friendlier, there is a lot less crime up here and prices are reasonable. Some of the better golf courses are simply beautiful, beckoning you to play the well and bring your handicap down. Mine came down from 42 (really) to 14 in two+ years. And we don't have the congestion that Pattaya has...except in the downtown area and around the university. One of the best kept golfing secrets in Thailand is located 2 hours away up in Chiang Rai too. Your sanity, health and pocketbook will all be better off up in the Lanna Kingdom...and so will your golf.

[Zstarx]

There are many courses in Pattaya that are reasonably priced. If you play through one of the local bars you get their rate, often cheaper than playing by yourself, or join Pattaya Sports Club for green fee discounts. Rayong Green Valley, Emerald, Pattaya Country Club are all priced under 1000 Baht including caddy fee. There are a few others that don't come to mind. Sure there are expensive courses where you pay 2 to 3,000 but you can pick where you want to play.

If you want to reduce your handicap, practice putting and chipping, probably 70% of the game is played within 100 metres.

[jackdawson]

thx for the info .

CM sounds interesting .

i know, the short game . been working on the lob wedge and chipping with a 7 iron maybe a lot at the range...

Edited July 13, 2009 by jackdawson

[bob4you]

Currently Plutaluong Navy base is the best deal around. They have 36 holes, easy get on without reservations. One of the few golf courses that looked at the slow economy and tried to do something about it. Tues. & Thurs. were sport days @B1020 including single buggy, green fees and caddy fees. They recently changed sports days to all weekdays (except holidays). You cannot do a shared buggy and if you want to walk it is only B720. Fairways and greens in excellent condition.

We played a 3 ball Tuesday in 3 hours and 15 minutes and only had to wait for group ahead on the 18th hole

[gmac]

Have a look at the golf section of the Pattaya Sports Club website (Easily found by searching Pattaya Sports Club). They seem to phone the local courses every month or so and produce a list of all the fees (green, caddy, buggy, sport days) and publish it for all to see. Downloads as an excel spreadsheet and easy to print out for reference purposes. If you wanted to join to qualify for their various discounts annual membership used to be 400 Baht with a joining fee of 300 Baht although that was a 2/3 years ago.

[jackdawson]

thx 4 the tips

i have good things about putaluang

[ucantbeserious]

i guess good value is relative to time

Plutaluang navy used to be 500 baht not so long ago!! (greens are usually awful)

i have said this before,

i reckon golf around pattaya is dam_n expensive,

e.g. for a day out with a bar group

group fee 200-300

transport 200

green fee 700-1000

caddy fee 250

caddy tip 200 (expected, though i strongly disagree, most caddies are near useless).

1 large beer 120-140

= 1670 minimum (that's about the cheapest day out you could ever get, so add more for most).

= $66 AUD

can do better for cheaper in Aus.

e.g. a genuine Faldo design course with fabulous greens, beautiful fairways (couch grass) , in excellent condition. 40-50AUD green fee.

and its so hot playing its not enjoyable to boot....

and the courses are generally very average in design and condition.

and the fairway grasses are terrible for hitting golf shots, not like the real thing at all...

i guess i am spoiled at home, member of one the top 50 courses in Aus,

pay approx. 60K baht per year (cheap coz its not in a major city), unlimited golf, great course in great condition.

i reckon if you want to play everyday and work on your game,

as chiang mai guy said,

go somewhere cooler, quieter and cheaper,

kanchanaburi?

chiang rai sounds attractive,

Udon Thani area?

if you want to improve you need to find a good teacher

(almost impossible in Thailand, so many could-have-been farangs and struggling Thai teachers),

and hit 300-500 balls every day you don't play.

"Every day you don't practice is one day further away from being any good".

Ben Hogan

Tip for the day:

"When playing, its not about hitting great shots, its about controlling the golf ball."

[jackdawson]

yeah

but how many thai girls does australia have to relax with once or twice a week after a brutal round ?

i'll stick to thailand thanks

(or maybe vegas if i have to)

Edited July 17, 2009 by jackdawson

[ucantbeserious]

i was pointing out relative costs,

the only thing cheaper in Thailand is practice balls.

there is no logic in saying that its ok to pay expensive prices because you can get relief afterwards cheaply,

though, undeniably, this is a bonus, it has nothig to do with golf prices.

[Melpomene]

i guess good value is relative to time

Plutaluang navy used to be 500 baht not so long ago!! (greens are usually awful)

i have said this before,

i reckon golf around pattaya is dam_n expensive,

e.g. for a day out with a bar group

group fee 200-300

transport 200

green fee 700-1000

caddy fee 250

caddy tip 200 (expected, though i strongly disagree, most caddies are near useless).

1 large beer 120-140

= 1670 minimum (that's about the cheapest day out you could ever get, so add more for most).

= $66 AUD

can do better for cheaper in Aus.

e.g. a genuine Faldo design course with fabulous greens, beautiful fairways (couch grass) , in excellent condition. 40-50AUD green fee.

and its so hot playing its not enjoyable to boot....

and the courses are generally very average in design and condition.

and the fairway grasses are terrible for hitting golf shots, not like the real thing at all...

i guess i am spoiled at home, member of one the top 50 courses in Aus,

pay approx. 60K baht per year (cheap coz its not in a major city), unlimited golf, great course in great condition.

i reckon if you want to play everyday and work on your game,

as chiang mai guy said,

go somewhere cooler, quieter and cheaper,

kanchanaburi?

chiang rai sounds attractive,

Udon Thani area?

if you want to improve you need to find a good teacher

(almost impossible in Thailand, so many could-have-been farangs and struggling Thai teachers),

and hit 300-500 balls every day you don't play.

"Every day you don't practice is one day further away from being any good".

Ben Hogan

Tip for the day:

"When playing, its not about hitting great shots, its about controlling the golf ball."

U sound like a barrel of laughs

Surely though, when you factor in the extra costs to your 40-50 AUDs green fee then it becomes equally, if not more expensive....??

Edited July 18, 2009 by Melpomene

[jackdawson]

there is no logic in saying that its ok to pay expensive prices because you can get relief afterwards cheaply

r we sure about this ?

(and he said "expensive" not me. i think thailand's a bargain, 'specially since u get a caddy here too)

[ucantbeserious]

quote

Surely though, when you factor in the extra costs to your 40-50 AUDs green fee then it becomes equally, if not more expensive....??

endquote

what extra costs? there are none... petrol for my car? ok $5

yep..

i am a barrel of laughs!!!!... very funny guy really,,, really i am... honest.... ask all the ban chang girls!!!!

they always laugh when i walk in..........

but seriously.... (oops there goes the laughs),

most people don't "have fun" playing golf.

those who say they are just out for fun and fresh air and don't care about how they play, are lying.

everyone is trying to do something that they think they can, but actually can't.

it should be like that.

thats why we love it.

the challenge.