The Best Golf for a Buddies Trip in Thailand
Championship courses, a caddie for every player, big nights out and value that goes a long way: Thailand is one of the world's great buddies trip destinations. The best golf clusters around Bangkok, Pattaya, Hua Hin and Phuket, all within easy reach. These are the six rounds we would build a Thailand group trip around.
Photo: Siam Country Club Plantation via Google.
How we chose
Thailand is made for a group. The marquee courses are immaculate championship layouts that have hosted Asian Tour and LPGA events, every round comes with a caddie, the food and nightlife are first rate, and the whole trip costs a fraction of an equivalent week in Europe or the United States. Our ranking rewards the courses that combine genuine pedigree with the easy logistics and big city energy that make a Thai buddies trip what it is, clustered so a group can play a different standout each day without long transfers.
We weighed design and tournament history, conditioning, the strength of the wider experience and how readily a visiting group can get on. The list leans on the two great hubs, Bangkok and Pattaya, with the best of Hua Hin and Phuket added for groups that want to pair golf with the beach. Designers and tournament history were verified at the time of writing; green fees vary by season, time of day and caddie and buggy charges, so always confirm directly before booking.
Reviewed June 2026 by the GolfForKings editorial desk. How we research and rank.
The ranking
1. Siam Country Club, Plantation Course
The headline round of any Pattaya trip. Schmidt Curley carved the Plantation out of an old tapioca and sugar plantation in the hills above the city, and it has become the regular host of the Honda LPGA Thailand. It is best known for its enormous triple green, an Asia first surface shared by three holes, but the whole course is a dramatic, beautifully conditioned championship test of elevation change and bold bunkering. The non negotiable round of a Thai group trip.
2. Siam Country Club, Old Course
Thailand's first privately owned golf course and still one of its best loved. A thorough 2007 redesign brought the Old Course up to championship standard, and it too has hosted the Honda LPGA Thailand, with mature trees, water and slick greens giving it a classic, established feel that complements the modern Plantation next door. Playing the two Siam courses back to back is the obvious centrepiece of a Pattaya buddies trip.
3. Alpine Golf Club
The members' favourite on the Bangkok side. Ron Garl's Alpine is a long, tree lined championship course with water in play across the closing stretch, regularly rated among the very best in Thailand and a frequent tour venue. It is a proper test from the back tees and immaculately presented, the round a serious group builds its Bangkok days around before heading out for the evening.
4. Thai Country Club
One of Asia's most prestigious clubs, on the Bang Na side of Bangkok. Thai Country Club made its name when Tiger Woods won the 1997 Asian Honda Classic here for his first professional title abroad, and it remains a polished, big scale championship course in superb condition with world class service. A bucket list round for a group that wants the full five star Thai experience.
5. Black Mountain Golf Club
The standout of Hua Hin and often rated the number one course in the country. Phil Ryan's Black Mountain weaves through old pineapple plantation and rocky outcrops, with creeks, bold greens and an Asian Tour pedigree that includes the Asian Tour International. It is dramatic, fair and beautifully maintained, the round that justifies adding the relaxed beach town of Hua Hin to a group's itinerary.
6. Blue Canyon Country Club, Canyon Course
Phuket's famous championship course, set in an old tin mine where deep canyons and water make for a heroic, picturesque test. The Canyon course hosted the Johnnie Walker Classic, including the duel where Tiger Woods overhauled Ernie Els, and the iconic par 3 over the lake remains one of the most photographed holes in Asia. The round that lets a group pair their golf with Phuket's beaches.
When to go and what it costs
| Season | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Nov to Feb | Prime season. Cool, dry and comfortable, the best conditions of the year and the classic window for a group; book early |
| Mar to May | Hot season. Still very playable with early tee times and a caddie, and rates begin to ease as the heat builds |
| Jun to Oct | Green season. Warmer and wetter with afternoon showers, the lowest rates of the year and quieter courses |
| Caddies and buggies | A caddie is standard at almost every course; caddie fee, tip and buggy are paid on the day on top of the green fee |
Package guide. Thailand is exceptional value. Indicative 2026 peak season green fees at the marquee courses run from roughly 3,000 to 6,000 baht a round before caddie and buggy, and a week long buddies trip with several rounds, a good hotel and transfers commonly runs from around $1,800 to $3,500 per golfer, before flights, depending on the hotel tier. These are third party ranges, not our prices, and you should always confirm directly before booking.
Booking individual rounds? See our recommended tee time partner for the Thai courses.
Plan a Thailand buddies trip
Tell us roughly when you want to travel and how many are in the group, and one concierge secures the tee times across the best courses, matches you to the right hotel and costs the whole trip to the head, with no obligation.
Thailand buddies trip questions
What is the best golf course for a buddies trip in Thailand?
The Plantation course at Siam Country Club near Pattaya, a Schmidt Curley design that hosts the Honda LPGA Thailand and is famous for its vast triple green, is the headline round. The neighbouring Old Course, Thailand's first private club, is its closest rival, and the two together make Pattaya the natural hub for a group.
When is the best time for a golf trip to Thailand?
November to February is the cool, dry season and the prime window for golf, with comfortable temperatures and reliable conditions. March to May is hotter, and the wettest months run from roughly June to October, though play continues year round with caddies and early tee times. The cool season books up early.
Do you get a caddie when playing golf in Thailand?
Yes. A caddie is standard at almost every Thai course and is one of the pleasures of the trip, reading greens, cleaning clubs and keeping the group moving. Caddie fees and a tip are paid on the day in addition to the green fee, and buggies are widely available, which suits a relaxed buddies round.
Related
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course designers and tournament history verified June 2026 from the clubs and leading sources; green fees indicative for the 2026 season, always confirm directly before booking. Last reviewed June 2026.