Khao Kheow Country Club
A 27 hole Pete Dye design in the wetlands above Pattaya, where three nines, big water, deep bunkers and an island green in the Sawgrass mould demand precise shot making rather than raw power.
Photograph: Khao Kheow Country Club, via Google · Happy OWL
The verdict
Khao Kheow Country Club opened in 1992 to a design by Pete Dye, the American architect whose name is shorthand for nerve testing golf, and it sits in scenic wetlands near Si Racha in Chonburi, in the heart of the Pattaya golf corridor between Bangkok and the coast. It is a 27 hole complex laid out as three nine hole loops, A, B and C, that combine into three different 18 hole rounds, with the first eighteen built as a championship test of around 7,077 yards and renovated in 2013.
In classic Dye fashion the round is about shot making and discipline, not length. Large ponds, deep bunkers and grass mounds press in on fairways that ask you to choose a side and commit, and the wind that funnels across the open wetland adds another variable to every club selection. The first 18 play as the muscular championship course; the third nine eases off into a more forgiving resort style. For travelling golfers it is one of the most respected and most played names around Pattaya, close to Suvarnabhumi airport and an easy anchor for a Bangkok or Pattaya golf trip.
Khao Kheow Country Club at a glance
- Opened
- 1992
- Designer
- Pete Dye
- Holes
- 27 (A, B, C)
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- Around 7,077 yds
- Green fee
- Seasonal (indicative, confirm)
Designer, year, holes, par and yardage verified June 2026 from the club and leading Thai golf guides. Khao Kheow was designed by Pete Dye and opened in 1992, a 27 hole complex of three nines with a par 72 championship 18 of around 7,077 yards that was renovated in 2013. Green fees vary by day of the week, time of day, season and package; weekend and prime morning rates run higher than weekday and afternoon ones, and published packages typically bundle the green fee with the caddie and cart. We have not quoted a single green fee as the published rate is seasonal. Fees are indicative and change by season and year, so always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
Dye set Khao Kheow in low wetland, and water is the constant. The three nines wind between large ponds and lakes, so a string of holes asks for a carry off the tee or an approach flown over water to a green that gives back nothing to a misjudged distance. The bunkering is deep and shaped to gather, the fairways are framed by grass mounds, and the open ground lets the wind move the ball, all hallmarks of a Dye design that values the precise shot over the long one.
The hole golfers come to play is the island green par 3, a tee shot fired all the way across water to a green ringed by it, openly compared to the famous 17th at TPC Sawgrass, Dye's most copied creation. It is the kind of hole that makes a round, a simple short iron made hard by the surroundings and the consequence of a miss. Around it the championship 18 mixes muscular two shotters that demand position with reachable holes that tempt a gamble, so the scorecard swings on how you handle the water and the wind.
For the visiting golfer the play is to take a caddie who knows the carries and the firmness of the greens, pick the right tees for your game, and treat the round as a strategy test. Choose the side that opens up the green, lay back to a comfortable number when the carry is in doubt, and the course rewards a clear head far more than a big drive.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | A public daily fee club, open to visitors and a regular on Pattaya golf packages; tee times are bookable in advance across the three nines, with weekends busier and pricier |
| Green fee | Green fees vary by day of the week, time of day, season and package; weekend and prime morning rates run higher than weekday and afternoon ones, and packages typically bundle the green fee with caddie and cart |
| Booking | Reserve ahead online, through the club or a trip planner; the cool, dry season from roughly November to February is the most comfortable window on the eastern seaboard |
| Caddie and cart | As at all Thai courses a caddie is included or required with a fee and tip, and carts are available to hire; a knowledgeable caddie is worth it on the water carries |
| The layout | 27 holes as three nines, A, B and C; the first 18 play as the championship course renovated in 2013, the third nine a touch easier in resort style |
| Getting there | Near Si Racha in Chonburi, between Bangkok and Pattaya and convenient to Suvarnabhumi International Airport, roughly 45 to 60 minutes from central Pattaya |
Access and indicative pricing verified June 2026 from the club and Thai golf guides; the published green fee is seasonal and we have not quoted a single number, so always confirm current details directly before booking with the club or your trip planner. Check tee time availability.
Where to stay nearby
Khao Kheow sits between Bangkok and Pattaya, so most golfers base themselves on the Pattaya coast and drive out for the round, or break a Bangkok to coast transfer with a tee time on the way. Pattaya and neighbouring Jomtien offer the full range from beachfront resorts to golf hotels, with the after golf scene that the eastern seaboard is known for.
For a quieter, more golf focused base, the Si Racha and Laem Chabang area has business and resort hotels closer to the course, handy for an early tee time. Most travelling golfers fold Khao Kheow into a Pattaya golf trip that strings together the corridor's best layouts over several days, with the airport close enough to bookend the trip with a round.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts around Pattaya.
Build a Pattaya golf trip
We base a Pattaya trip on the eastern seaboard, anchor it on courses like Khao Kheow and add the corridor's best, then handle the lodging, caddies and transfers from the airport. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Khao Kheow Country Club questions
How much does it cost to play Khao Kheow?
Green fees vary by day of the week, time of day, season and package; weekend and prime morning rates are higher than weekday and afternoon ones, and published packages typically bundle the green fee with the caddie and cart. These figures are indicative and change by season and year, so always confirm the current rate directly with the club or your trip planner before booking.
Who designed Khao Kheow Country Club?
The course was designed by Pete Dye and opened in 1992. It is a 27 hole complex of three nines, A, B and C, with a par 72 championship 18 of around 7,077 yards that was renovated in 2013.
How many holes does Khao Kheow have?
Khao Kheow has 27 holes, set out as three nine hole loops, A, B and C, that combine into three different 18 hole rounds. The first 18 were built as a championship course and renovated in 2013, while the third nine plays a touch easier in a resort style.
Where is Khao Kheow Country Club?
Khao Kheow sits near Si Racha in Chonburi, in the heart of the Pattaya golf corridor, roughly between Bangkok and Pattaya and convenient to Suvarnabhumi International Airport. It is a public daily fee club and a regular on Pattaya golf packages.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. History, designer, par, yardage and indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.