Black Mountain vs Red Mountain: Which Should You Play?
Two of Thailand's finest modern courses, both opened in 2007, both named for a mountain, and both worth crossing the world for. Black Mountain rises in the hills above Hua Hin, a multiple Asian Tour host with the purest championship pedigree in the country. Red Mountain tumbles through a former tin mine in the heart of Phuket, all red earth cliffs and vertigo. Here is the honest head to head, verdict first.
Photograph: Black Mountain Golf Club, Charles Arnestad, via Google
The verdict
For the better, more serious golf course, we lean Black Mountain. The Phil Ryan design above Hua Hin has hosted the Asian Tour and plays it: wide, strategic, beautifully conditioned fairways that climb gently into the hills, with water and waste areas that ask real questions without tricks. It is the more complete championship test, and Hua Hin around it is a calmer, more golf focused base than Phuket, with a deep bench of value courses and no weekend surcharges.
But Red Mountain is the more thrilling day out. Cut into a worked out tin mine in the middle of Phuket, it pitches across dramatic elevation change past red rock walls, a course you remember hole by hole, and it sits inside one of Asia's great beach holidays. Pick Black Mountain for the purer test and a quieter golf week. Pick Red Mountain for spectacle and a Phuket trip where the golf shares the bill with the sea.
Head to head
| Black Mountain (Hua Hin) | Red Mountain (Phuket) | |
|---|---|---|
| Designer and opening | Phil Ryan, Pacific Coast Design; opened 2007 | Jon Morrow with Al Tikkanen; opened 2007 |
| Layout | 27 holes (East, North, West nines); championship 18 is par 72, around 6,900 yards | 18 holes, par 72, around 6,800 to 6,900 yards |
| Character | Broad, strategic parkland climbing into the hills above Hua Hin; superb conditioning | Dramatic layout carved through a former tin mine, vivid red earth cliffs and big elevation change |
| Tournament pedigree | Multiple Asian Tour and professional events; among Thailand's most decorated hosts | A signature Phuket course and frequent best in region pick, more resort than tour venue |
| Green fee, 2026 | Indicative around 3,500 baht (roughly $100 to $125); caddie near 350 baht and cart near 750 baht extra | Indicative around 4,250 to 5,500 baht (roughly $150 to $160), cart and caddie included or required |
| Region and base | Inland from Hua Hin, about 3 hours south of Bangkok; a quiet, golf rich coast | Kathu, central Phuket; a major beach resort island with nightlife and coast |
| Best season | November to February peak; gulf coast, drier, no weekend surcharge | November to April; Andaman coast, wettest May to October |
| Who it suits | Golfers who want the best course and a focused golf week | Golfers who want spectacle and a beach holiday around the round |
Course facts and indicative fee ranges verified June 2026 from course and operator listings; fees vary by season and demand, so always confirm directly before booking. Check tee time availability.
Who should pick which
Pick Black Mountain if
You want the best golf course of the two and a calmer base. Black Mountain is the more serious championship test, a proven Asian Tour host with broad, strategic holes and conditioning to match, and Hua Hin around it is a quieter, golf focused coast with a strong supporting cast of courses and no weekend surcharges. It suits the group that has come primarily to play, and to play somewhere genuinely good.
Pick Red Mountain if
You want the more spectacular round and a beach holiday wrapped around it. Red Mountain's tin mine setting, red rock walls and sweeping elevation change make it the more memorable day, and Phuket gives you the coast, the food and the nightlife when the golf is done. It suits couples, families and groups who want the golf to share the trip with the sea, and do not mind paying a little more for the drama.
Plan your golf trip
Black Mountain in the Hua Hin hills, Red Mountain in Phuket, or a question of which suits your group. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling, and one concierge builds the tee times, transfers and base, and costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Black Mountain vs Red Mountain questions
Is Black Mountain or Red Mountain the better golf course?
Both are par 72 championship courses that opened in 2007 and both rank among Thailand's best, so it is close. Black Mountain, in the hills above Hua Hin, is the more decorated tournament host, having staged Asian Tour events, and plays as a 27 hole complex of broad, strategic fairways. Red Mountain, in Phuket, is the more dramatic to look at, carved through a former tin mine with vivid red earth cuttings and severe elevation change. Choose Black Mountain for the purer championship test and a quieter Hua Hin base, Red Mountain for spectacle and a Phuket beach holiday alongside the golf.
How much does it cost to play Black Mountain and Red Mountain in 2026?
Indicative 2026 green fees at Black Mountain Golf Club run around 3,500 baht for 18 holes, roughly 100 to 125 US dollars, with a caddie fee near 350 baht and a compulsory cart around 750 baht on top. Red Mountain Golf Club in Phuket is dearer, indicatively 4,250 to 5,500 baht, roughly 150 to 160 US dollars, with cart and caddie included or required. A caddie tip is customary at both. Rates move with season, so always confirm directly before booking.
Are Black Mountain and Red Mountain near each other?
No. They sit in different parts of Thailand. Black Mountain is inland from Hua Hin, on the gulf coast about three hours south of Bangkok, while Red Mountain is in Kathu in the centre of Phuket island, a short flight or a long drive away. You would not play both in a single short trip without internal travel, so most golfers pick one region. Pair Black Mountain with Hua Hin's value courses, or Red Mountain with Phuket's coastal resorts.
When is the best time to play golf in Hua Hin and Phuket?
Both play year round, but the dry, cooler season from November to February is the peak for each. Hua Hin, on the gulf, is the drier of the two and avoids the heaviest monsoon, with no weekend green fee surcharges. Phuket, on the Andaman coast, is wettest from roughly May to October and at its best from November to April. For the most reliable weather across a golf week, Hua Hin has the edge; for a dry season Phuket beach and golf trip, target December to March. Always confirm directly before booking.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts and indicative fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.