Asian Golf Travel Nation - April 2013

We are currently coming to an end to the high season in Phuket which has been extremely busy not just for golfers, but tourists in general. Patong Beach continues to be the most popular tourist destination with its vibrant nightlife and endless shopping possibilities. Ten minutes south of Patong Beach you will find the resorts of Kata and Karon Beach and with its long beach, more suited to families. One of the most popular new destinations is Cape Panwa in the south of the island which has seen new hotels open in recent months. The scenery in this part of Phuket are without question some of the most spectacular in Thailand and have to be seen to be believed.

The excursions continue to very popular, the most popular with our Golfasian clients are the Phuket Island Tour, Phi Phi Island by speed boat and the Las Vegas style Phuket Fantasea extravaganza which is a must see show for anyone coming to Phuket.

As far as golf is concerned, Red Mountain is still number one on Phuket, closely followed by the Blue Canyon courses and Loch Palm. Mission Hills gets better every day and the new fairways are improving all the time. We are losing one course for 18 months in July, when Laguna Golf Club closes for a new design and new fairways which can only be good for the future of golf in Phuket. And by no means least, Phuket Country Club has just opened their new clubhouse which brings their facility alongside the better known courses on the island.

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It's not difficult to see why this Phuket golf course was named Red Mountain. It is harder, however, to imagine how such a dramatically undulating landscape, where soft red rock and dense jungle were the principal ingredients, could be transformed into a challenging, yet playable layout.

Red Mountain Golf Course opened in 2007 and is now considered Phuket's most spectacular golf course. The course was designed to take advantage of a huge variety of landforms and dramatic elevation changes, making it Phuket's hilliest course..

[Read more about one of Thailand's Best Golf Courses]

The new 5 star resort is located on Naithon Beach, which is generally considered one of the best beaches on the un spoilt western coastline of Phuket. It is an idyllic location surrounded by tropical landscaped hills and only 15 minutes from Phuket International Airport. The hotel itself is perched on the headland overlooking the crystal waters of the Andaman Sea offering guests a tranquil and relaxing getaway with direct access to the beach.

As far as golf is concerned the famous Blue Canyon Golf Club is only 10 minutes away, and every other course on the island can be reached within 30/40 minutes.

[Read more about one of Thailand's Best Hotels & Resorts]

Golf holidays in Phuket are considered the best in Thailand, if not all Asia. Play golf at all of the Phuket golf courses, laze the days away on one of the white sand beaches, shop at local markets and branded discount outlets, and enjoy the infamous Phuket nightlife. In other words, get prepared for the golf vacation of your lifetime on Thailand's largest island!

[Phuket Golf & Culture Package Detailed Itinerary...]

The first event for 2013 of the Thailand Amateur Golf Week Series hosted by Golfasian, teed off in the seaside resort of Hua Hin on 3rd March, 2013. The event is a 7 nights / 4 rounds golf tournament with prizes for daily winners, overall winners as well as prizes for Closest to the Pins and best 9 hole scores. The event started off with a welcome dinner at The Hilton Hotel in the Terrace restaurant with an international buffet and was finished off with Black Mountain Golf Club hosting a buffet dinner with fabulous view overlooking the golf course.

This year's event attracted 48 golfers from around the world. It was the 4th event that has been held in Hua Hin and the word is getting out about the great courses available to play in Thailand.

[Read the full article]

Hello Jim,  

I am writing just to say a very big thank you for arranging our golf trip to Vietnam.  

The arrangements were superb and everything went like clockwork.  The drivers were on time, the guides were courteous and helpful and the girl caddies were full of fun and mischief and gave us a great time.  We were very impressed with the standard of the courses, although the Sea Links at Phan Thiet was a bit too difficult for us!  

Anyway, we had a great holiday.  

Kind regards,  Fiona E.
UK, March 2013
[Read more golf travel testimonials]

World Schools Golf Challenge - March 2013
Date: March 31 - April 05, 2013 | Location: Hua Hin, Thailand

Phuket Amateur Golf Week - July 2013
Date: July 21 - 27, 2013 | Location: Phuket, Thailand [Find out more]

Pattaya Amateur Golf Week - October 2013
Date: October 19 - 26, 2013 | Location: Pattaya, Thailand [Find out more]

Chiang Mai Amateur Golf Week - October 2013
Date: October 26 - November 03, 2013 | Location: Chiang Mai, Thailand [Find out more]

The biggest hassle about golf in Thailand... and how to overcome it.

For many golfers, relaxing on the couch for a weekend of watching sports is one of life's simple pleasures. Most gladly sit for hours, replenished with suitable liquids and sustenance (beer and chips), watching their favorite teams or players duel it out.

Yet I bet when you tell your golfing buddies that you want to travel to golf in Thailand, one of the first questions you get is, "how long is the flying time"?   Irrespective on where you are coming, the answer is more than likely "it's long" - anywhere from 10 to 20 hours in the air.  On the other hand, considering how long you watch sports each weekend, it's not that long. More importantly, once you land I can bet you the hassle of the flight is more than worth it.

Here are a few simple measures that you can take t make the journey comfortable and even enjoyable.

[Read the entire article]

Other golf stories can be found at the Thailand Golf Zone, Vietnam Golf Zone and Phuket Golf Zone where there are over 600 other original articles dealing exclusively with golf in Asia and golf travel.

I would love to hear about any golf tips that any of you may have developed for getting the maximum enjoyment from your golf trips, and can incorporate some in future articles. Therefore if you have any golf tips or suggestions you would like to share, please let me know by dropping me an email.

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Don't let the rate of play spoil your round of golf in Thailand. They are often slow rounds, mainly because of the heat and the drink stops every 3 to 4 holes, but also in Thailand many of the Thai owned courses allow 5 balls, so rounds of over 4 hours are not uncommon. My tip is take your time, relax and don't let a slow round ruin your game!

[Read more Golf Tips Articles]

If you have any other questions regarding golf tips to help you with your game email us at [email protected] and we will reply in upcoming newsletters

For more golf tips visit www.golfthink.com

Golfasian has a full schedule of tradeshows and roadshows during the next few months.

You can find us at the following events:

• April 29 - May 02, 2013 - IAGTO Asia Golf Tourism Convention (Pattaya, Thailand)
• May 03 - 07, 2013 - Bangkok & Hua Hin FAM Trip
• May 03 - 07, 2013 - Phuket & Chiang Mai FAM Trip
• May 03 - 10, 2013 - Siem Reap & Danang FAM Trip
• November 11 - 14, 2013 - IGTM (Costa Daurada, Spain)

Arrange an appointment with Golfasian at one of these exhibits.

• Licensed by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), License No: 14/00515
• Licensed by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, License No: 79-302/2011
• Recommended by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO)
• Member of Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA)

Toll Free US/Canada: 1-866-550-2284

E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.golfasian.com