Asian Golf Travel Nation - October 2015

Our last two events of the year are coming up in Pattaya starting 17th October and Chiang Mai starting 24th October and we have a few positions available for those of you that would like to join late. The October months sees the weather starting to cool down and it's a great time to visit before the busy season when all the hotels and golf courses increase their rates.

The next events for the 2016 season start in Pattaya with the Amari Pattaya Golf week. This is the first time that Amari Pattaya has sponsored the event and they are pulling out all stops to make it a great experience, from personalized caddy bibs, to happy hours around the pool each night after golf and two great group parties. The Amari hotel is located right on beach road and is centrally located for great restaurants and night life areas. The golf courses that will be played are the who's who of golf courses in Pattaya.

The following week sees the tournament move to the Royal city of Hua Hin where again Amari Hotels have sponsored the event, with Amari Hua Hin welcoming the players from 13th March 2016.

Both events are 6 nights and 4 rounds of golf with caddy and carts included, 2 group dinners and a great players' welcome goodie bag with apparel from Druh belts. Packages start from THB 40,600.

Early Bird offers for the Pattaya event are either a free round of golf on the free day Wednesday OR  a personalized boston bag with your name embroidered on it, while Amari Hua Hin is offering a free room upgrade to Deluxe Poolview rooms for bookings paid in full prior to 1st November 2015.

If you would like to book one of our events, or have any questions, please email us at registration@asiagolfweek.com.

Have you thought about golf travel insurance for your trip? Golfasian has teamed up with Pacific Cross insurance to offer

• Personal accident insurance up to USD 65,000
• Medical treatment up to USD 75,000
• Emergency Evacuation & Repatriation
• Loss/Damage of Baggage up to USD 800
• Hole-In-One up to USD 300
• Loss/Damage of Golfing Equipment up to USD 2,000
• And a lot more!

For more information visit our website.

Beautiful Luxury Pool Villa Near a Golf Course at a Bargain Price in Hua Hin (was 15m THB now only 9.5m THB).

Stunning Thai – Balinese villa with very private pool & spa. Has a manicured, mature garden displaying numerous exotic plants and trees.

Luxurious finishings throughout the villa with a cool, tropical feel. All materials are the highest quality – all furniture is luxurious.

Less than 5 minutes' drive South from Hua Hin & shopping. Perfect location to reach all the attractions and amenities of Hua Hin. Minutes from golf and very near to a new major trunk road for Bangkok and South. Beautiful beaches within 5 minutes' drive.

Seller may be willing to discuss the price – make an offer as this is the kind of value not often seen in the market.

To find out more about how easy it is to purchase property and how the prices are comparatively much cheaper than those in the West, please contact the GM of our Property Division - Andy Dyett - andy@golfasian.com.

Feel free to stop by our office and see what we can offer or take our property tour (free of charge).

For a complete listing of Thailand properties visit our website.

My name is Steve Madden and I live in Sydney, Australia.

I have played golf since I was a young boy, however it's only in the last 4-5 years that I have had time to play on a regular basis. My current GA handicap is 13 and I am a member of Pennant Hills Golf Club in Sydney. With its roots established over a hundred years ago Pennant Hills is considered a "Private" A Grade golf course, featuring tree-lined fairways and rolling terrain. Whilst not long by modern standards the par 71 course is still demanding.

I have played golf in Thailand many times originally playing in Phuket whilst on holiday with my family in 2006. I first came across Golfasian when I saw their advertisement in an Australian golf magazine and they have looked after me ever since.

There aren't many destinations I haven't visited: Phuket, Bangkok, Chiang Mai & Pattaya have all been sampled. Most times I have travelled with a group of like-minded male golfers all of whom love the experience of playing "Golf in a Kingdom". Golf in Thailand is great because of the quality of the courses on offer, the hot and humid climate and the post-golf activities. Although the price of golf is quite expensive (if you choose to play some of the best courses) it is well worth the money in my opinion. A point to consider is that as a full service company, Golfasian packages include transfers to and from the course, accommodation and green fees plus caddy. You are collected promptly, delivered directly to the course and chauffeured in well-kept mini vans that have plenty of room for you and your golf gear. After golf the driver delivers you back to your hotel without any hassles, capping off a great day's golf.  I also thoroughly enjoy the great attitude of the caddies that form a large part of the unique experience. Their friendly nature and willingness to provide advice and guidance makes golf in Thailand something you keep coming back for!! The humidity can sometimes be challenging but I love this type of weather so it isn't a problem.

Personally I love visiting Thailand for the culture, food and nightlife. Most of the hotels that we have stayed at have been first class including the Sofitel Bangkok, the Holiday Inn Bangkok and a recent stay at the Shangri-La Bangkok which is right next to the Chao Phrya river, a wonderful bustling thoroughfare that harks back to the 19th century when Bangkok was a significant Asian trading centre.

After a great day's golf you can relax by the pool or grab a massage before heading out for dinner. The cost of food ranges from cheap but delicious street food to a top quality dining experience; Thailand has a taste for all budgets! Then it's back to the room for a rest before another day's golf!

The best thing about booking your golfing vacation with Golfasian is that they take the hassle out of planning. All you have to do is turn up and swing the club! I would highly recommend Golfasian to anyone looking for a great golf experience in Paradise!!!

[Read more testimonials...]

The past decade has seen a flourishing tourist industry with some three million visitors per year enjoying a full range of cultural and luxury travel experiences. Since 2005 golf has been proving to be an increasingly important part of tourism in Cambodia.

Siem Reap is the main golf destination in Cambodia. Siem Reap is a small former French colonial town that has been visited by foreigners mainly to see the 1000 year old cradle of Khmer civilization and the Temples of Angkor Wat. There are now three international standard courses each with their own variety and challenges for everyone from amateurs to professionals. In addition, with the temples of Angkor Wat nearby, Siem Reap is proving to be one of the world's best undiscovered golf destinations.

[Read the entire destination review]

(home of the Asian Tour's Johnnie Walker Cambodian Open)

The Sofitel-managed Phokeethra Country Club, Angkor Wat, adds to the world class golf now available in Cambodia. The golf course hosted the 2009 Johnnie Walker Classic and 2010 Cambodian Open.

The location is perfect for Cambodia golf visitors as it is half way from the airport to town and reflects much having to do with Cambodian culture and history. For example between the 9th green and 10th tee is a restored 'Roluh' bridge, which is also the iconic image used in the course's logo, dating back to the 11th century Khmer empire.

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

Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf and Spa Resort is the nearest resort to the ruins of Angkor Wat. This unique Cambodia hotel is located near traditional markets, tourist attractions and the airport of Siem Reap. Enjoy the many features of this resort, including spacious guest rooms, an outdoor pool, Jacuzzi, spa, 5 restaurants and the popular Phokeethra Country Club, a world class 18 hole golf course. This resort offers world-class accommodations, featuring a unique convergence of French and Khmer architecture. Explore this magnificent golf resort and great courses in Siem Reap.

[Read more about one of Cambodia's Best Hotels]

Now is the time to explore two exotic Asian countries. Play golf at the best golf courses in Cambodia and Vietnam and in between rounds explore the ancient history and cultures of these two Asian Tigers.

In Siem Reap you will find one of the wonders of the world, the temple complex of Angkor spans four centuries, tens of kilometers and has endured for a millennium. Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is Vietnam's largest metropolis and its undisputed capital of commerce. See for yourself why this Asian powerhouse is growing leaps and bounds.

Recommended Hotels:

• 4 Star Prince D' Angkor Hotel & Spa
• 4 Star Grand Hotel Saigon
• 5 Star Caravelle Saigon
• 5 Star Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf and Spa Resort
• 5 Star Rex Hotel Saigon
• We have a wide range of 3 - 5 star hotels available. To meet your preferences and budget please contact us for further information.

[Vietnam Golf Trail - Golf Lifestyle Experience Itinerary...]

Almost 100 club golfers from 12 countries contested the inaugural Accor Vietnam World Masters Golf Championship in Danang, Vietnam from 7 to 12 September.

The week-long tournament for players over the age of 35 included 4 rounds of Championship golf, nightly social and entertainment events as well as touring the region's popular attractions and tourism experiences.

Golfers played 2 rounds at both the Greg Norman-designed Danang Golf Club and neighbouring Montgomerie Links. The Competition was segregated into divisions based on age and handicap.

The gross champion in the ladies' division was Robyn Tait from Song Be in Vietnam. Playing off a handicap of 3, Robyn had rounds of 80, 83, 80 and a final round of 76. Kim, from Song Gea was the stableford winner, scoring a 4 round total of 150 points, the best of the tournament.

The mens' 60+ B grade was keenly contested and after four rounds 3 players were tied on 140 stableford points. Hong Kong's Jean Paul Cuvelier won on a countback, ahead of Datu Chuah Kim Seah and Felix Go, both from Wack Wack in the Philippines.

[Read the entire press release...] [View the Event Photos...] [Register for the 2016 Event...]

Thailand

• Bangkok
  • Bangkok Golf Club - Course will be closed on 16 and 30 October for tournaments.
  • Lotus Valley Golf Resort - Course will be undergoing coring greens from 12-26 October.
  • Muang Kaew Golf Club - Course will be closed on 21, 28 and 30 October for tournaments.
  • Navatanee Golf Club - Course will be closed on 29 October for a tournament.
  • President Country Club - Course will be closed on 21 and 30 October for tournaments.
  • Royal Golf & Country Club - Course will be closed on 9, 16 and 30 October for tournaments.
  • Summit Windmill Golf Club - Course will be closed on the morning of 30 October for a tournament.
  • Thana City Golf & Sports Club - Course will be undergoing major maintenance until 31 December. Hole 1, 4 and 6 can only use half of the greens. Hole 16 par 3 is closed. A temporary 50 yards par 3 has been created to be used until the renovation is done.
  • Vintage Golf Club - Course will be closed on15 October for a tournament.
  • Windsor Park & Golf Club - Course will be closed on 18, 26 and 30 October for tournaments.
• Hua Hin
  • Black Mountain Golf Club - Course will be undergoing coring greens during 1-31 October, will be closed from 14-17 November for a tournament and will be closed from 1 - 14 March 2016 for the European Tour event.
  • Palm Hills Golf Club - Course will be closed on 15 and 25 October for tournaments.
  • Springfield Royal Country Club - Course will be closed on 10 October for a tournament and from 4-16 January 2016 for the Asian Tour.
• Pattaya
  • Burapha Golf Club - Course will be closed on 9, 14 and 21 October for tournaments.
  • Khao Khew Country Club - Course will be closed on 10, 14, 16 and 30 October for tournaments.
  • Laem Chabang Country Club - Course will be closed on 10 and 31 October for tournaments.
  • Pattana Golf Club & Resort - Course will be closed on 17, 25 and 31 October for tournaments.
  • Phoenix Gold Golf & Country Club - Course will be closed on 30 October for a tournament.
  • Rayong Green Valley Country Club - Course will be closed on 7 October for a tournament.
  • Siam Country Club, Old Course - Course will be closed on 20 October for a tournament.
  • Siam Country Club, Plantation Course - Course will be closed on 30 October for a tournament.
  • Siam Country Club, Waterside Course - Course will be closed on 14 October for a tournament.
  • St. Andrews 2000 Golf Club - Course will be closed on 21 and 30 October for tournaments.
• Phuket
  • Laguna Phuket Golf Club - Course will be undergoing coring greens during 5-20 October.
  • Lochpalm Golf Club - Course will be undergoing green light top dressing from 8-9 October and tee-off top dressing from 21-22 October.
  • Phuket Country Club - Course will be closed from 6-7 October for maintenance.
  • Red Mountain Golf Club - Course will be undergoing course maintenance in Ocober (still playable) and is closed on 31 October for an afternoon tournament.
• Chiang Mai
  • Alpine Golf Resort Chiang Mai - Course will be closed from 27-29 October for tournaments.
  • Chiang Mai Inthanon Golf Course & Nature Resort - Course will be closed from 24-25 and 31 October for tournaments.
  • Chiang Mai Highlands Golf and Spa Resort - Course will be closed 13 and 25 October in the afternoons as well as on 18 and 29 October for tournaments.
  • Gassan Legacy Golf Club - Course will be closed on 11 and 15 October for tournaments.
  • Gassan Marina Golf Club and Resort - Course will be closed for renovations until the end of May 2016.
  • Mae Jo Golf Club - Course will be closed in the afternoon on 10 October as well as on 7 and 28 November for tournaments.
  • Royal Chiang Mai Golf Club & Resort - Course will be undergoing coring greens during 1-14 October.
• Chiang Rai
• Santiburi Chiang Rai Country Club - Course will be undergoing coring greens during 6-20 October.

Vietnam

• Hanoi
  
  • Sky Lake Resort & Golf Club - Course will be closed on 8 (afternoon) October, 21 (morning), 22, 25-29 (mornings) November and 19 December for tournaments.
• Nha Trang
  
  • Vinpearl Golf Club - Course will be closed on 12, 19 and 26 October for maintenance.
• Saigon
  
  • Jeongsan Country Club - Course will be closed on 19 October for maintenance.
  • Song Be Golf Resort - Course will be busy with tournaments on 8, 10 and 24 October.
  • The Bluff's Ho Tram Strip - Course will be closed from 3-6 December for the Asia's Grandest Stage Asian Tour tournament.

Malaysia

• Kuala Lumpur
  • Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club, East Course - Course will be closed from 28 September - 7 November for the LPGA tournament and the CIMB Classic.
• Langkawi
  • 99 East Golf Club - Course will be closed until Q3 of 2016 for renovation.

Indonesia

• Bali
  • Bali National Golf Club - Course will be closed from 21-22 October for tournaments.
  • New Kuta Golf Club - Course will be closed from 10-11 October.
  • Nirwana Bali Golf Club - Course will be closed in the afternoons of 25 October and 13 December.

Cambodia

• All golf courses are in good condition.

Singapore

• All golf courses are in good condition.

Siam Country Club Pattaya Amateur Golf Week - October 2015
Date: 18 - 24 October, 2015| Location: Pattaya, Thailand [Find out more]

Chiang Mai Amateur Golf Week - October 2015
Date: 25 - 31 October, 2015| Location: Chiang Mai, Thailand [Find out more]

Amari Pattaya Amateur Golf Week - March 2016
Date: 6 - 12 March, 2016 | Location: Pattaya, Thailand [Find out more]

Amari Hua Hin Amateur Golf Week - March 2016
Date: 13 - 19 March, 2016 | Location: Hua Hin, Thailand [Find out more]

Hooters Phuket Amateur Golf Week - May 2016
Date: 13 - 19 March, 2016 | Location: Phuket, Thailand [Find out more]

Centara World Masters Golf Championship - June 2016
Date: 12 - 18 June, 2016| Location: Hua Hin, Thailand [Find out more]

Cambodia Amateur Golf Week - March 2016
Date: 1 - 9 August, 2016 | Location: Siem Reap, Cambodia [Find out more]

Accor Vietnam World Masters Golf Championship - September 2016
Date: 4 - 10 September, 2016| Location: Danang, Vietnam [Find out more]

Is Koh Samui Golf For Real?

Major golf destinations share several things in common. They include:

1. Three or more golf courses of international standard
2. A range of golf resorts to accommodate all levels of price and luxury
3. Easy to get to/from
4. Reasonable prices
5. Non-golf activities such as cultural, gastronomic, spa, and/or beaches

Koh Samui has technically three golf courses, However, only Santiburi Samui Country Club is 18-holes and of international standard. The course is a spectacular example of a tropical island layout, perhaps even Thailand's best. However without any comparable courses on the island one would have to play multiple rounds at Santiburi Samui to have anything more than an isolated holiday round of golf.

[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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One of the frequent questions I get asked by clients when they are planning their golf trip is what is the best time of day to play in Thailand? They are of course referring to dealing with the hot and humid conditions that prevail for most of the year.

There are 2 schools of thought. Temperatures are lowest in the morning so many play as early as possible before the sun really starts to get high in the sky. This makes a lot of sense, but it isn't for everyone; many of us aren't morning people and take a while to kick start our swings so teeing off at 7:00am doesn't work.

An alternative is to tee off after lunch which I favour. Whilst certainly it is hot for the first hour or so, the breeze is more likely to appear later on and temperatures start to dip at about 2pm. For my part, playing golf towards the end of the afternoon is the best; there are less players on the course and it's far more peaceful.

See which you prefer, but come what may take all sensible precautions against dehydration whilst you're out there, no matter the time of day. 

[Read more Golf Tips Articles]

If you have any other questions regarding golf tips to help you with your game email us at info@golfasian.com and we will reply in upcoming newsletters

For more golf tips visit www.golfthink.com

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

You can find us at the following events:

• October 5 - 8 - International Golf Travel Mart (IGTM) (Tenerife) - Stand V18 and V10
• October 16 - 24 - Golf Road Show (New Zealand)
• June 26 - 29 - IAGTO North America Golf Tourism Convention (USA)

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)
• Recommended by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA)
• Member of International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO)
• Member of Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA)
• Member of the International Association of Travel and Tourism Professionals (SKAL)
• Member of the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM)
• Founder and member of Golf in a Kingdom (GIAK)
• Founder and member of Golf Coast Vietnam (GCV)
• Member of Bali Golf Paradise (BGP)
• Winner of Asia's Best Golf Operator of the Year 2014 Award

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

E-mail: info@golfasian.com
Website: www.golfasian.com