Golf getaways for city swingers
Although they’re a “fairway” from the downtown core, city swingers can still hit the links at several golf courses within the greater Bangkok region. And for those who just want to practice, there are several driving ranges located throughout the city, including 42 Tee Off (close to Phra Khanong BTS station), 247 Yard Driving Range (247 Rachadapisek Rd. at the Chaophya Park Hotel), and a 50-yard mini-driving range on the rooftop of the Dusit Thani Hotel (next to Silom MRT station). Meanwhile, for a real 18-hole game, there are several courses near Suvarnabhumi International Airport, as well as a few notable courses just outside the city limits.
Located at the foot of the airport runway, the Thana City Golf Course is about a 25-minute drive from downtown Bangkok and was designed by the legendary Australian golfer Greg Norman. It also serves as the centrepiece of a luxury condominium development, with streams and lakes dissecting the course. Close by is the Lakewood Golf & Country Club, home to an acclaimed 27-hole, world-class golf course designed by Michael J. Poellet. There are also two courses situated south of the Bang Na-Chonburi expressway, starting with the Green Valley Country Club, which was designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. and opened in 1988. But closest of all would have to be the Muang Kaew Golf Course and 18-hole course located just south of the humungous Mega Bangna shopping mall.
Further afield, the Alpine Golf and Sports Club, located in Pathum Thani province—about 50 km from central Bangkok—is both visually stunning and technically difficult. Regarded as one of the finest courses in the region, it was the site of Tiger Woods’ Johnnie Walker PGA Tour victory in 2000. Also recommended are the Thai Country Club in Chacheongsao province, the Lam Luk Ka Country Club in Pathum Thani province, and the Subhapreuk Golf Club in Samut Prakarn province (all provinces bordering Bangkok).
By Bruce Scott
