With a world-class new 18-hole layout just outside the city and vibrant riverside stays nearby, Bangkok continues to shine as a top golfing and leisure destination for Malaysian travellers.

Most golfers who visit Thailand are very familiar with the scintillating 72-hole layout at the Siam Country Club Pattaya on the kingdom’s eastern seaboard. The Old Course there is the one everyone wants to play, but the Plantation, Rolling Hills, or the Waterside courses, aren’t to be dismissed. With Pattaya being less than a 90-minute drive from Bangkok’s Suvarnahhumi International Airport, golf in this part of Thailand has never been so appealing.

Golfers may be less familiar with the new 18-hole Siam Country Club Bangkok, which has only been open for play for a little over three years. While the course is still new, it is backed by the heritage of the world-famous Siam Country Club Pattaya.

The newer Toby Cobb-designed championship course, located less than one hour from downtown Bangkok in a semi-industrial area close to Suvarnahhumi Airport, is well on the way to becoming a must-play course for those visiting the Thai capital.

There is little debate about the tourist lure of Bangkok, and now this new hybrid-links course provides Malaysian golfers with an additional reason to travel to the kingdom. The extensive landscaping is slowly maturing with trees such as acacias and paperbarks well on the way to casting a little more shadow over the course’s open expanse.

The Zoysia grass fairways are wide and in immaculate condition but can be a little spongy underfoot while the out-of-bounds areas are lined with red tussock grass. These can get waterlogged after a good monsoonal downpour. Wayward balls that land in these tussock-lined grounds are hard to locate, so there is even more incentive to stay on the fairways.

Conditions on the fairways are very good, although golfers can’t drop their guard on the vast but undulating ultra-dwarf Bermuda grass greens, as some can be quite slow and difficult to judge. Caddies come in handy when approaching each green as golfers decide on a seven iron or a pitching wedge to get near the hole. Most golfers will choose to aim for the middle of the green to avoid unwanted runoffs or difficult chip shots. Golfers may also be fascinated that the tees and the fairways blend into each other, and are hard to distinguish, apart from the stylish hole markers.

There are only four holes in which water comes into play on the 7,260-m long course. The par five, eighth, and the par four, ninth holes play adjacent to a large lake, while on the 373-yard, 14th hole, golfers need to decide the best course of action. More aggressive golfers will attempt to drive over the water along the right-hand side of the dogleg hole, while the more conservative will play cautiously, sticking to the fairway along the left.

The 159-yard, 18th hole, facing the clubhouse, is a par three-hole with an expansive green. A deep pot bunker to the left of the green signals danger for errant chip shots to the hole.

Caddies and buggies are mandatory, with the former being well-versed on the course and the finer points of golf. The clubhouse is impressive with stone floors and chandeliers and an indoor and outdoor dining area where Thai, Japanese and international cuisines are served from 6 am to 8 pm. The other facilities are superb, with spacious locker rooms, practice greens, and chipping areas, plus a pro shop that stocks several premium brands and signature Siam Country Club apparel. There are several refreshment kiosks around the course (halfway house, hole five, and hole 14) that are usually well patronised in the tropical weather. However, it is an omission to have only five driving bays and not a full driving range. With all these impressive facilities, it’s no surprise that the Siam Country Club is well equipped to accommodate tournaments, corporate events and other golf gatherings.

BANGKOK’S RIVERSIDE APPEAL

While some golfers are happy to stay near the courses they play, others like to make the most of Bangkok’s nightlife and stay closer to the city. Accommodation along either bank of the Chao Phraya River is highly recommended, especially as there are now shopping, nightlife and dining options here too.

I like to stay along the Chao Phraya River, as there is always some action or activity to distract me. Barges, heavily laden with upriver crops and produce, slowly inch their way towards docks facing the Gulf of Thailand. Ferry boats travel up and down the river, and smaller ones dart between the banks, ferrying workers, students, and increasingly, tourists.

Over the years, I have stayed in several riverside hotels and visited many more. For those travelling on a company expense account, the recently opened Capella Bangkok has become, in its short history, the best hotel in the world (Forbes). Dine here on Riviera-inspired dishes in the two-star Côte by Mauro Colagreco, lovingly conceived in his three-star Michelin restaurant in Mirazur on the French Riviera.

For something more affordable, the Ramada Plaza by Wyndham Bangkok Menam Riverside offers similar views to its well-heeled neighbour but with more modest rates. Two hotels that impress, immediately opposite, are the jointly managed Anantara Riverside Bangkok and the Avani+ Riverside Bangkok Hotel.

While the Anantara is immediately along the banks of the Chao Phraya, Avani+ is set back a little, but the riverside views from its higher floors are most impressive. What I especially like about the Avani+ property is the rooftop pool and Seen Restaurant and Bar located on the hotel’s 26th floor. Its culinary and beverage direction is now South American with some Asian inspiration. While there are many rooftop bars in Bangkok, few offer the expansive river views across the city skyline that Seen delivers.

For entertainment, dining and some souvenir shopping, Asiatique, just a short boat ride across the river from Avani+ is a lively evening venue. Serious shoppers will enjoy travelling upriver to the very popular Iconsiam complex with multiple layers of frenzied retail action, dining, bars, and impressive riverside views immediately opposite the landmark Mandarin Oriental Bangkok.

One of the best ways to travel along the river is via the Chao Phraya Express ferryboats that travel up and down the city section of the Chao Phraya River. The ferry provides an excellent way to take in the river sights as well as connect to the BTS Skytrain at stations such as Sathorn. Download a map of the route travelled by the express ferry and the stops that it makes to plot a sightseeing tour along the river. Popular stops along the riverine route are the Grand Palace and the impressive Wat Arun, or Temple of Dawn, which is best seen at dusk.

The Siam Country Club Bangkok is an exciting new golfing prospect in Thailand and provides another reason to visit a country that is very popular with Malaysian golfers. It is a very flat, friendly and forgiving course, although the bunkers are tough to play. Most golfers will relish the opportunity to play a new course in a well-known destination and take in a course that is more enjoyable than challenging.

TRAVEL FILE

Getting There

Malaysia Airlines and Thai Airways fly from Kuala Lumpur into Suvarnahhumi International Airport, while AirAsia uses the more distant Don Mueang International Airport. The course is located just off the Bang Na-Trat Highway.

It’s worth noting that incoming passengers can no longer make duty-free purchases on arrival, but may do so upon departure. Thailand is contemplating the introduction of a travellers’ tax of ฿300 (about RM39).

Where to Stay

Anantara Riverside Bangkok (anantara.com) and Avani+ Riverside Bangkok Hotel (avanihotels.com).

Contacts

Siam Country Club Bangkok (siamcountryclub.com) and the Tourist Authority of Thailand (tourismthailand.org).