Business as usual

Golfing goes on in Thailand with only a handful of courses affected by the floods

- By Mark siegel

Perception is one thing; reality is often very different. So it was with the flooding that affected a large area of countryside near Bangkok in October and November. To outsiders, the perception was that the inundation – as real and damaging as it was for many communities – had halted play on many of Thailand’s 260 golf courses and that it would take months for the courses to re-open.

The reality is that only a handful of courses in and around Bangkok closed, some for just a few days, and often because of difficult road access rather than unplayable fairways and greens. Of all the courses played by inbound golf tourists near the Thai capital, only three were still closed by the first week of December: Pinehurst and the two Royal Gems layouts – its original resort course north-west of Bangkok and the new Royal Gems City course closer to the city that had put a temporary halt to accepting visitors until its new clubhouse is completed. Pinehurst re-opened on December 20 and the twin Royal Gems layouts will open in or before February.

Black Mountain GC, Hua Hin

Pinehurst GCC reopened for play on December 20

This reality is a far cry from what most outsiders have been induced to believe from media reports. Dispatches declaring that “Bangkok’s airport is under water” failed to mention that the airport was, in fact, Don Muang, replaced in 2006 by Suvarnabhumi on the other (eastern) side of the city, which was unaffected by floodwaters or disruptions to flights.

Bangkok’s CBD hardly saw any inundation, except for some minor street flooding close to the Chaophraya River. All hotels remained open and renowned Bangkok traffic jams became less of a problem than usual as many owners left their cars on overhead motorways, fearing the worst.

All the while, most golf courses including the prestigious Thai Country Club and the closest course to the city, Muang Kaew – both members of the ‘Golf In A Kingdom’ destination-marketing programme – didn’t miss a day’s play. The reality is that golf in the rest of Thailand also hasn’t missed a beat and apart from the Ayutthaya area, where courses are played almost entirely by locals, not one course remains flooded.

Play in the Pattaya area, named in November by the International Golf Tourism Association as golf destination of the year for 2012 in Australasia and Asia, has also been unaffected, as have Phuket, Chiang Mai/ Chiang Rai, Khao Yai and Kanchanaburi.

“So many golfers outside Thailand have gotten the wrong impression about the floods and how much of Bangkok was actually flooded,” says the general manager of Thai Country Club, TW Hughes. “It’s a shame because the course really is in very good condition and right now it’s easy to get a tee time, but golfers outside Thailand simply aren’t aware of the real conditions here.”

Play is expected to resume at Royal Gems Golf City in February 2012

Thai Country Club has been the top-rated course in Thailand for eight of the past nine years in the annual Asian Golf Monthly awards. This year it was displaced by Black Mountain at Hua Hin, but was still voted as the number two layout in Asia Pacific behind Kingston Heath Golf Club in Melbourne, Australia.

Hughes’ comments are typical of many golf course owners and managers who have seen rounds played on their courses decline because of the misconceptions. “We had fewer golfers in November than in the previous year,” says the general manager of Banyan Golf Club near Hua Hin, Stacey Walton. “But as people come to realise that everything in Thailand is normal, our rounds are quickly getting back to normal and we are still expecting a busy high season.”

One attraction for golfers visiting the seaside holiday destination of Hua Hin, 200km south of Bangkok, is the opening of a new par three course at Black Mountain Golf Club in mid-December. Designed by Phil Ryan of Pacific Coast Designs who cre

ated Black Mountain’s award-winning championship layout, the new mini course has been described by European tour pros Alex Noren, Pelle Edberg and Johan Edfors as the best par-three layout they have played and is just one of many golf attractions awaiting visitors to Thailand this year. n

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