Golf in Thailand vs. Australia: What Are the Key Differences?

5 May 2025

If you’re an Australian golfer looking for your next getaway, Thailand offers something that feels both excitingly different and surprisingly comfortable. While the fairways at home may be familiar, a golf trip to Thailand brings a level of hospitality, beauty, and flexibility that’s tough to match.

Let’s look at how the golf experience in Thailand stacks up against what you might be used to in Australia. Golf in Thailand vs. Australia: What Are the Key Differences?

A Different Kind of Setting

Golf courses in Australia are deeply rooted in natural landscapes. From the coastal links of Victoria to the bushland layouts of rural Queensland and New South Wales. Many Aussie courses feel wild, wide open, and wonderfully raw.

Thailand delivers something else entirely. Courses here are curated down to the smallest detail and often feature lush jungle surroundings, dramatic elevation shifts, and postcard-perfect water features. You might find yourself teeing off over a ravine, or putting beside a hillside temple. Courses like Red Mountain in Phuket or Black Mountain in Hua Hin aren’t just good golf, they’re immersive visual experiences.

It’s a completely different backdrop, and for many Aussies, that’s a big part of the appeal.

Warm Weather… Even When It’s Winter at Home

While most of Australia enjoys solid golf weather for much of the year, winter can bring frosty mornings, damp conditions, and shorter days, especially in the southern states. In contrast, Thailand stays warm all year round.

The cool, dry season from November to February is particularly popular, with sunny days and low humidity. Even the rainy season (May–October) offers plenty of good golf, as showers are often short and pass quickly.

This makes Thailand a great winter escape. Especially for golfers from Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, or Perth looking to keep the swing going while conditions at home cool down.

Caddy Culture and Exceptional Service

In Australia, unless you’re at a private club or a special event, you’re likely carrying your bag, pushing a buggy, or hiring a cart. Caddies are rare.

In Thailand, caddies are part of the culture. Not only included in the round but often the highlight of the experience. Most are women, trained to assist with club selection, read greens, and track errant balls. But they also bring a sense of fun and energy that turns even a bad round into a good day.

The service doesn’t end there. Hotel staff, drivers, and restaurant teams all share that same welcoming attitude that makes visitors feel looked after from the moment they arrive.

Better Value for Premium Golf

Let’s be honest: playing at a top course in Australia can be pricey, especially when you start adding extras. In Thailand, the value for money is hard to beat.

Many top-tier courses include green fee, caddy fee, and cart: all bundled into a single price. When booked through Fairways of Eden, your total golf day also includes private transfers and hotel options, with full transparency. You know what you’re paying before you even board your flight.

It’s a premium golf holiday at a surprisingly accessible price point.

Off the Course: More Than Just 18 Holes

In Australia, a golf weekend might wrap up with a beer at the clubhouse or a nice dinner out. In Thailand, your golf holiday can be part of a much bigger adventure.

From longtail boat rides and beach days to spa experiences, Muay Thai lessons, or vineyard tours, Thailand offers endless ways to fill your itinerary. Whether you’re traveling solo, with friends, or with family in tow.

Even those who don’t golf will find something to enjoy, making Thailand an ideal destination for mixed groups.

Planning Your Trip Is Surprisingly Easy

One thing Australian golfers often mention is how hard it is to book multi-course trips locally. You have to call around, manage transport, organize accommodation, and hope everything syncs up.

Thailand simplifies this. With Fairways of Eden, you can build your entire golf holiday online. Destination, courses, hotel category, activities, and all in just a few steps. You can go for a quick weekend escape, a week-long golf fest, or a multi-stop journey covering Phuket, Pattaya, Hua Hin and Bangkok.

Need to add a round? Change a course? Swap a spa day for a boat trip? It’s all flexible, and our team supports you from start to finish.

Who’s Booking Thailand Golf Holidays from Australia?

We’ve seen a growing number of Aussie travelers booking golf holidays to Thailand over the last few years. Especially from Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth. Most come in small groups, often mates looking for a mix of competition and fun. Others book as couples, balancing golf with downtime.

We also get bookings from retirees, traveling during shoulder seasons, and families planning extended stays where not everyone plays golf.

Most Popular Courses for Aussies in Thailand

While Thailand offers more than 60 top-level golf courses, here are a few favorites among Australian golfers:

• Red Mountain (Phuket) – A dramatic and challenging course carved into a former tin mine, known for elevation changes and jungle views.

• Black Mountain (Hua Hin) – A modern championship course with mountain backdrops and flawless conditions.

• Chee Chan (Pattaya) – Designed with international tournaments in mind, backed by the famous Buddha Mountain carving.

• Laguna Golf Phuket – Ideal for mid-handicap players, with a fun layout and close to the beach resorts.

• Blue Canyon (Phuket) – Where Tiger Woods once played. Two stunning 18-hole layouts, full of history and challenge.

Each of these courses is fully available through our booking system and can be combined with a range of hotels and transfers.

Whether you’re chasing birdies, sunshine, or just a change of scenery, Thailand offers an unmatched mix of hospitality, variety, and value that many Australian golfers come back for year after year.

Fairways of Eden is built to make the process easy and the trip unforgettable.

👉 Ready to plan your Thailand golf holiday? Explore destinations and build your perfect trip with Fairways of Eden.