Last updated: 27 July 2026
Most golf trips are sold to golfers. This one is written for the harder version of the problem: planning a holiday that has golf in it, when one of you does not play — or plays far less seriously than the other.
Thailand handles this better than almost anywhere, and the reason is structural rather than marketing.
Tee times start at six, and even a slow five-hour round has a golfer back by lunchtime. On a European golf trip a mid-morning tee time swallows the entire day. Here, the golf is finished before the afternoon begins, so the days are still shared.
The practical version: book golf every other morning rather than every morning. Four rounds over ten nights gives the golfer a proper golfing holiday and still leaves six full days together, which is roughly the ratio that keeps everybody happy.
Before you look at a single resort, work out which of these you are — because the right destination is completely different for each.
Choose the destination for the non-golfer, then find the golf nearby. It is almost always the right order.
Pick the courses, then the hotel. Hua Hin and Khao Yai reward this most.
Somewhere with a range, a short course and lessons — so a first round is not on a championship layout.
The most common planning mistake is a golfer choosing a destination on course quality alone and expecting the rest to work itself out. In Thailand the golf is good almost everywhere; the difference between destinations is what happens on the days you are not playing.
The easiest sell to a non-golfer. Islands, spas, Old Town, and championship golf.
Calm, walkable, a proper beach town and Thailand's top-ranked course.
Temples, markets, cooking classes — and mornings cool enough to enjoy the walk.
Vineyards and a national park, two hours from Bangkok. Thailand's wine country.
November to February is the peak for a reason — dry, comfortable, and the whole country is at its best. It is also the most expensive, and the courses are busiest.
Tell us who plays and what the other one actually wants to do, and we come back with a trip built around both — golf, hotel and the days off. Free, no obligation.
It is one of the best, for a reason that is easy to miss: Thai golf is a morning activity. Tee times start at six, a round takes four and a half to five and a half hours, and most golfers are finished by early afternoon. That leaves the whole afternoon and evening together — which is not true of a European golf trip where rounds start mid-morning and finish at teatime.
Usually yes. Most Thai courses will let a non-playing partner ride in the cart, though nearly all charge for it — normally a cart or 'follower' fee, and some clubs also add a caddie charge. It is worth asking when you book rather than turning up and negotiating on the first tee.
Three or four over ten nights works well. Golf every other day keeps it a holiday for both of you, and it leaves room for the days out that make the trip. Golfers who book a round every morning of a two-week trip generally regret it by the second week.
Phuket if you want beaches and the widest choice of things to do off the course. Hua Hin for the best golf per baht with a calm, walkable town. Chiang Mai for culture and genuinely cool mornings in the winter months. Khao Yai for vineyards, a national park and the shortest drive from Bangkok.
For ten nights with four rounds for one golfer, budget roughly £1,400 to £2,600 per person excluding flights, depending on hotel standard. Green fees average ฿2,320 in low season and ฿3,249 in high season, plus a compulsory caddie at around ฿450 per round and a cash tip of ฿400 to ฿500.