Asian Golf Travel Nation Summer 2008
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Welcome to the summer edition of the Asian Golf Travel Nation. As you can see this newsletter’s name has been changed to reflect the international nature of information contained. Original and news breaking stories on the state of golf in South East Asia, useful golf course information, unique golf playing tips for South East Asia’s tropical environment, announcements of golf travel promotions, and our latest subscription offer are all still integral parts of the newsletter.

The summer golf season is in full swing and I hope you are having some great golf. Here in Thailand, the weather has cooled slightly, after a very hot spring. The central and northern regions are seeing mostly overcast days with early evening showers once the Sunday goes down. In Phuket, there have been a few days of continuous rain mixed with times of overcast skies. For clients in Phuket, we will schedule golf on off days as requested.

Hua Hin Golf FestivalThis summer will see the Hua Hin Golf festival return in August and this year all area courses are participating by offering reduced green fees all month! I was in Hua Hin 2 weeks ago and all the courses there looked to be in great shape. Construction at Black Mountain was completed on all but the 11th hole. The first 9 at the new Banyan Golf Club is open for play and the full 18 should be playable around the same time as the Hua Hin golf festival. Springfield is in as good of condition as I have seen in over 3 years, particularly the original Nicklaus 18. Even Imperial Lake View looked to be a fun play and the greens and fairways of the newest Desert nine have grown in nicely.

In the last issue I reported on legal situation Blue Canyon Country Club in Phuket. The court battles between the prior management and current owners may or may not be solved, but the golf course is open for play and in good condition and the club facilities are in full use, which is great news for those headed to Phuket for golf.

Have you heard about the new golf courses in Cambodia and Vietnam? The courses being located at World Heritage designated sites of Siem Reap and Hoi An (Danang), makes for some really spectacular golfing. Golfing in either of these counties either alone or in combination with locations in Thailand makes for some of the most exotic golf anywhere! Have a look at our specialized Vietnam Golf & Cambodia Golf websites, where extensive information on these locations and some suggested trip itineraries can be found.

TAT famtripWhat about Golfasian? At the moment we should be in the “low season”, but thanks to your support, we are still welcoming golfers from all over the world in numbers comparable to those seen during the rest of the year. Thailand and the rest of South East Asia are fast becoming recognized as year-round golf destinations. With reasonable costs, great service, and of course, world-class golf: travelers are taking advantage of the year-round playing conditions. In fact, in cooperation with the Tourist Authority Thailand we accommodated a group of Australian travel agents to the central region of Thailand last month. All of them were surprised at the playing conditions, in spite of this being the so-called “rainy season”, and plan to send multiple golf groups here over the coming months.

Finally, I want to wish everyone a very successful golf season. For those of you who are looking for a summer golf package I would like to suggest Hua Hin, Pattaya, or Bangkok, where you will find great low season prices, good hotel and golf course availability, and be able to golf practically everyday thoughout the summer. For those of you considering a winter holiday, we are taking inquiries and making reservations for the November to April high season and as usual, some of the better resorts around Thailand already have limited availability; early reservations are strongly encouraged.

A golf holiday to South East Asia and Thailand in particular is still one of the best values around, which is even more important in these uncertain and trying economic times. Drop me an email with your request; you will be surprised at the possibilities.

Remember if you want to get regular updates on the Thailand (and South East Asia) golf scene, then sign-up for uninterrupted email delivery of this newsletter. In addition, all persons signing up will automatically receive the latest “Thailand Golf Insider Tips” special report.

Have a great summer and remember, think positive and YOU WILL SHOOT PAR.

Mark Siegel
Managing Director

Featured Golf Destination & Resorts - Koh Samui's Kirikayan & Bophut Resort

Koh Samui is not the most likely location when thinking of a golf vacation in Thailand, yet the island has a lot going for it and is growing rapidly as a golf destination. With the Santiburi Samui Country Club it already features one of the most spectacular courses in the country, offering scenic panoramic views right over thousands of coconut trees, across the Maenam Bay and north coast of the island. The challenging Championship course includes serene backdrops and natural waterfalls and creeks running through it, requiring a reasonable degree of proficiency from the player.

With the new Royal Samui Golf & Country Club scheduled to open later this year, Santiburi will soon no longer be the only professional course on the island. This course, currently under construction between the popular beaches of Chaweng and Lamai, sits on an elevated location on top of the hill and has potential to be equally stunning as its colleague.

The island now also has two driving ranges and one nine hole course by the name of Bophut Hills Golf Club, which is located conveniently close to the main tourist area of Chaweng. These facilities are very practical for those looking for a nice way to warm up or don't want to stay out the whole day and spend some more time at the beach with family and friends.

Not a lot of people realize that it's possible to fly from Koh Samui to Phuket and combine both wonderful destinations into one golfing trip. Therefore we have assembled a unique Phuket & Koh Samui Golf package (follow the link for details).

There are a wide range of attractions and options for leisure available at Koh Samui, including beautiful beaches, nightlife, waterfalls, water sports and jungle tracking, just to name a few. The options for dining are excellent in the little beach towns, as well as in the many luxury resorts. Below we've highlighted two resorts currently featured with Golfasian, which are both perfect for a Golf & Beach Holiday in Samui.

Bophut Resort & Spa
Bophut ResortBophut ResortThis distinctly designed accommodation is set in natural beauty right at the beautiful Bophut beach consists of 61 rooms & villas, and is voted by many to be amongst the top 5 of resorts at Koh Samui island. With close proximity to the main tourist hotspot of Chaweng Beach, and being within walking distance from the idyllic dining boulevard of Fisherman’s Village, this is the perfect hideaway location for a tranquil luxury beach and golf holiday. For a good impression of the resort please visit to the Bophut Resort & Spa website.

Click here for our Bophut Resort Limited Special Offers


Kirikayan Luxury Pool Villas & Spa
KirikayanKirikayanThis brand new boutique resort is ideally located about a stone throw away from the Santiburi golf course. With the standard suites being 110 sqm. in size, and the villas coming with private pool and gardens, it’s guests will be overwhelmed by the luxury, services and facilities including flat screen tv, wireless internet, daily newspaper, exotic fruits and even a free car to drive around the island! On top of this the resort comes with its own private beach club at the tranquil and private Maenam beach. Please visit the Kirikayan Samui website for more information.

Click here for our Kirikayan Limited Special Offers

Best of the Blog www.thailandgolfzone.com

Buying Golf Equipment in ThailandBuying Golf Equipment In Thailand

For anyone looking to purchase the latest golf equipment available, then Thailand can certainly satisfy your needs. Just look at the photo on the left, read the rest of this post, and you will see what I mean.
Golf is becoming a huge sport here, and to accommodate both the local demand, and with so many visiting tourists from such places as Europe, United States, Japan, and China, the golf retail market is very much alive and flourishing. From the major department stores, to more specialist shops selling particular brands, there is no shortage of choice.
Continue reading about
Buying Golf Equipment In Thailand……

Other Asia Golf Tips can be found in the Thailand Golf Zone where there are over 328 other original articles dealing exclusively with golf travel in Thailand and South East Asia.

I would love to hear about any of your golf stories that have that lead to getting the maximum enjoyment from golf in Thailand, and can incorporate them in future articles. Therefore if you would like to share, please let me know by dropping me an email.

Special Playing Advice

Hitting through the ballHitting Through the Ball

The Hit Through - All golfers who come to Thailand want to shoot as good as possible, but since it is impossible to concentrate on all the mechanics of the swing, what is the simplest way get the most consistency?

Speaking for myself, experience has taught me to remember one thing. No matter how I may be shooting, hit through the ball. In other words, to make sure that my club continues through the ball low along the ground on the line to the target.

This is a very important part of good ball striking. A hit through for a foot or so past the point where you make contact with the ball will ensure a good shot. You can take the club back wrong, or a little wrong, but if you hit through correctly, you will make out fairly well.

I highlight this point because many visiting golfers of my acquaintance tend to think too much about their golf swing mechanics; and this is only causes them to “freeze” or “tie-up themselves” on the course. If they concentrated more on hitting through the ball, most of them would find themselves playing better golf shots, shooting more consistently, and having a better time on their golf holiday.

Give this a try and let me know how it works for you!

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Basic Golf ShirtsThe winner of this edition's lucky draw sponsored by Basic Golf is Anders Moberg from Sweden. Congratulations Anders! You will receive the free golf shirt by Basic Golf.

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