The Aquella Golf Resort and Country Club sit along the Andaman Sea at Thai Muang Beach, 40 minutes north of Phuket Airport. The 177-hectare site development includes the rejuvenation of the former Thai Muang Golf Club, new hotels, residential villages, marina, and yacht club.

The original Thai Muang course got destroyed in the boxing day 2004 tsunami that devastated the southern Thailand area. Since 2018 the golf course was re-constructed by Pacific Coast Design from Australia and opening scheduled for 2020 with significant changes to original hole routing from what was initially set out by Andy Dye some thirty years earlier.

The 186-yard par-three eleventh is the current signature hole. Here golfers have a magnificent view out to the Andaman Sea and along the beach front. It also has multiple angles into the green from different tees – the hole has great purple groundcover and is visually stunning.

While the new design has followed the routing of a few of the former holes, many of the other holes are over the leftover soil from the original marina construction in the 1990s. There is a deep sand cap on the new fairways, and Aquella drains well even after the frequent monsoon rains.

Aquella plays through some open areas and some wooded casuarina pines. The full Platinum Paspalum grassed track is laid out on gently rolling terrain and offers a fascinating challenge to high and low handicappers. The undulating land is both challenging to low handicappers and at the same time playable for resort golfers. Many risk-reward opportunities create excitement for all golfers.

Facilities are modern and first-class at a reliable resort. The clubhouse restaurant overlooks the golf course and looks out to the Andaman Sea. Aquella is a prestigious setting for social gatherings in a friendly, informal atmosphere. Before a round of golf, players can warm up using the golf simulator, change in the elegant locker rooms, and catch up for coffee or tea on the golfer's terrace. Aquella offers the most excellent level of service excellence.

It's good to see the former Thai Muang come back to life as Aquella and raise the standard of golf in this relatively lesser know part of Thailand.