One of the many great aspects of playing golf is the history surrounding the sport. While many people know about famous courses such as the Old Course at St Andrews in Scotland, it often comes as a surprise to learn about the history of golf in other counties around the world.
Thailand is a great example and Royal Hua Hin Golf Course was established in 1924. This makes it the oldest 18-hole international standard golf course in the country and it has a long history.
Situated next to the main train station in Hua Hin, visitors arriving from Bangkok or other areas of the country can see the golf course on arrival. It is located just 5 minutes away from the centre of the town and can easily be reached from wherever in Hua Hin you decide to stay.
As you may already have guessed, Royal Hua Hin Golf Course has links to the railway. The course was commissioned for British workers constructing the railway and the upper class Thai people who lived in the area.
The course was designed by A.O. Robins, a Scottish railroad engineer and having enjoyed a renovation in the 1980’s, it remains an international standard golf course today. Royal Hua Hin Golf Course plays to just 6,678 yards, which is short by modern standards but several of the fairways are tight and lined by trees.
Many of the greens are elevated and make for small targets so accuracy plays a huge role in achieving a low score. You will find bunkers on most holes although none of them are particularly challenging. Most players will be able to escape them without any difficulty. If you have played golf in Thailand previously, chances are you will have faced the challenge of water but that’s not the case at Royal Hua Hin.
There are no lakes or ponds on this golf course, so you do not have to worry about losing balls in the water.
The par-4, 13th hole is a favourite of many who visit Royal Hua Hin Golf Course and that’s mostly down to the presence of wildlife. A group of macaque monkeys have taken a linking to the trees and vegetation around this hole. Should your ball travel off target, there is a chance they may decide it belongs to them and you will not see it again.
The course is not the best conditioned you will find in Hua Hin but it makes for a lovely round of golf, with some good holes. The history alone is enough to make a round of a golf at Royal Hua Hin worthwhile and the location makes it ideal for every Hua Hin golf itinerary.