The links-style course at Eastern Star, located near the Gulf of Thailand, is one of only five courses designed and built by Robert Trent Jones Jr. in all Thailand. The golf course is built on 530 acres of land, is the site of an old coconut plantation, and meanders through lovely residential areas of Eastern Star Country Club & Resort.

The course features wide fairways and hundreds of coconut palm trees and has become a popular local favorite. The gently undulating fairways and greens feature 65 bunkers, 11 lakes and more than 2,200 coconut palm trees. The golf resort is conveniently situated just 2 kilometers from the sea with nice beaches and always a cooling breeze. Like a true links course, it is only slightly above sea level in altitude.

Eastern Star has been the venue for local and regional golf tournaments. It offers plenty of challenge for the experienced golfer, but also offers enjoyment for beginners. It is a “thinking man’s course” that can be successfully navigated with a little strategy and well-positioned shots. Tall mature coconut trees and some mango trees define the holes, enhanced by areas rich in flowers. There are numerous dog legs and a lot of water along its 18 fairways.

The golf course can play quite long, particularly from the championship blue tees. The signature hole is the picturesque par 3 thirteenth, which lulls players into admiring the scenery, rather than paying attention to their task of playing over water to a heavily bunkered green. With well positioned shots this is surely a course to suit beginner and experienced golfers alike.

Hole 13, a par 3 is also another hole of note. An accurate tee shot over water is required so as to stay out of the deep bunker or the lake on the right of the green. The key is play to the center of the green or slightly to the left. Too far left however, and you are in sand or deep rough. Over the green gives you a difficult down-hill putt. If the hole appeared intimidating from the tee, look back from the green for an entirely different perspective.

There is a good practice area and driving range in addition to a luxurious clubhouse providing a wide range of facilities such as an Olympic sized beach pool, tennis courts and well provisioned locker rooms.

The Emerald Golf Club since opening under new management in 2006 has done a great job to improve course and playing conditions to international standards. Originally named Ban Chang and then Rayong Century Golf Club the course is set into the mountains just outside Rayong and near to Eastern Star.

The former Century Golf Club is nestled in amongst meandering hillsides and is laid out in a jungle setting. This Pattaya area golf course has some of the most beautifully designed holes on the Eastern Seaboard of Thailand. The 18-hole course is carved through a virgin forest of full-grown trees that make for excellent playing under mature conditions. There are only a few water hazards, but continued undulated and narrow fairways and well placed bunkers as well as some difficult Par 3’s combine to make the Emerald Golf Club a fair test of golfers of all abilities. Driving accuracy, as opposed to distance is the key to scoring well on the Emerald Golf course

Á small but charming clubhouse with open-air restaurant provides nice ambience after the game. While not as famous as some of the other Pattaya golf courses, the excellent conditions along with beautiful scenery make the Emerald Golf Club a good addition to any Pattaya golf package.

The Jack Nicklaus designed Springfield Golf Course is rated as the best course around Hua Hin and is probably kept in the best condition day in day out throughout the year, particularly the greens which can be fast, but always true.

The course at Springfield has been designed to meet the high demands of a recognized championship golf course, and yet it remains an enjoyable challenge for golfers of all standards. Each hole has a minimum of five tees to play from, but only the brave, and those regularly rub shoulders with the world’s best will venture from the black tee. Water hazards regularly come into play and each hole presents it own individual challenge and character requiring finesse or unrestraint. Accuracy is required at all times as the fairways are flanked by a series of hillocks and covered by a forest of small trees.

Nicklaus designs love to catch the player out who hits a poor weak fade, better known as a slice and the back nine when tiredness begins to creep into your game can be punishing with either a huge waste bunker and water or just water on your right hand side and close to the fairway to tighten you up. If you are on top of your game this course will reward you, it is not especially long.

Starting with a par 4 the first hole is a gentle 367 yards from the white tee, and on appearance looks to be quite simple. Hopes can quickly fade, as the well protected green can prove difficult & requires accuracy. The last hole has become the feature hole, a par 5 with an Island green, reachable by the longer hitter and those with an ego who will, having hit a good drive over the trees of the dogleg left, just have to have a go!

Springfield offers other first class facilities apart from the course. The club house was constructed in an elevated position that will leave you with a lasting impression. The interior is beautifully finished in polished marble & granite, and portrays a feeling of opulence associated with grand palaces.
Changing rooms quite excellent, as are the caddies who are also well trained which adds to the enjoyment of playing at Springfield.

Springfield opened an additional 9 holes for play in 2005, and although it needed another season to fully mature, it is now is considered the best 9 holes in Hua Hin as of the 2007 season.

Thana City Golf & Country Club is one of only a handful of golf courses in Southeast Asia designed by Australian Greg Norman. The golf club hosted several major professional tournaments including the 1993 Thailand Men’s Open, the 1994 and 1995 Kosaido Thailand Ladies Open and host of the final round of the Johnnie Walker Super Tour 1996 which was won by Ernie Els.

Plain grasses, reeds and lots of sand were used to create an illusion of a seaside links right in the middle of one of Bangkok’s biggest condominium developments. The course layout is enhanced by natural streams, lakes and an abundance of strategically-placed sculptured sand traps. Accurate tee shots are required on almost every hole to avoid the many fairway bunkers. Four island greens on the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 12th holes make for some interesting approach shots.

The large opulent club house and sports complex share the same thoroughbred as the course and is starting to show some signs of it’s age. One highlight is the club house pro shop, which is one of the better stocked and more reasonably priced golf shops attached to any Bangkok golf course. The club house dining facilities are also recommended as a nice selection of traditional Thai, Chinese, Japanese, and western dishes are served together with ongoing beer promotions by very friendly staff.