Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Royal Thai Navy (Plutaluang Golf Course)


The Navy course is about a 40 minute drive south of Pattaya. 36 holes are set in a beautiful wooded valley which surrounds a substantial lake. Though this is one of the older courses in the area it is also one of the most popular.

The fairways and greens are of a coarser grass typical for courses in Malaysia and southern Thailand. Though it lacks the sophistication of the more recent resort courses it has some real strengths. The caddy corps is quite expert as the club encourages its staff to play golf. Drinks and food are very reasonably priced as the course is essentially a Navy recreation facility. Green fees are very reasonable and during the off season are substantially reduced on weekdays.

The course is currently benefiting from an extensive upgrading program extending to fairway improvements, a large fleet of new golf carts, new drink stations, cart paths and so on.

The four nines are named after the cardinal points, North, South, East and West. The first two other core of the old course with East and West having only been constructed in the last 10 years. Each has a par of 36 and generally players can select whichever two courses they wish to play subject to availability.

This is my favourite course to play. I really like the friendly attitude of the staff and the expertise of the caddies. The surroundings are truly beautiful as the courses are carved out of a military reserve which is wooded with mature trees of all types. Troops of local monkeys abound working their way through the fruits and seeds that come and go with the seasons.

The clubhouse is relatively new and well set out. There are lockers, showers etc and a modest and very inexpensive restaurant with a glorious view across the course and the valley.

The club has had a good record of sponsoring young golfers. Two members are current players on the Asian and Japan tours. It is relatively easy to find a young professional who can provide you with lessons and company through a round. The professional shop is simple and has an adequate stock. Repairs, regripping and the like can be arranged.

In summary, strongly recommended for golfers of all levels out to have a nice day’s experience at a reasonable price on a course that though not first class is very enjoyable to play.

Image Golf has weekday packages from 1800 Baht inclusive of return private transport from Pattaya, green fees and caddy fees.


1 comment:

  1. That is an overwhelming image, 36 holes is too much, I might fall into one of those if tried to go through that camp. That place is likely to be flooded if a heavy rain falls there. I have found pills of Generic Viagra on the field I play golf with my friends every weekend.

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