Blue Canyon Golf Resort ☆ Follow

Blue Canyon Country Club in Phuket is a must-play for any golfer visiting Thailand, offering two championship courses set in a spectacular 720-acre valley with the Andaman Sea and Phang Nga Mountains as a backdrop. The Canyon Course — three times host of the Johnnie Walker Classic, famously won by Tiger Woods in 1998 — weaves around an abandoned tin mine and takes full advantage of the sheer cliffs of the canyons themselves. Designed by Yoshikazu Kato, it was a remarkable achievement for an architect with little previous experience, and the result is widely regarded as one of the finest courses in Asia.

The Canyon Course is a genuine examination — fast greens, narrow fairways lined with rubber trees, and carries over water and canyon require both accuracy and patience. Holes 13, 14 and 17 are built on existing canyon structures that plunge into deep water, with hole 17 earning a place in the Top 500 Best Holes in the World. The Lakes Course is a worthy companion, more forgiving but still demanding, with water in play on almost every hole and a spectacular finishing hole that ranks among the best in Thailand. Caddies are compulsory on both courses and are generally knowledgeable and good fun — just be prepared for the odd slow round if the course is busy.

The large clubhouse has a terrace restaurant with sweeping views over the Canyon Course, a well-stocked pro shop, and practice facilities including a quality driving range. Maintenance standards have had mixed reviews over the years and the changing rooms are showing their age, but ongoing renovation work suggests the club is investing in its future.