Laguna Phuket Golf Club
Country Clubs & Courses Guide
Location
The Laguna Phuket Golf Club lies in the prestigious
Laguna compound, which also houses many of the island's
top resorts and up-market homes. It's just a few minutes
by car from the island's popular western beaches.
Rating
Formerly the Banyan Tree Golf Club, Laguna has had a facelift
and a name change. All the greens have been rebuilt and
reshaped, the once-flat fairways now roll and dip, strategic
hazards have been added and more mature trees enhance the
woodlands setting.
Rapid improvements have seen the course rated in surveys
among the top 10 courses in Thailand. British tournament
pro Nick Faldo is said to have been most complimentary about
the course, which he played while on vacation on Phuket.
Read a hole-by-hole review...
Facilities
Tables and chairs under umbrellas spill out by the ornamental
pond beyond the elegant Thai-style pavilion clubhouse. Inside
there are first-class locker rooms, a five-star cafe and
pro teaching facilities that now include state-of-the-art
video analysis.
Laguna also boasts a full length driving range, putting
greens, practice bunkers and chipping areas, along with
some tennis courts.
Accommodation
Laguna Phuket Golf Club is part of Laguna Phuket Resort,
Asia’s first integrated resort, offering five-star
hotels, shopping, activities and world class spas.
Laguna Phuket’s nearby luxury hotels: Dusit
Laguna Resort, Sheraton
Grande Laguna Phuket, Laguna
Beach Resort, Allamanda
Phuket and Banyan
Tree Phuket.
On the course
With some dramatic changes, water now comes into play on
14 holes. While Laguna has been upgraded, the course is
not too daunting for someone who just wants to play resort-style
golf. It's relatively easily walking, although the prospect
of introducing a fleet of golf carts is being considered.
There are about 395 members and 209 caddies. Several new
kiosks have been added and a modern electric beverage cart
patrols the course dispensing drinks and cold towels.
Top holes
Hole 9
At 373 yards, is a fairly short par four. Negotiating the
dogleg left opens up the spectacle of an island green, set
in an ornamental pool in front of the clubhouse. The rolling
fairway provides uphill and downhill lies, just to make
the shot home that little bit more challenging.
Hole 17
A daunting par five at 612 yards, first snakes left, then
right. Water curls across the fairway then returns to cut
the turf a second time. Mounds around the target zone for
the drive morph into fairway bunkers to await stray second
shots, and a triangular green adds to the jigsaw of shapes.
Transport
The club provides transportation for Laguna Phuket guests.
|
