One of Bangkok’s most celebrated clubs is adding an 18-hole layout that deliberately steps away from tropical golf conventions. First nine holes targeted for 2027.
Thai Country Club is not a name that needs much introduction for golfers who know Bangkok. Since opening in 1996, it has built one of the most consistent tournament records of any club in Southeast Asia and the kind of reputation that takes decades to establish and is not easily replicated.
1996 – Thai Country Club opens in Bangkok
1997 – Asian Honda Classic — won by Tiger Woods
×4 – Volvo Masters Asia hosted at Thai CC
×3 – Thailand Open hosted at Thai CC
That history matters when considering what a second course means for this club. Thai Country Club is not adding a layout simply to grow capacity. It is making a deliberate choice to expand on a proven foundation and the design approach it has chosen reflects that ambition.
The design brief for the new 18-hole members’ course is built around a philosophy that runs counter to much of what has been built in tropical Asia over the past three decades. Rather than imposing structure on the land, the design follows the land itself what the team describes as “lay of the land” golf.
The routing takes the form of a continuous loop around the perimeter of the property, guiding players through different landscapes and terrain without breaking the rhythm of the round. Wide, contoured fairways replace narrow corridors, and sand bunkers are used sparingly. The hazard in this design comes from the shape of the ground itself, not from artificial obstacles placed in front of tees and greens.
Continuous loop routingThe course flows as a seamless loop around the property perimeter, no out-and-back, no repetition of landscape. Each section of the round feels distinct.
Ground game over aerial gameFairways are wide and contoured to feed the ball toward and away from targets. The design rewards players who use the ground, not just those who fly the ball at the flag
Terrain-led hazards, not bunker-ledSand bunkers are used sparingly. The primary challenge comes from elevation changes, natural contours, and strategic fairway positioning, not from placed obstacles.
Hole positions that change the strategy dailyAs pin positions move, the optimal approach line changes with them because the fairway contours that feed the ball toward the hole are always location-specific. The same hole plays differently round to round.
Most new courses built in tropical Asia over the past 20 years have shared a common design language: tight fairways, heavy bunkering, water on multiple holes, and greens that reward the aerial approach above all else. That design formula produces consistent results, but it also produces courses that start to feel familiar after a while.
Thai Country Club’s new layout is a deliberate departure from that template. The emphasis on ground game options means the course is genuinely accessible to a wider range of golfers, higher handicappers are not immediately penalised by bunkers or forced carries, while better players face a subtler, more strategic puzzle. It is the kind of design that tends to age well, because it does not rely on a single skill set to produce a satisfying round.
The addition of a comprehensive practice facility alongside the course is also worth noting. For visiting golfers, access to a serious short game and range facility at a Bangkok club with Thai Country Club’s tournament pedigree is not something that has previously been available in this form.
“Great golf courses feel timeless. They’re rooted in their landscape and offer something new each time you play.” – Robert Trent Jones, COO, RTJ II Golf Course Architects
Construction on the new course began in 2026, with a phased opening planned. The first nine holes are targeted for completion in 2027, with the back nine to follow shortly after. A new comprehensive practice facility is included in the development.
For golfers planning a Bangkok trip, the phased opening is worth factoring into your timing. A nine-hole course is a functional if incomplete experience the full routing as a continuous loop only makes full sense as 18 holes. That said, being among the first to play any section of a course this deliberate in its design intent has genuine appeal.
Thai Country Club’s existing course remains one of the better-maintained layouts in Bangkok and is playable year-round with the usual caveat about morning tee times during the wet season (June to October). The new course will sit alongside it, not replace it giving visiting golfers, for the first time, the option of a multi-day stay at a single Bangkok club with two distinct 18-hole experiences.
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