 It's crowded, polluted, congested, noisy, chaotic, smelly and gray. But peel
back the skin and Bangkok, or the City of Angles as it's known in Thai,
opens up like a strange exotic flower. A frenetic combination of
centuries-old temples, colossal shopping centers, gleaming skyscrapers,
floating markets, chic art galleries, alien-like sex shows, five-star
restaurants and never-ending food stalls, Bangkok is a crossroad between
traditional Buddhist values and breakneck capitalism, between East and West,
between what is old and what is daringly new.
Founded by King Rama 1 in 1782 following the Burmese sacking of the
capital Ayatthaya, Bangkok began as an amphibious city. Built on the banks
of the Chao Phraya River, most of Bangkok's earlier residents lived and
fished from bamboo boathouses moored to surrounding floodplains.
But the city would not remain a backwater for long. Fearing renewed
attacks, city planners constructed an intricate network of purpose-built
canals intercropped with medieval-like forts and watchtowers, earning it the
moniker "Venice of the East."
Bangkok suffered heavy Allied bombardment during World War II when
Thailand paired itself with Imperial Japan in what Thais describe as a
desperate-yet-clever act of self-preservation - not the country's proudest
moment.
Thailand reverted to its historically tolerant and outward-looking nature
after the Allied victory. The R&R mainstay of U.S. and Australian troops
during the Vietnam War, Bangkok burst onto to the international spotlight in
the 1960s as a hedonistic hideaway - a sin city of the East where everything
could be bought and the rules did not apply.
Expansion and Westernization continued into '80s and '90s, when
double-digit economic growth turned the former riverside settlement into a
smog- and traffic-choked metropolis of Babylonian proportions. And while
Thais suffered immensely during the Asian financial meltdown in 1997, the
economy has since recovered and the city is singing once again.
Budget prices, not budget greens
Success in the business world goes hand-in-hand with love for golf, so
finding world-class golf courses is no problem in Bangkok. More than 30 golf
clubs can be found in and around the city's sprawling outskirts, easily
reached by air-conditioned taxi.
Fares are dirt cheap compared to what one might expect to pay in Europe
or the U.S., while green fees vary from $20 to $40, with the most exclusive
country clubs still charging less than $100. Golf carts and caddies also
come at a steal.
Surprisingly, nearly all Thai caddies are women. And while their
knowledge of the game is often superficial, Thai caddies are attentive,
jovial and brimming with genuine Thai hospitality. There's a reason call it
the Land of Smiles.
Joel Gershon, an American who is editor of Elite, the magazine of the
Royal Bangkok Sports Club Golf, said more and more tourists are traveling to
the country, clubs in tow.
"Golf has become a reason people are coming to Thailand along with the
more traditional reasons, like the food, the culture, the beaches and the
people," Gershon said.
Many of courses operating in greater Bangkok today were built in the
hedonistic 1990s, when giddy entrepreneurs spent millions constructing the
courses of their dreams. Coupling the design expertise of golf legends such
as Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Yoshihara Aihara with the principals of
"Feng Shui," the Chinese art of positioning objects in patterns
corresponding to the flow of energy, their creations are precise, empowering
and distinctly Thai.
"Thailand is a gread golfing destination because the quality of courses
is very high for the price you pay compared to what you pay in America and
Europe," said Antonio Choy, a Canadian working as assistant general manager
of the 18-hole
Bangkok Golf Club. "Thailand is a good destination for
general visitors, too."
With shaded kiosks at every second or third hole, decorative shrines,
lush colorful flora, open-door policies and world-class facilities,
Bangkok's courses offer year-round golfing opportunities in luxurious
surroundings at relatively cheap prices. Among the most noteworthy are the
Royal Bangkok Sports Club on Henri Durant road; Subhaphruek on KM 26 of the
Chon Buri-Bang Na expressway; and the
Alpine golf and Sports Club in Pathum
Thani province, a one-hour drive north of the city.
Country roads
Thailand has more than 200 golf courses, some average, some superb, some
even built around national parks, or around the steep precipices of tropical
coastlines.
The island of Phuket - An internationally renown tourist mecca only one
hour's flight from Bangkok-offers
seven courses and a menage of tourist
entertainment, from shopping, to boating, to fine dining, to Thai boxing
exhibitions. The beaches here are among the best in the world: white sand
and blue water shadowed by towering green mountains.
Then there's Pattaya - an animated seaside resort about two hours drive
from Bangkok that sports 20 inexpensive yet well-maintained courses. There
are more bars and nightclubs in Pattaya than days in a year,
top-tier hotels
and resorts of every description and plans to build Thailand's first legal
casino.
For those who prefer cooler hilly climates,
Chiang Mai and
Chiang Rai
provinces in Thailand's far north boast about ten good courses. The area is
dotted with national parks, waterfalls, hill-tribe villages, elephant camps,
raging rivers and health spas. A longboat ride south along the Mekong River
takes travelers to
Luang Praubang, in neighboring
Laos. Wedged between
layers of thick, forested mountain, this World Heritage City boasts 52 wats,
or temples, on one hill, though no golf courses at the present time.
One historic city in the region that has been bitten by the golf bug is
Hua Hin, a romantic beachside town three-hour drive south of Bangkok.
Hua
Hin is home to some of the oldest and most exclusive hotels,
courses and
clubs in Southeast Asia. Standout is the
Royal Hua Hin, a majestic 18-holer
designed by Scottish railway engineer A.O. Robins back in 1924. The
residence of Thailand's much-loved
King Bhumibol, Hua Hin is a must-see
location, especially for those visiting Thailand in September, when the
King's Cup Elephant Polo Tournament comes to town. Like the aptly named the
City of Angles, elephant polo is but a small part of a unique cultural
mishmash that backdrop Asia's most exotic golfing opportunities.
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