Phuket Golf and Country Club
6,393 yards, par 72
Phuket Golf and Country Club on the main road between Phuket town and Patong beach on a hilly and beautiful part of the island is the first major 18-hole course on the island. Each of the holes has been carefully planned; the first, for example, is a 14m (46ft) elevated tee requiring a 165-yard carry over lake and marsh, with alternative approaches proving equally challenging.
Green fees weekdays 150 Baht
weekends 150 Baht
Caddy fee 100 Baht
Open 8:00-18:00
Tel (076) 21-3383
Other Sports
Swimming can be enjoyed all year round and is mostly safe. Undertows can be problematic during the rainy season. It is best to seek the advice of local people regarding swimming conditions.
Snorkeling is good in sheltered bays all around Phuket and is particularly enjoyable at easily accessible reefs at Patong, Karon, and Kata beaches. Fins, masks and snorkels can be rented on a daily basis from shops all over the island.
Windsurfing is available at all major beaches. Boards may be rented by the hour, half-day, full day or week. Tuition from expert Thai teachers is free.
Sailing is available largely at Patong and Kata beaches. Toppers and dinghies are available at Patong. Catamaran Hobie Cats and Top Cats are available at Kata.
Water Skiing is offered at Patong on a half-hour or hourly basis.
Deep Sea Fishing tours are arranged daily, usually with early morning departures and late afternoon returns. Caught are red snappers, rainbow runners and other game fish.
Bowling is available at Pearl Bowl, Montri Road, Tel 21-1418.
Places of Interest on Phuket
Mai Khao Beach
The pine-lined Mai Khao Beach, 40km (25mi) from town, is Phuket’s longest beach. Between November and February each year gigantic sea turtles struggle ashore to lay their eggs.
Nai Yang Beach
Nai Yang Beach to the south, 34km (21mi) from the town of Phuket and part of a National Park, is peaceful and excellent for swimming and relaxation.
Wat Phra Thong
Inland from Nai Yang Beach is Wat Phra Thon where a famous half-buried Buddha is enshrined. According to local legend, a boy tethered his water buffalo to a post protruding from the ground. Subsequently, both boy and animal fell mysteriously sick. Suspicious villagers uncovered the post and discovered it was the decorative topknot of a buried golden Buddha. They were able to unearth only the upper half of the image, over which they built the present chapel. Burmese invaders attempted to remove the image in 1785 but failed when they were attacked by vicious hornets
Wat Chalong
The Wat at Chalong Bay, immediately south of the town of Phuket enshrines statues of Luang Pho Chaem and Luang Pho Chuang, Phuket’s most revered monks.
Phanwa Cape
On the southernmost tip of Phanwa Cape, 7km (4mi) from the town of Phuket, is the Marine Biological Research Center and Phuket Aquarium which displays several hundred exotic, grotesque and flamboyantly colorful marine species found in Phuket’s teeming waters.
