The best golf courses in Chiang Mai, ranked: Chiang Mai Highlands for conditioning, Alpine for a full day out, Royal Chiang Mai for links character, North Hill and Mae Jo for value, and the Gassan trio in Lamphun for length and night golf. We book these courses week in and week out, so this ranking is about who each one suits, not just a scorecard. Green fees are in baht and change every season, so treat them as indicative and confirm at booking. For the wider trip, start with our golf in Chiang Mai guide.
What is the best golf course in Chiang Mai overall?
Chiang Mai Highlands. The best-conditioned course in the region, a Lee Schmidt design from 2005 with paspalum fairways, more than 130 bunkers, fast greens and the best clubhouse spa. If you play one premium round, this is it.
Highlands runs 27 holes across a mountain backdrop east of the city, near San Kamphaeng. The greens are Tiff-Eagle, kept quick, and the bunkering makes you think off the tee. The clubhouse spa and food are the best of any course here, which makes it a natural finale on a multi-round trip. The green-season all-in of about 3,400 baht already includes the mandatory caddie fee and cart. Full detail is in our Chiang Mai Highlands review, and it links a full week in the Highlands Classic package.
Which course is best for a full day out?
Alpine Golf Resort. 27 holes, the best practice range in Chiang Mai, and enough layout variety to play two rounds on consecutive days without repetition. It is the course we most often use as a trip base.
Alpine is a Ron Garl design from 2008, with a third nine added in 2016 that includes a green set in a rice paddy. The par-5 fourth runs around 652 yards, one of the longest holes in Thailand, and there is an island-green par-3 for good measure. The course hosted the Asian Tour Chiangmai Golf Classic, and conditioning is excellent. Our Alpine Golf Resort review covers the nines in depth.
What is the best-value course?
North Hill City Golf Club. Closest to the airport at about 15 minutes, private-club conditioning, Doi Suthep views, and rates so low the course does not publish them online. It is the value surprise of the region.
North Hill is forgiving enough for higher handicaps, with fast greens and panoramic scenery. Book a day or two ahead. Mae Jo is the other value pick and the closest resort course to the city, set among longan and lychee orchards with Doi Suthep views, though its greens and a slow five-hour pace of play are the honest weak points. For the cheapest 18, Lanna and Chiangmai Inthanon start around 1,400 baht, with Inthanon's conditioning reportedly slipping, so check recent reviews first.
What about the classic or links option?
Royal Chiang Mai. A Peter Thomson design from 1996 and the region's genuine British-links rarity, with pot bunkers, run-off areas and elevated greens. It rewards course management over power.
Royal Chiang Mai plays differently from the resort courses, more ground game and shot shaping, less target golf. The official green fee is 2,800 baht year round, with a replay or after-3pm rate around 1,600 baht. The honest caveat is conditioning, which reviews describe as variable through the year, from good to dry and hard. Our Royal Chiang Mai review sets expectations.
Which Gassan course should you play?
Gassan Legacy for the easiest, best-conditioned round; Gassan Panorama for raw length; Gassan Khuntan for mountain drama, if you accept rougher greens. The three Gassan courses sit across the line in Lamphun, roughly 30 to 45 minutes out.
Gassan Legacy had a Schmidt-Curley renovation in 2014 and offers floodlit night golf with an all-in around 1,950 baht. Gassan Panorama stretches to 7,761 yards with a 666-yard par-6, one of the longest holes in the country, though it can play soggy in the rains. Gassan Khuntan has the most dramatic scenery and the longest transfer, and its greens are the weakest of the three.
Where can you play night golf?
Summit Green Valley, Gassan Legacy and Gassan Panorama are floodlit, and Star Dome is a lit nine-hole course in the city. Night golf dodges the midday heat and, in burning season, some of the worst haze.
Summit Green Valley is a 1990 Denis Griffiths design and the region's priciest course, with water on nearly every hole and hundreds of palms lining the fairways. It is a strong test, but reviews flag inconsistent greens, so it is a course we recommend with that caveat attached. Star Dome is a convenient in-city option for a quick lit nine.
How do the green fees compare?
Value courses start around 1,400 baht, mid-tier courses land around 2,100 to 2,850 baht all-in, and the premium pair runs 3,400 to 3,700 baht all-in in the green season. High-season rack rates sit above these and are often quoted on request.
| Course | Tier | Holes | Green-season all-in | Honest caveat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiang Mai Highlands | Premium | 27 | ฿3,400 | Busiest, priciest, book ahead |
| Alpine Golf Resort | Premium | 27 | ฿3,700 | Cart fee quoted 700-800 |
| Royal Chiang Mai | Established | 18 | agent ~฿2,100 | Variable conditioning |
| Mae Jo | Value resort | 18 | agent ~฿2,850 | Slow pace, weaker greens |
| North Hill City | Value | 18 | not published, ~฿1,750 low | Rates on request |
| Gassan Panorama | Length | 18 | ฿1,950 | Can play soggy in rains |
How should you string these courses into a trip?
Play a gentler course first to warm up, then the premium pair, and leave a rest day. Four or five rounds across three or four courses is the sweet spot. That order protects your first-day swing and saves the best for when your eye is in.
CMGT Golf is a locally run, enquiry-driven operator, so we do not post an instant price. Tell us the courses you want and your dates, and we send a written quote with tee times and private transfers folded in. Compare the full course directory or ask us to build the round order for you.
Get a quote for a multi-course Chiang Mai golf tripWe hold tee-time blocks at the premium courses through peak seasonNext, read our best time for golf in Chiang Mai guide so you play these courses in the right month, and see what a golf holiday really costs.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best golf course in Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai Highlands is the strongest all-round pick. The Lee Schmidt design opened in 2005 has the best conditioning in the region, with paspalum fairways, more than 130 bunkers, fast Tiff-Eagle greens and the best clubhouse spa. Alpine Golf Resort is the close second and often the better full day out, with 27 holes and an excellent practice facility. If you only play one round, choose Highlands for conditioning or Alpine for variety and range time.
What is the best-value golf course in Chiang Mai?
North Hill City Golf Club is the value standout. It sits closest to the airport at about 15 minutes, has private-club conditioning and Doi Suthep views, and its rates are low enough that the course does not publish them online. Mae Jo is the other value pick, the closest resort course to the city, though its greens and pace of play are weaker. For the cheapest 18 holes, Lanna and Chiangmai Inthanon run from around 1,400 baht.
How many golf courses are there in Chiang Mai?
There are roughly a dozen playable courses within about 45 minutes of the city, plus the three Gassan courses across the provincial line in Lamphun. That includes premium resorts like Chiang Mai Highlands and Alpine, established courses like Royal Chiang Mai and Mae Jo, value courses like North Hill, Lanna and Inthanon, and shorter night-golf and heritage layouts like Star Dome and Chiang Mai Gymkhana. Most golfers build a trip around four or five of them.
Which Chiang Mai golf course has night golf?
Summit Green Valley, Gassan Legacy and Gassan Panorama are floodlit and offer evening rounds, and Star Dome is a floodlit nine-hole course in the city. Night golf lets you avoid both the daytime heat and, in burning season, some of the worst midday haze. Fees are often lower after around 3pm. Confirm the lit hours when you book, since they change by season and by course.
Is Chiang Mai Highlands or Alpine better?
Highlands has the better conditioning and the better spa, and it is the more polished championship test. Alpine has more holes at 27, a stronger practice facility and more layout variety, which makes it the better base for two rounds on consecutive days. Most golfers who play both rate Highlands the single best round and Alpine the better all-day experience. On a multi-round trip, play both.
