A 7-day Chiang Mai golf trip works best as five rounds, one full rest day and one light afternoon, rotating from a value warm-up to the best-conditioned courses. Budget roughly ฿13,000 to ฿16,000 in green-season fees across the week, plus caddie tips and transfers, and put the rest day in the middle.
This is a cluster post in our golf in Chiang Mai guide. If you have a shorter trip, start with our 4-day Chiang Mai golf itinerary instead. Here we plan the full week: which five courses to rotate, in what order, and where a package beats doing it yourself.
How should I structure a full week of golf in Chiang Mai?
Play five rounds, not seven. Keep an arrival day free, put one rest day mid-trip, and rotate value-to-premium so you never play tired on a hard course.
Seven nights gives you time to play well rather than just play a lot. Our standard week: arrive day 1 with no golf, then rounds on days 2, 3, 5 and 6, a rest or culture day on day 4, a lighter round or spa afternoon on day 7, and fly home day 8. That is five rounds with breathing room. Chiang Mai's courses sit 15 to 45 minutes out around the valley, so a rest day genuinely resets you rather than eating half a day in transit.
The order matters. Open on an easier value course while jet lag lingers, hit the best-conditioned courses in the middle when your eye is in, and keep the last round light. Playing Alpine's ~7,470-yard championship layout on day 2 with no sleep is how good trips start badly.
What is the best 7-day course rotation?
North Hill to warm up, Highlands and Alpine as the premium core, one Gassan course for a long cheap day, and Royal Chiang Mai or Summit Green Valley for character.
Here is the week we book most, with green-season all-in rates. Every figure is agent or operator green-season pricing for Apr to Oct 2026; high-season rates run higher and are harder to hold. Confirm at booking.
| Day | Course | Why here | Green-season all-in | Drive from city |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 2 | North Hill | Value warm-up, closest to airport | ~฿1,750 (est.) | ~15 min |
| Day 3 | Chiang Mai Highlands | Best-conditioned in the region | ฿3,400 | ~40-50 min |
| Day 4 | Rest / culture | Doi Suthep, Old City, massage | - | - |
| Day 5 | Alpine Golf Resort | Championship length, Asian Tour host | ฿3,700 | ~45 min |
| Day 6 | Gassan Panorama | Long, cheap, dramatic | ฿1,950 | ~40 min (Lamphun) |
| Day 7 | Royal Chiang Mai (or spa) | British-links character | ~฿2,100 agent | ~40 min |
North Hill City Golf Club is the smart opener: roughly 15 minutes from CNX airport, private-club conditioning, and the best value of the premium-adjacent set. Chiang Mai Highlands is the standout, a Lee Schmidt paspalum design with 130-plus bunkers and the best spa on the circuit. Its official rate card lists green fees plus a compulsory ฿400 caddie fee and ฿750 cart, paid in cash (Chiangmai Highlands, accessed 2026-08-31).
Alpine Golf Resort is the Ron Garl championship test that hosted the Asian Tour in 2013-14, with a ~652-yard par-5 4th and an island-green par-3. Gassan Panorama gives you one of Thailand's longest layouts (a 666-yard par-6) for ฿1,950 all-in, a deliberate change of pace. Close with Royal Chiang Mai for genuine links character, or swap in Summit Green Valley if you want floodlit night golf.
Where do the rest and culture days go?
One full rest day on day 4, mid-trip, plus a lighter day 7. Both double as weather and air-quality insurance.
Five rounds in a week is real fatigue, cart or not, in 30C-plus heat. A mid-trip rest day lets you climb to Doi Suthep, walk the Old City temples, and book a Thai massage before the back half. Put it in the middle, not at the end, so a washed-out or hazy morning has a flexible day to move into.
For where to base yourself between rounds, see our guide on where to stay for a Chiang Mai golf trip. A central Old City or Nimman hotel keeps rest days walkable and transfers short.
When is the best time of year for a Chiang Mai golf week?
Book November to February for the coolest, clearest weather and the firmest greens. Avoid mid-January to mid-April haze, and expect short afternoon storms June to October.
Chiang Mai has three golf seasons. The cool, dry window from November to February is peak: mornings in the low 20s C, low humidity, courses at their firmest, and the busiest tee sheets, so book early and expect high-season rates. March to May is hot and, worse, hazy: burning-season smoke can push air quality to hazardous levels, so a spring week is a real gamble. The green season, roughly June to October, brings lush fairways, the lowest rates, and short afternoon downpours that rarely cancel a morning round. For a five-round week with reliable air and a firm surface, November to February wins; for value and green fairways, book a June to September week and tee off early.
How much does a 7-day golf week cost?
Budget roughly ฿13,000 to ฿16,000 in green-season fees for five rounds, plus caddie tips and transfers on top. High season runs higher.
Those green fees are the floor, not the total. Every Thai course requires one caddie per golfer, and the tip is separate and expected: ฿400 to 600 per round, up to ฿700 to 1,000 for a premium course, handed over in cash at the bag drop. Book direct and you also pay a private round-trip transfer of roughly ฿1,400 to 2,500 per course. Grab is workable in the city but risky for early tee times and remote pickups.
The honest downside of a five-course week: variety costs consistency. Not every course on the circuit is maintained to Highlands' standard. Summit Green Valley draws recurring greens-condition complaints, Royal Chiang Mai's conditioning is genuinely variable round to round, and Gassan Panorama's turf swings with the season. Pack a week with cheaper courses and you will feel the drop after Highlands and Alpine. If you value polish over quantity, cut to four rounds and spend more per course.
How do caddies, carts and tipping actually work?
Every Thai course assigns one caddie per golfer, a compulsory fee separate from your green fee, plus a cash tip on top. Build the caddie and cart into each round's cost.
You do not walk alone here. Thai clubs require a caddie per player, and it is one of the real pleasures of golf in the region: your caddie reads greens, tracks your ball, hands you clubs, and keeps the group on pace. At Highlands, the rate card lists a compulsory ฿400 caddie fee and ฿750 cart on top of the green fee, paid in cash. The tip is separate and expected: ฿400 to 600 for a standard round, up to ฿700 to 1,000 at a premium course, handed over at the bag drop. A caddie who knows the layout can save you several shots on an unfamiliar course, so tip well when they earn it.
How do transfers between courses work over a week?
Courses ring the valley 15 to 45 minutes from the city, so a central hotel keeps every transfer short. Book a private driver or fold transfers into a package rather than relying on Grab.
Chiang Mai's courses sit in a loose ring around the valley. North Hill and Mae Jo are 15 to 25 minutes from the airport and Old City, while Highlands, Alpine, Royal Chiang Mai and the Gassan courses sit 40 to 50 minutes out, some over in Lamphun province. From a central Old City or Nimman base, no course is more than about 45 minutes each way. Booking direct, you arrange a private round-trip transfer per course, roughly ฿1,400 to 2,500 depending on distance. Grab works inside the city but is unreliable for a 6am tee time or a remote pickup after your round, when few drivers are around. Over a five-round week, a single private driver who knows the courses and your tee times removes the daily logistics, which is part of what an operator quote folds in.
Should I book a package or arrange it myself?
For a five-round week, a package usually wins once transfers and tee-time security are counted. For one or two rounds, book direct.
The math has three moving parts: green fees, transport and risk. Booking direct, you pay each fee plus per-course transfers and carry the risk that a November-to-February weekend tee time at Highlands or Alpine sells out before you arrive. An operator folds transfers, hotel and pre-held tee-time blocks into a single quote, and negotiates green-fee discounts a walk-up cannot get. As a market reference, a published 7D/6N holiday including hotel and transfers runs around ฿24,700 (Golfasian, accessed 2026-08-14); that is a competitor bundle, not a bare green-fee total and not our price.
CMGT Golf is enquiry-driven. We do not do instant booking: we send a quote and confirm with a deposit, so we can build the exact five-course week you want, hold the tee times, and put a private driver on every transfer. First-timers should read our Chiang Mai golf for beginners guide before enquiring, so you know what to ask. Then compare our quote against your own direct math on the golf hub; for a single round, direct booking may well win, and we will tell you so.
Suggested week-long packages to enquire about: the Lanna Signature 7-night, 5-round week mirrors this itinerary closely, while the Highlands Classic 5-night trims it to four rounds around the best-conditioned course.
How do I book a 7-day CMGT Golf week, step by step?
Send your dates, group size and course wishlist through the golf hub. We reply with a tailored quote, hold your tee times on a deposit, then confirm the full week. We are enquiry-driven, not instant-book.
The flow is short. First, enquire through the golf hub with your travel dates, number of golfers, rough handicaps, and any must-play courses. Second, we send back a tailored five-course itinerary and quote covering green fees, caddies, carts, private transfers and, if you want, hotel. Third, you confirm with a deposit and we lock the tee-time blocks, which matters most for a November to February week when Highlands and Alpine sell out early. We do not do instant online booking on purpose: a quote lets us build the exact rotation you want and secure green-fee discounts a walk-up cannot get. If your own direct math beats our quote for a short trip, we will tell you so.
Get a quote for your 7-day Chiang Mai golf weekFive courses, private transfers and held tee times, built around your datesFrequently asked questions
How many rounds should I play on a 7-day Chiang Mai golf trip?
Five rounds over seven nights is the pace we book most for a full week. That leaves an arrival day with no golf, plus one full rest or culture day and one lighter afternoon, so you are not playing tired by the back half. Fit golfers who travel to play can push to six rounds by adding a Mae Jo or Gassan Panorama half-day. If your group mixes golfers and non-golfers, four rounds plus two shared sightseeing days usually keeps everyone happy. Book the rest day mid-trip, not at the end, so a rained-out morning has somewhere to move to.
What does a week of Chiang Mai green fees actually cost?
In green season (Apr to Oct 2026), five all-in rounds across a value-to-premium mix run roughly ฿13,000 to ฿16,000 per golfer in green, caddie and cart fees alone. A sample week: North Hill near ฿1,750, Gassan Panorama ฿1,950 all-in, Highlands ฿3,400 all-in, Alpine ฿3,700 all-in, Royal Chiang Mai near ฿2,100 agent all-in. High season (Nov to Mar) runs higher and tee times are harder to hold. Add caddie tips of ฿400 to 600 per round, plus transfers if you book direct. Confirm every figure at booking; rates change each season.
Which five courses make the best week-long rotation?
A strong week pairs conditioning, variety and travel time. We rotate North Hill (closest to the airport, best value), Chiang Mai Highlands (best-conditioned in the region), Alpine (championship length, Asian Tour host), one Gassan course for a longer, cheaper day, and either Royal Chiang Mai for links character or Summit Green Valley for night golf. That spread keeps drive times sane, mixes premium and value, and never plays the same style twice in a row. Swap Mae Jo in if you want the closest premium-set course to the city for a relaxed half-day.
Do I need a rest day on a Chiang Mai golf trip?
Yes, and put it in the middle. Five rounds in seven days is a lot of walking in heat and humidity, even riding a cart. A mid-trip rest day lets you see Doi Suthep or the Old City, book a Thai massage, and reset before the back half. It also acts as weather insurance: a June to October afternoon storm or a hazy high-season morning can push a tee time, and a flexible day absorbs that. Courses ring the valley 15 to 45 minutes out, so a rest day in the city is genuinely restful.
Is a package cheaper than booking each round myself for a week?
For a five-round week it usually is, once transport and tee-time security are counted. Booking direct, you pay each green fee plus a private round-trip transfer of roughly ฿1,400 to 2,500 per course, and you carry the risk of a peak-season weekend selling out. An operator folds transfers, hotel and tee-time blocks into one quote and negotiates green-fee discounts. For a single round, direct booking can match or beat a package. CMGT Golf is enquiry-driven, so we send a quote rather than an instant price; ask via /golf and compare it against your direct math.
