For a UK golfer choosing between Belek and Chiang Mai this winter, Chiang Mai wins on weather and price per round, and Belek wins on travel time. In January, Chiang Mai averages 15-28°C with almost no rain. Antalya averages 6-15°C in one of its wettest stretches of the year. The catch is getting there: a 15 to 18 hour trip to Chiang Mai, against about 4 hours to Antalya.
We run golf trips in Chiang Mai, so we are not neutral. We have still tried to keep this comparison honest. Belek is a great golf destination, and for some trips it is the better choice. This guide shows which trips those are.
How different is the January weather in Belek and Chiang Mai?
Very different. Chiang Mai's January runs warm and dry at 15-28°C. Belek's runs cool and showery at 6-15°C, with about five hours of sun daily.
Belek gets the same Mediterranean winter as the rest of the Turkish coast. TUI's Antalya January climate page (accessed 2026-10-29) gives 6-15°C and about 5 hours of sunshine a day. January is one of the region's wettest months, and the rain tends to come in heavy bursts. You can play, but you will usually need a fleece, and sometimes waterproofs.
Chiang Mai's January is its coolest and driest month. TUI's Chiang Mai January page (accessed 2026-10-29) gives 15-28°C. WeatherSpark's long-term airport data (accessed 2026-10-29) puts average January rain at about 5 mm, and the dry spell runs from early December to early March. At a 7am tee time on a highland course like Chiangmai Highlands it can still be cool, around 15-22°C, before it warms into the high 20s.
How long does it take to get to each from the UK?
Belek takes about 4 hours nonstop and 30 minutes by road. Chiang Mai takes 15 to 18 hours door to door, with at least one connection.
Trip.com's route data (accessed 2026-10-29) puts London to Antalya at about 4 hours. Belek's resorts sit roughly 30-40 km from the airport, so you can land at lunchtime and be on the range by mid-afternoon.
Chiang Mai has no nonstop flight from the UK. Idealo's route data (accessed 2026-10-29) puts London to Bangkok nonstop at about 11 hours 25 minutes. After that comes a domestic flight of roughly 1 hour 15 minutes, or you connect through Doha, Dubai or Singapore. The one easy part is the end of the journey: CNX airport is about 4 km from the Old City, and North Hill is about 15 minutes from the terminal. Our cheapest way to fly from the UK to Chiang Mai for golf guide covers routings and golf-bag fees.
Which destination has better golf courses?
Belek has the more polished resort courses, packed close together. Chiang Mai has more variety, with mountain, links-style and night-golf courses spread around the valley.
Belek's strength is how compact it is. More than a dozen championship courses, including Carya, Montgomerie Maxx Royal, Cornelia, Sueno, National and the Antalya Golf Club courses, sit among coastal pines within a short drive of each other. Many are attached to the hotel you stay in, so the commute to the first tee can be a walk across the car park.
Chiang Mai's courses ring the valley, mostly 30-45 minutes from the city. What you get in return is variety:
- Chiangmai Highlands: a 27-hole Lee Schmidt design on paspalum turf, heavily bunkered, with the best conditioning in the region.
- Alpine Golf Resort: a 27-hole Ron Garl layout of tournament length that has hosted professional events.
- Royal Chiang Mai: a Peter Thomson design in the British links style, with pot bunkers.
- Gassan Panorama: one of the longest layouts in the valley, with a rare par-6 hole.
- Summit Green Valley and Gassan Legacy: both floodlit for night golf.
The honest downside is that conditioning varies more in Chiang Mai than in Belek. Mae Jo is the weakest of the premium set and plays slowly, and Summit Green Valley has recurring complaints about its greens. Belek's top courses are more consistently presented. See our best golf courses in Chiang Mai ranking for the full picture, or browse the Chiang Mai golf course directory.
How do green fees compare?
Chiang Mai is usually cheaper per round. Our green-season all-in rates run from ฿1,950 to ฿3,700, and those include a caddie and cart.
Our 2026 green-season (April to October) all-in rates cover green fee, caddie and cart:
| Course | Holes / par | Green-season all-in (2026) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chiangmai Highlands | 27 / 72 | ฿3,400 | Best-conditioned, best spa |
| Alpine Golf Resort | 27 / 72 | ฿3,700 | Tournament-length layout |
| Gassan Khuntan | 27 / 72 | ฿2,100 | Mountain scenery, longest transfer |
| Gassan Legacy | 18 / 72 | ฿1,950 day / ฿1,650 night | Flattest Gassan, floodlit |
| Gassan Panorama | 18 / 72 | ฿1,950 | Long layout, par-6 hole |
High-season rates in Chiang Mai, November to March, are higher, and most courses do not publish them clearly. Summit Green Valley, for example, is listed by Golfasian from around ฿3,900 in high season. So use the table as a floor, not a winter quote.
Belek works differently. Most UK golfers buy a hotel-and-golf package with a set number of rounds included. Rack-rate green fees at the top courses are usually much higher than in Chiang Mai. Buggies often cost extra, but there are no caddie fees. Belek winter rates are also below its spring and autumn peaks. For a full cost breakdown on the Thai side, see our cart and caddie fees in Chiang Mai guide.
What is different about playing with a caddie in Chiang Mai?
Every Chiang Mai round includes a mandatory caddie, one per golfer. Belek rounds normally do not. Budget ฿300-400 fee plus ฿400-600 tip.
This is the biggest difference in the experience. In Belek you load your own buggy, much as you would at home. In Chiang Mai your caddie, usually a woman from a nearby village, drives the cart, reads every putt, cleans your clubs and keeps score. The caddie fee goes to the course. The tip is separate and expected: ฿400-600 per 18 holes, handed over in cash at the bag drop after the round. Our Chiang Mai caddie culture and tipping guide covers the etiquette.
For a four-ball paying fees and tips separately, that adds up to roughly ฿2,800-4,000 a day. On our all-in rates the fee is already covered, so only the tips are extra. Some Belek regulars find the caddie system odd at first. Most come home saying it was the best part of the trip.
Which months favour Chiang Mai, and which favour Belek?
Chiang Mai wins November to mid-January. From late February to April, Belek is the better choice, because Chiang Mai's burning-season haze hits its peak.
| Month | Belek | Chiang Mai | Our verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| November | Mild autumn, still peak season | Cool, dry, high season starts | Either; Chiang Mai if staying 7+ nights |
| December | Cool, wet spells | Cool, dry, clear | Chiang Mai |
| January | 6-15°C, among wettest months | 15-28°C, driest month | Chiang Mai |
| February | Cool, improving | Warm, haze builds late in month | Chiang Mai early, check AQI late |
| March | Spring season starts | Burning season peak, often unhealthy AQI | Belek |
| April | Spring peak | Hot, smoky early, green season from 1 Apr | Belek |
We do not hide the burning season. On the worst days in March and early April, Chiang Mai's air quality readings reach hazardous levels, and the city has at times ranked among the most polluted in the world. If your only free week is in March, go to Belek. Read our burning season golf in Chiang Mai guide before you book anything from late February onward, and see the best time for golf in Chiang Mai for a month-by-month breakdown.
What does a winter trip cost beyond green fees?
In Belek, food, drink and often golf are prepaid in an all-inclusive hotel. In Chiang Mai you pay as you go, with transfers, hotels and meals all cheaper.
Belek's all-inclusive model is easy to budget. One price covers the room, buffet, bar and usually a set number of rounds. In Chiang Mai, a pre-booked private round trip to a course costs about ฿1,400-2,500 if you book it yourself. Grab is unreliable for a 6:30am pickup with four golf bags. After golf, a bowl of khao soi costs a fraction of a Belek bar bill, and a Thai massage costs less than a buggy hire.
The flight changes the totals. A long-haul return to Chiang Mai costs much more than a short-haul flight to Antalya. On a 4-night trip, the cheaper rounds will not make up the difference. On a 10-night trip with 6 or 7 rounds, they usually do.
When does a Chiang Mai package beat booking it yourself?
A package pays off from three rounds up, because it covers tee times, private transfers, caddies and a hotel. For one round, booking direct is often cheaper.
Our packages cover green fees, caddies, carts, hotel, private driver, airport transfers and on-the-ground support in a single quote. For Belek regulars, the closest match is the Lanna Signature, 7 nights and 5 rounds, which gives enough time to get over the jet lag. The Highlands Classic, 5 nights and 4 rounds suits golfers who add a Bangkok stopover; see our Bangkok stopover before Chiang Mai golf guide.
We are enquiry-driven. Tell us your dates and group size, and we send a quote with no booking until you pay a deposit. If you only want a single round on a layover, booking the course direct can be cheaper, and we will tell you so. Start on our Chiang Mai golf holidays page.
Get a quote for a winter golf trip to Chiang MaiTee times, caddies, private transfers and hotel in one enquiryFrequently asked questions
Is Chiang Mai warmer than Belek for golf in January?
Yes, by a wide margin. TUI's climate averages put Antalya, the airport for Belek, at 6-15°C in January, with only about 5 hours of sunshine a day. Chiang Mai runs 15-28°C in the same month. WeatherSpark station data puts January rain at the airport at about 5 mm, which makes it the driest month of the year. In Belek you play in a jumper and sometimes waterproofs. In Chiang Mai you start in a light layer at a 7am tee time and finish in a polo shirt. If short-sleeve golf in December or January is the main goal, Chiang Mai wins on weather.
How much longer is the flight to Chiang Mai than to Antalya?
A lot longer. London to Antalya is about 4 to 4.5 hours nonstop. Chiang Mai has no nonstop flight from the UK, so most golfers fly about 11.5 hours to Bangkok and then take a domestic hop of roughly 1 hour 15 minutes, or connect through the Gulf. Door to door, plan on 15 to 18 hours. Thailand is also 7 hours ahead of the UK in winter, against 3 hours for Turkey. That is why we say Chiang Mai only pays off on trips of 7 nights or more. On a long weekend, Belek is the sensible choice.
Is golf cheaper in Chiang Mai or Belek?
Per round, Chiang Mai is usually cheaper. Our green-season all-in rates (green fee, caddie and cart) run from ฿1,950 at Gassan Panorama and Gassan Legacy to ฿3,700 at Alpine (CMGT Golf, 2026). Winter rates are higher, so confirm at booking. The bigger difference is where the rest of the money goes. Belek is built around all-inclusive golf hotels, so food and drink are often prepaid. In Chiang Mai you pay for meals and transfers as you go, but meals are cheap. The long-haul flight usually cancels out the savings on a short trip.
Do you need a caddie in Belek like you do in Chiang Mai?
No. In Belek most golfers use a buggy or a trolley and play without a caddie, much like a European resort course. In Chiang Mai a caddie is mandatory at every course, one per golfer. The caddie fee is usually ฿300-400 and goes to the course. On top of that, expect to give your caddie a tip of ฿400-600 in cash after 18 holes. Your caddie drives or walks with the cart, reads greens, cleans clubs and keeps score. First-timers usually find it the best part of the trip. Budget for it either way.
What is the best month to choose Chiang Mai over Belek?
November to mid-January is the best window for Chiang Mai. It is the cool, dry high season, at the time of year when Belek is at its coldest and wettest. From late February to April the picture flips. Chiang Mai's burning season can push the air quality index well into unhealthy levels, and Belek's spring season is just starting. If your only free week is in March, book Belek or a Thai beach destination such as Hua Hin instead. We would rather tell you that than sell you a hazy week.
