For most golfers, Chiang Mai gives you two to three times as much golf for the money, while Dubai gives you a shorter flight and more polished conditioning. A green-season all-in round at Chiangmai Highlands costs ฿3,400 (about US$100, CMGT Golf, 2026). A peak-season round at Emirates Golf Club can pass AED 1,000 (about US$270). Which one suits you depends on how long you can travel, your budget and your dates.
How much does a round cost in Chiang Mai vs Dubai?
All-in, a Chiang Mai round costs roughly US$55 to US$110. Dubai's leading courses charge about US$245 to US$950 in peak season, usually with no caddie.
Dubai green fees have climbed fast. AGBI's analysis of Dubai golf pricing (accessed 2026-10-04) cites Golfscape booking data showing average rates up about a third in 2024 and about 46 percent more in 2025. That means fees have nearly doubled in two years. The same report puts a November round on the championship course at Trump International Golf Club Dubai at about AED 3,500 (US$950). Published peak-season visitor rates for the Majlis course at Emirates Golf Club sit around AED 900 to 1,250.
Chiang Mai runs on a different price scale. These are the green-season all-in rates (green fee, caddie fee and cart) we booked for April to October 2026:
| Course | Destination | Typical round price | Caddie included? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine Golf Resort | Chiang Mai | ฿3,700 all-in (about US$110) | Yes, mandatory |
| Chiangmai Highlands Golf & Spa | Chiang Mai | ฿3,400 all-in (about US$100) | Yes, mandatory |
| Gassan Legacy | Chiang Mai (Lamphun) | ฿1,950 day, ฿1,650 night, all-in | Yes, mandatory |
| Emirates Golf Club, Majlis | Dubai | About AED 900-1,250 peak (US$245-340) | Typically no, cart golf |
| Trump International Golf Club | Dubai | About AED 3,500 in November (US$950) | Typically no, cart golf |
A caveat: Chiang Mai's high-season rates (November to March) are higher than these green-season prices, and most courses only quote them on request. To compare like for like, ask for a quote on your exact dates.
What does a full golf holiday cost in each destination?
On a five-round trip, the green-fee gap alone often pays for your Chiang Mai hotel and transfers. In Dubai, green fees are usually the biggest part of the bill.
Take five rounds at the top end of each market. In Dubai, five rounds at a Majlis-level price of AED 1,000 come to about AED 5,000 (US$1,360), before hotel, taxis and food. In Chiang Mai's green season, three rounds at Alpine and two at Highlands come to about ฿18,000 (roughly US$530), and that includes caddies and carts.
A Chiang Mai package puts green fees, caddies, carts, hotel, a private driver and airport transfers into one price. Our Chiang Mai golf holiday cost breakdown shows the costs line by line. A package is not always the cheaper option. If you only want a single round, booking it direct can cost less. Our guide to booking golf direct vs through an agent explains when a package starts to save you money.
How do the courses compare in style?
Dubai offers manicured desert championship courses with tournament history. Chiang Mai offers mountain, valley and links-style courses in a much wider range of settings.
Dubai's strength is consistency. Emirates Golf Club first hosted the Dubai Desert Classic in 1989 and has been its home for most of the event's history. Dubai's courses are irrigated green fairways set in the desert with the skyline behind them, and the conditioning stays tight all year. Golfbreaks (accessed 2026-10-04) lists more than a dozen courses in Dubai alone.
Chiang Mai's courses are spread around a valley surrounded by mountains. These are some we book every week:
- Alpine Golf Resort: a Ron Garl design with big elevation changes and long par-5s. It is one of the toughest tests in the north.
- Chiangmai Highlands Golf & Spa: a Schmidt-Curley layout with paspalum surfaces, heavy bunkering and some of the best conditioning in the region.
- Royal Chiang Mai Golf Club: a Peter Thomson design with pot bunkers and run-offs, built in a British links style.
- Gassan Panorama: one of the longest courses in the area, with wide views across the Lamphun countryside.
We rank the full field in the best golf courses in Chiang Mai.
When is the best season for each destination?
Both destinations peak from November to February. Dubai stays playable into April, while Chiang Mai's March burning season is the main period to avoid.
| Months | Dubai | Chiang Mai |
|---|---|---|
| Nov-Feb | Peak, about 22-28C, highest prices | Peak, cool and dry mornings, highest prices |
| Mar-Apr | Still good, getting warmer | Burning season haze, poor air on bad days. Avoid March |
| May | Hot, early tee times only | Hot, 35C+, rains begin |
| Jun-Sep | 40C+, dawn and floodlit golf | Green season, lush, short afternoon storms, best value |
| Oct | Shoulder season, cooling again | End of the rains, mornings usually playable, cheap |
Compared with Dubai, this is Chiang Mai's biggest downside. From about mid-January to mid-April, farmers burn crop waste and PM2.5 levels rise. On the worst spring days, readings pass 300 and Chiang Mai ranks among the most polluted cities in the world. Check IQAir's live Chiang Mai readings (accessed 2026-10-04) before you fix dates, and read our burning season golf guide. If you can only travel in March, Dubai is the better choice.
From June to October the trade-off flips. Dubai's summer heat passes 40C, so you can only play at dawn or under floodlights. Chiang Mai's green season is wet, but mornings are usually playable, and it is our cheapest time of year. For month-by-month detail, see the best time for golf in Chiang Mai.
How long is the flight and how much time do you need?
Dubai is about 7 hours direct from the UK, which makes it work for a long weekend. Chiang Mai needs a connection and works better for 5 nights or more.
Direct flights to Dubai leave from several UK airports, including London, Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow, and take about 7 hours. Three nights with three rounds is a realistic plan.
Getting to Chiang Mai usually means one stop, often in Bangkok or a Gulf hub, so expect a long travel day. Once you land, everything is close. CNX airport is about 4 km from the Old City, and a taxi costs around ฿150 to 200 for the 10 to 15 minute ride. Most courses are 20 to 50 minutes from the city by private transfer. Because of the long-haul flight, we suggest at least 4 to 5 nights. Both the Northern Value package (4 nights, 3 rounds) and the Highlands Classic (5 nights, 4 rounds) are built around that length of stay.
What is the on-course experience like?
Chiang Mai rounds include a mandatory personal caddie. Dubai rounds are usually cart golf, and you read your own lines.
Every Thai course assigns one caddie per golfer, and you cannot opt out. Most caddies are women. They read greens, clean your clubs, find your ball and keep score. In Chiang Mai the caddie fee to the course is usually ฿300 to 400. The cash tip after 18 holes is ฿400 to 600, or ฿700 to 1,000 for excellent service. Our Chiang Mai caddie culture and tipping guide covers the full etiquette.
Dubai golf feels like resort golf in Europe or the US: GPS carts, a smart clubhouse and no help reading greens. Both destinations offer floodlit night golf. In Chiang Mai, Gassan Legacy runs night rounds for ฿1,650 all-in, which is a good choice for your arrival day.
Dress codes are the same in both places: a collared shirt and tailored shorts or trousers, no denim.
Who should choose Dubai, and who should choose Chiang Mai?
Choose Dubai for a short winter break on polished courses. Choose Chiang Mai for a longer trip with more rounds and some of the best value in Asian golf.
Dubai suits you best if:
- you have 3 to 4 days and want a direct flight
- you can only travel in March
- tournament-standard conditioning matters more to you than cost
Chiang Mai suits you best if:
- you want 4 or more rounds and need each one to be affordable
- you like mountain scenery, caddie culture and Thai food after your round
- you can travel from November to February, or in the green season for the lowest prices
Looking at other Asian options too? Read our Bali vs Chiang Mai golf comparison.
Can you combine a Dubai stopover with a Chiang Mai golf trip?
Yes. Play one or two rounds on a Gulf stopover, then play most of your golf in Chiang Mai, where each extra round costs far less.
If you fly from Europe through Dubai anyway, splitting the trip gives you both. Play the famous Dubai course you have always wanted to play, then fly on to Thailand. Every extra round in Chiang Mai costs a fraction of the Dubai price. Take a rest day after you arrive before your first tee time. Our two-night Layover package covers short add-ons, and we can build a longer Chiang Mai stay around your Dubai dates.
How do you book a Chiang Mai golf trip with CMGT Golf?
Send us your dates and group details. We reply with a full quote, and your tee times are booked once you confirm with a deposit.
We are enquiry-driven, so there is no instant booking. The process is simple:
- Tell us your travel dates, group size, handicap range and which courses interest you on our Chiang Mai golf packages page.
- We send a quote that covers green fees, caddies, carts, hotel, a private driver and airport transfers.
- You change anything you want, such as swapping a course or adding a night round, and then confirm with a deposit.
- We book the tee times and send you an itinerary with pickup times for each day.
For peak dates from November to February, contact us early. Weekend tee times at the most popular courses fill up first.
Get a quote for your Chiang Mai golf tripGreen fees, caddies, carts, hotel and private transfers in one priceFrequently asked questions
Is golf cheaper in Chiang Mai or Dubai?
Chiang Mai is far cheaper per round. A green-season all-in round at Chiangmai Highlands, one of the best-conditioned courses in northern Thailand, costs ฿3,400 including green fee, caddie and cart (CMGT Golf, 2026). That is roughly US$100. Peak-season visitor rates at Emirates Golf Club's Majlis course sit around AED 900 to 1,250, about US$245 to 340. AGBI reports that a November round at Trump International Golf Club Dubai costs about AED 3,500. Over five rounds the gap often covers your hotel and transfers.
When is the best time of year for a Dubai or Chiang Mai golf holiday?
Both peak in the northern winter. Golfbreaks puts Dubai's best window at November to April, with average temperatures of about 22 to 28C. Chiang Mai's cool, dry peak runs November to February, with comfortable early tee times on the highland courses. Spring is where they differ. From about mid-January to mid-April Chiang Mai has its burning season, and March is usually the worst month for air quality. Dubai has no equivalent haze, but its summer heat passes 40C and pushes golf to dawn or floodlit rounds.
Do you need a caddie to play golf in Dubai or Chiang Mai?
In Chiang Mai, yes. Every Thai course assigns one caddie per golfer, and you cannot opt out. In Chiang Mai the caddie fee to the course is usually ฿300 to 400, and you tip your caddie ฿400 to 600 in cash after 18 holes. Dubai rounds are usually cart golf with no caddie, so you read your own greens. Most first-timers rate the Thai caddie system as a highlight: green reads, club cleaning and local knowledge on every hole for much less than a Western caddie costs.
Can I combine Dubai and Chiang Mai on one golf trip?
Yes, and it works well if you are flying from Europe through a Gulf hub anyway. Play one or two rounds in Dubai on a stopover, then fly on to Thailand for the main block of golf, where each extra round costs far less. Give yourself a full rest day after the long-haul leg before your first Chiang Mai tee time. Our two-night Layover package is built for short add-ons like this, and we can quote the Chiang Mai part around your Dubai dates.
Which destination has better golf courses, Dubai or Chiang Mai?
Dubai has the more famous tournament venues, including Emirates Golf Club, long-time home of the Dubai Desert Classic. Its courses are manicured desert layouts with steady conditioning all year. Chiang Mai has more variety: mountain and valley courses such as Alpine, Highlands and Royal Chiang Mai, a Peter Thomson links-style design, plus floodlit night golf. Conditioning varies more in Chiang Mai. Highlands is excellent, while some other courses are weaker. Pick Dubai for polish and Chiang Mai for scenery and value.
