Chiang Mai beats Mauritius on price, course choice and caddie culture, while Mauritius wins on beachfront resort golf and a small time difference for Europeans. A green-season round at Chiang Mai Highlands costs ฿3,400 all-in. In Mauritius, 18 holes at Anahita or Ile aux Cerfs lists at about €120 to €175 for the green fee alone. Your travel month matters most, because the two golf seasons mirror each other.
Which is better for a golf holiday, Chiang Mai or Mauritius?
Chiang Mai suits golfers who want five or more varied rounds at moderate cost. Mauritius suits couples who want two or three rounds plus a beach resort.
We run golf trips in Chiang Mai every season, so we are not neutral. Here is our honest read. Mauritius sells a resort holiday that happens to include very good golf. Chiang Mai sells a golf trip that happens to include a fascinating city. If golf is the main reason for the flight, the second model gives you more rounds for the money. If the trip is a beach break where one partner plays three times, Mauritius makes a strong case, and we would not try to talk you out of it.
| Factor | Chiang Mai | Mauritius |
|---|---|---|
| 18-hole courses within reach | More than a dozen within about an hour | Roughly ten across the island |
| Typical round cost | ฿1,950 to ฿3,700 all-in (green season) | €120 to €175 green fee only |
| Caddies | Mandatory, one per golfer | Mostly cart golf, no caddie |
| Best golf months | November to February | May to November |
| Months to avoid | March (burning season haze) | January to March (cyclones, rain) |
| Setting | Mountain valley, rice paddies, forest | Coastal, lagoon and island courses |
| Non-golf draw | Temples, food, night markets, spas | Beaches, diving, resort life |
How much does a round of golf cost in Mauritius vs Chiang Mai?
A Mauritius green fee alone often costs more than a full Chiang Mai round with caddie and cart. Expect a 2x to 3x gap per round.
In Chiang Mai the green-season (April to October 2026) all-in rates we book include green fee, caddie fee and cart. Chiang Mai Highlands is ฿3,400 all-in (฿2,250 green, ฿400 caddie, ฿750 cart). Alpine Golf Resort is ฿3,700 all-in. Gassan Legacy is ฿1,950 by day and ฿1,650 under floodlights, and Gassan Panorama also sits near ฿1,950 (CMGT Golf, 2026). High-season rates from November run higher, and we quote them live because they shift every year. On top of the course rate, budget the caddie tip in cash.
Mauritius pricing is harder to pin down. The Shangri-La Le Touessrok golf factsheet lists 18 holes at €120 per person per course (accessed 2026-10-14). The 1golf.eu Mauritius directory shows about €173 at Ile aux Cerfs and about €175 at Anahita (accessed 2026-10-14). Heritage Golf Club shows no public rate, only price on request. Carts and equipment hire are often extra. Treat these as guides and confirm directly with the club or your hotel.
Which destination has better course depth and variety?
Chiang Mai has more courses and a wider range, from a historic 1898 nine-hole to modern championship layouts. Mauritius has fewer courses, mostly polished resort designs.
Mauritius has roughly ten 18-hole courses and a handful of 9-hole tracks, though counts vary by source. The headline layouts are strong. Ile aux Cerfs, a Bernhard Langer design, sits on its own island and you reach it by boat. Anahita, an Ernie Els design, runs along the east-coast lagoon. Coastal holes with water views are the selling point, and wind off the ocean adds a links-like test on some days.
Chiang Mai gives you more variety within an hour of your hotel. You can play Royal Chiang Mai, a Peter Thomson design with pot bunkers and a links feel. You can take on Gassan Panorama at 7,761 yards with a 666-yard par-6. Summit Green Valley has floodlit night golf, and the Chiang Mai Gymkhana is a 9-hole club founded in 1898. Our best golf courses in Chiang Mai guide ranks them, and the full golf course directory covers the wider north.
The honest downside on our side: conditioning varies. Highlands is among the best-kept courses in the region, while some older layouts lag behind it, especially late in the dry season. Mauritius resort courses are generally more uniform in presentation. We match courses to the month so you play the ones in best shape.
When is the best time of year for each?
The seasons are near opposites. Chiang Mai peaks November to February. Mauritius plays best May to November and is weakest January to March.
Mauritius sits in the southern hemisphere. Heritage Resorts recommends May through November, when rain is less likely (accessed 2026-10-14). January to March is cyclone season, with the highest risk of storm days. That makes Mauritius a weaker pick for the classic European winter-sun window.
Chiang Mai is the reverse. November to February brings cool mornings on the highland courses, low humidity and clear skies, so 7am tee times feel fresh rather than sticky. The green season from April to October brings lush fairways, quieter tee sheets and lower rates, with afternoon showers you plan around by teeing off early. Our best time for golf in Chiang Mai guide breaks it down month by month.
How do caddies and the on-course experience differ?
Thailand gives every golfer a mandatory caddie. Mauritius is mostly cart golf with no caddie, so the round feels more like a European resort.
In Chiang Mai, each golfer has one caddie, usually a woman, who reads putts, cleans clubs, rakes bunkers and keeps score. The course fee is ฿300 to ฿400. The cash tip at the bag drop is ฿400 to ฿600 per 18 holes. Many local caddies know every break on their home greens, which saves strokes on your first loop. Our caddie culture and tipping guide covers the etiquette.
In Mauritius you will mostly drive yourself. The Shangri-La factsheet lists carts as mandatory at Anahita from October to April. Cart golf is fine, but the caddie relationship is a big part of why golfers come back to Thailand year after year.
What does a full day of golf cost, all in?
A Chiang Mai golf day with round, transfer and meals often costs less than a Mauritius green fee alone. Hotel class drives the rest.
In Chiang Mai, add a private round-trip transfer of about ฿1,400 to ฿2,500 to the all-in round, plus clubhouse lunch and the caddie tip. A clubhouse lunch of khao soi or fried rice with a drink is modest by resort standards. Even at Alpine, a full day typically stays under the price of one Mauritius round. A package folds the transfers, tee times and hotel into one quote, so you know the trip cost before you fly.
Mauritius day costs stack up through the resort. Island hotels are mostly mid-range to luxury, transfers between coasts can take an hour or more, and dining usually happens in the resort at resort prices. Our Chiang Mai golf holiday cost breakdown shows the full trip maths.
Which is easier to reach?
From Europe, Mauritius has direct long-haul flights with a small time difference. Chiang Mai usually means a Bangkok connection and a bigger time shift.
This is where Mauritius wins outright. The island is 3 to 4 hours ahead of the UK, so jet lag is mild. Chiang Mai usually means a long-haul flight to Bangkok and a short domestic hop of about an hour, or a connection through a Gulf or Asian hub. Once you land, CNX airport sits close to the Old City, a short ride. Many courses are 30 to 45 minutes out, and North Hill is one of the closest to the airport.
We plan for the jet lag: arrival day with no golf, then a gentle, flatter course first before the bigger mountain layouts.
What is there to do off the course?
Mauritius is beaches, lagoons and diving. Chiang Mai is temples, mountains, food and Thai massage, at local prices rather than resort prices.
Mauritius non-golfers get excellent beaches, snorkelling and water sports. Chiang Mai offers more variety for the money: Doi Suthep temple above the city, the Sunday walking street, cooking classes and a bowl of khao soi. A post-round Thai massage costs a fraction of resort spa rates. Our golf and Thai massage recovery guide shows how to fit it into a trip. For a mixed group, the Culture & Golf package pairs three rounds with guided days.
Who should choose Mauritius, and who should choose Chiang Mai?
Pick Mauritius for a June to October beach trip with a few rounds. Pick Chiang Mai for a November to February trip with four or more rounds.
Mauritius is the right call if you travel in the European summer, want a beach resort first, and will play two or three rounds. Chiang Mai is the right call if golf is the point, you want variety, and you value caddies and a lower daily cost. Groups of four with a mix of handicaps tend to do well in Chiang Mai, because we can pair a demanding course with an easier one on alternate days.
We also compare Chiang Mai with another island option in our Bali vs Chiang Mai golf guide.
How does a Chiang Mai golf package work?
We put together tee times, green fees, caddies, carts, hotel, private driver and airport transfers, then send a quote. You confirm with a deposit.
We work by enquiry, so there is no instant booking. Tell us your dates, group size and number of rounds on our Chiang Mai golf page, and we build the itinerary around the right courses for that month. The Highlands Classic covers 4 rounds over 5 nights, and the Lanna Signature covers 5 rounds over 7 nights. If a tee time moves on the day, you have one contact on the ground to sort it. If you only play one round, booking direct can be cheaper, and we will say so.
Get a quote for your Chiang Mai golf tripTee times, caddies, hotel and private transfers in one planFrequently asked questions
Is golf cheaper in Thailand or Mauritius?
Thailand, by a wide margin. A green-season round at Chiang Mai Highlands costs ฿3,400 all-in with green fee, caddie and cart (CMGT Golf, 2026). At Gassan Panorama it is ฿1,950 all-in. In Mauritius, resort factsheets and booking sites list 18 holes at roughly €120 to €175 for the green fee alone at courses like Anahita and Ile aux Cerfs. That puts one Mauritius round at about the price of two or three Chiang Mai rounds. The gap narrows if you stay at a Mauritius resort that includes free green fees on longer stays, so check that perk before you compare.
When is the best time to play golf in Mauritius versus Chiang Mai?
The two seasons almost mirror each other. Mauritius plays best in its cooler, drier winter, roughly May to November, and its weakest months are January to March, which is cyclone season. Chiang Mai is best from November to February, when mornings are cool and dry and the mountain views are clear. Avoid Chiang Mai in March because of burning-season smoke. If you want winter sun from Europe in December or January, Chiang Mai is the stronger pick. For a June or September trip, Mauritius has the drier weather.
Do Mauritius golf courses have caddies like Thailand?
Not in the same way. In Thailand a caddie is mandatory, one per golfer. In Chiang Mai the caddie fee runs ฿300 to ฿400, plus a ฿400 to ฿600 cash tip per 18 holes. The caddie walks or rides with you, reads greens and keeps score. Mauritius resort golf mostly runs on carts without a dedicated caddie, and the Shangri-La factsheet lists carts as mandatory at Anahita from October to April. If the caddie experience is part of why you travel for golf, Thailand offers it as standard and Mauritius generally does not.
How many golf courses are there in Mauritius compared with Chiang Mai?
Mauritius has roughly ten 18-hole courses plus a few 9-hole layouts, spread around a small island, though counts vary by source. Chiang Mai and its neighbouring province Lamphun hold more than a dozen courses within about an hour of the city, from Ron Garl's Alpine to the historic 9-hole Gymkhana, founded in 1898. Our directory covers more courses across northern Thailand once you add Chiang Rai and Lampang. For a week of golf without repeating a course, both destinations have enough depth, but Chiang Mai gives you more choice at every price level.
Is a Chiang Mai golf package worth it over booking rounds myself?
For three or more rounds, usually yes. A package covers tee times, green fees, caddies, carts, hotel, a private driver and airport transfers, with one contact on the ground if a tee time moves. A private round-trip transfer to a course alone runs about ฿1,400 to ฿2,500, and ride-hailing apps are unreliable for early tee times with a full golf bag. For a single round, booking direct can be cheaper. CMGT Golf is enquiry-driven: tell us your dates and rounds through our golf page and we send a quote.
