For a Thailand golf group choosing between the two, Pattaya offers more courses and year-round coastal play, but Chiang Mai wins on cooler 15-22C mornings, shorter airport transfers and mountain scenery. If your priority is comfortable golf over the widest course list, the north is the stronger trip from November to February.
Both cities are proper golf destinations. Pattaya is the volume play, a dense scene of 30-plus courses within 90 minutes. Chiang Mai is the climate-and-calm play, a tighter set of quality courses in cooler air. This is how the two compare on the things that actually decide a group trip, and where the north does and does not win. For the full local picture, see our guide to the best golf courses in Chiang Mai.
Chiang Mai or Pattaya, which should our group pick?
Pick Chiang Mai for cooler mornings, short transfers and scenery. Pick Pattaya for the widest course choice and a bigger nightlife base. Match the city to what your group values most.
The honest split is simple. Pattaya is built for golfers who want maximum course variety and a large resort town at the end of the day. Chiang Mai is built for golfers who want comfortable playing conditions, less driving and a calmer base. A group of four playing three or four rounds over a long weekend will feel Chiang Mai's compactness every morning, since the courses sit 15 to 45 minutes out rather than spread across separate clusters. Start your planning at the Chiang Mai golf hub if the north sounds like your group.
How many courses does each city have?
Pattaya is the denser scene, with roughly 30 to 37 courses inside 90 minutes. Chiang Mai has about a dozen valley courses plus the Gassan cluster, but they sit far closer together.
Directories list around 37 courses in the wider Pattaya area, including marquee names like Siam Country Club, Laem Chabang and Khao Kheow (thailandgolfcourses.com, accessed 2026-09-07). Chiang Mai counters with a smaller but well-clustered set: Chiangmai Highlands, Alpine, North Hill and the Gassan trio in Lamphun. The point is not the raw number. Pattaya's courses are scattered across the Eastern Seaboard, so a multi-course week means real driving between clusters, while Chiang Mai's ring the same valley. Browse the full Chiang Mai course directory to see how close together they play.
Which city has better golf weather?
Chiang Mai from November to February, clearly. Highland mornings start at 15-22C, dry and clear. Pattaya stays warm and humid near 30C year-round, so you tee off earlier to beat the heat.
Chiang Mai's cool-dry season is the best golf window in the country, with January the coolest and mountain views on clear mornings (CMGT Golf, 2026). Pattaya is playable all year and rarely gets truly cold, but it trades that for humidity and heat that push tee times to the 6-11am window (golfsavers.com, accessed 2026-09-07). For a group that dislikes sweating through the back nine, the highland air is a genuine daily comfort. Our best time for golf in Chiang Mai guide breaks the seasons down further.
Which courses are worth playing in each?
In Pattaya, Siam Country Club's Old Course is the standout, a European Tour and LPGA host. In Chiang Mai, Highlands and Alpine lead, with the best conditioning and design in the north.
Pattaya's Siam Country Club Old Course has hosted the Honda LPGA Thailand for years and is rated among Southeast Asia's finest (Wikipedia: Honda LPGA Thailand, accessed 2026-09-07). Chiang Mai's answer is Chiangmai Highlands, a Lee Schmidt design with paspalum turf, 130-plus bunkers and the best conditioning in the region, and Alpine Golf Resort, a Ron Garl 27-hole layout with a long par-5 fourth and an island-green par-3 (CMGT Golf, 2026). For value, North Hill offers near private-club conditioning at a lower rate.
How do green fees compare?
Chiang Mai's all-in rates undercut Pattaya's marquee courses. The north runs about ฿1,950 to ฿3,700 all-in in green season, while Pattaya green fees alone span ฿1,200 to ฿4,500 before caddie and cart.
Chiang Mai green-season all-in figures bundle green fee, caddie and cart: about ฿3,400 at Highlands and ฿3,700 at Alpine (CMGT Golf, 2026). Pattaya quotes green fees separately, from roughly ฿1,200 at modest layouts up to ฿4,000-5,500 at Siam Country Club's Old Course in high season, with caddie and cart on top (thailandgolfcourses.com, accessed 2026-09-07). Caddies are mandatory in both cities: Chiang Mai clusters at ฿300-400 plus a ฿400-600 tip, while Siam Country Club's caddie fee is around ฿480 with a ฿500-plus tip expected.
| Factor | Chiang Mai | Pattaya |
|---|---|---|
| Courses within ~90 min | ~12 valley + Gassan cluster | 30-37 across the Eastern Seaboard |
| Peak golf weather | Nov-Feb, cool 15-22C mornings | Warm, humid near 30C year-round |
| Headline course | Highlands (Lee Schmidt, best conditioned) | Siam Country Club Old (Tour host) |
| Green fees | ฿1,950-3,700 all-in (green season) | ฿1,200-5,500 green fee before extras |
| Airport transfer | 15-45 min from CNX | 20-45 min local; 1.5-2 hrs from BKK |
| Air-quality risk | Burning season mid-Jan to mid-Apr | Generally cleaner coastal air |
How far are the courses from the airport?
Chiang Mai is far more compact. CNX sits about 4km from the Old City and courses are 15-45 minutes out. Pattaya's courses are a similar local hop, but the city is 1.5 to 2 hours from Bangkok's airport.
This matters more than it sounds over a golf week. In Chiang Mai you land at CNX, reach your hotel in 10-15 minutes, and drive 15 minutes to North Hill or up to 45 to the Gassan courses (CMGT Golf, 2026). Pattaya golfers first absorb a 1.5 to 2 hour transfer from Suvarnabhumi before any golf begins (rome2rio, accessed 2026-09-07), then face their own daily drives across scattered clusters. For a short trip, Chiang Mai gives you more golf and less van time.
Which city suits a group trip better?
Chiang Mai, if your group wants short transfers, cooler golf and a calmer base. Pattaya, if the group wants a huge course list and a large nightlife town. Both handle four-balls well.
A typical northern trip plays a warm-up round, a marquee course like Highlands or Alpine, and a value round like North Hill, all from one central hotel with 15 to 45 minute drives. That compactness keeps a group of four moving without a full day lost to transfers. Pattaya offers more raw variety and a bigger after-golf scene, which some groups prefer, but the courses are more spread out. For costs, our Chiang Mai golf holiday cost breakdown shows what a northern week actually runs.
Do packages beat booking each round direct?
For three or more rounds, usually yes. A package folds green fees, caddies, carts, hotel and private transfers into one price. A single round booked direct can still be cheaper.
The package advantage is sharpest where Chiang Mai already leads: transfers. Instead of gambling on Grab to a remote course for a 7am tee time, a package driver collects your group and the tee times are pre-held. CMGT Golf is enquiry-driven, so we do not publish a fixed shelf price. We send a tailored quote for the exact courses and dates you want, whether that is a compact long weekend or a longer stay. We will also tell you honestly if a single direct-booked round would be cheaper for your plan.
Get a Chiang Mai golf quote for your groupTell us your dates and courses, we send a tailored package priceRelated reading:
Frequently asked questions
Is Chiang Mai or Pattaya better for a golf trip?
Pattaya wins on sheer volume, with 30 or more courses inside a 90-minute radius and year-round coastal play. Chiang Mai wins on climate and calm. From November to February the highland courses give you cool 15-22C mornings, tight-knit clusters near the airport, and mountain scenery Pattaya cannot match. For a group that wants comfortable golf, short transfers and less resort sprawl, the north is the stronger pick. For a group that wants the widest course choice and a big nightlife base, Pattaya edges it. Match the destination to what your group actually values.
How many golf courses does Pattaya have versus Chiang Mai?
Pattaya has the denser scene by far. Directories list around 30 to 37 courses within roughly 90 minutes of the city, including Siam Country Club, Laem Chabang and Khao Kheow (thailandgolfcourses.com, 2026). Chiang Mai has a smaller, tighter set, around a dozen courses ringing the valley plus the Gassan cluster in Lamphun. The trade-off is quality-of-life, not just count: Chiang Mai's courses sit 15 to 45 minutes out, so a three-round trip involves far less driving than hopping between Pattaya's spread-out clusters.
Which has better golf weather, Chiang Mai or Pattaya?
Chiang Mai from November to February, comfortably. Highland courses start at 15-22C in the early morning and top out around 28-32C, dry and clear (CMGT Golf, 2026). Pattaya stays warm and humid year-round, averaging near 30C, so rounds there mean earlier tee times to beat the heat. The catch is Chiang Mai's burning season, roughly mid-January to mid-April and worst in March, when AQI regularly passes 150. Pattaya's coastal air is generally cleaner in that window, so March golfers should lean south.
Are Chiang Mai green fees cheaper than Pattaya?
Broadly yes, especially in green season. Chiang Mai green-season all-in rates run about ฿1,950 at the Gassan courses to ฿3,700 at Alpine, bundling green fee, caddie and cart (CMGT Golf, 2026). Pattaya green fees alone span roughly ฿1,200 to ฿4,500, with Siam Country Club's Old Course at ฿4,000 to ฿5,500 in high season before caddie and cart (thailandgolfcourses.com, 2026). Chiang Mai's premium courses undercut Pattaya's marquee names, though both cities have budget options if you skip the trophy layouts.
How far are the courses from the airport in each city?
Chiang Mai is far more compact. CNX airport sits about 4km from the Old City, and courses ring the valley 15 to 45 minutes out, with North Hill roughly 15 minutes and Lanna about 10 (CMGT Golf, 2026). Pattaya's courses are a 20 to 45 minute drive from town, but the city itself is 1.5 to 2 hours from Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport (rome2rio, 2026). If your group hates transfer time, Chiang Mai's short hops are a real daily advantage over a golf week.
Do Chiang Mai golf packages beat booking each round direct?
For three or more rounds, usually yes. A package folds green fees, caddies, carts, hotel and private transfers into one price and removes the daily Grab lottery to remote courses. Booking a single round direct can still be cheaper, so we are honest about that. CMGT Golf is enquiry-driven, so we send a tailored quote rather than a fixed shelf price. Send your dates and group size through the golf hub and we will price the exact courses you want to play.
