Chiang Mai has around 15 golf courses within an hour of the city, and roughly 20 more across the wider north, so there is easily enough variety for a week of golf. Six or seven are championship-standard 18 or 27-hole layouts. The rest range from value resort courses to floodlit night nines. Here is the full count, tier by tier.
How many golf courses are in Chiang Mai?
About 15 golf courses sit within an hour of the city, from championship 27-hole resorts to 9-hole night courses, with roughly 20 more across the wider northern region.
The count depends on how you draw the line. Tourist directories list a dozen or so playable courses; Tripadvisor's Chiang Mai golf listing (accessed 2026-09-10) ranks around 15 in the province. Our own course directory tracks 15 inside a comfortable day-trip radius: Alpine, Highlands, Summit Green Valley, Royal Chiang Mai, North Hill, Mae Jo, Inthanon, Lanna, Gymkhana, Star Dome, the three Gassan courses and Hariphunchai in Lamphun, plus Artitaya. Stretch the radius to two or three hours and you add Chiang Rai, Lampang and Nan. The honest takeaway: the destination has real depth, but not every course on the list is worth a dedicated round.
Which courses form the championship core?
Five courses carry the destination: Alpine, Chiang Mai Highlands, Summit Green Valley, Royal Chiang Mai and North Hill. These are the 18 and 27-hole layouts worth planning a trip around.
Alpine Golf Resort is a Ron Garl 27-hole design opened in 2008, with a long par-5 4th around 652 yards and an island-green par-3; it hosted the Asian Tour in 2013 and 2014. Chiang Mai Highlands is a Lee Schmidt design from 2005 and the best-conditioned course in the region, with paspalum turf and more than 130 bunkers. Royal Chiang Mai is a 1996 Peter Thomson links-style layout, though conditioning is variable. Summit Green Valley offers floodlit night golf but draws recurring greens-condition complaints. North Hill is the closest to the airport, roughly 15 minutes, and the best value of the premium set. For a ranked view, see our best golf courses in Chiang Mai guide.
What about the Gassan courses in Lamphun?
Three Gassan courses sit about 30 to 45 minutes south in Lamphun, all floodlit and keenly priced, though conditioning varies course to course.
Gassan Legacy is the flattest and easiest, a Schmidt-Curley 2014 renovation at ฿1,950 for a day round and ฿1,650 at night, all-in (CMGT Golf, 2026). Gassan Panorama is one of Thailand's longest courses at 7,761 yards, with a 666-yard par-6 and a ฿1,950 all-in rate. Gassan Khuntan has the most dramatic mountain scenery but the weakest conditioning of the trio and the longest transfer, 45 minutes or more. Nearby Hariphunchai and Artitaya round out the Lamphun options. These value courses are where you add a fourth or fifth round without stretching the budget.
Are there budget and in-city courses too?
Yes. Lanna, Mae Jo and Inthanon give you golf for a green fee near ฿1,350 to ฿1,400, and Lanna sits about 10 minutes from the Old City.
Lanna Golf Club is a 27-hole Royal Thai Army course from 1974, the closest to the Old City and one of the rare Chiang Mai courses where walking is permitted; the green fee is about ฿1,350 (confirm the cart fee at booking, as quotes range ฿400 to ฿600). Mae Jo is the closest resort course to the city, roughly 20 minutes, with Doi Suthep views and an agent all-in near ฿2,850, though it has the weakest conditioning of the premium set and a slow pace. Inthanon charges a ฿1,400 green fee but reviews note declining conditioning. For the value angle, see our best value golf course in Chiang Mai breakdown.
What about night golf and 9-hole courses?
Chiang Mai has genuine floodlit night golf and a couple of short heritage courses, which is why the raw course count runs higher than the number of full-size layouts.
Star Dome is an in-city 9-hole floodlit course; figures come from dated reviews and a foreigner surcharge is reported, so confirm the rate live before you go. Chiang Mai Gymkhana is a 9-hole course founded in 1898, one of Asia's oldest sports clubs, played more for the colonial character and value than the golf; expect well under ฿500, confirmed at booking. Summit Green Valley and the Gassan courses also run floodlit evening rounds. These count toward the total, but treat them as add-ons, not the reason to fly in. This is the honest downside of a big course count: several entries are 9 holes, night-only, or aimed at locals rather than a destination golfer.
Do the wider northern courses count?
Stretch the radius to two or three hours and the north adds roughly 20 more courses, led by Santiburi and Waterford Valley in Chiang Rai.
Santiburi Country Club in Chiang Rai is the standout, a genuinely good design about three hours north. Waterford Valley sits nearby. Lampang, Nan and the surrounding provinces add military and municipal courses that mostly serve local play. These matter if you are building a longer northern golf tour rather than a Chiang Mai city trip, and they are why the "how many courses in the north" answer runs past 30. For a single-base trip, though, the 15 valley courses are the practical list.
| Tier | Courses | Typical all-in | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Championship 18/27 | Alpine, Highlands, Summit Green Valley, Royal Chiang Mai, North Hill | ฿3,400-4,350 | Destination rounds |
| Value resort | Mae Jo, Inthanon, Gassan Legacy, Panorama, Khuntan, Hariphunchai, Artitaya | ฿1,650-2,850 | Extra or budget rounds |
| In-city, heritage, night | Lanna, Gymkhana, Star Dome | under ฿1,500 | Quick or floodlit rounds |
How many courses can you realistically play on one trip?
Three to five rounds over four to seven days is the sweet spot. More than one round a day is possible but hard in the heat, where a five-hour round is normal.
A strong core is three or four championship courses plus one value round: for example Royal Chiang Mai as a warm-up, then Alpine, then Highlands, with a Gassan or North Hill round added. Trying to play all 15 valley courses in a single visit is not realistic; the transfer time alone kills it, since the courses ring the valley 30 to 45 minutes apart. See our 4-day golf itinerary for a worked plan, or tell us your dates through our golf enquiry page and we will map rounds to your group's pace.
How much do green fees cost across the range?
Green-season all-in rates run from about ฿1,650 at Gassan Legacy up to ฿3,700 at Alpine. Peak-season rates are higher: Highlands publishes ฿4,350 all-in for early 2026.
Chiang Mai Highlands' own rate card (accessed 2026-09-10) lists ฿4,350 for the January to February 2026 peak (฿3,250 green, ฿400 caddie, ฿700 cart), with a compulsory cart. Green season, April to October, drops most courses 20 to 30 percent. Budget courses like Lanna and Inthanon sit near ฿1,350 to ฿1,400. On top of any rate, budget a caddie tip of ฿400 to ฿600 per round, paid in cash directly to your caddie at the bag drop, not through the pro shop. High-season rack fees are soft and change every season, so confirm the exact number when you book. Our green fee comparison tracks current rates.
When should you play, and what about the haze?
November to February is the clear, cool, dry peak. Avoid March, the heart of burning season, when air quality routinely turns unhealthy.
Golfasian's Chiang Mai guidance (accessed 2026-09-10) confirms November to March as the coolest, driest window, with mountain-course greens rolling best in the cool air. The trade-off is crowds, higher rates and harder tee times. Green season (June to October) is cheapest, with playable mornings and short afternoon storms.
Is a package worth it for a multi-course trip?
For three or more rounds, usually yes. A package folds green fees, caddies, carts, hotel, tee-time blocks and private transfers into one price and one contact.
The biggest friction on a multi-course Chiang Mai trip is moving between courses that ring the valley 30 to 45 minutes apart; Grab is risky for early tee times and bulky bags. Published market breaks start around ฿8,500 for three days and two nights and run to ฿24,700 for seven days and six nights (Golfasian, 2026). For a single round, booking the course direct usually matches or beats a package. CMGT Golf is enquiry-driven, so we send a tailored quote rather than a fixed price. Compare the two approaches in our package vs pay-as-you-go guide, and time the trip with best time for golf in Chiang Mai.
Tell us which Chiang Mai courses you want to playWe map your dates, group and pace to a tailored multi-course quoteFrequently asked questions
How many golf courses are in Chiang Mai?
Around 15 golf courses sit within an hour of Chiang Mai city, and the wider northern region adds roughly 20 more across Chiang Rai, Lamphun, Lampang and Nan. Within that count, six or seven are championship-standard 18 or 27-hole layouts (Alpine, Highlands, Summit Green Valley, Royal Chiang Mai, North Hill). The rest range from value resort courses like Mae Jo and the Gassan trio to short in-city and floodlit night courses such as Lanna, Star Dome and the historic Gymkhana. The exact number depends on how you count 9-hole and military courses, but a golfer can easily fill a week without repeating a course.
How many golf courses can you realistically play on one trip?
Most golfers we book play three to five rounds over four to seven days. Three or four championship courses make a strong core: Alpine, Highlands and Royal Chiang Mai cover the best design and conditioning, with North Hill or a Gassan course added for value. Playing more than one round a day is possible but hard on the body in the heat, and a five-hour round is normal at busier courses. A rest day between rounds is common. Trying to play all 15 valley courses in one trip is not realistic and not worth the transfer time.
Which Chiang Mai golf course is the best?
Chiang Mai Highlands is the most reliably conditioned course in the region, with paspalum turf and more than 130 bunkers. Alpine Golf Resort is the most popular all-round pick, a Ron Garl 27-hole layout that hosted the Asian Tour in 2013 and 2014. Royal Chiang Mai is the pick for classical British-links style, a Peter Thomson design with pot bunkers and run-offs, though its conditioning is more variable. If you play one course only, Highlands or Alpine are the safe choices. Confirm current rates and tee times at booking, as they shift by season.
How much does a round of golf cost in Chiang Mai?
Green-season all-in rates (green fee plus caddie fee plus cart, April to October 2026) run from about ฿1,650 at Gassan Legacy up to ฿3,700 at Alpine, per CMGT Golf 2026 data. Peak season (November to March) is dearer: Chiang Mai Highlands publishes a ฿4,350 all-in for January and February 2026 (฿3,250 green, ฿400 caddie, ฿700 cart), with a compulsory cart. Budget and in-city courses like Lanna and Inthanon sit near ฿1,350 to ฿1,400 for the green fee. Add a caddie tip of ฿400 to ฿600 in cash, paid directly at the end of the round.
When is the worst time to golf in Chiang Mai?
Roughly mid-January to mid-April is burning season, when agricultural and forest fires push air quality to unhealthy levels. IQAir recorded Chiang Mai among the world's most polluted major cities in early March 2026, with the AQI past 150. March is the worst month. The golf is still playable but the haze hides the mountain views and can irritate the lungs. If you must travel then, check IQAir daily, carry an N95 mask, or shift the trip to a southern course area. November to February is the clear, cool, dry peak for golf.
Are Chiang Mai golf packages worth it for a multi-course trip?
For three or more rounds, usually yes. A package folds green fees, caddie fees, carts, hotel, tee-time blocks and private transfers into one price, which removes the biggest friction of a multi-course trip: getting between courses that ring the valley 30 to 45 minutes apart. Published market golf breaks start around ฿8,500 for three days and two nights (Golfasian, 2026). For a single round, booking the course direct usually matches or beats a package. CMGT Golf is enquiry-driven, so we send a tailored quote rather than an off-the-shelf price. Ask us for the specific courses and dates you want.
