Yes, Chiang Mai is a genuinely good golf holiday, with more than a dozen courses within about an hour of the city and green-season all-in rates from roughly ฿1,350 to ฿3,700. The one real catch is burning-season haze in March. Play November to February and the north is one of Asia's best-value golf trips.
Is Chiang Mai actually a real golf destination?
Yes. It has championship-grade design, tour pedigree and a full week of distinct courses, at prices well under Bangkok or Phuket, with mountain scenery most Thai golf cannot match.
This is not a resort with one course bolted on. Chiang Mai Highlands Golf & Spa is a 27-hole Lee Schmidt (Schmidt-Curley) layout from 2005, widely rated the best-conditioned course in the region, with paspalum fairways and 130-plus bunkers. Alpine Golf Resort is a Ron Garl design that hosted Asian Tour events in 2013 and 2014, with a par-5 fourth of roughly 652 yards and an island-green par-3. That is real, credentialed golf, not filler. Our full golf in Chiang Mai hub lists the courses we book most.
How many golf courses are near Chiang Mai?
More than a dozen courses sit within about an hour's drive, from 27-hole resort layouts to a 9-hole colonial club, so you can play a different course daily for a week.
The core group is Highlands, Alpine, Summit Green Valley, Royal Chiang Mai, Mae Jo and North Hill, plus the three Gassan courses in nearby Lamphun and Lanna Golf Club about 10 minutes from the Old City. See the full Chiang Mai course directory for the current list. For a first trip, our guide to the best golf courses in Chiang Mai ranks where to start.
What do green fees cost in Chiang Mai?
Green-season all-in rates run from about ฿1,350 in town to ฿3,700 at the top resort courses. High-season rack rates climb higher, with premium green fees quoted from around ฿5,200.
Prices swing with two seasons: high season is 1 November to 31 March (cool, dry, dearest), low or green season is 1 April to 31 October (rainy, cheapest). The cleanest figures below are 2026 green-season agent all-in rates. High-season rack rates are often image-only, so confirm live before you book.
| Course | Design | Green-season all-in | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chiang Mai Highlands | Schmidt-Curley, 2005 | ~฿3,400 | Best-conditioned in the region |
| Alpine Golf Resort | Ron Garl, 2008 | ~฿3,700 | Asian Tour host 2013-14 |
| North Hill Golf Club | 18 holes since 2014 | ~฿1,750 | Closest to the airport, strong value |
| Gassan Legacy | Schmidt-Curley reno 2014 | ~฿1,950 | Lamphun, floodlit night golf |
| Lanna Golf Club | Royal Thai Army, 1974 | ~฿1,350 | Closest to the Old City, walking allowed |
For a fuller breakdown, see our Chiang Mai green fee comparison and the best-value golf course guide.
When is the best time to golf in Chiang Mai?
November to February. Cool, dry mornings from 15C to 22C on the highland courses, clear mountain views, no rain. It is also the busiest and priciest window, so book tee times ahead.
March to May is hot, over 35C, and overlaps burning season. June to October is the green season: humid, with short afternoon storms heaviest in September and October, but mornings are usually playable and rates drop by a third or more. Our best time for golf in Chiang Mai guide breaks the calendar down month by month.
What is the honest downside?
Burning season. From roughly mid-January to mid-April, and worst in March, agricultural and forest smoke pushes air quality into unhealthy territory, and Chiang Mai regularly tops the world's most-polluted-city lists.
This is the real trade-off and we will not hide it. On 4 March 2026 Chiang Mai ranked among the world's ten most polluted major cities with an AQI above 150, per IQAir's newsroom (accessed 2026-09-22). Later that month it hit AQI 233 with PM2.5 at 188, as Open magazine reported (accessed 2026-09-22). Check IQAir or aqicn daily, carry an N95, or shift a March trip south to Hua Hin. Conditioning also varies: Summit Green Valley draws recurring greens complaints and Mae Jo is the weakest-kept of the premium set. Our burning-season golf guide covers how to plan around it.
How does caddie culture work here?
One caddie per golfer is mandatory at every Thai course and you cannot opt out. The caddie fee of about ฿300 to ฿400 goes to the course; the tip is separate and expected.
Caddies, predominantly female, drive the cart, read greens, clean your clubs and keep score. Tip ฿400 to ฿600 per 18 holes in cash at the bag drop after the round, more for a premium course or an excellent caddie. A "khob khun khrap" or "khob khun kha" goes a long way. Our caddie culture and tipping guide has the full etiquette.
How do I get from the airport to the courses?
Chiang Mai International Airport sits 10 to 15 minutes from the Old City, and most courses are a 20 to 45 minute drive on from there. North Hill is closest at roughly 20 minutes; the Gassan courses in Lamphun run 45 minutes to an hour.
Highlands, Alpine and Summit Green Valley all sit 30 to 45 minutes out on the ring-road and highway routes, so allow a real buffer for an early tee time in traffic. Grab and metered taxis are cheap and easy for a single round, at roughly ฿250 to ฿600 each way depending on distance. The catch comes when you play a different course every day: chasing rides and lugging clubs across town eats time and adds up fast. A golf package folds private air-conditioned van transfers in with a driver who knows the courses, which is the main reason multi-round visitors book one rather than piecing it together with apps.
What should I wear and pack for a round here?
Standard golf dress code applies at every club: a collared shirt, tailored shorts or trousers, and soft-spike golf shoes. No denim, no gym singlets, no metal spikes. Bring your own clubs if you can, since rental sets are limited in size and condition.
The sun is strong even on a cool-season morning, so pack a hat, high-factor sunscreen and more water than you think. In the March haze window an N95 mask is worth having in the bag. From June to October carry light rain gear for the afternoon storms; mornings usually stay dry. Most courses rent decent trolleys and a shoe-and-glove pro shop, but hire clubs are hit-and-miss, so travellers who care about their game should fly with their own. Our burning-season golf guide covers the air-quality kit in more detail.
Is a golf package worth it, or should I book direct?
For three or more rounds, a package usually wins on price and hassle by folding in green fees, caddies, carts, a hotel and private transfers. For a single round, direct booking can be cheaper.
Published market bundles give a sense of scale: a 3-day, 2-night golf break runs about ฿8,500 and a 5-day, 4-night holiday about ฿19,500, hotels and transfers included, per Golfasian (accessed 2026-09-22). Those are competitor reference prices, not ours. CMGT Golf is enquiry-driven: we send a quote and confirm with a deposit, so tell us your dates and rounds and we price it for you. Options range from the Weekend Warrior 3-night to the Northern Value 4-night and the Highlands Classic 5-night. Compare the two approaches in our golf packages guide.
The honest version: a solo golfer playing one direct-booked round at a value course will not beat a package on a per-round basis. The package math turns in your favour with rounds, group size and the private transfers you would otherwise pay for in Grab fares to courses 30 to 45 minutes out.
Get a Chiang Mai golf quoteTell us your dates and rounds. We price courses, caddies, carts, hotel and private transfers in one enquiry.Related reading:
Frequently asked questions
Is Chiang Mai good for a golf holiday?
Yes. Chiang Mai has more than a dozen courses within about an hour of the city, including two Schmidt-Curley and Ron Garl designs that host and have hosted tour events. Green-season all-in rates run from about ฿1,350 at a city course to ฿3,700 at the top resort layouts, mostly cheaper than Bangkok or Phuket. The one real drawback is burning-season haze from roughly mid-January to mid-April, worst in March. Play November to February and the north is one of the best-value golf trips in Asia.
How many golf courses are near Chiang Mai?
More than a dozen sit within about an hour of the Old City, plus more in nearby Lamphun, Lampang and Chiang Rai. The core group most visitors play is Chiang Mai Highlands, Alpine Golf Resort, Summit Green Valley, Royal Chiang Mai, Mae Jo and North Hill, with the three Gassan courses in Lamphun and Lanna Golf Club right in town. That range lets you play a different course every day for a week without repeating.
When is the best time to golf in Chiang Mai?
November to February. Cool, dry mornings between 15C and 22C on the highland courses, clear mountain views and no rain. It is also the busiest and dearest window, so book tee times ahead. Avoid March if you can: burning season pushes air quality into unhealthy territory, and Chiang Mai regularly ranks among the world's most polluted cities that month. June to October is rainy but cheap, with playable mornings before the afternoon storms.
How much does golf cost in Chiang Mai?
Green-season all-in rates (green fee, caddie fee and cart) run from about ฿1,350 at Lanna Golf Club in town to ฿3,400 at Chiang Mai Highlands and ฿3,700 at Alpine. High-season rack rates climb higher, with premium resort green fees quoted from around ฿5,200. On top of the caddie fee you tip your caddie ฿400 to ฿600 per round in cash. Prices change every season, so confirm live rates at booking.
Do I need to tip the caddie in Chiang Mai?
Yes. One caddie per golfer is mandatory at every Thai course and you cannot opt out. The caddie fee of about ฿300 to ฿400 goes to the course. The tip is separate and expected: ฿400 to ฿600 per 18 holes, more for a premium course or an excellent caddie. Hand it over in cash at the bag drop after your round. Caddies drive the cart, read greens, clean clubs and keep score.
