A Mae Rim hotel is a good golf base when your rounds are on the north side of the valley. Summit Green Valley is about 10 to 15 minutes away, and Royal Chiang Mai and Mae Jo take roughly 30 to 40 minutes. You trade a short drive to those courses for longer transfers to Alpine, Highlands and the Gassan courses. Below are the drive times we plan around and when the trade pays off.
Where is Mae Rim, and why do golfers stay there?
Mae Rim is a green, hilly district about 16 km north of Chiang Mai on Highway 107. Golfers stay there for quiet resorts, rice terraces and cooler valley evenings.
Mae Rim's district office sits about 16 km from central Chiang Mai, and part of the district is forest inside Doi Suthep National Park (Bangkok Post, accessed 2026-10-22). The Mae Sa valley runs west into the hills from there. The district has waterfalls, orchid farms, elephant camps and a cluster of pool-villa resorts.
The appeal for golfers is simple. You finish a round, and 15 minutes later you're at a quiet pool looking at the mountains instead of sitting in Nimman traffic. Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai, for example, is laid out around working rice terraces on the Mae Rim to Samoeng Old Road (Scott Dunn, accessed 2026-10-22). Smaller boutique resorts along the Mae Sa valley road offer the same setting at a lower nightly rate.
For how Mae Rim compares with the Old City, Nimman and the airport area, read our guide to golf trip bases by Chiang Mai neighbourhood.
Which courses are close to a Mae Rim hotel?
Summit Green Valley and Lanna Golf Club are the closest. Royal Chiang Mai and Mae Jo are the next tier, at about 30 to 40 minutes on cross-country roads.
Chiang Mai's courses sit in a ring around the valley. Mae Rim is on the north-west edge of that ring. That puts it close to the north-side courses and far from courses to the east and south.
| Course | Direction from Mae Rim | Drive from Mae Rim (est.) | Drive from Old City (est.) | Mae Rim verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summit Green Valley | South, Route 107 | 10-15 min | 20-30 min | Best fit |
| Lanna Golf Club | South, Chotana Rd | 15-25 min | 10-15 min | Easy |
| Royal Chiang Mai | North-east, Phrao Rd km 26 | 30-40 min | 35-45 min | Good fit |
| Mae Jo | East, San Sai | 30-40 min | 20-30 min | Workable |
| North Hill | South | 35-45 min | 15-20 min | City is better |
| Alpine | East, Doi Saket | 45-60 min | 30-45 min | City is better |
| Highlands | East | 50-70 min | 30-45 min | City is better |
| Gassan Legacy / Panorama / Khuntan | South, Lamphun | 60-80 min | 30-60 min | Poor fit |
The table shows the pattern. Mae Rim saves you real time on Summit Green Valley and roughly breaks even on Royal Chiang Mai. On everything east or south it costs you time. Our Chiang Mai golf holidays page shows how we group courses into packages.
How close is Summit Green Valley to Mae Rim hotels?
Very close. The club sits on Chotana Road in Mae Sa, about 10 km north of the city and just before Mae Rim town on Route 107.
Where2Golf lists the address as 186 Moo 1, Chotana Road, Mae Sa, Mae Rim. Its directions are to head north from Chiang Mai on Route 107, and the course is on the right shortly before Mae Rim town (Where2Golf, accessed 2026-10-22). From a Mae Rim hotel that means a 10 to 15 minute transfer, the shortest in this guide.
Summit is a full 18-hole, par-72 layout on flat valley ground, with water in play on many holes. That makes it a fair test off the back tees and a forgiving one from the front, so mixed-ability groups do well here. It also offers floodlit evening golf, which suits a Mae Rim stay. You can spend the day at the resort, tee off late afternoon and be back for dinner.
It is one of the pricier courses in the area, and rates rise in the cool-season peak from roughly November to February. Golfasian lists high-season rounds "from ฿3,900" (Golfasian, accessed 2026-10-22). Green-season rates are noticeably lower. A trip booked now for the coming months will fall into the higher band, so check the current rate in your quote.
Is Royal Chiang Mai worth the drive from Mae Rim?
Yes. It's on the Chiang Mai to Phrao road at km 26, north-east of Mae Rim, and the drive is about the same as from the city.
Where2Golf puts the club at 169 Moo 5, Chiangmai-Prao Road km 26, Maefak, San Sai, roughly 30 km north of the city (Where2Golf, accessed 2026-10-22). From Mae Rim our drivers use the back roads across the top of the valley. In our experience that takes 30 to 40 minutes, about the same as from town.
The course is a Peter Thomson design with a links flavour: pot bunkers, firm run-offs and fewer trees than most Chiang Mai layouts. Wind matters more here than elsewhere in the valley. Green fees sit in the mid-range for the area, and conditioning varies by season. Pair Royal Chiang Mai with Mae Jo on a north-side swing. Mae Jo is usually cheaper, though its conditioning and pace of play are less consistent than the premium courses.
How much time does Mae Rim add for Alpine and Highlands?
About 15 to 30 minutes each way compared with a city hotel. Over two rounds, that's roughly one to two extra hours in the van.
Alpine Golf Resort and Chiang Mai Highlands sit on the east side of the valley. From Mae Rim you either go round the outer ring road or cut through the city's north. Either way, the drive is longer than the 30 to 45 minutes from town. These are CMGT Golf estimates, and morning traffic is the variable.
Both courses are worth it. Highlands has 27 holes, paspalum grass and a well-regarded spa, so non-golfing partners have something to do. Alpine is a long, demanding championship layout with mountain views and some of the toughest par 5s in the north. Both sit at the top of the local price range, with all-in rates in the low-to-mid ฿3,000s depending on season. If both are on your list, stay in town for those nights. Our best golf courses in Chiang Mai guide ranks them in full.
What does a split stay look like?
Two nights in Mae Rim for the north-side rounds, then two or three nights in the city for the east and south courses. Each round then gets a short transfer.
A typical shape we build:
- Night 1-2, Mae Rim. Arrival day off. Next day Summit Green Valley, then an evening round or the spa.
- Day 3. Royal Chiang Mai on the way out, then check in at a city hotel.
- Night 3-5, city. Alpine and Highlands on separate days, with a rest day between.
The Highlands Classic (5 nights, 4 rounds) and Culture and Golf (5 nights, 3 rounds) packages both work with a Mae Rim stay at the start. For more pairing logic, see our course pairings itinerary.
Do you need a private driver from Mae Rim?
For golf, yes. Grab is unreliable for early pickups with a tour bag. A pre-booked round trip to a course typically runs about ฿1,400 to ฿2,500.
Rides are easy to find in the city and harder in the hills. A 6:30am pickup from a Mae Sa valley resort is where they fail. Getting a ride home from Royal Chiang Mai to Mae Rim is harder again, because few drivers wait out in San Sai for a return fare.
Four rounds with separate transfers can cost ฿6,000 to ฿10,000 before any green fee. Our packages fold the private driver and airport transfers into one quote. Caddie fees and tipping norms are covered in our cart and caddie fees guide.
Is Mae Rim quieter and cleaner-aired than the city?
Quieter, yes. Cleaner air, not reliably. Burning-season smoke from roughly February to April settles in the hill valleys too, and March is usually the worst month.
In bad years, Chiang Mai's PM2.5 readings during burning season rank among the worst of any city in the world. A greener setting doesn't change that, because the smoke sits across the whole valley. If you're travelling between late February and April, check IQAir or aqicn every day and pack N95 masks. Better still, move the trip. Our burning season golf guide covers the dates.
From November to February, Mae Rim is at its best. Mornings are cool, the valley is clear and the mountains are in view from the pool. That window is also high season, so rates are at their highest and tee times are hardest to get. Book early if you want Saturday morning slots.
Should you book Mae Rim through a package or on your own?
A package pays off at three or more rounds, because transfers from Mae Rim cost more. For one round at Summit, booking direct is often cheaper.
If you're staying at a Mae Rim resort for the scenery and want a single round at Summit, book the tee time and a car yourself. The transfer is short and the saving is real. Once you add Royal Chiang Mai, Alpine or Highlands, the driver costs and timing get complicated. That's when one quote covering green fees, caddies, carts, hotel, private driver and on-the-ground support makes more sense.
We're enquiry-driven. Tell us your dates, group size and which courses you want, and we'll send a quote that's confirmed with a deposit. Start on the Chiang Mai golf holidays page. If you only have a weekend, the Weekend Warrior (3 nights, 3 rounds) is the shortest itinerary that justifies a Mae Rim night.
Get a quote for a Mae Rim golf stayHotel, private driver, tee times and caddies in one plan, confirmed with a depositFrequently asked questions
Is Mae Rim a good base for a Chiang Mai golf trip?
Mae Rim works if most of your rounds are on the north side of the valley. Summit Green Valley is about 10 to 15 minutes from most Mae Rim hotels, and Royal Chiang Mai and Mae Jo are both around 30 to 40 minutes away on cross-country roads. It works badly if your list is mostly Alpine, Highlands or the Gassan courses in Lamphun, because those transfers can run 45 to 80 minutes each way. For a mixed itinerary we often suggest two nights in Mae Rim and the rest in the city. These drive times are CMGT Golf estimates, so confirm them at booking.
How far is Mae Rim from Chiang Mai city and the airport?
Mae Rim's district office sits about 16 km north of central Chiang Mai on Highway 107, according to the Bangkok Post. Resorts deeper in the Mae Sa valley or on the Mae Rim to Samoeng road sit further out. Plan on roughly 25 to 45 minutes to Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX) for most Mae Rim hotels, depending on traffic. The airport sits close to the Old City, so the airport run is rarely the long leg of the trip.
Which golf course is closest to Mae Rim?
Summit Green Valley Country Club is the closest. It sits on Chotana Road in Mae Sa, about 10 km north of the city on Route 107, just before Mae Rim town. From most Mae Rim hotels it is a 10 to 15 minute drive. Lanna Golf Club, further south towards the city, is about 15 to 25 minutes away. Summit is one of the pricier courses in the area and offers floodlit evening golf. Reviews of its greens are mixed, so check recent feedback before you plan three rounds there.
Do I need a car or driver if I stay in Mae Rim?
Yes, for golf. Grab cars do run in Mae Rim, but they are unreliable for a 6:30am pickup with a full tour bag, and getting a ride home from a course on the far side of the valley is harder still. A pre-booked private round trip to a course typically costs about ฿1,400 to ฿2,500 in Chiang Mai, which adds up over four rounds. Our packages include a private driver and airport transfers, so the Mae Rim distance becomes a scheduling question rather than a cost one.
When is Mae Rim a bad choice for golfers?
Mae Rim is a poor fit for three groups. The first is golfers whose rounds are mostly at Alpine, Highlands or the Gassan courses, which sit east or south of the city. The second is groups who want nightlife or a wide choice of restaurants after the round, because Mae Rim goes quiet early. The third is visitors in March and early April, when burning-season smoke settles in the hill valleys just as it does in town, so the greener setting does not buy you cleaner air. In those cases a city hotel makes more sense.
