Santiburisamui Country Club

Santiburi Samui Country Club is Koh Samui’s only 18-hole championship golf course, built into the hills above the island’s north coast near Mae Nam and Bang Rak. It plays to par 72 over roughly 6,930 yards, designed by Edward Thiele and Pirapon Namatra and opened in 2003. The elevation changes are the defining feature here — fairways climb and drop across the hillside, with several holes opening onto views over the Gulf of Thailand.

The course sits within the Santiburi resort group’s grounds, and it hosted the Bangkok Airways Open in 2006, the kind of credential that draws a mix of serious golfers and holidaymakers who want a proper 18 holes rather than a resort pitch-and-putt. Caddie and cart are mandatory at Santiburi, as at most Samui courses, and that cost is typically bundled into the green fee rather than billed separately — expect somewhere in the 3,500-6,000 THB range depending on tee time and season, with early-morning slots and junior rates toward the lower end.

Tee times generally start around 7:00 AM, and the course is open to non-members — book directly with the club or through one of the golf-booking services that operate on the island. Play here comes with the elevation-change trade-off: it’s a more demanding walk (or cart ride) than a flat coastal course, and shots that look straightforward from the tee often aren’t once the slope comes into play.

Insider Tip: Book an early tee time if you can get one — the hillside holes lose their shade fast, and Samui’s midday heat makes the back nine considerably harder going by early afternoon.

Watch out: The course’s water hazards and elevation changes catch out golfers used to flatter resort courses — bring more balls than you think you’ll need.

The clubhouse is a short drive from two of Samui’s best-known sights on the north coast, Phra Yai (the Big Buddha) and Wat Plai Laem, both worth combining with a round if you’re staying nearby. For the wider area, see the Bang Rak Beach hub.