Ubolratana Dam Golf Course

Ubolratana Dam Golf Course is a public 18-hole layout built into the embankment of the Khon Kaen region’s Ubolratana Dam, roughly an hour’s drive north of the city. It’s a working golf club, not a sightseeing stop — come to play a round, not to wander in and look at the reservoir.

The course takes its character from the dam site itself: several holes run along the water’s edge with the reservoir as a hazard rather than scenery, and the terrain along the embankment brings more elevation change than a flat inland course would. Fairways elsewhere thread through the surrounding hills and tree cover typical of this part of Isan. It’s a modest, unpretentious layout by Bangkok-resort standards — expect functional rather than manicured conditioning, and a quieter pace than the busier courses closer to Khon Kaen city.

Green fees and, typically, a caddie fee apply per round, in line with standard practice at courses across Thailand — this isn’t a free walk-in attraction despite sitting on public dam land. Non-members are welcome; there’s no club membership requirement to book a tee time. Facilities are basic rather than resort-grade: a clubhouse for check-in, but don’t expect the spa or fine-dining add-ons of a Phuket or Hua Hin golf resort.

Insider Tip: Book an early tee time. Isan gets hot fast once the sun’s up, and the dam-side holes have little shade — an 07:00 or 07:30 start beats the midday heat by a wide margin.

Watch out: This is a functioning golf club with limited public transport access — you’ll need your own car or a pre-arranged ride, and it’s not set up for casual non-golfing visitors to drop in.

If golf isn’t the plan, the dam itself — Ubolratana Dam — has its own viewpoints and reservoir access nearby that don’t require a set of clubs or a green fee.