Chiang Mai Gymkhana Club — Attraction in Chiang Mai Province

Busy area where many people come for sports activities The Gymkhana club at Chiang Mai in northern Thailand, was conceived in 1898 by a handful of expatriate gentlemen with the object of using the club as a means of encouraging sport in Northern Siam.

For the club to achieve this goal it should be managed so as to needs of the members and their guests and be run as a profitable where all profits are circulated back into the club for continual improvement.

The club would also act as a focal point where members could meet up during their work breaks and together with their wives enjoy a haven of tranquility, engage in idle (and sometimes malicious) gossip, participate in various sports and relax with the tipple of their choice on the veranda whilst the heat of the afternoon sun gave way to cooling breezes from the adjacent mountains.

The British playwright and novelist, Somerset Maungham wrote,when he visited the Gymkhana club while touring through the Chiang Mai district in the 1920s,”although horse racing is no more, there are excellent facilities for golf, tennis, squash and cricket. The Gymkhana club is well worth a visit and provides a chance to take a step back into a different kind of Thai history.”

His observation still applies to this day, 99 years or so later.

For more information on the history of the...

You get what you pay for!

Green fee (including caddy and stroller) is very cheap, so don't expect much. If you want a fun way to take a casual walk while swinging a golf club, it is worth a visit.

Details: -Uneven, patchy tee boxes. -"Fairways" are mostly full of short cow grass, other than patches of exposed dirt. When I played, the ground was also very dry and hard so I had to figure A LOT of run. -It isn't so apparent where the "Rough" begins; if you see tree roots, more exposed dirt, and weeds, you're in the rough. -Lots of old trees with long overhang - this can be a fun challenge or an annoyance, depending on your perspective. Bring a solid punch shot! You'll need it. -Bunkers are basically rock hard. Some even have grass starting to grow in them. -Greens are not consistent from hole to hole. Most of them are 50% sand. -My caddy was friendly but not that helpful. She didn't really look where the ball was going and I ended up finding most of my balls. Ask for a caddy if it's your first time playing alone, but many people seem to play without one (for good reason). -They seem to allow 6 ball flights. The group ahead of us was so slow so we had...

Very very old golf course, no way to make any bookings. I have tried different ways such as calling, Facebook messages etc but simply walk in. No lockers available at all. But the good part is it is very cheap. Only 500 per person as a visitor plus 200 kaddey fee. Staff can rarely speak any English. The restaurant is not cheap compared to the area and tastes/looks only so so. They are also very friendly to their elderly english customers and seem not bother to accommodate me at all. Playing there is only cheap, the course has very bad maintained and most of the fairways are soil and even it is hard to tee. It is not a real golf course for me. I would not recommend going there if you are looking for a decent golf experience...