Does Koh Samui have golf courses?
Yes, Koh Samui has two golf courses open to visitors. Santiburi Samui Country Club opens daily from 06:00 to 18:30. Royal Samui Golf opens daily from 07:00 to 18:00 (both checked 2 November 2026). A third course on the island is now listed as permanently closed, so we leave it out.
You came for the beach and packed your clubs anyway. Do not expect flat resort golf. Samui is a mountain in the sea, and both courses climb its slopes. Fairways cross ridges and valleys, greens sit on terraces, and the views reach the Gulf of Thailand. Good golfers love the challenge; first-timers find it hard work in the heat.
Two courses do not fill a long golf holiday on their own. Our advice: play Samui two or three times in a beach week, then add rounds on the mainland. The golf in Thailand guide compares every region if you want more choice.
The golf courses on Koh Samui
The two golf courses on Koh Samui are Santiburi Samui Country Club and Royal Samui Golf & Country Club. Santiburi is the full 18-hole championship course and the one to book first. Royal Samui is a shorter 9-hole layout. Both are in the island's hills rather than on the beach.
Santiburi Samui Country Club (Mae Nam). The club's website describes an 18-hole, par-72 championship course. A golf cart and a caddie are compulsory for every player. Premium rental sets cost ฿600 to ฿1,500, so you can leave your own clubs at home for a short trip. The course runs up and down the hill behind the north coast, with long carries over ravines. Our verdict: book the first tee time of the day, for the price and the cooler air.
Royal Samui Golf & Country Club. The club's own site describes a 9-hole course in the hills with ocean views. It suits a relaxed round, a lesson, or a late-afternoon game after the beach. Play the loop twice if you want 18 holes. The club does not publish its visitor green fee online, so we ask for the current rate when we book. We'd choose it for a mixed group of strong and casual players.
How to book a tee time. Early slots go first in the dry season. We book your times when you confirm your dates, then reconfirm two days before. Groups of eight or more should book at least a month ahead for December to April. Tell us your handicaps, so we can pair the right caddies and choose sensible tees.
Best course overall: Santiburi, for the full 18 holes and the championship layout. Best for views and a short round: Royal Samui. Best base for golf: a hotel on the north or north-east coast, close to Santiburi.
How much does it cost to play golf in Koh Samui?
A round of golf in Koh Samui costs from ฿3,550 at Santiburi with cart and caddie included. That is the club's 2026 early-bird offer for 18 holes, for tee times from 06:00 to 07:00. Its 9-hole twilight round costs ฿1,675, also with cart and caddie. Both offers run to 31 December 2026.
Outside those hours, Santiburi's resort website lists a green fee of ฿4,500, plus ฿550 for the caddie and ฿750 for the cart. That makes ฿5,800 before any tip. The page shows no date, so take it as a guide and confirm on the day. Rental clubs add ฿600 to ฿1,500 per set.
Royal Samui does not publish visitor rates online. A 9-hole course usually costs less than an 18-hole one, but we confirm the figure in writing before you play. Pay your caddie a tip in cash after the round. Santiburi does not state an amount, so ask us for the local custom.
How do Samui green fees compare with the rest of the country?
Golf in Thailand costs less than at many top clubs in Europe, Hong Kong or the Gulf. The famous courses still charge a premium for their name. TAT counts more than 250 courses in the country (TAT News, September 2026). Prices rise with fame, location and weekends, and caddie and cart fees are usually extra.
Some published rates show the range. Black Mountain in Hua Hin lists a visitor green fee of ฿3,500 for 18 holes (club rates page, October 2026). A caddie is compulsory, at ฿350. Laguna Golf Phuket charges ฿5,600 with the caddie included. Siam Country Club's Old Course near Pattaya asks ฿6,500 on weekdays and ฿8,500 at weekends, before caddie and cart.
Samui sits in the middle of that range. You pay a little more for the island setting and the short supply of courses. Our golf holidays guide shows how to mix famous and quieter courses in one trip.
For courses and fees across the country, see our guide to golf in Thailand.
Best time to play golf on Koh Samui
The best time to play golf on Koh Samui is February to April, the driest stretch of the year. Thai Meteorological Department normals for Samui show February as the driest month and November as the wettest, at about 445 mm. Samui's rainy months differ from Phuket's, which helps when you plan a two-island trip.
October to December brings the heaviest rain. Storms can stop play for an hour or close a course after a downpour. January is drier but still has showers. For monthly rain and heat in every region, read our Thailand weather guide.
Heat matters as much as rain. From March the middle of the day is hot and humid on a hill course. Tee off at dawn, carry two litres of water, and plan the afternoon at the pool or the spa.
Where to stay for golf
For golf, stay on Samui's north or north-east coast, which keeps Santiburi close and the airport within easy reach. The island's best luxury hotels sit along these coasts. Each can arrange a car to the first tee, and our team books tee times to match your hotel's breakfast hours.
Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui. Villas on a quiet hillside on the north-west coast, each with its own pool. The resort is known as a filming location for The White Lotus season 3 (Four Seasons). Book early for February to April, the island's busiest golf months.
Six Senses Samui. A resort on a headland on the north-east tip, about 15 minutes by car from Samui Airport (the hotel says). It suits golfers who want a wellness programme between rounds.
Anantara Lawana Koh Samui. On Chaweng Beach, with One MICHELIN Key in the MICHELIN Guide Thailand 2026. It is the right pick if your group wants restaurants and nightlife after golf.
For a group of four golfers or more, a private villa with a chef often works better than two hotel rooms. Our where to stay on Koh Samui guide compares the beaches in detail.
Adding Phuket, Hua Hin or Bangkok rounds
Adding mainland rounds is easy because Samui Airport has direct flights to Bangkok. Bangkok Airways, which owns and runs the airport, lists Suvarnabhumi to Koh Samui at about 1 hour 10 to 20 minutes. From Bangkok you can reach Hua Hin's courses by road or connect to Phuket.
Example plan: three days of golf on Samui, then a flight to Bangkok. From there, drive to Hua Hin or Pattaya for the rest of the week. Read our guides to golf in Phuket and golf in Hua Hin to choose the second stop. Book the flights early for December to April, when seats to Samui sell out fast.
A private aircraft can also land at Samui Airport with permission and a slot. The airport opens from 06:00 to 22:00. A private flight or a helicopter is available on request, and Tanner confirms the details in your quote.
Plan your golf trip with Tanner
Tanner plans golf in Koh Samui as part of the whole trip. That means tee times at dawn, clubs or rental sets, caddies, a car to each course and a villa near the first tee. One planner handles the flights, the hotel and the dinner table after the round.
Send the number of golfers, your handicaps and your dates, and we book Santiburi and the island courses. We plan for any group, from one golfer to 30 or more, and send one written quote. If a second island is not worth the flight for your group, we say so.
