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Loch Palm Golf Course, Phuket - by Andrew Ng
I first played at Loch Palm Golf Club more than 10 years ago when it first opened and was known as Phuket Century. Located in Kathu District on a hilly plateau, the venue is just 15 to 20 minutes drive from Phuket City and Patong Beach. From the airport, it is a little over an hour away. Sandwiched between the Katu Waterfalls and Katu Village this magnificent property lies beneath the surrounding panoramic peaks. The course surrounds the Crystal Lake spread over 48 acres, the largest of all lakes of the golf courses of Phuket. Golfers get a refreshing breeze off the water of this lake and its smaller sister (lake) most of the time.
The 18 hole par 72, over 6,434 yards layout is tree-lined with beautiful palm trees. A recent major re-design and multi-million dollar upgrade has been completed and the course is in great shape. With maturity, the course is beginning to gain a reputation as one of the best layouts on the island. Course management is required here if you are going to come out with a good score for sure.There are smooth slopes as well as some dramatic changes in elevations. You will need to play across and around ravines and plateaus.
Whatever your competence, the course will test you for sure. On the front nine the lakes and palm trees dominate. Hilly terrain takes you up and down with beautiful scenery to match the challenges of the back nine. Reading the greens is a challenge here so do consult your caddies for their local knowledge on your putting lines.
Facilities include the following:
The Golf Lodge comprises of 9 two storey townhomes, 4 studio rooms and 1 VIP facility, 4 rest kiosks with F & B services on course, men and ladies lockers and shower rooms, and a lakeside restaurant.
The caddy car connects hole 9 with the 10th tee. Also,a chipping & putting green, driving range, souvenir and proshop and an all ladies caddy team.
The Course
Hole 1; 374 yards par 4
The first hole requires your drive to carry part of the lake off the tee with the lake awaiting all shots straying to the right. Some golfers have been known to end up on the 9th fairway while staying cautiously away from the lake. To the right and left of the triangular green, large bunkers await on both sides. It’s a great hole to test your temperament and course management at the beginning of your round here.
Hole 2; 494 yards par 5
Hole number two is a relatively short but tight par-5 dogleg to the right the lake cutting in towards the green from the right. With a long dive you can go aggressively for the green in two, or, lay up and try to use an easy approach to get the ball close to the pin on the sloping green.
Hole 3; 330 yards par 4
The third hole is a short par 4, again, a dogleg to the right. Place your tee shot to the left center of the fairway, to prepare for a relatively simple approach shot to the green.
Hole 4; 171 yards par 3
Number Four is a mid length par 3 with the green just after the small lake. Bunkers on both front side of the green makes it necessary for your club selection to be absolutely correct if you want to be near the pin which is often place on either side of the front of this green.
Hole 5; 604 yards par 5 (Indexed 1)
The par 5 fifth is one of the longest hole in Thailand. With the lake to the left, keeping your tee shot to the right means flirting with a cluster of bunkers there. On the left, lies more water and palm trees so, the second shot from the fairway needs to keep slightly right. Unless you are a long hitter, you will need an accurate mid to long iron (or even wood for some) to get to the green in three. With a headwind, this is no easy par to collect.
Hole 6; 376 yards par 4 At the teebox of the par 4 sixth hole, what you see is a sharp almost right-angled uphill dog-leg to the right. The lake to the right and small waterfall makes a pretty picture. If you stray to the right, the lake and its steep banks and a tree will punish you. Safety towards the left will mean a testy mid to long iron uphill to the green. The sloping green is well protected by its surrounding bunkers.
Hole 7; 330 yards par 4
Playing downhill, the seventh hole, features water all along the right side of the fairway from tee to green. On the left, trees line the wide fairway while the green has bunkers on both sides. An easy hole if you stay out of trouble.
Hole 8; 175 yards par 3
Hole eight is a par three that plays to an obliquety set green that has tough bunkers on the left and in the back.
Hole 9; 394 yards par 4
The ninth hole, a dogleg to the right requires a long drive if you are going to get on in regulation. OB lies to the right. the green is very large and challenging and has two bunkers at the front. It’s a nice finishing hole for the front nine.
Hole 10; 362 yards par 4
A slight dogleg just before the green, this par 4 tenth hole plays downhill from an elevated tee box with the fairway partly blind. The target is right of the fairway bunker. If your tee shot goes too far right, you will not be able to clear the tall trees to get on the green in two. Many have tried and failed. The green is undulating and requires precision reading and execution if you want to avoid putting badly.
Hole 11; 524 yards par 5
This is a reconfiguration of the old 11th and 12th which combines a par 4 and par 3 to become a new par 5. The tee shot and subsequent fairway shot leaves you with a steep uphill approach shot to the elevated green. Two deep bunkers will test your bunker skills severely while the green has tricky slopes that requires a good read.
Hole 12; 358 yards par 4
A beautiful tee shot over punishing rough and watery terrain presents itself from the elevated tee of this sharp dog-leg to the right. Longer hitters who make the fairway keeping slightly right will be rewarded with a short pitch to the green. The drink hut after the green is a nice relaxing place to celebrate the well earned par or birdie that you have just made.
Hole 13; 456 yards par 4 (indexed 2)
This long sharp dogleg left to the left is tough to par because of its length and well guarded green. The fairway is relatively wide so you can go wham-bang and throw caution to the wind.
Hole 14; 168 yards par 3
The fourteenth is the most picturesque hole on this course. From the elevated tee, the green aside the small lake is about 8 to 10 storeys below. The kind of par 3 where your adrenalin rushes a little through your veins when you sail that ball accurately onto the green.
Hole 15; 389 yards par 4
Hole number fifteen is a straight par 4 slightly uphill with water hazards teasing your tee shot. Its not too easy because the second shot demands at least a mid length iron to get on in regulation.
Hole 16; 202 yards par 3 The longest par 3 on this layout, The lake will drown your ambition for a par here if you slice your ball. Large bunkers on the right front and side of the green and another one on the left back demand accuracy off the tee. On the green, the countoured surface requires close attention and careful putting. Not an easy par 3 to conquer.
Hole 17; 320 yards par 4
The seventeenth is short and straight and gently uphill. The emphasis should be on accuracy in approaching the green with bunkers all around it and a relatively smaller green.
Hole 18; 528 yards par 5 While this short par 5 has a handicap index of 8, this author’s opinion is that this is probably one of the most difficult holes of the entire course. Players will need to make a reasonably good drive to be positioned to play a long fairway shot to set up a good position from where to get to the green on the third shot. A weak drive will leave you a sharp corner that can only allow for a short iron to round the corner and a long iron to the green thereafter. The Crystal Lake on the right of a tight narrow fairway demands accurate shots. This is a great finishing hole that will test your nerve as you challenge your playing partners for accuracy and shotmaking.
| Items | 9holes | 18holes | | Green Fees | 1,400 Baht | 2,600 Baht | | Caddy Fees | 100 Baht | 200 Baht | | Golf Cart | 450 Baht | 800 Baht | | Golf Club Rentals: (Steel / Graphite) | 420 / 600 Baht | 420 / 600 Baht | | Rental Soft Spike Shoes | 180 Baht | 180 Baht | | Rental Umbrella | 80 Baht | 80 Baht | | Rental Golf Chair | 80 Baht | 80 Baht | | All services is inclusive of service fee, VAT 7% and excise Tax 10% .Credit Card; Visa, Master, Amex, will be charged 3.5% (except Green Fee).All above rates are subject to change without prior notice. | | Location & Contact details38 Moo 5 Vichitsongkram Rd., Kathu District,Phuket 83120, Thailand.Tel.:(66 76)321 929-34 Fax:(66 76 )321 927-8 Email Contact:
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