A COUPLE of hours north-east of Bangkok, the motorway gives way to smaller roads, the skyline softens and the air turns a few degrees cooler. By the time you reach Khao Yai, the city feels a long way behind you. It’s here, in a broad, green valley on the edge of the national park, that you find one of Thailand’s more surprising golf experiences: Toscana Valley Country Club.
At first glance, you could be forgiven for checking your passport. Terracotta roofs, cream stone facades and narrow streets step up the hillside, with towers and campaniles reflected in a chain of lakes. The whole development has been modelled on an Italian hill town, complete with piazza, “village” lanes and a scattering of cafés and restaurants. Safe for the backdrop of Thai forest and mountains, it feels very much like a corner of Tuscany transplanted into the tropics.
Threaded through all this is an 18-hole, par-72 layout by American architect Bob McFarland, who has used the natural valley to create one of the more dramatic inland courses in the country. From the back tees it stretches to just over 7,000 yards, but a good range of forward markers makes it manageable for most club golfers.
The opening holes ease you in gently. Fairways are generally generous from the tee, but it doesn’t take long to realise that position matters more than length here. Subtle side-slopes feed the ball towards collection areas, and approach shots that drift even slightly offline will often leave you chipping back from a tight lie or from below the putting surface. McFarland’s green complexes are the real defence of the course: plenty of contour, but rarely unfair, and always asking you to think about where you want to leave your next shot rather than simply firing at the flag.
Water appears throughout the round, but usually with an escape route for the cautious player. Several tees sit on small peninsulas or platforms, forcing you to carry ponds or inlets, yet there is nearly always a safer line for those who prefer to nudge their way around. On a number of the par fours, confident hitters can take on longer carries across water or bunkers to set up short irons, while the rest of us are invited to play to the wider side and accept a longer second.
The front nine occupies the lower ground of the valley, with views framed by rows of pines and the occasional glimpse of the “village” across the water. The back nine climbs higher into the slopes, and this is where Toscana Valley shows its teeth. There are more sidehill lies, more elevation changes and a couple of memorable tee shots played from well above the fairway, your ball hanging in the air against a backdrop of mountains and Tuscan-style buildings. One of the par threes in particular sticks in the mind: a mid-iron over water to a green backed by the resort’s version of the Leaning Tower of Pisa – a photo opportunity even if the tee shot doesn’t quite go to plan.
Conditioning is a strong point. Fairways are generally tight and springy, encouraging the ball to run, while the greens are usually firm and on the quick side without being extreme. It’s the sort of course where you come away knowing exactly which shots cost you, but feeling that the course was perfectly fair. Low markers will find plenty of challenge from the tips; holiday golfers can enjoy a more relaxed round from the forward tees and simply soak up the setting.
Off the course, the wider Toscana Valley estate makes this more than a day-trip venue. The development includes a choice of accommodation, from the lakeside Hotel Portofino, with its colourful facades and small harbour-style frontage, to the hilltop Castello Della Valle and Toscana Piazza, which overlooks the valley with its own “leaning tower” and central square. There are also suites and villa-style options dotted around the estate, popular with families and groups who want to settle in for a few days of golf and local touring.
Eating and drinking is part of the attraction. A string of cafés, trattoria-style restaurants and bars are spread through the property, including options in and around the clubhouse. You can finish your round with a simple pasta and a cold drink on the terrace, watching the last groups come up the 18th, or wander into the village area for coffee and gelato. It’s all a little curated, of course, but the overall effect is charming rather than contrived.
For Australian golfers looking to add something different to a Thailand itinerary, Toscana Valley works well as a short add-on to a Bangkok stay. The drive from the capital is straightforward, and once you’re up in Khao Yai the pace slows noticeably. The national park is close by, wineries dot the surrounding hills, and the cooler climate – especially in the dry season – makes it a pleasant change from the coastal heat.
You won’t come here looking for links golf or a traditional members’ club atmosphere. What you will find is a well-designed, thoughtfully maintained course in a setting that feels unlike anywhere else in Thailand – a blend of European fantasy and Thai landscape that somehow works. For many visitors, that combination of scenery, variety and a touch of theatre is exactly what they want from a holiday round.
Toscana Valley Country Club may not yet have the name recognition of some of Thailand’s coastal heavyweights, but for those willing to leave the coast and head for the hills, it offers a memorable day’s golf – and a glimpse of Tuscany, just a few hours from Bangkok.
NEED TO KNOW
• Location: Khao Yai region, a few hours’ drive north-east of Bangkok
• Course: 18 holes, par-72, valley and hillside layout
• Style: Resort course set within a Tuscan-themed village development
• Best for: Couples and groups looking to combine golf with a short Khao Yai break
• Stay: On-site hotel rooms and villas within the Toscana Valley estate
• Add-ons: Nearby Khao Yai National Park, local wineries and cooler-climate countryside
Golf Corner Travel
Paul Deans – 0411 111 554
www.golfcorner.com.au
Prestige Golf Tours
Dean Page – 0402 185 658
www.prestigegolf.com.au
Go Golfing Travel
Peter McCarthy – 07 5508 2250
www.gogolfing.com.au
Golf Tourism Australia
Simon Cummins – 03 9787 1110
www.golftourismaustralia.com
For more information or reservations:
Tel: +66 044-082-039 or
Email : reservations.khaoyai@ihg.com
