Aquella Golf Resort and Country Club

The Aquella Golf Resort and Country Club sit along the Andaman Sea at Thai Muang Beach, 40 minutes north of Phuket Airport. The 177-hectare site development plan includes the former Thai Muang Golf Club's rejuvenation, hotels, residential villages, sports centers, and shopping complexes.

Since 2018 the golf course was re-constructed by Pacific Coast Design from Australia and opened in 2021 with practically all new hole routing from what was initially set out by Andy Dye some thirty years earlier.

The 186-yard par-three eleventh is the current signature hole. Here golfers have a magnificent view out to the Andaman Sea and along the beachfront. It also has multiple angles into the green from different tees – the hole has an excellent purple groundcover and is visually stunning.

While the new design has followed a few of the former holes' routing, many of the other holes are over the leftover soil from the partially built original marina construction in the 1990s. There is a deep sand cap on the new fairways, and Aquella drains well even after the frequent monsoon rains.

Aquella plays through some open areas and some wooded casuarina pines. The Platinum Paspalum grassed track is laid out on flattish terrain and offers high and low handicappers challenges. The undulating land results in many uneven lies and, at the same time, wide fairways playable for resort golfers. Many risk-reward opportunities create excitement for all golfers.

Facilities are modern and first-class at a reliable resort. The clubhouse restaurant overlooks the golf course and looks out to the Andaman Sea. Aquella is a prestigious setting for social gatherings in a friendly, informal atmosphere. Before a round of golf, players can warm up using the elaborate gym, change in the elegant locker rooms, and catch up for coffee or tea on the golfer's terrace. Aquella offers a world-class level of service excellence.

It's good to see the former Thai Muang come back to life as Aquella and raise the standard of golf in this relatively lesser-known part of Thailand. Phuket-bound golfers will be pleased they made the day trip to Aquella.