St Andrews is known as the home of modern day golf and is the oldest golf course in the world. It deserves its own pedestal, and rightly so. Its influence on contemporary golf remains unmatched, as many rule changes in the mid 17th century were made due to problems posed directly by this challenging course. Furthermore, St Andrews has the distinction of hosting The Open Championship as many as 28 times.
From being the sport of choice for the nobles, elitists and supremacists, to its now global appeal, Golf has gone through a metamorphosis of sorts. Golf is now enjoyed by a diversified group of enthusiasts who come from different economic and social backgrounds. No region represents this change more than the golfing tourism industry in Asia. Asia boasts the best blend of culture and scenic golf courses our planet has to offer, and the crown jewel of its catalogue is definitely the Red Mountain golf course located in Phuket Island, Thailand.
Red Mountain, an 18 hole 72 par, golf course was built on a tin mine in 2008, and gains its name from the red colored dirt from its tin mining days, which has been expertly integrated into the golf course. The course blends seamlessly with the tin mine, from which it draws its unique character and the course curators, have done well to pay homage to an important era in the history of the island.
The combination results in a visually appealing and technically challenging course. Much like the St Andrews, this course is not a walk in the park, in fact, it is one of the most challenging ones in Asia. There are several landforms that alter the approach shot significantly, and often times you may find yourself teeing off from an elevation of more than 30 meters above the green.
Caddies are all local and have extensive golfing knowledge; certainly, it may help you shave a few shots off of your score if you heed their advice on choosing the right clubs. Staff is friendly and the amenities provided are world class. From the value of money standpoint, when it comes to golf holidays in Asia, you may be hard pressed to do better.
With its burgeoning reputation, unique challenges and star power within the Asian golfing circuit, Red Mountain golf course is charting a similar path to St Andrews. Although it may lack in comparison when it comes to prestige, we feel given enough time, Red Mountain Golf Club will be able to stand on its own laurels in the not so distant future, especially when it comes to the Asian golfing history. Ask our golf travel experts at Golfasian about including Red Mountain in your next Phuket golf holiday.
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