David Filkin

Jim,

My apologies. I did not get your email until I got home last night – far too late to respond usefully to your questions I’m sure. Anyway, here goes….

Sorry we did not get together for a round while I was in Chiang Mai. I had a great time as always; at first it was all very quiet probably because of the airport problems and political uncertainties at the end of last year. But it all picked up by the end of the month when the courses were as busy as ever. You were right about Alpine – they have really made something special from the old Chiang Mai Lamphun course. The facilities are much better and the new course layout is excellent. Highlands was as good as ever and I enjoyed my round at Gassan Khuntan even though it is much further from Chiang Mai than the other courses. The weather was really excellent; always hot but not too hot, not humid and always dry.

You asked me about Royal Chiang Mai. I was really surprised to hear that you have had some mixed reports about it; I always like Royal Chiang Mai and it has never occurred to me that the fairways are less than excellent. They are not manicured like an American golf course but then I like that. Golf can become too "artificial" if the course does not feel natural.

So next year I will be very pleased to go to all the courses I went to this year, or any of the others you feel have now come up to scratch, such as Gassan Lake City and Gassan Marina if they have, and Green Valley if it is no longer taking too many bookings and playing six hour rounds.

David Filkin
UK, February