Hat Yai and greater Songkhla pack three solid 18-hole courses plus a couple of 9-hole options into a compact, affordable corner of southern Thailand - green fees a fraction of Phuket or Bangkok, caddies included, and easy reach from both Hat Yai International Airport and the Malaysia border. Here is the expat and visitor guide: the courses, what a round really costs in baht, how caddies and tipping work, membership versus pay-and-play, booking, and the best season to play.
Hat Yai is not a golf-resort town on the scale of Phuket or Hua Hin, but it offers a genuinely good, low-cost golf scene for residents and visitors: Hat Yai Resort & Golf Club close to the city centre, the championship-standard Southern Hills Golf & Country Club and water-hazard-heavy Tongthai Banrai Golf Course both out in Ban Pru, and two 9-hole options for a quicker round. All welcome visitors daily on a pay-and-play basis, caddies are included as standard, and green fees run well below Thailand's resort-island prices. This guide covers where to play, what it costs in baht, how caddies and tipping work, booking, and when to play.
Founded in 1995 in the Tung Tam Sao area, Hat Yai Resort & Golf Club is the most central and best-known course for anyone based in the city. It is a par-72, 18-hole layout with a driving range, clubhouse and restaurant, and it is the easiest course to reach without a long drive out of town - a natural first stop for residents wanting a quick, affordable round after work or at the weekend.
Out on Kanchanavanich Road in Ban Pru, roughly 20 to 25 minutes south of the city centre, Southern Hills Golf & Country Club is the region's championship test - a Perry Dye-designed, par-72 layout stretching past 7,000 yards from the back tees. It is more remote, with fewer amenities nearby, but golfers rate it as the most challenging and scenic course in the Hat Yai area, worth the drive for a serious round.
Also in the Ban Pru area near Southern Hills, Tongthai Banrai (Thong Thai Ban Rai) Golf Course is an 18-hole, par-72 layout built around extensive water features and sand traps. The clubhouse has a restaurant, snack bar, pro shop and swimming pool, making it a popular half-day option that combines golf with a pool afternoon for families and groups.
For a shorter or lower-cost game, Koh Hong Golf Club is a 9-hole course south of the city near Southern Hills, and Thong Yai Golf Course offers another 9-hole option further out. Both suit golfers short on time or looking for a cheaper practice round between the three full 18-hole clubs.
| What you pay | Typical range (THB) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Weekday green fee | 600 - 950 | Hat Yai Resort & GC is the most affordable at 600 baht weekdays; Southern Hills runs 950 baht Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri |
| Weekend / holiday green fee | 900 - 1,400 | Hat Yai Resort & GC is 900 baht; Southern Hills rises to 1,400 baht on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays |
| Sport-day discount | 300 - 550 | Both clubs run a midweek sport-day rate - Wednesday at Hat Yai Resort & GC (300 baht) and Southern Hills (550 baht) |
| Caddie fee | 180 - 300 | Paid to the club; Hat Yai Resort & GC is around 180 baht, Southern Hills around 300 baht |
| Caddie tip | 200 - 400+ | Customary on top of the fee, handed to the caddie directly at the end of the round |
| Electric cart / buggy | ~600 | Available at both main clubs, useful given the midday heat |
| Club rental | 500 - 1,000 | Sets available at all three clubs; reserve ahead if travelling without your own clubs |
Indicative ranges for Hat Yai Resort & Golf Club and Southern Hills Golf & Country Club; Tongthai Banrai and the 9-hole courses sit in a similar band. Actual prices vary by course, day and season - confirm current rates with the club when booking.
As across Thailand, a caddie comes with the round at every Hat Yai and Songkhla course. The caddie fee itself is modest and paid to the club - typically 180 baht at Hat Yai Resort & Golf Club and around 300 baht at Southern Hills - while a tip of 200 to 400 baht or more is customary and given directly to the caddie. Caddies read the greens, clean clubs, spot balls and help with pace of play, so tipping well for good service is the norm.
All three main clubs - Hat Yai Resort & Golf Club, Southern Hills and Tongthai Banrai - welcome visitors every day on a straightforward pay-and-play basis, so no membership is required to play any of them. This makes the Hat Yai golf scene easy for expats, cross-border visitors from Malaysia and short-stay travellers alike; most players simply turn up or book a tee time rather than joining as members.
Weekday tee times are generally easy to arrange with a call to the club or through discount platforms such as Birdie or GolfDigg, which list Hat Yai's courses. Weekends and Thai public holidays are busier, particularly at Hat Yai Resort & Golf Club given its central location, so it is worth booking a day or two ahead. Southern Hills and Tongthai Banrai, being further out in Ban Pru, tend to be quieter and more flexible for walk-ins.
The coolest and most comfortable months to play run roughly November to February; March to May is hot, and the rainy season from May to October brings lush fairways with afternoon showers, so an early tee time is the safer bet year-round. Hat Yai's courses sit outside the city centre, so plan on a car, Grab, or a hotel-arranged transfer - Southern Hills and Tongthai Banrai in Ban Pru are roughly 20 to 25 minutes from downtown. Hat Yai's proximity to the Malaysia border and Hat Yai International Airport (HDY) also makes it a popular quick golf trip for players crossing over from Penang and northern Malaysia.
Budget roughly 600 to 950 baht for a weekday green fee and 900 to 1,400 baht at weekends, with Hat Yai Resort & Golf Club at the affordable end and Southern Hills Golf & Country Club at the higher, championship end. On top of the green fee, expect a caddie fee of 180 to 300 baht (plus a customary tip of 200 to 400 baht or more) and around 600 baht for an electric cart.
Hat Yai Resort & Golf Club is the most central and convenient, a par-72 course close to the city with a driving range and restaurant. Southern Hills Golf & Country Club, a Perry Dye design stretching past 7,000 yards, is the region's championship test and most scenic layout. Tongthai Banrai Golf Course adds extensive water hazards and family amenities including a pool, and two 9-hole courses, Koh Hong and Thong Yai, offer quicker, cheaper rounds.
A caddie comes standard with the round at every course in the area, as is customary across Thailand. The caddie fee is modest and paid to the club, and a tip of 200 to 400 baht or more is customary on top, given directly to the caddie at the end of the round for reading greens, cleaning clubs and helping with pace of play.
No. Hat Yai Resort & Golf Club, Southern Hills Golf & Country Club and Tongthai Banrai Golf Course all welcome visitors every day on a pay-and-play basis, so no membership is required. This makes golf in Hat Yai easy to fit into a short stay, including for golfers crossing the border from Malaysia for the day.
The cool, dry season from roughly November to February gives the most comfortable playing conditions. March to May is hot, and the rainy season from May to October brings regular afternoon downpours, so teeing off in the morning is the safer choice throughout the year.
Primary and official sources are cited above. Government rules, fees and procedures in Thailand change over time and vary by office; always confirm current requirements with the relevant authority before relying on them. BAANLYY never takes paid placement in editorial content.
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Hero photo by CK Seng on Pexels. General information only; confirm current green fees, caddie fees, cart rules and tee-time availability with each club before you play.