Golfing in Koh Samui.

In the hills above Maenam on the quiet north coast, Santiburi Samui Country Club is the island's only full 18-hole championship course and one of the most scenic in Thailand. Laid out across steep, jungle-clad hillsides, it climbs to panoramic viewpoints over the Gulf of Thailand and neighbouring Koh Phangan, with dramatic elevation changes, tight tropical fairways and fast, sloping greens that make a cart and a good caddie genuinely essential. Part of the Santiburi Koh Samui resort, it pairs a round with a clubhouse restaurant and resort facilities, and sits roughly 20 to 30 minutes from Chaweng and 10 to 15 from Bophut and Fisherman's Village.

Beyond the championship layout, everyday golf on Samui is limited but workable. Santiburi has practice facilities for players, and a handful of small driving ranges and indoor golf simulators around Chaweng, Lamai and Bophut let residents keep their swing sharp between rounds. For coaching, Santiburi's professionals and independent instructors on the island can arrange lessons - though anyone wanting serious practice volume usually pairs Samui living with golf trips to the mainland.

Golfers who want more variety look across the water. The Surat Thani mainland - a ferry-and-drive or short hop away - opens up extra courses for a multi-day itinerary, and because Samui is well connected by air, many residents fold golf into trips to Thailand's true golf capitals: Hua Hin, Phuket and Bangkok's championship belt, where dozens of courses sit within easy reach. On the island itself, Santiburi remains the headline round and the reason golf features at all in the Samui long-stay lifestyle.

As across Thailand, a caddie is part of the game on Samui and is required at Santiburi. The caddie fee is modest - usually 400 to 600 baht - and is paid to the club, while a tip of 300 to 500 baht or more is customary and handed directly to the caddie at the end of the round. Caddies clean clubs, read the sloping greens, rake bunkers, spot balls on the hilly layout and shield you from sun and sudden rain. On a course this dramatic a good caddie genuinely transforms the round, so tip well for good work.

Santiburi welcomes visitors, resort guests and non-members on a pay-and-play basis, so you do not need a membership to play Samui's championship course - most expats and holidaymakers simply pay green fees as they go, often as part of a resort package. Memberships and multi-round passes may suit very frequent local players, but with only one full course on the island, pay-and-play is the flexible, better-value approach for the vast majority of residents and visitors.

Weekday tee times at Santiburi are usually easy to arrange by calling the club or booking online; weekends and the December-to-February high season fill quickly and should be reserved days ahead. The Santiburi resort and Samui's hotel concierges and golf-tour operators can bundle green fees, transfers and stay-and-play packages, and Thailand's discount tee-time platforms are widely used. Turn up 45 to 60 minutes early to check in, warm up and meet your caddie.

Samui's weather runs on a different clock to the Andaman coast: the island is generally driest and best for golf from roughly January to September, while the wettest monsoon months are October to December - so build a round around the forecast and tee off early to beat the heat and any afternoon showers. Samui has no rail or metro, so reach the course by car, hired scooter, Grab or a booked transfer; many resort packages include pick-up. Bring strong sun protection, plenty of water, soft spikes and a collared shirt, as dress codes are enforced, and note the club rents clubs and shoes if you are travelling light.

Yes - Koh Samui's golf centres on Santiburi Samui Country Club, the island's only full 18-hole championship course, set in the hills above Maenam on the north coast. It is a dramatic, scenic layout with big elevation changes and panoramic Gulf of Thailand views, part of the Santiburi resort. Beyond it there are only small driving ranges and simulators on the island, so golfers wanting more variety add on courses via the Surat Thani mainland or trips to Hua Hin, Phuket and Bangkok.

At Santiburi, budget roughly 3,000 to 4,500 baht for a weekday green fee and 3,500 to 5,500 baht at weekends and in high season. On top of the green fee you pay a caddie fee of around 400 to 600 baht (plus a customary tip of 300 to 500 baht or more) and usually 700 to 1,000 baht for a cart, which is effectively required on the hilly terrain. Resort stay-and-play packages bundle green fee, cart, caddie and sometimes rooms and transfers from around 5,000 baht upwards.

Yes - a caddie is effectively mandatory at Santiburi, as at almost every course in Thailand. The caddie fee is modest and paid to the club, and a tip is customary on top and given directly to the caddie. Caddies read the greens, clean clubs, rake bunkers and help you navigate the course's steep, dramatic hillsides, and a good one genuinely improves your round, so tipping well for good service is the norm.

No. Santiburi welcomes visitors, resort guests and non-members on a pay-and-play basis, so you can play Samui's championship course simply by paying green fees, often as part of a resort package. Memberships and multi-round passes exist for very frequent local players, but with only one full course on the island, pay-and-play is more flexible and better value for most expats, residents and holidaymakers.

Samui's seasons differ from Thailand's west coast: the island is generally driest and most comfortable for golf from roughly January to September, while the heaviest rain falls during the October-to-December monsoon. December to February is also peak tourist season, so tee times book out - reserve ahead. Whatever the month, teeing off early in the morning avoids the worst heat and any afternoon storms.