Guest author John Borthwick explores the golf scene of Hua Hin.

Few golf course deals can rival the one struck at Royal Hua Hin Golf Course in 1932…

In the middle of a round of golf, King Rama VII of Siam learned that a powerful alliance of bureaucrats and soldiers in Bangkok was demanding that his country's 700-year-old absolute monarchy be replaced by a constitutional monarchy. The king is said to have told his golfing companions, "I told you so," and continued playing. Thus began Siam-Thailand's sometimes bumpy road to democracy.

In the 1920s, Hua Hin was very popular with the royal court and Bangkok society, and a railway line was built from the capital. The exotic little waiting room built for the king still stands on the platform today – a typical Thai structure that resembles a cross between a temple and a ticket office.

Golf remains incredibly popular in Hua Hin, which regularly hosts major tournaments. It all began with the opening of the country's first golf course, Royal Hua Hin, in the 1920s (legend has it that caddies often had to chase tigers off the fairways). Today, there are around nine first-class golf courses along the Gulf of Thailand between Cha-am and Hua Hin, making the region practically a golfer's paradise.

Today's opulent golf resorts and residential complexes resemble the princely estates of yesteryear. Their meticulously maintained tees and fairways are framed by plantation-covered hills and, to the west, by the border mountains with Myanmar. Besides fairways, they offer driving ranges, practice greens, elegant restaurants, pro shops, a fleet of golf carts, and teams of professional, smartly dressed caddies. It's an impressive sight. All the more so when I spot a familiar-looking man teeing off at the chic Banyan Golf Club. It's Australian rock veteran and former factory worker Jimmy Barnes. One of his gold records, hanging in the club's Mulligan's Pub, confirms his excellent reputation here.

Another golf course, Imperial Lake View, belongs to the Thai brewery Chang, one of the sponsors of the annual Hua Hin World Masters. The manager tells me that in the first year of the championship, all players were offered free Chang beer, including at the refreshment stations on the course. However, those in charge soon noticed that once the players quenched their thirst, they played more slowly and with less focus. Subsequent groups fell behind, and when they too succumbed to alcohol, everything went wrong. The new system is now as follows: free beer is available in the clubhouse—no longer on the course—after the round.

Golf tips for Hua Hin

  • Fees vary from course to course, reaching their peak at the top-rated Black Mountain course, where a round costs 4,500 baht (US$200). This includes green fees, buggy, caddy, and tips.
  • From November to February the period is considered "winter" (although the term is relative), while the months of March to June are the hottest time and July to October the rainy season.
  • Getting from Bangkok to Hua Hin: The 200 km journey takes about three hours. Hotel limousine: 7000 Baht (US$280); taxi (metered): 2500 Baht (US$100); bus from Suvarnabhumi Airport: 300 Baht (US$12); express train: 200–400 Baht (US$8–16). Public minibuses are fast and cheap (US$8), but cramped and prone to accidents.
  • Four golf courses (see below) will host the Centara World Masters Golf Championship 2016 from June 12th to 18th. Golfers aged 35 and over with an official handicap are eligible to participate. The tournament is one of the most prestigious in Thailand, offering prize money and prize draws totaling US$30,000. Further information: thailandworldmasters.com. Centara Grand Beach Resort: centarahotelsresorts.com

    • Gulf Temple of Hua Hin

    Imperial Lake View Golf Club. Two 18-hole championship courses and a luxury resort.

    Banyan Golf Club. An 18-hole championship course, 7,361 yards, par 72, plus driving range and practice greens.

    Black Mountain Golf Club. The first golf course in Thailand to make US Golf Digest's list of the "100 best golf courses outside the USA" and one of the most challenging in the country.

    Majestic Creek Country Club. Twenty-seven holes amidst a gently rolling landscape; recent renovations and the redesign of the greens have transformed the course.