48 Hours in Bangkok

Only have time for a short break? You can't go wrong with the Thai capital and these three gems

The water-laced course at Suwan is well worth the journey

Three of better courses are Muang Kaew (about 25km east of the capital), Riverdale, a similar distance to the northwest, and Suwan, which lies 60km due west, about halfway to Kachanaburi, the starting point of the infamous Thai-Burma railway built by World War II prisoners.

Redesigned in 2003 by the team at Schmidt-Curley Design, who have a large presence in Asia – being the architects of 21 of the 22 courses at Mission Hills China – Muang Kaew (pronounced "moong cow") is a highly enjoyable track on the city’s edge with a great clubhouse, first-class facilities and excellent landscaping and maintenance practices.

Owned by the Samoses family who also own and operate Chiangmai Highlands in the north of the country, Muang Kaew bills itself as an oasis in the city and you certainly have this feeling as soon as you step onto the course, which is a largely accommodating layout that features its fair share of water, generous landing areas and excellent bunkering.

Riverdale Golf Club is only three years old, but is already rated among Bangkok’s top 10 courses. Set in a bowl with a modern low-slung clubhouse overlooking the 10th and 18th holes, this Jonathan Morrow-designed course is notable for offering a choice of two greens on the par-3 eighth hole. The adventurous choose the island green just 100 yards from the tee, while those not wishing to lose a ball in the water can opt for a plateau green 140 yards away. The course is also rather more rolling in nature than the majority in the region, and is superbly maintained.

Owned by MBK Public Company, which operates Bangkok’s famous MBK shopping centre as well the Red Mountain and Loch Palm courses on the island of Phuket, Riverdale can be played for as little as HK$550 (excluding cart and caddie) during the week in low season.

Although further from the city, Suwan Golf and Country Club, is worth the drive. It has hosted Asian Tour events and with water on 17 of its 18 holes, as well as routinely swift putting surfaces, this a course that needs to be treated with respect. It’s also a lot of fun navigating around and between the lakes and channels while observing an abundance of birdlife and occasional large water monitor lizards.

Owned and operated by the Pongsak family, which has textile and hotel interests, the course derives its name from the family’s original textile company, Suwan Spindle and Weaving.Riverdale’s lowslung clubhouse offers commanding views of the course

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