Pattaya launches golf series

A golf festival to support tourism to eastern seaboard resorts teed off yesterday. Known as the Chonburi-Pattaya Golf Festival 2010 the festival includes 15 leading golf courses close to east coast resorts.

The objective is to revive travel bookings from the region.

The golf courses will organise monthly tournaments through to September. The first teed off 5 May to be followed by similar tournaments every month up to the grand tournament scheduled for the first week in September.

The festival aims to boost tourism during the low season that covers the months of May through to September. Cloudy conditions and rain prevail on the eastern seaboard, but for avid golfers the cloud and strong breezes, blowing off the Gulf of Thailand, keep the temperatures lower than in the dry season making it more comfortable to play.

The event is co-organised by Chonburi province, Tourism Authority of Thailand Pattaya office and East Coast Golf Courses Management Association.

TAT Pattaya office director, Niti Kongkrut, said that the tournament would help to revive interest in established golf courses around the East Coast and introduce relatively new ones to Thai and foreign tourists.

Promoting Thailand as Asia’s top golf destination is part of the TAT marketing plan. It has been noted that of all niche tourism markets the ones related to sports are the most resilient during a political crisis.

Apart from being well travelled, regional golfers are usually so enthusiastic about their sport they are not easily distracted by political concerns.

So far, 15 golf courses have enlisted in the tournaments are: Laemchabang International Country Club; Treasure Hill Golf and Country Club; Siam Country Club (Old Course; Siam Country Club (Plantation); Eastern Star Country Club and Resort; Rayong Green Valley Country Club; Burapa Golf Club; The Emerald; Bangpakong Riverside; Pattana Golf and Sport Resort; Bangpra International Golf Club; Royal Thai Navy Plutaluang Golf Course; Wangjuntr Golf Park; Green Wood Golf Club; and Pleasant Valley Country Club.

The golf tournaments are held on the first Saturday of the month. Following on from the May tournament others are scheduled for 5 June, 3 July, 7 August, and the final round will be played off 4 September. The qualifying competition will be at the same time at 15 courses with places for 24 golfers at each golf course.

Two golfers with the best score from each qualifying round at each venue will compete in the final round for Grand Trophy at Laem Chabang International Country Club. Two golfers at each golf venue, who win the lucky draw, are qualified to compete in the final round for the Entertainment Trophy at Pattaya Golf and Sport Resort.

The tournament applies 36 systems. USGA, R&A and local rules govern play. Enrolment fee is Bt1,750 and Bt1,200 depending on the venues. The fee is exclusive of caddie fees and carts.

Winners from Grand Trophy round and Entertainment Trophy will get trophies from Chonburi province, TAT or Pattaya City.

Contact call centre at 089 833 7094 and 089 833 7095 or email: chonburi.pattayagolf@gmail.com