Phitsanulok sits at the junction of the lower north and central plains, roughly halfway between Bangkok and Chiang Mai, and was briefly the kingdom’s capital in the 14th century before Ayutthaya took over. For golfers it functions primarily as a gateway: the airport serves as the most practical entry point for Sukhothai, the UNESCO World Heritage Site an hour to the west, and the courses here give traveling golfers a reason to stay a night or two rather than simply passing through. The combination of quiet provincial golf, a genuinely important Buddhist temple in town, and easy access to one of Thailand’s most rewarding historical parks makes Phitsanulok a more complete stop than its low profile suggests.
Four courses are listed in the province. The two main ones for visiting golfers are Dongpukurd Golf Course and Water Land Golf Resort Spa, both 18-hole layouts within 40 to 50 kilometers of the city center. Green fees across all three are among the most affordable for full 18-hole layouts in the lower north, and weekday tee availability is reliably open.
Phitsanulok suits golfers on a Bangkok to Chiang Mai overland itinerary who want to break the journey with a round and a night by the Nan River, travelers visiting Sukhothai who want to add golf to the cultural program, and anyone building a central Thailand golf circuit that runs through Nakhon Sawan, Phitsanulok, and Sukhothai before continuing north.
Best golf courses in Phitsanulok
1. Dongpukurd Golf Course
Dongpukurd Golf Course is an 18-hole, par 72 layout measuring 6,980 yards according to publicly available course data, located in the Aranyik area of Mueang Phitsanulok district. Course information attributes the design to Sumitomo Forestry Co., a Japanese architecture firm, giving it a more deliberate design background than typical provincial Thai courses. At nearly 7,000 yards the layout is a proper test from the back tees, with tree-lined fairways that demand accuracy over raw length.
For golfers who want a full-distance challenge in the lower north without resort pricing, Dongpukurd is the practical first choice in Phitsanulok. The Japanese design influence tends to produce courses with precise bunkering and more demanding green complexes than the open parkland layouts common to Thai military or municipal courses. Green fees are in the 1,000 to 1,800 THB range on weekdays.
2. Water Land Golf Resort Spa
Water Land Golf Resort Spa is an 18-hole, par 72 layout measuring 6,490 yards according to the resort, located in Phrom Phiram district about 40 kilometers from both Phitsanulok and Sukhothai. The central position between the two cities makes it a practical base for a two-night stay covering golf in both directions. The resort has on-site accommodation, a swimming pool, and spa facilities, which gives it a more complete package than the other Phitsanulok courses for travelers who want to stay at the venue rather than commuting from the city.
At 6,490 yards Water Land plays shorter and more accessibly than Dongpukurd, making it a better fit for mid-to-high handicap golfers or for a second round day when a less demanding layout is welcome. The water features common to the name and design keep the round interesting without being punishing. Staying on site also allows an easy morning tee time with no transfer required.
3. Silver Star Golf Course
Silver Star Golf Course is an 18-hole, par 72 layout measuring 7,274 yards with a slope rating of 134 according to course data, also in Phrom Phiram district. The length and slope rating place it as the most demanding course in the province, and the course is publicly described as having challenging features with scenic views. For experienced golfers who want the strongest test available in Phitsanulok, Silver Star is the appropriate choice. Green fees are in a comparable range to the other local courses.
Which course is better?
If you want the most substantial design challenge and a longer layout, Dongpukurd or Silver Star are the right calls. If you want resort facilities, an on-site stay, and a more accessible round, Water Land fits the trip better. For a two-round Phitsanulok program, a day at Dongpukurd followed by a round at Water Land covers both the challenge-focused and resort-focused experience without repetition.
Best time to play golf in Phitsanulok
Golf timing follows the central Thailand seasonal pattern. Thailand’s Tourism Authority notes that this region has a cool dry season from November through February, a hot season from March through May, and a wet season from June through October.
November to February is the most comfortable window. Temperatures sit around 22 to 30 degrees Celsius, humidity is moderate, and rain is infrequent. This is also when Sukhothai looks its best, with clear skies for temple photography and comfortable conditions for cycling around the historical park. Phitsanulok’s Nan River is pleasant for evening walks during this period, and the floating restaurants along the river are best enjoyed in cool weather.
March to May gets progressively hot, often exceeding 35 degrees Celsius by April. Early morning tee times before 8am are the only sensible option in this window. The Sukhothai historical park is uncomfortable by late morning in April, so any temple visit should also be planned for early in the day.
June to October is the wet season with afternoon rain and lush conditions. The Nan River can rise significantly in heavy rain years, and the Sukhothai historical park occasionally floods in extreme wet seasons. Morning rounds at Phitsanulok courses are generally still playable, and accommodation rates across the province drop noticeably.
Phitsanulok golf holidays and package tours
Phitsanulok suits two to three night stops within a larger central or northern Thailand itinerary. The most natural format is a Bangkok departure using the one-hour direct flight on Nok Air or Thai AirAsia to Phitsanulok Airport, followed by two rounds across Dongpukurd and Water Land, a half-day at Sukhothai, and either an onward road connection north to Uttaradit and Chiang Mai or a return to Bangkok. Phitsanulok Airport is about ten minutes from the city center, making it one of the easiest provincial airports to work with in terms of logistics.
A typical Phitsanulok golf package covers accommodation in the city center or at Water Land Resort, private airport transfers, tee times at two courses, and one Sukhothai half-day excursion. The Sukhothai Historical Park is about an hour by road and is best visited in the morning before the heat builds and before the main tourist groups arrive from the park’s official opening.
Bangkok to Chiang Mai golf road trip stopping point: one night in Phitsanulok, one morning round, Sukhothai afternoon, continuing north to Uttaradit or Lampang the next day
For couples, Phitsanulok works as a low-pressure stop where the golfer plays a morning round while the non-golfing partner visits Sukhothai independently, and both meet for an evening meal on the Nan River floating restaurants. Browse Thailand golf packages or create a custom central Thailand itinerary to build a route that includes Phitsanulok and Sukhothai.
Golf with Sukhothai and the Phra Buddha Chinnarat
The Sukhothai Historical Park, about an hour west of Phitsanulok on Route 12, is one of Thailand’s two most significant UNESCO World Heritage Sites alongside Ayutthaya. Thailand’s Tourism Authority describes it as the ruins of the first capital of the Thai kingdom, established in the 13th century, covering over 70 temples and monuments across a 45-square-kilometer area. The central zone around Wat Mahathat is the most photogenic in the early morning, when low light catches the stone Buddha images and the moat reflections. Renting a bicycle from the park entrance is the practical way to cover the main sites at a relaxed pace in two to three hours.
The most practical Phitsanulok golf and culture day is a 7am tee time at Dongpukurd, off the course by 11am, road transfer to Sukhothai for the central zone in the afternoon, and back to Phitsanulok for the evening. That schedule gives you a full round and a proper temple visit without rushing either activity.
In Phitsanulok itself, Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat houses the Phra Buddha Chinnarat, which Thailand’s Tourism Authority notes as one of the most revered and artistically significant Buddha images in the country. The temple is in the city center and takes about an hour to visit properly, including the adjacent museum. It is genuinely worth prioritizing over a generic temple visit, and the image’s gold-lacquered appearance is different from most northern and central Thai Buddhist art.
Phu Hin Rong Kla National Park, about 120 kilometers east of Phitsanulok in the Phetchabun mountain range, was the headquarters of the Communist Party of Thailand insurgency from the 1960s through 1982. The park has waterfalls, hiking trails, and a small museum covering the insurgency period. It is a full-day excursion rather than a half-day, best suited for travelers with an extra day in Phitsanulok or those making a dedicated trip from the city.
Book tee times in Phitsanulok
Tee time availability at Dongpukurd and Water Land is open on most days with minimal advance notice. Silver Star’s stronger slope rating and longer layout attract more competitive players, but weekday slots are still generally available. A call or booking a day or two ahead is sufficient for most weekday visits across all three courses.
When organizing your Phitsanulok stop, confirm your tee times and preferred course order, private transfer arrangements from Phitsanulok Airport or from a neighboring city, accommodation preference between the city center and Water Land Resort, club rental requirements, and how the Sukhothai visit fits around your golf days.
Green fees are in the 1,000 to 1,800 THB range on weekdays across the main courses, with modest weekend premiums. Phitsanulok is one of the more affordable multi-round provincial golf destinations accessible by direct flight from Bangkok. Start planning here or view Thailand golf packages to find an itinerary that covers Phitsanulok, Sukhothai, and the broader central-to-northern Thailand route.