Best Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Golf Courses for 2026/2027

Ayutthaya sits 80 kilometers north of Bangkok and was the Siamese capital for over 400 years before being sacked by Burmese forces in 1767. The brick ruins that remain are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most rewarding day trips from Bangkok. The golf grew up around the city to serve Bangkok residents looking for a weekend escape, and that local-first character is what gives the destination its specific appeal for visiting golfers: solid courses, reasonable green fees, light tee sheets on weekdays, and a world-class historical site within easy reach of every course.

It does not have the volume or prestige of Hua Hin, and it is not trying to be. What Ayutthaya offers is a practical combination: a legitimate round on a well-maintained 18-hole layout, followed by an afternoon among the temples, and a hotel that is either within the UNESCO zone or a short drive from it. For travelers who want to see Ayutthaya as part of a Thailand itinerary and also want to play golf, there is no reason to separate those two activities into different days.

Ayutthaya works best as a two to three night stop between Bangkok and Chiang Mai, as a standalone weekend escape from Bangkok, or as a golf and heritage day trip for travelers with a full free day in their itinerary.

Best golf courses in Ayutthaya

The province has fifteen courses at various levels. Four anchor most visiting golf itineraries, each with a distinct character.

1. Royal Bang Pa In Golf Club

Royal Bang Pa In Golf Club is an 18-hole, par 72 layout measuring 7,054 yards, designed by Schmidt-Curley according to the club’s own materials, with a soft opening in 2016. The Bang Pa In location places it near the Bang Pa In Royal Palace, one of the most photographed royal residences in Thailand, which makes the area itself worth the drive regardless of the golf.

Schmidt-Curley’s design credentials, shared with courses like Chiangmai Highlands and Gassan Legacy, suggest a layout with strategic interest beyond standard parkland routing. The course suits experienced golfers who want a modern championship design, travelers already visiting the Bang Pa In palace, and groups looking for a relatively new venue with strong conditioning.

2. Ayodhya Links

Ayodhya Links is a private members club formed in 2007, with an 18-hole layout measuring 7,639 yards according to course data. The length places it among the longer courses in central Thailand, and the private founding by a consortium of Thai business figures gives it a different club atmosphere from the more open venues in the province. Visitor access is possible through advance booking, making it a practical option for golfers who want to experience a genuinely exclusive venue without a Bangkok country club membership.

3. Ayutthaya Golf Club

Ayutthaya Golf Club is an 18-hole, par 72 layout measuring 7,095 yards according to publicly available course data, located close to the historical park. Publicly available descriptions note the course as relatively accessible off the tee, with generous fairways that make it a practical option for mid-to-high handicap visitors and mixed-ability groups. The convenient location near the temple ruins means it is the easiest course to combine with a same-day historical park visit without significant driving.

Which course is better?

If you want the most modern championship design with strong conditioning, Royal Bang Pa In is the first choice. If you want the most architecturally distinctive round in the province, Sai Golf Club’s links-style layout is the one to play. For accessible play near the temples with a straightforward parkland layout, Ayutthaya Golf Club is the most convenient. Bangsai suits groups who want 27 holes or multi-day flexibility from a single established venue.

Most Ayutthaya golf itineraries rotate across two or three of these courses across a two to three day stay.

Best time to play golf in Ayutthaya

Golf timing in Ayutthaya follows central Thailand’s seasonal pattern. Thailand’s Tourism Authority notes that the central plains have 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 clearest and most comfortable window. Temperatures sit around 25 to 30 degrees Celsius, humidity is moderate, and afternoon rain is rare. This is also when the temple ruins look their best, with clear skies and good photography light in the early morning. Weekends see more Bangkok visitors on the courses, so weekday tee times in this period offer both better availability and a quieter round.

March to May gets progressively hotter, reaching 35 to 38 degrees Celsius by April. Golf is still possible with early morning tee times before 8am, but the combination of heat and haze from regional agricultural burning makes afternoons uncomfortable for outdoor activity. The temple ruins are best visited in the early morning during these months before the heat builds.

June to October is the wet season with afternoon rain and occasionally significant flooding in the low-lying areas around Ayutthaya’s islands. The 2011 floods that affected central Thailand are a reminder that the province’s riverine geography makes it susceptible to serious inundation in extreme wet years. In normal years, morning rounds are generally playable and green fees drop. Checking current conditions before booking in this period is sensible.

Ayutthaya golf holidays and package tours

Ayutthaya suits two to three day programs rather than a standalone week-long golf holiday. The most natural formats are a Bangkok extension with two nights in Ayutthaya covering two rounds and a full temple day, or an overnight stop on a Bangkok to Chiang Mai overland itinerary. Most Bangkok-based tourists already have Ayutthaya on their itinerary; the golf adds a morning activity to a day that otherwise consists entirely of temple touring.

A typical Ayutthaya golf package covers a hotel within or near the historical park, private transfer from Bangkok or Don Mueang airport, one or two tee times at the province’s main courses, and one guided or self-guided temple tour. The transfer from Don Mueang airport to the province takes around 45 minutes to an hour depending on traffic, making it one of the easiest day-trip or overnight destinations accessible from Bangkok’s northern airport.

For couples, Ayutthaya is one of the more naturally balanced Thailand golf stops. The temples are genuinely compelling for non-golfing partners, the boat tours around the island give a different perspective on the ruins, and the riverside restaurant scene in the evening is better than most provincial towns in Thailand. Browse Ayutthaya golf packages or create a custom itinerary combining golf with the historical park.

Golf with Ayutthaya’s UNESCO temple ruins

The historical park is the reason most international visitors come to Ayutthaya at all. Thailand’s Tourism Authority notes that the Ayutthaya Historical Park was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991, covering the ruins of the former Siamese capital which flourished from the 14th through 18th centuries. The park contains over 400 temples, palaces, and statues, though a half-day focused visit to the main sites gives a complete picture without needing to see everything.

Wat Mahathat is the temple most visitors prioritize, primarily for the famous Buddha head entwined in tree roots, an image that has become one of the most recognizable photographs in Thailand. Wat Phra Si Sanphet, the royal temple of the Ayutthaya kings with its three restored chedis, gives the best sense of the city’s architectural scale. Wat Chaiwatthanaram on the western bank of the Chao Phraya river, with its Khmer-style prang towers reflected in the water at sunset, is the most photogenic site of the three, particularly in late afternoon light.

The practical itinerary for a one-day golf and temple combination is to play a morning round starting at 7am, be off the course by 11am or noon, transfer to the historical park for a two to three hour afternoon visit, and catch the sunset at Wat Chaiwatthanaram before dinner at one of the riverside restaurants.

Book tee times in Ayutthaya

Weekday tee times at most Ayutthaya courses are available with a day or two of advance notice. Weekends and public holidays see stronger demand from Bangkok day-trippers, so booking a week ahead is sensible for weekend slots at the more popular venues. Royal Bang Pa In and Sai Golf Club, as the newer and more prestigious layouts, tend to fill more quickly than the established parkland courses.

When organizing your Ayutthaya golf trip, confirm your preferred course for each playing day, tee time with morning as the standard default, private transfer arrangements from Bangkok or Don Mueang, club rental requirements, hotel location preferences between the historical park area and the Wang Noi district courses, and how the golf fits around any temple visits or boat tours.

Green fees across the Ayutthaya courses are generally in the 2,000 to 4,000 THB range on weekdays depending on the venue, with Royal Bang Pa In and Sai Golf Club at the upper end and the more established parkland courses in the middle. Weekend premiums of around 20 percent apply across most venues. A package that combines accommodation, transfers, and tee times is the most efficient approach given the distances between courses and the historical park. Start planning here or view Ayutthaya golf packages to find an itinerary that fits your travel dates.