Golf Trip Planner logo
Golf Trip PlannerPrivate Concierge
Golf guide • Cambodia • Siem Reap Province

Golf in Siem Reap: fairways in the shadow of the Angkor temples

Siem Reap, gateway to the temples of Angkor in north-west Cambodia, lends itself to a trip that combines golf and archaeology. Two eighteen-hole courses open to visitors lie twenty to twenty-five minutes from the centre: Phokeethra Country Club, the town's first course, opened in 2006, and Siem Reap Booyoung Country Club, near the Roluos temples. The best period is November to February, during the dry and coolest season.

Plan this tripUpdated

Siem Reap is first and foremost the town of Angkor: a small place strung out along the river of the same name, a few kilometres from the Angkor Archaeological Park. Visitors come for Angkor Wat at sunrise, for the Bayon and the temples of Angkor Thom, for the bas-reliefs revealed in the low morning light. Golf is not an end in itself here, but it fits perfectly into the rhythm of the place: temples at dawn, a round in late morning, a siesta, then the night market and a Khmer dinner by the water.

The choice is limited, and it is best to say so plainly. Two courses currently welcome visitors: Phokeethra Country Club, west of town, which has hosted the Asian Tour's Cambodian Open, and Siem Reap Booyoung Country Club, to the south-east, amid the rice paddies. Angkor Golf Resort, a Nick Faldo layout ranked the country's best by Golf Digest in 2022, has been closed for renovation and restructuring since 1 June 2026, with no announced reopening date.

The land is flat, the vegetation tropical and water everywhere: lakes, canals, palms and tall trees, with rice paddies on the horizon. Four to six nights are enough to play two or three times, see the great temples without rushing and spend a morning on the Tonlé Sap. For a longer trip, Siem Reap combines with Phnom Penh and its own courses, about five hours away by road.

The courses

Green ringed by white-sand bunkers in front of palms and tall tropical trees, late in the day

Phokeethra Country Club

  • Architect: Weerayudth Phetbuasak
  • Opened 2006
  • 18 holes
  • Par 72

Opened in June 2006, Phokeethra Country Club is Siem Reap's first championship course. It was designed by the Thai architect Weerayudth Phetbuasak (Weeyos Golf Design) in the countryside of Puok district, about twenty-five minutes from the centre. Water comes into play on almost every hole, among lagoons, pale-sand bunkers and tall trees. The course hosted the Asian Tour's Cambodian Open in the late 2000s, and eight greens on the back nine were rebuilt in 2018. Managed by the Sofitel in Siem Reap, it suits every level from the forward tees.

Signature hole. Between the 9th green and the 10th tee you cross a restored 11th-century Khmer bridge, now the club's emblem. The 18th finishes with a second shot over water to an island green.

Official website

Siem Reap Booyoung Country Club

  • Architect: Kentaro Sato
  • Opened 2009
  • 18 holes
  • Par 72

Opened in 2009, Siem Reap Booyoung Country Club is the work of the Japanese architect Kentaro Sato. It lies some twelve kilometres south-east of the centre, about twenty minutes along National Road 6, amid the rice paddies and a few kilometres from the Bakong temple. Its wide, flat, palm-lined fairways are crossed by streams and sometimes split into two options, one aggressive, the other cautious. Both nines open with a long par 5. A course without gimmicks, pleasant for a relaxed round.

Official website

Where to stay

Shinta Mani Angkor

Designed by Bill Bensley, Shinta Mani Angkor sits in Siem Reap's Royal District, a short walk from the centre. Its 105 rooms and suites surround gardens and pools, and part of the proceeds funds the Shinta Mani Foundation. For more privacy, the ten Bensley Pool Villas, duplexes with nine-metre pools, come with a butler: ask for a Khmer barbecue on your rooftop, grilled by a Kroya chef, after the round at Phokeethra.

Heritage Suites Hotel

Behind Wat Polanka, away from the bustle, the Heritage Suites Hotel was one of Cambodia's first luxury boutique hotels: a colonial-style house of twenty rooms and suites in tropical gardens, refurbished in 2018. Ask for a Colonial Suite Private Pool, with its eight-metre private pool and oversized stone bathtub; like every room, it has its own steam room. Angkor Wat is fifteen minutes away.

Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort

On Charles de Gaulle Road, which leads to the temples, the Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort is the golfer's logical base: it manages Phokeethra Country Club. Its 238 rooms and suites overlook extensive gardens, and Angkor Wat is about ten minutes away. The hotel pioneered private dinners in the temples of Angkor in 2003 and tailors each one: the choice of temple, the candlelight, the menu and the wine pairings.

Long dark pool between palms and a white colonial-style house with wooden shutters, at dusk

Where to dine

Cuisine Wat Damnak

French chef Joannès Rivière marries Cambodian produce and French technique in a traditional wooden house in the Wat Damnak quarter, with an air-conditioned dining room, a fan-cooled upper floor and a herb garden. Tasting menus only, changing with the seasons, with a vegetarian option. Open in the evening from Monday to Saturday; children under twelve are not admitted.

Chanrey Tree

On the Siem Reap River, Chanrey Tree serves Khmer home cooking: part of the menu draws on the recipes of the owner Kaan Soann's mother. Start with rice crackers and natang sauce, prahok k'tis and deep-fried frangipani flowers. You dine in a restored wooden Khmer house, on the terrace or in the garden. From November to February, the golf season, book the day before.

Beyond golf

The temples of Angkor

Angkor Wat with its five towers and bas-reliefs, Angkor Thom and Jayavarman VII's Bayon, the forest temples around them: the archaeological park takes two or three mornings to visit with a guide. On the Booyoung side, the Roluos group brings together Preah Ko, Lolei and Bakong, raised in 881 by Indravarman I, the region's first sandstone temple-mountain.

Angkor National Museum

Opened in 2007 on Preah Sihanouk Avenue, the Angkor National Museum is the best introduction to the temples. The Gallery of a Thousand Buddhas leads into rooms devoted to the great Khmer kings, Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, inscriptions and ancient adornments. An audio guide is available in eight languages. A visit of an hour or two, ideal in the hottest hours, before heading out to the sites.

The Tonlé Sap and Kampong Phluk

South-east of town, the great Tonlé Sap lake rises and falls with the monsoon. At Kampong Phluk, the houses stand on stilts six to nine metres high to keep pace with these changes; people live from fishing in the rainy season and from farming in the dry season. A late-afternoon boat trip there shows another side of Cambodia.

Fishermen's stilt house and wooden boats on a large calm lake, at sunset

When to go

It is hot all year round: average highs never drop below 30°C. From November to February, the dry season is at its coolest, with clear skies and firm courses: this is the best period, and also the busiest at the temples. March and April are the hottest months; play at first light. From May to October, the monsoon brings heavy rain, waterlogged fairways and very green landscapes.

Getting there

Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport (SAI), opened in October 2023, lies about fifty kilometres east of town: allow around an hour by road. It is linked to Bangkok, Singapore and Hanoi among others, which offer onward connections to Europe. Phnom Penh is about five hours away by coach or car, and the Thai border can be reached via Poipet.

Frequently asked questions

How many golf courses are there in Siem Reap?

Two eighteen-hole courses welcome visitors: Phokeethra Country Club and Siem Reap Booyoung Country Club, twenty to twenty-five minutes from the centre. Nick Faldo's Angkor Golf Resort has been closed for renovation since 1 June 2026, with no announced reopening date.

What is the best golf course in Siem Reap?

Phokeethra Country Club, the town's first course, opened in 2006 and host of the Asian Tour's Cambodian Open, named Cambodia's best golf course at the 2025 World Golf Awards. Its 11th-century Khmer bridge between the 9th and 10th makes it unique.

When is the best time to play golf in Siem Reap?

From November to February, during the dry and coolest season. March and April are very hot, and the monsoon, from May to October, soaks the courses.

Can you combine golf with visiting the temples of Angkor?

Yes, that is the whole point of Siem Reap. Both courses are twenty to twenty-five minutes from the centre; visit the temples at dawn and play afterwards, or the other way round. Booyoung is close to the Roluos temples.

How far is Siem Reap airport from the town?

Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport (SAI), opened in October 2023, is about fifty kilometres east of town, around an hour by road. It replaced the old airport, close to the centre.

Tailor-made

Your golf trip: Siem Reap

Tee times, suites, transfers and tables: your concierge replies within 24 hours with a proposal shaped around you.

Green and white-sand bunker beside a lake, sugar palms and rice paddies on the horizon under a golden sky
Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh

4 courses
Explore: Cambodia →