Golf guide • Thailand • Isan

Golf in Khon Kaen: two quiet courses in the heart of Isan

Khon Kaen, a large university city in Isan, north-eastern Thailand, has two courses worth the journey: Singha Park Khon Kaen, a Pirapon Namatra design that hosted the Asian Tour's King's Cup, and Dancoon Golf Club, ten minutes from the airport. The golf is straightforward and uncrowded, suited to a short stay of two to four nights, ideally from November to February, in the cool, dry season.

Plan this tripUpdated 7 October 2026

Some 450 kilometres north-east of Bangkok, Khon Kaen sits at the centre of the Khorat Plateau. It is one of the four big cities of Isan, alongside Udon Thani, Nakhon Ratchasima and Ubon Ratchathani, and arguably the liveliest: Khon Kaen University and the hospitals have made it the medical and student capital of the North-East. There are no beaches or tourist quarters here, but a working city, rice fields as far as the eye can see and markets where you eat elbow to elbow.

Let us be clear: Khon Kaen is not a golf destination in the way Hua Hin or Pattaya are. Two courses genuinely hold their own, Singha Park and Dancoon, both half an hour at most from the centre. They are flat and easy to walk, and Isan remains less known and less expensive than the country's main golf regions: you play far from the package circuits, at the pace of local caddies, with the countryside as a backdrop.

The real draw of the trip lies elsewhere: in the food. The Michelin Guide lists twenty-five restaurants in Khon Kaen, from contemporary grills to charcoal-grilled chicken served since 1973. Add the nine-tiered stupa of Wat Nong Waeng, Bueng Kaen Nakhon lake at sunset and the silks of Chonnabot, and you have a stopover of two to four days to pair with Bangkok.

The courses

Green and white-sand bunker behind a pond, surrounded by tropical trees and sugar palms at sunset

Singha Park Khon Kaen Golf Club

Architect: Pirapon Namatra
Opened 2009
18 holes
Par 72

Opened in 2009 and designed by Pirapon Namatra of Golf East, Singha Park is Khon Kaen's benchmark course, ranked among Thailand's top twenty by Top 100 Golf Courses. It was built by the Singha brewery on former marshland, shaped into nine lakes that come into play on sixteen holes. Paspalum fairways, large bunkers, natural rock and native trees: the layout is flat but rewards placing the ball well rather than hitting it hard. It measures more than 7,500 yards from the back tees and about 6,200 from the usual tees. It hosted the Asian Tour's King's Cup from 2009.

Signature hole. The 7th, a fairly short par 5, is rarely reached in two: the green is guarded on every side by water, sand and trees.

Dancoon Golf Club

Architect: DC Golf Design
Opened 2008
18 holes
Par 72

Opened in 2008 on former farmland, Dancoon lies about fifteen kilometres from the centre and ten minutes from the airport, which makes it the ideal course for an arrival or departure day. The two nines are very different: the front, open and flat, has wide fairways and gently contoured greens; the back is more interesting and more demanding. Water comes into play on ten holes, and the medium-sized greens have plenty of movement. A par 72 of nearly 7,000 yards from the back tees, popular with local golfers for a relaxed round.

Signature hole. The 11th, a par 3 to an island green, is the course's signature hole.

Where to stay

Ad Lib Khon Kaen

The Ad Lib occupies the Khon Kaen Innovation Centre tower, right in the city centre. Its rooms, from 32 to 50 m², blend local craftsmanship with contemporary comfort; some have a private terrace, while others, designed for families, have a dinosaur theme. Dinner is at Food by Fire, drinks on the 28th floor facing the city, and both courses are half an hour away at most.

Nadee 10 Hotel

The Nadee 10 is a hotel of 70 rooms and suites on a quiet street in the centre, near Central Plaza and the stadium. A pool with a bar, a loft-style restaurant and rooms in four different styles make it a more residential, more peaceful address than the city's large business hotels. A good base for resting between rounds and walking out to dinner.

Where to dine

Food by Fire

On the 27th floor of the Ad Lib, Food by Fire reinterprets Isan cooking through fire and fermentation, with produce from small growers. The signature dish is Khon Kaen beef, served with a red wine chilli sauce, house papaya kimchi and an aubergine purée. Selected by the Michelin Guide, open for dinner from Wednesday to Sunday.

Kaen

At Kaen, chefs Paisarn and Kanyarat offer a refined take on Isan cooking, using rare produce from small farmers. Try the kaeng ploe, a soup of free-range chicken and some twenty hand-cut vegetables in a yanang-leaf broth. Selected by Michelin, open for lunch only and closed on Tuesdays.

Kai Yang Wanna

In Khao Suan Kwang, north of the city on the Mittraphap road, Kai Yang Wanna has been serving its grilled chicken since 1973: butterflied, cooked over charcoal, with crisp skin and smoky flesh, alongside som tam, lap and nam tok. A family-run address, selected by Michelin, where you pay in cash.

Butterflied chickens grilling on bamboo skewers over charcoal, with a papaya salad and a basket of rice

Beyond golf

Wat Nong Waeng and Bueng Kaen Nakhon lake

On the shore of Bueng Kaen Nakhon lake, Phra Mahathat Kaen Nakhon, a nine-tiered stupa 80 metres high, is the city's great landmark. Each floor holds relics, old Isan objects or carved doors telling the Buddha's teachings; the top one, a prayer hall, gives a panoramic view over the lake. Climb it late in the afternoon, on your way back from golf, as the light falls on the water.

The dinosaurs of Phu Wiang

About 85 kilometres north-west of Khon Kaen, Phu Wiang National Park is considered one of the largest dinosaur graveyards in the world. Phuwiangosaurus was discovered here, as was, in 1996, Siamotyrannus isanensis, a large carnivore. The Phu Wiang Dinosaur Museum, inside the park, displays some of the fossils. A day trip, ideal for a rest day between rounds.

Chonnabot silk

South-west of the city, the district of Chonnabot weaves mudmee silk, an ikat technique in which the threads are dyed before weaving to create the patterns. Chonnabot Mudmee is protected by a Thai geographical indication. A fabric worth bringing home, and an easy half-day visit after a round at Singha Park, south of the city.

Large gold and white stupa reflected in a city lake at dusk, framed by trees and a promenade

When to go

The best period runs from November to February: the dry season, almost without rain in December and January, with highs around 31°C and cool mornings, around 18°C in January. March warms up quickly and April, the hottest month, averages highs above 36°C. From May to October the monsoon brings showers, heavier in August and September, and courses that are sometimes waterlogged, even if daytime temperatures drop a little.

Getting there

Khon Kaen International Airport (KKC), about 8 kilometres west of the centre, has direct flights to Bangkok (Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi), Chiang Mai and Phuket; allow a quarter of an hour to the central hotels. From Europe, you connect through Bangkok. The North-Eastern railway line also links Bangkok, more slowly. Once there, a car with driver is the simplest way to reach the courses.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best golf course in Khon Kaen?

Singha Park Khon Kaen, designed by Pirapon Namatra and opened in 2009. It features in rankings of Thailand's best courses and has hosted the Asian Tour's King's Cup.

How many golf courses are there in Khon Kaen?

There are four 18-hole courses within 40 minutes of the centre, but two are truly worth the trip: Singha Park, to the south, about half an hour away, and Dancoon, ten minutes from the airport. That is enough for two or three rounds, not for a week of golf.

When is the best time to play golf in Khon Kaen?

From November to February, during the cool, dry season. Avoid April, the hottest month, and the end of the monsoon in August and September.

How do you get from Bangkok to Khon Kaen?

By air, with direct flights from Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi to Khon Kaen airport, about 8 kilometres from the centre. The North-Eastern railway line is a slower option.

Does Singha Park Khon Kaen have Highland and Creek nines?

No. Singha Park Khon Kaen is a single 18-hole course. The Highland and Creek nines belong to Mountain Creek, a 27-hole complex designed by Seve Ballesteros in Nakhon Ratchasima province.

Tailor-made

Your golf trip: Khon Kaen

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

Flat fairway lined with rugged bunkers and a lake at sunrise, sugar palms and the distant outline of a city

Bangkok and the Central Plain