The 18th hole at Siam Country Club Old Course is one of the most fun and famous holes in Thailand. As host to the US LPGA’s tour stop, this hole is where the magic happens and has previously been the decider in who wins the event. However, It will have also played the roll of spoiler to many amateur’s rounds too.
The hole is an uphill par 5 playing 540 yards from the black tees, 445 yards from the white tees and 414 yards from the red tees, this dog-leg left is one of the best challenges out there thus is a great way to end the round at Siam Country Club Old Course.
The tee shot is fairly wide open meaning it should be a straightforward start to the hole. It is best to play towards the right hand side of the fairway, which will leave a good angle for the 2nd shot up the hill. If you stray left, there are some trees that always manage to get in the way, and some bunker trouble can be in play along the left also.
Caution when aiming right however, as if you are too far offline there is O.B. all the way up the right. The tee shot is uphill, however the hole isn’t overly long so depending on the situation of your round, it may even be worth considering a 3 wood off the tee just to ensure you keep the ball in the short stuff.
After hitting a straight tee shot and avoiding the trouble off the tee, it is vital to hit a good second shot in order to set up an easier approach to one of the more treacherous greens in Thailand.
As with the tee shot, it is best to hug the right side of the fairway while leaving yourself with a full swing in for your third, so be sure to lay up to a yardage that works to ensure you can hit and hold the green. As with the tee shot, there is trees and trouble left which, if found, will mean a chip out and playing a 4th into the green.
If you stray too far right, there are large trees awaiting you and they will surely get in the way of a 3rd shot in, and further right than that leads to O.B. again. In other words, it is important to be very accurate with this shot.
Do keep in mind, the fairway slopes from right to left, so the ball will tend to run down the slope.
Assuming we are all very accurate (a stretch, we know!) and we hit a great 2nd shot, it should leave us with about 100-130 yards into the green. Short and left of the green are deep bunkers, so those are a no go. Long and short right leave us with some run off areas, though the pitch up from there is very tough.
The best play is to the very right edge of the green, and let the right-to-left slope carry the ball down further on the green. As a result, both accuracy and distance are vital here, as the green has some very distinct tiers and if the ball lands on the wrong one, it’s very easy to have the putt roll off the green, or roll back to your feet depending on what side of the hole you are on.
We recommend taking your caddie’s advise into account, as the caddies at Siam Country Club Old Course are some of the best in Thailand, and know what they’re talking about! Doing as they recommend could save you several strokes!
The green is a very tricky green, with 3 very different tiers and which slopes sharply right to left when looking at it from the fairway. A 2 putt on this green is something to be very happy with. Trust the line and read, and give the putts a good go. If you putt it off the green, we can confirm you’re not the first and you won’t be the last!
This is a great hole to end your round at Siam Country Club Old Course. Picture yourself holing the final putt to win the tournament, as there are many professionals who have been on the same green doing the same thing as above all, we’re here to have fun!
Have you played this hole? How did you fare? Let us know on our Facebook page.
All Holes in the Series
1. Hole 9B at Springfield Royal in Hua Hin, Thailand
2. Hole 18 at Nikanti Golf Club in Bangkok, Thailand
3. Hole 16 at Sea Pines Golf Course in Hua Hin, Thailand
4. Hole 5 on Sugar Cane at Siam Country Club – Plantation Course in Pattaya, Thailand
5. Hole 15 at Banyan Golf Club in Hua Hin, Thailand
6. Hole 8 at Red Mountain Golf Club in Phuket, Thailand
7. Hole 11 at Black Mountain Golf Club in Hua Hin, Thailand
8. Hole 15 at Chee Chan Golf Resort in Pattaya, Thailand
9. Hole 16 at Subhapruek Golf Club in Bangkok, Thailand
10. Hole 18 at Blue Canyon Country Club, Lakes Course in Phuket, Thailand
11. Hole 4B at Chiang Mai Highlands Golf and Spa Resort in Chiang Mai, Thailand
12. Hole 8 at Riverdale Golf Club in Bangkok, Thailand
13. Hole 18 at Siam Country Club Old Course in Pattaya, Thailand
14. Hole 1 at Alpine Golf & Sports Club in Bangkok, Thailand
15. Hole 10 at Katathong Golf Resort & Spa in Phang Nga, Thailand
16. Hole 10 at Grand Prix Golf Club in Kanchanaburi, Thailand
17. Hole 14 at Blue Canyon Country Club, Canyon Course in Phuket, Thailand