Golfers’ Fantasy

Some time ago Erik Schmid, a good friend and architect in Bangkok, mentioned his newest project: Designing the club house of Thailand’s latest golf course, the Black Mountain Golf Club in royal Hua Hin.

The main investor of Black Mountain was a Swede – who had to bring an auspicious round of Thai high society names into his inner circle. As we all know: Foreigners can’t own that amount of land in Thailand.

With the help of his auspicious friends the Swede managed to build one of the most spectacular golf courses in Thailand, if not Asia, within a pathetic 18 months.

A most massive project: In the back of the mountains huge reservoirs had to be excavated to ensure ample water to keep those greens lush during the long dry season.

The Swede assured me in a private talk that no groundwater is pumped up from below the poor farmers around. During the rainy season the reservoirs simply collect the excess water from the nearby canals – water that would be squandered into the sea.

However you turn it: Black Mountain Golf Club is a prestigious affair. Not cheap, but the owners are sure: The super fast greens and fairways of such top class will attract its clientele. Black Mountain soon hosts a PGA tour event.

As the owners have found out by now though, it is not that easy to make money with such an expensive project. During the high season starting from November green fees were supposed to be over 4,000 baht, excluding caddie and cart.

Black Mountain now settles for 3,000 baht – even cheaper than competing Springfield Golf Course. Get that 3,000-baht-green-fee as long as you can.

As a bummer though tee off times were 15 minutes after the opening. Now down to 8 minutes. Somehow the Swedes have to make money.

It looks plausible that the owners are not yet too familiar with the highly obscure and exotic laws of investment and return in Thailand. There was even talk in Hua Hin that the Swedes had built a villa at nearby Palm Hills for 14 million baht. And tried to sell it for 52 million. They’re obviously learning about the law of diminishing returns. But that is just talk of the street.

Don’t let those little clouds disturb your day. Just take the restaurant at the club house run by a Swedish chef: He cares for the finest detail. The menu is translated into five languages, the wine list carefully selected, the house wine attractive.

And yes, cars are not parked in the hot open, but in the cool shadows of a huge parking garage under the club house – where else you find this in Thailand.

The club house itself, designed by Erik Schmid, is an astonishingly lofty, temple-like facility with beautiful locker rooms, amazing shower amenities and an affordable pro shop which – surprise – doesn’t ruin you.

The trees that line the holes still have to mature. Golfers especially commend the par 3s, best played from the blue or gold tees. “From the front tees you can’t really get a good picture of how the hole shapes up,” a golfer wrote. “Really it’s just a prettier course from a little further back.”

The course had been designed by the Australian Phil Ryan. The main theme of Ryan’s design work is to make the course look natural and pleasing to the eye and maintaining as many of the natural features as possible. To make the golf course playable and enjoyable for the average player, but testing for the better player.

Many of his holes feature a choice of a safe route or a risk and reward route, all of which adds to the excitement of the game.

The course provides each golfer with a full color stroke saver booklet, with each hole layout nicely shown and distances to hazards clearly indicated. From the fairway you can easily calculate the distances needed for the pin.

Even if you don’t play golf, it’s honestly worth just going to Black Mountain Golf Club for a meal only found in the finest hotels. Enjoy the stunning view over the golf course and imposing mountains.

The next phase of the project is the construction of villas and condominiums for sale – yes, they come with a lifetime club membership.

Erik Schmid is a first resident at Black Mountain – with his Mario-Botta-kind-of-villa built into a lonely valley.

A courageous symbiosis between nature and design. But that is another story.

By the way, if you haven’t heard of it yet: The Thaigolfer Card.

Sets you back a meager 950 baht a year. For green fee discounts at over 50 of Thailand’s finest courses. And other goodies.

You recoup that card after a couple of rounds. Some friends won’t leave Bangkok without it.

Play more for less. Or so it sayz.