Hua Hin Golf Course – Black Mountain Golf Club.

It can get so damn confusing all these golf course names: Blue Canyon, Red Mountain, Black Mountain, Golden Retriever … oh, hold on, that’s a dog, but it rather proves my point.


I’ve dealt with Blue Canyon and Red Mountain in Phuket already so today, dear readers, I’ll put Black Mountain Golf Club, Hua Hin under the microscope.

This time we can blame the Swedish, not the Scottish. Black Mountain came about after an impromptu visit to the area by a Swede (I’ll call him Sven), who loved this mountainous area 15 minutes inland from Hua Hin so much and decided there and then to develop the course. Within just 18 months this championship course was playable. Amazing Thailand! Anywhere else in the world it would take that long just to get council approval for the plan.

The name was taken for the massive black rocks which form the topological or geological or whatever-ological base of the area. Eighty excavators piled in to literally move mountains to create this course in record time. They dug three massive lakes, which give the undulating course its picturesque relief. Yeah, thanks … three million cubic metres of water in which you can lose your balls -- especially as the lakes are up to 17 metres deep. So once your ball’s in the water, no chance of surreptitiously tippy-toeing in to retrieve it and drop it on a nice spot on the fairway while your mates aren’t looking.

Tip: take a lot of balls, then pack some more just in case. Ok, enough about balls before I veer into puerile puns and get the sack …

Despite the speed of its construction, Black Mountain is a player’s course that has been recognized at the highest levels:

• Awarded best new course in Asia 2007

• First course in the area to host a major event on the Asian Tour

• Awarded 2nd best course in Thailand 2008

• Awarded 6th best course in Asia 2008

• Awarded 5th best maintained course in Asia 2008

And you can book a round with confidence: since opening they’ve not lost a single day’s play due to bad weather.

Another tip for you: if you’re going to play this course, check out their website first. There’s a flipbook of each and every hole at Green, Purple, Tangerine, Mauve, Yellow, Black Mountain, so you can strategise your game and plan your shots before wagering your bets with your buddies.

Enjoy, and just remember: balls. Lots of them!