Black Mountain golf guide: Thailand's No. 1 in Hua Hin
The Phil Ryan course in the hills above Hua Hin — a perennial national No. 1 and Asian Tour host. The course, booking, when to go, and building a Hua Hin golf trip around it.
Black Mountain is the standard-bearer for Thai golf — repeatedly rated the country's No. 1 course and one of Asia's finest, set in the granite hills inland of the beach town of Hua Hin. Phil Ryan's 2007 design threads across rolling terrain with streams, rock features and a mountain backdrop, and it has hosted a long run of Asian Tour and European Tour co-sanctioned events.
Best of all, it's easy to play: fully public resort golf, buggies and Thailand's famously good caddies, at prices that make a multi-course trip a bargain. Here's the course, how to book, when to go, and the Hua Hin golf scene around it.
Where
Hua Hin, Prachuap Khiri Khan — ~2.5–3 hrs south of Bangkok
Courses
27 holes (East, North & West nines); the Championship 18 is par 72
Nearest airport
Bangkok (BKK/DMK) ~2.5–3 hrs by road; small Hua Hin airport
Best time
Cool, dry season Nov–Feb is peak; hot Mar–May; wet Jun–Oct
Access
Fully public / resort — visitor tee times bookable; caddies standard
Nearby
Banyan, Sea Pines & Royal Hua Hin (Thailand's oldest course)
Phil Ryan (Pacific Coast Design) · 2007 · 18 (of 27) holes · Mountain resort · par 72
Perennial Thailand No. 1; Asian Tour & European Tour co-sanctioned host
Phil Ryan's routing makes the most of a dramatic site — rolling fairways framed by black-granite hills, streams and rock outcrops, with generous landing areas giving way to well-defended greens. Opened in 2007 (a third nine followed in 2016), it has been rated Thailand's best course and one of Asia's finest, and has hosted Asian Tour and European Tour co-sanctioned events including the True Thailand Classic and, more recently, Asian Tour International Series stops.
It plays as tourist-friendly resort golf — 27 holes to mix and match, buggies, and the excellent caddies Thai golf is known for. Conditioning is consistently excellent.
How to play Black Mountain (booking)
This is straightforward, tourist-friendly public resort golf — visitor tee times are bookable online through the club, with caddies standard (a hallmark of Thai golf) and buggies available. There's on-site accommodation and stay-and-play packages if you want to base yourself at the resort. No membership or handicap barrier to clear — just book and play.
Thailand's cool, dry season — roughly November to February — is peak, with the most comfortable temperatures and humidity for golf (it's also the busiest and priciest window). March to May is hot, and June to October is the humid, wetter green season, when you can find real value if you play early and accept the odd downpour.
Getting there
Base yourself in Hua Hin, about 2.5–3 hours south of Bangkok by road (the transfer is easy and often arranged through hotels or the resort). Hua Hin has a small airport with limited flights, but most visitors arrive via Bangkok (BKK or DMK) and drive down. Black Mountain sits in the hills a short drive inland of the town.
How to play it
Hua Hin is one of Asia's best golf hubs, so build a multi-course trip around Black Mountain — nearby are Banyan, Sea Pines, and Royal Hua Hin, the oldest course in Thailand (1924). A week here pairs world-class, superb-value golf with a relaxed beach town, and makes Thailand a compelling winter alternative to the usual European sun-golf trips.
What to pack
The kit this trip demands
Hua Hin golf is hot and humid even in the cool season — pack purely for tropical sun and hydration, with buggies and caddies doing the heavy lifting:
Yes — it's fully public resort golf. Visitor tee times are bookable online, caddies are standard, buggies are available, and there's no membership or handicap barrier. Stay-and-play packages are offered at the resort.
Is Black Mountain really Thailand's best course?
It's been rated Thailand's No. 1 course multiple times and among Asia's best, and it has hosted a long run of Asian Tour and European Tour co-sanctioned events. It's a 27-hole Phil Ryan design that opened in 2007.
When is the best time to play golf in Hua Hin?
The cool, dry season from November to February is peak — the most comfortable weather, though also the busiest. March–May is hot, and June–October is the humid green season, which can offer good value if you play early.
How do you get to Black Mountain from Bangkok?
It's about 2.5–3 hours south by road to Hua Hin, usually arranged through your hotel or the resort. Most visitors fly into Bangkok (BKK or DMK) and drive down; Hua Hin also has a small airport with limited flights.
What other courses are near Black Mountain?
Hua Hin is a golf hub — nearby are Banyan, Sea Pines and Royal Hua Hin, the oldest course in Thailand (1924), making a multi-course trip easy to build.
