Plutaluang Royal Thai Navy Golf Course is one of the oldest golf courses in Pattaya and opened in 1969. The 36-hole layout is located around 30 minutes south of pattaya city in the direction of Sattahip. The courses enjoy a very natural setting and is dominated by a huge reservoir although parts of the course meanders through the heavily wooded countryside with an abundance of birds and other wildlife. You do need to watch out for the monkeys who will pounce on anything left unattended in the golf carts.
This is an old-school golf course without any interference from a modern designer so without any shaping it follows the natural contours. The grass is the local Zoysia grass which is extremely hardy and will survive without much water although it’s not easy to hit off.
The four courses are named rather unoriginally, North, South, East and West. The North & South layouts were part of her original courses and the other two were added in the 1990’s. The courses are all pretty similar with tight fairways and well bunkered greens and in the wet season the rough can get quite thick.
The two best holes are the 3rd hole on the North Course and 9th hole on the South Course. The 3rd hole is a is a par-3 with an island green decorated by a lighthouse as a tribute to its naval routes. The 9th offers the best view of the courses and from this elevated position you need an accurate downhill drive to get into position for the approach to the green over water.
The clubhouse is adequate with reasonable lockers & showers, although the make an extra charge for towels. The pro-shop is very basic and only stocks a few items. The restaurant is Ok with decent views over the course and serves reasonably priced Thai food.
Please do not expect too much when you play Plutaluang as this is not a premium course but the surroundings are great and its excellent value for money.