Blue Canyon Country Club’s Canyon Course was the original 18 hole layout and leaped to fame when selected as the venue for the 1994 Johnnie Walker Classic. Since then the same tournament has returned two times with Tiger Woods winning in 1998. Blue Canyon recognized as a world championship golf course continually ranks as one of Thailand’s best golf courses.

The course set in an abandoned tin mine displays old strip mine characteristics throughout the property. Streams filled with rust-colored water, canyons with sheer cliffs exposing red and white tin ore-laden rock, and tailings from former mining operations are a few of the many throwbacks to days of time gone.

The front nine plays up and through palm-oil tree-lined fairways. The back nine gets even better with holes 11-15 and probably the best five stretch in Thailand, if not all Asia. These five memorable golf holes will undoubtedly be the center of after round discussions.

The Par 5 11th is a challenging 600-yard par 5 with water crossing the fairway on the first shot and water guarding the green left and right on the third shot. A penalty-free bogey is a good score here. The famous Par 4 13th over a canyon tempts the daredevil in every golfer, and the following Par 3 14th from an elevated tee to an island green is one of the most beautiful, while also challenging par 3’s for all players who tee it up and go for it. There is no bailout area and unless playing the course before, trusting the right club and gauging the wind effects is difficult. Watery, not happy, endings are more typical for most visiting Phuket golfers.

The 17th is also one of the most intimidating Par 3’s anywhere, and even from the white tees, it’s a long iron or fairway wood to a partially hidden green that tucked behind the canyon on the right.

Blue Canyon has a large clubhouse, with three restaurants, well-stocked pro shop, lockers and shower facilities, massage and spa. In its glory days of the 90’s, it set the standard for golf club excellence. However, nowadays the whole facility is a bit tired and in need of a facelift and renovation. Most Phuket golf visitors skip the onsite resort and prefer to stay close to one of the leading centers or at least at one of the resorts on the nearby Mai Khao Beach.