Loch Palm is the other half of Phuket’s best one-two punch: the calm, palm-lined valley course that shares an entrance road in Kathu with its ferocious sister, Red Mountain. Both are owned by MBK, both sit on old tin-mining ground, and they could hardly be less alike. Where Red Mountain dismantles scorecards, Loch Palm hands them back intact — a genuinely relaxing par 71 wrapped around what MBK bills as the largest lake on any Phuket golf course, and one of the smartest warm-up or wind-down rounds a visiting golfer can book.
Below: the design and the published numbers (which vary between the club and older listings — we explain why), the tin-mining lake at the heart of it, the holes that matter, getting to Kathu, caddies and costs in outline, and who should play it — and who should go next door instead.
The course itself
Loch Palm opened in 1993 by the accounts of Golfasian, GolfPass and other operator listings; the club’s own pages state no year. Those same listings credit the original design to Thai architect Dr. Sukitti Klangvisai. What you play today, though, is substantially newer: the club’s site records “major re-designs and renovation upgrades in late 2019 by renowned designer Jon Morrow” — the same Jon Morrow who built Red Mountain next door and Riverdale near Bangkok.
That renovation is also why the published numbers disagree. MBK’s own pages list the current course as a par 71 playing 5,991 yards from the Blue tees — a figure GolfPass matches, along with a modest 69.7 rating and 119 slope, plus White tees at 5,571 yards and Reds at 4,779. Several operator sites still carry the pre-renovation card of par 72 and roughly 6,555 yards. Trust the club’s figures: this is now a short, precise par 71, not a long slog.
The setting is the point. The course sits in a green basin under jungle-covered hills, with more than a thousand oil palms lining fairways of Zoysia grass (used in the rough too, which keeps it playable year-round, per the club). Water comes into play on ten holes, and on six of the first seven. The centrepiece is Crystal Lake — 48 acres by the club’s measure, quarried during Phuket’s tin-mining days and described by MBK as the largest body of water on the island. The front nine plays around and alongside it; the back nine climbs into forested hills for downhill shots and uneven lies.
What it is known for
There is no tournament pedigree to report here, and the club doesn’t pretend otherwise. Loch Palm’s reputation is local and earned: MBK bills it as “the most relaxing golf course in Phuket,” and it is a stated favourite of the island’s residents and expatriate regulars, many of whom tee off at dawn — the club says early-morning and late-afternoon rounds routinely finish in about three hours, and players are encouraged to get around in three and a half or less. That, on a holiday island where marquee courses can grind, is a genuine selling point.
The other claim to fame is the ground itself. Like Red Mountain, Loch Palm is reclaimed tin-mine land — but where its sister kept the scarred red rock, Loch Palm inherited the flooded quarry as a serene lake. Same industrial past, opposite personalities.
The holes worth knowing
- Holes 1–3. The opening stretch runs directly alongside Crystal Lake, and the club is blunt about it: anything hit right off the tee on these three holes will almost certainly get wet. Fairways are generous enough — just aim left of your instinct and settle into the round.
- 4th, par 3. An all-water carry to the green — a simple pitch from the forward tees, a proper short-to-mid iron from the back. Weak and right finds the lake; long leaves what the club calls one of the hardest chips on the course. Local guides rate it the most photogenic hole on the property.
- 10th, par 4. A short two-shotter opening the hillier back nine — per the club, this hole and the three inward par 3s are where the score is made or lost.
- 15th, par 3. The signature. Just 161 yards from the back tee but dropping steeply — the club quotes figures from 60 to 100 feet — to a large, undulating green with water on all sides and a long “beach” bunker across the front. Wind and elevation wreck club selection; the panoramic view is the consolation prize.
Location and getting there
The club’s address is 38 Moo 5, Vichitsongklam Road, Kathu district — centre-island Phuket, inside a resort community and literally next door to Red Mountain. The airport is Phuket International, code HKT. The club puts the distance at 25 km; independent guides measure the road route at closer to 35 km, so budget 35–45 minutes depending on traffic. From the main tourist bases it’s far quicker: the club claims ten minutes from both Patong Beach and Phuket Town, and even allowing for the hill road behind Patong, 15–20 minutes is realistic.
You can also simply stay on site: MBK’s own Tinidee Golf Resort sits within the estate, alongside private villas, which makes Loch Palm and Red Mountain an easy two-course base — with Laguna Golf Phuket about half an hour north and Blue Canyon Country Club up near the airport for the full island circuit.
Practical notes
- Caddies are mandatory, per local guides — standard for Thailand. For how the system and tipping work, see our guide to Thai caddies and etiquette.
- Walking is listed as allowed by GolfPass — a rarity in Phuket. The flatter front nine walks easily; the back-nine climbs will tempt you into a cart, which is optional rather than compulsory (unlike at Red Mountain).
- Pricing sits mid-market for Phuket — meaningfully cheaper than the island’s marquee names, and local guides put its green fee at roughly half of Red Mountain’s (verify current rates with the club — Phuket fees swing sharply by season). For what a Thai golf trip actually costs end to end, see our Thailand golf cost guide.
- Crowds and timing. Its popularity with residents means weekends get busy; midweek and early morning are the play, and dawn tee times also dodge the heat and deliver those three-hour rounds.
- Facilities run to a colonial-style clubhouse with restaurant and pro shop, chipping and putting greens, and an aqua driving range where you hit floating balls into the lake.
- High handicappers are genuinely well served: generous landing areas, honest greens and modest length — though the water on ten holes means bringing a few spare balls is not optional.
Is it right for your trip?
Play Loch Palm if you want Phuket golf without the beating: mixed-ability groups, higher handicappers, anyone easing off a long-haul flight, or a couple where one player wants scenery more than slope. It is also the natural companion round to Red Mountain — many visitors play Loch Palm first to groove the swing, then take on the sister course with their confidence intact. Skip it only if you have a single round on the island and want maximum drama for the money; that round belongs to Red Mountain or Blue Canyon, and a low handicapper hunting a championship examination will find 5,991 yards over quickly, however pretty the water.
For where Loch Palm fits in the island’s pecking order, start with our full Phuket golf guide, then zoom out to everything the country offers in our Golf in Thailand hub. If Kathu’s twin courses have you sketching a full itinerary, our Thailand golf trip planner will keep the logistics as relaxed as the front nine.