Nikanti Golf Club – Quality Golf Half Way To Hua Hin

Gunnar Kobin
Feb 1
4 min read

Updated: Mar 23

Nikanti Golf Club: Thailand's Most Unique Golfing Experience

With Thailand being home to so many wonderful golf courses, it's hard to believe that one could be so unique. Nikanti Golf Club, located in Nakhon Pathom, west of Bangkok, is unique, not just another golf course that has a false sense of being different.

You can tell that a lot of thought has gone into the course. This is not another one of those laptop golf courses.

The 6-6-6 Layout is Resoundingly Positive

When I first heard of the 6-6-6 layout, I thought that maybe the designers were seeking to be different just for the sake of it. I was wrong.

The course is made up of 3 six hole loops (a total of 18), with each loop consisting of 2 par 3s, 2 par 4s, and 2 par 5s. Some People could think that this is gimmicky, but I actually think the opposite. Each loop has a different feel to it, and is balanced. Nothing feels like filler, which is a phemomenon I found to be true for many of the traditional layouts that have 4 holes that seem to not be a part of the course.

The consistency of these holes makes sure that there is no 'getting used to' feeling on the front or 'waiting for it to end' feeling on the back. Each hole is designed to get and keep your full attention.

Nikanti is designed by Pirapon Namatra, considered to be Thailand's best modern golf course architect, as the founder of Golf East. His courses are known to be designed cleverly without being too obvious. Nikanti is no different.

Namatra's courses tend to avoid excessive dirt movement for the most part, and at Nikanti he has mixed constructed and natural elements from the previous farmland, and designed a course that fits perfectly. The design of the fairways offer more than just wide unobstructed fairways. They are designed to promote optimal strategic choices on every shot. The location of the greens is designed to reward good strategic thinking on the approach shot.

While nothing on the course is designed to create excessive or overwhelming distraction, there is a quiet design on the course that compels the right demands for strategic and modern Asian design. The course is contemporary without excessive flash and has the right amount of strategy without being overly punitive. The hole design is focused on the overall play of the course instead of the playability and appearance of the holes.

It'll Test You (In a Good Way)

All of Nikanti's challenges are very straightforward, but the layout and facade may give you a different impression. Some of the fairways are a little wider, but frequent uneven lies will make you abandon the mindset of a driving range. Slides in and off the green will have you putting from the fringe rather than the hole.

The real challenge lies in the putting and approach game. The greens will give you an immense range of challenges from fast, uneven speed, subtle stimp, and an impenetrable defense from rough around the green. If you're not willing to commit to a plan, you will face an incalculable challenge. The modernized peril and bunkers are all around even spacing in a random defensive and offensive layout.

From a strategic perspective, it's best to spend a lot of time thinking rather than executing and improv.

Perfect Timing for Arrival Day

Location has an unexpected advantage. Nikanti is situated conveniently for anyone driving from Bangkok to Hua Hin but still needs to stop at Hua Hin.

Instead of dealing with jet lag and travel aches on your way to Hua Hin, take a break at Nikanti and enjoy a fantastic round of golf. You can still arrive in Hua Hin at a reasonable hour. Nikanti seamlessly integrates into your golf trip as you don't have to go too far out of your way to get there.

The All-Inclusive Thing Actually Works Here

I have a lot of caution when it comes to all-inclusive green fees. It can often come off as a marketing gimmick. Not at Nikanti, where all the essentials are provided and you can play a round without any out-of-pocket expenses. This means no stopping to buy goodies or tips.

Food service is done between rounds, and you can indulge in a meal a bit more exciting than a clubhouse sandwich. It’s a different kind of experience on a more courteous and refined service than you are usually given on public courses.

The clubhouse is simple and spacious, and the locker rooms are always clean. Everything is tidy. The service is on point and the caddies are at the ready. The caddies are not just there to walk with you, but to provide you with a guided experience on the course.

Confidence runs through everything Nikanti does. It knows what it wants to be and executes it without compromise.

Bottom Line

Nikanti won't wow you with extravagant features like waterfalls or absurd elevation changes. It also won't try to be brutally difficult or punishing. What it does do, is completely rethink what it means to do a day's golfing in terms of how the course is designed, the flow of the round, and the attention and service to you, and do it all well.

Nikanti doesn't need to shout to stand out in a country full of golfing excellence. It just does things right.