Treasure Hill Golf & Country
Club.

Treasure Hill Golf & Country Club

Overview

Treasure Hill Golf & Country Club is a 7,264-yard par-72 championship course set in the jungle hills of Ban Bueng, approximately 60 kilometres from Pattaya (50-minute drive). Designed by Japanese architect Yoshikazu Kato and opened in 1994, the course is renowned for its mature jungle setting with no surrounding housing development — a rarity in modern Thai golf where most courses are now ringed with villa estates. The fairways thread through mature trees lining every hole with the jungle pressing in just outside the cut, a design language that emphasises target golf, accuracy off the tee, and shot-shaping over distance bombing.

The course's signature feature is the par-5 16th hole — known as the "crocodile hole" because of the concrete crocodile sculpture installed in the pond left of the green, a piece of golf-course folklore that distinguishes Treasure Hill from any other Thailand course. The crocodile guards the hazard, becoming both an unforgettable visual landmark and a psychological reminder to favor the right side of the green on approach.

For golfers wanting a jungle-immersive Thai golf experience that feels removed from beach-resort touristry, with Yoshikazu Kato's classic Japanese course architect sensibility, Treasure Hill is a quietly distinguished option in the broader Pattaya golf circuit.

Position in the Pattaya Golf Market

Pattaya / Eastern Seaboard has 20+ golf courses within a 1.5-hour drive, including:

Treasure Hill occupies the hidden character tier — it's not on the every-package golfer's must-play list, but knowledgeable golfers who've played the area for years often cite it as a favorite for its jungle aesthetic, signature hole, and lack of housing intrusion.

Course Designer — Yoshikazu Kato

The course was designed by Yoshikazu Kato, a Japanese golf architect whose Thailand portfolio includes multiple Eastern Seaboard courses. Japanese golf course designers from the 1990s-2000s era characteristically:

• Emphasise aesthetic harmony with native landscape
• Use mature trees as natural hazards rather than bulldozing the site flat
• Build greens with subtle slope and tier complexes
• Incorporate water hazards strategically rather than cosmetically
• Design for accuracy rather than purely for length

Kato's Treasure Hill exemplifies this school. The course was built into the natural Ban Bueng hill terrain, preserving stands of mature trees and creating fairways that thread through the existing jungle rather than clear-cutting flat.

Course Architecture

Layout

• 18 holes
• Par 72
• 7,264 yards from championship tees
• Multiple tee boxes for different skill levels (typically 4-5 tees)
• Front nine + Back nine routing returning to clubhouse

Design Features

• Mature trees lining fairways — hitting under or around overhanging branches is a recurring shot pattern
• Jungle outside the course — wayward shots are typically unrecoverable, creating implicit accuracy pressure
• Mix of water hazards — ponds, streams, drainage features
• Narrow, sloping fairways on several holes — driver isn't always the best play
• Tricky green complexes — multi-tiered, runoff slopes, hidden pins
• Several doglegs requiring accurate tee shots — bombers without shape will struggle

Signature Hole — #16, the Crocodile Hole

The par-5 16th is the course's most photographed hole:

• Approximately 540-580 yards depending on tee
• Pond on the left side of the green guards the dangerous miss
• Concrete crocodile sculpture installed in the pond — eyes peeking above water, guarding the hazard
• Approach demands a right-favoring landing to avoid the croc/water
• Memorable photo opportunity — most groups stop for a picture

The crocodile is golf-course folklore — a piece of design whimsy that's become Treasure Hill's identifying feature.

Conditions

The course is generally well-maintained:

• Bermuda fairways typical of Thai courses, well-watered
• Bent grass / Tifeagle hybrid greens depending on era of recent renovation
• Tee boxes kept reasonable, occasional patches in low-traffic zones
• Bunkers with raked sand, generally clean

Conditions are good but not premium-tier (Siam Country Club Old Course, Laem Chabang, etc. are higher-maintained and command higher fees in line). Treasure Hill targets the value end of the championship-quality range.

Pricing & Tee Times

Green Fees (2026 indicative)

• Base green fee: ~฿700-1,000 per round
• Green fee + caddy + cart (weekday): ~฿1,650 total
• Green fee + caddy + cart (weekend): ~฿1,750 total
• Sport day discount (Mon, Wed): ~฿1,400 total
• Tournament / corporate rates: negotiable

For comparison:

• Siam Country Club Old: ~฿4,500-6,500
• Laem Chabang International: ~฿2,500-4,500
• Treasure Hill: among the value-oriented championship-quality options

This makes Treasure Hill one of the better-value courses in the Pattaya region for the quality on offer.

Caddies

• Mandatory caddy (Thai golf standard)
• Caddy fee: ~฿400 included in package
• Caddy tip: customary ~฿300-500 per round
• Reviews describe caddies as mature, pleasant, and helpful — generally a positive force on the round

Tee Time Booking

• Direct booking by phone or via course agents
• Online booking platforms: GolfSavers, Golf Pattaya, Asia Golf Trail
• Recommended booking lead time: 3-7 days advance during peak (November-March)
• Sunday and weekend afternoons can be quieter than peak slots

Clubhouse & Facilities

The clubhouse is described as adequate — functional rather than luxurious:

• Locker rooms — basic but clean
• Treasure Hill restaurant — Thai, Chinese, and Japanese food + beverages
• Pro shop — limited apparel, basics
• Practice green at clubhouse
• Driving range — short, basic, sufficient for warm-up

The club isn't a destination resort with overnight accommodation; it's a pure golf operation without the spa-and-stay layer.

Getting There

• 60 km from central Pattaya — approximately 50-minute drive
• From Sukhumvit Road, Pattaya: north toward Chonburi, then west on Route 3245 toward Ban Bueng
• From Bangkok: ~110 km, ~1.5 hour drive
• Taxi from Pattaya: ~฿1,500-2,000 round trip
• Golf shuttle / Grab Car: check with course or operator

The Ban Bueng location means less convenience than Bangsai, Phoenix Gold, or Burapha (closer to Pattaya), but the value-and-character trade-off rewards the longer drive.

Pros

• 7,264-yard par-72 championship layout with shape and accuracy demands
• Yoshikazu Kato design — mature Japanese-school architecture
• Jungle setting with no housing — aesthetic unique vs. modern villa-fringed courses
• Iconic concrete-crocodile signature hole — memorable photo opportunity
• Value pricing — ~฿1,650-1,750 weekday with cart and caddy
• Helpful, mature caddies
• Mid-tier maintenance — solid greens and fairways
• Multi-tee design for varied skill levels
• Less crowded than headline courses
• Restaurant with Thai/Chinese/Japanese food post-round

Cons

• 60 km / 50-min drive from Pattaya — not convenient
• Clubhouse is functional, not premium — no spa, no on-site hotel
• Conditions mid-tier — not Old Course-grade pristine
• Course length and tree-narrow fairways unforgiving for high handicappers
• Limited online presence — booking outside platforms takes effort
• No golf academy / structured lessons on-site

Best For

• Mid-handicap golfers who can keep the ball in play
• Course-design connoisseurs wanting Yoshikazu Kato aesthetic
• Value golfers seeking championship-quality below ฿2,000 with cart
• Photographers / first-timers wanting the crocodile hole photo
• Golfers who prefer jungle to villa-development backdrops
• Repeat Pattaya visitors who've already played the headline courses

Not Best For

• Beginners and high handicappers (the trees and water punish bad shots)
• Premium-resort seekers (Siam Country Club delivers spa/stay/golf integration)
• Distance-only bombers who need wide forgiveness lines
• Time-pressed travellers based in central Pattaya wanting closer courses (Phoenix, Burapha, Khao Kheow)

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