I played a round out at Eastern Star Golf Course in Ban Chang last week and was pleasantly surprised the amount of new housing along the course.
I’ve mentioned in the past I was always surprised by the lack of decent housing along the area courses, so it’s nice to see something happening. There were some very large stunning houses along the fairways and lakes as well as some smaller budget places in the surrounding areas, no doubt catering to the many expats and Thais working at the nearby Maphtaphut Industrial Estate.
Phoenix is probably the area’s closest course that offers housing along the course itself. Phoenix is massive in scope with 27 holes on over 1,000 rai and hundreds of 1 rai building plots, yet the building over the years has been sparse and sporadic at best. There are some lovely homes and some owners have invested tens of millions in their properties, yet there are still abandoned properties that seem strangely unavailable. Yet having said this, there is now more building activity in and around Phoenix than ever before, and I know of a few small estates that are planning to develop inside the course itself as well.
Siam Country Club would seem to be the ideal course for housing, yet there is nary a house to be found along its fairways. The closest you’ll get is the Horseshoe Point housing estate (beautiful estate houses and just a few clicks from Siam C.C.), Whispering Palms, Mabprachan Gardens or the Santa Maria estate (very well-built rustic style custom homes that really deserve to be seen – we have a couple of stunners in here for sale at the moment).
Burapha Golf Course has several housing estates lining its 36 holes. It’s a bit of a hike for most (about 40 minutes from Central Pattaya) but it’s a beautiful course (and not too difficult) and it’s located close to several of the area’s industrial estates making it a favourite for working expat families. Most the houses here are rental units and expect to pay a premium. Four bedroom family homes easily run 80 – 120,000 Baht per month. There are some nice private plots available for sale and some buyers have taken advantage of the some of the truly breathtaking views overlooking the Laem Chabang Valley. But, as with Phoenix, considering the size of the place, there seems to be so much untapped potential.
Across the street from Burapha is a favourite among most area golfers, Laem Chabang Golf Course. Designed by Jack Nicklaus, it’s a very creative, challenging and beautiful course that does offer some limited housing options, but considering the potential, it really does fall flat. There are some condos and houses both for sale and rent, but with the exception of a few, most are quite tired. A couple of new housing estates have been recently built though I find the plot sizes to be unreasonably small considering how far outside the city you are. Out of all the area courses, this one probably has the best potential to create a truly high-end housing estate.
