Phuket has more than a dozen golf courses across the island, but three names dominate the conversation among serious golfers: Red Mountain Golf Club, Blue Canyon Country Club, and Laguna Golf Phuket. Each one has a genuine claim to being the best course on the island, and each one offers something distinctly different. The good news is that all three feature on our Phuket Paradise tour, so you don't have to choose. But if you ever have to pick just one, here's what you need to know.

Red Mountain Golf Club: Drama and Scenery That Stops You Mid-Swing

Red Mountain was built on the site of a former tin mining operation in Kathu, and the volcanic, reddish landscape that gives the course its name is unlike anything else in Thai golf. The visual drama starts on the first tee and doesn't let up. Exposed rock faces, dramatic elevation changes, and a layout that winds through terrain no other course in Phuket can replicate make Red Mountain genuinely memorable from the first hole.

The golf itself is excellent. Red Mountain is challenging without being unfair - the course is designed in a way that golfers of all handicaps can enjoy it, provided they think clearly and accept that some tee shots require patience rather than aggression. The par threes are among the most visually striking in Southeast Asia, with elevated tees looking out over the landscape that makes you want to take a photo before you hit.

Green fees at Red Mountain are generally more accessible than Blue Canyon, making it the best value-for-experience proposition among the three. Conditioning is consistently good year-round and the clubhouse is comfortable and well-run. Caddies here are knowledgeable and the overall experience is smooth and professional.

Best for: Golfers who want the most dramatic scenery in Phuket, excellent golf at a slightly lower green fee, and a layout that rewards thoughtful course management.

Blue Canyon Country Club (Canyon Course): Prestige and Championship Heritage

Blue Canyon is the name that people outside of golf know, largely because it hosted the Johnnie Walker Classic Asian Tour event multiple times and attracted stars like Tiger Woods, Ernie Els, and Greg Norman to Phuket. The Canyon Course - as distinct from the newer Lakes Course on the same property - carries that championship pedigree in every blade of grass.

The Canyon Course is the most technically demanding of the three. Fairways are tighter than Red Mountain or Laguna, the rough is genuinely punishing, and the greens have subtle complexities that take a local caddie's knowledge to read properly. Blue Canyon rewards precision above all else - you can hit the ball a long way and still make bogey after bogey if your iron play isn't sharp. That's the kind of course that makes a genuinely good round feel extraordinarily satisfying.

Green fees at Blue Canyon are the highest of the three courses, reflecting its championship status and international reputation. Facilities are world-class - the clubhouse, change rooms, pro shop, and restaurant all operate at a level that matches a top resort course anywhere in the world. This is the course you bring out when you want to impress someone who knows golf.

Best for: Golfers who want the most technically challenging test on the island, the bragging rights of a championship venue, and the complete premium resort experience.

Laguna Golf Phuket: Scenery, Accessibility, and the Best Resort Setting

Laguna Golf Phuket sits within the Laguna Phuket resort complex at Bang Tao Bay in the north of the island. What that means in practice is a course surrounded by world-class hotels, restaurants, and beach access that no other golf course in Phuket can match. The non-golfing partner problem essentially disappears at Laguna - there is plenty to do within walking distance of the clubhouse before the group comes in from their round.

The course itself was redesigned in 2014 by golf architect Paul Jansen and the result is a modern, water-influenced layout that weaves around the resort's lagoon system. The design is more accessible than Blue Canyon - it suits a wider range of handicaps and the fairways are more generous - but it's by no means a pushover. Water features on the majority of holes demand respectful course management, and the greens are well-contoured and fast.

Laguna is the most photogenic of the three courses in terms of resort aesthetics. The combination of water, tropical vegetation, and glimpses of luxury accommodation creates a backdrop that looks extraordinary in photos. If the group includes some non-golfers who want to watch a few holes from the buggy path, Laguna is the most comfortable course to do that at.

Best for: Groups with mixed golfer and non-golfer combinations, golfers who want a slightly more accessible layout, and anyone who wants the most complete resort experience before or after their round.

If You Can Only Play One

This is the question golfers always ask, and the honest answer is: it depends on what matters most to you.

If you can only play one and your handicap is under 12, I'd say Blue Canyon. If you're playing socially and want a course that will produce great stories regardless of your score, Red Mountain.

Which to Play First?

If you're playing all three - which we strongly recommend and which our Phuket tour makes easy - the question of order matters more than people realise. Starting with Laguna on day one works well because the layout is welcoming and helps you settle into the trip. Red Mountain on day two provides the dramatic centrepiece. Blue Canyon as the finale on day three means you end the Phuket golf chapter on the highest possible note.

That's exactly the sequence we use on the Phuket Paradise tour, and it works beautifully every time.