The spring of 2018, a new 18-hole design will be unveiled by the Chee Chan Buddha in the Silver Lake region south of the famed holiday destination of Pattaya in Thailand.
Chee Chan Golf Resort will debut its new layout in the significant shadow of the Chee Chan Buddha. Which is the 110-meter spiritual anchor to an existing resort complex that already includes a water park, winery and shopping district.
All of these amenities are arrayed beside white sand beaches on the Gulf of Siam.The terrain in Pattaya along the Gulf of Siam is generally quite flat.
Still the Chee Chan Golf Resort is boasting fully 25 meters of elevation change. Which is the right amount to create a challenging, visually dramatic and walkable resort course that measures more than 7,200 yards from the championship tees.
The property’s perimeter is further accented by a series of partly vegetated escarpments, some standing 150 meters high. It is here, on one of these massive rock faces, that the 110-meter Chee Chan Buddha is carved directly into the rock. His serene visage is visible from multiple points on the property, including the entire opening hole.
Much to learn from the Buddha
— We couldn’t afford to miss that opportunity: to start golfers at Chee Chan on their spiritual journey under the watchful eye of Siddhartha Gautama, golf course architect and Golfplan partner David Dale says.
— We have much to learn from the Buddha, who taught us a «Middle Way» between sensual indulgence and severe asceticism. For golfers the message is clear: Relax and keep it in the fairway.
— Golf cultures in Asia develop on different tracks, some on the American model, some on the British model. But Thailand is unique because it has created its own distinct culture, its own model, Dale explains.
Chee Chan Golf Resort is managed by IMG. Brodie MacDonald, a Scottish national and member of the British PGA, was recently appointed general manager. MacDonald is joined by golf course superintendent Mike McKenna, an Englishman.MacDonald andMcKenna both came to Chee Chan Golf Resort from one of Asia’s top tracks, Nirwana Bali Golf Club.
Photo: Golfplan
