The dry season
December to April: dry, hot days and the high season for golf; tee off early or late to avoid the midday heat.
Loch Palm
Area · Kathu
An 18-hole course round Crystal Lake, the largest lake on any Phuket course, with villa estates on its edges, between Phuket Town and Patong.
Loch Palm in photographs
- Nature
- A lake ringed by jungle-covered hills
- Quiet
- Villa estates away from the main roads
- Views
- Lake and hill views from the clubhouse
- Facilities
- 18 holes, clubhouse and aqua range
About Loch Palm
Loch Palm is the golf course and the small residential area around it in Kathu, in the middle of Phuket between Phuket Town and Patong. Loch Palm Golf Club, on Vichitsongkram Road, plays 18 holes round Crystal Lake, which guides call the largest lake on any Phuket course, with more than 1,400 palms along the fairways and jungle-covered hills on every side.
The front nine follow the lake, with water on six of the first seven holes; the back nine climb into the forested hills, where the 15th, a par 3, drops about 100 feet to a green guarded by water. A colonial-style clubhouse overlooks the first fairway and the lake, and balls on the driving range are hit onto the water. Red Mountain Golf Club lies just to the south.
Around the course stand villa estates, among them Baan Suan Loch Palm, a gated community of 60 villas built in 2007, and Loch Palm Garden Villas, single-storey homes on the fairways. It is a quiet, residential corner: Kathu's market, shops and temples are a short drive down the hill, and Patong is about 7 km over the ridge.
What is good about Loch Palm
Crystal Lake
The course wraps round the largest lake on any Phuket golf course, with more than 1,400 palms along the fairways and forested hills behind.
An easy-going course
18 holes, par 72, about 6,555 to 6,584 yards; guides rate it easy to medium and good for mid- and high-handicappers, with the hardest holes at the start.
The clubhouse terrace
The colonial-style clubhouse, with a restaurant and pro shop, looks over the first fairway, the lake and the hills; it opens from 06:00 to 19:00.
Estates in a green valley
Villa estates such as Baan Suan Loch Palm, with 24-hour security, sit on the course's edges, away from the traffic of the Patong road.
Between town and beach
Kathu's fresh market and shops are a few minutes down the hill; Patong is about 7 km away, Phuket Town about 12 km.
Things to do at Loch Palm
Loch Palm. Loch Palm. Loch Palm.
Sport
Play Loch Palm
18 holes round Crystal Lake: the front nine by the water, the back nine up in the hills. A round with caddy, tip and cart typically costs 4,500 to 5,000 THB (2026).
Sport
Hit balls onto the lake
The aqua driving range by the clubhouse sends floating balls out onto Crystal Lake; a chipping and putting green is next to it.
Sport
Red Mountain next door
The neighbouring course, built on a former tin mine, is known for dramatic terrain; golfers often pair the two over two days.
Food and drink
Lunch at the clubhouse
The clubhouse restaurant overlooks the first fairway and the lake; non-golfers walking with a group pay a follower fee on the course.
Food and drink
Kathu's fresh market
One of the island's biggest fresh markets, at the main Kathu crossroads, daily 06:00 to 22:00.
Culture
Phuket Mining Museum
Kathu's museum of the tin-mining era, 09:00 to 16:00, closed on Sundays; 100 THB for adults, 50 for children.
A day at Loch Palm
The clubhouse opens at 06:00; tee off before the heat on the lakeside front nine.
The back nine climb into the forest, with the drop at the 15th.
The clubhouse restaurant, looking over the first fairway and Crystal Lake.
Kathu's museum of the tin era, a short drive down the hill. Phuket Mining Museum
Fruit and cooked food at the fresh market, open until 22:00. Talad Sot Kathu
Places in Loch Palm
Our picks
Talad Sot Kathu
Fresh marketA large fresh market at the main Kathu intersection, by the Caltex station on the road between Patong and Phuket Town; one of the biggest on the island, renovated and enlarged in recent years.
Phuket Mining Museum
MuseumA museum in Kathu on the tin-mining era that shaped Phuket, in a building and exhibits designed to recreate that time.
- The zone
- A place, as the list numbers it
Homes and places on the map
Museum
Fresh market
Homes in Loch Palm
Villas on and around the course, in gated estates such as Baan Suan Loch Palm and Loch Palm Garden Villas, most with gardens and private pools, plus newer villa projects nearby. A 3-bedroom villa in Baan Suan Loch Palm was listed at 95,000 THB a month in 2026.
Loch Palm through the year
The monsoon months
Late April to November: rain, heaviest in October and November, with green fees lower from April to October. The Vegetarian Festival fills the Kathu Shrine nearby for nine days in October (10 to 18 October in 2026).
Loch Palm with children
Loch Palm is a quiet place for families who live here rather than a day out: gated villa estates with gardens and pools, little traffic inside them, and the British International School about 4 km to the north-east. For children's outings, Kathu's waterfall and parks are close by.
- Baan Suan Loch Palm has 24-hour security and covered parking.
- Kathu Waterfall, small and free, is best from June to October.
- The Mining Museum costs 50 THB for children.
Getting to Loch Palm and parking
- From the airport, by car
- 40–55 min
- From Patong, with the traffic
- 10–20 min
- From Phuket Town
- 15–25 min
Loch Palm is in Kathu, off the road between Phuket Town and Patong: about 7 km from Patong, 12 km from Phuket Town and 37 km from the airport. A car or scooter is the way in; the Smart Bus and songthaews stop on the main road in Kathu.
- By car. The club is on Vichitsongkram Road in Kathu; the estates have their own parking.
- By scooter. Handy for the estates and Kathu; the road over the hill to Patong is steep, with blind bends.
- The Smart Bus. Route 2 of the Smart Bus, Phuket Town to Patong, stops at Andamanda and Kathu Fresh Market for 50 THB (2026); the course is a short ride from there.
- Grab and taxis. Taxis and ride apps reach the club and the estates.
Parking. The golf club and the villa estates have their own car parks.
Who will love Loch Palm, and who will not
Will love it
- Retirees and golfers who want a course on the doorstep.
- Long-stayers who want a villa with a garden in a quiet valley.
- Anyone after quiet: estates off the main road, among hills and water.
Will not
- Beach lovers: Patong's beach is about 7 km away over the hill.
- First-time visitors: there is little here beyond the golf; Patong or Phuket Town suit better.
Tips for Loch Palm
Book the low season
From 1 April to 31 October 2026 a booking agent sold 18 holes with caddy for 3,600 THB (3,200 THB green fee and 400 THB caddy).
Budget for the extras
The caddie (400 THB) is compulsory; add a tip of 300 to 500 THB or more and 700 THB for a cart.
Mind holes 1 to 3
Anything hit to the right off the first tees is likely to end up in the lake.
Followers pay too
Non-golfers walking with a group pay a follower fee, 1,700 THB for 18 holes by one agent's 2026 list.
Pair it with Red Mountain
The neighbouring course is harder and dearer; golfers often play the two on consecutive days.
Rent a villa by the year
Villa rents here are quoted monthly on yearly contracts: a 3-bedroom villa in Baan Suan Loch Palm was listed at 95,000 THB in 2026.
Questions about Loch Palm
Where is Loch Palm Golf Club?
In Kathu, on Vichitsongkram Road, between Phuket Town and Patong: about 7 km from Patong and 12 km from Phuket Town.
How much does a round at Loch Palm cost?
From April to October 2026 a booking agent listed 3,200 THB green fee plus 400 THB caddy for 18 holes; with a tip and a cart a round typically comes to 4,500 to 5,000 THB.
Is Loch Palm a hard course?
Guides rate it easy to medium and good for mid- and high-handicappers. The first three holes are the hardest, with water on the right; the back nine bring hills and a 100-foot drop at the 15th.
Is Loch Palm next to Red Mountain?
Yes. Red Mountain Golf Club lies just to the south, on former tin-mining land, and golfers often play both on a two-day trip. Phuket Country Club is also nearby in Kathu.
Can you live at Loch Palm?
Yes. Villa estates surround the course, among them Baan Suan Loch Palm, 60 villas built in 2007 with 24-hour security, and Loch Palm Garden Villas on the fairways.
How much is a villa to rent at Loch Palm?
Listings in 2026 asked about 95,000 THB a month for a 3-bedroom villa in Baan Suan Loch Palm on a yearly contract; across Kathu, a guide gave 30,000 to 50,000 THB for a 3-bedroom villa.