I was looking forward to it and went, but it turned out very different from what I dreamed of, so I'm disappointed.
—For those planning to go on a month-long stay, absolutely don't choose a golf course in a remote area. The fact that there's nothing to do besides golf is a more serious problem than you'd think.
—While you might think you'll just play golf, if you're not in your 30s for a month-long stay, maintaining your condition is just as important as the golf course. In the first week, I thoughtlessly played 6 consecutive rounds, and by Wednesday or Thursday of the second week, I thought 'I'm going to die like this.' Don't neglect matters of eating, sleeping, and resting. Don't forget that rest is as important as golf.
—If possible, avoid peak season when scheduling and plan with more flexibility. Anyway, if you just avoid the rainy season, the midday temperature excluding morning and evening is equally hot during both off-season and peak season. There's no difference, but the cost difference is significant.
—The term 'labor golf' is absolutely no exaggeration. You might think playing golf for a month—riding in a cart, going to the fairway, holding the club the caddy gives you, swinging, and riding the cart again to move—isn't that hard, but over a month it's much more tiring than you'd think.
—Golf doesn't improve as much as you'd think locally, and the reason is poor conditioning. After coming back and resting well, when I play, my swing feels much more relaxed. My approach shots have changed a lot. Really, a lot has changed.
—I'm disappointed and thinking about a second trip.
1. Cities like Bangkok, Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Hua Hin, Da Nang, Nha Trang, and Vung Tau are candidates.
2. I'm also thinking about renting a vehicle. If I consider a motorcycle, it seems impossible, but since I'll be staying on the outskirts of the city, I'll think about it again after booking accommodation.
3. I plan to play on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays—4 days a week—and rest on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
4. I'm thinking of staying in a small hotel. I'm budgeting about 60,000-70,000 won per night, and during the off-season, about 1 million won per month should be sufficient.
5. For golf courses, I plan to go to the cities listed above and book according to the schedule or condition at the time, or use sports bars. I'll only think beforehand of 'I should check that place out' without detailed planning. I've lived my whole life within plans and schedules, so I want to play golf a bit on my own terms. Anyway, during the off-season, everything gets booked a day or two in advance, and when I went to Pattaya, there were many people joining through sports bars, so it seems like I can just go.
6. I estimate the monthly expenses to be around 6 million won.
7. I haven't decided when to go yet. I'll go when I feel like it.
8. Let me say it once more: avoid remote areas, and if you're not in your 30s or in your 40s with confidence in your physical fitness, I recommend considering sufficient rest and planning your schedule generously.
Finally, someone asked me to share an interesting story, so I'm telling you: among Thai and Vietnamese caddies, some occasionally ask for LINE numbers. I declined because I only had KakaoTalk and didn't have LINE. If anyone is curious, you can download LINE before going.
In Thailand, there are women who have playing partner rounds as a profession. I've heard there are men too, but I've only seen women. They hit the ball incredibly well.
