Riverdale Golf Club | Golf Course in Pathum Thani | GoGolf

Last updated: August 19, 2026

Riverdale Golf Club is an 18-hole, par-72 course at Bang Kadi in Mueang Pathum Thani. It was designed by Jonathan Morrow and Al Tikkanen and opened in 2010. It measures about 7,001 yards from the back tees, 6,227 from the club tees and 5,341 from the front.

What gives this course its character is elevation, which is rare around Bangkok. Most courses in the metropolitan area were built on former paddy fields and barely move at all. Riverdale was shaped until it climbed and fell, and it has been described ever since as unlike the flat courses of Bangkok.

The layout is open, tree-lined parkland, in an area where forest, housing and light industry sit side by side. Raised greens combine with a good number of water hazards to make a course you cannot simply overpower with distance.

It lies about 35 km north of central Bangkok. Bangkok Golf Club (18 holes, par 72) adjoins it on the same site, so playing two courses in one area is an option. Check today’s tee times and rates on the GoGolf app or website.

Rates and booking

Green fees vary by day of the week, public holidays, season and timing. The rates shown on GoGolf reflect these in real time as closely as possible, so please check the GoGolf app or website for current pricing.

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Course information

What elevation means near Bangkok

If you have played a few courses around Bangkok you will have noticed that almost all of them are flat. Most courses in the metropolitan area were built on former paddy fields and have almost no natural elevation.

That is exactly why Riverdale has the reputation it does. The ground was shaped until it climbed and fell, and what is on offer is an experience unlike the flat courses of Bangkok.

What elevation changes

What does elevation actually change about the game? One thing is the arithmetic of distance. Uphill you must reckon it longer than the number; downhill, shorter. Which is to say you can no longer pick a club from the yardage alone.

The other is the lie. On a sloping fairway the ball rarely finishes level. Above your feet, below your feet, uphill, downhill — each sends the ball differently, so you need the habit of feeling the tilt through your feet before you settle in.

The two men who designed it

The architects are Jonathan Morrow and Al Tikkanen. They work as Morrow-Tikkanen Design and are credited as the designers on Where2Golf.

Giving elevation to flat ground means moving a great deal of earth, at some cost and effort. Set alongside a relatively recent opening in 2010, you can read a clear intent: to build something the area around Bangkok did not have.

Raised greens, and water

The greens sit high

The greens at Riverdale are built above the ground around them — raised, or plateau, greens.

What makes a raised green awkward is that coming up slightly short sends the ball back down the front slope. “Almost on” becomes “back at your feet, chip again”. A miss on the short side costs you considerably more than the yardage you were missing by.

The answer is simple: when in doubt, take one more club. Long, and in most cases all you have left is a downhill chip. That is far less damage than landing short and being returned by the slope.

A good number of water hazards

On top of the elevation there is a good number of water hazards. When elevation and water combine, the price of getting your distance wrong goes up.

Under-read an uphill hole and you can find the pond short of the green. Over-read a downhill one and you go through into the water long. You have to check the elevation adjustment and the position of the water as a single piece of work, on every shot.

Some holes leave little margin

As a whole the course is set up for the intermediate golfer and above. Some holes leave little margin for a miss, and precision is asked for.

That said, the front tees come back to about 5,341 yards. Choose your tee and the length is manageable, so a less experienced player can still have the experience of golf on real elevation.

Location and access

Riverdale is on Tiwanon Road at Bang Kadi, in Mueang Pathum Thani. Where2Golf puts it about 35 km north of the Sukhumvit area of Bangkok.

The usual route runs north on the Second Stage Expressway, exiting left at Bang Pun onto Route 306. Journey times swing widely with traffic, so work backwards from your tee time and leave more room than you think you need.

For getting there, a company car or your own is the usual choice, along with ride-hailing services such as Grab, which are common in Bangkok. This is a course on the outskirts, so think about the ride home in advance. Note that GoGolf does not arrange transfers or shuttles.

Bangkok Golf Club next door

Bangkok Golf Club adjoins the same area: 18 holes, par 72, about 6,812 yards from the back tees.

Two courses in one place means you can play thirty-six in a day, or a different eighteen on each of two days. Adding rounds without adding travelling time is a real advantage on an itinerary with several rounds in it.

How to think about scoring

Scoring at Riverdale comes down to whether you can translate elevation into numbers.

• Put uphill and downhill into the club. Choose from the yardage alone and it will not match.
• Take more club into the greens. They are raised, so short means back down the front slope.
• Feel the tilt before you settle in. A sloping lie sends the ball differently.
• Read the water and the elevation together. A misread distance goes straight into the pond.
• Pick a tee that matches you. There is real range: about 7,001 yards at the back, 5,341 at the front.
• Ask your caddie about the elevation. Someone who is on the course every day will tell you what it really plays.

At about 7,001 yards the length itself is not exceptional for a championship course around Bangkok. Think of it as a course whose difficulty is built from ground rather than numbers.

Common mistakes, and how to avoid them

1. Choosing a club from the yardage alone

The most common of all. If you are used to flat courses, the habit of distance-equals-club is already in you. Add uphill, subtract downhill. Whether you can get that into your body within the first few holes is the difference.

2. Coming up short of a raised green

Because the green sits high, being slightly short returns the ball down the front slope. When in doubt, take more. Simply holding to that principle cuts the number of chips you play.

3. Swinging as usual from a sloping lie

Ball above your feet goes left, below your feet goes right. Look at the slope, then move your aim — skip that small piece of work and you get a run of shots that go somewhere other than where you hit them.

4. Treating elevation and water as separate problems

Short uphill into the pond in front; long downhill into the water behind. Get the elevation adjustment wrong and there are holes where it goes straight into the water. Always check the distance and the position of the water together.

5. Choosing the back tees

About 7,001 yards plays longer than that on a course with elevation. If your normal round is off the regular tees, the club tees at about 6,227 yards will let you concentrate on what makes this course interesting — reading the ground.

Facilities and services

Practice

There are practice facilities where you can loosen up before you play. On a course with elevation your sense of club selection shifts from the usual, so confirming your carry distances before you start is worth the time.

Caddies and carts

According to Where2Golf, a cart each and a caddie are both compulsory. On ground that climbs and falls, riding also helps you conserve energy.

Your caddie can tell you what an uphill or downhill shot really plays, and how the green surface tilts. If it is your first time round, ask freely.

The clubhouse

There is a modern clubhouse with lockers, a restaurant and a pro shop. There is also outdoor seating overlooking the 18th.

The spike rule

Non-metal spikes only.

What to bring

• Spare balls — there is a good number of water hazards, so bring more than you think.
• Sunscreen and a hat — essential.
• Non-metal spiked shoes — metal spikes are not permitted.

The best season and time of day

The dry season from about November to February is the most comfortable: humidity drops, and ground that climbs takes less out of you.

In the hot season from March to May the temperature climbs, so move your start to a morning slot. An undulating course costs more energy than a flat one, which makes the cooler hours worth more here than elsewhere.

The rainy season from June to October is mostly a short afternoon squall passing through. A morning round is little affected, and tee times are easier to get. After rain, though, lies on the slopes get heavy, so choose your club with care.

Who this course suits

• Anyone tired of flat courses — a layout with elevation that is rare around Bangkok.
• Intermediate players and above — some holes leave little margin, and precision shows up in the result.
• Anyone looking for a newer course — opened in 2010, with a clear design intent.
• Anyone who wants a lot of holes in a day — thirty-six is possible with Bangkok Golf Club next door.
• Visitors staying in northern Bangkok — about 35 km north of the centre, which keeps travelling down.
• Beginners and improvers — the front tees are about 5,341 yards, so choosing a tee keeps the length manageable.

On a day when you want to hit it straight and simply enjoy yourself, however, a layout of continuous elevation and raised greens does make you think. That load, though, is exactly what makes it rare near Bangkok.

How it differs from other Pathum Thani courses

The courses of Pathum Thani are each clearly different in character. Here is where Riverdale sits among the main courses in the province that you can book through GoGolf.

• Riverdale Golf Club: 18 holes, par 72, about 7,001 yards. Morrow & Tikkanen, 2010. Elevation that is rare around Bangkok, and raised greens.
• Alpine Golf Club: 18 holes, par 72, about 7,100 yards. Ron Garl, 1996. Undulating parkland and two island greens, with a full tournament record.
• Lam Luk Ka Golf and Country Club: 36 holes. Roger Packard, 1994. Water in play on almost every hole.
• Pinehurst Golf and Country Club: 27 holes. Yoshihara Aihara. Night golf and an on-site hotel.
• The RG City Golf Club (The Royal Gems Golf City): 18 holes, par 71. Ron Garl. A replica course reproducing famous holes from around the world.

What sets Riverdale apart in that company is that its difficulty is built from ground. Not surprising you with water, not charming you with replicas — the difference is made with the most basic variable of all, uphill and downhill. It is the course for a day when you want to sharpen your judgement of distance.

Pairing it with other Pathum Thani courses

If you are playing more than one round during your stay, combining courses nearby keeps the travelling down.

• Alpine Golf Club — undulating parkland with a full tournament record.
• Lam Luk Ka Golf and Country Club — 36 holes; East and West have different characters.
• Pinehurst Golf and Country Club — 27 holes, with night golf.
• The Royal Gems Golf City — a replica course reproducing famous holes from around the world.

Availability and rates across the area are on the Bangkok golf booking page.

In summary

Put simply, there are three reasons to choose Riverdale.

• Elevation — climbs and falls that are rare around Bangkok. You cannot pick a club from the yardage alone.
• The design — Morrow & Tikkanen, opened 2010. A clear intent to give ground to flat land.
• Position and combination — about 35 km north of the centre, with thirty-six possible alongside Bangkok Golf Club next door.

Riverdale Golf Club is 18 holes, par 72, about 7,001 yards from the back tees. The club tees come back to about 6,227 and the front to about 5,341. Raised greens and a good number of water hazards combine into a course where your score is decided by reading the ground rather than by distance.

It is one for anyone who has started to find the flat courses of Bangkok unsatisfying. Check today’s tee times and rates on the GoGolf app or website.

Frequently asked questions

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