The Royal Gems Golf City | Golf Course in Pathum Thani | GoGolf

Last updated: August 19, 2026

The Royal Gems Golf City — formally The RG City Golf Club — is an 18-hole, par-71 course in Thanyaburi, Pathum Thani. It was designed by Ron Garl. Sources put it at roughly 6,629 to 6,689 yards from the back tees, and it is generally presented as having opened in 2011.

What makes this course categorically different is that it is a replica course. The front nine rebuilds signature holes from the world’s great tournaments; the back nine reproduces Augusta National’s inward nine (10 to 18). The official site describes it as the first and only course in Asia seriously inspired by Augusta and the great holes of the world.

At the 3rd you face an island green in the mould of the 17th at TPC Sawgrass; at the 7th, the Road Hole from St Andrews. Then come Oakmont’s Church Pews bunker, Royal Troon’s Postage Stamp, and holes drawing on Bay Hill and The Belfry.

Turn to the back nine and you are at Amen Corner (11 to 13). The hole most often named as the signature is the 12th, which recalls Augusta’s famous short par 3. Check today’s tee times and rates on the GoGolf app or website.

Rates and booking

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Course information

The idea of a replica course

A handful of courses around the world reproduce famous holes, but few have designed the whole eighteen as a trip around the world. Royal Gems is one of them.

The front nine: a tour of the world’s great holes

The first nine takes signature holes from the most prestigious tournaments in the game and rebuilds them.

• The 3rd — an island green in the mould of the 17th at TPC Sawgrass. One of the most nerve-racking holes in golf.
• The 7th — the Road Hole from St Andrews, reproduced down to the legendary bunker short of the green and the road itself.
• Oakmont — the distinctive Church Pews bunker.
• Royal Troon — the Postage Stamp, a par 3 to a tiny green.
• Bay Hill — a severe dogleg.
• The Belfry — a hole that calls up the Ryder Cup stage.

The back nine: Augusta National

The second nine reproduces holes 10 to 18 of Augusta National, the stage of the Masters Tournament.

The 11th to the 13th are Amen Corner. Azaleas in full bloom and elevation modelled on the original’s ground reproduce the particular atmosphere of Augusta closely.

The signature hole most often written about is the par-3 12th. It recalls Augusta’s famous short par 3, and asks for an accurate shot to a narrow green with water in front.

Ron Garl, the architect

The architect is Ron Garl, an American golf course designer based in Florida who has built courses around the world. Alpine Golf Club, also in Pathum Thani, is his as well.

Making elevation on flat ground

The consistent thread in Garl’s work is the idea of manufacturing elevation on flat ground. Most courses around Bangkok sit on former paddy fields and have almost no natural undulation.

At Royal Gems that method is tied to the replica purpose. You cannot reproduce the ground of Augusta National without elevation to begin with. Land that was once flat has been rebuilt into a stage with the dynamic movement of the classic courses of America and Europe.

Not a reproduction of appearance alone

The reproduction here does not stop at visual imitation. Each hole is designed down to the detail of its strategy, its traps and its psychological pressure, attempting to reproduce why the original hole is difficult.

Doglegs, manufactured elevation, water hazards, rolling greens. The combination makes a stage that trains the mental and tactical side for golfers of every level.

The experience: a world tour in eighteen holes

Playing Royal Gems is not about hitting the ball a long way. It asks you to switch, hole by hole.

The 3rd: the island green

An island green in the mould of the 17th at TPC Sawgrass. Long or short, the ball disappears into the water.

The way to play it is the same as any island green. Do not go at the flag; put the ball on the middle of the green. Concentrate only on matching the distance and switch to a plan where two putts is the outcome. On a windy day, watch the flag move from the tee before you settle on a club.

The 7th: the Road Hole

The Road Hole at St Andrews is known for the deep bunker short of the green as its principal trap. The same structure is reproduced here, so before you think about the green you have to decide where you must not go.

The 11th to 13th: Amen Corner

Augusta’s Amen Corner is a stretch whose difficulty swings widely with pin position and wind direction. That character is reproduced here too, and accurate short irons become essential.

The 12th in particular combines water in front with a narrow green. As at the original, the choice of club is the result.

The one-day world tour

Many golfers describe their eighteen holes here as a one-day world tour. There are not many places anywhere in the world where you can trace holes from the history of golf in a single round.

In the busy season, though, waits between holes can be long. It has also been noted that on the Augusta-modelled back nine the trees are still young compared with the original.

Location and access

Royal Gems is at Rangsit in the Thanyaburi district of Pathum Thani. This is countryside on the north side of Bangkok, and an easy direction from Don Mueang Airport and the Rangsit side.

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. Journey times swing widely with traffic, so work backwards from your tee time and leave more room than you think you need.

This is a course on the outskirts, so it is worth thinking about the ride home in advance. Note that GoGolf does not arrange transfers or shuttles.

The same province holds Alpine Golf Club, Lam Luk Ka, Pinehurst and Riverdale, which makes it straightforward to build an itinerary of several rounds.

How to think about scoring

Scoring at Royal Gems comes down to working out, hole by hole, what the trap is — before you play the shot.

• Centre of the green at the 3rd. There is no reason to attack a flag on an island green.
• At the 7th, decide where you must not go first. The essence of the Road Hole is the bunker short of the green.
• At the 12th the club is everything. Water in front, a narrow green. Do not swing with the doubt still in you.
• Put the elevation into the club. The ground has been shaped, so the yardage alone is not enough.
• Expect fast greens. Check the roll on the putting green before you start.
• Ask your caddie what each hole is based on. Knowing the original makes the line much easier to understand.

At roughly 6,629 to 6,689 yards from the back, this is not long for a modern championship course. The difference here is made by judgement on each hole, not by distance.

Common mistakes, and how to avoid them

1. Going at the flag at the 3rd

The most common mistake on any island green. Think only about putting the ball on the green. Accept that two putts will do and the hole stops being unreasonable.

2. Swinging at the 12th without having settled on a club

Water in front and a narrow green. Swing while still in two minds and your hands almost always ease off. Read the wind from the tee, settle the club, then take your stance.

3. Relaxing because it is short

Even from the back it does not reach 6,700 yards. But the difficulty here is not in length; it is in the placement of the reproduced traps. Play it on the assumption that short means easy and the two will not meet.

4. Ignoring the elevation

Clear undulation has been given to the ground by earthworks. Add for uphill, subtract for downhill. Choose a club from the yardage alone and it will not match, particularly through Amen Corner.

5. Not allowing for waits in the busy season

This is a course people talk about, and in the busy season waits between holes can be long. If you have something on in the afternoon, build in some slack.

Facilities and services

Practice

There are practice facilities where you can loosen up before you play. With fast greens and manufactured elevation, checking the roll on the putting green before you start is worth the time.

Caddies and carts

A caddie accompanies your round. Given that this is a replica course, the advice of a caddie who knows what each hole is based on is worth a great deal. Carts are available for hire.

Visitors

Where2Golf presents it as a member club. The terms of acceptance vary from day to day, so check today’s availability on the GoGolf app or website.

What to bring

• Spare balls — there is an island green and holes with water in play, so bring more than you think.
• Sunscreen and a hat — essential.
• Non-metal spiked shoes — the standard rule at Thai courses.

The best season and time of day

The dry season from about November to February is the most comfortable: humidity drops, and it is also the season in which the shaped landscape looks its best.

In the hot season from March to May the temperature climbs. The first slot of the morning is the realistic choice. A course with elevation costs energy, which makes the cooler hours worth choosing.

June to October is the rainy season, mostly a short afternoon shower passing through. A morning round is little affected, and tee times are easier to get in this period.

Who this course suits

• Anyone with an interest in the history of golf — TPC Sawgrass, St Andrews and Augusta in a single day.
• Anyone who wants to play an island green — the 3rd is in the mould of TPC Sawgrass 17.
• Anyone who wants to walk Amen Corner — the 11th to 13th reproduce Augusta’s inward stretch.
• Players who choose by architect — a Ron Garl design within reach of Bangkok.
• Anyone who prefers judgement to distance — even from the back it does not reach 6,700 yards.
• Anyone looking for one special round — a strong candidate if you want one memorable round in your stay.

On the other hand, if what you want is a course that makes use of its own landscape, the very idea of a replica may not appeal. And because it is a member club, the terms for visitors vary from day to day.

How it differs from other Pathum Thani courses

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

• The RG City Golf Club (The Royal Gems Golf City): 18 holes, par 71, about 6,629-6,689 yards. Ron Garl. A replica course reproducing the world’s great holes and Augusta’s inward nine.
• 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.
• Riverdale Golf Club: 18 holes, par 72, about 7,001 yards. Morrow & Tikkanen, 2010. Elevation that is rare around Bangkok.

What sets Royal Gems apart in that company is obvious: the course itself is an exhibition of the history of golf. Not the beauty of the setting, not the facilities — thinking about why each hole was built the way it was becomes the pleasure of the round.

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 — another Ron Garl design, 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.
• Riverdale Golf Club — a modern layout with elevation change.

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

In summary

Put simply, there are three reasons to choose Royal Gems.

• The replica idea — the front nine from the world’s great holes, the back nine Augusta National’s inward nine.
• The holes themselves — an island green in the mould of TPC Sawgrass 17 (the 3rd), the Road Hole (the 7th), Amen Corner (11 to 13).
• The design — Ron Garl, who gave elevation to flat land to reproduce the ground of the originals.

The Royal Gems Golf City is 18 holes, par 71. Even from the back it runs roughly 6,629 to 6,689 yards, so the difference is made by judgement on each hole rather than by distance.

There are not many places in the world where you can trace holes from the history of golf in a single round. It is a member club, so the terms for visitors vary from day to day. Check today’s tee times and rates on the GoGolf app or website.

Frequently asked questions

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