Construction begins on Siam CC’s new Bangkok layout
Construction work has started on a new course in Bangkok, Thailand, designed by Toby Cobb for Siam Country Club.
The club, owned by the Phornprapha family that built the Siam Motors car dealership business, has three existing courses, plus one more in development, in the resort town of Pattaya, which is 60 miles southeast of the Thai capital.
Its fifth course will be located east of Bangkok, approximately 20 minutes south of Suvarnabhumi International Airport.
Cobb’s brief, given by club president Dr. Phornthep Phornprapha, was to design a unique layout that is different from the other courses in the area. This is Cobb’s first solo project after working for Coore & Crenshaw for 20 years, as well as with Tom Doak on three projects.
“I will do a lot of the shaping myself,” said Cobb. “I’ll be directing the contractors and shapers on fairways and tees, as well as shaping and finishing all the greens myself with dozers and sand pros. That’s something I take away from my years working with Bill Coore.”
Clearing began in January 2019. “Because of the long rainy season and difficult soils it will be a two year construction project,” said Cobb.
“Pirapon ‘Ope’ Namatra, the owner of contractor Golf East, described it best as a hybrid course,” said Cobb. “It’s a sparsely treed parkland course on a links site.”
Siam CC is a private golf club which has been established almost fifty years. Its Old course was designed by Japanese golf course architect Ichisuke Izumi in 1971 and renovated by Schmidt-Curley Design in 2007, and has hosted the LPGCA Honda Classic since 2010. Its Plantation course, also designed by Schmidt-Curley, opened in 2008 and the Waterside course, designed by Brit Stenson of IMG, opened in 2014. A fourth course, again designed by Schmidt-Curley, is expected to be completed later this year.
“Dr. Phornthep is very passionate about the golf business and the Siam CC brand and will also be very hands on in all phases.”