Gassan Khuntan Golf & Resort
Address
Gassan Khuntan Golf & Resort
222 Moo 3
Thapladuk
Maetha, Lumphun
Thailand 51140
Names of contact for environmental and social issues:
Ms. Promporn Eamjitmetta, Managing Director
Phone +66 81 488 3402 / +66 53 921 888 
Fax +66 53 921 808
Email Click here
Website www.gassangolf.com
Course description
Gassan Khuntan opened in November 2004. It is located south of Chiang Mai, near Khuntan Mountain. The course is bordered by Doi Khuntan National Park. On the course can be found the historical "Railway Bridge" (also called the ‘White Bridge’) and "Khuntan Tunnel". Gassan Khuntan is a 7,068-yard, par 72,18 hole layout designed by Mr.Pravit Reang-po.
Special features/accolades
The par-3 5th hole is the signature hole; a hole-in-one will earn the golfer one million baht. The Lanna-style clubhouse and five-star resort reflect northern Thai architecture. The club also has banquet rooms, seminar rooms, spa, and swimming pool. The altitude of 520 meters above sea level assures visitors of pleasant weather year round.
Key achievements in environment/social activities
Environment
- The course acts as a buffer zone to extend the protection of the adjacent national park.
- The course acts as a natural fire-break; protecting both the park and local communities.
- Minimal use of chemicals.
- Natural fertilizers and natural pesticides are used wherever possible.
- Gray water from hotel and clubhouse is recycled and treated and used for irrigation of the golf course. This water treatment/recycling works in the opposite direction as well, with water from the course’s lakes treated and used in the hotel and clubhouse.
- We have constructed more than 20 lakes and reservoirs which collect and store around 1,000,000 cubic meters of rain water. This means we do not use ground water and are self-sufficient in water. We can even provide water to local communities during droughts.
- Before constructing the golf course, the land on which the course is built was very dry, almost a wasteland. Now the course is green; we have planted more than 30,000 trees, and none of the original trees were removed. Many of the planted trees are indigenous species similar to those found in the adjoining national park.
- Conservation programs implemented to reduce the use of fuel, fertilizers and chemicals.
- The clubhouse and hotel lobby are designed to be open-air. Air-conditioning is not used in these areas, which saves electricity.
- The course’s lakes and ponds provide habitat for some 1,000 rare giant Mekong catfish, which can grow to 1.20-1.50 meters and weigh between 50-200 kilograms. This fish is considered “critically endangered” by IUCN and is on Appendix I of CITES.
Social/Heritage
- Water provided to local communities during dry season.
- Gassan Khuntan employs more than 300 people, most from the local community.
- Funded construction and improvements to two nearby temples: Wat Thachompoo and Wat Thatung-Pai.
- Gassan Khuntan takes responsibility for the preservation and maintenance of the “The Railway Bridge”, a national historic monument which was built following World War II. The course area also includes Thailand’s longest tunnel (some 1.3 kilometers), which was built in 1907 and which is still used for trains running on the Bangkok-Chiang Mai railway line.
Philosophy
"The Gassan Company was established in 1998 and I am proud to have designed the entire complex and course. Throughout the process I was inspired by the natural environment of the area and tried to use the golf course to enhance, and not endanger, the nature of the nearby national park. Our aim is to work with the local community while conserving nature. We are very conscious of our responsibility to reduce the use of chemicals to a minimum, and to use natural products wherever possible, to provide a healthy environment for people and wildlife. Our goal is to manage Gassan Khuntan as the finest golf course in northern Thailand."
Mr. Pravit Reang-po
President
