Published on April 12, 2016

Bangkok, Thailand: Hua Hin’s Banyan Golf Club is preparing to play host to next month’s Mahasamutr Masters.
To be staged at the award-winning course of the Asian Golf Industry Federation Golf Facility member from May 17-19, the event will form part of the MENA [Middle East and North Africa] Golf Tour.
It’s the first time the MENA Golf Tour has visited Thailand. The week before heading to Hua Hin, the Tour will visit the Khao Yai region for the Mountain Creek Thailand Open by Golf Citizen.
With the Tourism Authority of Thailand stepping up its drive to attract more in-bound tourists, the two events are aimed at realising the country’s golf tourism potential in addition to promoting Golf Citizen, an online tee-time booking engine.
European Ryder Cup Captain Darren Clarke, Patron of the MENA Golf Tour, said: “A lot of fresh talent has come up through the ranks over the last few years, but the opportunities to play are limited. With MENA Golf Tour travelling to new destinations, it will provide another platform for young professionals to develop and showcase their skills on a global basis.
“This MENA Golf Tour is one of a kind providing the right atmosphere, and particularly for amateurs, to hone their competitive edge alongside professionals, which is crucial to the development of the game in the region.”
Mohamed Juma Buamaim, Chairman of the MENA Golf Tour, said: “We are delighted to be making our first visit to Thailand where you don’t just get great golf, but enjoy a memorable experience.
“If Thailand has positioned itself as the number one golf destination in Asia, it is because of an impressive portfolio of world-class courses, many of them designed by the world’s leading architects and famed golfers, offering value for money.

“Thailand’s economy benefits both directly and indirectly from golf tourism, and there is a positive synergy between golf and the key tourism sectors. Golf is just one of the many reasons that people visit Thailand to savour the experience of playing on courses of international standard.”
Besides providing a healthy playing environment, the MENA Golf Tour offers its members a number of incentives that include multiple European Tour starts and full playing privileges on the Sunshine Tour in addition to exemptions into the Final Stage of the Asian Tour Qualifying School.
Held under the auspices of the Shaikh Maktoum Golf Foundation, the MENA Golf Tour is affiliated to The R&A and the Arab Golf Federation and its expanded schedule this season will have 20 events which will see players travel to new destinations in Kuwait, Egypt, Spain, Thailand and South Africa.