Golf in Vietnam: 5-minute guide
Golf in Vietnam is growing rapidly and whilst the sport may be a novelty for its locals, the courses here are of a very high standard and a number of high-profile architects have already left their mark on this wonderful part of Asia
Why Vietnam?
Golf in Vietnam is growing rapidly and whilst the sport may be a novelty for its locals, the courses here are of a very high standard and a number of high-profile architects have already left their mark on this wonderful part of Asia. With its fascinating culture and compelling history, Vietnam has so much to offer. We'll talk about the golf, but the fact of the matter is that Vietnam is a country worth exploring for thousands of reasons.
Where?
Vietnam shares a border with China to the north, Laos to the north-west and Cambodia to the south-west. It is the easternmost country on the Indochinese peninsula.
How to get there?
From London, you can fly to Hong Kong and from there fly south to Ho Chi Minh City, the largest city in Vietnam. There are plenty of other viable connections from most major cities in the Far East with the likes of Virgin, British Airways and Singapore Airlines.
The golf
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European Ryder Cup captain for 2010, Colin Montgomerie, has made a big impact in the Vietnam with his Montgomerie Links. It's a stunning track in the north of the country close to Marble Mountains. The course is an excellent combination of heathland and links holes.
Greg Norman has also got in on the act with his Danang Golf Club. The Dunes course is less than 20 minutes from the UNESCO World Heritage site of Hoi An. During the design stage the Australian golfer, said: "The fact is, you'd be doing a very poor job to make a boring course out of a site like this." His Heritage course is due to open in 2012, so these really are exciting times for golf in Vietnam.
Head south and Dalat Palace Golf Club, first established in 1922, is the perfect place to enjoy a friendly round of parkland golf with generously wide fairways. At 1,500 metres above sea level golfers will enjoy getting a little bit of extra yardage out of their shots. Known as the 'City of Eternal Spring', Dalat is also a popular choice for honeymooners and with its surrounding views it's easy to see why.
A little over 150 miles south and Nick Faldo's Ocean Dunes also has some reputation. As with most Faldo designs, fairways are generous but the six-time Major winner has created a number of strategic bunkers to make for a stern challenge, although it's very much aimed at the vacationing golfer.
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