With cultural heritage sites, natural landscapes, vibrant cities, warm hospitality, and a boom in golf course development, Vietnam is welcoming increasing numbers of tourists and is quickly becoming a bucket-list golf destination.
For anyone on the fence about traveling to Vietnam, while there are still reminders of the war years, the country is 50 years removed from what was depicted in movies like “Apocalypse Now” or “Good Morning, Vietnam.” This Indochina locale, adjacent the South China Sea, is a reinvigorated, forward-looking country, with glittering skyscrapers, energized night life, world-class cuisine and the friendliest people. It’s also a destination having experienced a steady growth in international tourism, with numbers increasing from around 2 million in 2000 to nearly 18 million in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic. When the world started to reopen, Vietnam once again emerged as one of the fastest growing destinations for tourism with golf playing a major role.
Vietnam’s first course was the Dalat Palace Golf Club, constructed in the 1920s under the direction of the country’s last emperor, Bao Dai, an avid golfer. But it wasn’t until the 1990s and early 2000s when golf development started taking off after new economic reforms known as Đổi Mới (“renovation” or “innovation”) came into play, opening Vietnam’s economy to more foreign investment and tourism, leading to new golf venues in popular tourist destinations such as Ho Chi Minh City (a.k.a. Saigon), Hanoi, Danang, and Nha Trang.
Riding that wave, s-shaped Vietnam now boasts approximately eighty golf courses ranging from coastal links with ocean views to highland courses surrounded by pine forests and mountains and, according to the National Golf Foundation, it is the nation with the most active golf development with more than 50 courses in planning or under construction.
Clearly, that was enough confirmation to end my wavering on globetrotting to Vietnam and discover first-hand about all the hubbub. But as I quickly discovered, even before hitting the fairways, all that buzz was no match to the orchestra of motorbike horns amplifying daily life.
Vietnam’s population sits in the neighborhood of 100 million yet, there are roughly only 2 million cars, leading one to believe the city streets and highways would be driver friendly. Uhhh, not exactly. Far more hazardous are the country’s 50 million motorbikes, many with 2-3 passengers (plus the occasional small child sandwiched between), jostling for position as they synchronously zigzag around drivers navigating non-existent lanes miraculously avoiding bicyclists and pedestrians.
It’s mesmerizing as a foreigner to witness but not even close to being a passenger when I relied on whatever faith I had hanging onto my young female chauffeur with XO Tours steering me on an evening thrill ride for a foodie adventure around Ho Chi Minh City and opening my mouth to edibles I’d never imagine consuming. After being delivered back to the hotel with bones and stomach intact, my driving appetite for some golf quickly shot up a few notches.
READY, SET, TEE IT UP
“I was there to see it all blossom,” says Scott Resch, a golf public relations specialist who worked in Vietnam from 2007-2018, and founded Asia Golf Trips in 2023, to customize luxury trips for exposing golfers and non-golfers to quality golf and cultures in Vietnam. “The courses, designed by renowned architects along the 2,000-mile coastline, are much like what we’re used to seeing in places like Scotland but the difference being you’re not going to get 38 degrees and rain blowing up your nose and having to wear seven layers of clothes.”
Resch, who personally guided our group, was spot on about the climate as I sweated through an unusually hot and humid period in April. Fortunately, much of that discomfort was offset by the mandatory caddies (predominantly female) at my side with cold towels, a sun-shielding umbrella, and plenty of water. For future trip planning, winter is the ideal time to be in Vietnam.
The Da Nang region in Vietnam’s central coast is considered the country’s premier golf destination with its concentration of high-quality courses, luxury resorts and coastal scenery. Not to mention its proximity to cultural and historical sites such as Hoi An and Hue. It has already attracted the likes of Sir Nick Faldo (Laguna Lang Co), Greg Norman and Jack Nicklaus (BRG Da Nang Golf Resort) and Robert Trent Jones Jr. (Hoiana Shores GC).
The opening of Hoiana Shores GC in 2019 definitely raised the bar for future courses. Situated within a 2,500-acre site south of Hoi An, a UNESCO World Heritage site known as The City of Lanterns, every pin flag is, fittingly, adorned with a lantern logo.
Known for its beachfront, sand-based layout, Trent Jones Jr. designed a course with firm playing surfaces and artistic, yet strategic bunkering, both characteristic of true links-style golf lending itself to a fun ground game. The large rolling greens are typical Trent Jones Jr. and, depending on pin position, it can encourage a golfer’s risk/reward decision on the approach shot.
As a bonus, each hole is a photo opportunity so, good luck maintaining concentration.
Thirty minutes north along the coastline and with views of the Marble Mountains, East Sea and Cham Islands, both Nicklaus and Norman are the featured designers at Legend Danang Golf Resort. The Shark arrived first with his links-style layout in 2010 and in 2020, the Golden Bear introduced his 18 holes, several of which play adjacent to the Coco River with views of the surrounding villages.
Norman’s first project in Vietnam, surely inspired by the natural sand-based landscape, is accented by undulating fairways, large greens, and well-positioned bunkers. For history buffs, the course is planted directly on the beach the American’s used for their first landing during the 1960’s conflict. Stirring the memory is a weathered war-era pillbox remaining adjacent the tee box of the par-3 16th hole backdropped by South China Sea.
Central Vietnam’s sandy environment also attracted Sir Nick Faldo to create the Laguna Lang Co course, the centerpiece of a beachfront luxury resort next to Chan May Bay, halfway between Danang and the former Vietnamese capital of Hue. The property is a considerable distance off the beaten path but worth every effort to get there.
While plotting your way around the 18 holes, skillfully designed to preserve roughly seven acres of rice paddies and streams, you’ll encounter a mix of links-style holes (only one hole approaches the ocean), and massive amounts of bunkering, which seem to cover half the golf site surrounded by mountains, creeks, and dense forest.
Departing Vietnam’s hotbed of golf along the relaxed Central Coast to the frenzied pace of a cosmopolitan city can be a shock to your system. But the country’s multicultural capital of Hanoi, rich in history, allows for opportunities to combine a round of golf with visits to the city’s notable sites and street markets in the Old Quarter, where you can chow down a fresh banh mi and a beer for under three dollars. Yes, the American dollar is your friend in Vietnam.
On the outskirts of Hanoi (45-minute drive) lies the 54-hole BRG Kings Island Golf Resort. Since the entire golf property is on an island, guests need to board a small motor boat for a 5-minute ride on Dong Mo Lake to the landing dock and a warm welcome by caddies ready to unload clubs.
The Kings Course (2018) is the newest 18 at Kings Island. Jack Nicklaus II was the primary designer but by all means reflects his dad’s signature design philosophy featuring wide fairways, intricate bunker complexes characterizing each hole, and large, undulating greens requiring precise approach shots and careful putting.
After playing golf on an island, Hanoi is also a leaping off point for another island adventure on board Ambassador Cruise’s floating hotel around one of the world’s most exotic geological formation of limestone islands popping out of Lan Ha Bay, the lesser-known (and less crowded), but no less spectacular neighbor of Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This 19th hole bonus proved to be the best medicine for closing the curtain on an epic Vietnam golf junket.
WHERE TO STAY:
From luxury resorts to boutique hotels, those provided by Asia Golf Trips are not just places to rest but are key to the overall journey.
In the heart of Ho Chi Minh City, the 5-star Caravelle Hotel overlooks the historic Saigon Opera House and within walking distance of major attractions like Notre Dame Cathedral, Ben Thanh Market, and the Reunification Palace. During the Vietnam War, the Caravelle was a gathering place for journalists and foreign correspondents who would gather at the rooftop’s Saigon Saigon Bar to exchange news and enjoy a drink and panoramic views of the city.
Anantara Hoi An Resort is a luxurious retreat located in the UNESCO World Heritage-listed town of Hoi An on the Central Coast. Known for its colonial-style architecture and peaceful setting along the Thu Bon River, the resort offers a perfect blend of modern luxury and traditional Vietnamese charm and just minutes by foot to the town’s lively markets and ancient temples.
Nestled between the East Sea and the Truong Son mountain range, Angsana Lang Co is a luxurious secluded beachfront resort approximately 1.5 hours from Da Nang International Airport. It is part of the expansive Laguna Lang Co integrated resort complex, which includes Faldo’s Laguna Lang Co GC, spa, and multiple dining options. From garden view rooms to two-bedroom lofts, the resort is designed with a contemporary style that incorporate traditional Vietnamese elements
Showcasing French colonial architecture and timeless elegance in Vietnam’s capital, the iconic 5-star Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi oozes history since opening in 1901. One of Southeast Asia’s most renowned hotels, it’s hosted numerous dignitaries and celebrities over the years, including Charlie Chaplin, Jane Fonda and U.S Presidents. The central location is prime for exploring Hanoi’s cultural landmarks, such as the Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake, and the infamous Train Street where you can feel the vibration of trains passing by on tracks wedged between houses, cafes and onlookers.