5 Must Play Golf Courses in Vietnam

The task of picking the best golf courses in Vietnam is a continuous one. Golf in Vietnam continues to evolve at a rapid pace with exceptional new courses added regularly. The target clientele for these courses varies by location.  While the golf scene in Hanoi and Saigon continues to grow with both expats and locals, other locations are focused on tourists. The mix of the country’s  stunning natural landscape with the imagination of the best designers has resulted in sensational layouts. Here’s the most current list of 5 incredible golf courses that any golfer visiting Vietnam must consider playing.

1.  The Bluffs, Ho Tram ( near Ho Chi Minh City)

If on a Ho Chi Minh City golf tour, you skip The Bluffs, you have done yourself a disservice. The 2-hour drive from Ho Chi Minh City may be long, but the reward far outweighs the effort. The Greg Norman designed Bluffs is a celebration of the distinct dunesy character of Vietnam’s coastline. The course is routed through and makes use of dunes, some of which rise upto 50 metres in height. The resulting layout is undulating with plenty of elevation change. The coastal winds change in intensity and direction all the time affording a distinct golf experience each time. Another reward comes in the form of outstanding views of the South China Sea from almost every hole. Much like a links golf course, The Bluffs arguably tops the list of golf courses in Vietnam. 

As a quick tip – To reward yourself better for the trip, consider 2 rounds here, by staying overnight at The Grand, which has a casino. It will also allow you time to lounge on the beach

To plan a golf holiday in Ho Chi Minh City which includes The Bluffs, visit Ho Chi Minh Golf Holiday Packages | Golf Tours in Ho Chi Minh

2. Hoiana Shores, Danang

The global reputation of golf in Vietnam is strongly linked to the quality of golf courses in Danang. Danang along with neighbouring Hoi An and Lang Co has emerged as Vietnam’s premier golf destination with six world-class layouts. The latest of these six, the Robert Trent Jones Jr designed Hoiana Shores could well take golf in Danang into orbit. The course is visually stunning, giving an impression of blending with the beach and the sea. Golfers can expect challenges to suit their ability through an undulating dunesy layout. With the sea-breezes always a factor, the course can change nature quickly. All of these features combine to deliver very much a links golf experience, except that it is in a tropical country. No wonder, the term tropical links is gaining popularity. Hoiana Shores is a must in every golf itinerary in Danang.

 3. KN Golf Links, Cam Ranh ( near Nha Trang)

As more golf courses in Vietnam open up, there is an overwhelming sense that the focus seems to be on outdoing the previous best. This augurs perfectly for golf in Vietnam, given how this spurs the quality of the visitor experience. One great example of the quality of Vietnam golf is the Greg Norman designed KN Golf Links. Here again, much like the Bluffs, Greg Norman has made use of the naturally undulating terrain and the dunes. The tees are beautifully placed, giving a perfect visual of the hole in front as well as delivering stunning sweeping vistas. The course condition is immaculate, with fairways seamlessly merging into the sandy wastes and bunkers. The expansive and undulating greens allow for plenty of excitement. Overall, KN Golf Links may well be the reason that Nha Trang becomes a golf destination in its own right. 

There are 2 other golf courses in Nha Trang which help complete the Nha Trang golf experience –  Vinpearl with its stunning sea views and the Andy Dye designed Diamond Bay. 

To play KN Golf Links and the other Nha Trang golf courses visit Nha Trang Golf Courses | Book Nha Trang Golf Club & Tee Times

4. Van Tri , Hanoi 

Van Tri in Hanoi, is one of the most exclusive golf clubs in Vietnam, with restricted albeit not impossible access. The golf course designed by Peter Rousseau is built on relatively flat land, but water is almost always in play. The combination of water and some clever dog-legs in the design constitute the key challenges on this golf course. Given the fairly exclusive nature of the club, the course remains in great condition all the time. There are plenty of quality tracks in and around Hanoi, but Van Tri may just have the edge from an overall experience point of view. 

5. FLC Mountain Course, Quy Nhon

Situated  between Nha Trang and Danang but with only a fraction of the tourists of either,  Quy Nhon is yet another coastal Vietnam delight. And to add to the quantity and  quality of coastal golf in Vietnam, Quy Nhon’s two golf courses stake their claim. It’s hard to tell which is the better of these 2 courses – the Nicklaus design Ocean Course or Schmidt-Curley Mountain Course. But that’s a good thing. 

In the personal view of the author who played, the Mountain Course may just hold the edge. The course may start out gently, but gentle is the last thing you’d feel after you have played the full 18. The lasting memory is of constantly navigating the various slopes of a mountain with some stunning views of the Eastern Sea thrown in. The wind is a massive factor and can cause havoc with even well executed shots. It’s a good thing that the fairways are wide to accommodate the errors or it could prove to be a nightmare. The overall layout and design of the track and a cracking set of finishing holes makes this one of the must play golf courses in Vietnam. Together with the Ocean course, this calls for avid golfers to get on that plane to Quy Nhon.

Tour starts: HoChiMinh City   |   No of Nights: 6 nights   | No of Rounds: 2

Our Golf Tour Includes:

- Private transportation throughout the tour
- Green, caddie and shared cart (02 rounds of 18 hole) / week-day
- 04 night stay in Saigon & 01 night in Vung Tau
- 01 way hydrofoil ticket: Vung Tau - Saigon City
- Daily breakfast at hotels
- All prevailing government taxes and service charges

Our Golf Tour Excludes:

Vietnam Golf & Country Club is the first 36-hole golf club in Vietnam and is widely regarded as Vietnam’s Premier Golf and Country Club.

Located just 20 kilometres from the centre of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Golf and Country Club is also the nearest golf club to the city.

Set amongst 300 hectares of land, two great golf courses have been carved out of the existing woodland with minimal land movement, leaving you feel that the land was always destined to be a golf course, so natural is the lay-out and design.

The West course first opened in December 1994 and was designed by Taiwanese architect Chen King Shih. It hosted the Vietnam Open (Asian PGA Tour Event) in 1995 and 1997.

The course winds its way through the trees offering challenging tee shots to the tree lined fairways before playing to the softly contoured Bermuda TifEagle greens, which provide beautiful putting surfaces all year round.

Lee Trevino, six-time Major Champion Winner (US Open 1968,1971, USPGA Championship 1974, 1984 and The Open Championship 1971 and 1972), designed the East Course which opened in September 1997. The East Course offers more generous fairways than the West Course but is protected by well positioned bunkers, water hazards and undulating Bermuda TifDwarf greens.

Whichever course you decide to play, you will leave Vietnam Golf & Country Club with many fond memories of the golf course and the whole experience…

Song Be Golf Resort

Long Thanh Golf Club & Residential Estate Description:
(beautiful Ron Fream design considered the South's #1 course)

The Long Thanh Golf Club offers 36 holes of golf in the former rice paddies and scenic countryside surrounding Saigon. The Ho Chi Minh City golf course is located 30 kilometers north of the city on a bluff with unobstructed views back towards the Vietnamese capital.

Both the Hill and Lake course are well maintained throughout the year and the golf courses are a longtime favorite among locals. Many expatriates and Vietnam golf visitors prefer Long Thanh Golf Club over its more famous neighbor Vietnam Golf & Country Club.

The Hill Course features rolling fairways and large undulating greens. Large oil palms frame each hole. The Lake Course is characterized by many high lipped bunkers and water hazards on almost every hole to catch errant shots. Both courses feature Paspalum grassed fairways and tee boxes. Putting greens use Tifdwarf Bermuda grass which can roll anywhere from 8 to 10. This combination of grasses matches other top courses in the region. The rough at Long Thanh is cut relatively short and poses no real challenge.

All 36 holes have their character shape, and this wide variety makes for good challenges for both serious amateurs and professional golfers. Higher handicappers might prefer the Lake Course, however, which is relatively flatter.

Hole 13, a par-3 on the Hill Course is the signature hole and features a choice two greens equally good. Both require accurate tee shot as there is out-of-bounds over putting surface. The shorter putting area is possibly even more difficult surrounded by the 'Great Wall of Long Thanh,' with club selection being of prime importance, as there is water guarding the front and a rock face behind the green. This is a once seen never forgotten hole.

Another great hole at Long Thanh is the par-5, 14th hole on Hill Course. The longer you hit the ball, the tighter the fairway gets. If you can't reach the green in two shots, the lay-up shot requires real accuracy as there is out-of-bounds on the right and a lake on the left. There are frequently some big scores on this hole.

Both the Lake and Hill Courses are walking courses with single or shared golf carts being optional. Caddies, of whom 50% are male, are very good as most are long-standing employees at Long Thanh and some are even single handicappers themselves.

The Long Thanh Golf Club and Residential Estate have also spared no expense to build an elaborate clubhouse. The locker and changing rooms might be the plushest in Saigon. Ask for a shoe shine after your round. The pro shop is adequate, but often only stocked with a fleeing selection of merchandise. The main restaurant serves a fine selection of both Vietnamese and Western food for golfers after their rounds in both indoor and outdoor setting. It might be better however if the restaurant were more centrally located to take advantage of the excellent views of the Saigon skyline.

Vung Tau Paradise Golf Resort

VungTauCoastCity. Vung Tau Paradise golf course is built on a gentle-slope terrain with hollow and deep places that create different steps and levels for sight.

The moderate slope with small hills heaved, sloped create soft curves for the course surface. The green space of the course connects to the green space of the sea that bring a boundless space for the golfer to feel at ease, relaxed after escaping from the daily stress intentions.

There are 27 golf holes in Vung Tau Paradise Golf Course. The precinct shape of golf courses is different from each other, which depend on the golf course style. Golf course is designed based on the ball direction of the world’s champions and it is reproduced under shape of the golf courses that used to welcome presence of famous persons. Therefore, each style of golf course has different length, dimensions and shape.

The golf courses are bordered with a line of herbs in their original wildness. Natural water lakes may be designed inside each golf course and they are edged by violet color of the water flowers as lotus, water-lily that brings more romantic and poetic landscape or golf course. Light green of grass, dark green of trees, boundless blue of sky; all colors are mixed to each other in an infinitive blue space connect one golf course to an other.

It usually takes more than 3 hours for one golf-playing time. During this time period, golfer both plays golf and walk in a peace space. After playing golf, golfer can have sea bathing. Many golfers have spent overnight here, so that they can play golf in a purest and cleanest space of heaven and earth at the first gleam of daylight.

Vung Tau Paradise Golf Course has its regular relationship with several Business Associations of the nations, with the world’s travel tours, and Vietnam Golfing Association… Therefore, in couple of month Vung Tau Paradise Golf Course organizes a golf competition with participation of hundreds people. Prize of this competition is sponsored by businesses, enterprises.

Policies

Flexibility is our strongest point. You can amend your booking when it is made. Just contact us at info@vietgreentravel.com or golf@vietgreentravel.com  with your booking number. Our reservations team is glad to amend your booking accordingly.