Vietnam is lucky insofa as it possesses a relatively predictable (though varied) climate, tropical abundance, an expansive coastal shore and a temperate climate in parts. Thus, the country's golf courses offer almost every environment the serious golfer could require for a challenging round.

The majority of Vietnam's golf clubs are located in the south of the country, mainly around Ho Chi Minh City. Three are within a short drive from the city, a couple a day trip or so away. These latter have encouraged the development of a thriving tourist industry complimenting the sport and its extracurricular requirements.

Phan Thiet, until recently a sleepy fishing village located about 200 kilometres north from Ho Chi Minh City, is now recognised around the world as a leading golf resort destination.

As is Dalat, with its beautifully restored colonial-style hotels and unique Dalat Palace Golf Club - the only course in Asia to feature bent grass tees, fairways and greens.

The majestic King's Island Golf Club, now just around 30 minutes' drive from Hanoi is another Vietnamese golf success story. The project was initially teed off in 1992. One year later, the course opened its initial nine holes with that famous ceremonial drive by Nguyen Khanh. Now the course has matured into possibly one of the most dramatic settings in Asia (if not the world) for a round of golf.

In addition, the sheer pleasure of teeing off into the void into the ocean (Vung Tau Paradise Club), playing a professionally-designed, challenging links-style course on a tropical coastal shore (Ocean Dunes, Phan Thiet), choosing between a the tightly forested fairways or open tropical greens (Vietnam Golf & Country Club, Saigon), or the majestic scenery, mountains dissolving into placid waters (King's Island Golf Club, Hanoi), is without equal in the Asia-Pacific region.

Add to this formula low prices and excellent levels of service, and it's easy to see why Vietnam is being considered the next "hot" destination for golf travel.

In fact, now is the perfect time to experience Vietnam, Golf's Final Frontier

Golf tours vary from 3-8 days, depend on client's requirement.

Song Be Golf Resort features a driving range, Pro shop, tennis courts, two restaurants and guest accommodation in villas. Future developments include swimming pool, gymnasium, sauna and function rooms. The management at Song Be are committed to the development of golf in Vietnam, and have developed various programmes to encourage local Vietnamese to take up the game.

Designed by Nick Faldo, the 6,746-yard, par 72 Ocean Dunes course is arguably the most spectacular in Vietnam - in every sense of the word. Situated in an outstandingly beautiful setting combining stunning ocean views, rolling dunes, tropical beach vegetation and bracing sea breezes, the course is certainly spectacular in an aesthetic sense.

Ocean Dunes is also a demanding links-style course, those same sea breezes determining play on a day-to-day basis. The design has the course running between sand dunes which determine the natural routing of the course.

The best hole is the 148-yard ninth, a par three with an elevated green guarded by dunes and trees to the right and a grassy mound to the left. The tee shot has to thread through a slot to reach the target, much of which is hidden from view. Between the palms behind the twelfth green, you can see the South China Sea, a site that often includes Vietnamese fishing boats bobbing in the surf. Though the course is open and flat, its routing has a natural flow, and each hole opens up unique challenges. A Buddhist temple lies to the right of the third green, and a Vietnamese tomb sits behind the eighteenth tee. The large clubhouse, complete with a sauna, a large spa and steam rooms, opened last March. The four-star hotel, with tennis courts and two swimming pools, is scheduled to open in April.

The club is adjacent to the Novotel Coralia Phan Thiet resort hotel. Non-golfers staying at the resort can enjoy a game of tennis on one of the floodlit courts, relax by one of the two swimming pools, take a sauna or indulge in a massage at the health and fitness centre, or just sit back with a beer or a meal at one of the hotel's restaurants. The resort also features a fully equipped Water sports Centre, plus a Kid's Club where children can play in safety while their parents tackle the challenges of the golf course.

Phan Thiet itself is developing rapidly from the sleepy fishing village of seven years ago. A variety of resorts and hotels have been built along the beach, offering a range of accommodation to suit most tastes and pockets. For a short golfing break or a family holiday, Phan Thiet really does fit the bill and offer "something for everyone".

Facilities include putting green, club house, pro shop, trolley/buggy rental, practice area and club and shoe hire etc.

Address: 1 Ton Duc Thang Phan Thiet, Vietnam
Tel: (84-62) 823 366 Fax: (84-62) 821 511

DALAT PALACE GOLF CLUB - DALAT

The Dalat Palace Golf Club is a golf retreat that soothes the senses, invigorates the body and calms the mind.

Visitors to Dalat are reminded of the days when the pursuit of leisure was an art form. Now with the opening of Dalat Palace Golf Club, this same pursuit of leisure has returned to the majestic and temperate highlands of Vietnam.

Golfers in Vietnam can thank former Emperor Bao Dai who in the 1920s ordered the construction of the country's first golf course at Dalat, the royal retreat in the hot summer months. The original nine-hole course remained open, on and off, from 1922 until its closure in 1975 following the end of the American war in Vietnam.

Since the opening of Dalat Palace Golf Club in 1922 (originally a 9-hole course), the city has hosted golfers from around the world, including American champion Billy Casper. Then on, Dalat's golf course and the former palace of the Emperor both came to the attention of Larry Hillblom (the "H" in DHL) who set about restoring both, while adding a further nine holes to the course. The new and restored 18-hole Dalat Palace Golf Club was officially opened in early 1994 to wide acclaim, and it has continued to pick up accolades ever since: "A++" from Asia Golf Weekly, "AA" according to Asian Golfer magazine in 1998, and "Number one course in Vietnam" according to Golf Digest in 2001.

Due to Dalat's altitude - about 5,000 feet above sea-level - and resultant temperate climate, the Dalat Palace Golf Club boasts the only Bent grass tees, fairways and greens in Asia, and rounds here tend to be less sweaty and exhausting than elsewhere in Vietnam. Dalat Palace Golf Club is meticulously maintained by its management, and the tees, fairways and especially greens are all kept in excellent condition.

 
In early 1994, Dalat emerged once again as the ideal golf retreat in Southeast Asia with the revival and expansion of Dalat Palace Golf Club. The 18-hole course is crafted into the area’s gently rolling hills, surrounded by stately pine trees, and seated above majestic Xuan Huong lake, named after an eighteenth century woman poet.

The Dalat Palace Golf Club remains linked to its past by the original clubhouse, built in 1956 when the initial 9-hole club was first renovated. The clubhouse has been fully restored and remains in use today with a full pro shop, restaurant, fireplace and outdoor patio areas.

The clubhouse restaurant offers both superb Vietnamese and International cuisine. Local and expatriate staff greet members and their guests with warm, friendly smiles and service that have made Dalat a popular retreat for decades.

Areas surrounding the clubhouse are landscaped into beautiful gardens, respecting another fine Dalat tradition. Vistas from the clubhouse offer a wonderful canvas of terraced fields & pine trees.

At 7,009 yards in length and par 72, Dalat Palace Golf Club is an enjoyable challenge for golfers of all levels. Low handicap players will be tested by a series of lakes, which meander through ten of eighteen holes, as well as strategically placed bunkers, which penalize the miscalculating risk-taker. Novice players will find relief with large accommodating greens normally left open for run-up approach shots, as well as wide, forgiving fairways.

Dalat Palace Golf Club features par 3’s ranging in length from 164 to 234 yards and par 5’s up to 556 yards. These varied lengths allow a true examination of one’s golfing skills, and require that players use each club in their bag – the hallmark of a great golf course.

Four different tee areas on each hole allow players to determine their own degree of challenge on the course. A full practice area complements the golf course, with an open 290-yard driving range, a putting green, and practice bunkers. The Dalat Palace Golf Club is the only golf course in South East Asia with bent grass tees, fairways and greens – considered to be the ultimate playing surface in golf. The large, undulating bent grass greens are maintained to impeccable standards.

They present a friendly challenge unto themselves and once the pace and trueness become familiar players will agree that they are truly among the finest greens in Asia.

Dalat Palace Golf Club is managed by Jeff Puchalski, PGA A-13 and is fully owned and operated by Dalat Resort Incorporation (DRI), a joint venture between Lam Dong Tourist and Danao International Holdings Ltd, a privately-held US-based company.

Memberships to Dalat Palace Golf Club are available and begin at US$ 13,800 for individuals and Annual memberships are available at US$ 2,000 a year. Family and Corporate memberships are also available, with all memberships transferable (except annual memberships).

Corporate nominees can be re-nominated. All memberships are subject to the approval of Club Management.

Getting there - Vietnam Airlines operates daily flights to/from Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a 40 minute flight via the newly built 66 seater, French ATR 72’s. If you prefer to see the countryside, traveling via road from Saigon is a leisurely four hour drive through Vietnam’s scenic rural landscapes, plantations, rivers and mountain passes.
 

Address: Phu Dong Thien Vuong Dalat City Vietnam
Tel: (84-63) 821 201 Fax: (84-63) 824 325
 

With two championship-length, 18-hole courses, tennis courts and a luxury housing estate, the Vietnam Golf and Country Club (VGCC) has something for everyone. Just thirty minutes from downtown Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), the club was the second to open in the southern city's environs, and has been the venue for many major golf tournaments since its inauguration in 1995.

The VGCC is home to two courses: East and West. The 6,946-yard, par 72 East Course was designed by Lee Trevino and opened in September 1997, while the very different West Course, par 72 and 7,106 yards, was designed by Taiwanese Master Golf Course Architect Cheng Kinh Shih and opened two years earlier.

The West Course features narrow fairways, flat greens and water hazards on 11 of its 18 holes. A unique hazard on this heavily-wooded course are trees which appear to be strategically placed on many of its par four and five holes, standing almost exactly on the desired target. Those flat greens provide a further challenge to players who must use all their skill and judgment to decide just where the fairways ends and the green begins. Although, once on the green, holing the ball is a far simpler affair than on the East Course.

In contrast to the West's forested environment, the East Course presents an series of open vistas to players, with most of the original woodland removed from its fairways. Don't be fooled by this expansive setting however: The course is challenging with water hazards coming into play on eight holes. The greens here are especially demanding featuring humps, bumps, slopes and plenty of sweeping breaks.

Located just 30 minutes' drive along Highway One from Saigon, the Vietnam Golf and Country Club is deservedly popular, especially with Saigon's expatriate population. Green fees are US$80 for 18 holes on weekdays, rising to $100 at weekends. Women can play nine holes for just US$40 on Thursdays. Other special deals are often available and it is worth checking with the club as to what's available before setting out from the city. The VGCC is also home to plenty of tournaments, both large and small, every month, and the club has been selected as the golf venue for the 2003 South East Asia (SEA) Games.

Facilities include club house with bar and restaurant, Pro shop, club and shoe hire, tennis courts etc.

Address: Long Thanh My Ward, District 9 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Tel: (84-8) 733 0129 Fax: (84-8) 825 2954 

The dreamlike beauty of Bo Chang Dong Nai Golf Resort belies the fact that the club is located just one hour (50 kilometres) from the centre of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The 6,830 yard, par 72 golf course, designed by Ward W. Northrup, opened for play in June 1997.

Dong Nai is a very popular resort with both golfers and non-golfers alike. The former benefit from a well-designed, immaculately maintained course which is as challenging as it is charming. In addition, Non-golfers can enjoy learning how to ride a horse, take a quiet ride around the resort in a horse-drawn carriage or just relax with a Mai Tai on the veranda of their spacious and fully-equipped villa while the kids frolic in the Children's Playground.

If the Resort's fully qualified masseurs can't get you to smile, then a romantic dinner might do the trick.  BoChang Dong Nai Resort boasts some of the finest Chinese and International cuisine in the province.  For tournaments which require a more informal atmosphere, the Resort also has an Outdoor Barbecue area, perfect for large gatherings.

The course itself is embraced by picturesque trees and exotic flowers of a tropical forest, and the course is dominated by the spectacular Cloudy River Lake which comes into play on 12 of its 18 holes. Luckily, winds from the water are kept to a minimum by t he location of Dong Nai resort at the bottom of a valley, although the lack of breeze also makes the course feel hotter than usual.

Dong Nai's signature hole is the 165-yard par three third and other notable holes include the 395-yard tenth, the 535-yard eleventh and the 405-yard dogleg fifteenth. All these last involve the lake in one way or another.

Prices at the resort are keen: On Mondays and Tuesdays green fees with caddy are a mere US$40 for a round 18-holes. From Wednesday to Friday, these fees jump to $71 and to $88 at weekends.

Other attractions of the resort include a restaurant featuring International and Chinese cuisine, fully equipped massage and sauna, accommodation in villas, bar and an outdoor barbecue area. Finally, the lake comes back into play once again, this time for keen anglers, as the resort's Fishing Area.

With so much to see and do, Dong Nai is a great place to take the family. In fact, if you want to forget the trials and tribulations of city life in Saigon, Bo Chang Dong Nai Golf Resort offers a welcome respite amid some of the most spectacular scenery around.

Facilities include club house with bar and restaurant, Pro shop, club and shoe hire, horse riding, fishing, massage, sauna, some villa-based accommodation, weekend barbecue and children's play area.