Preparing for a golf holiday in a foreign country, in this case, a golf holiday in Vietnam, could get frustrating. There are many factors you have to consider: how is Vietnam weather, what are the best golf courses, is golfing in Vietnam expensive, what to pack for a Vietnam golf trip…But it does not have to be that way. This article is designed to help our travelers having a clearer perspective of golfing in Vietnam and having a guideline to plan out their best Vietnam golf holiday. Here are 15 Vietnam golf tips for you.
1. When is the best time to golf in Vietnam?
- January to April is the best time to golf anywhere in Vietnam and is when the temperature is mild and the weather is dry. Golfers could expect some sunlight but it will not be long nor get too hot in the North, dry and warmer in the Central and the South
- May to June time frame is good for golfing in Danang and the Central area. Down to Southern area, the weather gets hotter, especially in Saigon while getting humid with high rainfall in the North. Golfing in these areas will get the players to sweat badly or the game to be delayed during that time.
- July to September is quite hot in the central area, temperatures can hit the mid 30°Cs; whilst high levels of rainfall can occur further in September, October, and November. In North and South Vietnam, players should expect sudden quick rain frequently which will stop within 30 minutes, but at the same time, that the rain will make the atmosphere cooler. Hence, players could take a short break before continuing the round.
- October to December is when the weather is unpredictable due to typhoon or sea storm affecting the coast, which could delay a golf tour 5-7 days. However, golfers could still play in Hanoi or Northern golf courses (Flamingo Golf Club, BRG Kings Island Golf Resort, BRG Legend Hill Golf Resort…). Make sure to check with your booking agent or local tour operator to keep yourself updated with the weather condition.
So what is the bottom line?
January to April is the best time to golf in Vietnam. From May to September, it gets hot and rainy in the whole country but Danang is still an ideal destination for golfing.
2. Prepare for high temperature and humidity on Vietnam golf course
In Vietnam, the sun could be harsher than in Western country and for a longer period of time. In summer 2017, there were weeks that hit 40 degrees C (104 F) in Hanoi. It could get hotter when you are further down in the south. Hence, carry with you good sunscreen, a golf cap, a hat, or a golf umbrella to the field to limit the sun’s exposure on yourself. Additionally, make sure you bring plenty of water, especially sports drinks, to stay hydrated and keep your body cool. Lastly, it is wise to bring a towel with you to wipe away any perspiration from your hands and face.
3. There are over 60 golf courses in different regions of Vietnam to choose from
Vietnam is recently rising as one of the golf destinations in Asia. There are a variety of well-designed golf courses to choose from North to South. Here are some most popular golf courses in Vietnam:
Chi Linh Star Golf & Country Club, Hai Duong would make a great choice for golfers who want to experience UNESCO world heritage Halong Bay. It is in the middle between Hanoi and Halong Bay and one of the newest golf club opened in Vietnam. The field was designed by Independent Golf Course Services and features 27 holes of challenging international standard golfing. It lies in a beautiful valley surrounded with forests, hills with natural water hazards, creeks, and lakes.
Chi Linh Star Golf & Country club
Danang golf club is another wonderful link-style course designed by Greg Norman and certainly is the best golf course in Danang. This is one of the 15 best new courses in the world by USA GOLF magazine. The course lies on the rolling sand dunes which are typical of this part of Vietnam. It is sometimes difficult to recognize where the course ends since it blends so well with the surrounding countryside.
Da Nang Golf Club
Montgomerie Link’s golf course, Danang is located 15-20 minutes of driving from center of Danang. Built in the shadows of the famous Marble Mountains, the course is a wonderful championship golf course named after Colin Montgomerie, champion golfer and Ryder cup hero. It was rated as one of Asia’s 10 most elite courses by Forbes Travel Guide in 2012, as well as was reviewed positively by golf writers and journalists around the world.
Bana Hills golf club, Danang is located 40 minutes of driving from center of Danang. Despite its young age, the course is rapidly earning a reputation as one of the best golf courses in the area. This is the first and only course in Danang that has floodlights covering all 18 holes that allows for night golf. The course sits at the foot of a towering mountain range, on a hilly piece of terrain covered with lakes, streams and lush vegetation.
Laguna Lang Co golf club, Danang locates 90 minutes of driving from center of Danang. Resides near Lang Co Bay, the course is designed by 6-time Major winner – Sir Nick Faldo, who has earned himself a reputation for building difficult courses. Laguna Lang Co course is set in a beautiful valley between the mountain and the sea.
Song Be golf course, Binh Duong features a 27 Hole USGA Standard Championship Course. The course is Vietnam’s first international championship golf course and is widely regarded as one of the most challenging layouts in Vietnam. The 27 hole resort style layout features 10 lakes. Since Song Be is a tributary of the Mekong, it is unsurprising that water comes into play in eight of the 27 holes. The course consists of three nine-hole courses, the Lotus course, Palm course and the newest as well as most challenging, the Desert course.
Twin Doves golf club, Binh Duong is a world-class private golf club within a resort and villa estate, which is envisaged to be the first international residence resort in Vietnam. The club offers 27-hole international championship golf course, luxurious Club House with a variety of sport facilities and services, choice of restaurants of international cuisine and unsurpassed personalized service. This is a “Members Only Club” which will offer only a limited number of memberships to ensure the enjoyment of the Members and exclusiveness of the Club.
Twin Doves Golf Resort
Taekwang Jeongsan Country Club, Dong Nai is a 18-hole course located on Dai Phuoc ecological island, surrounded by Dong Nai river and it takes about 25 minutes by boat from Ho Chi Minh City. A special and unique factor about golf courses located on island is how to get there. Golfers can experience playing golf on island through wavy Fairways, heavy bunkers along the holes and fresh breeze wind from one of the major river in the South of Viet Nam.
Vietnam Golf & Country Club, Ho Chi Minh City is also known as Thu Duc golf course. The course is located 20km away from Ho Chi Minh City. It is divided into two 18-hole courses: the East course (designed by six-time Major Champion Winner Lee Trevino) and the West course (designed by Taiwanese architect Chen King Shih). The East course offers more generous fairways than the West Course but is protected by well positioned bunkers, water hazards and undulating Bermunda greens. Beside well-trained caddies and staffs, the club also offers additional activities (for members) including tennis, quash or a swim in the club’s pool.
4. Golf courses in Vietnam are very well-invested
OK, so this is crazy. Golf is considered a luxurious sport in Vietnam in the past and nowadays. It was banned by Vietnamese Government in the 80s due to the view that it is a bourgeois pursuit. After the 1990s, due to the opening for international commerce, there were more businessmen and politicians traveling to Vietnam and the demand for golf kept on rising.
- More and more foreigners coming to golf in Vietnam
Nowadays, there are over 60 golf courses throughout the country and they are all designed by famous designers around the world. For example, Danang Golf Club was designed by Greg Norman, Laguna Lang Co Golf Club was designed by Sir Nick Faldo, Chi Linh Star Golf & country Club was designed by Independent Golf Course Services… The greatest thing, in my opinion, when golfing in Vietnam, is that golfers do not have to book too far ahead (like when golfing in the U.S or Europe), and still able to enjoy world-class-designed golf courses with a valuable price.
5. The majority of golf courses are located at wonderful locations
Golf courses in Vietnam have locations nearby tourist attractions: mountains, hills, beaches or major cities. For example:
- Chi Linh Star Golf & Country Club is located nearby Hanoi (the ancient capital of Vietnam) and Halong Bay (famous UNESCO World Heritage).
- Danang has three golf courses near beautiful beaches, so it is very popular for golfers to combine their golf tour with beach holidays.
- At Vinpearl Nha Trang golf course, every hole has a view of the ocean
- Taekwang Jeongsan Country Club situated on beautiful Dai Phuoc ecological island, surrounded by Dong Nai river.
- and so many more golf courses in Vietnam with beautiful locations.
6. There are many activities available for non-golfers or golfers in their free time
City tour
The majority of golf courses are located nearby major cities of Vietnam. Golfers in their free time could go on half day or full day city tour to explore the history, culture, and local’s lifestyle of beautiful Vietnam. In the north, travelers could visit Hanoi, the capital as well as the ancient city of Vietnam, or visit nearby handicraft village such as Bat Trang Pottery village or Van Phuc Silk village. Hanoi is also a good base for a further excursion to Halong Bay, Sapa, Mai Chau, or Moc Chau. In the central area of Vietnam, travelers could visits royal Hue city, major port Danang city or world heritage ancient Hoi An town. In the south, travelers could visit the “eternal spring” Dalat city or bustling Ho Chi Minh City.
Food tasting tour
Vietnamese cuisine is well-known for its various combinations of diverse fresh and healthy ingredients to create harmonious and well-balance dishes. For dinning, beside many options of Western dishes, golfers could explore famous Vietnamese dishes such as Pho noddle, Bun Bo hue noodle, Bun Cha, Banh mi, Nem eggroll, egg coffee…
Country side biking tour
Vietnam’s majestic countryside is a remarkable place to cycle as it offers stunning natural vistas, amazing culture and some of the most beautiful and friendly people in the world. Golfers on their free day could rent a bike, go with a group tour or a tour guide to explore the fantastic sceneries of Vietnam.
Halong or Mekong cruise
Halong Bay is another Unesco World Heritage Site in Vietnam. A day cruise or over night cruise at Halong Bay in the middle of crystal blue waters scattered with limestone peaks surely is a memorable experience for visitors. On the other hand, Mekong Delta is a vital ecosystem of the region. Cruising on Mekong Delta and exploring many attractions on the way such as floating markets, flower or fruit orchards, temples and pagodas… is a great combination with your golf tour.
Beach holiday
Vietnam is a coastal country with over hundred beautiful beaches. From North to South of Vietnam, there are many beautiful beaches nearby golf courses such as Bai Chay, Cat Ba, or Sam Son beach nearby Hanoi, My Khe Beach in Danang, Nha Trang beach nearby Dalat, Ho Coc beach in Vung Tau,… It is a great idea to combine your golf tour with beach holiday in Vietnam. Check out beach holiday packages in Vietnam!
Beautiful Phu Quoc Beach
Visit Eastern temples and pagodas
Vietnam has many temples and pagodas that worship Eastern entities and reflect the belief as well as the philosophy of Easterners. If beside golf, your interests are philosophy, religions, or spiritual subjects, you could visit the temples and pagodas in Vietnam. Many famous and beautiful spiritual constructions are Perfume pagoda, One pillar pagoda, Thien Mu pagoda, Linh Ung pagoda, Linh Phuoc pagoda, Van Hanh pagoda…
Souvenir shopping
Local souvenir could be a great source to reflect one country’s culture and history as well as
souvenir shopping is a great activities if your tour time is restricted. Vietnam is famous for its handicraft products, hence, some souvenir ideas for visitors are: straw hat, tradition dress Ao Dai, silk, bamboo and wooden products, lacquer ware…
7. What are the hotels like in Vietnam?
Vietnam is still a developing country. So you might be wondering how the quality of hotels in Vietnam is.
Many reputable hotel brands have been building hotel all over Vietnam in the past decades such as Inter Continental, Metropole, Novotel, Hyatt, Vinpearl …The hotels in Vietnam are amazing. Paradise Travel only books hotels that already checked and handpicked by us. In general, we do not offer anything lower that 3 stars. Check out top 10 luxurious hotels in Vietnam.
8. What to prepare when golfing in Vietnam – a tropical country?
Travelers playing golf in Vietnam should aware of the warm tropical weather. The more you go down south, the warmer it gets. For this reason, it is reasonable to stay cool all the time by bringing lightweight clothes such as quick-dry golf shirt, knee length short pants, and no-show socks. For your information, the usual dressing standard is still valid at Vietnam golf course, so besides jeans and tee shirt, everything else is suitable.
Read more: 7 Packing Tips for your Golf Holidays in Vietnam and Indochina.
Clean up your shoes to avoid the fuss at Customs
Vietnam is a tropical country, resulting in many mosquitoes
9. Don’t bring brand new golf shoes with you
You had better not use new shoes while golfing abroad since it is likely that blisters will be developed while you are abroad. Your golfing shoes should be comfortable with soft spikes. Furthermore, make sure you clean up dirt on your golf shoes before traveling. Some Customs, Australian for example, prohibits the carriage of soil on the face of your clubs or the spikes of your golf shoes so it would be wise to clean them to avoid the fuss.
10. Keep yourself positive during abroad golf holidays
You are traveling to a foreign country with geographic, cultural… that is different from home. So there potentially there are things coming up that is different from the way it is back home. An open mind and a positive attitude will ensure you to have a memorable golf trip of your life time.
11. You will need a caddy when golfing in Vietnam
Yes, this sounds very strange.
At Vietnam golf courses, caddies are mandatory. Another thing is that caddies here are women. Most caddies in Vietnam speak English and are very helpful as well as friendly. They will point out hazards and other places not to hit the ball. They will also be ready with information on distances, best landing areas, club selection, and line of putts and direction of play. At certain fields, caddies have their mission to assist customers so much that golfers might not even have a chance to touch the ball. Here are an example of what the caddies do:
- Will not allow you to touch the pin
- Take the ball out of the hole and take it to the next tee for you
- Mark the ball on the green and replace it by lining up the arrow to your line
- Tee the ball up for you and pick up the tee afterward
12. Tipping the caddies when golfing in Vietnam.
Do set the expectation for yourself that the caddies here are not professional caddies. The reason is that courses in Vietnam do not put much effort in training them (resulting in some will not speak fluent English…). But it is true that they are very knowledgeable about golfing in Vietnam and many of them work very hard with what they have. Tipping is not a requirement but as a guideline, it is recommended for golfers to tip $10-$20.
Caddies in Vietnam work very hard to earn their money
13. Did you just say “There might be snakes on the course?”
I do want to set the expectation so that you will not be at awe seeing snakes on the field. The truth is that this rarely happens. Many loyal customers that often book with us say that they only encounter snake on Vietnam golf courses only once or twice throughout several years golfing here. Snakes on golf courses are usually more terrified of people than the other way around. They often will run away when sensing people approaching. Furthermore, your caddy will check and woo the snake away for you. So, do not have a worry and enjoy the game.
14. The cost of playing golf in Vietnam is very nice for world-class quality golf courses.
The average cost of golf in Vietnam range from $70 to $150 depends on location and time of the week. The best part is that players could play cheap golf in Vietnam on world-class quality golf courses. Even though golf courses on weekends tend to be busy with members and their guests playing but during mid-week or early in the week, there usually are special golf deals for best-money-value. Because that golf course deals and promotions are occasional, contact us for the best deals of cheap golf courses in Vietnam.
15. Don’t expect low cost of golf equipment at Vietnam golf shop.
Comparing to golf equipment in USA, golf equipment in Vietnam is not any cheaper, if not more expensive. Golf equipment prices in Vietnam (and Thailand) are expensive. The reason is that golf equipment in Vietnam is a luxury item and thus taxed accordingly.
Hi Celeste. Thank you for the nice article. A friend and I (and our wives) are hoping to take a golf-sightseeing tour of Vietnam, in late July and August, for about three weeks. My friend lives in Chiang Mai, Thailand. I live in New Zealand. We are coming in the summer because I want to escape New Zealand’s winter. We hope to fly to Hanoi, spend about a week there, and play 3 or 4 rounds of golf. We will then travel south, seeing the middle of the country for about a week, playing golf where we can. We would like to visit Hue, Da Nang, and Nha Trang. We will end up in Ho Chi Minh City for about a week, playing another 3 or four rounds. I am hoping you can give me suggestions about good golf courses to play in those locations. Thanks in advance. Cheers. Chas
Hi. I would like to visit Vietnam in December – I would like to know where to arrive. I would like to be in warm places and where when it rains it does not flood so that I do not waste too much time. I would like to tour while playing golf. I am looking for a reasonable priced vacation – you can quote me for 2 people, myself and husband (and also for 3, husband, myself and daughter).
Can you please provide me with an itinerary say from December 12 to Jan. 4th. I dont mind some internal flights or nearby country which is safe.
Dear Madam,
Thank you for your comment. December is the perfect time to visit Vietnam since the weather is comfortable and there are a lot of interesting things to do as well as stunning places to visit.
Based on your demands, here are our suggested packages:
– Vietnam Golf Tours & Holiday Packages: https://www.vietnamparadisetravel.com/vietnam-golf-tours
– Our 10 Best Vietnam Tours: https://www.vietnamparadisetravel.com/top-vietnam-tours
Please let us know if any itinerary meets your expectations or else we can customize a tailor-made tour for you!
Regards,
Bich Ngoc
Hi Celeste can you advise me on the best people to hire golf clubs from in Vietnam.. We are playing eight games of golf. 3 in Danang, 2 at THE BLUFFS in Ho Tram Strip, 2 in Ho Chi Ming and 1 in Sam Riep in Cambodia
Thanks
Glenda