Vietnam is one of the most beautiful countries in South-East Asia. Its people are warm and welcoming, its history is fascinating, its food is epic and the landscapes are simply stunning. It is also one of the fastest-growing golf markets in the world.
The award-winning Montgomerie Links, about 25 kilometres north of Vinpearl, was designed alongside the Vietnam East Sea by its Scottish namesake and opened in 2008 to immediate praise.
The World Golf Hall of Famer, who topped the European Tour Order of Merit eight times, has created one of the most-celebrated layouts in Asia. Its large greens, rippled fairways and wind-swept dunes effectively reflect the courses Montgomerie grew up on.
But this is Vietnam we’re talking about – where 2,500 millimetres of rain can fall per year – so it would obviously be difficult to build anything of note without lakes and streams, which are plotted cleverly throughout the routing. There are also more trees than you would perhaps expect to find on your typical links-like property.
The par-72 is 6,484 metres from the “Monty” tees. But, just like Vinpearl, it can be enjoyed by players of all skill levels, thanks to its four teeing options; the shortest of which reduces the course to 4,665 metres.
One of the standout holes at Montgomerie Links is undoubtedly the tricky par-3 5th. The 134-metre tee shot here is played directly over water to an expansive green defended by an impressive ‘Lion’s Mouth’ bunker.
The shrub and tree-covered dune behind the green shelters the prevailing headwind, so taking an extra club or two and knocking it down is the order of the day to entertain the idea of making par or better.
Another high-quality offering is the thought-provoking par-5 12th hole, which, at 482 metres, is a genuine three-shotter thanks to the 17 bunkers scattered cleverly throughout the trek. The tee shot here will need to carry the better part of 200 metres to clear the beginning of the lake, – which then proceeds to border the left portion of the fairway – and pull up before three hungry sand traps. From here, the conservative play is to lay up between another set of bunkers before approaching the elevated putting surface; going for the green in two would be an incredibly aggressive move, given the deep bunkers that await anything falling short.
Before I had rudely dozed off … Beryl had been talking about visiting Ba Na Hills, which is an old, French resort situated in the mountains about two hours’ drive inland from Montgomerie Links.
The hill station, now an amusement park run by Sun World, is 1,500 metres above sea level and is reached by travelling on the longest cable car system in the world. The eight-kilometre climb into the clouds is truly spectacular and features views over the 150-metre long Golden Bridge, which opened in 2018 and is supported by two giant stone hands.
My main reason for visiting, however, remained at the foothills of the mountains at the highly-acclaimed Ba Na Hills Golf Club.
Designed by Luke Donald, Ba Na Hills opened in 2016 and has since been named the best golf course in Asia two years running by the World Golf Awards. Not bad considering it remains the only Donald-designed track on the planet. What’s more, it can be enjoyed after dark, too, thanks to numerous floodlights placed strategically around the property.
The former World No.1, who partnered with IMG for the project, ensured the par-72 would provide an enjoyable and fair challenge to players of all abilities.
Framed by native forest, the undulating layout meanders its way around picturesque streams and lakes, while white-sand bunkers bracket striped couch fairways and smooth-rolling greens.
Guests deciding to play from the championship tees should do so knowing they will be taking on the longest course (7,184 metres) in Vietnam, something that is best exemplified by the monstrous 648-metre 5th hole.
The three-shotter, thankfully, begins from an elevated tee but your drive still needs to travel at least 220 metres to avoid a lengthy water hazard to land safely on an angled fairway, which then snakes its way on to an hourglass green.
The pick of the holes at Ba Na Hills is the 176-metre par-3 8th, with its impressive green complex framed beautifully by an inspiring mountainous backdrop. The tee shot needs to clear another lake and avoid five bunkers to find the large, tilted putting surface. Par will feel like an achievement here, despite being rated the fifth-easiest hole on the card.
Travel 30 minutes east from Ba Na Hills and you will reach the rapidly-developing coastal city of Da Nang, which is certainly worth visiting for the magnificent Dragon Bridge, which breaths fire and water at 9pm on Saturday and Sunday.
A further 60 minutes’ drive north is the Sir Nick Faldo-designed Laguna Golf Lang Co, which is nestled between the mountains of Bach Ma National Park and the pristine waters of Chan May Bay.
“Ba Na Hills opened in 2016 and has since been named the best golf course in Asia two years running …”
Laguna opened in 2012 and weaves its way through trees, over rice paddies, along the beach and around natural streams and rock formations. Its bunkers and waste areas are filled with golden sand and the routing requires shots to be shaped more dramatically than the aforementioned courses.
What Laguna does have in common with the other layouts, however, is its five sets of tees that accommodate all players. The par-71 starts at 4,790 metres and maxes out at 6,493 metres from the tips.
The penultimate hole of the outward nine received plenty of praise from our group and clearly left a lasting impression.
The par-3 8th is played uphill – over the stream that runs like an artery around the entire property – to an undulated green, which sits 148 metres away. Strong onshore winds tend to whip up from behind the putting surface here, meaning visitors will probably need long irons to give themselves the chance to make birdie.
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