Danang in Central Vietnam is home to seven world-class golf facilities. As such it serves as a microcosm for golf in the Socialist Republic.
Upon arrival at Ho Chi Minh City International Airport after a nine-hour flight from Australia’s east coast, I made my way through the departure terminal to the front of a queue for a passport/visa check. Suddenly an officious immigration officer barks in my direction to get away from the counter.
The crime: having overstepped (no-balled) the red line (popping crease) for foreign nationals entering Vietnam. It was tempting to explain my intemperance. But the thought of boarding the next Vietnam Airlines flight back to Australia convinced me to remain silent.
Within 30 seconds I was called to the counter, passport/visa approved and allowed entry into The Land of the Ascending Dragon. Thankfully, that due diligence allowed for an unforgettable week of golf around the Central Vietnam city of Danang, a further one-hour flight and 872 kilometres from Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon).
Just about the first thing that’s noticeable when setting foot in Danang is the prevalence of scooters and motorcycles on the roads of Vietnam’s fifth most populated city (1.22 million). Cars and trucks have right of way as evidenced by the constant honking of car horns. Almost as apparent is the abundance of zeros attached to the Vietnamese Dong when converting currency (1 AUD equates to about
15,780 VND).
Golf is driven by real estate in Vietnam and golf facilities are usually surrounded by luxury villas to attract affluent buyers. Golf caters for the wealthy as well as the aspirational middle class of Vietnamese society in the absence of western pursuits such as horse-riding, polo, sailing and yachting.
Golf plays an important role in Vietnam’s tourism strategy. Vietnam Golf Coast (VGC) is a collective to market Danang as a golf destination with seven facilities within 90 minutes of the city. More than 400,000 rounds are played annually at these properties. Approximately 30 percent are locals with 70 percent inbound tourists.
Just 15 minutes from Danang International Airport is Montgomerie Links, owned by Vietnam’s TBS Group that makes Skechers, Titleist golf shoes and decathlon footwear. Scotland’s Hall of Famer Colin Montgomerie is credited as the course architect, however much of the legwork belongs to IMG senior design associate Steve Shepherdson.
The wide fairways at Montgomerie Links are flanked by mature casuarina trees to give each hole a distinctive frame as well as separation from the outside world. When played from the appropriate tees, it features a delightful collection of reachable par 4s and strong par 3s. The par-3 fifth has become the signature hole thanks to the arched structure behind the green, affectionately known by locals as ‘The Bridge With No River’.
Speaking of backdrops, Danang has been described as Vietnam’s Gold Coast because of an abundance of high-rise developments. But the recession during the COVID pandemic was apparent when standing on the tee of Montgomerie’s Links par-4 14th hole. The target line is an unfinished apartment building that is just one of many developments affected by the economic slowdown.
Approaching its 20th anniversary, Montgomerie Links’ paspalum fairways and greens are in splendid condition due to well-draining sandy subsoil and the watchful eye of Irish-born superintendent Ronan McKeown. In a sign of a well-run golf facility, Montgomerie Links has some of the friendliest caddies in South-East Asia, such is their bubbly demeanour. The recommended caddie tip is 500,000 Vietnamese Dong (about $32).
On-site accommodation is available at Montgomerie Links Hotel & Villas. The extensive clubhouse menu in Birdies Restaurant caters for the tastebuds of Vietnamese, Asians and Westerners. There’s even a ‘Monty’ breakfast platter with bacon, eggs and hash browns. That would surely appeal to a certain Australian golf writer who has the peculiar habit of sampling the club sandwich at every course he visits in South-East Asia. But I couldn’t resist brunching upon an authentic local favourite: mi quang (turmeric noodles, braised chicken, quail egg and peanuts).
Vietnamese Australian chef and television presenter Luke Nguyen would certainly approve. He has said the Central Vietnam region, especially Danang, is known for “punches and punches of flavour – not subtle flavour like you’re used to in Hanoi and up north”.
Popular tourist attractions around Danang include the Han River Bridge (in the shape of a dragon), Marble Mountains, My Khe Beach and Son Tra Peninsula where the InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort hosted the 2017 APEC meeting attended by US president Donald Trump.
Any vacation in Danang would be incomplete without a visit to the ancient port town of Hoi An, a 30-minute drive southwards. Hoi An’s streets and alleyways are lined with tailors, lantern-making workplaces, coffee shops and stores selling hand-made leather handbags and fabrics. Street food is relatively cheap with a bowl of noodles costing about 30,000 VND ($1.90) with restaurant meals 120,000 VND ($7.60).
Many tourists venture to Hoi An later in the day once temperatures have cooled and the nightlife beckons. After sunset tourists congregate on the banks of the Thu Bon River, which is filled with canoes bearing bright red lanterns. The riverside bars are perfect for a cheeky cocktail while taking in the ambience.
Ba Na Hills Golf Club is unlike any other course you’re likely to encounter. Located in the highlands 30 minutes west of Danang’s city centre, Ba Na Hills is another IMG collaboration, this time between Shepherdson and England’s former world No.1 Luke Donald. It’s been regarded as the best-conditioned golf course in Vietnam, which is quite an achievement for the maintenance crew led by British-born superintendent Steven Halliwell given Danang’s tropical monsoon climate.
Ba Na Hills is a tale of two nines. The relatively flat front nine traverses waterways and sand hazards before climbing into the hills for the second nine where a caddie – perhaps a Sherpa – is required to conquer dramatic elevation changes. The sight of clouds drifting across the mountaintops conjures up images of the cinematographic masterpiece “Gorillas In The Mist”. Australia’s very own Tarzan, Richmond’s three-time Norm Smith medallist Dustin Martin, enjoyed the dizzying heights of Ba Na Hills just a couple of weeks after announcing his AFL retirement in 2024.
In fact, the number of rounds by Australian golfers at Ba Na Hills has surged by 35 percent. “The Australian market has been a game-changer for us,” says Ba Na Hills Golf Club general manager Simon Mees. “It’s gratifying to see how well our course resonates with these visitors. The feedback we’ve received has been overwhelmingly positive.”
Once again, the clubhouse at Ba Na Hills caters for both Asians and Westerners. However, it’s hard to resist beef pho, the fragrant Vietnamese rice noodle soup flavoured with cinnamon, star anise, fish sauce, lime juice, spring onions, basil leaves, bean sprouts and chilli. Given the variety on the menu, ‘restaurant’ would be a rather appropriate description for clubhouse fare in Vietnam.
If time permits, take the cable car up the mountain to visit French Village at Sun World Ba Na Hills. The theme park with an elevation of 1,487 metres features the Golden Bridge, one of Vietnam’s most famous tourist attractions, where two large stone-like hands cradle a 150-metre pedestrian footbridge. The French Village has 10 restaurants, bars, beer hall and coffee shops while the Mercure Danang French Village Bana Hills has 461 hotel rooms designed in a French colonial style.
FRENCH LEGACY FROM A BYGONE ERA
Vietnam formed part of French Indochina from 1887 until 1954 when France finally recognised its independence after the First Indochina War (referred to by locals as the Anti-French Resistance War). The French colonial legacy is evident in Vietnamese food culture through recipes and eating habits.
However, the French influence and language no longer exists, says Marc Emmanuel, general manager of Novotel Danang Premier Han River. English has become prevalent in the workforce while Vietnamese schoolchildren are taught English as a second language.
By comparison with South-East Asian countries, Vietnam appears to have staved off the onslaught of multinational fast-food chains. McDonald’s has a net closure of outlets in Ho Chi Minh City while Starbucks has scaled back its operations in Vietnam.
“Vietnam is a local street food culture where cheap food is readily available anywhere,” Emmanuel says. Fresh produce means locals can lead a lifestyle without canned and processed foods.
Two of Vietnam’s most popular tourist attractions are Halong Bay in the north near Hanoi and the Mekong Delta in the south near Ho Chi Minh City. However, Emmanuel says Danang is becoming an increasingly popular destination for Australians, which is by far the largest demographic of English-speaking tourists.
“Australians are the type of customers that hotels like,” says Emmanuel, citing how they enjoy the interaction with locals and have a curiosity about Vietnamese history and culture.
JOURNEY THROUGH THE MOUNTAIN
The Hai Van Pass between the cities of Danang and Hue (pronounced “Way”) marks the divide between north and south Vietnam. The Pass was the scene of many troubles for the Americans during the Vietnamese War – or the American War as it’s known by the Vietnamese.
Incidentally, Australians, Kiwis, Americans and Canadians require a visa to visit Vietnam. Yet passport holders from the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany, Russia, Scandinavia, Spain, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand are all exempt. One may assume the Vietnamese have strong memories about that armed conflict from 1955-1975.
The passage beyond the mountain has been made considerably quicker by the 2005 opening of Hai Van Tunnel, the second-longest tunnel in South-East Asia. The 6.28-kilometre tunnel takes about 20 minutes off the journey to the imperial citadel of Hue.
Awaiting on the northern side of the Hai Van Mountain Range is Laguna Golf Lang Co, which is the focal point of a spectacular 5-star integrated resort on the foreshore of Lang Co Bay, an hour north of Danang.
An early-morning tee-time is imperative to savour Laguna Golf Lang Co at its finest. Nick Faldo and leading architect Paul Jansen designed a remarkable layout that meanders through rice fields, coastal sand dunes and impenetrable jungle beneath the escarpment of Bach Ma National Park. The par-4 third hole is distinctive for a family of water buffalo that plough the paddy fields, which produce 30 tonnes of rice a year. It’s a timely reminder of how golf has taken root in the Socialist Republic.
Apart from golf, guests at Angsana Lang Co resort have direct access to three kilometres of ocean frontage along Canh Duong Beach. If price is no deterrent, the neighbouring Banyan Tree Lang Co has 49 one-bedroom beachside and lagoon villas (about $US1,000 per night). Banyan Tree also has more than 40 luxurious one to three-bedroom villas perched high on hilltop ridges with their own private pool and spectacular views over Lang Co Bay ($US2,000 per night).
OPTIONS APLENTY
Danang is a year-round golf destination for the fact it doesn’t endure a cold winter. Peak season spans November-March and coincides with the Korean winter when their courses are closed. The summer months from May-September can be challenging due to the humidity. An ideal time to visit Danang for golf is February to June.
Elsewhere, Legend Danang Golf Resort is a 36-hole facility with twin designs by Greg Norman and Jack Nicklaus. The Norman course lies in natural sand dunes and has a passing resemblance to the Melbourne Sandbelt with its flared, greenside bunkering. The path from the 16th green to the 17th tee passes an old gun shelter, a timely reminder of the region’s conflict. The clay-based Nicklaus layout evokes resort golf in southern Florida as palm trees line the fairways and water features on 17 holes.
Hoiana Shores Golf Club is a links-style layout designed by Robert Trent Jones Jnr about 50 minutes from Danang International Airport and just south of the ancient port town of Hoi An. With views over the Eastern Sea and Cham Islands, Hoiana Shores is the preeminent course in Vietnam given that it will host the 2025 Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific championship. Next door is Vinpearl Golf Nam Hoi An, an IMG course that forms part of a resort and entertainment complex. Vinpearl Golf operates four courses across Vietnam and owns Cape Wickham Golf Links on Tasmania’s King Island.
The region’s newest facility is Golden Sands Golf Resort in Hue, 90 minutes north of Danang. Opened in September 2024, Golden Sands lies on what was once a secluded strip of coastline that’s been turned into an intriguing 18-hole layout with a thriving wildlife habitat.
Our man in Danang
Spare a thought for Australian agronomist Heath Glasby who manages 138 staff at Legend Danang Golf Resort in Central Vietnam. Glasby’s team maintains two 18-hole layouts designed by Greg Norman and Jack Nicklaus as well as the landscaping for the adjacent Sheraton hotel.
Legend Danang hosts about 110,000 rounds per year, split evenly between the Norman and Nicklaus layouts. The daily record is as many as 500 rounds. During summer the maintenance crew will start work at 4am for 5:30am tee-times.
Glasby is employed by BRG Group, one of the 10 most recognisable brands in Vietnam, with about 22,000 employees. Since 2023 he has assumed responsibility for the agronomy at all nine of BRG’s courses spread across six properties in Vietnam. That means he’s literally on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The Gold Coaster speaks little Vietnamese but can communicate through personal assistants/translators at every facility. He also uses Google Translate to relay messages to his local Vietnamese superintendents.
Glasby has now spent 25 years in South-East Asia, having started at Blue Canyon Country Club on the Thai island of Phuket in 2000.
“I had no plans for that,” he says. “I thought a couple of years there would be nice and then see what happens. And I’m still here.”
Danang’s tropical monsoon climate has its challenges. The wet season (October through early January) has the most extreme weather and it coincides with the busiest period when north Asian golfers escape the cold winter months. The humidity also means weed control is problematical.
“Working in South-East Asia and the tropics is a constant battle with contamination,” Glasby says. “Weed pressure is high with a lot of native Bermudas and Zoysias present. The task becomes even harder to avoid the older the courses get. We manage quite well with the resources available to us. But you have to be constantly on top of it as weed contamination can get out of control quickly.”
