Golf Courses in Hanoi, Vietnam
Course-by-Course Introduction to Golf in-&-around Hanoi
Kings’ Island Golf & Country Club of Ha Tay, Hanoi – This course is the first in Vietnam, some claim. Situated in Ha Tay province, Kings’ Island Golf is an international, 36-hole golf club located 36 km west of Hanoi and 45 km from Noi Bai International Airport. The course is built along the shores of Dong Mo Lake/Reservoir in the Kings’ Valley and thus the name. Access to the course is by boat. The majestic Ba Vi Mountain Range and over 1,000 hectares of water surface ensure that the course is one of the most scenic golf destinations in Southeast Asia.
The course, covering over 300 hectares, consists of two 18-hole courses seperately designed and built. The Lake View Course, as the name suggests, has water as its main feature. Not least designed by Robert MacFarland, nature herself has created a superb setting for this very challenging 6,454-yard Par-72 course with more than 10 holes heavily guarded by water hazards. The Mountain View Course, designed by Pacific Coast Design Pty. Ltd. of Australia, takes maximum advantage of the natural layout of the mountain and surrounding trees. Measuring 7,000 yards, this course is suitable for all levels.
Hanoi International Golf Club of Hanoi – If you are interested in the layout of a golf complex quite unlike most others, this is it. Designed by Susumu Fujiwara and assisted in administration by the Hirao Country Club of Aichi Prefecture of Japan, this course has its clubhouse smacked right in the middle of the course so as to provide a panoramic view of the entire complex. It is, quite expectedly, a Japanese investment and is popularly known in the fraternity as simply ‘The Hanoi Golf Club’. The course is less than an hour’s drive from Hanoi City centre, and if you wish you could be at the first tee 15 minutes after successfully emerging from the immigration check at the Noi Bai International Airport of the capital city.
Covering 108 hectares and measuring 7,076 yards, this 18-hole Par-72 course is built at the foot of the low-lying nearby mountains with gentle slopes over the 20-meter elevation difference between the highest and the lowest points. The design concept is to make the course more easily manageable and the play enjoyable for all levels of golfers and this is evident in the generous fairways and the space in between them. The front nine is relatively flat with wide open fairways where OB’s are hardly visible thereby making it particularly suitable for ‘hard drives’ off the tee, or in the designer’s own words: “…to rip it!”, if you can that is. The back nine however adds more variety in the uphill and downhill holes all requiring careful selection of suitable clubs for more accurate placement shots. The greens are large and undulating so to serve a fitting test for a championship course.
Dam Vac Golf & Country Club – Dam Vac Golf & Country Club was designed to create a unique golfing experience in a peaceful setting in harmony with its natural surroundings. The course, approximately 40 km from Hanoi and covering some 90 hactares, blends well with the lake which is the main feature of the entire complex and was created by the completion of the Dam Vac Reservoir in the Vinh Phuc Province. An abundance of palm and evergreen trees provide a picturesque setting to entice any golf enthusiast to challenge his/her physical and mental abilities.
The special attractions of this Graham Taylor-designed course has to be the ‘beach’ bunkers which share the borderline with the water of the lake thereby allowing the water to meet the sand at some part. Depending on your luck, a normal well-practised bunker play could well turn into a mess of sand-mud if the ball would so unkindly land on some damp patches. The greens are generally large but the treacherous slope could prove decisive on many holes.
Tam Dao Golf Resort – Set in the beautiful Tam Dao mountain area, 45 and 65 kilometers northwest of Noi Bai Airport and Hanoi respectively, this 18-hole Par-72 6,600-meter championship golf course designed by IMG consists of lakes, running streams and strategic bunkering all together providing a challenging layout for golfers of all levels. The course is covered with Salam Paspalum on the fairways and Sea Isle 2000 Paspalum for the greens.
Chi Linh Star Golf and Country Club – About one hour’s drive from Hanoi on the way to Halong Bay, the country club spreads over a huge and magnificent valley nestling beside a large lake and surrounded by hectares of rolling forest hills. The entire complex of golf courses and resort includes two 18-hole courses, a five-star hotel, 300 villas and a wide range of sporting and recreational facilities.
Designed by Australian Independent Golf Course Services, it is the premier golf club in the north of Vietnam. The Course features a 36-hole golfing challenge constructed and designed to international standards.