Vietnam Golf & Country Club

Vietnam Golf & Country Club is the country’s first 36-hole golf club and is widely considered as the country’s premier golf and country club. The club consists of two championship courses and has been named Asia’s second-best golf course on two separate occasions. The club’s position makes it the closest to Ho Chi Minh, as it is only 20 kilometers from the city’s center.

Vietnam Golf & Country Club, located just 17 kilometers from the center of Ho Chi Minh City, is one of the closest golf courses to the city’s core. Vietnam Golf & Country Club is situated on 300 hectares of land and features two championship-level golf courses. Both courses through mature trees with minor topographical change. Vietnam Golf & Country Club’s layout and design give golfers the impression that the area was designed to be a golf course.

Vietnam Golf & Country Club’s 7,106-yard West Course, which has been open since November 1995, offers narrow tree-lined fairways and quick, flat greens. The par-72 championship course was created by Taiwanese architects and hosted Asian PGA Tour events for the Vietnam Open in 1995 and 1997.

The course runs through predominantly oil palm trees, presenting difficult tee shots to tight landing locations. Multiple holes have a solitary tree in the middle of the fairway. Year-round, Bermuda Tifeagle greens feature superb putting surfaces. The West Course’s length is the source of its difficulty. Only golfers with handicaps in the single digits should play from the back tees. Even from the ordinary men’s tees, this course may make for a lengthy round of golf, particularly if drives are off target.

The 11th is one of the greatest holes. It is a 408-yard par-4 that doglegs left. To see the green, the tee shot must clear the trees on the left. On the second shot, a big tree in the middle of the fairway and bunkers on both sides of the green come into play. The somewhat elevated green is shallow and broad, necessitating the use of spin on approach shots.

Vietnam Golf & Country Club’s second course is the 6,946-yard East Course. The East Course, which was designed by Lee Trevino and debuted in 1997, features more wide fairways than the West Course, as well as 110 strategically placed bunkers, water hazards, and undulating, fast-rolling Bermuda Tifdwarf greens. The course layout is so difficult that even seasoned tour pros would hesitate before “going for it.” The East Course’s sloping greens have undone some unwary golfers. On these greens, golfers must play intelligently and position themselves for relatively straight putts, which is easier said than done. Many side bets have been won or lost based on the golfer’s putting ability.

As a private club, the clubhouse is big and well-maintained. After any round, the huge locker and changing facilities with Japanese showers and dry and wet saunas are a nice treat. Two clubhouse restaurants offer an extensive menu, with local Vietnamese noodle soups coming highly recommended. The pro store is one of the best-stocked in Vietnam in terms of new and used golf equipment, golf gear, and the most recent balls and gloves.

Although Vietnam Golf & Country Club is technically a private golf club with priority given to locals and expatriates, weekday play, when the course is least congested, is available for booking by visitors. The East and West Courses are both excellent options for a day of golf in Saigon.