Golf is probably not the first thing people
think of when planning a vacation in Vietnam .
Yet with the country's stunning scenery,
friendly people, safe environment as well as
increasingly open government policies, Vietnam
's golf courses are forecasted to be a new
attraction for tourists. The appearance of more
and more golf projects at present means the
development of golf tourism and addition to MICE
tourism, ecotourism and cultural tourism.
At present, with only around nine golf courses
in Vietnam, three in the north and six in the
south, the country still has a lot of catching
up to do with other countries in the region like
Malaysia and Thailand which have been developing
golf courses over the last 40 years. However,
with recent rapid economic development,
particularly in the tourism sector, Vietnam is
considered a promising place for investors.
Golf lovers will not have to wait long to play a
round in the beautiful landscapes of different
areas of of Vietnam as approximately 10 new
courses are under construction at the moment in
the northern provinces of Ha Long, Hanoi, Hoa
Binh and Hai Phong.
"Golfers are always looking for new experiences
in new destinations and I think Vietnam 's golf
courses will soon become popular thanks to the
county's magnificent scenery. Moreover,
competition between courses which offer players
more choices at reasonable prices, will attract
more 'visitors' from foreign countries to come,
said Peter R. Rousseau General Manager of Noble
Vietnam Co., Ltd, which is constructing the
18-holes Kim No golf course due to open next
December.
In addition to the boom in new golf courses, the
old courses are very popular and busy with
events. In the 1990s, the Vietnam Open was
staged several times but it failed to capture
the attention of international golfers after the
Asian financial crisis in 1997. But now things
are very different. This year Vietnam has held
many golf events, both amateur and professional.
For the first time, Vietnam hosted the annual
'Vietnam National Championships' held this May
at the Dalat Palace Golf Club. Other events
include the HSBC Vietnam Classic 2005 held on 15
October and Swing for Smiles 2005 held on 27
August. These will become annual events in
Vietnam . Especially, the second Carlsberg
Masters 2005 Vietnam which has just been
successfully held at Chi Linh Star Golf and
Country Club. Tour officials believed that these
new events will drive the popularity of the
game. It is hope that Vietnam will become a golf
tourism destination and as a result foster new
golf talents.
Guillaume Cherfils, GM of Sofitel Plaza Hanoi,
which has just sponsored the first Vietnam
businessmen's golf tournament, the VCCI Cup,
held on the 8 November hopes that Vietnam's golf
courses will soon become tourist tourists
attractions:" I think Vietnam will attract more
and more businessmen tourists thanks the
popularity of golf and we are going to sponsor
four more golf events," he said.
According to data from Hanoi Red Tours, a
company which provides golf tours in Vietnam,
the present fees at 18-hole courses in
Vietnam(green fee and caddy fee included) range
from $45 to $115 on weekends.
Annual membership fees at Chi Linh range from
$18,000 for four individual to $48,000 for four
an individual to $48,000 for four individual
corporate members.
Recent advocates of golfing in Vietnam include
Chad Jorgensen from America . " Vietnam is full
of surprises, including fantastic courses which
may be among the best kept secrets in the golf
world. From Vietnam Discovery
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