Vietnam Golf Coast (VGC) clubs are targeting another milestone year for Central Vietnam as a hub for golf in Asia following a record-breaking 2023.
“Momentum is with Central Vietnam as a golf destination at the moment and we are confident that energy will be maintained,” said Gary Dixon, general manager at Ba Na Hills Golf Club, one of the driving forces in the VGC destination marketing effort and home to a championship layout masterminded by 2023 European Ryder Cup team captain Luke Donald.
The region has emerged as a hub for golf travel in the region thanks to an array of layouts designed by luminaries including European legends Sir Nick Faldo (Laguna Golf Lang Co), Luke Donald (Ba Na Hills Golf Club), and Colin Montgomerie (Montgomerie Links), as well as other huge names like Greg Norman and Robert Trent Jones Jr.
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The area’s burgeoning reputation on the global stage was reflected during 2023, a year that saw the total number of rounds played on its courses reach an all-time high.
And with forthcoming blue-chip tournaments and events allied to a multifaceted range of draws from luxury resorts, legendary beaches and cultural highlights to world-class infrastructure that includes an ever-expanding list of air links into Danang International Airport, the VGC is planning for another massive year.
“Central Vietnam continues to be on an upward curve as a destination for golfers and it is easy to see why,” said Le Vo Hoang Van, club manager at Montgomerie Links where Colin Montgomerie has fashioned old-world design elements into a challenging layout. “Nowhere in Asia can golfers find such a concentration of world-class championship courses within easy reach of an international airport and each other. The area has earned a global reputation for great golf, luxurious resorts, and compelling culture and heritage, and that is only likely to be enhanced by developments in the region throughout 2024.”
Certainly, the calendar for the coming months is packed with significant events. In April, the Asia Grand Final of the Faldo Series, the culmination of the Asia leg of the world’s most celebrated circuits for junior golfers, will return to its home hub, the award-winning Sir Nick Faldo Signature Design at Laguna Golf Lang Co.
Other tournament highlights include the 2024 World Lefthanded Golf Championship, which will also take place in April.
Central Vietnam’s appeal is further enhanced by its world-class infrastructure which includes Danang International Airport, which links Danang with destinations within Vietnam and directly with cities such as Bangkok, Seoul, Tokyo and Singapore. New routes for 2024 include direct connections linking the region with India and Manila in The Philippines.
Banner events are also helping to elevate the destination. These include the Danang International Fireworks Festival—a two-month-long jamboree encompassing firework performances and cultural celebrations. Also significant is Hue Festival 2024, with music, theatre, art and other creative events reflecting the rich culture and history of the region.
Representatives from VGC clubs will be travelling to Abu Dhabi next month for the 10th Asian Golf Tourism Convention. Their mission in the Middle East will be to meet with old and new friends alike to continue spreading the word about Central Vietnam’s incredible potential as a golf destination.
“We want to trumpet the region’s success and its potential as an all-round destination with wide appeal for golfers and their families,” said Stephen Banks, director of golf at Laguna Golf Lang Co. “And we also want to publicize the fact that there’s plenty of available tee-times on our golf courses despite it having been a record-breaking busy period for the clubs.”