Dalat Palace

Situated in the elevated hill station of Dalat, the Dalat Palace Golf Club was first established in 1922, the year in which the elegant Langbian Palace Hotel (now the Dalat Palace) was completed by the French administration. At 1,500 metres above sea level the average annual temperature here is a pleasant 18 degree Celsius. A sanatorium, hotel and golf course were built. Indeed the reasons for visiting Dalat have persisted longer than the original French enthusiasts who built it up. It is an attractive small town with a cool climate and a relaxed demeanor. People fly here to escape the heat, pollution and road borne mania of Saigon.

The climate is a boon to golfing visitors for other reasons too. Temperate conditions such as these are ideal for cultivating bent grass, although there are courses laid with bent-grass in China and Korea, Dalat Palace is the only bent grass course in Southeast Asia. What is more, golfers will also enjoy the effects of altitude which adds as much as 10 percent extra at this level.

The course is laid out on undulating land right in the middle of town so could not be more convenient – especially since most golfers will he staying at either of the two Accor run hotels: the Novotel or the Sofitel (otherwise known as Dalat Palace). The 1994 reconditioning carried out by IMG has nurtured a pleasant, parkland course suited to holiday golf. The fairways arc generously wide and most of the holes are fairly straightforward. There are a variety of tees and the course at its most extended measures 7,009 yards, which is about the equivalent of 6,400 to 6,600 yards at sea level.

The small clubhouse is a charming 1950s structure that resembles a traditional teahouse. The first seven holes set the tone for the course. Just in front of the clubhouse lies the first tee and one of the best holes on the course. Unusually the course begins with a par three which is played parallel to Phu Dong Thien Vuong Street which lies just over the fence. The 2nd is a par four of medium length where the challenge is to avoid the fairway hunkers on both sides. A draw shot played from the edge of the right hand bunkers works best. The 3rd is a similarly-lengthed par four but laid out as a sharp dog-leg to the right. Fairway bunkers straight ahead provide the ideal target point for the drive and the second will be sharply downhill. A properly struck approach shot will bite the green and spin back, as will most iron shots hit into these soft and smooth surfaces.

The 4th is a longer hole and a stiffer test as it works it way back up the hill parallel to the 3rd. The 5th is a good par three played to a variety of lengths and as much as 234 yards from the back tees. The par five 6th is reminiscent of some of the par fives at the sister course some 250 kilometers to the South at Ocean Dunes. It works its way to the right side of a long and narrow lake that continues on through the property, effectively dividing it into two. The 7th is a longer dog-leg with a pleasing shape to it. The golfer must first decide whether to cross the water which bisects the fairway from the tee on the second shot. You then play uphill to a hidden green.

Golf remains somewhat of a novelty in Vietnam. There is no doubt that both Ocean Dunes and Dalat Palace benefit from being in association with each other and from the stewardship of registered PGA professional Jeff Pulchalsky, who acts as Director of Golf and General Manager for both properties. The staff are very competent and friendly, and the caddies would stand up against caddies anywhere else in Asia for their expertise. Dalat Palace has a properly laid out and impressive practice facility. The putting surfaces at both courses, despite being different grasses facing different climactic conditions, are amongst the best in Asia. Dalat Palace and Ocean Dunes are both good enough and enjoyable enough experiences to make it worthwhile for the traveller to bring their clubs.

The above passage is an extract from The Finest Golf Courses of Asia and Australasia by James Spence. Reproduced with kind permission.

The Dalat Palace Golf Club lists the architectural firm of Colt & Alison as the original course designers. In 1930 the renowned firm did indeed list “Ville de Dalat” in “Indo China” within their global catalogue, but recent research has not evidenced that either architect actually travelled to Vietnam. Golf Historian Paul Turner commented in HK Golfer in 2008 as follows: “C.H. Alison did work in Japan in 1930. Occasionally Colt would design a course from maps or aerial photography. He was reported to have done so for a course in Singapore.” It’s therefore possible that Dalat was routed in a similar fashion.

In December 2009, Dalat Palace Golf Club was named the country’s best golf course. Click here to read more.