Sky Lake (Lake)

Owned by the Korean consortium DKENC and fashioned by Korean architect Ahn Moon Hwan of Bori Golf Design, the 36-hole semi-private Sky Lake Resort & Golf Club is situated within a 500-acre site located only a 45-minute drive from downtown Hanoi, via the Thang Long freeway.

The golf facility is managed by IMG and the private Lake course on the west side of the property made its debut in 2012, followed two years later by the Sky layout, which is open for public play. Surrounded by mountains and with undulating fairways routed around a series of lakes, it’s a very picturesque golfing getaway.

The Lake Course can play long and challenging, measuring 7,265 yards from the tips, and long and accurate driving is required to reach some of the uphill par four holes in regulation. Straying from the fairway will often result in difficult lies as large trees and severe drop off areas flank many holes.

Moreover, intimidating greenside bunker complexes protect the large (often multi-tiered) greens, so even if you avoid trouble off the tee, inaccurate approach play will almost certainly be punished by the myriad sand hazards around the putting surfaces.

A feature hole on the front nine is the tough par four 2nd which, even though it plays downhill and left to the green, measures a monster 516 yards from the back markers. On the inward half, the 13th is a rather unique par three, famed for a long narrow bunker that wraps itself around 90% of the green.