Vietnam (East)

Vietnam Golf & Country Club was the first 36-hole golf facility in Vietnam. Located close to the centre of Ho Chi Minh City in a massive 300-hectare, wooded tract of land, which includes a lakeside residential development, tennis courts and swimming pool. Vietnam Golf & Country Club is perhaps fair to claim recognition as Vietnam’s premier golf facility.

The West course opened first in 1994 and was designed by Taiwanese architect Chen King Shih. The following year the West hosted the Vietnam Open and then again in 1997. But, as good as the West course is (and we may feature it on the Top 100 website in the future), it has been overshadowed by the Lee Trevino-designed East course, which opened for play in 1997.

The six-time Major winner has fashioned the East course with more generous fairways than the tighter West, but with cleverly positioned bunkering, plenty of water and large undulating Bermuda greens it is a serious challenge. With a standard configuration of four par fives, four par threes and ten par fours, a yardage of 6,950 yards and an opening par five on each half which is reachable in two for big hitters.

Interestingly, the professionals didn’t rip the East course apart during the 2008 Hana Bank Vietnam Masters (a former Asian Tour event). Thai star Thongchai Jaidee won the tournament (prevailing in a three-way play-off) posting 15-under-par 273 in regulation play.