Vinpearl - Nha Trang

Hòn Tre island, just off the east coast of Vietnam, was used in the past to detain criminals in a purpose built jail but nowadays it’s better known as the location for Vinpearl Land, an impressive 5-star resort that’s operated by Vietnamese billionaire and property developer Pham Nhat Vuong.

For those in a rush to get onto the first tee, Vinpearl - Nha Trang can be accessed in under ten minutes from the mainland by the Vinpearl Cable Car system, a series of 47 small cabins that transport guests to and from the island via nine Eiffel Tower-shaped steel pillars, out across the sparkling waters of Nha Trang Bay.

The golf course was laid out by IMG – the company that also designed the highly rated Dalat Palaceand Tam Dao courses – and it first opened for play in 2012, five years after Vinpearl Land accepted its first resort visitors.

With spectacular views of the beautiful sandy bay from every hole on the course, the fairways have been seeded with Seashore Paspalum, an environmentally friendly grass that thrives in a seaside location with saltier water conditions.

Contenders for signature hole on the layout include the long and tough par four 4th and the lovely par three 16th, where the South China Sea provides a panoramic backdrop for the hole.