Golfing in Vietnam: 10 Best golf courses & tips

Golfing in Vietnam has gone from a niche curiosity to one of Asia's standout golf destinations in barely two decades, and the rest of the golfing world has started to notice. The appeal is the variety: links courses on coastal sand dunes, cool highland layouts in pine forest, mountain fairways, and parkland greens fringed by rice paddies, many of them designed by names like Greg Norman, Nick Faldo, and Robert Trent Jones Jr. This guide covers whether Vietnam is worth it for golfers, what to expect on the course and what it costs, where to go region by region, the ten best golf courses in the country, and practical tips for planning your trip.

Last updated: June 7, 2026

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Is Vietnam a good golfing destination?

The short answer is yes, and the rest of the golfing world increasingly agrees. Vietnam was named Asia’s Best Golf Destination at the World Golf Awards for nine years running, so this is not just a marketing line. For a country that barely had a golf scene twenty years ago, that is a remarkable rise.

A big part of the appeal is the calibre of design. The best courses here are the work of genuine legends of the game: Greg Norman, who is also Vietnam’s official tourism ambassador, along with Jack Nicklaus, Robert Trent Jones Jr., Sir Nick Faldo, Colin Montgomerie, and Luke Donald. These are not vanity projects with a famous name attached and little else. The standard is real and internationally recognised: The Bluffs Ho Tram sits in Golf Digest’s list of the world’s top 100 courses, Hoiana Shores ranks among Asia’s best, and Laguna Lang Co is widely considered Faldo’s finest design anywhere.

What really sets Vietnam apart, though, is the variety packed into one country. You can play a true coastal links on towering sand dunes, a cool-climate course winding through highland pine forest, a dramatic mountain layout, and a classic parkland course beside rice paddies, often within the same trip. Many of the best courses sit alongside excellent beach resorts, so golf pairs naturally with the kind of relaxed, high-end trip that suits a longer stay. If that side of things appeals, it is easy to build golf into a wider luxury trip through Vietnam.

It is worth being honest about the trade-offs too. Vietnam is not the cheapest golf in Asia, the caddies are helpful but not always polished, and green fees climb on weekends and around the Tet holiday, when courses also get busy. None of this takes away from the experience, but it is good to know going in, which brings us to what to expect on the course.

What to expect when golfing in Vietnam

A few things work differently in Vietnam than in Europe, the US, or Australia, and knowing them in advance saves any surprises on the day. None of it is difficult, but it does shape how you budget and book.

Green fees and costs

Expect to pay roughly US$80 to US$180 for an 18-hole round, depending on the course, the day, and the season. Many courses now use all-in pricing that bundles the green fee, a shared buggy, and a caddie into one figure, which makes budgeting simpler. Weekdays are noticeably cheaper than weekends, often by 15 to 25 percent, and afternoon twilight tee times can be cheaper again. Prices climb around the Tet holiday and public holidays, when courses are also at their busiest. Booking ahead or as part of a package usually brings the cost down.

Caddies and how they work here

This is the part that surprises most first-time visitors. Caddies are effectively mandatory at almost every course in Vietnam, and they are nearly always women. Your caddie carries your bag, reads greens, gives you yardages, suggests clubs, and keeps the group moving at a good pace. They are knowledgeable and work hard, though it is fair to say they are not Western-style professional caddies, and the level of English varies from one to the next.

Tipping is customary and genuinely expected, separate from any service fee already on your bill. Around US$15 to US$25 for a good round is the norm. Bring it in cash, as it goes directly to the caddie.

Buggies, clubs, and dress code

Most courses require, or strongly encourage, a shared buggy for two players, partly because of the heat and partly because of the size of the layouts. It is often included in the all-in price. You do not need to bring your own clubs either, as rental sets are widely available for around US$20 to US$50, though it is worth pre-booking these at busier courses. Dress codes are enforced at most clubs: a collared shirt, proper golf shoes, and no denim will keep you out of trouble.

Booking, tee times, and standards

Book your tee times in advance, especially for the marquee courses and on weekends. Most resort and daily-fee courses welcome visitors freely, while a handful of private clubs prefer or require a handicap certificate or a member introduction, so check when you book. The top resort courses are excellent and run to international standards, with conditioning to match. At some courses, communication around tee times and pairings can be less polished, so confirm the details rather than assuming, and you will rarely be caught out.

Best time to play golf in Vietnam

Vietnam stretches more than 1,600 kilometres from north to south, so there is no single golf season that covers the whole country. The weather splits into three broad regions, and the best approach is to match your destination to the time of year, or to move between regions and follow the good conditions.

North Vietnam (Hanoi and Halong Bay)

The north has four distinct seasons. Spring and autumn are the sweet spots, with mild temperatures and comfortable playing conditions. Winter, roughly December to February, can be cool, grey, and damp, which is fine for a round but a long way from tropical. Summer, from May to August, swings the other way into real heat and humidity, with afternoon downpours common, so early tee times are your friend. Aim for March to April or September to November if you can.

Central Vietnam (Danang, Hoi An, and Hue)

This is Vietnam’s golf heartland, and the timing matters most here. The dry season runs roughly February to August and is the best window, with warm, settled weather. Autumn, around September to November, brings the heaviest rain and the occasional storm, when courses can close at short notice. One thing to factor in year-round: the coastal links courses catch the wind, which is part of their character and their challenge, so expect it rather than being caught out by it.

South Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Tram, and Phan Thiet)

The south is the most consistent, with golf playable all year. The dry season from December to April is the clear pick, with reliable sunshine and lower humidity. The wet season, May to October, brings short, heavy afternoon showers rather than all-day rain, so morning rounds usually stay dry. Heat and humidity are a constant here, which is one reason buggies and caddies are so standard.

A note on the highlands and islands

Two places sit outside this neat split. Dalat, up in the central highlands, stays cool and pleasant for most of the year and makes a genuine escape from the heat, which is a large part of its appeal. Phu Quoc, the southern island, follows the southern pattern, with the dry season from November to April the best time to combine golf with the beach.

Where to go golfing in Vietnam

Vietnam’s golf courses are spread the length of the country, from the hills around Hanoi to the southern coast, with clusters that make natural bases for a trip. Below is a region-by-region look at where to play, the standout courses in each, and what golfers can do off the course nearby. The very best individual courses are covered in more detail further down, so here the focus is on getting a feel for each region and how to build a trip around it.

1. Danang, Hoi An, and Hue (the central coast)

If you only golf in one part of Vietnam, make it here. The central coast is the country’s golf heartland, with several genuinely world-class courses within about 90 minutes of Danang airport, which makes it the most efficient base for a serious golf trip. The setting helps too, with the courses strung between long beaches, mountains, and two of Vietnam’s most famous cultural towns.