Finding that balance: How many golf courses does Vietnam need?

1. Finding that balance: How many golf courses does Vietnam need?
INTRODUCTION
ot surprisingly golf is the fastest growing and most popular According to the MPI, documents on an additional 28 golf course  Golf Tourism
sport in the world, a fact most evident in Asia, where the projects that will cover 3,812 hectares of land in total were proposed in Vietnam can tap on the global golf tourism market which is worth number of golf courses in neighboring countries that have the same
game has developed rapidly in the last decade. For golfing provinces like Phu Tho, Khanh Hoa, and Kien Giang have been sent to over US$17 billion, according to the International Association of development level as Viet Nam such as the Philippines which has
buffs, Asian courses are paradise. Golf in Vietnam is growing the ministry. So conceivably, Vietnam will have a total of 115 golf Golfing Tour Operators (IAGTO). 56 million people play golf 100 golf courses, Indonesia,152, Malaysia 230 and Thailand 256.
at an incredible pace, aided by significant domestic and courses by 2020 if the proposed adjustment of the GCDP 2020 is worldwide: 26.7 million in the United States, 5 million in Canada, 5.5
international tourism growth and more courses will definitely approved by the Prime Minister, potentially making Vietnam one of the million in continental Europe, 14 million in Japan, and 3.8 million in GOLF COURSES IN EAST, SOUTH AND SOUTH-EAST ASIA (2012)
be required to cater for increased demand. Recently, best golfing venues in Asia. the United Kingdom. Of this 56 million, between 5% and 10% travel Country Number of Courses %
Vietnam was named as the "Undiscovered Golf Destination WHY VIETNAM NEEDS GOLF COURSES? overseas each year for the main purpose being to play golf – Japan 2,442 54%
of the Year" by the International Association of Golf Travel therefore making the international size of the golf tourism market
 Golf can help drive national economic development. China 550 12%
Operators (IAGTO). Vietnam‟s image as one of Asia‟s golfing between 2.8 million and 5.6 million. The leading market in terms of
destination is fast gaining ground, but internally the country‟s Development and operation of golf course projects can bring about golf as a sport is the United States - it is thought to contribute over South Korea 400 9%
current Golf Course Development Plan (GCDP) of Vietnam economic benefits and contribute to community development. $60 billion to the economy. Europe (aside from the UK) is not a Thailand 256 6%
2020 approved by the Prime Minister, Nguyen Tan Dung vide Reclamation of fallow and/or arid lands for the development of golf mature golf market; it is still mainly pursued by the elite few (worth
Malaysia 230 5%
Decision No.1946/QD-TTg on 26th November 2009 is courses will contribute to the change of natural landscape and living $20 billion). The UK, Japan, and Australia all have mature golfing
constantly called upon to do a balancing act particularly the markets. India 200 4%
environment, create an attractive form of tourism – the sport of golf,
adjustment of the plan‟s criteria and conditions for setting up meeting this increasing trend in modern society; at the same time it Indonesia 152 3%
COMPARISON WITH OTHER COUNTRIES
golf courses to ensure that they are built in areas with high creates job opportunities for local people and surrounding areas, Philippines 100 2%
tourism potential and do not use agricultural land and that contributing to provincial and local budgets. The Long Thanh golf Today, Vietnam has 29 golf courses available for golfers to choose
the number of golf courses nationwide by 2020 is from. Compared with other developed Asian countries which Vietnam Taiwan 70 1%
course in Dong Nai Province is an example of this. The golf course
comparable to neighboring countries that have the same was built in 2001 from flooded fallow and arid lands, where farmers hopes to emulate, this number is a drop in the ocean. Even the land Myammar 50 1%
development level as Viet Nam. can only cultivate one crop a year uncertainly and the yield was low. scarce Singapore has nearly as many golf courses as Vietnam. Vietnam 29 0.5%
Now, this area has been transformed with green grass and trees, Pakistan 25 0.5%
CURRENT STATUS In the future, if all the planned 115 golf course projects in Vietnam
fresh air, a modern facility which helps to meet the needs of modern
were completed, the number would surpass that of the Philippines Singapore 22 0.5%
n the GCDP 2020, Viet Nam would have 90 golf courses Vietnamese society. To date, the golf course has created jobs for
which has 100 golf courses, would approach that of Indonesia where Bangladesh 8 -
located in 34 cities and provinces, each covering an average more than 2,000 local workers with an average income of 2.5 million
there are 152 golf courses and would achieve nearly half the
of 71 ha, mainly on infertile land. According to the Ministry of VND (about $130USD)/person/month. Nepal 7 -
numbers of Malaysia, 230 and Thailand, 256. It would still fall well
Planning and Investment (MPI)'s figures, the total land area  Income to the State short of South Korea which has 400 and China, which has more than Cambodia 6 -
reserved for the 90 golf courses reaches 6,300ha. After two 500, but would be nowhere near the numbers in golf-mad Japan, Laos 3 -
years of implementing the GCDP 2020, 29 out of 90 planned Statistics showed that in 2010 golf courses in Vietnam provided a
2,442 and in the United States, which has over 17,000 courses.
golf courses have been put into operation, 22 are being total of VND505 billion (US$24.56 million) to the state budget, Tien Sri Lanka 3 -
constructed, 13 have received investment certificates, while Phong reported in Thanh Nien News 5 Aug 2011. As for the Long The MPI seems to decide on the ultimate number of golf courses in North Korea 2 -
23 have been approved in principle and 3 are likely to be Thanh Golf Course, since 2001 it‟s contribution alone to the state Vietnam by comparing it with other South-east Asian countries. It Mongolia 2 -
cancelled as they failed to meet investment conditions and budget was more than 200 billion VND (US$10 million) and it is one would seem that the number of 115 golf courses under consideration
of the largest contributors to the Dong Nai Province budget (Duy Total 4,557 100%
regulations, the ministry said. in the GCDP 2020 is justifiable because the figure is equivalent to the
Phong, 2009). Source: http://www.blog.asianturfgrass.com
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2. GOLF COURSES WORLDWIDE i. The channel with proper procedures/processes to address the WHY DO GOLF COURSES HAVE 18 HOLES?
Number of golf course by country / region WHAT IS GOLF?
availability of natural resources (particularly land resources), the
Country Number of Courses % sensitivity of environment, the readiness of socioeconomic
USA 17,672 50% conditions, the alternatives of golf course development, and the Why does golf have 18 holes? Why not a dozen? Or 20? Or 24?
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players
issue of sustainability.
UK 2,752 8% (or golfers) use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of Truth be known, it used to be all of those.
ii. Under a new directive No.11/CT-TTg issued on 18th April
Japan 2,442 7% holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes. It is
2012 , Prime Minister, Nguyen Tan Dung wants the provincial Although the basic rules of the game were set up early (even
Canada 2,300 7% one of the few ball games that does not require a standardized
people's committees responsible for the development of golf Shakespeare described golf), there was a time when different courses
playing area. Instead, the game is played on golf "courses", each had all kinds of different holes. Of course, that shouldn't come as
Australia 1,500 4% courses to report to the MPI, as a more hands-on approach is
of which features a unique design, although courses typically much of a surprise for a game which dates to the 1500s.
Germany 684 2% taken towards the scheme. Committees will be expected to
consist of either nine or 18 holes. The modern game of golf
report on all projects, from a readjustment to the plans to The big change came in 1764, when the venerable Old Course at St.
France 559 2% originated in 15th century Scotland. The game's ancient origins
relocation before the PM gives it the green light. Even those Andrews cut their 12 holes down to 10, and began playing eight of
China 500 1% are, however, unclear and much debated. The first written record those holes twice. Eighteen it was, and in 1857, a full 18 hole course
that were granted investment certificates before will be bound
Sweden 480 1% of golf is Scotland‟s King James II's banning of the game in 1457, was finally laid out for good.
by the new rules. PM Dung has also asked the provinces
as an unwelcome distraction to learning archery. To many
South Africa 450 1% hoping to build new courses to undertake an in-depth feasibility As St. Andrews went, so went golf everywhere else.
golfers, the Old Course at St Andrews, a links course dating to
Rest of the world 5,773 17% study before going to the MPI for the adjusted plan By Phil Rogers
before 1574, is considered to be a site of pilgrimage.
Total 35,112 c. framework for golf course development and management.
Source: Wikipedia (2008) HOW OUR PANEL RANKS THE COURSE?
GOLF COURSE HISTORY
GOLF FACTS
Our rankings are based on course evaluations by more than 1,000
 China has the world‟s biggest golf club at Mission Hills, A golf course consists of a series of holes, each with a teeing
volunteer panelists throughout the United States. These men and women
perched high on the Hong Kong border at Shenzen. The ground that is set off by two markers showing the bounds of the
golfers score courses on seven criteria:
216 hole super club has 12 golf courses all of which are legal tee area, fairway, rough and other hazards, and the putting
Shot Values
designed by world renowned golf designers from every green surrounded by the fringe with the pin (normally a flagstick)
How well does the course pose risks and rewards and equally test length,
continent namely, Els, Faldo, Norman, Duval, Ozaki, and cup. The levels of grass are varied to increase difficulty, or to
accuracy and finesse?
Leadbetter, Olazabal and Nicklaus allow for putting in the case of the green. Early Scottish golf
1. Resistance to Scoring
 India has the world‟s highest golf course at Gulmarg Golf courses were primarily laid out on links land, soil-covered sand
How difficult, while still being fair, is the course for a scratch player from
Source: Golf Research Club Club, altitude 2,650 metre. dunes directly inland from beaches. This gave rise to the term "golf
the back tees?
links", particularly applied to seaside courses and those built on
2. Design Variety
WHY YOU NEED A GOLF COURSE DEVELOPMENT VIETNAMESE PRO-GOLFERS naturally sandy soil inland. The first 18-hole golf course in the
How varied are the golf course's holes in differing lengths, configurations,
PLAN? United States was located on a sheep farm in Downers Grove,
hazard placements, green shapes and green contours?
Illinois, in 1892
a. Blueprint for golf course development “At present there are 7,000 to 8,000 Vietnamese golf 3. Memorability
i. Determine Vietnam‟s golfing needs ie number of golf players in the country," Hoang Ngoc Phong, deputy head of In 2005, Golf Digest calculated that the countries with most golf How well do the design features (tees, fairways, greens, hazards,
courses and their geographical locations. the MPI's Institute for Development Strategies told the courses per capita, starting with the best endowed were: Scotland, vegetation and terrain) provide individuality to each hole, yet a collective
ii. Define criteria where golf course is allowed: Not in Vietnam Investment Review on 16 Mar 2012. Of these, New Zealand, Australia, Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, continuity to the entire 18?
agriculture land, only in non-agriculture land or areas there are only two professional golfers, Tran Le Duy Bac in Canada, Wales, United States, Sweden, and England (countries 4. Aesthetics
where tourism is main industry ; the south and Nguyen Thai Duong in the north. with fewer than 500,000 people were excluded). Apart from How well do the scenic values of the course (including landscaping,
Sweden, all of these countries have English as the majority vegetation, water features and backdrops) add to the pleasure of a
 It is proposed that the use of land for golf courses
language, but the number of courses in new territories is increasing round?
should take into account the availability of agriculture
rapidly. 5. Conditioning
land for food security, the land use conflict between
sectors, the strategic compensation for farmers to The most notable example of this phenomenon is the expansion of How firm, fast and rolling were the fairways, and how firm yet receptive
ensure the stability of their living (including housing, golf in China. The first golf course in China opened in 1984, but by were the greens on the day you played the course?
jobs, job training, production and product marketing, the end of 2009 there were roughly 600 in the country. For the last 6. Ambience
etc.). several years, development of new golf courses in China has been How well does the overall feel and atmosphere of the course reflect or
 Golf courses should be restricted in plain areas, officially banned (with the exception of the island province of uphold the traditional values of the game?
however the development of golf courses in hill and Hainan), but the number of courses has nonetheless tripled since To arrive at a course's final score, we first throw out "outlier" evaluations
mountainous areas also faced with some conflicts 2004; the "ban" has been easily evaded with the government's tacit at the high and low end. (Statistician Dean Knuth, creator of the United
such as nature conservation, protection of approval simply by not mentioning golf in any development plans. States Golf Association's Slope and Course Rating system, does the
watershed, land use for the development/production math for us. He tosses any evaluation that's more than two standard
In the United States, the number of people who play golf twenty-five deviations from a course's mean score.) We then total the course's
of ethnic communities, and the protection of land
times or more per year decreased from 6.9 million in 2000 to 4.6 million average scores in the seven categories, double-weighting the Shot
with environmental sensitivities and risks. in 2005, according to the National Golf Foundation. The NGF reported
b. A platform to address socio-economic and Values category. A course needs 45 evaluations over the past eight years
that the number who played golf at all decreased from 30 to 26 million to be eligible for America's 100 Greatest. The minimum ballots for 100
environmental issues and solve problems of competing over the same period.
land uses and agricultural land loss amongst others. Greatest Public is 25, for Best in State 10.
Nguyen Thai Duong – A pro-golfer
By Peter Finch Golf Digest/Golf World
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3. Montgomerie Links Golf Course Dong Nai Golf Resort
Tam Dao Golf & Resort
Chí Linh Golf Course
Long Thanh Golf Resort
Hanoi Golf Club
Phoenix Golf Course
Diamond Bay Golf
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4. CHRONOLOGY OF KEY EVENTS OUR GOLF COURSE PROJECT
Renowned French architect, Ernest Hebrard, laid out the master plan for the fledgling Da Nang Golf Course received 02 important prizes for a golf course: “Vietnam‟s Best New Golf course 2010 – 2011” and
1922 hill station resort in Dalat allotting space on Doi Cu Hill for the 1st golf course in “Vietnam‟s Best Club – House Golf Course 2010 – 2011”. Our experienced staff has been involved in master planning and
Vietnam.
detailed planning of the larger 260 ha resort (known as the Da Nang Golf Resort Development) which contains the Danang
1932 Dalat Palace Golf Course teed off Golf Course working with the design company of Greg Norman Golf Course Design Company of Florida, USA.
2nd golf course opened for play in Vietnam, the Go Vap Golf Course (a.k.a. Saigon
1955 Golf Club). Around this time, Hoa Van Nguyen, architect of the Caravelle Hotel in
Saigon, served as club president.
1975 After reunification, golf went dormant. Vietnam had 2 golf courses then.
The first golf course opened in Vietnam since 1955 was in Song Be, approximately
1992
30 minutes from Ho Chi Minh City.
1993 Kings Island 45km west of Hanoi became the first course to open in the North.
The revival began when several golf courses opened for play, including Bao Dai‟s old
1994
track in Dalat.
1997 Regional economic downturn, a malaise that drove down golfing demand.
Long Thanh Golf Course leads the way for the opening of several courses in Vietnam
2001
after the economic slowdown.
2004 Vietnam had 8 golf courses in operation but most of them are located in the south Master Plan of Da Nang Golf Resort Da Nang Golf Course
Vietnam only has 11 golf courses in operation compared to 18 in Singapore, 70 in the
2006 Philippines, 109 in Thailand and 173 in Malaysia, according to Asia Professional The Da Nang Golf Resort is located at ward Hoa Hai, Ngu Hanh San District, Da Nang City. The provincial road separates
Golfer Association. the aggregate property into a 50ha parcel on the eastern side, with direct frontage to the South China Sea and a 210ha
Vietnam named „Undiscovered Golf Destination of the Year‟ by the International parcel on the western side. The Da Nang Golf Resort Development consists of a 36-hole golf course, Holiday Villas, Beach
2007 Hotel, Convention Center, Marina Hotel, Cultural Village and 02 33-storey Twin Towers comprising apartments with
Association of Golf Travel Operators (IAGTO)
panoramic views.
The formation of the Ho Chi Minh Golf Trail (a collaboration between seven of the
country‟s top courses) have earned the country welcome exposure in over 100
2008
international publications and catapulted Vietnam, according to Dr. Nguyen Ngoc
Chu, General Secretary of the Vietnam Golf Association, into “the big time”.
The Ministry of Planning and Investment launched an extensive check up of golf Firstly, we would like to thank you for taking time to read our feature on golf courses. We hope that our newsletter has furnished you
courses development across the country on the heels of strong public opinions about with information on golf course in general and golf courses in Vietnam in particular that you find useful and interesting.
golf course booming development badly affecting rice growing areas and the
2009
environment. Consequently, 76 golf course projects were stamped out as failing to ® VinaPlanners Co Ltd. This article “Finding that balance: How many golf courses does Vietnam need?” has been prepared in
meet planning requirements with around 15,600 hectares being retrieved and 90 golf good faith and with due care by VinaPlanners Co Ltd. We obtained some of the information from sources we believe to be reliable.
courses remained. However, we have not verified the accuracy of the information from these sources and make no guarantee, warranty or representation
Golf Course Development Plan (GCDP) of Vietnam 2020 approved by the Prime about it. We include the location map, tables, projections, opinions, assumptions or estimates which are made with careful
Minister, Nguyen Tan Dung vide Decision No.1946/QD-TTg on 26 Nov 2009 consideration of factors known to us. This information is designed exclusively for use by VinaPlanners Co Ltd, and cannot be
2009 reproduced without prior written permission of VinaPlanners Co Ltd.
endorsing the economic and tourism- related benefits‟ and targeting a total of 90
courses to be established by 2020.
VinaPlanners Co Ltd is a professional consultancy in Master Planning, Urban Design and Architecture. VinaPlanners Co Ltd can
Tax collection from 29 operating golf courses was estimated at around $25.4 million.
undertake Grade 1 Master Planning work with its team of urban planners, urban designers, architects and infrastructural engineers
2010 Operating golf courses also created 9,744 jobs, according to a Ministry of Planning
who possess Professional Certificates required by Vietnamese Law as well as international accreditations by professional Institutes
and Investment (MPI) report.
such as the Royal Town Planning Institute of England. We also can undertake master plans which include golf course, marina, eco-
Many Ho Chi Minh City golf course projects face delays due to site clearance
2011 tourism area and other real estate uses. Our experienced staff will make sure you’re satisfied with our deliverables if we have an
problems.
opportunity to provide our services to you. Do not hesitate to contact to us at below address or at enquiry@vinaplanners.com if you
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung pass Decree on the Strengthening of Management, need more information about our company or its services.
2012 Test and Monitoring of the Implementation of Golf Course Planning vide Decision No.
No: 11/CT-TTg on 18th April 2012.
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