China’s Bai Zhengkai, a graduate from this year’s Asian Tour Qualifying School, made a flying start on the opening day of the inaugural International Series Vietnam today shooting an unblemished eight-under-par 64.

Korean Taehee Lee, helped by two dazzling eagles in his last five holes, India’s Honey Baisoya and Lee Chieh-po from Chinese-Taipei also began brightly carding 65s to sit in second place – in what is the Asian Tour’s first event in Vietnam for seven years.

Filipino Miguel Tabuena, still in fine form after an outstanding start to the season highlighted by victory in The DGC Open presented by Mastercard last month, carded a 66, along with Jaco Ahlers from South Africa, Thai Gunn Charoenkul, China’s Chen Guxin, American Michael Maguire and Douglas Klein from Australia.

The US$2 million event is being played on a Greg Norman-designed links-style layout at KN Golf Links, in Cam Ranh, Khanh Hoa Province, in the south-central coast region of Vietnam.

“Feels nice, had a good round today,” said Bai, whose 64 set a new course record.

“Off the tee was great. I had a lot of wedges into the greens, so I was able to attack a lot of the pins. Made a few putts, it was pretty good.

“The course is kind of open, so I was able to hit some drivers off the tee.”

He was in danger of dropping a shot on his last hole, a par four, and had to lay up with his second but managed to get up and down for what he described as his best hole of the day.

Taehee Lee has won once before on the Asian Tour, having claimed the GS Caltex Maekyung Open in 2019 on home soil.

But any chance of contending this week appeared highly likely for the Korean at the start of the week.

He said: “Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, wind was strong, I played bad, very bad, but today the wind is nothing. Course was easy today, many players low score.”

Two birdies on the front nine and another birdie on 10 laid the foundation for what was to come, as he eagled the par-five 14^th, dropped his only shot of the day on 16, before another eagle followed on the par-five 17^th. He then signed off in the perfect manner with a birdie on the last.

“I didn’t make any mistakes, there was no wind, so the course played easy,” he added.

Baisoya’s round will come as no surprise to many as the Indian has shot some stunning low rounds so far this season. A 62 at the International Series Thailand and a 65 at The DGC Open put him in the running in both events, although he was unable to keep that going. He tied for 34^th in Thailand and equal sixth at The DGC Open.

“It was a very good round,” said Baisoya, who impressively made nine birdies, including four in a row from the sixth, but recorded two bogeys.

“I hit my ball well off the tee, my approach shots were good, and I made many putts but then I missed a lot of putts so it could have been better, but I’ll take it.”

The Indian sensationally holed out from a greenside bunker on 18 for a birdie three.

Lee Chieh-po had the distinction of going bogey free, with five of his birdies coming on the back nine.  

“The course is very similar to my home course in Taiwan, the design, the green speed. I am feeling great, very comfortable,” said the Chinese-Taipei golfer, who finished second behind Australian Travis Smyth in the Yeangder TPC last year for his best Asian Tour result.

India’s Anirban Lahiri, the Asian Tour number one in 2015 and a seven-time winner on the Tour, carded a 69, current Asian Tour and International Series Order of Merit leader Andy Ogletree from the United States returned a 70 while Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat, the Tour’s top player in 2013, fired a 71.

Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho, winner of the World City Championship last month, came in with a 72, England’s Paul Casey a 74.

The post Bai blitzes field to take charge at Asian Tour International Series Vietnam appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Indian golf legend Anirban Lahiri has heaped praise on the Asian Tour and the International Series for the “phenomenal job” they are doing “accelerating the growth of golf in Asia.”

The seven-time Asian Tour winner joins his LIV Golf League teammate Paul Casey at KN Golf Links, in Cam Ranh, this week for the International Series Vietnam, in which 156 golfers from 28 nations will compete for the $2million total prize purse.

It will be the former Olympian’s second International Series event after the 35-year-old teed up, and finished runner-up, in 2022’s season-ending Indonesian Masters — an event Lahiri won in 2014, the year before he claim the Asian Tour Order of Merit title.

Lahiri said: “I think golf has always been a very big sport in Asia — it’s huge for professional golf. It is probably even bigger for tourism in terms of industry. Because of that there is infrastructure and a lot of golfers being produced.

“Now with the International Series and LIV Golf coming to Asia, growing the game here has really become one of the main agendas and bringing so many of the best golfers to play in this region is going to have a huge impact. I won’t say ‘change’ but that’s where the boost is going to come from. It’s there, it’s growing, and I think the International Series is doing a phenomenal job of accelerating that.”

With multiple wins in Asia, Lahiri can be considered an authority on golf in the world’s biggest continent, and he added: “If you ask the majority of golfers in Asia, or on this side of the world, they’re going to say: ‘I want to play on LIV,’ and now there’s a pathway to get there.

“Even outside of that, you’ve got 10 tournaments [International Series], which you’re playing for pretty much $2million every time, which is a really good prize for that many events in Asia. It’s a huge leap.”

Joined by 13 fellow Indians in the International Series Vietnam field this week, Lahiri, who was born in the city of Pune, 150km east of Mumbai, is excited to compete alongside the players he looked up to growing up, his peers as well as up-and-coming stars.

“Jeev [Milka Singh], Jyoti [Randhawa] and SSP [Chawrasia] laid the foundation before I started coming through about 15 years ago. I’m in my mid-30s but the guys coming through now are in their early 20s, so you have 30 years of age variance among those of us here this week.

“I learned a lot from the likes of Jeev and Arjun [Atwal]. I can see that same transference happening with the roles reversed to some extent and I enjoy that as well.”

Having won in India, Indonesia, Macau and Malaysia, Lahiri has his eyes set on a maiden Vietnam victory this week: “I’ve been playing well in patches and I’m just looking to put four good rounds together and get that win off my chest. It’s been a while coming and I feel like I’m close. That’s definitely the main purpose of being here. I’d love to get that W.”

The post Anirban Lahiri: International Series is accelerating growth of golf in Asia appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The $2 million event will tee off on Thursaday and is the fourth event on the International Series this season and the eighth stop on the Asian Tour with many players battling it out for the top spot on The International Series Order of Merit and duly winning a place in next year’s flourishing LIV Golf League.

Casey who has never played in Vietnam says his goal this week is to triumph in what is the biggest and most lucrative golf tournament ever staged in the country: “The goal is always, when you get on a plane at any event around the world is, to win. I’ve won I think a couple of times on the Asian Tour but never on The International Series and never won in Vietnam, never played golf in Vietnam, so that’s the goal this week.

“We’ve got some great players in [former LIV golfer Andy] Ogletree and [Wade] Ormsby playing this week and Anirban [Lahiri] is playing this week, I’ve got to keep my head down and try to play some great golf on a great golf course and see what happens.”

The 45-year-old has previously won twice on the Asian Tour with both victories coming in China in 2005, at the TCL Classic and the Volvo China Open. Most recently Casey has found success on the LIV Golf League winning the team event with Crushers at LIV Golf Mayakoba, where he also finished in fourth place individually.

Speaking of his LIV Golf experience, he said: “It was my second time on a podium, first team victory so that was quite cool. I guess that is the interesting thing about LIV now, I’m a guy who played college golf, I played with, believe it or not, Pat Perez, Matt Jones and there’s other guys who went to the famous Sun Devils [Arizona State University] — Phil Mickelson, Jon Rahm.”

Rahm is a friend of Casey’s and the Englishman revealed he has been busy congratulating the new Masters champion.

“I’ve sent Jon Rahm a lot of texts this year saying congratus, I just copy and paste now!”

Casey recognises how important it is to have the newly formed enterprise as part of the Asian Tour.

“I think it is very important now. I’ve played sporadically on the Asian Tour and coming back and playing a couple of them you can feel the vibe, you can actually feel that things have been elevated, there’s a clear pathway now for guys who play well on the Asian Tour,” he said.

“You can feel that there is a different level to everything but yet it’s got the same warm feeling that the Asian Tour has always had, the people are so nice, the staff are amazing. I’m really happy with this is, where it’s at and it’s going to get better and better and better and a great reward for the guys that play well so The International Series is real.”

The Englishman will tee it off alongside the International Series stage winner Ormsby, who triumphed in Thailand last month, and Taichi Kho, who was victorious in the latest Asian Tour event at the World City Championship in Hong Kong.

Casey has his family here supporting this week, and is looking forward to the all-round experience in Vietnam for both himself and his children: “It’s great fun, it’s nice to bring the kids somewhere around the world and wonderful they get to see Vietnam a little bit, it’s an experience. It’s not just living in your neighbourhood wherever that happens to be around the world, you’ve got to see the world a little bit and this is something that is very different to what they experience at home.”

The post Paul Casey relishing International Series Vietnam test appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

American star and World No. 6 Lexi Thompson will tee it up at the second Aramco Team Series event of 2023 at Trump International Golf Club, West Palm Beach, Florida.

The tournament — which takes place between May 19-21 — will see the Series head to Florida for the first time as the best female golfers compete for the $1million prize fund.

Florida-native Thompson is no stranger to the Aramco Team Series, having previously competed in the inaugural event in London and enjoyed victory in New York at Trump Golf Links Ferry Point last October.

The 28-year-old is relishing the opportunity to add to her impressive record, saying: “I am looking forward to competing in the Aramco Team Series in my home state of Florida. I’m a huge fan of the tournament and this event gives me a chance to compete with the talented players from the Ladies European Tour in an innovative format and offers fans and players the opportunity to experience something unique.

“My victory in New York last year was one of the highlights of my season and I’m looking forward to continuing my success in this series in front of a home crowd.”

The upcoming Florida staging is the second event of the 2023 Aramco Team Series, following an exciting finale in Singapore in March, where young French star Pauline Roussin-Bouchard shot an outstanding 64, including a run of five birdies in six holes around the turn, to claim her second Ladies European Tour title — holding off World No. 1  Lydia Ko.

The elevated Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour is competed across five global destinations throughout the year. After kicking off in Singapore, the series moves on to Florida, London and Hong Kong before concluding in Riyadh in October.

May’s event consists of 36 teams comprising of one amateur and three professionals who compete for a $1million prize fund. Aside from the team event, there is a three-day individual stroke play competition contested amongst the professionals which contributes to both Race to Costa del Sol and Rolex World Ranking points.

Noah Alireza, CEO of Golf Saudi, added: “It is exciting to welcome Lexi and all the players to our Aramco Team Series to Florida at the Trump International Golf Club West Palm Beach. The sunshine state has witnessed iconic moments in professional golf over the years, and I am confident we can provide another memorable week of golf for the players and fans alike at this World-class venue.”

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Greg Norman’s third Vietnam creation is unquestionably his best

By Kent Gray
Vietnam was recognised as the best golf destination on the planet at last month’s World Golf Awards, the culmination of annual industry and consumer voting designed to reward excellence in course design and luxury golf getaways. The Greg Norman-designed KN Golf Links – Cam Ranh in the country’s southern central coast province of Khánh Hòa is a shiny new example of why the gong is so thoroughly deserved.

Situated at the southern tip of a 12km stretch of one of the white sandy beaches that Vietnam is so famous for, the aptly named ‘Long Beach’,  KN Golf Links drew almost instant admiration when it was named Asia’s best new course within weeks of opening last October. As we went to press, it was also recognised as Vietnam’s course of the year at the 20th Asia Golf Awards held in India.

Vietnam’s first true links is the centrepiece of an alluring 1000 hectare master development slowly taking shape. It will eventually house luxury waterfront hotels with beach clubs, a selection of restaurants serving some of South East Asia’s tastiest cuisine and even a casino to risk any winnings you take from your pals on course during the day.

While it’s a picturesque 30-minute to the historic port resort of Cam Ranh and an hour to the main city of Nha Trang, KN Golf Links is a mere 7km skip from the terminal at Cam Ranh Airport. The extra effort of the short connecting flight from one of Vietnam’s main hubs – just 45 mins from Ho Chi Minh City and 90 minutes from Hanoi – is well worth the effort. But don’t take our word for it; you’ll know you’ve made the right choice when the layout’s dramatic elevation changes and rumpled, sand dune sculpted fairways first come into view on the short drive from the airport.

The opening hole is an inviting 596-yard par 5 which gets tougher the closer you get to the green. (Photograph by Nick Wall)

OPULENT ARRIVAL

If you aren’t wowed already by the views on the sea-side drive-in, prepared to be seriously impressed by the opulent clubhouse at KN Golf Links – Cam Ranh. At 7500 sq metres, it gives even the lavish clubhouses of the UAE a genuine run for their money. Through the main doors after bag drop, you’re immediately struck by the soaring, stained glassed-domed ceiling and lashings of intricate, old-school woodworking, all impressively crafted in-house.

Chances are you’ll be meet by Simon Mees, the thoroughly affable Scot who was general manager at Al Hamra Golf Club in Ras Al Khaimah between 2008-2016. Mees was headhunted to open KN Golf Links – Cam Ranh and deserves genuine kudos for the work he achieved in the year beforehand in ensuring the 27-holes now in play are presented in such pristine condition and all the little service touches take place without a hitch. There isn’t so much as a used paper cup out of place on the new general manager’s watch.

There’s a well-stocked pro shop past the lobby for a souvenir polo or to replenish your golf ball stocks but good luck focusing on your purchase with the views beyond the massive plate glass windows. Out on the balcony, drink in the reverse views to those on the drive-in, a curvy practice putting green giving way to the impossibly green fairways that jut out of the sand dunes and make their way down to the inviting South China Sea.

Downstairs is Links Café, the perfect spot for pre- and post-round refreshments and a variety of Asian and western plates; the author can thoroughly recommend the spicy chicken pho which set up our first circuit of the championship course with just the right amount of zing; the noddle soup was a perfect match for the early to mid 30-degree temperatures we encountered in late October.

GREAT WHITE BITES

We’re unashamed fans of Norman’s design philosophy which offers generous landing areas off the tee to keep the pace of play flowing and golfers of all abilities engaged before gently upping the ante with approach to green shot-making.

The constant and dramatic changes in elevation, with holes slowing twisting and tumbling this way and that are a joy to the golfing senses. The bunkering at KN Golf Links also enhances the Great White Shark’s canny knack of placing strategic hazards that manage to meld seamlessly into the rumpled landscape while somehow augmenting the overall aesthetics.

The Zeon Zoysia fairways are unquestionably the best the author has ever had the good fortune of taking an iron to and that is saying something coming from the pristine surfaces we’re lucky enough to take for granted in the UAE. It’s as if a wee golfing fairy has arrived at your drive in the fairway just before you and gently nestled your ball atop a tiny bristled tee, ready for the next shot to be clipped off the top. Divots really are gracious affairs at KN Golf Links, a tiny scuff for even crisply struck shots as opposed to the messy explosions you’ll experience elsewhere in Asia.

Depending on the wind, you’ll experience approach shots with just about every club in the bag. Pick the right teeing options and the majority will be score-able shot irons but take care with even the shortest of approaches as misses will scoot off around the impressively contoured greens complexes. The result will be a delicate short game examination and especially so if you go off-piste into some of the particularly gnarly sandy waste areas, bunker fringes included.

The beauty of links golf is the sheer variety of the shot-making which can change from round-to-round and even within 18 holes given the conditions on any given day. This is amplified around the greens at KN Golf Links where the surfaces will test your imagination; traditional bump and runs, neatly clipped chips and pitches and long putts will stoke your creativity. You can even reach for your lob wedge if necessary given the perfect lies found on just about every blade of grass.

The Tifeagle greens are grainy and were not overly quick when we played but reportedly rolled super smooth when KN Golf Links hosted the recent Vietnam Amateur. With ample undulations and some significant breaks, they’re a joy to putt. You’ll certainly do well to walk off without a three-putt or two.

Stunning vistas out over the South China Sea are a constant companion on the back nine at KN Golf Links – Cam Rahn. (Photograph by Nick Wall)

ON THE TEE

The 1st is a 596 yard (from the ‘Shark’ championship tees) par 5 that gives hint to the fun – and not unmanageable – challenge to follow. Ignited atop an elevated tee ground (the tees are large and impossibly flat), your round begins with an inviting downhill tee shot where a fairway bunker to the right is the main danger to be avoided. Thereafter you ascend slowly uphill to roughly the maximum height of the property and a green that is well protected to the right. Err left up this hole and you’ll be off to a steady start.

The round starts par-5, par-3, par-4, par-3 (the latter to a partial Island green) to help you remove any travel rust from most of the clubs in your bag. You play away from the sea from the 2nd, a long par 3 which Mees impressively birdied from two feet, and then heads downwards into a valley which is home to the next five holes.

We loved the par-4 5th which hugs one of the properties four man-made lakes. The tee shot will hasten the pulse of any golfer susceptible to a shot that goes left while the narrow approach to the green with its sweeping undulations is one of the stiffest shots you’ll face all day. Take par here and run.

The uphill 8th is a dandy with picturesque bunkering framing the 388-yard par-4. You’ll also appreciate the 9th which returns you back up onto the spine of the course with those magnificent sea views. There are actually two sets of black and secondary gold tees on this hole, separated by a big sand dune. They give the tee shot on this downhill par-4 a completely different feel and, heading back towards the ginormous clubhouse, would be a worthy closing hole.

Thankfully, KN Golf Links is only just starting to ramp up as you weave up and down dale. The 10th is a short, downhill dogleg left with perhaps the most aesthetically welcoming tee shot on the course. That’s until the 15th which is KN Golf Links signature hole, another downhill par-4 played to a narrow spit of fairway with a waste bunker running down almost the entire left-hand length of the 385-yard hole. Good luck not being distracted by those views out to the picture-postcard islands offshore.

The finish is a par-3, par-5, par-4 combo that again gives you hope off the tee before becoming increasingly tricky the closer you get to the green. The 17th plays long with the third shot (or fourth, or fifth…sigh) demanding careful negotiation from down the right-hand side of the hole. The closing par-4 is framed by mammoth sand dunes down the right and guest villas to the left and requires a tee shot that tumbles to the right before an accurate short iron approach to a contoured green which shows off its best features in the fading light (especially over a sundowner from your villa balcony).

HAPPY HOLIDAYS
While Nick Faldo’s Laguna Lang Co, Colin’s ‘Montgomerie Links’, Danang Golf Club and the also recently opened and already highly-rated Hoiana Shores further north in Danang have been a magnet to tourists for some time, KN Golf Links – Cam Ranh deserves serious consideration for a golf getaway from the Middle East.

The author can vouch for all the above save for the Robert Trent Jones Jnr II-designed Hoiana Shores but Norman’s latest creation was a special treat, enhanced by Wyndham Grand’s unique onsite hospitality (see below).

There is still a way to go before the surrounding master development is completed and while there are other courses nearby – Diamond Bay Golf & Villas (on Nha Trang Beach) and Vinpearl Golf Club (reached by a short boat ride) –  they’re not considered among Vietnam’s top draw.

But there is little reason to leave KN Golf Links with everything you could want in a golf escape onsite and plenty of family activities, including natural mud baths, good scuba diving and the historic Bonatgar Temple, within easy taxi range for rest day options.

You’ll find it hard to leave the 18-hole ‘Links’ course but for a relaxing nine to unwind after your flight or to squeeze in more golf before your departure, the club’s ‘Oasis’ 9-holer is a proper test fringed by beautifully landscaped gardens. It was just named the best new 9-hole course in Asia at the 20th Asia Golf Awards.

With temperatures tip-toeing between the late 20s and early 30s from Feb.-to Sept., this is a great mid-year option for a pair of couples and or a group of four (think your own villa complex) looking for some mid-summer respite. Wrapped up with the private villa-style accommodation and some tasty eateries soon to come online at the main Wyndham Grand lobby, it’s a stay and plays that won’t disappoint.

kngolflinks.com
Email: info@kngolflinks.com

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Wyndham Grand KN Paradise Cam Ranh

Wyndham Grand KN Paradise Cam Ranh
For connoisseurs of fine golf getaways, the courses on offer at any given destination are the key lure, often resulting in a ho-hum first half of the stay and play equation. There’s no such concerns with an escape to KN Golf Links – Cam Ranh.

Indeed, Wyndham Grand might just have cracked the code to the perfect on-site golf getaway with their sophisticated villa-style suites at KN Golf Links.

Adorned with contemporary Vietnamese décor and all the comforts you could desire, the spacious suites are clustered together in a series of double-storey villas running down the length of the Links’ layout’s 18th fairway. Half of the bottom level includes a communal lounge and kitchen/dining facilities, perfect for travelling groups of golfers to get together for a post-round debrief. Outside there’s an inviting pool shared between each villa’s temporary residents and if you’re lucky, your balcony will offer views over the 18th green and down to Long Beach and all that equally alluring turquoise ocean.

The unique hotel’s soon to open central hub will include check-in, another pool, spa and gym and four gourmet restaurants to tempt the most discerning of taste buds. There’s also a business centre if work calls and conference facilities complete with a banquet room for large gatherings.

As an accommodation package, it’s a perfect accompaniment to the 27 Greg Norman-designed holes on offer, including the Links championship layout which was anointed Vietnam’s best new course at the recent Asian Golf Awards.

The only thing left to do is to ensure your stay and play is long enough to enjoy all that is on offer, on and off the pristine fairways.

reservations@wyndhamgrandcamranh.com

The post KN Golf Links – Cam Ranh: Vietnam’s Great (White Shark) Escape appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Vietnam’s fabled natural beauty can be sampled at maximum visual voltage in Cam Ranh, an emerging resort destination in the south-central portion of the Southeast Asian country.

Here, jungle-clad mountains pour down to an azure ocean dotted with traditional fishing boats and lush, green islands. A long and gently curving sweep of exquisite white sand is fast becoming the setting for some of the country’s top luxury hotels.

About an hour’s drive further north is the coastal city of Nha Trang – replete with restaurants, bars and local culinary and cultural riches.

For golfers, though, the crowning attraction of this paradisiacal smorgasbord lies at the southernmost end of the bay, where KN Golf Links is staking its claim as one of the region’s finest new layouts.

Having debuted in late October, when designer Greg Norman jetted in to inaugurate his latest creation in Vietnam – his third course in the country – KN Golf Links is fast making its way into talk about the best golf experiences in the country, if not Asia.

“I would put KN Golf Links up there in the top 10 in terms of unique properties I’ve ever been able to work with,” said Norman, who has over 100 designs to his name. “I’m looking forward to the world actually getting to experience playing this fantastic golf course.”

KN Golf Links features 27 holes altogether when the 9-hole, garden-style Oasis Course that runs inland from the clubhouse is factored in.

But most of the conversations so far have revolved around the Links Course, which maximises the rolling contours of the land exemplified by spectacular sand dunes.

It boasts firm fast-releasing fairways, ample run-off areas around the greens and massive boulders, some of which form a striking backdrop to the par-5 17th hole.

“It’s not an Irish-style golf course. It’s not an Australian-style golf course. It’s not a Scottish-style golf course. It’s just a damn good links golf course,” said Norman, who won his two majors — the 1986 Open Championship and 1993 Open Championship — on links courses.

KN Golf Links occupies 90 of the 800 hectares slated to be developed at KN Paradise, an ambitious integrated resort that will also feature at least three 5-star hotels, an array of luxury real estate opportunities, a marina, and a beach club among other entertainment facilities.

Now that the club is officially open for play, it is already making a strong impression. Indeed, it scooped the title of Best New Golf Course in Asia Pacific at the 2018 Asian Golf Awards less than a fortnight after its official opening.

The course itself dips and dives through wild, undulating terrain and offers a series of remarkable viewpoints.

“The scale and topography of the property here lend itself beautifully to a great variety of golf holes,” Norman said during a site visit in March 2018. “There’s a lot of up and down and natural contouring to the course, so you get these sensational visuals from tee boxes especially and really cool run-off areas where the ball can roll and turn.”

Playing highlights of the course are myriad.  The layout is devoid of trees, accentuating its resemblance to one of the classic links courses in the United Kingdom. The rolling topography of the dunes, meanwhile, have resulted in some 50 metres of elevation change from highest to lowest point.

There are numerous fine holes on the golf course. The par-3 2nd is a fiendishly tricky short hole played uphill to a cunningly guarded putting surface. Other crackers include the 10th and 15th, a pair of par-4s that play downhill towards the glittering sea.

Norman’s other two creations in Vietnam — The Bluffs at Ho Tram Strip and The Dunes Course at BRG Da Nang Golf Resort — are widely considered the nation’s top two courses.

“We wanted ‘The Shark’ from day one,” Mr. Le Van Kiem, chairman of KN Cam Ranh Company Limited, the course’s developer, said, using the nickname Norman earned during his playing days. “Given the linksy nature of this site, and the fact Mr. Norman has designed some of the world’s great links-style courses, he was the ideal man for the job.”

The Links Course at KN Golf Links is reminiscent of both The Bluffs and The Dunes in that it weaves through rugged coastal terrain and offers spectacular sea views from various spots.

The Oasis Course offers a contrasting but also compelling test, with a plethora of water features making for some challenging play.

“The goal is to set a standard here by which all other projects to come will be measured by,” said Mr. Kiem, whose company also owns Long Thanh Golf Club, an award-winning, 36-hole venture on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City. “Having 27 holes in Cam Ranh by one of the game’s all-time greats is a major step in that direction.”

Located less than an hour by air from Ho Chi Minh City and a five-minute drive from the recently expanded Cam Ranh International Airport, KN Golf Links is the first golf course in Cam Ranh and the third in the greater Nha Trang area.

Amenities include a secluded driving range with an instruction studio and 24 bays that face another eye-catching collection of gigantic rocks, and a three-story clubhouse that overlooks the ocean and three small islands about 10 kilometres offshore.

KN Golf Links is being managed by former Al Hamra general manager Simon Mees in consultation with IMG, a leading sports, events and media brand that operates some of the finest golf clubs in the world including China’s Sheshan GC, site of the annual WGC-HSBC Champions tournament.

Prestigious company indeed, but KN Golf Links is well worthy of a place among the world golf course elite according to those who should know: including the course’s legendary designer.

“If this quality of course keeps coming online (in Vietnam), I think you are going to see people salivating at the prospect of coming here to play,” said Norman.

The post Travel: Vietnam’s new KN Golf Links is an award winner already appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
We’re shameless fans of Greg Norman’s design work. You’ll likely be familiar with the delights of Fire and Earth at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai and a recent review of Jordan’s first all-grass 18-holer, Ayla G.C., left us equally impressed. Al Mouj Golf in Muscat likewise sparkled during its full European Tour debut last month, hardly surprising given it came in third in our 2018 Top 10 Courses of the Middle East ranking. It’s little wonder, then, that we’re eagerly anticipating the soft-opening of the Great White Shark’s latest Vietnam creation, KN Golf Links – Cam Ranh, next month. There’s a Middle East connection too with Simon Mees, formerly of Al Hamra G.C., appointed General Manager of the new 7,152 yard layout near Nha Trang City, a 45 minute flight from Ho Chi Minh City.

Sea views are not uncommon in Asian golf but KN Golf Links is being marketed as the region’s first true links layout. It’s the centrepiece of an 800ha mega development to eventually include multiple upscale integrated hotels, marina, theme and water parks, beach club, botanical gardens, luxury villas, mall, schools and more. Rest assured, there’s already ample internationally branded accommodation in Nha Trang, not to mention the water sports, nightlife, cultural experiences and that world-famous cuisine, to start planning a trip.

The course benefits from 5km of ocean frontage on Cam Ranh Bay but Mees reports that the natural beauty of the rolling dune land camouflages a stiff test given the breezes which roll in off the sea. “Greg Norman and his team have carefully crafted Asia’s first true links layout using many traditional links course characteristics. It’s going to require players to adapt their shot choices with bump and runs, low punches and the like. I’m sure it will both test and entertain our guests.” Having sampled another of Norman’s now three Vietnam courses, Danang G.C., we cannot wait.

The post QUICKSHOT: KN Golf Links – Cam Ranh appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

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The Asian Tour last week unveiled a new flagship event, the Ho Tram Players Championship which will take place 13–16 April 2017 at The Bluffs Ho Tram Strip, marking an historic occasion for the tour, its members and the nation of Vietnam.

The inaugural Ho Tram Open last December saw Sergio Garcia triumphing in dramatic fashion at the culmination of a week that was ultimately recognised as The Asian Tour’s 2015 Event of the Year, and set the foundation for the launch of the tour’s new flagship event, the Ho Tram Players Championship.

“The Players’ Championship will be the highlight of the Asian Tour year and we could not think of a more deserving venue and event than Ho Tram,” commented Kyi Hla Han, the commissioner of the Asian Tour. “The inaugural year not only put Ho Tram on the map, but has reinforced Vietnam’s position as a growing force in the world of golf and sport.”

The Ho Tram Players trophy will be the most coveted piece of silverware on the Asian Tour in 2017

Ho Tram will host some of the best golfers in the world including defending champion, Sergio Garcia, who will return to defend his title next April, the week after The Masters. The US$1.2 million showpiece will become the richest prize purse for a full-field Asian Tour event and also receive an increase in world ranking points thanks to its increased status.

Greg Norman’s Bluffs course will once again take centre stage. This dramatic layout overlooking the Grand Ho Tram hotel weaves through towering sand dunes and the fringes of a dense rainforest, and made its debut inside the Golf Digest World Top 100 Courses earlier this year.

The par 4 12th hole at The Bluffs Ho Tram Strip showcases the sweeping topography that Greg Norman incorporated throughout the award-winning layout

Last week’s press conference at The Ho Tram Grand marked a special piece of history for the Asian Tour

“I made no secret about how impressed I was with Ho Tram and The Bluffs and the response I have had around the world about how spectacular the championship looked has been extraordinary,” commented Garcia. “For the event to be announced as The Players Championship is a huge step and I think everyone involved should be particularly proud of getting the event to such status in such a short space of time.”

Ben Styles, Vice-President Golf & Residential Development for The Ho Tram Strip said, “This is yet another milestone in Ho Tram and Vietnam’s history. To host such a prestigious championship will certainly add more interest for Vietnam, increasing global viewing figures as well as giving our top Vietnamese amateurs the opportunity to compete against the world’s best.”

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Greg Norman’s stunning new creation on the southern coast of Vietnam may be called The Bluffs, but it’s a layout that holds all the aces

By Robbie Greenfield

To be precise my initial glimpse of the sprawling golf course from the bay window of a 21st floor room in The Grand resort hotel elicited more of a “woaaah”. The sight that greeted me was enough to spur even the most recreational golfer to dive theatrically for his clubs and sprint to the nearest elevator.

If Chambers Bay is America’s archetypal modern links on steroids, then The Bluffs is undoubtedly Asia’s answer to it. The course has been carved out of a rugged site sandwiched between a sweeping coastline and an impenetrable Vietnamese jungle. From high up in the hotel you can make out nearly all 18 holes as they tumble and weave dramatically from elevated vantage points to pristine fairways that bisect the towering sand dunes on either side.

Bathed in the warm glow of an early morning sun, it was some first impression.

Given the scope of the entire development, The Bluff s was always destined to be a big golf course with a personality to match. Its accompanying hotel, The Grand Ho Tram, looks like it has been airlifted directly from the Las Vegas Strip. Described as Vietnam’s fi rst ‘beachfront integrated luxury resort’, it’s a massive property with over 500 rooms, a nightclub, cigar lounge and naturally, a sizeable casino. The Grand is the trailblazer for a number of neighbouring resorts in the pipeline that will transform this stretch of coast into a mini-Macau over the next few years. To arrive at such a venue after a 90-minute drive from Ho Chi Minh City through small rural towns and fairly nondescript countryside is disorienting to say the least. What is quickly apparent though from the second you leave the airport is that Vietnam doesn’t do mundane.

The bluffs Ho Tram strip – The clubhouse includes a well-appointed pro shop and below: the view from the hotel is spectacular

As soon as The Grand’s luxury shuttle (complete with reclining leather seats and WiFi) emerged from the terminal, we were engulfed by a dense swarm of mopeds. It was like being caught up in some vast motorised migration, with each vehicle intent on aggressively changing lanes without depositing.

There are allegedly four million mopeds in Ho Chi Minh (or put another way, one per every person over the age of 12), and most of them seemed to be fl anking us as we sped past bustling side streets, crowded neon-lit bars and street food stalls serving everything from meat skewers to fried octopus. Southeast Asia buzzes with an energy that’s unique to this part of the world, and in few cities is this as palpable as Ho Chi Minh.

Vietnam’s potent mix of both ancient and modern history, jaw-dropping geography (just Google Ha Long Bay and you’ll get the idea) and famous cuisine has long established it as a favourite among travellers, and now you can add world class golf to that list of attractions. For several years now the country has been quietly emerging as a strong alternative to Thailand (the reigning champion of Asian golf tourism), and while it can’t compete in terms of volume, Vietnam has done a great job carving its own compelling niche.

In just fi ve years, the central Danang region has become a golfi ng hotspot, off ering courses designed by Nick Faldo, Colin Montgomerie and Norman himself. The Australian legend’s Danang Golf Club was widely considered to be the fi nest layout in the country, until he was given an even better opportunity to showcase his design prowess at Ho Tram.

The Bluff s is one of those projects that even the top designers only get a crack at once or twice in their careers. Most modern sites require the architect to sculpt interesting topography out of nothing, or at least fi nd a way of fi tting the layout into restrictive corridors of real estate, but on the Ho Tram strip, Norman was given a rugged canvass of rare potential. The former World No.1 now has 77 golf courses in his growing worldwide portfolio, and ranks The Bluffs alongside Doonbeg on the west coast of Ireland as the best site he’s ever been given to work with. Before I had even hit a shot it was easy to see why.

The Bluff s may be a purist’s golf course, but those who want a luxury experience to match the grandeur of the layout won’t be disappointed. This truly is fi ve star fare that begins with a short shuttle ride from The Grand and continues with a welcoming committee at the clubhouse that includes your designated caddie.

My only complaint about the caddies at The Bluffs was the fact that my next round would have to be endured without one; like being unceremoniously dumped in Economy directly after flying Business. Through no fault of her own, my caddie also kept my score a little too studiously for my liking (I told her I wasn’t ‘marking a card’ right after watching a provisional tee shot disappear into a bush on the 10th, but undeterred, I caught her scribbling down an 8 less than 15 minutes later). Thankfully, this unerring accuracy extended to club selection and green reading.

Like an experienced tailor sizing up a generous waistline, the limitations in my game were silently accounted for. Prudent lay-ups were politely advised, a putter was handed to me when any golfer with a crumb of belief in his short game would have grabbed a wedge, and full-blooded sevenirons were gently talked down into regular sixes. In short, my caddie prevented disaster on at least eight holes, all the while maintaining a steady flow of refreshments. The Bluffs has clearly gone to great lengths to recruit the most knowledgeable caddies in the region, and it all adds up to visiting golfers shooting lower scores and having a better time doing it.

I played the course with head teaching professional Patrick Kelly and course superintendent Alistair MacFadyen – one of those golfers who tells you he plays off six with a wink, then unfurls a drive off the first tee that hangs in the air for eight seconds and lands on mown grass 300 yards away. On a lesser course this routine might have started to get to me, but anyone who tees it up here will be having far too much fun to worry about being shamed by their playing partners. Right from the short par 4 first hole, which shares a fairway with nine (in a nod to the classic links courses), The Bluffs is a non-stop thrill ride.

It is every inch a modern beast, and despite drawing much of its inspiration from the crumpled links of Scotland, any efforts to make a direct comparison would be off the mark. But why go for subtle nuances when the terrain and its accompanying features are so visually dramatic? There is no weak hole that makes up the numbers here, no tee box that doesn’t prompt a sharp intake of breath. The front nine par 3s – two, four and seven – are three of the best short holes you’ll ever play one after the other. Eight is a majestic par 4 that plays downhill from a high tee to a giant double-fairway and then up again to a green hidden among the dunes.

Incredibly, the back nine is even more striking than the front. While the opening holes skirt right up against the forest (epitomised by the par 3 fourth green, which pops up like an island among a carpet of trees), from the 10th hole onwards the course ascends to higher ground, where the vistas are superb. Norman has been generous with the landing areas, which is just as well given how exposed some of the holes are. As you might expect with a links-like course, it can get pretty windy here, and the capricious Vietnamese weather can turn in an instant.

After climbing back up to the clubhouse for the final time and escaping The Bluffs’ brutal par 4 closer with a respectable bogey, my immediate conclusion was that I had played a course destined for superstar status. With The Bluffs set to host its first Asian Tour event – the $1.5 million Ho Tram Open in early December – that reputation is unlikely to be a long time in coming.

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