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Still nominally communiSt, and officially a developing

nation, Vietnam today is home to a multi-billion-dollar

upscale tourism industry, which comes replete with

world-class golf courses designed by some of the biggest

international stars in the game. Meanwhile, the country’s

nouveaux riches are joining clubs in unprecedented

numbers to learn how to wield a driver on a dogleg Par 5

without going out of bounds.

So how did a sport that’s associated with wealth and

exclusivity win over so many hearts and minds in this

socialist republic? The main impetus behind this upsurge

in golf course development is Vietnam’s remarkable

economic ascent over the last 20 years. As recently as

the mid-1980s, the country was left floundering after its

Pyrrhic victory over America. Noam Chomsky reckoned it

would take at least a century for the country to recover,

but by the start of the 21st century, Vietnam had become

one of the world’s fastest growing economies, and the game

of golf is just one of many notable beneficiaries.

Lars Holden, a sales consultant with Vietnam golf

雖然越南名義上仍是個共產國，且

屬於發展中國家，卻已開始進軍數

以萬億計的高檔旅遊業，還擁有由

國際級高爾夫球好手所設計的世界

級高爾夫球場。與此同時，加入私

人會所認真學習高爾夫球的越南新

富人士，人數之多更是史無前例。

這項被視為身份象徵的有錢人

玩意，到底是如何贏得這個社會主

義國家人民的歡心？

越南高爾夫球場的發展熱潮，

主要得力於過去20年的經濟取得爆

發式增長。1980年代越南雖贏了越

戰，卻付出沉重的經濟代價。諾姆

杭士基（Noam Chomsky）認為越南

需要至少一個世紀才能恢復元氣。

但是一進入21世紀初，越南即成為

全球增長最快的經濟體，而高爾夫

球只是眾多備受矚目的新興休閒活

動之一。

越南開球t e e d u p f o r v i e t n a m

越南經濟迅速起飛，連帶燃起了人們對高爾夫球的興趣，行內人士 相信它很快就會成為峇里島及布吉等地的強勁對手

Vietnam’s startling recent economic growth has fuelled such an interest in golf course development that industry insiders believe the country will

soon be a viable competitor to the likes of Bali and Phukettext connla stokes

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「2001年這項運動主要是外國人士

參加。現在球場上都是越南人」

“Back in 2001 the game was mainly

for expats. Now the courses are full of

Vietnamese players”

distribution, recalls when he first arrived in Hanoi a

decade ago, there was only one golf course in the north

of the country. Now there are over 10. “Back in 2001 the

game was mainly for expats. Now the courses are full of

Vietnamese players,” says Holden.

doan Kim Thu, golf operations manager at dalat

Palace golf, where Bao dai, the last emperor of Vietnam,

used to tee off 1,500m above sea level, believes that

business is the primary factor behind the game’s rise

in popularity. “it’s the same as anywhere else in Asia:

knowing the game can help your business prospects, inside

and outside of Vietnam,” says Thu.

However, one regular player, Nguyen Huy Cuong,

chairman of a local iT consulting firm in Hanoi, doesn’t

care for hobnobbing down the fairway. “For me, golf is

not about closing or initiating business deals, but self-

reflection; how i behave over 18 holes, or how i can regain

my composure after shooting a double bogey,” he says.

“i can also observe my business partners while playing a

round, and see whether i want to do business with them!”

Not everyone can enjoy what The New York Times

once described as possibly “the most capitalist enterprise

in communist Vietnam”. The typical daily rate of uS$75

to uS$120 for a round of 18 holes is well beyond the

means of the average citizen in a country with an average

monthly income of about uS$100.

However, Jon Tomlinson, general director at

Montgomerie Links, one of the country’s most acclaimed

courses designed by Britain’s Colin Montgomerie and

located in central Vietnam, claims there are currently

over 10,000 active Vietnamese golfers, and plenty more

eager to start. “That’s up 100% in the past five years,”

says Tomlinson.

His enthusiasm is shared by Phil Wright, the head

pro and interim general manager at the neighbouring

danang golf Club -- a stunning links course designed by

the Australian golfer greg Norman, situated by a beach

where the uS’s 9th Marine expeditionary Brigade once

waded ashore as the first American ground combat unit to

establish a base in Vietnam.

“More Vietnamese are taking up the game every day.

That much is obvious,” says Wright. “And when a third

signature course -- Nick Faldo’s project at Laguna Hue,

about an hour north of danang -- opens next year, central

Vietnam alone will have three courses on a par with any

course you’ll play elsewhere. This country is ready to

launch itself onto the international golf tourism market,

越南高爾夫球分銷商顧問Lars

Holden回想起十年前他第一次踏足

河內，當時越南唯一一個高爾夫球

場位於北部，現在已有超過10個球

場。他說：「2001年這項運動主要

是外國人士參加。現在球場上都是

越南人。」

大勒皇宮高爾夫球會（dalat

Palace golf Club）位於海拔1500米，

越南末代皇帝保大昔日亦常在此處

揮桿。該球會營運經理doan Kim

Thu認為商業是促使高爾夫球運動愈

來愈受歡迎的首要因素，「打高爾

夫球有助拓展你的業務，這個道理

放諸全亞洲皆準。」她說。

但是常打高爾夫球的河內資訊

科技公司主席Nguyen Huy Cuong卻志

不在談生意。「我在意的不是談不

談得成生意，而是通過打球學習自

我省視，例如在完成18洞或打出高

於標準桿兩桿的成績時，如何保持

冷靜，」他說。「我也可通過打球

觀察我的生意夥伴，看看他們是否

理想的合作夥伴！」

高爾夫球運動曾被《紐約時

報》形容為越南最具資本主義的

企業。打一局18洞的費用是uS$75

至uS$120，這對每月平均入息約

uS$100的一般越南人民而言，根本

遙不可及。

大勒皇宮高爾夫球會Dalat Palace Golf Club

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and fight it out with existing golf destinations such as

Phuket and Bali.”

The development of golf courses is closely tied to

the growth of tourism real estate. Only 65% of the land

at current projects has been set aside for golf courses,

according to an official from the Vietnam Land Science

Association. The rest of the land is reserved for hotels,

resorts, holiday villas, ecotourism areas, parks and

recreational projects.

With Vietnam’s vertiginous economic rise, plenty of

developers and local authorities got carried away -- at one

stage, provisional licences for courses were being issued

at an average rate of one a week, and if each one had

ultimately got the green light, the country would soon

have had more than 140 projects dotted around. By way

of comparison, golf-crazy South Korea is home to about

200 golf courses, while China has over 300. The central

government eventually stepped in and pulled the plug on

the vast majority of golf projects, announcing that there

could be no more than 90 by 2020.

According to an article written by Chee Yoke Ling,

a legal adviser and environment coordinator of the Third

World Network, the fear is that -- as witnessed in other

不過據蒙哥馬利海灣球場

（Montgomerie Links）總監Jon

Tomlinson表示，現時越南的活躍

高爾夫球手超過1萬人，躍躍欲試

者更是不計其數。「打高爾夫球

人數在過去五年已增長一倍。」

Tomlinson說道。此坐落於越南中部

的球場是由英國高爾夫球名將Colin

Montgomerie設計。

鄰 近 的 峴 港 高 爾 夫 球 會

（danang golf Club）的首席教練兼

臨時總經理Phil Wright同感樂觀。

這個位於海灘的球場景致極佳，由

澳洲職業高爾夫球手greg Norman設

計。當年美國第9海軍陸戰先遣部隊

就在峴港登陸，並在這裡成立第一

個作戰基地。

「很明顯有愈來愈多越南人打

高爾夫球，」Wright說。「位於峴港

以北約1小時車程的Lagunna Hue球

場亦將於明年開幕，由前世界頭號

球手Nick Faldo設計。到時，單在越

南中部就有三個世界級的高爾夫球

場。」

「越南已做好準備，全力進軍

國際高爾夫球旅遊業市場，與峇里島

及布吉等高爾夫球勝地一爭天下。」

發展高爾夫球場與旅遊物業

增長息息相關。越南土地科學協會

代表指現時的土地發展項目，只有

65%是用於興建高爾夫球場，其餘是

預留作興建酒店、度假村、度假別

墅、生態旅遊區、公園及玩樂設施

之用。

由於越南經濟發展勢頭強勁，

大批發展商和地方政府爭相大比

拼，曾經每星期平均發放一個興建

高爾夫球場的臨時牌照。如果每份

申請最終都獲得批准，越南的高爾

夫球場項目很快就會突破140個。而

現時南韓約擁有200個高爾夫球場，

中國則有超過300個。最後越南中央

政府介入，否決了大部分申請，並

宣佈截至2020年的高爾夫球場工程

項目上限為90個。

「第三世界網絡」法律顧問及

環境項目協調員徐玉玲在其文章中

揮桿首選WHere TO SWiNg

越南北部／河內 northern Vietnam/hanoi 志靈高爾夫球場/chi linh Star Golf and country club離河內約1小時車程，球場設計富挑戰性。18洞球場平日US$80，周末及公眾假期US$100。An hour from Hanoi, Chi Linh Star Golf and Country Club offers 36 hours’ golf in a magnificent setting. Fee US$80 on weekdays, US$100 on weekends/public holidays. +84 (0)320 358 5617 www.chilinhstargolf.com.vn

Van tri Golf club至尊高爾夫球會，離河內市中心4公里，只限平日向非會員開放。18洞球場US$159.5。Vietnam’s most “exclusively private golf club”, just 4km from downtown Hanoi, is open to non-members on weekdays. Fee US$159.50. +84 (4) 2217 1600www.vantrigolf.com.vn

越南中部/central Vietnam 蒙哥馬利海灣球場/montGomerie linkS Vietnam由Colin Montgomerie設計，名列東南亞球場第7。18洞球場平日US$60，周末及公眾假期US$90。Designed by British golfer Colin Montgomerie, “Monty Links” was recently ranked the seventh best course in South-East Asia. Fee US$60 weekdays, US$90 on weekends/public holidays. +84 (0)51 0394 1942www.montgomerielinks.com

峴港高爾夫球會/dananG Golf club由Greg Norman打造，新加坡Golf Digest指其沙丘具英國高水平。18洞球場平日US$82，周末及公眾假期US$112。Crafted by Greg Norman, the Dunes Course at Danang GC is “as close as you’ll come [in Asia] to the UK’s great links courses”, according to Golf Digest magazine. Fee US$82 weekdays; US$112 on weekends/public holidays. +84 (0)51 1395 8111www.dananggolfclub.com

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指出，根據其他東南亞國家的經驗，

高爾夫球運動最初被賦予奢華與精英

的身份象徵，過度發展後，為提高酒

店客房的入住率及高爾夫球場的使用

率，就會失去其至尊地位。

但越南有關政府部門已成立專

案小組，嚴格監督全國的高爾夫球

場項目規劃，確保越南可持續發展

新球場項目，講求質素而非數量，

並由市場汰弱留強。

「像所有自由企業一樣，優

勝劣敗，」海洋沙丘高爾夫球會

（Ocean dunes golf Club）總經理

glenn Cassells說道。這個由Nick

Faldo設計的球場位於潘切，於1996

年對外開放。它也是越南關閉自守

30年後的首批外國投資之一。「未

來十年將有70多個新球場已獲批准

興建，越南勢必成為亞洲最受歡迎

的高爾夫球勝地。」Cassells說。

越南不僅坐擁獨特的歷史文

化，而且山明水秀，氣候宜人，有

五星級酒店及雪白沙灘，更有多個

名師設計的世界級高爾夫球場，趁

早預訂以免向隅。

South-east Asian countries -- the first phase of golf casts

the sport as luxurious and elitist. What follows is an

overdevelopment phase culminating in a rather desperate

promotion to fill the hotels and fairways that have

mushroomed up. exclusivity gives way to glut.

To combat such cause and effect, the relevant

ministries have established a taskforce to rigorously inspect

golf course planning across the country, so the hope is

that Vietnam will develop more courses as sustainably

as possible with an emphasis on quality, not quantity. A

competitive market will then determine who prevails. “Like

anything in free enterprise, the better ones will prosper

and the less professional ones will struggle,” says glenn

Cassells, manager of the Nick Faldo-designed Ocean dunes

golf Club in Phan Thiet, which opened for play in 1996,

making it one of the first foreign investments in a country

closed to such things for 30 years. “But with 70 more

courses approved for construction in the next 10 years, i

can see Vietnam becoming Asia’s leading golf destination.”

Meanwhile, Vietnam already offers a heady mix

of heritage, history, awe-inspiring scenery, invariably

sunny weather, sumptuous five-star accommodations on

breathtaking beaches and a string of world-class courses

offering great value for golfers. Come now and you’ll beat

the crowds.

海洋沙丘高爾夫球會Ocean Dunes

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越南南部/Southern Vietnam海洋沙丘高爾夫球會/ ocean duneS位於沿海潘切鎮，離胡志明市200公里。由Nick Faldo設計，挑戰性高且景色迷人。18洞球場星期一至四US$57，星期五至星期日US$77。Located 200km from Ho Chi Minh City in the seaside town of Phan Thiet, this Nick Faldo-designed links course offers challenging golf in an inspirational setting. Fee US$57 Monday-Thursday, US$77 Friday-Sunday. +84 (0)6 2382 3366www.oceandunesgolf.vn

大勒皇宮高爾夫球會/dalat Palace Golf club為越南末代皇帝保大的行宮，球場坐落於峰巒起伏之間，被譽為越南最美麗的球場。18洞球場星期一至四US$95，星期五至星期日US$110。The Last Emperor of Vietnam, Bao Dai’s old stomping ground, this stunning 18-hole championship course is set amid the rolling hills of Dalat, a former French colonial retreat in the Central Highlands. US$95 Monday-Thursday, US$110 Friday-Sunday. +84 (0)6 3382 1201www.dalatpalacegolf.vn

越南高爾夫球及鄉村俱樂部/Vietnam Golf & country club這個36洞高爾夫球場，面積為200公頃，離市中心只有20公里，是胡志明市最優秀且最方便的高爾夫球場之一。18洞球場平日US$90，周末US$120。One of Ho Chi Minh City’s finest courses is conveniently also one of its most accessible, located just 20km from the city centre with 36 holes set across 200 hectares. US$90 on weekdays, US$120 on weekends. +84 (0)8 6280 0101www.vietnamgolfcc.com