Saigon Golf

Few sports so well combine business with pleasure as does golf. Its enthusiasts must be patient and determined - they must be able to endure a long walk while carrying on a decent conversation. Simultaneously reclusive and social, the game affords players a retreat from the daily grind and a chance to shoot the breeze with companions. Golf is simple, clean, often pricey, and catching on among Saigon's well-to-do tourists, patricians, and businessmen alike - so much so that Korea's GS Engineering and Construction Corporation has decided to open a new golf and luxury resort in Cu Chi, some fifty kilometers up Highway 22 from HCMC. When it opens, it will be competing directly with several courses already established in the region.

See if the competition piques your interest: Vietnam Golf & Country Club, a 36-hole affair located 20 kilometers from downtown Saigon, was designed in part by golf champ Lee Travino and in part by Taiwanese architect Chen Kinh Shih. Long Thang Golf Club, with 27 holes, is located 30 kilometers from Saigon on the way to Vung Tao, with fairways overlooking rural countryside in all directions.

Song Be Golf Resort, 22 kilometers from HCMC, first opened in 1994. As a US PGA-rated par-72 18-hole course, Song Be also features tennis courts, a pro shop, and widely acclaimed restaurants. And 50 kilometers from the city lies Bo Chang Dong Nai Resort, which in addition to its 27-hole course features villas, fine dining, fishing and horseback riding.

Of course, if one prefers a closer destination, look to the Saigon South Executive Golf Course, with driving range, pool and plenty of fine restaurants located nearby.

Before rainy season arrives, enjoy the opportunity to partake in a round of Saigon golf. Do be sure to wear a cap and sun lotion, keep hydrated... and keep your eye on the ball. Taxi service is by far the easiest way to reach Saigon's outlying golf courses, and one shouldn't expect to send less than US$60 for a good day of fun in the sun.