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vietnam vetted
The country’s standing as an up-and-coming golf destination is no secret, but the formation of the Golf Coast Vietnam cements its reputation, bringing together the nation’s top new courses with some of its finest hotels and beach resorts.
Being spoilt for choice isn’t always a good thing. Sometimes it’s just impossible to make up your mind when a selection of temptations is placed before you.
Thankfully, a new consortium takes the stress out of picking which great experience you want to sample in the fast-growing tourist destination of Vietnam.
Golf Coast Vietnam is a partnership of golf and beach resorts based in the popular central coast city of Danang, just a 20-minute drive from an international airport that connects as conveniently to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City as it does to Singapore and Hong Kong. In addition, AirAsiaX has just launched a direct service from Kuala Lumpur to Danang, flying four times a week.
The founding members of the consortium are The Montgomerie Links and Danang Golf Club, accommodation providers The Nam Hai and Lifestyle Resort Danang, and leading tour operator Golfasian Vietnam. It’s expected that other members will join, including the Nick Faldo-designed Laguna Lang Co (opening this year) and Bana Hills Golf Club (a Luke Donald design, opening 2013).
“Golf Coast Vietnam brings together the finest golf experience available in Asia,” comments Jon Tomlinson, General Director at The Montgomerie Links.
“Where else in the world can you find courses designed by Colin Montgomerie, Greg Norman, Faldo and Donald within 45 minutes of each other? Here, you will eventually have the uniqueness of four, world-class layouts designed by the greatest players of the past three decades.”
The completed Montgomerie Links opened all 18 holes in 2009 and immediately earned praise for its challenging design and aesthetically pleasing layout. Designer Colin Montogmerie massaged massive greens and rippled fairways into the stunning backdrop, setting up an experience he believes ranks among the finest in the world.
“This is an exciting area, Vietnam, especially this particular region, China Beach, the historical nature of it and what we can do here,” Montgomerie said at a recent press conference. “It’s a beautiful beach, a beautiful golf course site. To find a course site like this, these days, is very rare.”
Late last year it was named “Best Golf Course in Vietnam” in a joint competition run by Vietnam Golf Magazine and at the Asian Golf Summit in Thailand.
Some 10 kilometres north of The Montgomerie Links stands the Greg Norman designed Dunes Course of the Danang Golf Club, which opened last year to much critical acclaim. It won the award for Best New Golf Course in Asia-Pacific at the Asian Golf Summit, the first time the accolade has gone to a Vietnamese club.
“With our two courses, central Vietnam is already a truly quality golfing experience,” commented Craig Douglas, General Manager of the Danang Beach Resort.
“Danang/Hoi An as a tourist destination is also evolving with more quality accommodation, fantastic restaurants and a vibrant nightlife – everything you need for a great golfing vacation.”
Quality accommodation is an essential ingredient for a successful vacation and the newly opened Hyatt Regency Danang Resort & Spa offers a luxurious base from which to stay and play.
Cradled between the fabled Marble Mountains and the East Sea, the Hyatt Regency Danang is designed to enhance the unique features of its location. While the resort boasts a remarkable series of facilities, it is the understated, finer details that truly set it apart.
Touches of the Asiatic embellish every guest room – ceramic decorations, oriental tea sets, latticed light fixtures and exquisite timberwork – while wall-to-ceiling glass panels invite the outside indoors and emphasise lightness and space.
Bathrooms include a rain shower as well as a bath with a view. A modern chaise lounge, outdoor deckchairs, dining table and a unique coracle boat daybed ensure that guests can relax in the privacy of their own rooms as well as take advantage of the outdoor facilities.
Beyond the 200 guest rooms, the Hyatt offers 27 private pool villas and 182 residences. In the centre of the resort’s ocean-front location is a labyrinthine pool where guests can enjoy an Olympic-size swimming area. Both upscale and casual dining options are located around the pool, all with views of the ocean, stunning Son Tra Peninsula, Cham Islands and the surrounding tropical terrain.
The new resort is also ideal for families, boasting a Camp Hyatt exclusively tailored to the Danang property. Kids have a rock climbing wall, their own pool, playground and volleyball court, while nearby are a number of tennis courts.
Meanwhile, adults can find serious sanctuary in the VIE Spa (only for guests 16 years and over), one of the signature features of the resort. It comprises a myriad of spacious treatment rooms, all interconnected by idyllic water features – similar to those in the grounds of a Buddhist temple.
The partially subterranean design has exposed ceiling areas where guests can enjoy an onsen-like experience in open-air, hot baths. Enclosed baths, male and female steam and sauna rooms, as well as plunge pools are also available. Therapists are skilled in a range of techniques, both Eastern and Western. Specially designed yoga pavilions can also be found within the spa’s spacious grounds.
Regency Club members can take advantage of the Hyatt’s hotel-within-a-hotel concept. Benefits include exclusive separate check-in, a private dining area with complimentary breakfast, all-day refreshments, cocktail and canapé hours in the afternoon, special concierge services and use of an infinity pool.
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