I am very impressed and fascinated by Vietnam’s efforts to grow golf tourism in the country. Another example is Silk Path Golf‘s 18-hole course designed by Sir Nick Faldo.
In principle, the new golf course will be ready to play in Q4 2023. That’s why I wanted to interview the deputy managing director of Silk Path Golf, Nguyen The Dai.
What are the chances that golf will be as popular in Vietnam as it is in South Korea & Japan?
The golf market in Vietnam is still very far behind compared to South Korea & Japan but we are one of the fastest-growing markets in Asia at the moment.
One of the biggest advantages we have compared to other countries is golf can be played all year round, we do not have a massive heat wave in the summer or extreme cold in the winter.
Impressively, golf is getting much younger in Vietnam compared to a couple of years ago, millennials and young teenagers are taking up the sport.
Vietnam is on track to have up to 200 golf courses soon, I believe we will see a lot more amazing golf courses that will officially bring Vietnam to the number one golf destination of the world.
How many opportunities do you see in international golf tourism?
Massive, we have everything to accommodate great golf, from big resorts to weather to beautiful coastlines for an extraordinary link course.
We see massive growth in terms of international golf tourism in the summer from South American and European tourists and Korean and Japanese in the winter. Like I said earlier, we can accommodate golf all year round which is something that many other countries do not have.
Not only that, but Vietnam is also a country with stable politics, hospitable people, and an ideal tourist destination. Therefore, international golfers not only come to Vietnam to play golf but also to have great experiences here.
On what basis did you choose Faldo Design? What was in the golf course design brief?
We wanted to create a championship course that can accommodate big international events like Asian Tour, European Tour, or even PGA Tour.
We talked to Sir Nick Faldo and his team and there are real passion and understanding between our team and Faldo Design so far everything turned out a lot better than we expected.
The course focuses on a high-risk high reward strategy, we want to challenge pro golfers and make them think twice on every shot.
The course can set up to be extremely difficult for Professional golfers but can also be set up for regular golfers to enjoy as well as Junior events such as the Faldo Series.
Will you train your future employees locally?
Definitely, as I said earlier the golf market in Vietnam is currently very small so we have many people who are eager to learn and make a name for themselves which will be great for the future of golf here.
But there are many positions that we will have to hire abroad such as Superintendent and General Manager, we need people who have vast experience in managing a golf course and understand the international setup for big events and tournaments.
In addition, we have been cooperating with many partners to provide the world’s leading advanced machines and technologies that very few golf courses in Vietnam have. This will be a great opportunity for those working at Silk Path Dong Trieu to experience.
At the same time, we understand that golf is not only a sport but also a tourist destination. Therefore, service quality is a top priority. At Silk Path Dong Trieu, all services will be applied according to Silk Path’s 5-star standard.
Silk Path Dong Trieu golf course will be a place not only for golfers but we will also to create a learning environment that everybody who works here can enjoy and start building their career.
How will you promote your golf club & in which countries?
We believe that, with strong investment, cooperation with a leading partner in golf course design such as Faldo Design, and a series of even the smallest details that are carefully researched and selected by us, the best will come.
We always welcome all golfers around the globe to Silk Path Dong Trieu to experience because we are always proud of Vietnam and want to spread the beautiful image of Vietnam to all regions.
In the near future, we are planning to host events such as the Asian Development Tour and the Asian Tour as well as Faldo series. We are sure that Silk Path Dong Trieu golf course will get all the international recognition it deserves.
How do you want to achieve sustainable golf course and golf club operations?
A sustainable golf course has been on our minds since we started this project, from protecting the environment to limiting the use of plastics, we are working with people who are experts in this field.
We also working very closely with Faldo design to limit the cutting down of trees in the area. Dong Trieu area is also famous for Lychee, Guava, Custard apple, and mango which we will grow on-site to be served at the golf course.
Moreover, we also very carefully pick our stuff that will not require a huge amount of fertilizers, pesticides, and other chemicals to maintain.
We are still very early with our planning but we are expecting a lot more to come and we will welcome ideas to help build the first-ever sustainable golf course in Vietnam.