North, Central or South: Choosing Your Vietnam Golf Region

The short answer

For most first trips, Central Vietnam is the easiest choice. Da Nang and Hoi An have the country's strongest group of resort courses within a short drive of one airport, with beaches, good hotels and the old town of Hoi An close by. You can play four or five different courses without changing hotels.

The north and south make sense for other reasons. They fit when your dates fall in their best season, when you want a city as part of the trip, or when you are returning to Vietnam and want new courses. The longer LINKS Signature holiday covers all three regions in 14 days.

Central Vietnam: Da Nang, Hoi An and Lăng Cô

The central coast suits golfers who want variety without long transfers. Montgomerie Links and the two Legend Danang courses (Norman and Nicklaus) sit on the coast between Da Nang and Hoi An. Hoiana Shores and Vinpearl Nam Hoi An are south of Hoi An. Ba Na Hills is a Luke Donald mountain course west of the city, with floodlights for night golf. Laguna Lăng Cô, a Nick Faldo design between the mountains and the sea, is the longest common day trip.

From the My Khe beach area of Da Nang, the closest courses are about 25 to 40 minutes away and Laguna is 60 to 90 minutes. Our transfer-time guide breaks this down by hotel area.

When to go: the dry season runs roughly February to August, with March to July the most settled. October and November are the wettest months and carry the year's highest typhoon risk.

Suits: first trips, mixed-ability groups, golfers travelling with non-golfing partners and anyone short on time. Three of the four LINKS holidays are based entirely here, starting with the four-day LINKS Escape.

The north around Hanoi

Northern golf is inland and mostly west of Hanoi. BRG Kings Island at Dong Mo has three courses, including the Nicklaus Design Kings Course at 7,310 yards. Sky Lake has two par-72 layouts beside Van Son Lake. Thanh Lanh Valley is a mountain valley course about 90 minutes from the city.

When to go: October to April, when the air is cool and dry and temperatures sit around 15 to 25°C. Early tee times in December and January need a light jacket. From May to September it is hot and humid, with regular afternoon storms.

Suits: golfers who prefer cooler weather, groups who want Hanoi's food and street life, and trips that add Ha Long Bay or Ninh Binh. Expect more driving time between hotel and course than in Da Nang.

The south and south-central coast

Ho Chi Minh City has Long Thanh, about 30 minutes from downtown, and Tan Son Nhat, a 36-hole complex beside the airport with night golf. The Bluffs Ho Tram is a Greg Norman dunes course on the coast south-east of the city. Further north on the south-central coast, KN Golf Links Cam Ranh is another Norman links course, with Vinpearl's island course across the bay at Nha Trang.

When to go: the south is driest from December to April. From May to November, expect short afternoon storms with mornings usually dry. Nha Trang and Cam Ranh have the longest dry window in the country, broadly January to August.

Suits: golfers arriving on a direct flight to Ho Chi Minh City, city-and-beach trips, and links fans who want The Bluffs or KN Golf Links.

Side-by-side comparison

Combining regions

A domestic flight between regions takes about an hour in the air, but with check-in, transfers and bags it uses most of a day. As a guide, add one region for every five to seven days on the ground. Two regions fit comfortably in 10 days or more; all three need about two weeks.

Because the regions peak at different times, a two-centre trip can follow the weather. Central Vietnam pairs well with the south between February and April, when both are dry. The north pairs best with the centre around March and April, at the end of the north's cool season and the start of the centre's dry season.

If you are flying in from Australia, it often makes sense to start or finish in Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi, where the direct flights land, and connect to Da Nang. See planning a Vietnam golf holiday from Australia for flights and timing.