Travel planning
Vietnam Golf Packing Checklist
Packing for a Vietnam golf holiday is simpler than most golfers expect. The climate is warm, laundry is cheap and fast at every hotel, and anything you forget can usually be replaced in Da Nang or Ho Chi Minh City for less than you would pay at home. This is the list we send every ASEAN LINKS group, refined from years of meeting golfers at the airport.
Your clubs: bring them or hire?
Most travelling golfers bring their own clubs, and on a dedicated golf holiday that is usually the right call: you know the distances and the feel. Quality rental sets are available at essentially every resort course if you would rather travel light; book in advance through us and the clubs will be waiting at the first tee. Whichever you choose, decide early, because it changes what else you pack.
Flying with a golf bag
- Use a padded travel cover with a stiff arm or internal brace to protect the shafts.
- Airline policies on golf bags differ by carrier and fare type: many treat a golf bag as your standard checked item, others charge a sports-equipment fee. Confirm the allowance on your exact ticket before the airport, not at the counter.
- Put a name tag and contact details inside and outside the bag.
- Pack shoes, balls and a rain jacket in the travel cover as padding; keep rangefinders and valuables in your carry-on.
Clothing for the climate
Vietnam golf dress codes follow international resort norms: collared shirts, tailored shorts or trousers, and golf shoes or clean trainers. Soft spikes are standard and accepted everywhere. Pack light, breathable fabrics: polos that wick sweat are worth their weight in a Da Nang afternoon. Four or five rounds' worth of shirts is plenty; hotel laundry returns same-day or overnight at modest cost. For Hanoi trips between November and February, add a light jacket or pullover for early tee times that start in genuinely cool air.
Sun and rain gear
The tropical sun is the single most underestimated factor. Bring SPF50 sunscreen, a cap or visor, quality sunglasses and lip balm, and reapply sunscreen at the turn: a four-hour round at midday in May is a serious UV dose. Rain gear matters even in the dry season: a compact waterproof jacket or umbrella covers the short, heavy showers that arrive without much warning from September through January in the centre and May through November in the south. A rain glove and a couple of spare gloves in a zip-lock bag save rounds, not just shots.
The golf essentials
- Twelve balls minimum: water and jungle rough eat them faster than parkland golf at home.
- Tees, ball markers, a divot tool and a spare glove.
- Rangefinder or GPS watch, with the charging cable in your carry-on.
- A handful of small-denomination US dollars or Vietnamese dong for caddie tips: see our caddie and tipping guide for current expectations.
- Handicap certificate if your group plans any competition formats with the courses.
Off-course essentials
Vietnam runs on 220V/50Hz power with a mix of plug types, so pack a universal adapter. Carry any prescription medication in your hand luggage with the pharmacy labels attached. Mosquito repellent is useful for evening rounds and riverside dinners in Hoi An. And bring one smarter evening outfit: the region's restaurants and rooftop bars reward a collared shirt and closed shoes.
Documents and money
Carry a passport valid six months beyond arrival with two blank pages, your e-visa approval, travel insurance details, and a mix of cards plus some cash. ATMs are widespread in the cities and resort strips, but caddies, market stalls and beachfront seafood shacks run on Vietnamese dong. See our guide to travelling with golf clubs for the flight-day detail.
What to leave at home
Travel light where it counts. Hard-cover club cases without padding are a false economy: heavy, awkward and no safer than a good soft travel cover with a stiff arm. Leave the white-soled tour shoes in the cupboard; spikeless or soft-spike shoes handle resort fairways comfortably and double as evening wear. And resist packing a dozen polos "just in case": same-day laundry makes that dead weight.
Packing for a two-centre trip
If your itinerary combines regions, pack by layer rather than by destination. The central and southern coasts are warm year-round; the north between November and February can be 15°C at a 7am tee time. One light jacket and a long-sleeve top covers the coldest realistic scenario, while everything else stays warm-weather gear. Keep the jacket in the carry-on if your first round is in Hanoi.
Staying connected
A local SIM or eSIM with a data bundle is inexpensive and makes the golf side of the trip easier: tee-time confirmations, course WhatsApp groups and caddie coordination all run on data. Pick one up at the airport on arrival, or ask us and we will point your group to the right option before departure. Download offline maps of the course areas while you still have hotel Wi-Fi.
The final check before the airport
- Golf bag weighed and tagged within your airline allowance.
- Rangefinder, medication, documents and one full change of clothes in the carry-on.
- Sunscreen under 100ml if it lives in the carry-on; full-size can go in the hold.
- VND cash or small USD notes for arrival-day tips.
- Our pre-departure briefing read: it lists your confirmed tee times, transfers and contacts.