Construction work is advancing on the first of two Nicklaus Design courses at the new 36-hole Rose Canyon resort in Ha Nam, Vietnam.
Located an hour’s drive south of Hanoi, Rose Canyon is the fourth collaboration between Nicklaus Design and developer BRG Group, and its North and South courses will be the seventh and eighth Nicklaus Design layouts in the country.
Work on the South course started in October 2021 and Shang Yih Construction has completed 50 per cent of the earthworks despite wet weather, a difficult site, and a high number of Covid cases among workers.
“The golf course site was an old quarry comprising impressive near-vertical mountains, low lying flat lands and water filled excavations,” said Sean Quinn, senior design associate at Nicklaus Design. “It was not possible to walk most sections of the site initially, so the design was done remotely.
“In the grading process, we were able to balance the dirt by creating lakes but, practically, the soils have no structural stability, so good dirt is being imported to complete the fill sections.”
WR RockGroup Construction harvested large boulders from the site to create 2,400 metres of dry-stacked walls, which will retain tees, fairways, greens and causeways.
Bill Rosmarino, president of RockGroup, said: “The rock face created by the quarry site and natural rock formations encompass most holes, making them uniquely intimate and private. The third and fifteenth greens have an almost amphitheatre feel. This is truly a spectacular site.”
The South will be playable from 5,252 to 7,278 yards, with water playing some role on every hole, including as a buffer between the course and housing lots that are planned along one side of the site. A hotel with over 200 rooms is also currently under construction.
“The dramatic mountains relate to every part of the golf course,” said Quinn, who has completed four design visits over the past two months. “Golf holes play between and around the monolithic forms, with some green sites having 60-metre-high cliff backdrops.”
Rosmarino said: “There are many great holes on this course: the third, sixth and ninth stand out to me on the front nine while eleven, fifteen and eighteen are the holes to note on the back.”
Other partners in the project include Toro, Jeff Stamper and Jebsen & Jessen, respectively for irrigation equipment, design and installation. Gavin Reid of BRG is project managing and Brett Saggus, golf course superintendent at BRG Legend Hill and BRG Ruby Tree Golf Resorts, will oversee the grow-in and maintenance of both courses.
Construction of the South course is due for completion in late 2022 with opening expected by mid-2023. Work on the North course will start as soon as the South is complete.