The newest addition to Vietnam’s burgeoning golf market is Vinpearl Golf Léman, in the Củ Chi District of Ho Chi Minh City.

The club will be the fifth from the hospitality arm of Vingroup, Vietnam’s largest conglomerate, and will comprise two 18-hole golf courses designed by Golfplan, alongside villas and community facilities.

Construction began in February 2023, some 10 years after the previous developer abandoned a project to build a golf course on the site after encountering financial difficulties.

The site is flat and prone to flooding during the rainy season. “Numerous lakes had been excavated and the lake edges had naturised,” says David Dale, Golfplan principal. “We have utilised the existing lakes for a natural look on the North course as well as for strategic purposes. We developed an interconnected lake system to store irrigation water and dewater the site during the rainy season. We also created eight metres of elevation change throughout the course with elevated tees, landing zones and green sites. Few trees existed, but those that remained and were above the managed water level were retained and utilised aesthetically.”

The North course opened in March 2025. “There is a wonderful variation of play direction with the North’s front nine routed with a clockwise rotation and the back nine with a counterclockwise rotation,” says Dale.

“The North’s par threes pay homage to a few of the great template holes with the Dell, Redan, Biarritz and Volcano represented within the character of the golf course. Strategic design principles drive bunkering and features throughout the remaining holes. The fairways are broad and undulating, and landing zones have distinct locations that set up approach shots of varying difficulty, according to the quality of the drive.”

Kevin Ramsey, Golfplan principal, adds: “Risk-reward is present throughout the round. There are numerous holes adjacent to the lakes, but there is width for the short hitters to offer them a safe route. It is the angle of approach to the green sites that sets the tone for the strategic character of the course. The conservative tee shots will require more skill from the player to challenge the hole locations.”

Greens average 650 square metres, and most are open at the front to allow for a running shot. “The internal movement of greens add an entirely more strategic consideration for the better players,” says Dale. “Some slopes will pull the ball towards the hole and others will repel the shot away, requiring the lower handicap golfers to hit shots to score well. A dominant theme to green sites are the collection areas that give golfers options for their recovery shot, whether a chip, putt or bump-and-run. These collection areas are tightly mown and add a great level of creativity and fun for the daily player.”

Sports Turf Solutions has provided grass for both courses – Zeon Zoysia on tees, fairways and rough, and TifEagle bermuda on greens. Bahia grass, from Witgang Far East, is being used on unirrigated areas and along lake edges. All bunkers on both courses have SandTrapper lining.

“The landscape at Léman is simple, with a selection of three tree varieties, large in scale, providing a mature appearance for opening day,” says Dale. “With the tropical climate the trees will recover from the necessary pruning prior to planting.

The club’s next course is expected to open in August 2025.

“The South is a stark contrast, with an overriding waste bunker theme that plays upon the use of lakes as the primary soil source. Fill has been used to elevate and undulate the course with a complementary variation of landforms creating diversity of landing zones and approach angles. Measuring just under 7,000 yards, and the shorter of the two courses, the strategic character of the holes makes for a beautiful marriage with the North. Both have characteristics that will be discovered, enjoyed and appreciated as the members and guest learn the nuances of them.”

This article first appeared in the January 2025 issue of Golf Course Architecture. For a printed subscription or free digital edition, please visit our subscriptions page.