Among the many hats he wears — clothier, vintner, restaurateur, disruptor — Greg Norman is also tourism ambassador to Vietnam. He’s bullish on the country — and its courses, in part because he designed a few of them. Situated on the coast, 80 miles from Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Tram opened in 2010 on a sandy plateau that overlooks the water and has the rugged feel of a tropical links. Though development constraints prevented Norman from routing holes hard along the sea, he moved little land while fashioning a bouncy layout that plays under the influence of coastal winds. The course, which is Norman’s second design in Vietnam, is the first golf resort in the country to be integrated with a casino, which sits a shuttle-ride away, on a bustling beach-side strip. You can channel your inner gambler, on and off the course. [LEARN MORE HERE]
Chiangmai Highland Golf & Spa Resort
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Big hitter, the monk. Actually, not really. But Khruba Siwichai, who lived at the turn of the 19th century, was an esteemed Buddhist monk, and this resort sits on his former hermitage. No wonder the meditative mood of the surrounds, in an unspoiled setting that combines fresh air and friendly service with long views of a mountainous northern Thai landscape. For all the tranquility of atmosphere, the golf itself can be pulse-pounding, on three dramatic, water-strewn nines that invite bold lines and heroic shot-making. After the exhilaration of a round comes ample opportunity for relaxation in the steam room, swimming pool, sauna or an Aveda-inspired massage that offers a full menu of soothing treatments. [LEARN MORE HERE]
FLC Halong Bay GC & Luxury Resort
Ha Long, Vietnam
A lot of resort courses have water views. No other has water views like this. Stretched atop a hill along the Gulf of Tonkin, roughly 100 miles from the capital of Hanoi, this luxe destination commands a panoramic of a seascape so distinctive, it’s been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Ha Long means ‘descending dragon,’ an evocative descriptor for the thousands of limestone outcrops that rise from Ha Long Bay, calling to mind the spikes of a partially submerged sea monster. The course is something of a spectacle, too, winding through verdant, pine-studded terrain with an inventive routing that features four par-3s in a five-hole stretch and water views on all 18. Unlike many resorts in Vietnam, where golf and accommodations are spread apart, with shuttles running back and forth, Halong’s course sits at the center of the action: an arresting playground, stitched amid accommodations and amenities that suit the splendor of the setting. [LEARN MORE HERE]
Laguna Lăng CÔ
Thua Thien Hue, Vietnam
It’s not often when walking to your ball you’ll pass farmers working rice paddy fields, water buffalo in tow. But at Laguna Golf Lang Co, you will on at least four holes. The farmer may not always be there, but the rice paddies will, and you better hope your ball is not in one. This is just one of the many unique and delightful aspects of what some believe to be one of Sir Nick’s more daunting designs anywhere (his second in Vietnam). Completed in 2013, Laguna Golf Lang Co is the centerpiece of a sprawling resort complex in Central Vietnam, tucked between steep mountains and white sand beaches. It’s characterized largely by rolling sand dunes, natural streams and warm breezes along the East Sea. It can stretch out past 7,000 yards for the hearty, but Faldo has built a set of tees for those looking for a more leisurely experience at 5,263. You’ll walk away from Laguna Golf Lang Co and realize it’s unlike any course you’ve ever played — perhaps the best compliment a golf course can receive. [LEARN MORE HERE]
Mission Hills Haikou
Hainan, China
Leave it to the world’s most populous country to create a golf resort of such staggering scale. Like its Mission Hills counterpart near Hong Kong, this outsize escape, on balmy Hainan Island, is practically a city unto itself. Stretched across a vast, black-lava landscape, it is home to 10 courses whose names — Sandbelt Trails, Lava Fields, Stone Quarry, and on— speak to their distinctive traits. The property’s huge footprint also makes room for a metropolis-worth of non-golf amenities and diversions (rare is the golf resort that boasts a foot massage center within easy striking distance a billiard room), all anchored by 18-floor luxury hotel. [LEARN MORE HERE]
Mission Hills Resort
Shenzhen, China
Mission Hills China is a unique development designed not so much as a stand-alone golf resort but quite literally as an entire city. Or really several cities. Call it a county. It’s a playground certainly for golfers, but it’s a destination open to tourists of every stripe and poised to satisfy every possible desired adventure. But you’re here for the golf, so here goes. Officially there are 12 courses by former professional players that every golf fan would know. That’s the most of any single golf resort in the world. But there are 10 additional courses at nearby Mission Hills Haikou, all designed by Brian Curley of Schmit-Curley Design. (Curley actually helped the signature designers with the nuts and bolts of 10 of the 12 courses at Shenzhen.) The consensus is that the World Cup and Olazabal courses are the strongest of the lot. The World Cup by Nicklaus is the one that started it all. Built specifically to host the 1995 World Cup of Golf, the first-ever international tournament held in China. It kicked off the golf boom in the area and wears well its status as the OG of Mission Hills. The Olly course at MH Dongguan (his first) might be the strongest test on property. It will challenge your short game something fierce and has hosted the World Cup four times. [LEARN MORE HERE]
Ria Bintan GC
Bintan Island, Indonesia
Gary Player has designed upwards of 130 projects in 38 countries on five continents. The fact that at one point he named Ria Bintan GC among his top 10 speaks volumes. The Ocean Course was completed in 1998 and is almost two separate experiences. Much of the front nine winds through the Riau jungle providing an intimate, native experience (I see you, long-tail macaque!). After you tee off on the par-5 seventh hole and begin walking down the fairway toward your ball (hopefully), the South China Sea reveals itself in spectacular fashion. There’s a reason this hole was voted the best par-5 in Asia. If the distraction doesn’t get to you, par is not a difficult score. The short par-3 eighth takes you down even closer to the water, and the entirety of the ninth borders the sea. It’s a memorable stretch on a course that will long linger in your mind. The Forest Course consists of nine Player-designed holes and exudes more of a parkland feel. Fairways are welcoming but the bunkering can bite (as at most Gary Player courses). Ria Bintan actually offers the opportunity to combine the Forest with one of the Ocean nines if you want to play 18. [LEARN MORE HERE]
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