Forget Kunming. Bali? Not a chance. And you can stop thinking about Phuket. It might come as some surprise to learn that Asia's hottest new golfing destination is Danang. But it's true. Just down the coast from this central Vietnamese port city, amid the dunes of historic China Beach, where the first US combat troops landed in March 1965, lie two recently opened and contrasting courses that are sure to put this former war-torn country on the global golfing map. To mangle a phrase from the era: Charlie don't surf, but he sure will golf. And so should you.
Situated only five minutes apart, yet providing totally different golfing landscapes, the Greg Norman-designed Dunes Course at Danang Golf Club and the Montgomerie Links Vietnam - the work, you guessed it, of eight- time European Order of Merit champion Colin Montgomerie - are a short drive from Danang's international airport and a number of hotels and resorts that have sprung up all along this stunning stretch of the coastline in recent times. And like all truly great courses, they use their natural terrain to the fullest.
DANANG GOLF CLUB, DUNES COURSE *****
We at HK Golfer aren't usually prone to hyperbole when it comes to describing courses, but it has to be said that Norman's Dunes is something else. Without doubt the most unique layout in Southeast Asia, the Dunes is a mesmerizing cross between a pure links and a sandbelt track. Rampaging through massive sand hills and framed
by sparsely-vegetated scrubland, only the warm ocean breezes remind you that you're in the tropics. Put it this way, should Kingston Heath and Royal County Down ever settle down and decide to have offspring, this is what their beautiful firstborn would look like. It's jaw-dropping.
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