Faldo Design’s Laguna Golf Lăng Cô Hailed as Vietnam’s Best Golf Course

Hanoi, Vietnam: Faldo Design’s stunning Laguna Golf Lăng Cô has been honoured as Vietnam’s Best Golf Course 2019.

The Sir Nick Faldo-sculpted masterpiece topped the standings in the eighth ‘Vietnam’s Best Golf Course Awards’, held by Vietnam Golf Magazine in co-ordination with the Vietnam Golf Association, Vietnam National Administration of Tourism and Vietnam Administration of Sports.

“From the first time I came here when it was still jungle almost 10 years ago, I’ve always considered Laguna Golf Lăng Cô to be a unique place,” said six-time Major champion Faldo, Britain’s most successful golfer.

“We knew the course was going to be different and special because you play through different environments. You go through the rice fields to the jungle. Then we’ve got beach and river and rocks. It really is a special course, with a memorability factor that is sure to keep golfers interested.

“I remain a frequent visitor to Laguna Golf Lăng Cô and it continues to hold a special place in my heart,” added the Englishman of the venue that opened in 2013, is home to the annual Faldo Series Asia Grand Final and has been named a Sir Nick Faldo Signature course.

Adam Calver, Director of Golf at Laguna Golf Lăng Cô, said: “Our entire resort is very proud to have Laguna Golf Lăng Cô being awarded Best Golf Course in Vietnam. This award is a testament to the passion and dedication our team has to elevating our entire golf experience.

“Having Sir Nick Faldo guide us through our recent upgrades to the golf course has given our resort a truly unique design and we are proud to showcase to the world the best that Vietnam has to offer.”

In the past 12 months, new tees have been added, providing alternative challenges for golfers. Trees have been cleared on the coastal holes, opening up views of the beach and the East Sea. Also eye-catching has been the introduction and reintroduction of rice paddies on the course, with four hectares of rice fields in the middle of the course, tended to by a family of water buffalo who act as ‘bio-mowers’.

Laguna Golf Lăng Cô is part of Laguna Lăng Cô, one of the most far-reaching integrated resorts in Southeast Asia. The 280-hectare community, which marks the first project in Vietnam for Banyan Tree Group, is framed by jungle clad mountains and a three-kilometre beach running alongside the East Sea.

Vietnam’s Best Golf Course Awards were created with the aim of promoting Vietnam as an attractive destination for tourism and golf, encouraging healthy competition among golf courses and contributing to creating increasingly high-quality golf products.

According to the poll’s organisers, the number of online votes reached a record high of 380,000 this year, four times more than in 2017.

Following online voting, a panel of judges visited all of the country’s leading courses to conduct an evaluation. The panel consisted of Kwee Fah and Alan Yew, USGA Accredited Golf Course Raters and R&A Level-3 referees, and Mark Siegel, Managing Director of Golfasian, a leading golf tour operator.

Doan Manh Giao, Chairman of the Judges Panel, Head of the Organisation Board, said: “Two years ago, Vietnam had only 30 golf courses with 20,000 players. This year the numbers have increased to nearly 60 courses and more than 40,000 players. These awards promote the development of the Vietnam golf industry, encouraging golf courses to upgrade their services and promoting Vietnam as one of the most attractive golf destinations in the world.”

Faldo Design is an Associate Business Member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation while Laguna Golf Lăng Cô is a Golf Course Facility Member of the Federation.