Door to open for golf course developers

Vietnam could be home to many more golf courses in future despite public protests
about the loss of farmland

Twenty-eight golf courses in 19  provinces including Hoa Binh, Thai Nguyen, Quang Ninh, Vinh Phuc, Thai Binh, Bac Ninh, Quang Nam, Binh Dinh, Khanh Hoa and Kien Giang, will be added to national golf course development plan till 2020, according to a Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) proposal sent to Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung for approval. The projects were selected from 42 ones proposed by local authorities.

“Due to the rising demand for golf, especially the increasing number of foreign businessmen living in Vietnam, those proposed golf courses are needed,” said Hoang Ngoc Phong, deputy director at MPI’s Development Strategy Institute.

If the proposal is approved, Vietnam will have 115 golf courses by 2020.

Phong said the prime minister had agreed the proposal in principle. “The decision for amending golf course development plan can be signed soon,” he added.

To date, Vietnam has 87 golf course projects in 34 provinces and cities. More than half of them are developed by foreign developers. At present, 29 golf courses are operational, 22 are under construction, 13 golf courses gained investment certificate but still in the paper and the remaining 23 golf courses are approved in principle.

Golf course investment is a hot topic as rice-cultivated land being eaten up by golf developments has led to public protests.

But the MPI’s report shows that only 2 per cent of golf course areas was reclaimed from rice-cultivated land.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment found no evidence showing that golf courses polluted the local environment.

Phong said golf course investment was not “as bad as people thought”. Last year, tax collection from golf course developers was estimated at around $25.4 million. Operating golf courses also creates 9,744 jobs, according to a MPI report.

“Golf courses will improve life conditions, boosting tourism industry and investment climate in the country,” Phong said.