Standing in the heart of the newly inaugurated Golden Sands Golf Resort, located along the beautiful coastline in Vinh Xuan and Vinh Thanh in Thua Thien-Hue province, Mark Reeves, deputy general director of BRG Group, expressed his excitement and desire to elevating Vietnam’s golf tourism and boosting Thua Thien-Hue's overall appeal as a premier golf destination.

"Vietnam has a lot of potential for developing golf and creating world-class courses. The varied landscapes, pleasant climate, rich culinary scene, and friendly locals further enhance the country's appeal as a premier golf destination." said Reeves. "With tourism being a key focus of the government's development strategy, the future of Vietnam's golf industry and golf tourism looks highly promising in the coming years."

As a professional golf course developer, Reeves spoke about how BRG Group strives to find prime locations that entice customers. Take the Golden Sands Golf Resort, just 20km from the ancient capital of Hue and about 10km from Phu Bai International Airport.

The group also places significant emphasis on the terrain and its natural features. Consequently, BRG selected Hue as the location for the Golden Sands project, thanks to its breathtaking natural landscape that has bewitched visitors for centuries.

Moreover, a key element in golf course development is the ability to work closely with local authorities and communities to create job opportunities and business ventures for residents, which in turn boosts local budget revenues and serves as a driving force for the region’s socioeconomic development.

"So, the main factors we seek when investing in a golf course are the proximity to customers, beautiful landscapes, and contributions to local economic growth," said Reeves.

Despite having significant potential, to truly drive the explosive growth of golf courses and attract investors to the sector, appropriate support policies are required.

Assessing the current situation, Reeves noted that while existing policies are reasonable, he hopes to see further opportunities emerge for the growth of golf in the future.

"I believe that golf tourism will play a vital role in developing high-end tourism. It helps draw in a segment of customers who are willing to spend more, resulting in benefits for hotels and residents," said Reeves. "Operating golf courses also creates numerous job opportunities for the local community. Therefore, I hope the government can provide more support and opportunities for the sport of golf to foster robust golf tourism development in Vietnam."

Golf has become an increasingly popular sport worldwide and while some regions have seen stable market development, Vietnam is currently in a pioneering phase for golf in the region and has been gaining recognition as one of the best golf destinations in Asia.

"To reiterate, factors such as the weather, terrain, the wonderful people, and a diverse, much-loved cuisine are crucial elements. Therefore, I truly believe that we should gradually and steadily develop golf to ensure that Vietnam becomes the most beloved golf destination in the future," Reeves said.

According to Reeves, the main challenge for any new golf course is to draw a substantial number of golfers to enjoy the facilities, thereby expanding its appeal to a wider golfing community. To address this, BRG is partnering with the golfing community in Hue and extending its reach to neighbouring regions, including Danang.

With the establishment of the Golden Sands Golf Resort, BRG is confident of providing Thua Thien-Hue, and the central coastal region in general, with a new international golf destination.

By being featured on the global golf map, the province is poised to pull in an increasing number of both domestic and international tourists, especially high-end golf travellers who typically spend more than average visitors.

Moreover, this new premium tourism offering is expected to encourage visitors to prolong their stays, allowing them to immerse themselves in the region's unique cultural specialities, local people, and renowned cuisine, at a destination that is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

On the way to explore this golf course, Reeves shared his insights on the aspiration to elevate golf tourism in Hue, aiming to establish it as a global golf destination. He likened the golf course to, "a bear that is growling yet friendly to all golfers", emphasising its reputation as one of the most challenging courses in Vietnam today.

Golden Sands Golf Resort has been crafted by Nicklaus Design, the firm established by golf legend Jack Nicklaus, famously known as the 'Golden Bear'. It is sculpted with the area’s distinctive natural dunes, offering ocean views throughout the course. The classic design features wide, fast fairways, massive greens, and strategically placed, deep sand traps that present a unique challenge.

In terms of difficulty, the Nicklaus Design team estimated that golfers will need at least 10 extra strokes when playing at Golden Sands Golf Resort compared to any other course in Vietnam.

First is the course length - Golden Sands stretches up to 7,519 yards from the furthest tees. The approach to the greens involves rolling fairways, where the ball constantly moves due to the undulating terrain. Players will especially feel the elevation changes when hitting uphill to high greens, like at Hole 4, Par 4.

Along these rolling fairways, the Nicklaus Design team has incorporated 'super-sized' sand areas and deep bunkers to challenge even gifted players. If a ball lands in one of these, it’s no easy task to recover.

To reach the greens, golfers must navigate vast protective areas, with elevated mounds surrounding the greens, causing the ball to roll down to lower areas. Once on the fairway, players face enormous greens - spanning 1,300 square metres, 150 per cent larger than most other courses. This means golfers must execute long putts on greens that constantly break left and right to reach their target.

Another crucial challenge is the wind. As typical of seaside links courses, the wind at Golden Sands Golf Resort blows hard and shifts directions frequently, sometimes even changing mid-round.

Despite the challenges, Golden Sands Golf Resort is incredibly welcoming. This is evident from the start, with ‘six tee positions’ that cater to every skill level, from professionals to junior golfers.

Another friendly feature is that players don’t have to worry about losing balls, as they might on other courses, and could potentially play an entire round with just one ball.

This is thanks to the Nicklaus Design team's creation of wide fairways, free from dense rough or thick bushes where balls are easily lost. Even if a ball is misplaced, players can quickly find it due to the clear sight lines under the trees. Plus, there are only a few water hazards and a single lake at Hole 14 during the dry season.

"We designed Golden Sands Golf Resort to be so friendly that golfers can fully focus on their shots and, in fact, play more shots here than on any other course in Vietnam," said the Nicklaus Design team.

What truly stands out about Golden Sands Golf Resort is its seamless blending with the natural surroundings, maintaining the rich greenery between the course and the sea while offering stunning, ocean front vistas.

This commitment to preserving the landscape could see this championship-level course emerge as a global golfing destination. With its genuine links-style layout, echoing the origins of golf, Golden Sands Golf Resort is set to become one of Vietnam’s top golfing challenges, delivering a refined experience that embodies the essence of the sport.

These collaborative efforts have resulted in the impressive feat of launching the Golden Sands Golf Resort at an accelerated pace without compromising quality. The clubhouse, which resembles a grand castle by the beaches of Vinh Xuan and Vinh Thanh, was completed in a remarkable timeframe of just four and a half months, or 135 days from the groundbreaking, while maintaining the highest standards. The construction team worked around the clock in multiple shifts to complete the project as swiftly as possible while ensuring the best quality.

"We would like to express our appreciation and gratitude to the government and central departments, as well as the local authorities and residents of Thua Thien-Hue province, Vinh Xuan and Vinh Thanh communes, for their active support and maximum facilitation during the project implementation," said Reeves.

Additionally, Reeves expressed his hope for continued interest, assistance, and collaboration from local government officials and residents in the future to ensure the project operates efficiently, creates numerous job and business opportunities for the local community, enhances revenue for the budget, and becomes a new driving force for socioeconomic development in the area.

The inauguration of the Golden Sands Golf Resort on September 28 underscores BRG's dedication and proactive measures to celebrate Thua Thien-Hue's new status as a centrally governed city. The group is committed to delivering modern, high-quality products and services, ensuring that visitors enjoy memorable experiences during their stay in the province.

"We will do our best to offer modern, high-quality, and sophisticated products and services, ensuring that visitors have exciting experiences and unforgettable memories when they come to Thua Thien-Hue. This will further help maintain Vietnam's position as the best golf destination in the world for many years to come," added Reeves.