At the tail-end of an exceptionally challenging year for tourist-driven golf destinations, Ba Na Hills Golf Club general manager Tim Haddon sees light on the horizon albeit still some distance away.
“Whilst it is hard to predict when and where business will come from in the near future, we have strong hopes that we will see a return of regional Asian inbound business from next July. We also expect to see golfers from Europe and the US returning in Q1 2022,” said Haddon, who has been managing the highly-rated golf course in Da Nang, Vietnam for IMG since January 2017.
Opened for play in 2016, Ba Na Hills features a spectacular par-72 course crafted by English star Luke Donald, marking the former World No 1’s first design project. Owned by the Sun Group, the award-winning golf course is located amidst lush foothills on Vietnam’s central coast, about 25 minutes from downtown Da Nang.
With the Covid-19 situation still in flux despite the recent vaccine breakthroughs, Haddon noted that the 2021 prognosis is largely dependent on factors beyond their control.
“Our fate is dependent on each country’s ability to control the pandemic and to which countries the Vietnamese government will open borders over the next few months,” he said.
“To date, Vietnam has kept good control measures in place with just over 1,000 cases recorded and 36 deaths since the beginning of the crisis. With the chance of a vaccine being rolled out very soon, we are optimistic that 2021 will be a much better year than 2020.”
Responding to the travel restrictions imposed by most countries early this year, the club had to quickly adapt their business model.
“We had a particularly hard time as we were 90% reliant on international inbound business and when our borders were shut in early March, our whole business model had to quickly adapt. We went from a destination of seven courses and doing an average 220,000 rounds a year, to having access to a local market of only 500 active golfers.
“Our strategy had to change quick and we started to concentrate mainly in the Vietnamese market, adapting our offer to them. We feel the local market is driven mainly by the green fee rates, so having attractive packages is key to convert business,” shared Haddon, adding that while they are nowhere near 2019 levels, there has been a steady growth in local traffic.
Although 2020 has been a huge challenge from a business perspective, it has been a successful year for Ba Na Hills in terms of recognition with the club being named Asia’s and Vietnam’s Best Golf Course at the World Golf Awards for the fourth consecutive year. Haddon paid tribute to his team and owners.
“I am extremely lucky here to have not only a great product in terms of golf course and facilities, but also in the team that we have and to be so well supported by the ownership group.
“Most of the senior management have been with us from the very beginning, since opening in 2016. That helped us ensure the continuity of the IMG brand standards and delivery of a high-quality service at all times. In essence, it’s the whole package that keeps the awards coming to Ba Na Hills,” he said.
Having the Luke Donald stamp and being among the stable of IMG-managed clubs, Haddon added, helps from a business and marketing perspective. “To stand out amongst the many golf courses in the market, you need to have an edge or an advantage that can set you apart from the crowd. We were lucky enough from the beginning to have IMG involved from the very early stages of the project, helping us with overall master planning design, clubhouse set-up and pre-opening procedures.
“This turn-key involvement meant that the IMG message in terms of quality and branding was carried through to the ongoing operations we see today. Secondly to have the support structure that comes along with being an IMG-managed club is invaluable, as we are able to tap into their considerable resources which not only include operational support and material, but an extensive worldwide media reach thanks to the IMG Prestige global network,” Haddon elaborated.
Ba Na Hills has also received rave reviews on social media, especially for their service levels having been recently recognised by TripAdvisor as a 2020 Travellers’ Choice award winner.
“Social media allows anyone to share their thoughts about a business or service publicly. As long as it is used to help gauge how your product is being perceived by guests, it is one of our most powerful tools to measure how you are performing,” Haddon explained.
“For us it is really important to find the right balance in what we offer to golfers visiting our destination. We notice that their expectations vary from simple things such as tee-time intervals, pace of play or selection of menu items on offer.”
For more information and updates, log on to banahillsgolf.com
