SIX YEARS ON SINCE ITS OPENING, GREG NORMAN’S ICONIC LINKS CREATION STILL RANKS AS ONE OF THE REGION’S TOP GOLFING EXPERIENCES
By Edward Chan
The heady days of the Ho Tram Open may seem like an eternity ago, but the venue for the ground-breaking Asian Tour event in 2015 still ranks high in Vietnam’s growing golf course inventory. In fact, The Bluffs Ho Tram Strip shook off strong competition to retain its standing as the top golf club in Vietnam in the latest Top 100 Golf Courses’ rankings for the country. It also kept its berth among the top 10 clubs in Asia, coming in at No 10 in the updated rankings in late April.
Crafted by Australian legend Greg Norman along a wind-swept stretch of beach on the country’s south-central coastline, The Bluffs edged a number of highly-rated new additions to Vietnam’s golf scene such as Robert Trent Jones Jr’s Hoiana Shores and another Norman design, KN Golf Links Cam Ranh.
“It’s a tremendous achievement for us to retain our status as Vietnam’s No 1 golf course,” said Gary Dixon, general manager of The Bluffs. “We’ve been around since 2014 and we’ve seen several new clubs emerge during that time as the golf scene in Vietnam continues to grow. Therefore, it’s testament to the strength and timelessness of Greg’s design that we are still considered the best in the country.”
Located just a two-hour drive from Ho Chi Minh, The Bluffs is rightly regarded as one of Norman’s crowning designs. Routed over and around towering sand dunes, the par-71, 6,855-yard layout is one of the few championship links courses with significant elevation changes. The result is a golfing experience that’s as much a visual feast as it is a playing challenge.
Dixon stressed that it is not just the physical attractions at The Bluffs that make it a special golfing destination, but the overall experience and exceptional service as well.
“Our golf course is of truly world-class standard and is a must-play for anyone visiting Vietnam. You’d expect me to say that, of course, but The Bluffs has won a host of plaudits since opening in 2014, so I’m not exactly an isolated voice in singing its praises!
“In addition to having one of the best layouts in the region, we’ve got an exceptional team and our clubhouse offers great food and inspirational views. It’s a really great place to be and I feel very privileged to be here,” said the Australian, who joined The Bluffs in June last year.
While it’s possible to play The Bluffs on a day trip out of Ho Chi Minh, many make use of play-and-stay packages tied in with The Grand Ho Tram Resort & Casino – soon to be rebranded as InterContinental Grand Ho Tram – located just a par-five away. This is the first of a number of planned resorts and residential projects on the 164-hectare-plus Ho Tram development, fronting 2.2 kilometres of pristine beach. Work on a second hotel, the family-oriented Holiday Inn Resort Ho Tram Beach, is currently in progress.
Dixon noted that Vietnam as a whole will be one of the preferred golfing destinations in Asia given the country’s superb record in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Vietnam has done an amazing job and, with less than 20 active cases left it must be one of the safest destinations on earth for a healthy escape with a plethora of things to see and do,” said Dixon in an interview in mid-June.
“We understand that confidence is going to need some time to build. That’s absolutely natural. Nevertheless, I think you only have to look at Vietnam’s statistics to see why you should be confident to travel here when the time is right. Nobody is being complacent, but a total of 332 cases and zero deaths speaks volumes about how well Vietnam has its health situation under control,” he elaborated.
Indeed, such was Vietnam’s record in handling the pandemic that golf courses were only closed for a couple of weeks in April. “The biggest challenge during the closure was keeping up with the way the landscape kept on shifting. It was hard to keep track of what was and what wasn’t allowed at times. It was also a challenge to manage the fears and concerns of our team and the local community as they are vital to what makes this golf club tick,” shared Dixon.
“We are pretty much back to how we were before the pandemic. Nevertheless, we have stepped up our hygiene measures in line with other clubs,” he added.
Hailing from Melbourne, Australia, Dixon is a PGA of Australia-certified professional and has amassed an impressive portfolio in golf club management, including public courses in Melbourne and the award-winning Barnbougle Dunes in Tasmania, plus a year-long stint at Sky Lake Golf Club in Hanoi.
He noted that the common goal for golf courses, no matter the type or location, is to provide the best possible experience. “No matter whether it is Sky Lake, The Bluffs or any golf club in Australia, our job is to ensure we provide the best possible products and services for our members and guests in order to satisfy their golfing needs and wants.”
Working in Vietnam, Dixon continued, provides the added impetus of being able to grow the game in a relatively new market. “What is really quite refreshing for me as a lifelong PGA professional is that we have a huge opportunity in Vietnam to really grow the game. That’s a big point of difference with working in Australia.
“The game is just coming to life in Vietnam and the short-to-medium term future is all positive. This varies from Australia which is a very established and mature golf industry. In fact, the game is currently in a bit of a lull with memberships on the slide in many states. Therefore, the positivity in Australia is more about keeping the game we love alive rather than bringing it to life, as is the case in Vietnam,” he said.
And The Bluffs has been at the forefront of growing the game in Vietnam, with an active junior development programme at its academy headed by touring pro turned coach, Nhung Tang.
And with the overall Ho Tram development set to surge, the future, as Dixon noted, is looking bright. “I believe the future looks really promising for The Bluffs, The Grand Ho Tram Resort & Casino and the coastal area around Ho Tram. There are huge plans for the future, so I feel very fortunate to play a small role in the on-going development of The Bluffs.”
*All images courtesy of The Bluffs
