On October 3, 2026, the golf tournament celebrating the 76th anniversary of Cao Bang Liberation Day and the recognition of Vietnam’s First Community Golf Course was held at Bai Tinh in Thanh Long Commune, Cao Bang Province. Set amid a mountainous landscape, the round unfolded alongside the rhythms of local life.

A One-of-a-Kind Golf Course Shaped by Nature

Amid the mountains of Cao Bang, where the landscape remains largely untouched and traditional ways of life continue at an unhurried pace, lies a golf course unlike any other in Vietnam.

Covering approximately 100 hectares of relatively flat terrain, Bai Tinh features lush natural grassland and an expansive landscape that local golfers have adapted into a natural playing ground. There has been no extensive intervention to transform the site into a conventional golf facility. Instead, golfers must read the terrain, choose their lines and adapt to the conditions created by nature itself.

One of the most distinctive sights at Bai Tinh is the herd of buffalo grazing freely across the course. These unusual “greenkeeping staff” help maintain the natural grass, taking the place of the mowing equipment commonly found at commercial golf courses.

Nguyen Thi Thu Ha, Vice President of the Vietnam Golf Association, describes Bai Tinh as a form of “zero-dollar golf tourism.”

“With its relatively flat terrain, Bai Tinh acts as a natural basin surrounded by mountains. Several times a year, the area is flooded. As the water recedes, streams and natural water hazards emerge, along with shrubs, bamboo and grassland. The grass is suitable for both buffalo grazing and golf. As a result, Bai Tinh does not need mowing machines – the buffalo are its workers and natural mowing equipment,” she said.

According to Ha, the combination of natural scenery and local life gives Bai Tinh a character of its own: “It is scenic yet innocent, rustic yet instinctive, and challenging at the same time.”

That combination is also central to the course’s appeal. Golfers do not enter a space completely separated from its surroundings. Mountains, water, grassland, livestock and everyday local activities all remain part of the same round.

Caddies as “Living Maps”

At conventional golf courses, players can navigate from hole to hole with the help of directional signs, course maps and other facilities. Bai Tinh offers little of that.

A handful of holes are marked by protruding stones carrying brief handwritten indications. Greens are identified by white-painted circles, while the tee areas are distinguished by simple markers. For first-time visitors, finding the way from one hole to another can become a challenge in itself.

That makes the role of caddies particularly important. At Bai Tinh, they do far more than carry clubs or help golfers read the course. They know the terrain, understand the routes between holes and effectively serve as “living maps” in a setting without a conventional course navigation system.

Vietnam’s First Community Golf Course

At the Vietnam Golf & Leisure Awards 2026, Bai Tinh was recognized as “Vietnam’s First Community Golf Course.” The distinction goes beyond the fact that the course does not charge a green fee. Its significance lies in the way the course is directly connected to local residents and operates through a distinctly community-based model.

The course is managed by the local authority, while residents participate as caddies, assist visitors and support various activities around the experience. Camping and picnics can also be combined with a round of golf, creating additional opportunities for local people to participate in services for visitors.

Following the recognition ceremony, Trieu Thi Hoa, Chairwoman of the Thanh Long Commune People’s Committee, said the locality would focus on preserving Bai Tinh’s natural landscape while managing and developing the site as a regular destination for visitors.

“We will preserve Bai Tinh’s landscape in its original state and manage it effectively so that the course can welcome tourists on a regular basis, creating additional income for caddies and local residents. At the same time, we will make every effort to provide the best possible food and accommodation services so that golfers can enjoy their experience here,” Hoa said.

That ambition also presents Bai Tinh with an important challenge: attracting more visitors while preserving the landscape and operating model that give the course its distinctive identity. At a destination whose appeal lies largely in its natural and unpolished character, tourism development will need to go hand in hand with conservation rather than fundamentally altering what makes Bai Tinh unique.

Photo: Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Ha