Vietnam Golf & Country Club: Review by Nicolas Joakimides 05:06, 15/11/2019

West course at VGCC designed by Chen King Shih in 1994

The numbers : 6835  yards from the back tee/ 5264 yards from the front tee .

The land is nearly flat but it is not dead flat ! A few holes play uphill and others downhill wich add some visual interest and variety. 

The other good point is you can walk the course very easily not only because of the gentle slopes but also because the next tee is very close to the previous green. And I really like that ; I have the feeling to play one course (of 18 holes) and not to play 18 times a golf hole. 

I like to feel that all 18 holes are linked together like a story with a start and a end.

I had to play with a cart and a caddie but I walked the whole course. (I asked my caddie to drive the cart)

 I like to walk; I can talk with my partners ;I have some time to admire the environment ( I saw a lot of nice tall trees) and to prepare for my next shot when I am about to reach my ball.

Also the west course is a good challenge for three reasons: 

A lot of fairway bunkers are in play ( on tee shots and also on par 5 second shots).  I visited a few and I had to use a wedge to get out of these "pot bunkers" we can usually find on the links course. They are not as deep as Scotland links but the lip is high enough to prevent you from reaching the green !

Big , nice trees are in play on several holes that are tighter than the others.

I had to work the ball around them a few times..wich I think is great and fun !

Greens are very tough to hold because they are often slightly elevated and they were very firm when I played ( October 2019)  .This is a very good test for your short game !

You also have to think twice before deciding to go for some pins or you should accept to be patient by playing the middle of the green...

Tough to hold greens brings strategy if you're a good player : when the pin is hidden behind a bunker on the right, you should better come from the left side of the fairway to get a better angle .

To conclude,  I would say the west course is a nice, classic course in term of design. There is a good balance between challenge and playability for average players who will not loose too many balls. 

One word of advice:  go to the chipping green and try a few bunker shot from the deep pot bunkers. 

East course ( back tee 6922 y/ front tee 5208 yards ) designed by Lee Trevino in 1997.

The land and environnement is similar to the west course.

But the two courses are really different from each other. 

If you don't play golf but only walk the course , you might not notice them !

It all start with the putting green . Each course has his own putting green close to the first tee. 

The east course practice green is impressive : there is a huge roll right in the middle of the green .I remember saying to my self " if the greens are like that on the course that is going to be fun and challenging "!

And they are like that ! Not all of them but I had a few putts to play over that raised middle section . I even putt out of the green on 16th ! The pin was in front , my ball was on the green but well past the hole . My putt was uphill first then down hill.My ball rolled forever and stoped only on the frindge,  15 feet past the hole...

The greens are not only steep ; They are also tiny and firm ! I found them very hard to hold . You really need a good iron game or a very good short game if you want to score. 

The second difference is the bunker style;  No more "pot bunkers" but rather large ones with visible sand  . They are not deep but really in play on tee shots and around the greens. 

Bunkers "in play" means that they are close to the ideal ligne of play.

It will require from you to make a choice: flirting with sand to make the hole shorter or to play away from trouble and leave yourself a longer shot.

The challenge on approch shot is  softened by wider fairway than the west course . Medium players will be a little bit more at ease with the driver.

And again ,here ,you will find what I call the "Pinehurst philosophy " in reference to  Pinehurst n°2 course in North Carolina : you will find your ball everywhere because the rough is cut short, even under the trees. 

This is a very good aspect for playability,  to improve speed of play and enjoy some nice recoveries.

Conclusion 

The east has his own style .It is a demanding course on approch shots but generous from the tee.

You will probably face some interesting chips and putts .This is what I like on a golf course: each shot should have an interest on his own.

One word of advice:

Spend some time on the putting green situated close to the first tee and practice that "over the mound" putt.