Showcasing Links Course Attractions 04:21, 04/10/2019

Photo by  Gary Lisbon

You have opened and managed multiple top golf clubs in Vietnam, so what brought you to Hoiana Shores?

I have been aware of this site for a number of years and knew it had the potential for an excellent golf course given its great ownership vision. Previously, I had worked for VinaCapital (current shareholder of Hoiana) in 2011-2012. I knew they had the ‘know how’ to execute a great course given they had created Danang Golf Club. When I got the call, I did not think twice. The Hoiana project is the biggest, most prestigious integrated resort development ever undertaken in this country - to be able to build and operate a golf course within a project like this is a dream come true. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that? I am a professional golfer myself, of course. I love links golf - which has never really been properly pulled off anywhere in Southeast Asia to this degree.

Many new golf courses are opening in Vietnam these days. In your opinion, is this a boom time for Vietnamese golf?

I do not think there is any question that Vietnam is the most active golf course development market in the world right now. There are some 20 new course projects in various stages of development right now. Since arriving in 2007, I have been able to witness first-hand the swing in golf as a tourism driver, networking function for business people and leisure activity for families and kids. The Government of Vietnam in the central region has been immensely supportive of golf courses creating a specific destination group [‘Vietnam Golf Coast’] and promoting it globally to encourage inbound golf tourism that will challenge the likes of Indonesia and Thailand.

Tell us about the Hoiana Shores Golf Club, specifically the features that will most attract domestic and international golfers?

I am confident the ‘pure’ links aspect will attract domestic and international golfers to Hoiana Shores. Again, until now, links golf has been almost non-existent in Southeast Asia. The climate and the available turf options never allowed it to this extent. The courses played too soft for too much of the calendar year and the allure of a fluorescent green course and white bunkers is often the desire of developers. But we’ve deployed a new strain of turfgrass here, Zeon zoysia grass, that has allowed us to create the firm, fast conditions that links contour requires - even in tropical climates like this one. Beyond the links aspect, I’m confident that visitors to Hoiana Shores will recognize and appreciate that, in everything we’re doing here, we’re creating things unique to the Vietnamese market, while always striving to meet the highest international standards for design and quality. Look at our clubhouse - a 19th century, shingle-style building you’d expect to find on Long Island, out in the Hamptons. It’s gorgeous and there’s nothing like it in Asia. The hotel properties from Rosewood Hotel Group, the entertainment, the retail and real estate components - they’re all right here on site. No resort in Vietnam has been so fully integrated. What we’re creating here is unique to the market, and that traditionally piques the interest of consumers.

What makes a great golf course and if a course has ambitions to be the best in Vietnam, which criteria should it be judged on?

That’s a difficult question because if you ask 20 golfers - even 20 golf professionals, like myself - you’ll get 20 different opinions about what exactly makes a great golf course, or what makes this one better than that one. Natural terrain counts for quite a lot, in my view. Courses built on rolling terrain are more interesting than courses on dead flat terrain, full stop. In my book, seaside courses are generally more scenic than inland courses, though there are clearly exceptions. Course design is a factor, but again, difficult to pin down. As a professional, I like a golf course that challenges good players - but that course must be adaptable and interesting to players of average ability - or else they won’t come back. I believe that a great golf course also plays differently every time you play it. A shifting wind, a light or strong wind, should change the golf course experience. The contour of a course - especially around the greens - is very important. There’s nothing as interesting to a golfer as watching your golf ball roll. Think about how we watch our chips and putts so carefully. I don’t think golfers realize how compelling it is to simply watch a ball toward its destination - or not. I’m biased, but that’s the allure of links golf. It brings that sort of interest to every drive, every approach shot, as well. It’s one reason links are so popular and why links or courses built on sand dominate the worldwide course rankings. Given the above, as an operator we must still create an atmosphere for golfers to feel comfortable and be inspired to play good golf.

What strategies will you and your sales and marketing team deploy to promote Hoiana Shores Golf Club to domestic and international markets?

When looking at international golf travelers from a perspective of a golf course in Vietnam, we must be aware of their needs and expectations they have from other more mature golf destinations. Furthermore, we must be realistic in our self-assessment of things like visas, airport arrivals and transportation for our guests in relation to what their previous experiences have been in our competitor markets like Thailand, Singapore and Australia and how we can improve the overall experience. Specifically for Hoiana Shores Golf Club, we have invested in great golf course photography (Gary Lisbon) and drone videos, the best branding and market research possible all to better position ourselves as a world-class golf course.