Asian Golf Travel Nation

Welcome to the October 2010 edition of the "Asian Golf Travel Nation", the source for news breaking information about Asian Golf.

In addition, unique golf playing tips for Indochina's tropical environment, announcements of special golf travel promotions, and our latest subscription offer are all integral parts of today's newsletter.

Autumn is a time of celebrations and the start of the Asian golf travel season. All across Europe the days are getting shorter and the temperatures are starting to drop. With the first cold spell comes the planning of fall and winter golf holidays to warmer climates such as can be found across South East Asia from the months of November to March – the best golf travel season.

Thailand is still the most popular golf holiday destination with Chiang Mai and Hua Hin offering the best value-for-money and Bangkok and Pattaya being great choices for short golf breaks. Vietnam and Malaysia are the second and third most popular Asian countries for golf holidays, respectively. The Danang/Hoi An and Phan Thiet/ Mui Ne beach areas lead the way in Vietnam golf tourism, while Langkawi and Sabah regions are Malaysia's best golf holiday destinations. We have some excellent multi-destination and multi-country packages for those who want to sample the best areas on one golf trip.

Personally, I have been in Hua Hin twice this month and the golf courses there are readying for the high season. Later this month I am travelling to Vietnam and will be in Danang and Phan Thiet to visit our golf partners and look at some new resorts. Check out the next newsletter for the latest updates and promotions.

With that, I invite you to read on and hear what's new in golf and around the region.

Bangkok: If you have not heard, Thailand has got a brand new government led by Thailand's first female prime minister. The new government has pledged to the tourism industry to keep visitor arrivals growing in spite of tough economic conditions around the world. Specifically, the government has set a 2012 target of 19.5 million international tourist arrivals, 10 per cent above 2011, which is already 30% above 2010. My personal view is this number is actually too low as golf arrivals have gone up at least this much already.

Vietnam

Quang Ninh: A Vietnamese development group has assembled a large tract in Quang Ninh Province in the far north east of Vietnam (aka "Vietnam's Issan") where it plans to build two golf courses. The forthcoming Dong Trieu Resort will consist of a 36-hole golf complex, large lake, hotel, water park, and recreation center. One of the courses at Dong Trieu will be a championship-caliber layout, the other a resort-style track. IMG is doing the golf course design, which could mean that it will be another "ghost-designed" course that has the "signature" of an IMG-managed golf pro like Nick Faldo, Colin Montgomerie, Bernhard Langer,  or even Annika Sorenstam. Let's see!

Hanoi: A 4.5ha golf course and driving range, designed by US golf legend Jack Nicklaus, has opened in Hanoi's Soc Son district. The driving range, which includes the 18-hole Legend Hill Golf Resort, is the biggest of its kind in Vietnam and has an investment of $100 million. The project was launched by Vietnam-based BRG Group and Nicklaus Design.

Malaysia

Langkawi: The Malaysian island is getting a third golf course; 99 East Golf Club (ed. Yes the name starts with a number!). This new course along with major turf renovations at The Golf Club Datai  and a new clubhouse at Gunung Raya should make Langkawi easily Malaysia's top golf holiday destination. The 99 East Golf Club will be the best Langkawi golf course to date and the spectacular 18-hole Ross Watson designed championship course and clubhouse are set to open in early 2012. Take a look at some of these recent 99 East Golf Club photos and you will see what I mean.

Siem Reap: For the first time Siem Reap has been listed as one of the world's best cities by the influential US travel magazine Travel + Leisure. The magazine's World's Best 2011 Awards were based on the votes of thousands of its readers who nominated & chose from various cities from around the world. In this year's listings Siem Reap ranks as the world's 7th best city, one spot above Australia's Sydney, which came in at number eight on the list. Check out one of our Cambodia golf packages if you want to see what the buzz is all about in this up-and-coming golf destination.

Remember if you want to get regular updates about golf in Indochina, then sign-up for uninterrupted email delivery of this newsletter. In addition, all persons signing up will automatically receive the latest "Thailand Golf Insider Tips" special report.

Finally, remember no matter what your budget or how small/large your group Golfasian will be glad to organize your golfing holiday. Please contact the Asian Golf Experts at [email protected].

Until the next newsletter, happy golfing!

Vietnam Golf Trail traces the footsteps of the late Ho Chi Minh across the entire country. Start in the gateway to North Vietnam, Hanoi and then move south along the golf trail playing at Vietnam's best golf destination, Danang. Further south is Saigon: Vietnam's economic capita and the last stop is the fresh mountain retreat of Dalat. 

The Vietnam Golf Trail includes the best golf courses and sightseeing tours in each destination. Be one of the first to discover all the golf Vietnam has to offer!