Long Bien Golf

Long Bien Golf Course is a 27-hole Nelson & Haworth designed layout. The Hanoi golf course location is on 350 hectares surrounded by the Dong Nai River and slightly south of and one of the closest courses to the center of Hanoi. The only downside of the location is the military airport adjacent to the golf course which creates some unwanted noise when airplanes take off and land.

The course is greased with Paspalum fairways, tee boxes, and rough while the greens are of Tiff Eagle Bermuda grass. All areas are impeccably maintained which creates some of the best hitting surfaces of any Hanoi golf club.

Significant earth mounding and rows of palm trees frame most of the holes. Several streams meander through the course adding to the golf challenge and beautiful landscape. While the course plays to only 6,700 yards from the blue tees, out-of-bounds and deep fairway bunkers on many holes makes accuracy better rewarded than the distance at Long Bien. Also, most greens elevated from the fairway height puts a premium on good chipping to be able to scramble and have chances for getting up-and-down.

One of the best scoring holes is the short par-5 fifth. A long drive between the fairway bunkers will catch the downslope and makes reaching the green in two a good possibility. However, beware of the large bunkers fronting the slightly elevated green. Hole 6 is a dogleg left par-4 and one of the most challenging at Long Bien. This hole can be long and uphill when playing into the wind. A tee shot is down the right side, to avoid the massive waste bunker down the left is critical to reaching the green in regulation. Par is a good score on this hole.

The clubhouse at Long Bien is one of the more significant and better-appointed facilities in Hanoi. The locker rooms are posh, brightly lit and have full-size lockers for not only members but visitors as well.  There are a full-service spa and massage area inside the clubhouse for golfers to enjoy after their rounds or non-golfers to pass the time while their spouses are on the links. The Pro shop could be better stocked, but still has ample supplies for most golfers. The main restaurant serves some excellent local and international dishes.

Long Bien Golf Course staff and caddies are well-trained in both English and golf which makes this Hanoi golf course an excellent choice for foreign golf visitors. Although not significant it should be noted that caddies are all male, which is unique in Vietnam, if not all Asia. On the other hand, arming the caddies with range finders is a nice touch, and they can assist with distances down to the nearest yard.

Footlights illuminate the course making afternoon rounds enjoyable without having to worry about sunset. While possible to walk Long Bien, green fees include golf carts. Overall Long Bien Golf Course is a good layout with excellent facilities and service which makes for an enjoyable day golfing in Hanoi.