The Long Thanh Golf Club offers 36 holes of golf in the former rice paddies and scenic countryside surrounding Saigon. The Ho Chi Minh City golf course is located 30 kilometres north of the city on a bluff with unobstructed views back towards the Vietnamese capital.
Both the Hill and Lake course are well maintained throughout the year and the golf courses are a longtime favourite among locals. Many expatriates and Vietnam golf visitors prefer Long Thanh Golf Club over its more famous neighbour Vietnam Golf & Country Club.
The Hill Course features rolling fairways and large undulating greens. Large oil palms frame each hole. The Lake Course is characterised by many high lipped bunkers and water hazards on almost every hole to catch errant shots. Both courses feature Paspalum grassed fairways and tee boxes. Putting greens use Tifdwarf Bermuda grass which can roll anywhere from 8 to 10. This combination of grasses matches other top courses in the region. The rough at Long Thanh is cut relatively short and poses no real challenge.
All 36 holes have their character shape, and this wide variety makes for good challenges for both serious amateurs and professional golfers. Higher handicappers might prefer the Lake Course, however, which is relatively flatter.
Hole 13, a par-3 on the Hill Course is the signature hole and features a choice two greens equally good. Both require accurate tee shot as there is out-of-bounds over putting surface. The shorter putting area is possibly even more difficult surrounded by the 'Great Wall of Long Thanh,' with club selection being of prime importance, as there is water guarding the front and a rock face behind the green. This is a once seen never forgotten hole.
Another great hole at Long Thanh is the par-5, 14th hole on Hill Course. The longer you hit the ball, the tighter the fairway gets. If you can't reach the green in two shots, the lay-up shot requires real accuracy as there is out-of-bounds on the right and a lake on the left. There are frequently some big scores on this hole.
Both the Lake and Hill Courses are walking courses with single or shared golf carts being optional. Caddies, of whom 50 percent are male, are very good as most are long-standing employees at Long Thanh and some are even single handicappers themselves.
