Great (White Shark) Escape

GREG NORMAN’S third VIETNAM creation is unquestionably his best

- Kent Gray

VIETNAM was recognised as the best golf destination on the planet at last month’s World Golf Awards, the culmination of annual industry and consumer voting designed to reward excellence in course design and luxury golf getaways. The Greg Norman-designed KN GOLF LINKS - CAM RANH in the country’s southern central coast province of Khánh Hòa is a shiny new example of why the gong is so thoroughly deserved.

Situated at the southern tip of a 12km stretch of one of the white sandy beaches that Vietnam is so famous for, the aptly named ‘Long Beach’, KN GOLF LINKS drew almost instant admiration when it was named Asia’s best new course within weeks of opening last October. As we went to press, it was also recognised as Vietnam’s course of the year at the 20th Asia Golf Awards held in India.

Vietnam’s first true links is the centrepiece of an alluring 1000 hectare master development slowly taking shape. It will eventually house luxury waterfront hotels with beach clubs, a selection of restaurants serving some of South East Asia’s tastiest cuisine and even a casino to risk any winnings you take from your pals on course during the day.

While it’s a picturesque 30-minute to the historic port resort of Cam Ranh and an hour to the main city of Nha Trang, KN GOLF LINKS is a mere 7km skip from the terminal at Cam Ranh Airport. The extra effort of the short connecting flight from one of Vietnam’s main hubs – just 45 mins from Ho Chi Minh City and 90 minutes from Hanoi - is well worth the effort. But don’t take our word for it; you’ll know you’ve made the right choice when the layout’s dramatic elevation changes and rumpled, sand dune sculpted fairways first come into view on the short drive from the airport.