Top amateur Nguyễn Anh Minh of Việt Nam completes a stroke at a tournament. Minh will be competing in the BRG Đà Nẵng Open Golf Championship in Đà Nẵng from August 28-September 2. Photo courtesy of Đà Nẵng Tourism Promotion Centre

ĐÀ NẴNG — Around 150 golfers from Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Việt Nam will tee off at the BRG Đà Nẵng Open Golf Championship – an event of the Asian Development Tour (ADT) – at the Nick Claus-designed BRG Đà Nẵng golf clubs, from August 29 to September 2.

The tournament organisers say it’s the first time the central city has hosted an Asian golf level tour with the participation of professional golfers from Asia and top Vietnamese amateurs and national team members.

A Pro-Am event will be drawing 30 amateurs, guests and KLOs, and will prelude the main tournament with a scramble rule on August 30.

The first round of the professional event will start on the morning of August 31, and the award ceremony will be held on September 2.

Top-five Vietnamese Trương Chí Quân, Đỗ Hoài Giang, Nguyễn Hữu Quyết, Doãn Văn Định, Nguyễn Văn Toàn and No 1 amateur of Việt Nam Nguyễn Anh Minh have registered to compete at the event.

Golfers will tee off at the beach-front golf course – 10km from the city’s downtown – along the Cổ Cò River – for a total cash prize of US$75,000 and accumulated bonus points in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.

Also, a conference on golf development and destinations will be held during the tournament at the Sheraton Đà Nẵng Resort – near the golf course by the Asian Golf Industry Federation (AGIF).

Ken Kudo from ADT said golf had boomed in Việt Nam in recent years with a series of international standard golf courses built and successfully hosting some Asian Tour events.

A view of BRG Đà Nẵng golf clubs. The golf course, which Nick Claus designed, is sandwiched between the Cổ Cò River and the beach of Đà Nẵng. Photo courtesy of Đà Nẵng Tourism Promotion Centre

He said the successful organisation of the BRG Đà Nẵng Open Golf Championship would help promote Việt Nam’s golf and be a milestone for Đà Nẵng’s golf industry.

Vice director of Đà Nẵng’s tourism department Nguyễn Xuân Bình said golfers can have more options playing at many golf courses during their golf trip in central Việt Nam, including BRG Đà Nẵng golf clubs, Bà Nà Hills Golf Club, Vinpearl golf Nam Hội An, Hoiana Shore club, and Laguna golf Lăng Cô

Đà Nẵng, Quảng Nam, Quảng Bình and Thừa Thiên-Huế are home to beautiful golf courses designed by Nick Faldo, Greg Norman, Collin Montgomerie and Luke Donald, including the Đà Nẵng Golf Club, the Bà Nà Hills Golf Club, Montgomerie Links, and the Laguna Lăng Cô Golf Club.

Bà Nà Hills Golf Club, which features 18 tour-calibre holes, is the first golf course in Việt Nam to allow night access to golfers.

Đà Nẵng city’s golf tourism earned US$68 million in revenue in 2016 from golf tourism, and the city expects to increase the figure to $186 million when three more golf courses open. — VNS