Royal Long An Golf & Villas, near Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, has opened a 18-hole golf course by Faldo Design. A nine-hole layout at the resort is also under construction.

For the 18-hole design, the Faldo team has incorporated a lake system to capture storm and rainwater for irrigation while also acting as a defence on many holes.

“Finally seeing the course maturing is always a rewarding milestone,” said Sir Nick Faldo. “It takes tremendous vison to deliver a golf course on a site like this. Seeing the forest through the trees is a unique ability when you have design challenges.

“Some sites simply have golf holes, and you just need to find them; other sites have nothing, and you have to create playable golf. I like both styles of design. They test your creativity in different ways.”

The par-72 course can be played from 5,424 to 7,233 yards. Work began just prior to the closure of international travel in 2020 with Faldo Design continuing design work and overseeing construction remotely.

Construction of the third nine is expected to start in 2024. According to the club, it is shaping up to be a tougher test than the first 18 with water more in play.

“I’ve been coming to Vietnam since the mid-1990s, building golf courses and hosting Faldo Series events in different provinces, all aimed at expanding the game I love,” said Faldo. “Taking golf to new regions has been a passion of mine for decades. Royal Long An in Long An province is just a continuation of that dream.”