On a map of Ho Chi Minh City (which almost everyone who lives or plays golf here still calls Saigon), the golf layout looks simple. Six championship clubs ring the urban core within a 5 to 38 kilometer radius, so nothing looks further than a 40-minute ride.
Monday morning traffic changes that math quickly. Step out of a hotel near Dong Khoi Street in District 1 at 6:45 AM, climb into a van, and you will hit two million scooters along Dien Bien Phu or the Hanoi Highway. Groups that misjudge the morning rush end up sprinting from the car park straight to the first tee without hitting a single warm-up ball.
After routing hundreds of four-balls out of District 1 and District 3, our ground team ranks the best golf courses in Saigon by both turf quality and how long it takes to get there and back.
Transfer times from District 1 (Dong Khoi and Nguyen Hue)
| Golf course | Holes | Distance from D1 | Drive time (6:00 AM departure) | Drive time (7:15 AM departure) | Best slot in your trip |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tan Son Nhat Golf Course | 36 holes (A, B, C, D) | 7.5 km | 20 to 25 mins | 35 to 45 mins | Arrival day, departure day, or night golf |
| Vietnam Golf & Country Club (Thu Duc) | 36 holes (West and East) | 19 km | 35 to 40 mins | 55 to 70 mins | Tuesday to Friday mornings |
| Song Be Golf Resort (Binh Duong) | 27 holes (Lotus, Palm, Desert) | 22 km | 40 to 45 mins | 60 to 75 mins | Mid-week parkland rounds |
| Long Thanh Golf Club (Dong Nai) | 36 holes (Hill and Lake) | 36 km | 45 to 55 mins | 65 to 80 mins | Wednesday to Sunday mornings |
| Twin Doves Golf Club (Binh Duong) | 27 holes (Luna, Sole, Stella) | 38 km | 55 to 65 mins | 75 to 90 mins | Low-to-mid handicap weekday rounds |
| Taekwang Jeongsan CC (Dai Phuoc Island) | 18 holes | Boat from D1 pier | 30-min speedboat | 55 mins by road | Groups wanting a river boat arrival |
1. Tan Son Nhat Golf Course (36 holes)
Designed by Nelson & Haworth right beside the runways of Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN), this 36-hole club in Go Vap District is only 20 to 25 minutes north of District 1. That proximity solves almost every scheduling headache on a short Saigon trip.
The four nine-hole loops (Courses A, B, C, and D) roll over mounded Paspalum fairways to large, tiered greens. Courses C and D are the stronger pairing, with water in play on more than half the holes. The clubhouse is massive, with locker rooms and Cantonese and Vietnamese dining rooms built to handle 1,000 guests.
The trade-off is volume. Because Tan Son Nhat is the only 36-hole facility inside city limits, four-balls are mandatory on busy days and rounds average four and a half hours. Expect city convenience and tournament-ready turf rather than quiet countryside.
2. Vietnam Golf & Country Club (VGCC / Thu Duc Golf)
Opened in 1994 and host of multiple Vietnam Open championships, VGCC is where Saigon's low-handicap members play. While newer courses rely on heavy earthmoving, VGCC's West Course and East Course (designed by Lee Trevino) wind through mature oil palms and tall hardwood trees.
The West Course is narrower off the tee and asks you to shape shots into elevated greens. The East Course gives you wider landing areas on the front nine before tightening around water hazards on the back nine. Leave your District 1 hotel by 6:10 AM for a 7:15 AM tee time so your van crosses the Thu Thiem Bridge onto the Long Thanh Expressway before commuter traffic thickens.
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3. Long Thanh Golf Club
Much of the southern Saigon basin is flat, which makes Long Thanh Golf Club stand out. Built on a natural bluff in Dong Nai province just off the expressway, its Hill Course and Lake Course have real elevation changes, river breezes, and clear-day views back toward the Landmark 81 tower.
Ask your operator for the Hill Course first. Its rolling fairways and downhill par-3s make it the most scenic parkland layout within an hour of the city. If your group is driving down the coast to play The Bluffs Grand Ho Tram, Long Thanh sits right along the highway and works well as a stopover round on the drive back to Saigon.
4. Twin Doves and Song Be in Binh Duong
Driving north out of Ho Chi Minh City into Binh Duong province brings you to two 27-hole clubs with very different personalities.
Twin Doves Golf Club (Luna, Sole, and Stella nines) operates like a private Korean country club, with fast greens, deep white bunkers, and quieter weekday tee sheets. If you don't mind a 60-minute morning van ride, the conditioning is some of the best in the south. Ten minutes closer to the city, Song Be Golf Resort is Vietnam's original 1994 championship course; its Desert nine has long waste bunkers and tighter tree corridors, and weekday green fees typically run US$20 to US$30 less than Twin Doves.
5. A note on Saigon South Golf Club (Phu My Hung)
Visiting golfers often ask to book 18 holes at Saigon South Golf Club in District 7 because it looks close to downtown on Google Maps. Saigon South is a 9-hole par-3 executive course and driving range inside the Phu My Hung residential neighborhood. It is handy for a 90-minute iron practice session if you stay in District 7, but visiting groups should stick to the full championship clubs above.
Compare sample schedules in our Saigon and Phu Quoc 6-Day Itinerary, or check contracted green fees and full packages with our ground partner at Wingolf's Ho Chi Minh City Golf Tour Hub.