First-time visitors to Ho Chi Minh City usually start with Tan Son Nhat Golf Course and Vietnam Golf & Country Club (VGCC). Both are dependable championship tests. Groups staying five to seven nights in Saigon, however, often want quieter weekday fairways and a change of scenery for their third and fourth rounds.
The outer ring of courses in former Binh Duong province (merged into Ho Chi Minh City in 2025) and Dong Nai has three standout clubs that rarely get detailed coverage in English travel guides: Twin Doves Golf Club, Royal Island Golf & Villas (often searched as Mekong Golf), and Taekwang Jeongsan Country Club.
Saigon's outer-ring courses compared
| Feature | Twin Doves Golf Club | Royal Island Golf & Villas | Taekwang Jeongsan Country Club |
|---|---|---|---|
| Location | Thu Dau Mot, Binh Duong (North) | Bach Dang Island, Tan Uyen (North-East) | River island, Nhon Trach, Dong Nai (East) |
| Holes and par | 27 holes (Luna, Sole, Stella) | 18 holes, par 72 | 18 holes, par 72 |
| Transfer from District 1 | 55 to 65 min van ride | 70 to 80 min van ride across river bridge | 30-min speedboat from D1 pier (or 55-min road) |
| Setting | Quiet members-oriented club | River island surrounded by pomelo orchards | Ecological river island on the Dong Nai River |
| Best suited for | Fast greens and low-to-mid handicaps | Relaxed weekday golf and on-course villa stays | Groups who want a private speedboat arrival |
1. Twin Doves Golf Club (Binh Duong)
Designed by Peter Rousseau of P+Z, Twin Doves Golf Club was built as a members-oriented club, and you notice the difference on the practice green. While inner-city courses handle 300 rounds a day, Twin Doves spaces out its weekday tee times.
The 27 holes split into three nines: the Luna Course plays over rolling hills and woodland fringes, the Sole Course wraps around island water hazards, and the Stella Course demands accurate iron shots over creeks that cut across the approach zones. Green speeds here are among the quickest in Southern Vietnam, guarded by deep white silica bunkers. Leave District 1 at 6:15 AM sharp to beat the northern commuter traffic into Binh Duong for a 7:30 AM tee time.
2. Royal Island Golf & Villas (Bach Dang Island / Mekong Golf)
Royal Island Golf & Villas (still listed on some older maps as Mekong Golf Course) occupies Cu Lao Bach Dang, a natural island surrounded on all four sides by the Dong Nai River and local pomelo orchards.
Because water rings the entire island, there is no highway noise and no apartment blocks on the horizon. River breezes blow across the fairways all afternoon, and water hazards frame almost every hole. Many winter golf groups from Korea and Taiwan check into the on-site fairway villas for two or three days to play 36 holes a day in peace. It is a friendly, scenic test for mid-to-high handicappers with sharp weekday rates.
3. Taekwang Jeongsan Country Club (Nhon Trach)
Located on a river island in Nhon Trach (Dong Nai), this Golfplan design by Ron Fream and David Dale has the most memorable commute in Southern Vietnam. Instead of sitting in morning highway traffic, your four-ball walks down to the central Saigon pier, boards a private covered speedboat with your golf bags, and cruises 30 minutes down the Saigon and Dong Nai rivers directly to the club's private marina.
The 18-hole, par-72 course opened in 2012 and belongs to Korea's Taekwang Group, which shows in the Korean-style clubhouse and kitchen. Holes along the riverbanks have wide landing areas, while the inland stretch has bolder bunker complexes and tighter par-4 approaches. If your group prefers road transfers, the expressway and bridge route takes about 55 minutes by van.
Review morning transfer corridors in our Saigon Golf Drive-Time Guide, or check our breakdown of caddie fees and cart inclusions in the Vietnam Golf Trip Cost Breakdown.