The full Monty for golf in Vietnam

QUANG NAM, Vietnam – Thirteen years after Vietnam opened its first golf course of the modern era, a British golf legend is en route to the sands of China Beach where he’ll put his stamp on a links course that is shaping up to be one of Asia’s finest.

Colin Montgomerie, who has set records on the European Tour with 31 tournament victories and eight money titles, travels to the historic Central Coast area over the weekend of November 17-18, between playing stops in Shanghai for the HSBC Champions tournament and Shenzhen for the World Cup.

While in Vietnam, Montgomerie will work on The Montgomerie Links Vietnam — a collection of 18 holes routed through casuarina pines and seaside vegetation just minutes from Danang’s international airport.

“I’m excited to see how the site has evolved,” said Montgomerie, who has also played on eight Ryder Cup teams. “It’s a spectacular piece of land in one of the most beautiful parts of the world.”

In the space of five months, a distinctly Old World design has sprouted near the former R&R spot for American GIs, with massive green complexes and rolling fairways spreading out on a virtually treeless site.

A comprehensive practice facility opens in December. The first nine holes are expected to be playable by spring 2008.

“It’s important to note that when the first course of this era was built [in Phan Thiet, south of Danang), Vietnam was only just opening itself up to golf and the West,” said Peter Ryder, CEO of Indochina Capital, developer of the US$45 million project.

“Ocean Dunes was followed by a trickle of activity in the course development realm. What did get built was done by no-name designers.

“It’s different today. More than 20 projects are in some stage of development. The Montgomerie Links shows that this market isn’t merely ready for a first-class resort course, it’s prepared to respond to an international golfing brand.”

Indochina Capital made its initial splash in Vietnam’s fastest growing resort region with 100-villa The Nam Hai, the country’s first super-luxury resort, which opened December 1, 2006.

In addition to the course and driving range, the development will include a 60-unit residential component on 38,000 square metres called The Montgomerie Links Estates and a clubhouse designed by Hong Kong-based architectural firm Gravity Partnership Ltd.

IMG is providing the course design team, and managing course construction.

Montgomerie currently has seven layouts open for play around the globe, including ones in Ireland, Dubai and China. He also has more than 10 courses in some stage of construction or design.