Greg Norman has completed the plans for two 18-hole championship courses to be built at a new club in North Vietnam.
The 67-year-old Australian visited the 168-acre site of the new courses at Văn Lang Empire Golf Club earlier this week, ahead of hosting the sixth leg of the LIV Golf Series, which is being held in Bangkok, Thailand.
Ground was first broken on the site in February, with the club’s golf academy scheduled to open in December, while the two golf courses, The Prime and The Legend, are due to host their first rounds in September 2023.
Văn Lang Empire Golf Club is owned by the T&T Group, a privately-owned Vietnamese conglomerate with business interests in the electrical goods market. Norman met with Do Quang Hien, chairman of the Board of Directors of T&T Group, on October 3 to present the completed plans for the 36 holes, before making his first visit to site in the province of Phu Tho.
Mr Quang said: “Văn Lang Empire Golf Club is an important milestone for the T&T Group and marks the beginning of our extensive development in the Vietnamese golf industry. We believe that Văn Lang Empire will become the leading golfing facility in northern Vietnam, a high-class venue that attracts golfing tourists from every corner of the globe. In so doing, it will promote the socio-economic development of Phu Tho Province in particular and Vietnam’s tourism industry in general – as well as contributing greatly to the Gross Domestic Product in Vietnam.”
He added: “As well as striving to attain all the elements of international standards, the project will be in harmony with local culture and history. It is our vision to create unforgettable experiences for golfers and international visitors to Vietnam. In his role as tourism ambassador, we look forward to Greg Norman promoting Vietnam in general and the northern region in particular.”
For his part, Norman believes the tie-up with T&T Golf will contribute to bringing the Vietnamese golf brand to the world. He said: “I think Vietnam is the place to realise the dream of golf course designers. It’s full of wonderful elements of weather, rivers, hills, friendly people, and unique cuisine. There aren’t many places that have that many advantages. I always hold a firm belief in taking advantage of what nature gives us to design each special golf course in a different way.
“At Văn Lang Empire Golf Club we have found common ground with the T&T Group when pursuing the philosophy of sustainable development and creating values for the community and society. This is completely in line with the current development trend of the world golf industry.”