Vietnam's Golf Journey: From Practice Grounds to International Arenas — Lessons from Those Who Went Before

I still remember my first visit to Long Bien Golf Course in 2026. Back then, golf in Vietnam was still an unfamiliar sport to the vast majority of people. The fairways were sparse, clubs had to be imported from abroad through carry-on luggage, and golfers could be counted on one hand. Twenty-six years later, I sit in Brisbane, watching Vietnamese golfers compete in international tournaments through a screen, and I ask myself: what journey brought them here?

The development context of Vietnamese golf has a unique characteristic: unlike Thailand or South Korea — where golf developed from the upper class and then spread to the masses — Vietnamese golf was born in the context of economic opening, tied to foreign investment and tourism. The first golf courses were not built for Vietnamese to play, but to serve foreign guests doing business in Vietnam. This created a different development structure: infrastructure came first, players came later.

From the perspective of someone who has followed golf for over two decades, I see Vietnamese golf at an important crossroads. Young golfers like Nguyen Anh Minh, Le Khanh Hung, and Dang Quang Anh have begun to make their mark in regional and international tournaments. But the biggest question is not how well they can play, but whether the system is strong enough to support them from young talents into world-class professionals.

The difference between Vietnamese golf and Asia's leading golf nations lies in the depth of the training system. South Korea has a national golf academy, Japan has a long-established professional tournament system, Thailand has private academies with world-class coaches. What does Vietnam currently have? A few quality private academies, some amateur tournaments, and an association system that is still being perfected. It's a start, but not enough.

I once had the opportunity to talk with an Australian golf coach who had worked in Vietnam. He told me: "Young Vietnamese golfers have very good basic technique, but they lack high-level competition experience. They don't know how to manage emotions when facing the pressure of a 72-hole tournament." That sentence reminded me of my meeting with Rohan Browning in 2026 — the Australian 100m runner — when he said: "Running is the feeling of the track." For golf, it's the same: playing golf is the feeling of pressure, of each decisive putt, of standing on the tee box with hundreds of eyes watching you.

Technical Analysis: The Strokes Gained Gap

Looking at data from international amateur tournaments that Vietnamese golfers have participated in, a clear pattern emerges: Vietnamese golfers typically have good Strokes Gained: Approach numbers — meaning they hit accurate approach shots from the fairway to the green. However, their Strokes Gained: Putting and Strokes Gained: Around the Green numbers are often significantly lower than their peers from Thailand or South Korea.

This reflects a reality: Vietnamese golfers are well-trained in swing technique, but they lack practice time on different types of greens and lack experience handling situations around the green — where finesse and feel are the deciding factors. In elite golf, a 3-foot putt can make the difference between making the cut and going home early.

Lessons from the Olympic Cycle and Sustainable Development

Golf returned to the Olympics in 2026 after more than a century of absence. For emerging golf nations like Vietnam, the Olympics are not just an opportunity to compete, but a catalyst for development. When a country has a representative at the Olympics, governments and sponsors tend to invest more in that sport.

However, I have a counter-intuitive perspective: an over-focus on Olympic performance could distort Vietnamese golf's development. Why? Because Olympic golf only features 60 male and 60 female golfers — an extremely limited number. For a Vietnamese golfer to earn an Olympic spot, they not only need to play well but also need to surpass hundreds of golfers from other countries in the region. If all resources are concentrated on a few individuals, the overall training system will not improve.

South Korea is a prime example. They didn't build a golf system to produce one Olympic star. They built a system capable of producing dozens of quality golfers every year. The result: South Korea has more golfers in the world's top 100 than any other Asian country. And when you have many quality golfers, having an Olympic representative is a natural outcome.

The Power of Patience: Lessons from Croatia 2026

In 2026, I witnessed Croatia reach the World Cup final. They weren't the strongest team, they didn't have the most possession, but they patiently waited for their opponents' mistakes. That lesson can apply to Vietnamese golf: you don't need to immediately have a top-10 world golfer. You just need to build a system that can produce golfers good enough to compete at the regional level, then gradually move up.

Challenges of Commercialization and Sponsorship

Golf is an expensive sport. A quality set of clubs can cost thousands of dollars. Practice fees, tournament fees, travel expenses — all are significant barriers. In Vietnam, most young golfers come from well-off families or are sponsored by large corporations. This creates a problem: if golf is only for the wealthy, how can the talent pool be expanded?

I've seen a successful model in Thailand: large corporations sponsor golf scholarships for children from underprivileged families. They receive proper training from a young age, and when they mature, they can compete professionally and give back to the system. This is a model Vietnam could learn from.

Jersey Advertising and Community Connection

One issue I've always cared about is how the commercialization of sports is eroding connections with local communities. In Vietnam, young golfers often wear logos of large sponsors — this is good for their wallets, but does it create a connection with Vietnamese fans? I believe Vietnamese golfers need to build personal brands tied to Vietnamese identity, not just become faceless advertising models.

The Future: Three Scenarios for Vietnamese Golf

Scenario 1 (Optimistic): Within 5-10 years, Vietnam has a golfer in the world's top 100. The training system improves, with at least 3-4 internationally standard golf academies. Domestic tournaments attract media and sponsor interest.

Scenario 2 (Moderate): Vietnamese golf develops slowly but steadily. Some young golfers perform well at the regional level but cannot yet compete on the world stage. The training system still has many shortcomings.

Scenario 3 (Pessimistic): Vietnamese golf fails to capitalize on its current momentum. Young golfers lack international competition opportunities, the training system is not adequately invested in, and golf remains a sport for the elite.

Takeaway: Sports as a Universal Language

I've lived in Australia for over two decades, but my heart still turns toward Vietnam. Every time I see a Vietnamese golfer compete on an international stage, I remember the feeling of standing in Luzhniki Stadium in 2026, watching Croatia fight with all their hearts. Sports are not just about winning or losing. Sports are stories of perseverance, of pushing beyond one's limits, of representing a nation on the international stage.

Vietnamese golf still has a long road ahead. But if there's one thing I've learned from 49 years of observing sports, it's this: no road is too long if you start walking. And Vietnam's young golfers have already started walking. They just need a system good enough to support them, and a community patient enough to wait for them to grow.

The stadium is empty, but the applause still echoes within me. And I believe that one day, that applause will ring out for a Vietnamese golfer on the world's most prestigious golf course.