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Hi {contactfield=firstname|Fellow Golfer},

Welcome to the January 2026 issue of the Asian Golf Traveler, the source for information about golf travel in Asia. Also, unique golf playing tips for South East Asia's tropical environment, announcements of golf travel promotions, and our latest subscription offer are all integral parts of today's newsletter.

January is one of the best months of the year to be in Asia with clubs in hand. Fairways are in top shape, mornings are crisp, and the vibe on the courses is exactly what winter golf should feel like. If you are thinking about a trip for January or February, a quick heads-up: this is peak season and tee times disappear early, so it is worth locking plans in sooner rather than later. Many of our regulars are already mapping out winter 2026-27 as well.

For this January edition, we are heading to Ho Chi Minh City, a destination that works brilliantly for golf travelers. You get a world-class city base, fantastic food and culture at night, and an impressive spread of courses within easy reach. This month we feature The Bluffs Grand Ho Tram, one of Vietnam’s standout coastal tests, and Mia Saigon as our hotel highlight. We also share insights from Ian Cording, who leads the team at The Bluffs and has been part of Vietnam’s golf growth for years.

Interested in Asia’s top amateur golf tournaments and exclusive tournament offers?
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Also, do not overlook summer (April - October) golf in Asia. Rainy season often brings softer light, more comfortable temperatures, and showers that tend to roll in later in the afternoon. With the drainage on most leading courses, golf still runs smoothly.

If you enjoy tournament weeks, check our event calendar. 2026 starts with the Philippines Invitational in February, followed by the Amari Skins in March. Check out our event calendar for the entire 026 event lineup.

And if you want to see what traveling with Golfasian is like, have a look at our customer feedback. Then tell us what you are dreaming up - or ask for inspiration - and we will help build the trip around it.

Mark Siegel,

Managing Director

ASIA GOLF EVENT CALENDAR

Philippines Golf Invitational 22 - 27 Feb. 2026, Clark, Philippines
Amari Hua Hin Skins Week 15 - 20 Mar. 2026, Hua Hin, Thailand
Centara World Masters 7 - 13 Jun. 2026, Hua Hin, Thailand
Avani Pattaya 2 Ball 14 - 20 Jun. 2026, Pattaya, Thailand
Double Tree Phuket Golf Invitational 5-10 Jul. 2026, Thailand (SPECIAL OFFER)
Indian Open Thailand (COMING SOON)
Pattaya Men's Open 23 - 29 Aug. 2026, Pattaya, Thailand
Bangkok Golf Championship 30 Aug. - 5 Sep. 2026, Bangkok, Thailand
Vietnam World Masters Week 1 6 - 13 Sep. 2026, Danang, Vietnam
Vietnam World Masters Week 2 13 - 19 Sep. 2026, Danang, Vietnam

Cambodia Golf Tournament 25 - 30 Oct. 2026, Cambodia (NEW & SPECIAL OFFER)
Pullman Invitational 1 - 6 Nov. 2026, Cambodia (SPECIAL OFFER)
Malaysia World Masters 21 - 28 Nov. 2026, Malaysia (NEW & SPECIAL OFFER)

DESTINATION OF THE MONTH: Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City is one of Vietnam’s most versatile bases for golfers who want variety paired with strong international access. The city - also known as Saigon - carries layers of history: a former French Cochinchina capital and later the capital of South Vietnam, renamed after reunification in 1976. That mix shows up in the streets: colonial-era landmarks, a river-city skyline, and a food scene that runs from early-morning noodle shops to late-night rooftop bars.

For golf travelers, the appeal is strong. Tan Son Nhat International Airport feeds the city with nonstop connections, and a wide spread of courses can be reached as day trips or short overnights. Tan Son Nhat Golf Course, located directly beside the airport, offers 36 holes and works particularly well on arrival or departure days. Long Thanh, established in 2001, delivers two contrasting 18-hole layouts and remains the benchmark for classic parkland-style golf around the city. Song Be, officially opened in 1994, is the original international-standard championship venue in the south, with 27 holes and a busy local golf culture.

What sets Saigon apart is range rather than novelty. To the east, The Bluffs Grand Ho Tram has long provided a dramatic coastal links experience on natural dunes above the sea, offering a sharp contrast to inland parkland golf. Further north, NovaWorld Phan Thiet expands the catchment with modern, PGA-standard resort golf suited to longer stays, while Vinpearl Golf Léman in Củ Chi adds a new-generation course closer to the city, with its first 18 holes opened in March 2025.

The best Saigon golf itineraries pair early tee times with city evenings. Play in the morning, then swap spikes for District 1 and 3 architecture, museums, coffee culture, and dining that makes “one more night” an easy decision.

COURSE OF THE MONTH:
The Bluffs Grand Ho Tram

The Bluffs Grand Ho Tram - a course built on restraint

The Bluffs Grand Ho Tram occupies one of the most demanding pieces of golfing land in southern Vietnam. Set on a raised coastal plateau east of Ho Chi Minh City, the course is exposed, wind-affected, and visually uncompromising. It is not a site that allows for shortcuts in either design or management.

The course is overseen by Ian Cording, General Manager of The Bluffs, whose background spans senior hospitality roles and technical golf operations in Vietnam. His experience is visible in how the course is run. The emphasis is on control, consistency, and preparation rather than spectacle. The Bluffs is not positioned as a resort course that adapts to players. Players are expected to adapt to it.

Designed by Greg Norman, the routing works through significant elevation changes and large dune systems on sandy loam soil. Drainage is excellent, surfaces remain firm, and conditions shift noticeably with weather and wind direction. This makes decision-making central to the round. Shot selection matters more than distance. Poor choices are punished quickly and without apology.

To book your tailored travel package and find out more information, please email us.

ACCOMMODATION OF THE MONTH:
Mia Saigon Luxury Boutique Hotel

Mia Saigon is one of those hotels you will keep coming back to.

It is not in the middle of District 1, and that is exactly the point. You are roughly 30 minutes out, right on the river, and the whole place feels calmer the moment you arrive. Mia Saigon is reminiscent of Anantara Riverside Bangkok - not because it looks the same, but because it delivers that same “city access without city stress” feeling.

What really stands out is that the river is not just something to look at, it is part of how you move around. The hotel runs a complimentary speedboat into town, and the ride takes around 15 minutes. On paper, that sounds like a small detail. In reality, it changes your entire day. You can have dinner in District 1 without committing to traffic, drop into a market or bar, and then come back to quiet, just as easily.

For golfers, the setup is refreshingly straightforward. Every room faces the river, so there is no negotiating upgrades or worrying about ending up on the wrong side of the building. You wake up, open the curtains, and the river is right there. With an early tee time, it is a genuinely pleasant way to start the day.

And because the hotel is relatively new, everything feels crisp and well-kept. There is that sense that the place still takes pride in the details, and it shows in how smoothly everything runs.

In short, Mia Saigon works as a Saigon base that makes the city feel easier, without ever feeling like you are hiding from it.

MEET YOUR GM - Ian Cording

Ian Cording and the Making of a Modern Links at Ho Tram.

Ian Cording arrived in Vietnam more than a decade ago, at a time when the country’s golf scene was still defining itself. What he found was momentum, ambition, and a landscape with far more potential than most people realized. Today, as General Manager of The Bluffs Grand Ho Tram, Ian sits at the intersection of world-class golf, high-end hospitality, and one of Vietnam’s most dramatic coastal sites.

His background spans senior hospitality roles and technical course management, shaping a leadership style focused on precision, flow, and consistency rather than spectacle. At The Bluffs, those principles play out daily on a course that asks golfers to think, adapt, and engage with the land rather than fight it.

In our full interview, Ian shares what drew him to Vietnam, how his thinking around modern golf has evolved, and what it really takes to deliver a Top 100 golf experience on a raw, wind-exposed dune site. He also looks ahead to Ho Tram’s future and explains why refinement, not expansion, will define the next phase of Vietnam golf.

👉 Read the full interview with Ian Cording here

Unique Experiences in Saigon - Beyond the Usual

Saigon After Dark - Vintage Vespa food and cocktail trail
A strong first-night option when everyone is still adjusting to time zones. You ride pillion through back streets and older apartment blocks, stopping for a sequence of small bites, local specialties, and cocktail bars that most visitors would never find on their own. It is social, fast-moving, and surprisingly good at explaining Ho Chi Minh City's modern identity without turning into a history lecture.

Street markets and a private cooking session with a local chef
This one starts where Saigon actually eats: neighborhood markets. You shop with a chef, learn how southern Vietnamese flavors are built (herbs, dipping sauces, seafood, heat, balance), then cook and dine in a private home setting. It works well as a non-golf evening that still feels local and specific.

Saigon sunset on the river, then cocktails at The Deck
Do the city at its best hour. A short river cruise gives you skyline perspective and cooler air, then you finish with a calm riverside table for sunset drinks and dinner at one of Saigon’s best-known addresses.

Cu Chi tunnels by speedboat
If you want history without losing a full day, the speedboat format is the smarter play: less road time, an early start, and a tighter schedule. It is easy to pair with an afternoon tee time back in the city.

To book your tailored travel package and find out more information, please email us.

GOLF PACKAGE OF THE MONTH:
South Vietnam Golf Package

This South Vietnam Golf Package is a 12-day journey that blends Vietnam’s three most contrasting golf regions into one smooth itinerary. Start in Ho Chi Minh City for two standout rounds at Tan Son Nhat and Long Thanh, then break up the golf with a fast, memorable half-day speedboat excursion to the Cu Chi Tunnels.

Fly to Nha Trang for coastal links golf at KN Golf Links Cam Ranh and an island round at Vinpearl Golf Nha Trang, with time built in to enjoy the beach or spa.

Finish in the cool highlands of Dalat, playing SAM Tuyen Lam amid pine forests and The Dalat at 1200, a long, championship-style layout with wide alpine views. The tour is fully customizable around preferred hotels, tee times, and pace.

To book your tailored travel package and find out more information, please email us.

DISH OF THE MONTH: Bánh Xèo

If Saigon had a sound, it might be the sizzle of Bánh Xèo hitting a hot pan. This southern Vietnamese classic is a crisp rice-flour crêpe, folded around pork, shrimp, bean sprouts, and herbs, then cooked until golden and crackling at the edges. The name literally means “sizzling cake,” and it delivers exactly that.

What makes Bánh Xèo special is how it’s eaten. Tear off a piece, wrap it in mustard leaf or lettuce with fresh herbs, and dip it into a light, tangy fish sauce. The contrast is the point: hot and crunchy against cool greens, richness balanced by acidity and freshness.

In Saigon, Bánh Xèo is not restaurant food. It’s street-side, social, and meant to be shared. You sit on low stools, watch the batter poured, and eat while it’s still audibly crisp. After a morning on the fairways, it is exactly the kind of meal that explains why golfers never leave the city hungry.

MEET OUR TEAM -
Mery Truong - Sales & Reservation Executive

“I didn’t start out in golf,” Mery Truong says. “I started out wanting to understand people.”

Mery studied English at the University of Foreign Language Studies in Danang, focusing on translation and interpretation, because she liked the challenge of turning expectations into something clear and workable. “Languages teach you to listen properly,” she explains. “Not just to words, but to what people really mean.”

That mindset followed her into hospitality. Before joining Golfasian, Mery spent three years at Hoiana Resort & Golf, working on the front line of guest services. “You learn very quickly that great service is about timing,” she says. “Doing the right thing before someone has to ask for it.”

Golf entered her life gradually. Her husband works in the industry, but it was watching guests arrive at Hoiana that changed how she saw the game. “They came from all over the world, tired from travel, excited about golf, sometimes nervous,” she recalls. “By the time they left, they were relaxed, happy, and already talking about their next trip. That’s when I understood how powerful a good golf experience can be.”

Outside work, Mery loves cooking, especially pho, which she says teaches patience and balance, two skills that also help in hospitality. She plays badminton, enjoys traveling, and is slowly working up the courage to pick up a golf club herself. “I think it’s time,” she laughs. “I’ve helped enough people enjoy the game. Now I should try it too.”

Golfasian Customer Testimonials

Don’t just take our word for it - we encourage you to delve into the testimonials of our satisfied customers. Their firsthand accounts will provide you with an in-depth understanding of the exceptional golf holiday services we offer at Golfasian, and how we strive to create unforgettable golfing experiences. View all recent reviews here.

DOWNLOAD THE ASIA GOLF GUIDE

We’re excited to share that the third edition of the Asia Golf Guide is out today - and it’s our biggest yet. Spanning 136 pages, this free guide showcases the very best of golf across eight Asian countries, with more than 85 must-play courses and a wide range of recommended hotels and resorts.

Inside you’ll find fresh additions to your bucket list, from newly opened layouts to iconic classics, along with practical destination insights to help plan your trip. Countries featured include Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Indonesia, as well as emerging golf destinations such as Laos, Brunei, and the Philippines.

This edition also features an exclusive interview with Sir Nick Faldo, who shares why Southeast Asia has become one of his favorite regions to design courses.

Whether you’re planning your first trip or your next one, the Asia Golf Guide is the ultimate companion on where to play and stay - and it’s completely free to download here.

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