Published:  00:00 Saturday - December 10, 2005

When the zoning plan for Dalat was mapped out in 1936, Doi Cu was designed as a "green lung" in the middle of the city, which is the capital of the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong.

However, that 65-hectare hill was later developed into a nine-hole golf course to serve French and Vietnamese golfers. It was the first golf course in Indochina and the Dalat Golf Club welcomed many members from home and abroad, who went there for golf tournaments held annually at the New Year and the Easter. At the time, Bao Dai - the last monarch of Vietnam - used to play golf with French officers at Doi Cu.

After 1975, the Dalat Golf Course suspended operations and became a public park. Local residents and visitors used to stroll on the hill for relaxation under the shade of pine trees, viewing the scenery of the nearby Xuan Huong Lake, while children found the hill an ideal place for flying kites and playing during summer vacations.

In 1992, the joint venture Dalat Resort Inc. (DRI) started developing Doi Cu into an international-standard 18-hole golf course. It is noteworthy that the golf course is designed in harmony with the scenery of the Lang Biang Plateau, making it one of the most beautiful golf courses in Vietnam. Many people say it looks like a Chinese ink painting, as green lawns are intersphered with artificial and natural lakes and bunkers of yellow sand. The evergreen pine trees provide shade on the smooth greens and reflect off the smooth surface of the lakes. In addition, the Dalat Golf Course is distinctive from other golf courses in Vietnam as it is covered with Bent grass, which was imported from the US and has grown well in the temperate weather conditions.

The US paper, Golf Digest, in November 2003 recognised Dalat Golf Course as the best in Vietnam in terms of scenery, quality of service and scale, and one of the 50 most beautiful in Asia.

When building Dalat Golf Course, the designers decided to upgrade the former Golf Club built in 1936 but kept its architecture unchanged. The present-day Dalat Palace Golf Club features comfortable facilities and is now the rendezvous for more than 200 club members, who are mostly foreigners.

The Dalat Golf Course management has recently launched a promotion programme to offer locals the chance to play golf in Dalat. The program includes opening courses for the beginners that cost VND300,000 for a one-hour lesson in how to play golf. Those who want to practice playing must pay VND45,000 for 30 to 100 balls. For professionals, the cost is VND100,000, including the cost of renting golf clubs and balls. The programme is available after 3pm on weekdays only.

Visitors can pay VND15,000-20,000 for a trip by a specialised car to tour the golf course. For further information, please call (063) 821201 or (08) 8243640.