DaLat Palace Golf Club

DaLat Palace Golf Club (More details)
Designed by: Origional designed by Colt and Alison – Redesigned by Brett Stensen (IMG)
Design concept: 18 holes par 72
Established: 1994
Known as “Home of Golf in Vietnam” – The Last Vietnamese Emperor’s Golf Course, The Dalat Palace Golf Club is situated 5000 feet above sea level in the temperate highlands of Dalat and plays downhill to the Xuan Huong Lake. Golfers at Dalat Palace reminds golfers of the days when the pursuit of leisure was the norm for the French colonialists. The course has been expertly crafted into Dalat’s mountainous setting through stately pine trees creating a naturally challenging golfing environment.
History: Da Lat Palace Golf Club is the oldest golf club in the S-shaped country. It boasts a colourful history that can be seen.
– 1922: The Dalat Palace Golf Club lists the architectural firm of Colt & Alison as the original course designers.
– In early 1930’s: It was finally decided to build the course, when Emperor Bao Dai returned from a trip to France, where he discovered the sport in Normandy and in Paris chic suburb of Senlis-Chantilly. He then decided to build his own course in Dalat, as it was marked on the City plan. The course had 6 holes at the time and a small Club house, the one you can still enjoy today.
– 1945: The course was then abandoned after the Emperor left to Hong Kong.
– 1954: Doctor Hach, a physician from Hanoi, settled in Dalat and revived the Dalat Golf Club together with Ferdinand d’Or, the Lang Bian Palace Hotel Director. They collected some sponsors to rebuild the course, one sponsor per hole. Having found 8 sponsors, the course had 8 holes and the hole #8 was played twice from a different tee-box. The club house was extended in the mid 60’s when the course started to become more popular, with famous golfers like Billy Casper coming to cheer the American troops.
– 1975: The Golf Club was closed again
– In the early 90’s: the American Millionaire Larry Hillblom,   a co-founder of DHL revived the Golf Club which finally became an 18 holes championship Golf Course, known today as the Dalat Golf Club.
– 1994: a multi-million dollar restoration project was set upon.The reconditioning carried out by IMG has nurtured a pleasant, parkland course suited to holiday golf. Since that time the course has gone from strength to strength cementing its place officially as Vietnam’s leading course, but also as one of the leading courses in the whole of Asia. The Championship 18 hole, 7,009 yard, par 72, bent- grass green, fairways and tees are enhanced by a full bent-grass practice facility with driving range and putting green. Temperate conditions such as these are ideal for cultivating bent grass, although there are courses laid with bent-grass in China and Korea, Dalat Palace is the only bent grass course in Southeast Asia.