(Photo: Laguna Golf Lang Co)
Laguna Golf Lang Co, the award-winning golf component of the Laguna Lang Co integrated project in central Vietnam, has become the first fully-operational course in the world to be elevated to a new elite category by its designer Sir Nick Faldo.
The British legend, a six-time major winner and prolific course architect, sees Laguna Golf Lang Co as his flagship layout in Asia. Opened in 2013, the stunning course makes full use of the property’s amazing location sandwiched between the ocean and the mountains, with play incorporating rice paddies, jungle, and coastal holes.
The track has earned widespread acclaim over the years, garnering numerous awards and cementing itself as home of the annual Faldo Series Asia Grand Final, one of the world’s most respected showcases for young players. News that the layout has been named a Sir Nick Faldo Signature course is sure to further enhance its appeal among golfers.
The new Sir Nick Faldo Signature category will only be applied to Faldo courses - both existing and forthcoming - that match and then maintain their designer’s famously exacting standards across a range of markers, including sustainability, conservation, and quality of design.
“Being elevated in status like this really speaks volumes of our ongoing commitment to realizing Sir Nick’s vision,” said Mr. Adam Calver, Director of Golf at Laguna Golf Lang Co.
Mr. Calver and his team have made numerous improvements to the layout in recent times. New tees have been added, providing alternative challenges for golfers. Trees have been cleared on the coastal holes, opening up views of the beach and the East Sea. Also eye-catching has been the introduction and reintroduction of rice paddies on the course, with 4 ha of rice fields right in the middle of the course tended to by a family of water buffalo who act as “bio-mowers”.
“From the first time I came here when it was still jungle almost ten years ago, I’ve always considered it a unique place,” said Sir Nick. “We knew the course was going to be different and special because you play through different environments. You go through the rice fields to the jungle. Then we’ve got beach and river and rocks. It really is a special course, with a memorability factor that is sure to keep golfers interested.”
Laguna Golf Lang Co is part of Laguna Lang Co, one of the most far-reaching integrated resorts in Southeast Asia. The 280-ha community, the first project in Vietnam of the Banyan Tree Group, is framed by jungle-clad mountains and a 3-km beach running alongside the East Sea.
