{"id":35275,"date":"2017-07-29T08:20:31","date_gmt":"2017-07-29T08:20:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/indiansportsnews.co.in\/?p=35275"},"modified":"2017-07-29T08:20:31","modified_gmt":"2017-07-29T08:20:31","slug":"ace-high-ba-na-hills-is-the-newest-golf-course-in-central-vietnam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indiansportsnews.co.in\/?p=35275","title":{"rendered":"Ace High: Ba Na Hills is the newest golf course in central Vietnam"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"BaIn the mountains just west of Danang, the new Ba Na Hills Golf Club has already become a veritable hole-in-one for golfers seeking another world-class experience in central Vietnam<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a postcard-perfect afternoon in central Vietnam as Jack Hedges tees up a ProV1 on the par-3 8th hole at Ba Na Hills Golf Club. <\/p>\n

After sizing up his target on the other side of a river, 180 yards away, the general manager of the venue named \u2018World\u2019s Best New Golf Course\u2019 at the 2016 World Golf Awards flushes a 6-iron that tracks in a way that causes me think he could be buying me beers for the rest of the day. <\/p>\n

\u201cLook at this!\u201d I say as the ball begins to drop out of the sky, right in line with the flagstick.<\/p>\n

Sure enough, it hits the pin. But somehow, it fails to disappear \u2026 and instead settles a few inches from the hole.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat almost went in!\u201d Hedges says with a huge, boyish grin, one that makes the 28-year-old Brit look even younger than he actually is.<\/p>\n

I give him props with a high-five, and when he taps in for birdie a few minutes later, we just kind of smile at each other and shrug.<\/p>\n

For as good as Hedges\u2019 shot was, it does not register as a hole-in-one. But the same thing cannot be said about the course itself. That starts to become obvious well before the 8th hole.<\/p>\n

A collaboration between former world No. 1 golfer Luke Donald and IMG, Ba Na Hills Golf Club is the first course ever designed by the man who held the top ranking from May 2011 until April 2012. <\/p>\n

And what a design it is. <\/p>\n

Located at the foot of a towering mountain range less than half an hour\u2019s drive from the rapidly growing Vietnamese city of Danang, Ba Na Hills GC is a parkland-style layout routed over and around rolling hills that offer constant vistas of a lush landscape made all the more peaceful by a series of streams and lakes. <\/p>\n

In other words, it\u2019s much different than the three links-inspired courses that came before it in the area — Greg Norman\u2019s Dunes Course at BRG Da Nang Golf Resort, Colin Montgomerie\u2019s Montgomerie Links and Nick Faldo\u2019s Laguna Lang Co Golf Club — but no less impressive.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe got lucky,\u201d Donald admitted shortly after the course opened in March 2016. \u201cIt was clearly a very good site. We took full advantage of the substantial movement that was there and created a course that has great variety and beauty.\u201d<\/p>\n

I was struck by the beauty one hole into my round. For it was on the second tee that I found myself mesmerized by a flowing strip of redtop grass that flanks the right side of a par-3 whose green is backdropped by a brilliantly verdant canyon.<\/p>\n

A few holes later, it\u2019s water that gets my attention. Specifically, a tranquil lake that guards the left side of the par-4 7th green, well downhill from fairway position A. <\/p>\n

In fact, it so distracts me that, despite a perfectly flat lie and favorable angle to the pin, I turn the clubface over.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the main challenge out here is keeping your concentration,\u201d Hedges says, after finding the drink as well. \u201cAt some point — if not several points — you\u2019re going to look around and just be awed by the surroundings. It can take you out of your game.\u201d<\/p>\n

I was dazzled again when I reached the par-5 11th, which marks the beginning of a three-hole stretch that partially rings what feels like the most distant part of the property. <\/p>\n

Not only is each hole solitary, it offers a view to die for. The best could well be from the severely elevated back tee on the par-3 12th, where jungly terrain seems to extend forever from behind the green.<\/p>\n

\u201cHorrible, right?\u201d a sarcastic Hedges asks as we stand shoulder-to-shoulder, taking it all in.<\/p>\n

Walking up the 13th fairway, two things stand out: a white Buddha statue on a distant ridgeline that once served as a French hill station; and a haze in the air that has become much more prominent since we made the turn. <\/p>\n

The steamy effect only adds to the romance of the scenery, though. As does the only sound I can detect — insects buzzing in the trees.<\/p>\n

By the 15th hole, dusk starts to fall, and I express some concern that we\u2019re not going to finish our round before dark.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry,\u201d Hedges says. \u201cThat\u2019s what all those lights are for.\u201d<\/p>\n

Indeed, stanchions are everywhere at the IMG-managed gem, lining fairways and towering above tee boxes and greens. There are 108 in total, all of which are equipped with 1,500-watt metal halide lamps.<\/p>\n

Their power is on full display by the time we get to the 16th hole, another dramatic par-3. The signature feature here is an island green, which is lit up like a stage as I ponder what club to hit from another elevated tee box.<\/p>\n

I choose correctly, because even from 200 yards away, it\u2019s clear that my ball hits the green and trickles toward the back pin location, just short of the fringe.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m pleased to have a birdie chance, but I\u2019m in no hurry to try and capitalize. The way the ball soared through the night sky has me considering a re-tee, just for fun, and Hedges recognizes it.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe ball flight looks amazing at night, doesn\u2019t it?\u201d he says. <\/p>\n

It does. But I\u2019m also inclined to linger out of sheer comfort. The temperature drops considerably once the sun goes down here, and that raises the enjoyment factor for a Westerner not used to tropical conditions.<\/p>\n

Alas, Hedges and I are shaking hands on the 18th green before I know it. <\/p>\n

But a refreshing Biere Larue in the clubhouse — an architectural marvel in its own right, with structural elements inspired by the ancient Vietnamese coin — goes a long way toward tempering my desire to keep playing. 
I\u2019ll just have to come back, I say to Hedges as we make our way out the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think you have to come back,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s one of those courses you have to play a few times to understand. There are so many undulations and nuances to it. 
“But that\u2019s what makes it so interesting. And it\u2019s a reason the course has been so well received. The bar has been set very high here.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the mountains just west of Danang, the new Ba Na Hills Golf Club has already become a veritable hole-in-one for golfers seeking another world-class experience in central Vietnam It\u2019s a postcard-perfect afternoon in central Vietnam as Jack Hedges tees up a ProV1 on the par-3 8th hole at Ba Na Hills Golf Club.  After […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[22528,10690,6480,466],"class_list":["post-35275","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-world-golf-news","tag-ba-na-hills-golf-club","tag-golf","tag-indian-sports","tag-indian-sports-news"],"yoast_head":"\nAce High: Ba Na Hills is the newest golf course in central Vietnam - IndianSportsNews.com - Latest Updated Sports News & Sports Blogs of Cricket, Hockey, Golf, Football, Tennis & Other Sports<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/indiansportsnews.co.in\/?p=35275\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ace High: Ba Na Hills is the newest golf course in central Vietnam - 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