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Playing Hoiana Shores Golf Club: Coastal Golf with a Bit of Bite

If you’re planning a golf trip to central Vietnam, skip the generic resorts and get yourself to Hoiana Shores Golf Club. I played it in mid-April, a couple of weeks after the rain tapered off, and I’m still thinking about a few of those holes.

The course is just 20 minutes from the old town in Hoi An, and around 40 minutes from Danang Airport. Pretty painless. We landed in the early afternoon, checked in at Hoiana Hotel & Suites, dropped our bags, and were standing on the first tee by 4:30pm. It doesn’t get more convenient.

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Now, this isn’t your typical tropical golf course. Hoiana Shores is a proper links-style setup — designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. — and the wind makes sure you don’t forget it. Four holes run right up against the sea, and depending on the breeze, those can play like completely different tracks from one day to the next. The views? Unreal. You’ve got the East Sea stretching out on one side and the Cham Islands floating out in the distance. But it’s not just scenery. This course actually challenges you.

Not Just Pretty — It Plays Tough, Too

From the back tees, it stretches out to 7,401 yards — par 71. The fairways are wide but deceptive. Miss in the wrong place and you’re in deep dunes or awkward waste areas that don’t offer much forgiveness. There’s barely any tree cover, just rolling sand and brush, so the wind has free reign. It hit us hard on 13 through 16 — I had to club up twice on a 160-yard par 3 and still ended short.

The greens are fast, but not ridiculous. Fairways run firm and quick, like they should on a proper links course. And by the time you reach the final stretch — especially 16 to 18 — you’re literally steps from the beach. A buddy in our group bladed a wedge on 17 and ended up playing his next shot with waves licking his ankles. Ball was still in play. That’s how close you are to the shoreline.

Facilities: Not an Afterthought

The clubhouse feels more like a high-end boutique hotel than a golf facility. Big locker rooms, proper showers, clean design. We grabbed a drink at the bar post-round, sat out on the terrace with sea views, and just let the whole day soak in. There’s also a PGA Academy on site if you want to tighten up your swing, plus a driving range, short game area, and a well-stocked pro shop.

And here’s where Hoiana steps it up — the resort isn’t just about golf. Right next door is a massive integrated resort with a casino, live shows in the evenings, and a bunch of dining options. One night we ended up at The Garden for a Vietnamese seafood dinner, then wandered into the casino and somehow lost two hours playing roulette. You can easily spend a long weekend here without needing to leave the property.

Booking Tips

If you’re coming during the dry season — especially March through May — book early. Tee times go quick, especially in the mornings when the wind is a little calmer. I paid around 4,700,000 VND for an 18-hole round with caddie and cart included. Felt worth every đồng.

Hoiana Shores Golf Club isn’t just another stop on a golf itinerary. It’s the kind of course that makes you want to come back — not just for the layout, but the way it makes you feel when you’re walking down the fairway with the ocean beside you and the wind pushing back just enough to make you focus. It’s raw in the right ways, polished where it counts. Definitely one of the best golf experiences in Vietnam, no question.