R.P & Friends (Australia)

"As for Vietnam, we will not be returning anytime soon. We had a fun time golfing and the tour agency's arrangements were top notch; however, the weather is similar to LA's "June Gloom" of gray skies and haze. The best golf course was Phoenix in Hanoi. It has the "wow" factor. It is unique in the world and the Korean's have the right idea of building several courses with a hotel/villas so that golfers can just go there and stay in the compound and spend all their time there without having to fight the scooters, pollution, poor roads, and dodging traffic collisions and street vendors. Although Long Thanh was voted best golf course in Vietnam for 2007, Phoenix's Championship course is the course to play. Long Thanh is beautiful and only two other groups played the course on the day we were there. Phoenix is "Ha Long Bay on land." The second course at Phoenix is also worthwhile to play. King's Island is unique because you have to take a boat over to the course but the condition of the greens were poor and the layout of some of the holes were weak. We played the mountain course which we were told was not the best of the two, so maybe the other one is spectacular. Chi Linh, voted the most difficult course in Vietnam, lived up to its reputation. We played 36 holes there and it was spectacular... a must play in Vietnam. Dalat is a pretty town and has pine trees instead of palm trees but the course does not have the "wow" factor. Although Richard birdied the 16 hole all three rounds we played, we were upgraded to the Presidential suite, the French restaurant Rabineau was elegant and delicious, it was memorable but is not a town we would go back to. Overall, the Vietnam golf courses we played are all very scenic and enjoyable and certainly recommendable; however, the poor roads, traffic, noise, chaos on scooters, and weather does not incite us to return within the next few years. There are too many other countries to visit for golf, including China which would be our next golf adventure. The Hyatt's Opera Italian restaurant was the best with a very relaxing after dinner drink in the jazz lounge! Sheraton's food is just average but the rooms were huge with the best view of Saigon. The Sofitel Metropole is the hotel to recommend in Hanoi. The Spices restaurant had excellent Vietnamese food without having to venture out of the hotel but the French restaurant was maybe a B-. The hotel is in the old quarters and had the best service/ambience of all the hotels we stayed at. It is an oasis. Thanks again for your perfect arrangements.