Embracing a new generation of Vietnamese golfers and a new era in Vietnamese golf, the Novotel and Ocean Dunes are teaming up to offer innovative, economical packages, along with refurbished facilities, and even a rejuvenated staff.
“We recognize the popularity of golf across many different platforms,” said Tim Nott, the four-star Novotel Phan Thiet’s new general manager. “We’ve made upgrades to transform golf’s image as a sport only for the wealthy or for expatriates, and that’s what our new initiative is really focused on. Increasingly, golf appeals to kids, as well as adults, so people are starting to understand what a great family activity it is.”
“The other thing about golf we want guests to appreciate,” added Kurt Greve, Ocean Dunes general manager, “is how much fun the game of golf is. People who’ve never played golf watch the professionals on TV doing battle and figure, ‘Oh, it looks like a very serious game.’ But it doesn’t have to be that way and can be fun for the whole family.”
Hotel-and-golf packages devised to turn that stereotype on its head include:
• The VRO (Vietnam Residents Only) Special. Priced at just VND 1.6 million (USD $89) per person, based on two-person occupancy in a golf-view room, it includes a round of golf for each guest, ABF, and all hotel taxes and service charges – about the same as just a round of golf.
• The International Special. Single-night guests are treated to a round of golf, American buffet breakfast, and shared occupancy in a golf-view room, all for USD $99 net. Or double the enjoyment with a two-night stay, which includes unlimited golf and a complimentary upgrade to a seaview room. Longer-term stays are a bargain, too, with bookings available at (+84) 62/3822393, by e-mail at
novotel.reservations@phanthietresorts, or online at www.novotel.com/2067. , or online at .
• Instruction to suit your game. Whether you are a complete novice or an accomplished amateur looking to fine-tune your game, the golf professionals at Ocean Dunes can help make you a better player so you can enjoy the game more. So can the Novotel, whose guests receive special rates on all golf lessons and instructional / coaching programs.
Sheer value aside, Ocean Dunes will appeal to golfers of all levels. Experienced players get bragging rights to having tackled one of the premier courses in Asia. Beginners will effectively be able to play three courses in one.
Designed by former British Open and Masters champion Nick Faldo and opened in 1994, the course has generated a steady stream of acclaim in the media, most recently having been cited for the country’s best par 3 hole, the deceptively difficult, 148-yard 9th hole. Aptly named, Ocean Dunes has several holes that will remind golf aficionados of classic links features; a number of holes farther inland with water hazards reminiscent of a Florida layout; and a few that meander between rows of casuarina pines and palm trees that bring to mind a combination of the Carolinas and the tropics.
Already an icon in Asian golf, Ocean Dunes continues to get better and will soon complete a comprehensive facelift. The layout itself is receiving a new drainage system, sand for bunkers, holecutters, mowers and other greenskeeping equipment. Course accessories – tee markers, flagsticks, yardage poles, bunker rakes, cups, logos and other signage – are also being replaced. Range balls and rental clubs are also new.
Clubhouse renovations include new locker rooms, showers, and bathrooms, along with new surfaces – carpeting, tile, and paint – in other areas. The pro shop has been redesigned with greater emphasis on the availability and visibility of retail goods, especially those bearing the club’s recently redesigned logo.
Both golf operations and clubhouse foodservice will enjoy an infusion of youthful enthusiasm, thanks to the addition of Joshua Bannister and Maggie Smith, interns who both hail from Michigan. Bannister, a PGA member with a degree in golf management, serves as assistant golf professional. Smith, with experience at two prestigious clubs in the U.S., helps manage the restaurant.
The stay-and-play packages aren’t just easy on the wallet, though, they’re easy to arrange, as well. A redesigned website for the golf club,
www.oceandunesgolf.vn, has recently been launched, and Ocean Dunes and the Novotel have recently forged a partnership with the International Association of Golf Tour Operators, which will expand exposure among entire populations of golfers previously unfamiliar with golf in Vietnam. , has recently been launched, and Ocean Dunes and the Novotel have recently forged a partnership with the International Association of Golf Tour Operators, which will expand exposure among entire populations of golfers previously unfamiliar with golf in Vietnam.
H.L
Vietnamese
