There’s a major new player in the Vietnamese golf industry - the T&T Group, which is embarking on a crusade to place Northern Vietnam on the international golfing map. This will tee off with the group's maiden golf venture, Văn Lang Empire Golf Club and its two Greg Norman-designed courses.

Australian legend and acclaimed course architect Norman is sculpting 36 holes on a spectacular 168-hectare site in the province of Phu Tho for the group, which was founded in 1993 and is among the top-10 multi-sector private economic corporations in the country.

During a two-day visit to Vietnam earlier this week, Norman met with T&T Group Chairman Do Quang Hien before making his first trip to the site. As well as presenting Hien with the completed golf course plans, Norman discussed his environmentally-friendly design philosophy which ensures the use of local vegetation and retention of the natural topography.

With the company’s 30th anniversary on the horizon, T&T Group Vice Chairman and Deputy General Director Do Vinh Quang recently announced the formation of T&T Golf to manage and oversee its diversification into the Royal and Ancient sport - commencing with the Văn Lang Empire project at an estimated total investment of VND 35,000 billion (about USD1.475 billion).

“As part of the T&T Group, T&T Golf’s goal is to become a leading brand in golf in Vietnam, reaching out to the world. Golf courses operated and managed by T&T Golf will not only be challenging for golfers, but also will be the ‘bridge’ to culture, history and nature, helping local economies to ‘take-off’," said Quang.

“We have brought together a team of experts and professional partners that will create a world-class golfing facility at Văn Lang Empire Golf Club. It is our vision to create unforgettable experiences for golfers and international visitors to Vietnam."

Norman and his design team at the spectacualr site

Norman noted that Vietnam is the place to realise the dream of golf course designers. "It’s full of wonderful elements of weather, rivers, hills, friendly people, and unique cuisine … and it’s really easy to move around. There aren’t many places that have that many advantages," said the former World No 1 and two-time Open champion.

“I always hold a firm belief in taking advantage of what nature gives us to design each special golf course in a different way. At Văn Lang Empire Golf Club we have found common ground when pursuing the philosophy of sustainable development and creating values for the community and society.”

Ground was first broken on the site in February with the club’s state-of-the-art Golf Academy scheduled to open on December 24. The projected opening date for the two golf courses is September 2, 2023.

Located in Lam Son commune (Tam Nong, Phu Tho), The Prime Course is being laid out over an area of 93 hectares. Meanwhile, The Legend Course is situated in the Lam Son and Quang Huc communes and spans close to 75 hectares.

The Văn Lang Empire project is the latest addition to Norman’s impressive portfolio of work in Vietnam, that includes a host of award-winning layouts such as BRG Da Nang Golf Resort, The Bluffs Ho Tram Strip and KN Golf Links at Cam Ranh.