Golf is a sport on the rise in Vietnam.

 Golf Courses : Golf is a sport on the rise in Vietnam

           

    Golf is a sport on the rise in Vietnam. People are turning to the game at a phenomenal rate. But in a country where agriculture is so important, convincing authorities that golf courses are a good use of land is a tough ask.

          Golf has only really been on the map in Vietnam since the mid 90s. It's still largely considered an elite sport, but that perception is rapidly changing.

          It's the new tennis, it's really taking off and the economy is really taking off here, people have more spending money and they're looking towards golf as a fun leisure sport.

          Jeff Puchalski is a PGA America member and has been based in Vietnam for 14 years.  He says Vietnam is slowly building a reputation as a golfer's paradise.

          We have some great golf courses here and the Ho Chi Minh golf trail has really taken off and has bought a lot of interest especially from the media, the US and Australia.

 The Vietnamese Minister of Planning and Investment, Vo Hong Phuc is calling for a third of the nation's golf course projects to be aborted, and is reported to have said:

"There is no reason to use rice-growing land to build golf courses."

          Vietnamese Minister of National Resources and Environment Pham Khoi Hguyen is reported to have said:

          "Rice fields must be retained to ensure the nation's food security."