“By partnering with Colin and his brand, we are certain we will achieve that, and give the marketplace something it just hasn’t seen in this country to-date.”

Why satirize when you can just copy and paste...

Montgomerie-designed course taking shape along Central Coast

DA NANG, Viet Nam (25 September 2007) — Course construction is well underway here amid the tropical dunescape of Vietnam’s fastest growing resort destination, where a Colin Montgomerie design will soon stand as the area’s first 18-hole layout.

Located just off famed China Beach and minutes from Da Nang’s international airport, The Montgomerie Links Vietnam has been routed to capitalize on its close proximity to both the warm, tranquil South China Sea and striking Marble Mountains, which are clearly visible from various points on the course.

And where the morning Napalm smells so nice...

All-time European Tour money winner Montgomerie—better known as Monty to his worldwide fan base—has worked with this stunning setting of casuarina pines and scruffy dunes to create what will be a true links experience. The front nine opens for play next summer.

“The land is absolutely spectacular,” said Jeff Puchalski, Vice President of Golf Operations for Danao International Holdings Limited, a subsidiary of Indochina Capital, developer of The Montgomerie Links Vietnam. “Hoi An is known for being a UNESCO World Heritage site but what people don’t know is that it has an amazing beachscape, which makes the perfect palette for a links style course. I believe it will give everyone who plays it the feeling of being in Ireland or Scotland—without the cold temperatures you find in the British Isles. It’s got the terrain golf purists dream about.”

It’s also got something very few courses can lay claim to: a pedigree bearing the words “The Montgomerie,” which is verbiage reserved for designs where the site and development partners were personally chosen by Monty himself. Only four other layouts in the world can boast these qualities.

“I am very selective about applying my special design brand,” Montgomerie explained. “Indochina’s The Montgomerie Links Vietnam has a spectacular site and I am proud to be doing my first and only Montgomerie in Vietnam with Indochina Capital.”

My first and only Montgomerie. Talking about ourselves in the third person now. Always a healthy sign.

Indochina Capital is familiar with grandly distinctive projects. In fact, it has already made a splash in the same vicinity, with The Nam Hai, Vietnam’s first super-luxury resort. This collection of 100 freestanding villas on nearby Ha My Beach opened on 1 December 2006 but has rapidly earned a prestigious reputation. Less than a year old, it’s already been recognized by some of the most influential magazines in the world in recent months, including Travel + Leisure and Conde Nast Traveler.

“The whole idea with the golf course is to provide an experience that is right in line with The Nam Hai,” said Peter Ryder, CEO of Indochina Capital. “By partnering with Colin and his brand, we are certain we will achieve that, and give the marketplace something it just hasn’t seen in this country to-date.”

A product of Royal Troon in Scotland—a British Open rotation mainstay—Monty has implemented classic, Old World design elements into the Da Nang course, such as rolling, treeless fairways, thick rough,

Oh yeah, that's classical...sorry...

massive greens and tight chipping areas. Among the holes sure to be memorable are Nos. 7 and 13, a pair of par 4s with some of the deepest bunkers on the course.

How novel!

The only departure from tradition comes in the form of several lakes and streams, a must when considering the region’s seasonably high water table.

True true. And so linksy.

“Players will be amazed and, I believe, impressed with how we have routed this collection of holes through an incredibly natural formation of dunes and seaside vegetation,” said Montgomerie. “This is as close as you can get to true links golf in Vietnam. It will be a treat to experience.”

In addition to the course, the development will include 60 sleek residential units, a stylish clubhouse and a comprehensive driving range/practice facility, which is slated to open by the first of the year.

IMG is providing the design team, and managing course construction. IMG, also Montgomerie’s agent, is best known in Vietnam for its designs at Ocean Dunes, Dalat Palace and the newly-opened Tam Dao, just north of Hanoi.

“Until now, no course has been built in Vietnam outside the orbits of Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi,” said Ryder. “What golfers are going to find here is a course not to be missed, etched by one of the real legends of the game.”

IMG is a legend of the game?