Laguna Golf Lang Co: Nick Faldo Builds Something Truly Special
- Gunnar Kobin
- Mar 24
- 5 min read
I like Nick Faldo courses in Belek and not so much in Dubai but Laguna Golf Lang Co made me love Faldo
Before we go any further, I want to say something about this course. Over the years, I've clocked countless rounds in myriad venues, and it is rare to have the privilege of walking off an 18th green with the experience of: *this is something different*. Not simply *this was great* but *this was something different*.
Laguna Golf Lang Co is that type of venue.
The Journey
It's not close to Danang. An honest appraisal leans *thd not at close to Danang* view, with 90 minutes in the car heading north, as far as Hue. 90 minutes is a commitment in a hot Vietnamese morning, and many golfers skip it. Their loss.
The drive also includes a pass over Hai Van Pass, with the sea on one side and mountains on the other. Arriving at Laguna feels *earned* after that drive, and is much better than a 25-minute taxi ride.
Prior to the Round
I got there early. I was happy I did.
The practice facility is beautiful. Grass tees, perfect condition, mountains behind you, ocean sparkling in the distance in front of you. And music — real music, properly curated, Ed Sheeran giving way to something classic and slow. The whole thing feels less like a warmup and more like the opening scene of a movie where something great is about to happen.
If you stand there long enough, you may begin to wonder whether the warmup can be better than the round. It can. It is.
Six Worlds in Four Hours
When walking this land for the first time, Faldo said it contained the most variety of topography he had ever been given to work with. Six distinct environments on one property — rice paddies, woodland, water, beach, sand, and blowout areas. He wasn't exaggerating, and he certainly didn't waste it.The initial impressions when stepping foot onto some of the opening holes by the clubhouse might catch you by surprise. Sandy wastes lining the fairways, strategically placed bunkers, and the coarse dry rough giving it an authentic Arabian golfing experience. Those who have played the course designed by Faldo at the Emirates Golf Club in Dubai will be able to recognise the DNA at Emirates Golf Club. The first hole and the last stretch by the clubhouse would look so Emirates Golf Club that people would not bat an eye at them.
The course then makes a 90 degree turn in a new direction and here you will notice new holes that are going to be more densely vegetated and greener. The African rock formations will be leaning on the side of the slopes. The large patches of scrubland and the large mature trees will create a very rugged and raw appearance to the course. The sense of rawness and country and the sense of void in regards to desert golf is all raw golf and landscape that is older than the desert golf that we have now. There is a sense of disbelief and when you are on a golf course you also feel like you are on some sort of adventure. Most golf courses will offer a consistent experience from the first hole to the last. That is what Laguna is doing. They are also almost unique in taking you to a new experience every four or five holes.
The Two Holes by the Sea
Having driven through much of the round, there is an instant when an unbroken stretch of coastline materializes, revealing the entirety of the ocean.
One of the holes is a par 3 that goes directly into the beach, with the South China Sea over the green. You can hear the waves. Then there's a short par 4 that plays directly along the beach. Water on one side, golf on the other, and a view that invites you to step out of your golf shoes and wander along the shore.
These holes were, by some distance, the best I experienced on the entire trip to Vietnam. Not just these holes, the entire trip.
The adjustment when the course goes back to the mainland is abrupt, to be honest. The next hole feels like a change of gear that hasn't been quite packed down. A little jolt back from coastal enchantment into the commonplace. This is the one moment on the course that has an unresolved routing issue. One small question mark out of eighteen. You pass through it quickly.
Faldo Makes You Think
Some greens are elevated and so are many others which makes you take notice and adjust your approach strategy accordingly to them. You can't just fire at the flags from a distance and expect the ball to behave a certain way. The elevated surfaces approach rejects your miss-hits so be warned, short side yourself and you're chipping from some awkward angles up to a green that isn't interested in being nice to you.
In that respect, course design is very much a Faldo. He won six Majors by thinking more carefully than the people he was playing against. It is a course that reflects that. It rewards intelligent shot placement and it is a course that punishes the golfer who is overly aggressive and lacks strategy. Your short game will be tested time and time again. Bring it in good shape, or adjust your expectations on the scorecard.
The Caddies
I want to mention this because it genuinely made a difference.It was a hot, humid day, typical of central Vietnam, and throughout the round — not as a gimmick, not once as a novelty — the caddies were putting ice towels on your necks. There was no fanfare. Just a hot towel on a cold neck 18 times.
It may sound trivial. However, by the back nine, the serv ice in that heat is surely not trivial. They are generous, kind, and very appreciative. The frigid towels were the best part of the round, even beyond the impressive course knowledge like green reading, club selection, and course management.
The Honest Summary
It is my least favorite course, as Ba Na Hills hits harder on first impressions. The Norman Course is the least bad links round. But Laguna offers something neither of the two can match - a genuine breadth of experience, helping the round feel like it covered more than the 18 holes.
Desert golf adjoining the clubhouse. African bush in between. Two seaside holes that will live long in the memory. A short game test that Faldo designed to divide the wise from the fools.
Do the drive. Arrive early. Play the grass range with the mountains in the background. And when your caddie places that cold towel on your neck on the 12th tee — just take it. And appreciate the privilege.
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