The Masterpiece of Luke Donald's Debut, Ba Na Hills Golf Club
- Gunnar Kobin
- Mar 24
- 5 min read
Luke Donald has really surprised me with his Ba Na Hills Golf Club design.
The applause of Luke Donald is very much due. What he has done at Ba Na Hills Golf Club, in the foothills west of Danang, is nothing short of a masterpiece, and the fact that it is his first ever golf course design makes it even more remarkable. Most architects spend a decade finding their voice. Donald arrived fully formed, delivered something extraordinary, and left the rest of us wondering why it took a former world number one to show the design world how it's done.
Without a doubt, Ba Na Hills was the best course I played in my Vietnam trip. Not even close.
Nearly 25 minutes away from downtown Danang, Ba Na Hills promises a unique golfing experience from first glance. With the Norman Dunes and Nicklaus Floodplain courses behind you, you are facing the river and heading further inland, closer to the foothills of the towering Truong Son Mountains. The air is noticeably cooler and as the river and nearly arid plains backdrop recede, the growth becomes thicker and lusher. As you pull up to the clubhouse, you realize that the next 18 holes are sure to be vastly different than the previous 18 you played.
The practice facilities are a great way to set the experience up and a great way to set the next 18 holes up. The fully equipped driving range with covered bays, putting greens and a short game area, sound great, right? They mean that you will be able to warm up properly so you can step up to the first tee, feel great and will be set to experience the next 18 holes. The facilities suggest that the management is focusing on the complete experience, so there is even more to come.
Luke Donald's First Design — And What a First Design It Is
During his time in 2011, Donald was ranked the number one golfer in the world, having been the first person to reach the top of the PGA Tour and the European Tour money lists in the same year. Additionally, he has become one of the greatest captains for the Ryder Cup. Everything from his reputation is indicative of exceptional intelligence, unparalleled precision, and a remarkable understanding of the complexities of strategic golf. And it is all present in Ba Na Hills. Each and every hole feels like it has a purpose. Any and all decisions you make in the tee box will definitely and fairly play out in a positive or negative way. There will be no randomness, tricks, or cheap difficulties. Just an architect who understood the terrain, respected it, and built something that belongs.
Donald has mention the remarkable geography of Vietnam, and standing on the course, you understand why. The truong son mountains rise and fall beyond every hole. Ancient forest closes in. Rocky streams cross the valleys between the nines. I can’t think of many places on the planet where the natural surrounds so overwhelm the golf and Donald was wise enough to let the natural beauty take center stage without interfering.
The Front Nine: Deceptively Gentle
The first nine are the easiest on the course. The ground rises and falls evenly and the slopes are mild. There are even and dry creek beds, and the and the gaps between the trees are wide. There are several rocky creek beds and the arrays are diverse. The golf ground is fun and is more focused on scoring. The surrounds and the score are fun. The golf is rhythmic and the mood is even.
Then you stand on the 10th tee.
The Back Nine: Where the Course Reveals Itself
The game completely changes from the 10th tee. The green is on top of a high hill overscaled by the sky and a sprawling mountain landscape behind it. It is a tee shot that requires both commitment and precision -- you’re driving up towards a target that feels like it is on a different level from you.
The course becomes very hilly from this point. It is not in a way that is going to punish your legs, but in a way that is going to change your relationship with the ball and the shot in different ways. Every hole on the back nine gives you a different challenge and the hilly landscape makes the holes feel like their own little events.
Ba Na Hills finest photographs are taken in the closing stretch. \\"Par 3's produce some stunning opportunities for photographs as they require steep downhill shots. There's the chance for a photo op as you take a buggy ride up to the next tee to drive down a par 4 that is below you." These are, \"Golf holes that are permanently engrained in your memory\". You will likely end up talking about them over a round of dinner and find yourself selling them a bit underwhelming because you are trying to over describe them.
These are golf holes that you will proudly display on your wall for home. These will go into your lifetime golf photo album.
The Feel of the Course
The course at Ba Na Hills is unlike the Danang coastal courses. While the coastal courses are often very windy as they are not sheltered from the mountains, the course at Ba Na Hills is mounted and sheltered so it is more warm and humid compared. Since the terrain is very different from the coastal courses, some might even find the lack of wind in the foothills a welcome change from the coastal breezes.
After coming from the Legends courses, the smoother, faster, and better rolling greens were a welcomed change. Getting the ball below the hole was more of a strategic advantage at these greens than at the slower greens. With the better speed and quality, it was more rewarding for players, changing the whole experience.
Every hole at Ba Na Hills makes you want to hurry to the next hole. The eagerness to get to the next tee and the excitement to see what the next hole brings really shows just how well this course is designed. Ba Na Hills is a course you bound around, not just trudge.
Wider Da Nang Context
I send golfers to Ba Na Hills first. The best order is to play it before the coastal courses. After Ba Na Hills, the coastal courses will feel like a detrimental change. It’s the course I want to go back to the most, and it’s the first of many I want to go back to in Da Nang. The Nicklaus and The Norman courses were good, but Ba Na Hills is just better.
Donald once mentioned the land at Ba Na Hills gave him so much to work with that the challenge was using it wisely rather than using it all. That sort of restraint — knowing what to leave alone — is the mark of a designer who understands the game at its best. He's made that land sing.
Final Verdict
Visit Danang. Play a few courses. Make Ba Na Hills one of them — and if you have to choose one, make it this one. Luke Donald has done something truly magnificent with the first course he's designed, and the quality of the land is only surpassed by the brilliance of what he's done with it.
I want to go back. That's the only verdict that really matters.
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