Profile of Golf in Vietnam 2010-2011

During my time traveling through, and living in SE Asia, I’ve had the pleasure to visit Vietnam on several occasions.  As an American, I have always been well received and have enjoyed each of my visits to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, and many coastal towns along the way.

I’ve recently had a chance to catch up with a long-time contact, Robert Bicknell, recently the General Manager and Director of Golf at the Tam Dao Golf Resort and currently General Manager at California Fitness in Hanoi.. 

[BH] As an American in Hanoi , how did you get your start in golf ?  And how did that take you into Vietnam ?

[RB] I started playing golf when I was five years old as my family were founding members of two clubs.

My father was always working, so weekends were the only time we could spend time together. When that young, I thought that golf was fun, but the important thing was being with my father and knowing there would be ice cream afterwards.  Now that I have a four year old daughter of my own, I bring her to the club as often as I can so she can play in the grass, hit plastic balls at the range and “drive” the buggy with me.

Despite working over 70 hours a week,  I make the effort to spend a lot of time with her. At night we watch cartoons or read together, which is the best relaxation prescription ever invented and she always runs to get me whenever golf is on TV. She already has a pretty good swing form from watching the LPGA.

I turned professional in 1978 and moved to Asia full-time in the early 1980’s. I was invited to build a golf course in Vietnam in 1992 and have been here ever since. It’s been a wild ride and I don’t regret one moment of it, despite the ups and downs.

[BH] What positions do you currently hold?

[RB] I am currently the General Manager for California Fitness & Yoga in Hanoi. Prior to this I was General Manager / Director of Golf for Tam Dao Golf Resort in Vinh Phuc province, one hour from downtown Hanoi. However, having been in Vietnam for almost 19 years, I have been either directly or indirectly involved with most of the clubs in the country at one time or another in either a management or advisory position.

I am also a columnist for the Sunday Vietnam News, Golf Today, and Vietnam Golf Magazine. 

[BH] Why Fitness? Have you stopped your involvement in golf?

[RB] Not at all. I still teach golf for the Hanoi Junior team, but I wanted to step back from golf management for a while and take a position that allows me to spend more time with my family.

Also, Fitness is a huge part of playing better golf, although most people don’t realize it. The PGA Tour players are good, not just because of their skills with a club, but also due to the hours they spend in the PGA Tour Fitness Trailers on site at every event. So, not only are those guys good, they’re also in excellent physical condition.

Fitness is something that can help players at all levels, so instead of just fixing their swings as in the past, I am now concentrating on helping each player build a better “machine” for producing that swing.

[BH] What is your history with the Vietnam PGA?   How does that involve educating other golf professionals in the country?

[RB] At present, there is no official PGA organization in Vietnam, however this is something that is currently in the works and will fall under the authority of the Vietnam Golf Association and the Ministry of Sport. We hope to have all the paperwork finished within a few months as doing most anything involving the government takes a bit of time, especially with a sport like golf it is still rather unknown to many.

[BH] How large is the golf market?  (i.e. number of clubs, golfers, etc).

[RB] There are currently 26 clubs operating in Vietnam, and around seven more licensed or currently under construction. At one point there were as many as 150 golf projects “announced” for Vietnam until the government put the kibosh on most of them and rightly so until a national plan can be put together.

[BH] The global economy has been down for the past year.   How has that affected golf tourism in Vietnam ?

[RB] Amazingly enough, the global economic crisis hasn’t really impacted the golf tourism market in Vietnam all that much because the vast majority of tourists come from neighboring countries, so the cost of airfares aren’t outrageously high. Secondly, the airlines and hotels have taken steps to lessen the impact by offering special packages, as did the respective golf courses. Half a loaf is better than none.

To give you a better idea of the current situations, most clubs in the country are reporting more rounds in the 1^st quarter of 2009 than during the same period of the 2008. Tam Dao in particular was 1500 rounds higher than the previous year. In 2010, the figures continue to rise nicely. I’m not complaining.

[BH] What challenges does the golf market face, and how are those challenges being met?

[RB] The biggest challenge is reigning in unrestricted growth. In Asia, many people are far too eager to jump on the bandwagon without first doing due diligence and careful planning. They try to build as many golf courses as possible without understanding the marketplace. The result can be disastrous for both clubs and the environment.

Vietnam has the advantage of looking at other countries and seeing the mistakes that were made so they can avoid them. A good example is Thailand which is considered “golf heaven” due to over 200 courses and a thriving tourist industry. However, it is “golf heaven” for the players, but golf hell for the owners as only 20% of the clubs are relatively profitable. The others are sucking wind while they try to stay open.

Vietnam used to be a food importing nation before the embargo was dropped in 1994, but is now one of the leaders in agricultural exporting, especially rice and coffee.  Thus, the government is restricting the use of agricultural land for golf courses and rightly so. Sacrificing food security for golf makes no sense to anyone and protecting the environment has become a major issue as well.

At present, the Vietnam Government has been discussing these issues with industry leaders and professionals to find the best path for growth. Despite many misinformed comments by some, the government takes the time to listen to the business community and often acts on their suggestions in many different areas.

Positive growth of the nation is the primary goal for all of us and, judging from the results, the government’s methods have been correct.

[BH] You’ve had some rather well-known golfing guests – both political and sporting figures.   Who are some that are best known or of special note?

[RB] In the past, Lee Trevino, Nick Faldo and Greg Norman have visited Vietnam to design golf courses. However, I would prefer not to name names when discussing political or business VIPs as that would breach confidentiality, but it is safe to say that we have hosted many prime ministers, presidents, sultans, and royalty from different countries over the years.

US presidents George HW Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush have all visited Vietnam in the past, mostly for political events and, sadly, didn’t have time to play golf.

[BH] How prevalent is technology in Vietnam Golf?   Specifically, in regard to Club Management and internet golf bookings?

[RB] Vietnam is no stranger to technological advancement. Ever since the end of the US-led embargo in 1994, Vietnam has rushed to catch up to the other nations in this regard with a lot of success. Most all clubs are using advanced booking and accounting software. Internet bookings are mostly done through the club’s website or through e-mail.

Some clubs have recently changed webhost so they can provide each member with their own club e-mail address and, more importantly, employ a “live chat” system so the members can contact reception directly in writing. This will greatly reduce any misunderstandings due to differences in language.

[BH] Do you see that technology can assist clubs in managing their profitability, managing revenues through tee times, etc?

[RB] One of the problems in Vietnam cannot be solved exclusively through booking software simply because quite a few players simply ignore the systems, show up when they want – usually late and almost never call to cancel. Software cannot solve this problem, but it CAN help clubs to identify and track players who do this most often, so they can take corrective action.

However, on the positive side, modern software systems let managers track almost everything in the club, amount of rounds played by each member and guest, player’s favourite food / drink, shirt sizes, ball, handicaps, birthdays etc. This allows the club to be more fine tuned to the needs of the members and guests. On the other side of the coin, the software allows us to reduce expenditures by showing us areas which are wasteful.

The more information managers have at their fingertips, the more accurately they can maximize profits and reduce expenditures.

I’d like to thank Robert for contributing to this profile on Golf in Vietnam.   I’d also be one of the first to encourage foreign golf tourism into Vietnam.

Published in Gaming & Leisure Magazine

http://www.gamingandleisuremagazine.com/