Gia Lai Golf Courses | Playing golf in the Central Highlands

Gia Lai is not the first province that comes to mind when Vietnamese golfers plan a trip. That’s starting to change. With new resort developments and a cooler Highland climate that’s genuinely comfortable to play in, golf courses in Gia Lai have quietly become worth the trip, especially for players tired of the crowded coastal circuits.

The province sits on the Central Highlands plateau, roughly 700 to 800 meters above sea level. That elevation keeps temperatures between 20 and 26°C for most of the year, which anyone who has played 18 holes under midday sun in Danang or Ho Chi Minh City will appreciate. The terrain is different too: rolling pine hills, red basalt soil, and those pink grass fields that look like they belong in a different country entirely.

There’s an administrative change worth noting here as well. Gia Lai and Binh Dinh provinces will officially merge to form Gia Lai province, a move that is expected to reshape tourism infrastructure across the region. For golfers, this merger could mean better road connections between the coast and the Highlands, and potentially more investment flowing into golf and resort development in the area.
Right now, the options for playing golf in Gia Lai are still limited compared to Danang or Phu Quoc, but what exists is solid. The courses here use the natural landscape rather than flattening it, so you get a round that feels less manufactured and more like actual terrain golf. Fairways wind through pine forests and across highland ridges instead of sitting on reclaimed paddies.

Access is easier than most people assume. Pleiku Airport handles daily flights from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, and the drive from the airport to the main golf area takes under 30 minutes. If you’re coming from the coast after the merger takes effect, the combined province should offer even more routing options.
For golfers looking for a golf course in Gia Lai that offers something beyond the typical resort experience, the Central Highlands is a region worth watching closely.