Binh Duong is the province directly north of Ho Chi Minh City, and for golfers it functions as the Saigon suburbs’ golf corridor. Four courses sit within 30 minutes to an hour of the HCMC border, offering 90 holes in total across designs that range from a modern Jim Engh layout to Vietnam’s first international standard championship course, which opened back in 1994. If you are staying in Ho Chi Minh City and want to play without the traffic of getting to courses in other directions, Binh Duong is often the fastest option.
The province is primarily accessed by road from HCMC, with Thu Dau Mot as the main urban centre. The area has industrialised rapidly in recent decades, but the golf courses sit in pockets of green that provide a genuine escape from the surrounding development. Binh Duong does not have the tourist infrastructure of Da Nang or Nha Trang, but it does not need it. This is a satellite golf destination where the courses are the entire point, and HCMC handles the accommodation and dining.
Binh Duong suits HCMC-based golfers who want the closest quality courses north of the city, business travelers who need a quick round during a Saigon trip, groups who want to play different layouts across consecutive days without changing hotels, and international visitors building a southern Vietnam golf itinerary from an HCMC base.
Best golf courses in Binh Duong
Four facilities offer different styles, from historic to contemporary.
1. Harmonie Golf Park
According to GolfLux course information, Harmonie Golf Park is an 18-hole par 72 course measuring 7,348 yards with a slope of 137, designed by Jim Engh. It opened in 2018 and is located in Thu Dau Mot city. The course uses Celebration Bermuda grass on tees and fairways and mini-dwarf Tiff-Eagle on the greens.
Harmonie is the newest and most design-forward course in Binh Duong. Jim Engh is known for creative, visually engaging layouts, and Harmonie reflects that. The course incorporates water and rock features, with hole types ranging from short par-4s to long par-5s. The signature par-3 16th has a bowl-shaped green complex that funnels balls toward the centre. At 7,348 yards with a slope of 137, it is also the most challenging layout in the province on paper.
Harmonie suits golfers who want a modern, well-maintained course with design personality, and players who appreciate high-quality playing surfaces year-round.
2. Song Be Golf Resort
According to GolfLux course information, Song Be Golf Resort is a 27-hole facility with three 9-hole courses named Lotus, Palm, and Desert. Each nine runs approximately 3,217 yards, with a slope of 132. The resort opened in 1994 and is located on Binh Duong Boulevard in Thuan An.
Song Be holds a special place in Vietnamese golf history as the country’s first international standard championship course. The three nines give golfers different combination options across repeat visits. The location in Thuan An makes it one of the closest Binh Duong courses to the HCMC border, which keeps transfer times short.
Song Be suits golfers who appreciate historical significance, players who want multiple 9-hole combination options, and anyone who values a short transfer from central HCMC.
3. Twin Doves Golf Club
According to GolfLux course information, Twin Doves Golf Club is a 27-hole facility with three nines named Luna, Mare, and Sole, totalling over 7,500 yards. It is located in Thu Dau Mot city, about an hour from Saigon. The course is a private members club with woodland and lake-style design.
The three nines have distinct characters. The Luna Course features small hills and neighbouring forests. The Mare Course runs along creeks and trees and is considered the most engaging of the three. The Sole Course includes an island green and beach bunkers around a lake. As a private club, the facilities are maintained to a high standard, and access for visitors typically requires advance arrangement.
Twin Doves suits golfers who want a premium private club experience, groups who enjoy woodland and lake-style golf, and players who can commit to the slightly longer drive from HCMC for a quieter, more exclusive atmosphere.
4. Royal Island Golf Villas (Mekong Golf)
According to GolfLux course information, Royal Island Golf Villas is an 18-hole par 72 course measuring 7,215 yards, located in Tan Uyen District, about two hours from Ho Chi Minh City. The project is foreign-invested and has been in operation since 2012.
The course is the furthest from HCMC of the four Binh Duong options, which limits its appeal for day trips but may suit golfers heading north or those staying in the northern part of the province.
Which course is better?
If you want the strongest modern design with the highest slope rating, Harmonie Golf Park is the pick. If you want historical significance and the shortest transfer from HCMC, Song Be is the practical choice. If you want a private club experience with varied 9-hole combinations, Twin Doves offers the most variety. For a two-day Binh Duong golf programme, playing Harmonie and Song Be on consecutive days gives you the best contrast between new and old, and both are close enough to HCMC to allow evening dining and entertainment in the city.
Best time to play golf in Binh Duong
Binh Duong shares HCMC’s tropical climate. Vietnam’s official tourism information describes the dry season as December to April and the wet season as May to November.
December to April. The best window. Dry, warm, and comfortable for golf at any time of day. Courses are in peak condition, and the Bermuda surfaces at Harmonie play particularly well in dry weather.
May to June. Transition into the wet season. Afternoon showers begin, but morning rounds are still reliable. The courses green up quickly, which gives them a different visual character.
July to October. The wettest months. Afternoon thunderstorms are frequent. Morning tee times before 7am are the practical approach. Traffic between HCMC and Binh Duong can also be affected by heavy rain.
November. Transition back to dry. Improving conditions and lower demand make this a practical month for golf travel.
Binh Duong golf holidays and package tours
Binh Duong is best treated as a day trip extension from an HCMC base rather than a standalone golf destination. The short transfer means you can play a morning round and be back in central Saigon for lunch.
A typical Binh Duong golf day includes private car transfer from your HCMC hotel, tee time at one of the four courses, caddie and cart, and a return transfer. For multi-day programmes, Binh Duong courses combine naturally with HCMC city courses, Dong Nai courses to the east, and can form part of longer itineraries heading to Vung Tau or Phan Thiet.
The Ho Chi Minh City Golf Packages covers combined itineraries that include Binh Duong courses. For a custom itinerary, use the trip planner.
Golf with suburban and cultural travel in Binh Duong
Binh Duong’s non-golf attractions are modest compared to HCMC, but the province has a few things worth noting for golfers spending a full day in the area. Thien Hau Pagoda in Thu Dau Mot is a colourful Chinese-style temple. Lac Canh Dai Nam Van Hien is a large cultural and entertainment complex. And the province’s emerging cafe and restaurant scene in the Thu Dau Mot area means you do not have to rush back to HCMC for a decent meal after your round.
Book tee times in Binh Duong
Booking is straightforward since all four courses are within easy reach of HCMC. Weekend mornings can be busy with domestic Saigon golfers, so advance booking is recommended for Saturday and Sunday.
When booking, confirm:
- Which course you want to play
- Your ideal date and tee time
- Morning versus afternoon preference
- Whether you need club rental
- Cart and caddie arrangements
- Transfer from your HCMC hotel (note that northern HCMC districts like Binh Thanh and Thu Duc are closer to Binh Duong courses than District 1)
- Whether Twin Doves requires advance visitor arrangement as a private club
One practical note: the main highways between HCMC and Binh Duong carry heavy industrial traffic on weekday mornings. Leaving before 6am gets you to the course before the worst of it. On weekends, the roads are noticeably lighter. If you are playing Song Be, which is closest to the HCMC border, the transfer can be as short as 20 to 30 minutes in light traffic. Harmonie and Twin Doves in Thu Dau Mot take 40 to 60 minutes depending on conditions. Plan your departure time around the traffic, not just the tee time.