Explore the Best Phu Tho Golf Courses in 2026–2027

Phu Tho is one of the newest golf destinations in northern Vietnam, and it comes with a cultural weight that no other golf province can match. This is the land of the Hung Kings, the legendary founders of the Vietnamese nation. The Hung Kings Temple Complex on Nghia Linh Mountain draws millions of pilgrims annually, and the Worship of Hung Kings was inscribed by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2012. For international golfers, that heritage is the reason a round here feels different from another resort course near Hanoi.

The province sits about 80 to 90 kilometers northwest of Hanoi, roughly 90 minutes by car. Until recently, there was no reason for golfers to come here. That changed with Van Lang Empire T&T Golf Club, a 36-hole Greg Norman design that opened its first holes in 2024. The neighboring province of Vinh Phuc, on the same road from Hanoi, adds two more courses (Thanh Lanh Valley and Dai Lai) that pair naturally with a Phu Tho trip. Together, this northwest corridor from Hanoi is becoming a genuine golf route.

Best Golf Courses in Phu Tho and Nearby

Phu Tho itself has one major golf facility, but the neighboring province of Vinh Phuc (on the same road from Hanoi) adds two more courses that pair naturally with a Phu Tho trip. Together, they give this northwest corridor enough golf to fill two or three days.

1. Van Lang Empire T&T Golf Club

Van Lang Empire is the headline project. According to the club and publicly available golf industry sources, it is a 36-hole facility designed by Greg Norman and developed by T&T Group, one of Vietnam’s top-10 private conglomerates. The club is located in Tam Nong district, Phu Tho, covering 168 hectares. The two courses are named The Prime and The Legend. Golf Course Architecture reported in late 2025 that the club would officially open in early 2026. Govigo notes that the first 9 holes opened in 2024, with 18 holes becoming operational in 2025.

Norman reportedly called this his first mountainous golf course design, a departure from his coastal work elsewhere in Vietnam (BRG Da Nang, The Bluffs Ho Tram, KN Golf Links Cam Ranh). The layout uses the hilly terrain of the Phu Tho midlands, incorporating natural palm forests, tea hills, and rolling elevation. The club draws its design narrative from the Hung Kings era, with each of the 18 holes on The Prime course symbolizing one of the 18 legendary Hung Kings. T&T Group has partnered with 54, a global sports management company, to operate the facility. The club includes a 100-room hotel, a golf academy with 32 practice lanes and two 3D simulation rooms, restaurants, and a spa.

2. Thanh Lanh Valley Golf Resort

Thanh Lanh, also known as Serena Valley Resort Golf and Club, is in Vinh Phuc province about 60 kilometers northwest of Hanoi, on the route toward Phu Tho. It opened in 2021 and is a Nick Faldo design, 18 holes, par 72, 7,045 yards across five sets of tees. The course sits at roughly 1,000 meters elevation near the Tam Dao mountain range, which means it runs cooler than courses closer to Hanoi.

According to Golfasian, golfers play through water-surrounded, hillside, parkland, and a short links-style section. A peninsula over Thanh Lanh Lake holds some of the most memorable holes, and the finishing holes run along the shoreline back toward a clubhouse that looks like a European castle. Faldo designed the bunkers to echo the rolling hills of the surrounding valley. Fairways are generous at 30 to 60 yards wide, making the course playable for all levels despite the 7,000-yard length. Thanh Lanh suits golfers who want a cooler mountain round with a designer pedigree, and it works well as a stop on the way to or from Phu Tho.

3. Dai Lai Star Golf and Country Club

Dai Lai is also in Vinh Phuc province, about 40 kilometers from Hanoi and 30 minutes from Noi Bai Airport. The course opened in 2010 and was designed and built by Peter Waddell of Linkshape Australia. It is a 27-hole facility (three nine-hole loops), par 72, approximately 7,003 yards for a full 18, spread across 300 hectares at the foot of Ngoc Thanh Mountain around Dai Lai Lake.

Water is the defining feature. Dai Lai Lake comes into play on most of the back nine, and the course includes several par-3s with tee shots over water. The considerable fairway and greenside bunkering, combined with large, fast greens, make this more of a test than it first appears. The modern clubhouse overlooks the lake and offers a relaxed atmosphere. Dai Lai suits golfers looking for a lakeside round that is easy to reach from Hanoi or the airport, and it combines naturally with Thanh Lanh or Van Lang Empire in a multi-day itinerary heading northwest.

Which course should you play?

If you want the newest, most ambitious facility with a Greg Norman signature, Van Lang Empire is the draw. If you want an established Nick Faldo course with cool mountain air and a castle-style clubhouse, Thanh Lanh is the stronger pick for course quality right now. If you want a convenient lakeside round close to Hanoi or the airport, Dai Lai fills that role. A practical two-day program could combine Dai Lai or Thanh Lanh on day one with Van Lang Empire and the Hung Kings Temple on day two.

Best Time to Play Golf in Phu Tho

Phu Tho’s weather follows northern Vietnam’s subtropical pattern. Vietnam’s official tourism website notes that the best time to visit northern provinces is from October to April during the cooler, drier season.

October to December. The best window. Temperatures around 20 to 25 degrees Celsius, low humidity, and clear skies. This period is comfortable for a full day that combines golf with a visit to the Hung Kings Temple. November is particularly pleasant.

January to April. Still good overall. January and February can be cool and grey, with temperatures occasionally dipping below 15 degrees. March and April warm up, and the Hung Kings Festival (around the 10th day of the third lunar month, typically late March to early April) brings major cultural activity to the province. Playing golf during festival week means the area will be busier, but the atmosphere is worth experiencing.

May to September. Hot and rainy. Temperatures regularly exceed 30 degrees, and afternoon downpours are common from June through August. Morning tee times are the safer bet. The upside is lower green fees and fewer visitors on the course.

Phu Tho Golf Holidays and Package Tours

Phu Tho works best as a day trip from Hanoi or as part of a broader northern Vietnam golf route. The drive takes about 90 minutes, and the nearby courses at Thanh Lanh and Dai Lai in Vinh Phuc sit along the same road, which makes combining two or three rounds into a short trip straightforward. The most practical formats are usually:

Hanoi Golf Package 6 Days with four rounds at top northern Vietnam courses including Dai Lai, plus spa sessions and Hanoi sightseeing between rounds

Hanoi Golf Package 7 Days a full week combining golf at courses across the Hanoi, Vinh Phuc, and Phu Tho corridor with a Hanoi city tour, water puppet show, and visits to the Temple of Literature and Ho Chi Minh Complex

You only need to plan your trip, and we take care of everything else, from transfers and hotel bookings to tee times and coordination with the Hung Kings Temple or any other sightseeing you want to include.

For couples and mixed groups, this corridor is a natural fit. One person plays Van Lang Empire or Thanh Lanh while the other visits the Hung Kings Temple, explores Hung Lo Ancient Village (birthplace of UNESCO-recognized Xoan singing), or soaks at Thanh Thuy hot springs. The non-golf side of Phu Tho is strong enough to fill a full day on its own.

Golf with Ancestral Heritage in Phu Tho

This is the combination that sets Phu Tho apart from every other golf destination near Hanoi. The Hung Kings Temple Complex on Nghia Linh Mountain is the most sacred historical site in Vietnam, dedicated to the founders of the nation. UNESCO recognized the Worship of Hung Kings in 2012, and the annual festival brings millions of visitors each spring.

Van Lang Empire explicitly draws on this heritage. The course narrative references the 18 Hung Kings, and the connection is built into the design and the location. A practical itinerary: drive from Hanoi, visit the Hung Kings Temple (allow 2 to 3 hours), then play an afternoon round at Van Lang Empire. Or golf first while the air is cooler, then visit the temple afterward. Add Thanh Lanh or Dai Lai on a separate day for a two-course trip.

Book Tee Times in Phu Tho

Van Lang Empire is likely to have good availability outside of weekends and Vietnamese holidays. The Hung Kings Festival period (late March to early April) will be busier, so book ahead during that window. For Thanh Lanh and Dai Lai, weekend slots can fill up since both are popular with Hanoi-based golfers.

When booking, confirm your preferred course, date, and tee time. Clarify club rental and transfer needs. Morning tee times are the safer choice from May to September. GolfLux’s Hanoi golf packages page can incorporate courses in this corridor, or you can build a custom itinerary that fits your schedule.