Hanoi, Vietnam: Global sports and entertainment agency 54 and the Vietnam Golf Association (VGA) have agreed a strategic partnership to co-develop a comprehensive national golf strategy and support next month’s inaugural Vietnam Golf Course Owners Summit.
The alliance builds on the organisations’ on-going support of the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT) and the Sports Authority of Vietnam (SAV) in positioning golf as a key component of the country’s tourism and economic development.
The R&A’s Global Golf Participation 2024 report, published in June 2025, revealed Vietnam has had one of the sharpest increases in registered golfers on the planet with 279% more than 2023’s figures and encouragingly has one of the world’s highest percentages of female participation (26%).
As of 2025, according to Vietnam Golf Leisure, Vietnam has more than 90 operational 18-hole golf courses, with the number expected to reach 200 by 2030. According to VNAT, golf tourism generated US$600 million in revenue in 2022 and is projected to surpass US$1 billion by 2025, accounting for around eight to 10 per cent of the country’s total tourism revenue.
Nguyen Thi Thu Ha, Vice President of the VGA, said: “In order to maximise the potential and build efficiencies for Vietnam’s booming golf industry, leading stakeholders have taken effective measures to diversify the national product offering and cater to the widespread demand from both international and domestic tourists.
“Golf in Vietnam has already produced some iconic venues and Top 100 courses, which has given tremendous impetus for future developments, and the time is now for us to harness this momentum and take things to the next level. The Association is driving impact at every level of golf’s value chain and with its new partnership with 54 has charted a course that will take the sport and industry to the next level.”
Jed Moore, Group CEO 54, said: “Vietnam is on an unmatched trajectory in terms of growing domestic participation, inbound visitation and new golf course developments.
“The VGA has been one of the long-standing drivers in supporting the industry, and the game’s growth. We are joining forces to supercharge this movement and get behind a new national strategy that will ensure the most efficient and impactful roll out of a national plan, covering social, economic and environmental factors. As the golf industry increasingly sets its sights on Vietnam, the scale of the mid-term market potential is irrefutable.”
A major part of that national plan was to introduce new, innovative strategies that differentiate the Vietnam experience, leaning on not only the unique design opportunities afforded by the renowned landscape, but also to usher in a new level of quality standards and controls.
Moore continued: “The immediate priority is for 54 to begin work on setting out a framework to maximise golf’s value across Vietnam. This will include work with educational institutions to grow grass-roots participation and build a skilled workforce, leveraging technology to engage new audiences, and supporting elite player development.
“The strategy will also introduce accessible entry-level golf experiences in urban and municipal settings, establish a national sustainability blueprint to guide best practices, and deliver training programmes to accelerate implementation.
“Additionally, 54 will optimise sales channels to connect with tourism stakeholders and unify the industry under a shared ‘Golf in Vietnam’ vision.”
The announcement was made in the context of celebrating the 20th anniversary of Vietnam Golf Leisure, Vietnam’s leading on-line golf publication, where 54 and VGA were on hand to share more about the inaugural Vietnam Golf Course Owners Summit, scheduled for October 31, at one of the top venues in the region, Laguna Lang Co – a Nick Faldo Signature design.
The VGA representative was also welcomed onto the Organising Committee, and will play a pivotal role in connecting across Vietnam’s Tourism and Owner networks.
