This was an amazing experience from start to finish. We drove out from Da Nang, and it's a great drive in itself — well worth keeping your eyes out the window and taking in the scenery along the way.
We arrived to some genuinely great hospitality that made you feel like kings. The locker room staff were amazing — they even did up your shoes for you. One of the guys was so taken aback he took a photo to send to his wife.
Since this was the first time any of us had experienced that level of service, we asked about tipping. The answer was that they don't expect it — it's built into their wages — but if you feel the service has been good, you're welcome to tip anyway. So we did. Vietnam isn't like the USA, where tipping is essentially an extra tax you pay to subsidise low wages. It always helps to tip in Vietnam, though staff can sometimes seem a little embarrassed by it — wages are quite low, but it's balanced out by a low cost of living.
Get to the course about 45 minutes early so you've got time to hit a bucket of balls (around $13 NZD) before heading to the putting green. This was our routine at every course we played — your caddie will let you know when it's time to tee off.
Ba Na is a Luke Donald design, and it's a top-notch golf course — fantastic from start to finish. Everything was pristine, and it was a genuinely tough track. We played off the white tees, which suited our abilities — the group had a real mix of skill levels, and everyone enjoyed the challenge, even though it tested us. As mentioned earlier, our caddies were fantastic throughout. The greens were fast, the rough was tough but fair, and the fairways were magnificent.
After the round we headed into the changing rooms for a shower — bring a change of clothes, because what you played in will be drenched in sweat. Then it was off to the restaurant for a beer and a meal, around $17 NZD for the lot. The place wasn't crowded at all, and it's an absolute must-play if you're in the area.