Fresh from guiding Team Europe to another Ryder Cup triumph, Luke Donald’s reputation for calm precision and strategic flair continues to echo far from the fairways of Bethpage. Nowhere more so than at Vietnam’s Ba Na Hills Golf Club — his first and only course design — where every contour tells a story of intelligence, restraint, and mastery.
Few moments in golf compare to the rapturous scenes at Bethpage Black, where Luke Donald steered Team Europe to a historic 15–13 victory over the United States. Yet, thousands of miles from the roar of the crowds, the ripple effect of that triumph continues to resonate along the Vietnam Golf Coast — home to Ba Na Hills Golf Club, Donald’s debut as a course designer.
Donald’s back-to-back Ryder Cup wins have affirmed his standing as one of Europe’s most astute and admired leaders, celebrated for meticulous preparation, tactical brilliance, and unflappable composure. Those same principles flow seamlessly into his architectural philosophy at Ba Na Hills, a layout defined by its cerebral beauty and thoughtful complexity.
“I’ve always believed that strategy is the essence of golf — whether you’re leading twelve players or designing a course that demands decisions on every shot,” says Donald. “At Ba Na Hills, the goal was to reward patience and creativity. It’s not about raw power, it’s about navigating with intelligence.”
Set within the emerald foothills west of Danang, Ba Na Hills Golf Club stretches across terrain of striking drama — mountains, ravines, and streams weaving through its 18 holes. Designed in collaboration with IMG, the course mirrors Donald’s own playing style: elegant, measured, and quietly fierce. Each hole, from the forest-framed par-3 8th to the closing island-green 16th and its thrilling finale, invites both precision and poetry.
“The natural topography here is extraordinary,” says Donald. “You’ve got mountains, forests, and the sea nearby. It’s a dream canvas for any designer, and we wanted every round to feel like a journey.”
For Simon Mees, General Manager at Ba Na Hills Golf Club, the parallels between Donald’s design and his Ryder Cup captaincy are unmistakable. “Luke’s approach is all about intelligence and control. He plays the long game, both on the course and in life. You see his calm authority in every fairway and green,” he observes.
Since its opening, Ba Na Hills Golf Club has become one of Central Vietnam’s defining golf experiences — a key player in the region’s ascent as a premier destination for international golfers. Together with a string of acclaimed layouts along the Vietnam Golf Coast, it continues to elevate the country’s profile as a world-class hub for luxury travel and sport.
Reflecting on the project, Donald describes it as one of the most fulfilling chapters of his multifaceted career. “Ba Na Hills holds a special place in my heart,” he says. “Seeing people from across the world come to experience it — to think, to adapt, to test themselves — captures everything I love about golf.”
All photography used in this feature is courtesy of the Ba Na Hills Golf Club.
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