Vietnamese Golf at the Threshold of Breakthrough: Challenges and Opportunities in the Context of International Integration

In the context where the world of golf is witnessing unprecedented upheavals with the competition between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, Vietnamese golf is quietly but no less fiercely establishing its position on the international sports map. The story of a country's maturation from being considered a golf backwater in Asia is gradually changing, but the road ahead is still full of challenges that not everyone can see. When mentioning Vietnamese golf, people often think of the most luxurious golf courses in Southeast Asia, grandiosely organized tournaments, and an increasingly large class of entrepreneurs participating in this noble sport. However, that is only half the picture. The other half — the story of young talents striving to rise from practice ranges to international courses, about training systems with many gaps, about the absence of professional measurement indicators — is less discussed in public forums. According to data published by the Vietnam Golf Association (VGA) in early 2026, the number of registered golf players in Vietnam has increased by 34% over the past three years, an impressive figure in the regional context. But when analyzing more deeply, a notable reality emerges: most of this growth comes from the entertainment and business segments, while the number of truly professional athletes — those capable of competing at top Asian tournaments — can still be counted on one's fingers. This is the paradox that anyone concerned about Vietnamese golf's future must face: a rapidly developing economic foundation has not yet been converted into proportional professional strength. Throughout 23 years of following and reporting on the world of golf, I have witnessed many countries standing in a similar position to Vietnam's current position. Thailand, a golf market with only about two decades more history than Vietnam, was once a victim of this very paradox. In the early 2000s, Thailand possessed dozens of internationally-rated golf courses, attracting large numbers of golf tourists from around the world, but the national team was virtually unknown at major tournaments. Only when a generation of coaches trained thoroughly according to Japanese and Korean models emerged, combined with focused investment policies in youth training centers, did Thailand truly boom with names like Thongchai Jaidee, Kiradech Aphibarnrat, or currently Atthaya Thitikul. The lesson from Thailand shows something important: wealth in infrastructure does not automatically produce champions. Vietnamese golf needs a revolution in training mentality, from building professional measurement indicator systems — instead of relying on intuition and traditional experience — to sending young coaches to learn from countries with developed golf industries. The Strokes Gained (SG) model — a system measuring stroke advantage compared to tour average — has become the gold standard in professional golf performance analysis worldwide, but in Vietnam, this concept remains unfamiliar to most academies and coaches. One of the biggest challenges for Vietnamese golf lies in the policy for sending athletes abroad to compete. While young talents from Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, or Thailand are usually encouraged to participate in American and European tournaments early — exposure to the harshest competitive environment in the world — Vietnamese athletes mostly compete domestically or in Southeast Asia. This creates a not insignificant psychological barrier: when stepping onto international courses, many young golfers face cultural shock in sports, from pace of play to level of competition, from physical demands to emotional management skills under pressure. Looking at the broader picture of world golf, the conflict between PGA Tour and LIV Golf has created unexpected opportunities for developing golf nations. With the OWGR (Official World Golf Ranking) system undergoing negotiations about point calculation for LIV events, many ranking positions are experiencing significant fluctuations. This is a gap that Vietnamese golf can fully exploit, if young athletes are adequately equipped with knowledge and skills to compete in smaller but prestigious Asian tournaments — where OWGR points are still fully recognized and ranking improvement opportunities are much more realistic than trying to elbow into major events. Institutionally, the Vietnam Golf Association has made correct steps in recent years, particularly in cooperating with international organizations to bring world-class training experts to Vietnam. However, these efforts remain fragmented and lack systematicity. To truly make a breakthrough, Vietnam needs to build a long-term talent development roadmap, at least 10 years, with specific and measurable milestones. One worth referencing model is South Korea's talent training program, a country that invested hundreds of millions of dollars over three decades to build its golf empire, from constructing professional golf academies to creating domestic competition systems competitive enough to produce real talents. Looking forward, the question is not whether Vietnamese golf can produce stars capable of competing at the highest level — but when and how. With a population of nearly 100 million, impressive economic growth rates, and sports passion being increasingly nurtured, Vietnam possesses all necessary elements to become a golf powerhouse in Asia. What remains lacking is strategic patience, thorough investment, and more importantly, the will from those shaping this sport's future in Vietnam. Golf is not a sprint. It is a marathon, and Vietnam has only just started running the first few kilometers. But in a marathon, what matters is not where you start, but whether you continue moving forward. And from what I observe, Vietnamese golf is moving, even if the pace may not meet many people's expectations. The next chapter will be written by decisions made in the coming years, and I, as someone who has spent most of my career following stories like this, will continue to observe with never-ending curiosity.