DAK DOA COMMUNE, GIA LAI PROVINCE, VIETNAM — Construction has officially commenced on the first 18 holes of FLC Golf Club Pleiku. Designed by renowned golf course architect Brian Curley, the initial course marks the first phase of a larger 36-hole complex embedded within the sprawling 517-hectare FLC Pleiku Golf Club & Luxury City Resort mega-development.
Set across a vast pine forest landscape near Pleiku, the project reflects Curley’s longstanding design philosophy: strategic golf routed lightly across the land with minimal disruption to the natural environment. The course corridors will wind through dense stands of pines, creating a shot-making test and sylvan aesthetic that Curley compares to Harbour Town Golf Links in its demand for precision and creativity.
“This is core golf,” Curley said. “The scale of the property and the density of the forest create a feeling of immersion in nature. You won’t feel hemmed in by out-of-bounds stakes or real estate. The emphasis is on golf, and in a design era of tree removal and wide expanses, this design is the antithesis, relying instead on management of tight corridors as the main design element, yet allowing recovery from most any predicament.”
The first 18 holes are currently being cleared, while the timing for the second 18-hole course will be determined during a later phase of development.
Rather than rework the site dramatically, Curley’s team is prioritizing environmental preservation by retaining as many existing trees as possible. Holes are being routed through natural openings in the forest, creating distinct recovery corridors that reward imaginative play. The layout will feature relatively few fairway bunkers, relying instead on strategic angles, intricate green contours, and tree-lined boundaries to challenge golfers.
Three natural lakes will come into play across the routing, though the overall design structure is intended to keep the course highly enjoyable and playable for golfers of all abilities. The greens—with the exception of several par-3 holes—will feature open fronts to encourage traditional run-up approaches and creative recovery shots directly from the pine straw-covered forest floor.
“My hope is to create one of the best inland golf courses in Vietnam,” Curley noted. “A course that is demanding but fair, where players can recover, improvise and manage their way around with one golf ball.”
The putting surfaces will serve as a major focal point of the design, varying dramatically in size, contour, and individual character. To ensure premium playing conditions, the greens will be planted with high-density Lynkz zoysia turf, selected for its optimal speed and long-term conditioning potential. Celebrated Zeon zoysia grass will finish out the fairways, tees, and roughs.
The development will also employ a minimalist turf strategy aimed at significantly reducing water consumption while preserving the highland site's raw aesthetic. Large portions of the natural pine understory will remain completely intact rather than being heavily grassed, allowing the playing fields to blend seamlessly into the surrounding wilderness.
Formal bunkering, while kept to a minimum, will serve as a bold visual highlight. Curley plans to implement flashed sand faces heavily inspired by the classic style of Augusta National. This specific engineering approach is intended to create a striking contrast against the region’s native red clay base while simultaneously minimizing long-term soil contamination and maintenance hurdles.
The broader FLC Pleiku Golf Club & Luxury City Resort development is a massive multi-trillion VND project. It will eventually encompass the full 36-hole layout alongside premier resort, residential, and hospitality components positioned strategically around the perimeter of the playing grounds.
Curley brings nearly 30 years of deep regional expertise to the project. His extensive Asia-Pacific portfolio includes the landmark 22-course master plan at Mission Hills in China, alongside highly acclaimed Vietnamese developments like FLC Golf Club Ha Long, FLC Golf Links Quy Nhon, and FLC Golf Links Quang Tri.
The ground-breaking arrives amid a massive macro-expansion for Vietnam’s golf industry, which has spent the last decade emerging as one of the fastest-growing golf markets in the world. A powerful combination of rising international tourism, expanding transportation infrastructure, and strong government support for resort development continues to fuel a surge in elite golf destinations across Vietnam’s coastal and highland territories.
On-site construction management for the Pleiku course is being overseen by Flagstick Golf Course Construction Management, an internationally recognized firm with a portfolio spanning more than 130 premier golf projects worldwide.
Upon completion, FLC Pleiku Golf Club & Luxury City Resort is expected to become one of Vietnam's premier international-standard inland golf destinations, defined by its dense highland forest setting, minimalist architecture, and emphasis on strategic, player-friendly golf.
