SAM Tuyen Lam Golf Club

SAM Tuyen Lam Golf Club is 15 kilometers from Dalat City. It takes only 20 minutes from town and 20 minutes from the airport to reach SAM Tuyen Lam Golf Club by the main or back entrances, respectively. The Dalat golf course was Canadian designed and sits in a deep valley. It is located on the eastern shores of the Tuyen Lam lake and is surrounded by large mountains and towering pine trees; which makes for excellent scenery and year round cool golf weather. However, morning fog covers the golf course and on most days golf is not possible until 9:00 or 10:00AM.

Many of the holes play from elevated tees to tight fairways. Drivers can be kept in the bag in most cases as accuracy over distance is favored at SAM Tuyen Lam Golf Club. Greens are well guarded with gentle slopes and feature all Bent grass. Fairways are normal Bermuda grass.
Hole #3 is an uphill tight dogleg right. Out-of-bounds flanks the right side and the green is fronted by a large bunker and small creek that bisects the fairway. The second shot is among the most challenging at SAM Tuyen Lam Golf Club. Most golfers go for it, but end up in the creek short or OB right of the green. Take 1-2 extra clubs as there is ample room over the green to get down for par.

Another memorable hole is the par-4 hole 12. Playing as a dogleg right and severely uphill, there is a high bunker crossing the fairway 200 yards from the teeing area. A huge drive that carries 240 yards or more is required to clear the hazard otherwise a layup to around 180 yards is a much safer play. Also, the whole right side is framed by a vertical rock wall that was cutout of the mountain to build the hole. Hit to this side and the ball will ricochet off the Rick and back into the fairway. To make matters more complicated the green is double level and guarded by bunkers on both sides. Putting follows the slope of the surrounding mountains. It is such a difficult hole that bogey is a good score.

Facilities at SAM Tuyen Lam Golf include a nice clubhouse, driving range and practice areas. The onsite restaurant, pro shop, and locker rooms are rather basic as are the 12 guest rooms at the golf resort. Nearby large luxurious villas and 5-star hotel are also stay-and-play options onsite. Service is fair and it is advisable to bring a Vietnamese translator to assists with all of the formalities. Although SAM Tuyen Lam Golf is hilly, the course can be walked or optionally golf carts are available for hire.