Every year, the four of us—me, Baz, Tony and Deepak—pick somewhere new and play golf until our bodies remind us we're not twenty anymore. This year it was Vietnam, seven days, five rounds, split between Ho Chi Minh City and Danang. Deepak sorted the whole lot as one package through TGROUP, so all we did was turn up, hand our clubs over and play. I kept a little yardage book going the whole trip — scores, weather, the odd insult — so this is basically that, typed up before I lose it.

Fair warning: Saigon in July is hot. Properly hot. The first three rounds we sweated through a shirt each by the ninth. If you go, tee off as early as they'll let you.

First morning, still half jet-lagged, and they drive you an hour out to Long Thanh. Worth it once you're there — it's one of the prettier courses down south, all lakes and long par-fives. The heat did us in more than the layout did. Baz putted like a hero, the rest of us just tried to stay upright.

Three rounds done, Saigon ticked off. Day four you swap the city for the coast — a short domestic flight up to Danang. That's the halfway point of the trip and honestly the mood lifts the second you get the sea breeze. Our hotel for the back half was over near Hoi An, which turned out lovely of an evening.

This is where the trip changed character. The Saigon courses are lush and parkland; up here it's links-style, sandy, breezy, the sea never far. Montgomerie Links looks a picture — and plays a good deal harder than it looks the second the wind remembers it's the coast. Twenty minutes from the airport, fifteen into town, so no long drives this half either.

Would I do it again? Yeah, tomorrow. The two-city thing works — three lush parkland rounds in the south, then the links and the sea up in Danang, with the drive and that little internal flight all handled for you so you never think about logistics. Gripes, honestly: the July heat in Saigon is no joke (tee early), caddie tips are cash and you'll want small notes, and the day you fly you're a bit rushed off the course. Small stuff.

If you fancy the same trip, the whole week — the cars, the domestic flight, all five tee times — we ran as one package through TGROUP, and they clearly do the golf side properly. Just tell them how many rounds your knees have left in them and let them sort the rest.

Right, that's the notebook. Next year Baz picks. God help us.