Golf in Nha Trang: KN Golf Links vs Vinpearl vs Diamond Bay (2026)

Golf in Nha Trang comes down to one practical decision: which of the three 18-hole courses do you build your trip around? KN Golf Links is the Greg Norman links by the airport, Vinpearl Golf Nha Trang is the island course you reach by cable car or boat, and Diamond Bay Golf Club is the resort course sitting between the city and the airport. They are 30 to 45 minutes apart, priced within about US$15 of each other, and yet they play like three different countries. This guide compares them head to head so you can decide where to spend your first, second and third rounds.

I run TGROUP Trade & Travel, a licensed international tour operator based in Vietnam, and our team books Nha Trang tee times for private golf groups from Korea, Vietnam and increasingly from Europe and Australia. Every green fee below is taken from our own live rate cards on en.tgroup.vn in October 2026, rounded down to the nearest US$5 so the figure you see is a conservative reference, not a sales price. Course facts (designer, yardage, holes) come from the course pages we maintain; distances and seasonal notes are our working estimates from running transfers on this coast every week.

Nha Trang golf courses at a glance

Nha Trang is the one Vietnamese beach city where you can play three genuinely different course styles without changing hotels. The table below is the summary I send to clients before we talk about dates. Reference rates are for 18 holes on a weekday and already include the caddie fee and a shared cart; weekend and holiday rates are higher.

Reference rates as of October 2026, 18 holes weekday including caddie and shared cart; they vary by season, day of week and exchange rate. Message us on WhatsApp for an exact quote on your dates.

KN Golf Links Cam Ranh: the course worth flying in for

KN Golf Links: Greg Norman's links routed through natural sand dunes on Long Beach, Cam Ranh

If you only play one round in the Nha Trang area, this is the one. KN Golf Links is Greg Norman's third course in Vietnam and the only true links among Nha Trang's three courses: 18 holes winding through sand-based dunes along Long Beach, plus a separate 9-hole garden course with water and streams for a gentler second loop. From the tournament tees it measures 7,152 yards; from the shortest of the five tee sets it is a manageable 5,348 yards, which matters when you travel with a mixed-ability family group.

What I like about it as an operator is how honest the course is. The run-offs around the greens, the bold Norman bunkering and the wind off the bay reward a player who thinks, and punish anyone who just swings hard. Fairways are generous, so higher handicaps still enjoy the day; the scorecard simply tells the truth at the end. Facilities are the most complete of the three: driving range, approach and putting areas, pro shop, sauna, Korean-speaking staff, Korean food, and floodlit night golf on part of the layout, which is useful in the hot months.

Sandy waste areas and run-offs: bring a plan, not just a driver

The trade-off is location. KN sits on the Cam Ranh peninsula a few minutes from the airport, which is perfect on arrival or departure day, but 40 to 45 minutes from the beach hotels in downtown Nha Trang. We solve this in two ways: play KN on the day you land or fly out, or stay on site at the Wyndham Grand KN Paradise, which has a listed Stay & Play package from US$130 that pairs a resort night with the round.

The full-length range at KN is the best warm-up facility in Khanh Hoa province

Vinpearl Golf Nha Trang: island golf with a view of the bay

Vinpearl Golf Nha Trang runs through a valley on Hon Tre Island with the bay on one side

Vinpearl Golf Nha Trang is the course people remember for the setting rather than the scorecard. It sits in a valley on Hon Tre Island, beside an 800-metre white-sand beach inside Nha Trang Bay, and the IMG Worldwide design uses the hills on one side and the water on the other to frame almost every hole. It is an 18-hole, par 71 layout, shorter and friendlier than KN, with wide landing areas and greens that are receptive if you fly the ball onto them.

Access is part of the experience and part of the planning. You cross to the island on the Vinpearl cable car or a boat from the mainland terminal, so a 7:00 tee time means an earlier start than the clock suggests; we normally advise guests staying downtown to allow about an hour door to first tee. If your group is staying at a Vinpearl property on the island, the equation flips completely and this becomes the most convenient round of the trip. The Stay & Play Vinpearl Nha Trang package is listed from US$120 and is the version most of our family groups choose, because non-golfers get the beach, pools and the Vinpearl theme park while the golfers are out.

Water comes into play on several holes, but the fairways stay generous

Who should think twice: low-handicap players who want to be tested will find it pleasant rather than demanding, and anyone on a tight schedule should remember the crossing adds time both ways. For everyone else, and especially for couples and families, it is the easiest course to recommend with a clear conscience.

Late tee times on the island finish with this kind of light over the bay

Diamond Bay Golf Club: the convenient round between city and airport

Diamond Bay: the mountains behind, the sea in front, and the city ten minutes away

Diamond Bay Golf Club is the course that makes a three-round Nha Trang trip work. It is part of a 76-hectare resort complex on Nguyen Tat Thanh Boulevard, the coastal road that links the city with Cam Ranh airport, so it is roughly ten minutes from the beachfront hotels and twenty from the terminal. Andy Dye designed the 18 holes between the hills and the bay, and the Platinum TE Paspalum turf copes well with the salt air and the dry-season heat, which is why conditioning here is reliably consistent in my experience.

The character is resort golf: open fairways lined with palms, white-sand bunkers, water on a handful of holes and wide views across Nha Trang Bay. It is not the dramatic test KN is, and that is exactly its role in the itinerary. Play Diamond Bay on day one to shake off the flight, or as the middle round when you want an easy morning and the afternoon free in town. Caddies here are experienced with international guests, and the pace of play is usually the quickest of the three.

Palm-lined resort fairways: forgiving off the tee, with enough water to keep you honest

Head to head: which Nha Trang course wins each category

From above, KN's routing through the dunes explains why it tops most Vietnam course rankings

How we sequence a 3-round Nha Trang golf trip

The order matters more than people expect, because of where each course sits relative to the airport and the island. This is the sequence we use for most private groups on a four-day, three-night trip, and it is the same logic behind our listed Nha Trang Golf Tour, 4 days 3 nights, from US$545, which includes the three rounds, three nights in a five-star hotel and a private car.

Two alternatives we use often. Golfers who want more variety can swap Day 2 for a day trip to Da Lat, two to three hours up the mountain, where Dalat Palace and SAM Tuyen Lam offer cool-climate golf at 1,500 metres; it is a long day but a memorable contrast with the coast. And groups of eight or more who want a tournament feel usually base themselves at the Wyndham on the KN estate for two nights and treat Vinpearl and Diamond Bay as the away days.

Wyndham Grand KN Paradise: the on-site resort that turns KN into a stay-and-play base

What the green fee includes, and what it does not

One note on cancellation, because it affects how far ahead you should commit. Under our standard terms a booking cancelled 30 days or more before play is refunded in full; 21 to 30 days carries a 10 percent fee, 11 to 20 days 30 percent, 6 to 10 days 50 percent, and within five days the round is non-refundable. Weather is the exception: if a course closes for rain or lightning, the course's own rain-check policy applies, and we handle the paperwork. For the wider picture on what Vietnamese courses charge in other cities, see our Vietnam golf green fees 2026 guide.

Diamond Bay's white-sand bunkers against the paspalum turf

Best time to play golf in Nha Trang

Nha Trang has a different rhythm from Da Nang and Hanoi, and it is the main reason we send winter golfers here. The dry season runs broadly from January to August: long sunny days, sea breezes in the afternoon, and the firm, fast conditions that make KN's links play as intended. March to May is the sweet spot for temperature. June to August is hotter, which is when early tee times and KN's night golf earn their keep. The wet months are concentrated in October, November and into December, when the north-east monsoon brings heavy showers to this coast; rounds are still played, but we build flexible tee times into itineraries in that window and advise against tight connections. Treat this as the general pattern rather than a forecast, and ask us about conditions for your exact dates.

Dry-season skies over KN's garden nine, March to May

Private group or joined tour?

Frequently asked questions about golf in Nha Trang

Which is the best golf course in Nha Trang?
For the golf itself, KN Golf Links Cam Ranh: a Greg Norman links on real dunes that we rank among the top three courses in Vietnam. For scenery and families, Vinpearl Golf Nha Trang. For convenience from a city hotel, Diamond Bay.

How much does golf cost in Nha Trang?
Our reference weekday rates for 18 holes including caddie and shared cart are from US$85 at Vinpearl and from US$100 at KN Golf Links and Diamond Bay, as of October 2026. Weekends and holidays are higher. Add about US$15 per round for the caddie tip.

How far are the courses from Cam Ranh airport?
KN Golf Links is a few minutes from the terminal on the same peninsula. Diamond Bay is about 20 minutes, on the road to the city. Vinpearl requires a drive to the mainland terminal, roughly 40 to 45 minutes, then the cable car or boat to Hon Tre Island.

Can I play all three courses in one trip?
Yes, and three rounds in four days is our most popular Nha Trang itinerary. Play KN on arrival or departure day, Diamond Bay from the city, and Vinpearl as the island day. We book the tee times in sequence so the transfers make sense.

Is Nha Trang good for golf in winter?
January and February are dry and pleasantly warm, which is why Korean and northern-European golfers favour it over Hanoi or Da Nang in those months. October to early December is the rainy window; it is playable but needs flexible planning.

Do I need to rent clubs, or should I bring my own?
All three courses rent clubs and shoes. For a single round, renting is sensible; for three rounds, most guests bring their own. Vietnam Airlines, Bamboo and the Korean carriers all carry golf bags; check the allowance for your fare class before you fly.

How far ahead should I book tee times in Nha Trang?
Two to four weeks is comfortable most of the year. For peak dates such as Lunar New Year, Korean holidays and the January to March high season, book six to eight weeks ahead, particularly for KN Golf Links and for groups of eight or more.

Written by Minh Tan, Founder & CEO, TGROUP Trade & Travel JSC, international tour operator licence No. 68-025/2019/TCDL-GP LHQT. Reference rates as of October 2026, taken from en.tgroup.vn and rounded down to the nearest US$5; they vary by season, day of week and exchange rate. Course facts from the operators' published information; distances and travel times are our estimates. Related reading: Best golf courses in Vietnam 2026, ranked · Nha Trang golf courses list · Stay & Play packages in Nha Trang.