There are rounds of golf worth celebrating and rounds you’d rather not discuss until everyone has had something to eat. Either way, a good clubhouse can do quite a lot of heavy lifting.

On Central Vietnam’s Golf Coast, Montgomerie Links and Ba Na Hills Golf Club are paying rather more attention to what happens before and after the golf. One is preparing a new dining venue overlooking the course, while the other has been expanding its clubhouse menu with dishes from Vietnam, Korea and further afield.

The idea is straightforward enough. If you’ve travelled halfway around the world to play golf, the food ought to be worth turning up for as well.

Montgomerie Links Gives the 19th Hole a New Home

At Montgomerie Links, the latest addition is The 19th Coffee & Beer, a new dining concept being prepared beside the driving range and first tee.

The venue will combine indoor seating with a spacious outdoor terrace, giving golfers somewhere to settle in before a round or spend a little longer afterwards. Contemporary Western dishes will share the menu with Vietnamese flavours, with locally sourced ingredients forming part of the approach.

It’s an interesting location. Rather than hiding the restaurant away from the action, the club is making the practice facilities and opening hole part of the experience.

For golfers who like arriving early, watching a few swings and perhaps convincing themselves they’ve finally worked out their driver, that has a certain appeal.

The new venue will complement Birdies Restaurant, which already overlooks the 18th green, giving Montgomerie Links dining options at both ends of the round.

“Great golf is still at the heart of everything we do, but the experience doesn’t begin and end on the course,” said Le Vo Hoang Van, Club Manager at Montgomerie Links. “The 19th gives golfers somewhere they can settle in before a round or linger afterwards, with good food, a relaxed atmosphere and views that keep them connected to the course.”

Ba Na Hills Puts Phở, Pasta and Korean Comfort Food on the Menu

Over at Ba Na Hills Golf Club, the emphasis is less on a new building and more on what comes out of the kitchen.

Its September and October menu features an international selection, including beef short-rib phở, truffle creamy rigatoni with crispy chicken, Korean sundubu jjigae and crispy Vietnamese pancakes.

That’s quite a bit of culinary ground to cover in one clubhouse, although there is some logic behind it.

Central Vietnam attracts golfers from across Asia and beyond, and a dining room catering to that audience needs to accommodate more than one idea of a satisfying post-round meal.

“Food has become an increasingly important part of the golf experience in Central Vietnam,” said Andrew McGregor, General Manager at Ba Na Hills Golf Club. “Our golfers come from across Asia and around the world, so we want the clubhouse to reflect that diversity while retaining a strong sense of place through Vietnamese dishes and ingredients.”

The seasonal selection also includes Phu Quoc-style bún quậy, a seafood noodle soup, Hoi An-inspired herbal tea and Korean kimchi jjigae.

Mooncakes and Korean songpyeon, traditional rice cakes, have also been included in the club’s autumn festival plans, alongside additions to the cocktail menu.

It’s a broad selection, certainly. But for travelling golf groups with different tastes, having plenty of choice can be more useful than an elaborate menu built around a single culinary style.

Why Central Vietnam’s Food Scene Matters to Golfers

The appeal extends well beyond the clubhouse.

Danang has a dining scene that ranges from local seafood and street-food favourites to restaurants recognised by the MICHELIN Guide. Nearby Hoi An brings its own culinary traditions, particularly cao lầu, the city’s distinctive noodle dish, and cơm gà, Vietnamese chicken rice.

For visitors planning a golf holiday, that creates a welcome opportunity to explore the region without making every day revolve entirely around tee times.

There’s also a useful distinction between eating at the golf club because it’s convenient and choosing to stay because the food genuinely interests you.

Montgomerie Links and Ba Na Hills are clearly aiming for the latter, although the quality of their new offerings will ultimately be judged on the plate rather than in an announcement.

The golf remains the main attraction, with Central Vietnam’s courses sitting alongside beaches, resorts and UNESCO-listed heritage destinations. But the restaurants and local dishes give visitors another reason to make more of their time in the region.

A great meal won’t rescue a disappointing scorecard, of course.

It might make the conversation afterwards considerably more enjoyable.