Staff WriterThe cheers that crowned Luke Donald as Europe’s Ryder Cup mastermind at Bethpage Black may have been deafening in New York, but their echoes have rolled far further than the Long Island rough.
Thousands of miles away on the Vietnam Golf Coast, the legacy of Donald’s measured genius lives on at Ba Na Hills Golf Club — his first and only foray into course design.
Donald has now achieved what few captains in history have managed: back-to-back Ryder Cup triumphs, including this year’s 15–13 win over the Americans.
His leadership has been hailed for its meticulous preparation, icy composure under pressure, and a knack for pulling the right strategic lever at just the right time. It’s precisely those qualities that shape Ba Na Hills Golf Club — a course where brute force won’t save you, but brains might.
“I’ve always believed that strategy is the heart of golf whether you’re leading twelve players into battle or designing a course that tests decision-making on every shot,” said Donald.
“At Ba Na Hills, the idea was to create a layout that rewards patience, creativity, and precision. It’s not about power, it’s about thinking your way around the course.”
Across the golfing world, Luke Donald has been showered with praise for the way he’s reinvented modern team golf. His players speak of his calm authority and forensic planning. Even Keegan Bradley, the opposing captain, tipped his hat, calling him “probably the best European captain ever.”
Analysts and fans alike have noted how Donald blends tactical brilliance with emotional intelligence — a rare mix that’s delivered Europe a new golden era.
Nestled in the foothills west of Danang, Ba Na Hills is no ordinary playground. It’s a cerebral test wrapped in a visual spectacle: ravines, streams, and mountainous terrain frame a course designed with IMG that mirrors Donald’s own playing DNA — elegant, deliberate, quietly dangerous.
“The topography of Vietnam is just unbelievable,” said Donald. “You’ve got mountains, forests, and ocean all within an hour’s drive. The land gives you so much to work with, and at Ba Na Hills we tried to make every hole feel distinctive, every round feel like a journey.”
The course delivers on that promise. The par-3 8th is a downhill gem, framed by forest and demanding surgical accuracy. The finishing stretch doesn’t let up either: an island-green 16th, followed by a treacherous dogleg 17th wrapped in water, sets up a grandstand finish against sweeping highland views.
“Luke’s design philosophy is all about intelligence and restraint,” said Simon Mees, General Manager at Ba Na Hills Golf Club. “Like his Ryder Cup leadership, it’s about making smart choices and playing the long game. You see the same calm control and tactical awareness that made him such a brilliant captain.”
Since opening, Ba Na Hills Golf Club has become a centrepiece of Central Vietnam’s transformation into a world-class golf and leisure destination. Alongside other acclaimed courses on the coast, it’s drawn players from across Asia and beyond, putting the region firmly on the global golf map.
For Luke Donald, the project remains close to his heart. “There’s something very special about Ba Na Hills,” he said. “When I see people from all over the world come to play it, to test themselves on a course that asks them to think, to adapt, to stay patient, it feels like a small reflection of what I love about the game.”
