Long Bien Golf Course Review 2026: Is Hanoi’s Closest Course Worth Playing?

Last updated: 25 September 2026

The question we hear most about Long Bien comes from golfers with a single free afternoon in Hanoi: is it worth it, or should they save the day for a resort course further out? Our Long Bien golf course review comes down to one trade. Long Bien Golf Course is 20–30 minutes from the Old Quarter with 27 holes, so it wins on time and loses on scenery.

Is Long Bien Golf Course worth playing?

Yes, if the round has to fit around something else. No, if it is the only golf you will play in the north and you have a whole day to spend on it.

The case for it is simple arithmetic. A round at Long Bien, door to door from an Old Quarter hotel, takes roughly half a day. The resort courses west and north of the city cost you 45 minutes to two hours each way before you hit a ball. That gap is the whole reason Long Bien exists in most itineraries: it turns a half day that would otherwise go to waste into 18 holes.

The case against is what you look at while you play. There are no mountains or lakes on the horizon here, just fairways, the clubhouse and a city skyline. Price is not the tiebreaker either. Long Bien is not the budget option, and weekend and evening slots cost more. For how the rates are built, see how Hanoi green fees bundle the caddie and buggy.

Long Bien at a glance

Everything below comes from the club’s own website and from Vietnam Golf Magazine, checked in September 2026. Drive times are the ones we plan transfers around.

Clubhouse facilities, the practice range and a map are on our Long Bien course page, with the facilities and map. This review sticks to whether to play it and how to fit it in.

What is the golf actually like at Long Bien?

Honest, tidy and not very dramatic. The ground has gentle slopes and hollows but no real elevation change, so the course defends itself with bunkering and water placed where a loose shot finds it.

Condition is the strong point. When Vietnam Golf Magazine visited in July 2026, it measured the greens at about 9.2 feet on the Stimpmeter and called them consistent across all 27 holes. That is quick enough to reward a good putter without punishing a tired one. The grasses are Paspalum Platinum and TifEagle, according to the club.

What you will not get is a signature view. The best-known hole is a downhill par 3 played across a lake, and that is about as theatrical as it gets. If you are coming off a week of mountain and lakeside resort golf, Long Bien will feel plain. If you want a clean round without a long transfer, that plainness is fine.

One number explains the pace here. The magazine puts the course’s capacity at close to 500 rounds a day, which tells you how popular it is with Hanoi’s own golfers. Weekends fill early, and a round can take longer than you expect.

What time of day should you play Long Bien?

It depends on the month, because Hanoi has four real seasons and Long Bien gives you the flexibility to use them. Being close to town means you can pick the hour rather than accept whatever a long transfer forces on you.

• May to August: daytime highs of around 27–33°C with heavy humidity. Tee off at first light or wait for the lights; a noon round is hard work.
• September to November and March to April: comfortable at almost any hour, so choose the slot that suits the rest of your day.
• December to February: the coldest mornings drop to 10–15°C and morning fog can delay first tee times across Hanoi. A late-morning start is the better bet, and an evening round needs a proper jacket.

We normally recommend a first-light or floodlit tee time here in summer and a start after 9am in winter. The short drive is what makes that kind of timing realistic.

Which nines will you play?

Two of the three. An 18-hole round at Long Bien is any pair of the A, B and C nines, and the club rotates which pairing is in play.

• A: the longest nine at 3,635 yards, par 36.
• B: 3,448 yards, par 36.
• C: the shortest at 3,083 yards, and par 35 on the club’s own figures.

So an A and B round is the full-length par 72 of about 7,080 yards, while any 18 that includes C plays shorter. C is about 550 yards shorter than A, which is worth knowing if you are squeezing a round in before a flight or your group includes slower players. We confirm the pairing at booking. If you have a preference, tell us early and we will ask; on a busy weekend the club decides, not us.

Where does Long Bien fit in a Hanoi golf trip?

At the edges of the trip, and on any day when the group splits. Those are the three slots where its short drive matters more than anything else about it.

The evening you land. If your flight arrives by mid-afternoon, a twilight nine at Long Bien is the easiest way to play on day one. The lights make an evening round possible; for lit hours and the other floodlit courses, see which Hanoi courses stay lit after dark.

The morning before you fly. With a late departure, a morning round here still leaves time to shower, check out and reach Noi Bai, about 35 km away, without rushing.

The day the group splits. When one or two people do not play, Long Bien lets the golfers tee off while the others spend the morning in the Old Quarter, and everyone meets for lunch. A resort course an hour out makes that much harder.

Long Bien vs the resort courses: which should you book?

Book both if you can, because they do different jobs. If you have a full day free, the resort courses give you more of a golf holiday; if you have half a day, Long Bien is the only sensible choice.

We normally recommend building a Hanoi week around two or three resort days and using Long Bien to fill the gaps between them. GoGolfVietnam, a local golf tour operator based in Da Nang that also runs trips in the north, offers exactly that on the seven-day Hanoi trip that offers a twilight nine on arrival: four resort rounds are included, and the Long Bien nine on day one is optional and quoted separately.

Who should skip Long Bien?

Golfers who came for scenery, and anyone whose only free day is a weekend. Both groups will be happier elsewhere.

• Scenery hunters. If the round is the highlight of your trip and you want photos worth sharing, a lakeside or mountain course outside the city is the better use of the day.
• Weekend-only players who hate waiting. Local demand is heavy on Saturdays and Sundays. A weekday tee time is a noticeably calmer round.
• Golfers chasing a hard test. Long Bien is fair rather than fierce. Low handicappers looking to be stretched will find more at the longer resort layouts.

For everyone else, it earns a place. Browse packages that use Long Bien as the easy day between long drives if you would rather have the planning done for you.

Practical tips before you play Long Bien

Four small things make a first round here smoother.

1. Wear soft spikes. Metal spikes are not allowed, so pack the right shoes.
2. Book weekends ahead. We reserve weekend tee times three to five days in advance; weekdays are more forgiving.
3. Warm up on the range. Vietnam Golf Magazine lists a two-level range with 52 bays, which is worth 20 minutes before you tee off, especially on an arrival evening after a flight.
4. Bring small notes for your caddie. Every round is played with a caddie, and a tip at the 18th is expected. Our caddie tipping guide covers the usual amounts.

Allow time for the clubhouse too. At close to 10,000 square metres, the club bills it as among the largest in Vietnam, and lunch there after a morning round is the natural end to the session.

Frequently Asked Questions

GoGolfVietnam is a Vietnam-based golf tour operator arranging tee times, transfers and hotels around Hanoi and Northern Vietnam, as well as in Da Nang and Hoi An.