Just 15 years old, Ocean Dunes is a veritable elder statesman on Vietnam’s still-fledgling golf scene. Accordingly, it commands the kind of respect deserving of a layout that rarely fails to charm visitors and has, over its short-but-decorated lifespan, been the recipient of numerous plaudits and awards. Designed by former World No. 1 Nick Faldo,  and located hard by the sparkling waters of the East Sea, the course utilizes its prime chunk of real estate to stunning effect. Considering its fairly compact footprint, Ocean Dunes has remarkably varied terrain, combining elements of firm-and-fast links play and American-style target golf. Echoes of the great courses on the Monterey Peninsula, in California, come into play, especially on the 9th – an uphill short hole played through a funnel of casuarinas to an elevated green nestled in the dunes. Voted Vietnam’s best par-3 in 2009, the hole has also been rated among the ‘Best 500 Holes in the World’ by U.S. imprint GOLF Magazine. On the back nine, a three-hole loop through a pine forest provides yet another pleasing, unexpected golfing environment. Regarded since its opening as one of the best resort courses in the region, the enduring appeal of this gem is really no surprise.