The Ministry of Planning and Investment has published a draft decree on the investment and operation of golf courses.

According to the draft, golf course must contribute to local socio-economic development and not affect national defense or social security.

Golf courses must be built following international standards, while being environmentally friendly and promoting green growth, the draft said.

Developers must obtain an investment certificate and an approved environmental impact assessment report before starting construction, while land designated for golf courses should not be used for other purposes.

The draft regulated that the maximum area of land for each hole was five hectares and that golf courses could only have 54 holes in the first phase of construction. The maximum time for constructing a golf course was 36 months.

Golf courses would not be allowed to be built on land designated for national defense and security purposes, natural forest land, rice fields or industrial and urban zones.

Golf courses must be built in areas with the potential for tourism development, such as along the coast or in the hills, according to the draft.

Bui Tat Thang, director of the Viet Nam Institute for Development Strategies, said that these regulations aimed to ensure efficient use of land resources.

The draft said that low-yield rice cultivation land could be converted for golf courses.

Vu Trong Hong, chairman of the Viet Nam Water Resources Development Association, disagreed with the draft, saying that rice fields should not be taken over by golf courses because the chemicals used to maintain the grass caused pollution.

The draft said that the Prime Minister would still be in charge of approving investment policies for golf courses, which experts said would help prevent local authorities from issuing too many investment certificates.

Statistics showed that Viet Nam had nearly 100 golf courses in the planning but only half were under construction.

A representative of Dam Vac Golf Course in the northern province of Vinh Phuc said that any investment must be based on supply and demand, including golf courses.— VNS