There is a golf tour designed specifically for people who don't play golf

When you say "golf tour," most people picture the same thing: a group carrying their clubs to play a few courses back-to-back, drinking beer in the evening, then heading back out to the course the next morning.

But as I sat through all 47 golf tours currently available, the thing that made me pause the longest was a tour with no golf rounds at all.

Golf tour for people who don't play golf

It's called the Vietnam Non-Golfer Companion Program — a program designed for accompanying companions.

An 11-day, 10-night journey through Hanoi – Ninh Binh – Ha Long – Da Nang – Hoi An – Ho Chi Minh City – Ho Tram. What makes it special is the way the schedule is arranged: each day is coordinated to match the relative's golfing rhythm, while the travel companion has an entirely separate itinerary of experiences.

It sounds simple, but it solves a very real problem that few people talk about.

A round of golf takes four to five hours. Add the travel time there and back plus lunch at the clubhouse, and it takes up almost a whole day. Multiplied across the whole trip, a spouse or family member who comes along but doesn't play golf will end up with a lot of free time — and often in a place where they can't get around on their own.

This is a parallel journey, not a golf package. Two people travel together on the same trip, but each person has their own day, and then they meet up again in the evening.

And it is not alone

Turns out there's a whole category of tours that aren't divided by where you go, but by who's going:

• Solo Golfer Social Escape — for solo travelers• Couples Golf & Culture Escape — for two people• Women's Golf & Wellness Retreat• Family Golf & Beach Holiday• Senior Golf Holiday – Relaxed Pace — at a relaxed pace

The most interesting thing is the small details in each program, because they show that the tour organizer has thought about what happens outside the golf course:

• Tours for solo travelers include a "Social Host" and skill-level-matched groups — so you don't have to play 18 holes next to three strangers with vastly different skill levels• Slow-paced tours also account for rooms near the elevator and mobility support• Tours for women's groups can arrange suitable clubs, connecting rooms, and a small internal tournament

The matter of "a room near the elevator" has nothing to do with golf. But for a trip of more than ten days, it's just as important as which course is beautiful.

First: distinguish between the two types of packages, don't pick the wrong one

This is the easiest point to confuse, and once you can tell it apart, everything else becomes much easier.

Stay & Play — currently has 40 packages. And here's what's notable: they're all short. 27 packages are 2 days 1 night, 13 packages are 3 days 2 nights. There's no package longer than that.

Just as the name suggests: sleep right at the area with the yard, play in the morning, rest in the afternoon. One spot, no moving around. This is the weekend getaway style.

Tour — 47 programs, ranging from 4 to 14 days, visiting many golf courses in many provinces, with pickup/drop-off transport included and usually also city sightseeing.

The question to ask yourself is simple: do you want to play a lot, or do you want to travel a lot? If you want to play a lot but book a long tour, most of the time you'll just be sitting on a bus. If you want to see the country and book a Stay & Play, two days is enough.

Longest tour: 14 days, three regions

3-Region Vietnam Golf Tour lasts 14 days and 13 nights and is the longest program on the list. It includes 7 rounds of golf at 7 courses:

• 3 rounds in Ho Chi Minh City area — Tan Son Nhat, Long Thanh, Song Be • 2 rounds in Central region — Ba Na Hills, Hoiana Shores • 2 rounds in Northern region — Legend Valley, Thanh Lanh Valley

Included is a city tour in both Sai Gon, Da Nang – Hoi An, and Ha Noi, plus a day off in Ha Long or Ninh Binh.

There's one number in there worth noting: 7 rounds in 14 days. That means on average a new round every two days. This is not an exhausting, grueling schedule — it's a trip with golf mixed in, not a tournament stretched over two weeks.

By the way, the Tan Son Nhat course on that itinerary sits right next to the airport runway. The thing about planes taking off right overhead while you're lining up your shot is actually true, and for a lot of people that ends up being the most memorable part of that round of golf.

Eight tours abroad, and where do they go

Out of 47 tours, 39 are domestic, and 8 are international tours. The list is quite concise and the reason is easy to guess:

• Five Thailand tours — Bangkok, Pattaya, Hua Hin, Chiang Mai and Phuket• Three China tours — Hainan, Kunming, and Dali – Lijiang – Kunming

It's all wrapped up in just 4 to 5 days. The reason is right there on the map: these are places only a few hours' flight from Vietnam, close enough that a short trip can still fit in three rounds of golf without wasting two days just on flying.

And the cutest name on the whole list

Golf Tour Da Nang 1-2-3 Dzô Golf & Beer. There's also a Nha Trang version.

Four days and three nights, two rounds of golf, and everything else is exactly as the name suggests: a welcome dinner with local fresh beer and a hot bowl of pho.

A golf tour named after the toast you shout when clinking glasses. But think about it carefully, and that name actually captures the true nature of most golf trips: people remember that night's dinner far more than they remember their score.

So how should I choose then?

• Have a weekend (two days) → Stay & Play. One location, no moving around• Have four to five days → a short tour. This is the largest group, with 33 programs in this range• Going with someone who doesn't play golf → ask directly about the program for companions, don't let them sit waiting at the club• Going alone → there are ready-made tours for that, with a group coordinator• Going with an elderly person → choose a slow-paced program, and inform in advance about room and dining requirements

As for which course to choose, I have three separate articles on that: four courses around Da Nang, which region is best to play in which month, and why many courses are not 18 holes.

You can see all tours, the Stay & Play packages, and the full list of golf courses in the golf section of VietSpots.

Photos provided by the golf courses and the tour operators.