After a few discussions with a local golf course manager named Hung, we experimented with washed sand for the greens, and the advantages were obvious. Due to the small market size, and in some cases the high cost of transportation and also the import taxes, not all companies are represented here. Only two greens fertilizers are available, and those come from Singapore-based suppliers. As for the fairways, roughs and tee boxes, only immediate-release agricultural analysis was used, which resulted in a flush of growth and occasional burning of the fairways' turfgrass. Chemicals are available in Vietnam, but they are sold for the agricultural sector and are not registered for turf.
Active ingredients used are cypermethrin, diazinon and cyfluthrin.
Staff members bring in herbicides and plant growth regulators from Singapore on a monthly basis, as these items are not available locally. The limited availability of chemicals decreases control options. So, the Vietnamese frequently verticut and topdress the greens and tees, which helps control persistent pests. The dry, moderate weather conditions in Song Be are not conducive to disease. During rainy season, however, leaf spot and dollar spot are the most prevalent.