Port Town of San Remigio, Cebu
[Private]
H=18 P= Y=

Highlights

Description

Medellin, Cebu
[Private]
H=18 P=72 Y=6,850

Highlights

Description

Hey Everyone,

Our group has just received a special invitation from Pacsports to test out and demo the latest line of Nike Products… including the innovative Nike VRS_Covert 2.0 clubs.

It will be held on Saturday, Feb 22nd 1-7pm at the Southlinks Golf Club, a brand new golf course located in Alabang.

There will be tons of raffle prizes and free stuff given away. (2 Brand New Nike VRS_Covert Drivers were given away)

There will also be a Covert ‘Head to Head’ Challenge Vs. Your Driver.

I’ll be at the event, and same with a bunch of other GolfPH members. If anyone wants to join us… send me an email and i’ll put you on the list.

Grace

PS: Here is a link from our http://www.golfph.com/blog/pacsports-official-nike-vrs-covert-launch-event

Here are the directions:

Mar 3: Bell’s Golf Tournament Canlubang Golf

Mar 6: ELKS Canlubang Golf

Mar 7: Dominga Capati Memorial Canlubang Golf

Mar 15: Monthly Tournament Canlubang Golf

Mar 17: Magsaysay Lines Canlubang Golf

Mar 21: ISA Golf Tournament (Tenative) Canlubang Golf

Mar 26: Phil Chamber Industrial Estate Canlubang Golf

Mar 28: Rockwell Cup Canlubang Golf

Mar 3: National Commander’s Cup Forest Hills Golf & Country Club

Mar 6: 20th Phil. Aussie Interstate Friendship Golf Cup Forest Hills Golf & Country Club

Mar 14: Diamond Motors Forest Hills Golf & Country Club

Mar 10: Ateneo Law School Batch 90 Forest Hills Golf & Country Club

Mar 16: Scandinavian Club Tournament Forest Hills Golf & Country Club

Mar 25-26: Ladies Amateur Open (Tentative) The Orchard Golf & Country Club

How do you define a golf course’s playability, its likeability, whether you want to play it again? For me, it would be (and in no particular order), ease of access, course conditions, ambience, caddy knowledge, course setup (greens, fairways). There could be a lot of you who would have different ways of looking at this. What really makes a course tick? Do you usually play a course because there is a lack of viable options near you? Would you play it because it was cheap and accessible? Or because the course was so damn beautiful that each hole left an imprint in your mind?

Most of you have read my reviews or some of you  and you have seldom seen me write a critical review. Well… you are about to read one. This review is about Apo Golf and Country Club in Davao. I have trolled the net trying to find a good and decent review of this course but have failed so far. I decided to visit the club on a hot Saturday afternoon and put the course to the test. Accessible from the town center? Not quite, but not too far either. 2 points out of 4. Clubhouse? Decent and clean. 3 points out of 4. Lockers were large but they only gave me and my companion 1 locker to share which was quite odd and silly. Maybe I should deduct a point there. The showers which we used later (single not sharing) were clean and well appointed. The restaurant at the course was decent and clean but the fans were not working. 1 point out of 4. It was 39 outside and not sure why but the fans were just not working. The driving bay is maintained by someone else and is short and well, muddy. 2 points only.

Anyway, we went to the registration and there was a personable lady at the counter. She refused to accept my golfph card saying that there was no agreement with golfph. She did however tell us that instead of paying the regular green fee, we could be inducted into the monthly medal tournament and we would only pay 900 as green fee. I thought that was excellent service and thought that this was a good start to the day. 4 out of 4 (keep up will you). Great deal for 18 holes or so we thought. A gentleman then informed us that holes 10-12 were closed due to bees!!! Bees? Did someone hit a hive? Anyway, problem over, we went to the 1st hole. My friend who is a rank beginner and a quite ‘green’ golfer proceeded to shank the first ball right on to the foot of an elderly gentleman who was so taken aback that he immediately ran away to the putting green. Not a great start I thought as I shirked away from his menacing look. The 1st hole is an easy start and a short par 4. Easy way to start the course. I hit my drive to the right among the trees and had to pitch out.

The front nine is quite an easy romp and should not deter a decent player (I consider myself decent but my scores don’t back up my claim). We did not have a chance to play the 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th which were cordoned off due to the bee problem. Apparently this happens quite often I was told. If it does then the management should have done something about it. Apparently, no one cares, I was told. I did since I could only play 14 holes and that was hardly fair since I was competing in a tournament (or was I).

The course went on and as play progressed; my scores did not take a turn for the worse. I wish I could say the same for my friend. He was visibly tired and this being his first ever 18 14 hole round, he was feeling the effects. It is definitely a walk-able course but I was feeling pissed since we were informed by the registration desk that the carts were only allowed on the cart path. I do want to deduct a point but the lady was nice so…We could see the group in front of us zipping around on the fairways throwing mud and grass in their wake. Seemed like a regular “need for speed” party going on. We, well, just walked around; looking for the next shady tree of which thankfully, there is an abundance of.

The back nine to me was challenging; with forced carries or layups (Which made sense), good bunker placement, tough greens. The bunkers are hard, like concrete and not maintained at all. The course is strewn with leaves which, for me at least, gives off a nice, oldly vibe which is quite pleasant. The fairways are brown with parched grass and rock hard. You will definitely find your ball rolling and then some. I found that out the hard way when I saw my drive run and run and then trickle into the water on the 14th hole.

I went to the fairway and found some hard earth and I mean earth, with nary a grass in sight.
The par 3s are the best feature of this course, with bunkers on either side and are of varying length. I thought they would have been a hoot and a half, if only the greens were better. I actually saw my putt bounce 10 times on its way to the hole. I thought maybe my stroke was off and tried another one for kicks. Nopes, same result. We finished the course in a little under 3.5 hours, walking, which was not bad at all. I just had this nagging feeling that something was amiss. I was tired yes; my round was going ok, with nothing greater than a double. I was posting some decent numbers but something was not right. Then it hit me, I would not be able to remember any hole with clarity when I would sit down to type this review. I do remember the short par 4 where I smacked a 200 yard 7 iron. I would remember the massive drive I hit on the 18th but those I remember because I hit the ball well not because of any particular hole.

I mean, I still remember a lot of holes which I have enjoyed playing on almost every course. Even those courses where I do not have a single shot of note, I remember a few outstanding holes. Not one on this course. Maybe people may disagree but again this is my personal opinion. I just did not find the course memorable and struggle to find even one hole of note. It’s not a terribly long course. Its narrow, challenging, lined with trees and the fairways meander without thought. I mean, why would you have someone hit an iron off the tee on a Par 4 which stretches 400 yards (You cannot hit drive because the trees on the left will catch your ball). Sure, the pros have all the shots and they can hit a draw around it but for a 20 handicapper that is simply not on.

People may wax eloquent about this course and indeed, a lot of great golfers the Philippines has produced have cut their teeth on this course. However, this course is not for me. Give me the 9 hole Matina golf course any day, with its short Par 4, 8th hole where the green sits 30 feet above the fairway. Even that nonsensical excuse of a course has a memorable hole. Well, Apo golf, you have a winner on your hands for a lot of folks but one of them ain’t me. I guess I will stick to that 9 holer where the grass is non-existent and the caddies are perpetually tired. At least it forces me to think back on my round and I can remember the holes with extreme clarity. Till next time or maybe not.

Disclaimer# My views are mine alone and do not reflect the views of golfph. I have not been paid to write this review and this is an unbiased appraisal of the said course. I should have done a final point tally but thought better of it. I think you get the picture.

April 11, 2014 marked the start of our Annual “Partee at The Greens” which was held yet again at the very magnificent Wack-Wack Golf and Country Club. What separates this year’s event is that it was bigger, better and more fun! GolfPH truly sets the bar high when it comes to golfing events.

One can definitely feel the buzz in the air as participants are already present as early as 6:00AM, doing their warm-ups and sizing up the field to formulate a winning strategy. Once the registration is open, participants are more than eager to line-up as they greet old friends and welcome new faces.

Conquering Wack-Wack’s West course is no walk in the park as players were greeted with challenging landscapes and treacherous traps. However, this fact didn’t seem to faze the participants as they welcome each trial their hole presents with a grin on their face as if saying “this is going to be fun”

After the game, players were invited to a gathering where they can chat with old acquaintances and share stories with new friends. They also got the chance to go around and check with our various sponsors. A party wouldn’t be a party without food and drinks, that’s why participants were treated with piquant tasting food prepared by Via Mare and ice cold beers courtesy of Bavaria.

When everyone is settled, the time for awarding the winners and giving out freebies would be the last activity of the day. Lucky individuals were able to get amazing prizes and the winners were awarded accordingly.

The Tournament Winners are:

Class A – Team JCI with Paul Martires

Class B – Team Haryy with Harry Styles

Class C – Team Birdie Boys with Seng Loc James Ong

Womens – Team Tess

Fun Holes Winners:

Hole No. 5 ( Accurate Drive) – Tony Salamat | Team Andy

Hole No. 8 ( Nearest to The Pin) – Lance Liwes Lim | Team Dexter

Hole No. 10 ( Longest Drive ) – Tommy De Castro | Team BA

We would like to give thanks to everyone who participated and to our sponsors for making this event an extraordinary one. Thank you for your never ending support and rest assured that we will step it up again next year! See you there!

The 2014 GolfPH Annual Golf Tournament is made possible through the support and help provided by this year’s sponsors and event partners: Megaworld, Ayala Land Premier, Nissan, Timberpro, Alveo, Arcadia Golf & Body, BPI, Faburrito, Nike Golf, Tour Stage, One Tagaytay, Enjoy, Sheridan Beach Resort & Spa, UBER, Wingman, Henry’s, Hanabishi, Enderun and Go Steady.

Success!

Thank you to everyone who showed up to the KC Hillcrest Members Meet Up this past weekend. It was such a pleasure meeting all of you at the event and we wished that we had been able to take a group photo. We had around 13 first timers come out to the event… hope you guys had fun. Also, special shout out to the regulars… Harry, Elaine, Adrian, Patricia and Victor. We appreciate the continued support.

For those of you who had missed the event, we had 8 flights of golfers who attended this special event at the newly opened KC Hill Crest Golf & Country Club (formerly Evercrest). It was bought out by the same company who purchased KC Filipinas (formerly TAT Filipinas) and is newly renovated.

This course is a Palmer Course and the company did a great job refreshing the greens (although they were very slow) and renovating the hotel.

You know what the best part of the trip was? …The company. I was fortunate enough to play with a couple fellow members Adrian and Harry. Even though Adrian had a 5PM flight to catch that day, he still came out to join our event. It means a lot to us to see all of you even if you have to “squeeze in” the meet up to your busy schedules. It will be worth it! We promise.

It was also great playing with Harry again. He shared with me a few pointers that instantly improved my game. Every small tweak in form makes such a huge difference in anyone’s golf game. That’s what I love about playing with people better than you. They’ve already made your mistakes…. Too bad I missed his birdie putt on camera…

Since, I was too busy playing, I unfortunately missed a lot of great photo opportunities, but of course, as we all know, this is what happens when you are caught up in the game. Until the next one… if you want to golf at a new course, meet some people or are just looking for an excuse to play… come join our next meetup.

BTW, Thank you KC Hillcrest for giving us such a great rate. We can’t wait to go back once all the renovations are complete!

Tired of golfing by yourself? Want to meet or network with other golfers. Join us at our next outing.

This month we are going to be playing at Sun Valley Golf Club. Here are the details below:

Sun Valley Golf Club in Antipolo.

Date: Friday, 6/27/14
Time:
7:00 Meet, Network, Eat Breakfast, Warmup
8:00 Tee off for first flight
Price:
1200 php for locals
1500 php for non resident locals

Please RSVP with Grace at Grace@golfph.com or call our office at: 625-4200. This event is open to everyone, although spots are limited. Feel free to bring your friends or guests.

Last friday’s Monthly Meetup was a blast as usual. This was my first time playing at Sun Valley and I would have to say that I was quite impressed.

We were supposed to have 22 people show up for our June get together… but because of the bad weather report by Pagasa, half the group bailed out. In fact, we only had 10 people show, which is not bad considering that they were predicting 3 days of thunderstorms.

So much for the weather report.

It was a perfect day to golf. A bit overcast with a cool breeze. I even ended up getting my arms sun burned a little.

As for the 3 days of heavy showers that was predicted, we ended up getting only 2 minutes of rain. Not bad at all.

The course was challenging and hilly. It’s filled with scenic views of mountains and trees and the fairways were in great condition. We had no muddy drainage issues and the the greens were also well trimmed.

To me, the course had a different look and feel to it and reminded me of the golf courses back in the US. I don’t know what it is… Maybe it’s the simplicity of the club house or the design of the course, but it was was truly a unique experience.

Overall, every person in our group had a great time and left impressed. Sun Valley is definitely one of the best maintained public courses in the Philippines and I would highly recommend it.

Of course… what makes the meetups so great was the people we played with. Even if we played at a not so nice course… our meetups would still be great because of the company. This time around there was only 10 of us that decided to brave the weather. Of the 10, 5 of us were first timers to the meetup.

Raymond
Mike
Richard
Nino
Yamaguchi

Thanks for joining the group. I know you guys had a great time… Even playing with a high handicapper like me.

We should have a full group at the next one.
We’ll see you guys at Southlinks on July 18th…

Btw, Anyone got any better pics that they took from our meetup that they want to share?

Mt. Malarayat Golf Course is a 27-hole golf complex located in Lipa City, Batangas (about 1.5 hours from Makati City via the SLEX and the STAR tollway). The 3 sets of 9 holes are named after the mountains nearby: Mt. Lobo, Mt. Makulot and Mt. Malipunyo. This review is for the Lobo and Malipunyo 9′s.

Generally, Mt. Malarayat is a flat course with very few changes in elevation. The fairways are wide from the tee, and challenges are created by strategic placement of bunkers and lakes. When i played it, the greens had just been aerated and were on the medium-slow side, but i heard that at its best, people spoke about the “glass greens”. It has a high-altitude feel to it due to the presence of numerous pine trees lining the holes.

Notable holes on the Lobo nine are:

1st hole — a par-4 sharp dogleg right, with the corner guarded by bunkers and a steep hillside leading to a flower bed. Slicers beware.

5th hole — a par-4 385 yards uphill, bunkers all around and a church framing the green.

9th hole — a long snaking par-5 with the green framed by rock and bunkers. A very beautiful hole.

Notable holes on the Malipunyo nine are:

3rd hole — a par-4 with 2 fairways. The left fairway is guarded by a big bunker around 220 yds from the tee. The safe but longer route is to the right fairway.

4th hole — a short par-4 with pot bunkers blocking the middle of the fairway.

8th hole — an uphill dogleg right par-5 to a tucked green guarded by 2 big hill mounds.

9th hole — a 410 yard long par-4 sweeping left to right, with water guarding the right side beginning 200yds to the green. This green reminds me of the finishing hole of the Southwoods Masters course.

The locker rooms are very good, the towels are thick and high-quality, the showers are great and the dining area is bright and homey. Overall, a nice course for players of all handicap levels.

Course Review and Pictures were written and submitted by GolfPH Member Raymond Fortun

Golf Networking Event at Arcadia Golf hosted by GolfPH

Description:
We will be hosting a networking event at Arcadia Golf on August 2, 2014. It will be between the hours of 12 noon – 4pm. There will be a few competitions and we are also in the process of trying to get Pacsports to sponsor a few prizes.

Date:
Saturday – August 2nd, 2014

Location:
Arcadia Golf and Body
60-62 P. Florentino St. Quezon City
Banaue, Quezon City

Time:
12:00 – 4:00 – Event Details to come

Fee:
Free. Golf Simulators, Competitions and Raffle Prizes will be Free throughout the whole event.

Other Notes:
For those that are not familiar with Arcadia Golf, they are the newest virtual golf & bar located in Banaue, Quezon City. It is owned by one of our very own members @Ivan Klaric . He has graciously offered to give us free usage of the golf simulators for the duration of the event. For more information about the place and to see more pictures, please visit their facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/arcadiagolfandbody

To RSVP, please email admin@golfph.com. Thanks.

Km.72, Batulao, Nasugbu Batangas
[PRIVATE GOLF COURSE]

A Palmer-designed course with tight fairways, blanketed with Tifton grass and guarded by deep ravines & steep hills to give golfers and experience of 72 Championship course.

*Information coming soon

Lidong, Sto. Domingo, Albay, Bicol Region, Philippines
[PUBLIC GOLF COURSE]
H=18 P=72

It used to be the famous Mayon Imperial Golf course.

Uptown Naga, Carolina Naga City
[PRIVATE GOLF COURSE]
H=6

A 6 hole gol course at the moment. They are planning to complete the full 9 hole on September. It is open for public but requires the following :

Entrance fee – 300php

Green Fee on weekday
6 holes – 300
12 holes – 450
18 holes – 600

Green Fee on weekend
6 holes – 400
12 holes – 600
18 holes – 800

Caddy – 300 pesos regardless of how many holes they will play
Cart – 700
insurance – 50

Aug. 2: Honda Cars Suppliers Association Golf Tournament (40 PAX) KC Hillcrest

Aug. 10: 12XXX Golfers Club 2014 3rd Quarter Tournament (30 PAX) KC Hillcrest

Aug. 11: WAGAP Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club

Aug. 12: Senior’s Birthday Bash (Legends/Masters) Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club

Aug. 12 PHILSOTECH Cebu Country Club

Aug. 13: WAGAP Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club

Aug. 14: Membership Interview Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club

Aug. 14: Datu Lapu-Lapu Lodge Mactan Island Golf and Country Club

Aug. 14 CESAR MONTANO CUP Valley Golf and Country Club

Aug. 15 MIZUNO SCRAMBLE East Ridge Golf and Country Club

Aug. 15 MIZUNO SCRAMBLE East Ridge Golf and Country Club

Aug. 16 MEMBERS MONTHLY TOURNAMENT Camp John Hay

Aug. 16 FEDERATION Valley Golf and Country Club

Aug. 16-17 LEX TALIONES Davao City Golf Club

Aug. 17: Intra-Club Tournament (Master’s Court) Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club

Aug. 17: FOREST HILLS vs ALABANG Forest Hills

Aug. 17 JUN GOLF Baguio Country Club

Aug. 17 JUNIOR MONTHLY MEDAL Cebu Country Club

Aug. 17 NAKIYOSHI KAI KC Filipinas

Aug. 17 SUN WED Valley Golf and Country Club

Aug. 17-19: Hong Kong Jewel Group FA KOREA CC

Aug. 19: SSS Forest Hills

Aug. 19: Juanito Chua & Company (30 PAX) KC Hillcrest

Aug. 19 SSS Capitol Hills Golf and Country Club

Aug. 20: ACCI Golf Tournament (Legend Court) Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club

Aug. 20-22, WAGAP Apo Golf & Country Club

Aug. 21 BLOGA Baguio Country Club

Aug. 21 SAN JOSE DEL MONTE Camp Aguinaldo Golf Club

Aug. 21: AMKOR Friendly Game (20 PAX) KC Hillcrest

Aug. 22 PRESIDENT’S CUP Camp Aguinaldo Golf Club

Aug. 22 COAST GUARD South Forbes Golf Club

Aug. 22 COAST GUARD South Forbes Golf Club

Aug. 22-24: 2014 ’08′ Hua Xia Fontana 1st Quarter Summer Golf Invitation FA KOREA CC

Aug. 23, PHIL US GOLF Camp Aguinaldo Golf Club

Aug. 23 LADIES & MEN MONTHLY MEDAL Cebu Country Club

Aug. 23, MONTHLY MEDAL GOLF TOURNAMENT Alta Vista Golf and Country Club

Aug. 23 SENIORS Valley Golf and Country Club

Aug. 24 JUN GOLF Valley Golf and Country Club

Aug. 26 TRIPLE V NINJA GOLF Camp Aguinaldo Golf Club

Aug. 27 CHAIRMAN’S CUP Country Club

Aug. 27: Southridge Alumni Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club

Aug. 27 CHAIRMAN’S CUP East Ridge Golf and Country Club

Aug. 29: Shan Kers Golf Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club

Aug. 29, APO GOLF TOURNAMENT Camp Aguinaldo Golf Club

Aug. 30 CHILLING Cebu Country Club

Aug. 30 TAO LAMBDA KAPPA Club Intramuros (Day Golf)

Aug. 30 MONTHLY TOURNAMENT Navy Golf Club

Aug. 30 PMA 1988 Valley Golf and Country Club

Aug. 30 PRIVATE PARTY Sun Valley Golf Club

Aug. 30-31 MOTORTRADE Davao City Golf Club

Aug. 31: Membership Tournament Monthly Tournament Both Courses are Closed Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club

Aug. 31 PEÑAFRANCIA Camp Aguinaldo Golf Club

Aug. 31 ICTSI Valley Golf and Country Club

Aug. 31 EPZA KC Filipinas

Aug. 31 – Sept. 2: Lee Gao Group FA KOREA CC

Sept. 4: DELTA STAR Forest Hills

Sept. 4-6 MOTORTRADE Apo Golf & Country Club

Sept. 4-7 CORN TEE TOURNAMENT Club Filipino, de Cebu Inc (18 holes)

Sept. 5: JUN FARCON CUP Forest Hills

Sept. 5 RCBC GOLF TOURNAMENT Cebu Country Club

Sept. 6: 1st Chairmans-Cup Mactan Island Golf and Country Club

Sept. 6 MEMBERS MONTHLY TOURNAMENT Camp John Hay

Sept. 7 ICTSI Valley Golf and Country Club

Sept. 8 RIZALIAN Valley Golf and Country Club

Sept. 9 RIZALIANS & FRIENDS GOLF TOURNAMENT East Ridge Golf and Country Club

Sept. 10: JUN FARCON CUP Forest Hills

Sept. 11: China and Korea Entrepreneur Strategic Cooperation and Exchange Friendship Golf 2014 FA KOREA CC

Sept. 11 ACC GOLF TOURNAMENT Alta Vista Golf and Country Club

Sept. 12 AMANTE CUP Valley Golf and Country Club

Sept. 12-13 GOOD WILL CUP Camp John Hay

Sept. 13: Mario Mercader (30 PAX) KC Hillcrest

Sept. 13 SFGC GOLF FOR A CAUSE South Forbes Golf Club

Sept. 14 JUN GOLF Baguio Country Club

Sept. 14 ICTSI Valley Golf and Country Club

Sept. 15 FIRST MINORS IN THE GREEN East Ridge Golf and Country Club

Sept. 18 BLOGA Baguio Country Club

Sept. 19: REALTOR’S CUP Forest Hills

Sept. 20: Blades Golfers Tournament (50 PAX) KC Hillcrest

Sept. 20 LADIES ECHLETIC Cebu Country Club

Sept. 21 JUNIOR MONTHLY MEDAL Cebu Country Club

Sept. 21 ASEAN NEWSPAPER South Forbes Golf Club

Sept. 21 NAKIYOSHI KAI KC Filipinas

Sept. 21 ICTSI Valley Golf and Country Club

Sept. 20-21 EAGLE MONSTER Apo Golf & Country Club

Sept. 22: 205th Anniversary Golf Tourney Mactan Island Golf and Country Club

Sept. 26: REALTOR’S CUP Forest Hills

Sept. 26 DPI EXECUTIVES Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club

Sept. 27 MEN MONTHLY MEDAL Cebu Country Club

Sept. 27 CHAIRMAN’S CUP GOLF TOURNAMENT Canyon Woods Golf Club

Sept. 27 FUNDAMAYA South Forbes Golf Club

Sept. 27 JCCIPI KC Filipinas

Sept. 27 PRESIDENT’S CUP Valley Golf and Country Club

Sept. 27-29 STA LUCIA GOLF TOUR Alta Vista Golf and Country Club

Sept. 28: Sixto Lopez Lodge129 (50 PAX) KC Hillcrest

Sept. 28 EPZA KC Filipinas

KC Hillcrest is an undulating course carved at the crest of Tagaytay. Formerly known as Evercrest Golf and Country Club, some Korean investors had the same reopened last February 2014. For GolfPH.com members and guests, the green fee is currently a measly Php600 (US$13.68) which already includes a consumable of Php200 that allows you to order spicy Korean “ramen” (noodle soup) after the round.(note:Please inquire first because promo prices are constantly changing)

Is it worth it? For Php400 for the round, with a cool atmosphere, an up-and-down but walkable course and better than average scenery? Seriously dudes, no other 18-hole course in the Philippines can beat that price.

The course is not that long; it doesn’t need to be one because of the slopes. For long hitters, some par-4 holes are actually driveable, and even the par-5 9th hole is so short that it can be reached using a driver and a mid-iron (NOTE: my 2 playing partners for the day both made birdies on that hole. Yup, on in 2, 2 putts). The fairways are decently mowed, the rough is not overly thick, but the greens are… a shade or two less bumpy than the moon. “Macho putt” should be your mantra for the day, otherwise, you will keep leaving your putts short.

There are no forced carries (except for water-in-play off the tee on the 16th hole). Challenges are created by narrow landing areas, ravines on either the left or right side, uneven lies and small greens in certain holes. Caddies are pretty good, since they were there during the Evercrest days.

The clubhouse is sparsely adorned, and the menu is a one-pager filled with Korean food that are on the north side of expensive. The lockers are old, almost decrepit with worn tiles. The shower stall i got into didn’t have hot water. And don’t expect to have your shoes cleaned up by the locker attendants; despite my flight being the only one in the locker room, nobody came around to pick up our shoes. Oh, they do have a ‘grooming room’ — with just a comb and a hairdryer. No gel, lotion, powder, mouthwash, toothpaste, hand towels, shaving cream etc. Gee, what do u expect for Php400, huh?!

Following are some of the memorable holes:

4th hole — a snaking par 5 with a ravine on the left side and bunkers framing the green.

6th hole — an uphill par 4 that doglegs to the right, with a row of townhouses looking down on the smallish green.

9th hole — as earlier mentioned, a short uphill par 5 with a big bunker guarding the front of the elevated green.

A metal bridge separates the 12th and 13th holes.

15th hole — a snaking uphill par 5, with the green tucked to the left. Watch out for the knob on the right of the green. Probably the most scenic hole in the course, as one can view the lake separating the 16th and 18th holes and the clubhouse at the distance.

18th hole — the longest par 4 on the course (412 yds from the blue tees), the lake on the right of the fairway is not much of a factor.

In summary, for less than US$15 per round, and if you don’t mind the slow, bumpy greens, this is a golf course that is just so easy for GolfPH members to love.

P.S. A morning round is better, and do try to head back to Manila before 4pm if you don’t want to get caught in the traffic along Tagaytay Ridge and the Sta. Rosa-Silang road.

‘Course Review and Pictures were written and submitted by GolfPH Member Raymond Fortun’

Are you planning a tournament for 20, 30, 50, 100+ golfers?

Some people might say this is an extremely daunting task because for anyone who has played at a tournament or attended one, you would know that not even your typical experienced event coordinator could pull off a successful event.

You might be thinking, well why not? It’s no different and has less people than planning a wedding right? Vendors, location, day of organization and team management. Plus of course understanding your clients needs or special requests. Planning a wedding or a corporate event is definitely challenging in its own way. There are a lot of integral parts that most people don’t know how to make work together. It takes someone very knowledgeable about each of those pieces to make each part flow the way it should.

In that same way, tournament planning is the same way. A foundation of the game of golf is essential to any any successful tournament. Not only will you need vendors, you will someone who knows how to group players, schedule tee times, operate the starter’s box (do you even know what that is? haha), allow for time for players to rest between the front 9 and back 9 holes, and understand the necessity of sponsorships.

Yes, there are some similarities such as managing catering and choosing venues, but did you know that most of the best courses don’t allow people to host tournaments at their courses without a member endorsement or affiliation?

GolfPH provides the service of tournament planning for banks restaurant groups, charity foundations, hospitals and many other organizations. Our specialty is an understanding of each piece of the event and how to predict what may or may not happen. It is for this reason that the companies we work with don’t require us to “bid” for the job. They approach us.

Our goal is make sure you event runs smoothly and that all your golfers leave happy. For inquiries please contact us at events@golfph.com.

When I started compiling this list, I realized that there were a lot of courses in the Philippines that I had not played. To have labeled this article a Philippines top 10 would have brought in a lot of vitriol. That I could handle, what I could not handle was a probable accusation that I was biased to courses in and around Manila.
There are a lot of courses to the south, Cebu Country Club, Palos Verdes in Davao; To the North you have Camp John Hay, Baguio Country Club, Hacienda Luisita. To have left these out without sampling all of them (I have sampled a few among these but not all) would have been unfair. So I stuck to the ones which are easily accessible. That meant, courses like Manila Golf and The Country Club got left out due to the sheer difficulty of getting on them for the majority of the paying public. I even changed the article to reflect a Top 10 instead of my earlier intention of making this a Top 5.

• Faldo Course @ Eagle Ridge
• Langer Course at Riviera
• Ayala Greenfields
• Mount Malarayat Golf and Country Club
• Sherwood Golf and Country Club
• Valley Golf (South Course)
• Sun Valley
• Dye Course@Eagle Ridge
• Southwoods: Masters Course
• Calatagan Golf Club

I would normally give you a write up of what each golf course entails but I would not able to capture that without giving attention to each nuance of these fine courses. I will rate them thus:

1)Ease of access: Let’s face it, if the course is a 100 miles away, you would think twice before travelling unless they offer a massage on arrival and after every 3 holes, with some beer thrown in, all complimentary ofcourse. This ain’t happening so the closer the course, the lesser the traffic, the better they score. Also, if the course you want to play is so private that you would not get on without a presidential order, then it’s not worth it.
2)Cost: Yeah, for most of the paying public, cost remains a deciding factor.
3)Course conditions: All weather? Check. Lush Fairways? Check. Smooth greens? Check. No one wants to play in slush and mud especially considering the amount of rain Philippines gets every year.
4)Degree of Difficulty: Who doesn’t want to play on courses with 250 yard carries and water on every shot. (Hint: I am not one of those).
5)Aesthetics of the course and amenities: beautiful vistas, swans in the lake (ok made that one up), gorgeous scenery, fluffy towels, chance of a massage, pool (the swimming variety) and good food. The whole package.

I am not going to include info like caddy knowledge since all the courses on this list will give you great caddies if you request for a Class A companion. In my opinion the Class A caddies are often the best.
Scoring will be on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the best. (Degree of Difficulty, 10 being the highest difficulty).
So here you go. Without further ado, here are the scores.

Note# Sun Valley is the only public course in this list and believe me it rivals most of the courses it came up against in this face-off.
Now, I have not aligned them in any particular order but these scores are my views. I just totaled the points and came up with what I felt was an unbiased view of these courses. Let me attempt to explain myself.

Ease of access: Nearly all courses are not within what we call Metro Manila proper but are within 1 hour drive of almost anywhere in Manila. The only exception is Calatagan which is some ways off and can be accessed by passing through Tagaytay. It is about an hour ride from Tagaytay. Maybe it’s me but accessing courses east of Manila seems an easier bet. Pass through C5 and then access Sun Valley, Valley golf. The courses South of Manila can be accessed by either Daang Haari road or SLEX. Southwoods is bang on SLEX and is an easy ride from Manila.
Cost: All the courses listed here carry a good discount rate if you are a member of Golfph (with the exception of Valley golf and Ayala Greenfields). Courses like Southwoods which have a tourist policy are too pricey. A game of golf costs Php 8,500. I am not sure if any course except August National/The Old course are worth that much money. That’s the price of exclusivity though. Malarayat has a stay overnight promo for 4,500 and a round of golf for 2. Great deal if you ask me. Riviera comes up bottom of the pack as well since their weekend rates are prohibitive at Php3,300. There is however, a rainy season promo which cuts the green fees post 12:00 PM to around 900 which is a steal for a damn good course. Weekday rates for Eagle Ridge courses are 1,200 which is daylight robbery (with the golfer being the beneficiary). Amazing deal for 2 fabulous courses.

Course Conditions

This is a tough one since some courses are dry in the summer months while the fairways are lush during the rainy season. I have played most of these courses in both dry and wet conditions and have a pretty good idea of what quantifies are exemplary course conditions. My bet is on Malarayat. Rain, hail or sunshine, the course conditions are amazing. I have played this course in pouring rain and when my round got over, I had no mud on my shoes/pants. Now, that is excellent drainage. What a course and beautifully managed. Ayala Greenfields and Sun Valley are the other 2 courses which are equally impressive with course conditions as good as Malarayat. I have seen the Dye course at its worst and it is not a pretty sight. The greens are bald and overgrown in some patches. Not a pretty sight for what is a pure shot-maker’s course.

Degree of Difficulty

The 2 toughest courses in my book are the Faldo and the Langer courses. The Langer course @ Riviera is long and narrow. It is a par 71 which requires patience and accuracy off the tee. The greens are undulating and slick. Forced carries don’t help either. The Faldo is the toughest course in the Philippines and is long and demanding. Cleverly placed bunkers and narrow landing areas make for what is arguably the toughest test of golf in the Philippines. Many consider the Dye course as a beast but believe me the top 2 are definitely in a class of their own. Ayala Greenfields and Sherwood name fast, slick greens as their defense against a good score. Valley South is another course which is narrow and has trees on all sides for almost all shots. Throw in some elevation changes and it makes for a challenging course.

Amenities

The Southwoods and Malarayat courses have no equal when it comes to the fluffiness of their towels. The first thing most golfph members demand are soft fluffy towels (I am looking at you Errol and Raymond) and these clubs provide those and more. Of course, clean shower rooms and a decent selection of grooming products are a must, and most clubs mentioned here provide all. Some courses on here have swimming pools and massage rooms. Some courses here also have hotels on the property to facilitate overnight stays and have fantastic discounts/offers which avid golfers can avail.

Well, here it is; my unbiased view of the top 10 courses around Metro Manila. If you disagree, then sound off on the boards. I look forward to hearing any and all comments.

Course Review and Pictures were written and submitted by GolfPH Member, Harry Syles.