Part One
It’s the end of the year and as is our custom, it’s time to rank the courses that represent the very best the Philippines has to offer. It’s a tough task, one made more difficult by the quality of the courses on this list. It’s a little like choosing which of your children is your favorite. It’s quite the task. But there’s a method that helps make this job easier.
As the former editor-in-chief of Golf Digest Philippines, it was one of my responsibilities to put together the course rankings for the country. We relied on a survey of low handicap golfers that rated the courses based on seven criteria:
Shot Values—How well do the holes pose a variety of risks and rewards and equally test length, accuracy and finesse?
Resistance to Scoring—How difficult, while still being fair, is the course for a scratch player from the back tees?
Design Variety—How varied are the holes in differing lengths, configurations, hazard placements, green shapes and green contours?
Memorability—How well do the design features provide individuality to each hole yet a collective continuity to the entire 18?
Aesthetics—How well do the scenic values of the course add to the pleasure of a round?
Conditioning—How firm, fast and rolling were the fairways, and how firm yet receptive were the greens on the day you played the course?
Ambiance—How well does the overall feel and atmosphere of the course reflect or uphold the traditional values of the game?
They are good standards and consider the golf course only; the clubhouse, food and beverage, standard of service and other niceties are not considered here. This ranking evaluates the golf course only. I will say that this system tends to favor the more recent, more modern courses that used newer construction methods but we attempt to balance things out to make the older courses competitive here. In the end, things balance out and the most deserving golf course wins.
Let’s start with who isn’t in the running this year.
Sta. Elena Golf and Country Club is a perennial favorite but since the club is in the process of renovating the first hole, we’ve excluded it for this year. Sherwood Hills Golf Club is another superb track and like Sta. Elena is a past winner of Golf Digest’s architectural award but the condition of their greens this year has not quite been up to their usual standards so as good a golf course as it is, it isn’t in the running this year.
The Country Club in Calamba Laguna has been newly renovated but has not been seen or played by any of the golfers involved in these rankings but if what we’ve heard about it is true, it should be a very strong contender for next year.
It’s neighbor, Canlubang Golf and Country Club is home to two of the most iconic golf courses in the country and easily two of the most beautiful. But it falls short in the conditioning of the two courses. Not that they’re in bad shape, but it’s just that the final four are so much better in this regard.
We’ve narrowed things down to the top four courses in the land and will list them here in alphabetical order.
Anvaya Cove Golf and Sports Club
The 7030-yard course, designed by Golfplan partner Kevin Ramsey, opened for play on Dec. 7 to the universal delight to all that have played it. Perched on the hills of Morong, Bataan just outside Subic Bay, the layout meanders in and around the hills about the West Philippine Sea, through verdant rain forests and the surf below. It is a stunning piece of property that easily makes the final four.
Although not long, the course has a bit of everything. It is beautiful and challenging all at once. You will be asked to employ every shot at your disposal and manage yourself around the extreme variety the course provides. It isn’t overly difficult or penal but it’s no pushover either. The greens are planted with mini verde; a micro-Bermuda hybrid that does well in the Philippine setting. They are fast and roll true and are a pleasure to play.
Hacienda Luisita Golf Club
Luisita is a gem, it is the only design of the great Robert Trent Jones, Sr in the whole of Asia. Built by the Cojuanco family in the 1960s, Luisita was the first golf course to use modern turf grasses on its fairways and greens with Tifton 419 on the fairways and Tifdwarf on the greens. It is tough but fair. It’s both beauty and beast to the golfer. It requires the golfer to have both draw and fade in his arsenal to score well.
Under the stewardship of new owner Martin Lorenzo, Luisita Golf and Country Club has blossomed. Under his management, the club has removed a lot of trees that obscured views of the abundant water features and the golf course is once again in superb condition. It is interesting to note that the greens have never been redone; a testament to the care that they’ve received over the years.
The club has lengthened the golf course to keep it current and maintain its shot values with modern equipment. It’s a track that’s withstood the test of time and continues to impress.
Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club’s Masters Course
One of three signature courses of the Golden Bear, Jack Nicklaus, in the country, Manila Southwoods’ Masters Course has proven its worth against the best golfers in the country and the world. It has hosted the Eisenhower Cup (the world amateur golf championship), the Philippine Open on a number of occasions and is the home of the Resorts World Manila Masters, a leg of the Asian Tour and the richest professional tournament in Philippine golf.
It is over 7400-yards from the tips and has the variety and length to challenge the very best the game has to offer. It is a true championship test and deserves its place as one of the best golf courses in the country. It was our pick for the best modern golf course in the country last year.
Wack Wack Golf and Country Club’s East Course
Wack Wack Golf Club’s East Course is the country’s oldest and most storied championship golf course. It is a course that will challenge, reward and frustrate golfers of all abilities. It is classic construction for courses of the Philippines; Carabao grass with small, elevated, often severely sloped Bermuda greens. This is a course that has hosted the likes of Jackie Burke, Lloyd Mangrum, Billy Casper, Peter Thomson, Norman Von Nida, Slammin’ Sam Snead, Kel Nagle, Bruce Crampton, Ed “Porky” Oliver and the 1997 World Cup of Golf which was attended by the likes of Gary Player, Hugh Biocchi, Nick Faldo, Ian Woosnam, Ignacio Garrido and Seve Ballesteros.
It is the home of the Philippine Open and one of the toughest golf courses in the country. The zoysia greens are small targets that roll fast and true. They are grainy but that just adds to the challenge. The East Course is the current holder of Golf Digest’s Architectural Award as the best golf course in the country and easily deserves to be on this list.
So, which of the four gets the nod as the best in the country? The answer will be forthcoming in our next issue so don’t miss it.
Image credits: Mike Besa, Anvaya Golf Club, Marty Ilagan