If I had to describe Bert Bravo in a word, it would be irrepressible. The man is driven by his passion for life and living.
His success with the U-Bix Corp. was arguably the fuel with which he pursued his passions—golf, food, wine and the desire to help his hometown of Dumaguete grow. Although, he hasn’t up and pulled out of the big city entirely, he is spending more and more time in the City of Gentle People.
We were honored to be among his guests when he previewed his pride and joy to the media.
The property was formerly known as the Dumaguete Golf and Country Club, built in 1945 by Don Serafin Teves and Simplicio Manictic. It sits on a hill in Sibulan, just outside of Dumaguete blessed with amazing views of the Tañon Strait with Cebu, Siquijor and Sumilon Island.
Bravo fell in love with the property when he first played it and quickly grabbed the opportunity to purchase the property when it came up for sale. He then enlisted the services of the late Youichi Nagato, a landscape architect of considerable repute with the Kauai Island Lagoon Golf and Country Club and a number of the top golf properties in Japan on his résumé, to design and help make the Bravo Golf and Country Club a reality.
The result is one of only two 18-hole par-3 golf courses in Asia (the other being the Zhang Course in Mission Hills Shenzen). It’s a charming track that meanders in and around a grove of 50-year old mango trees. The varied terrain allows for par 3s of every imaginable configuration and length.
You’d think the course would be easy but you’d be wrong. The greens are small and are made more difficult to hit because of the winds coming off the strait. It’s common to see a golf ball blown out of bounds by the stiff breeze.
The toughest hole is 11. It plays completely uphill and measures a good 220-yards from the tee box below. The largest green on the property is guarded by mounds and bunkers which guarantee awkward footing if you miss. Twelve isn’t easy either as it is one of holes most exposed to the wind. The two make the start of the back nine, Bravo Golf’s little Amen Corner.
Bravo Golf and Country Club is a very pleasant round of golf. Appropriate in this part of the country as the amount of time required to play a round here leaves you much more time to explore the City of Dumaguete and as much of Negros Oriental as you can.
You need not concern yourself about the accommodations; they are fabulous. In his inimitable style, Bravo built a beautiful 77-room, four-star hotel adjacent to the golf course. Couple that with his Munting Paraiso beach resort in the nearby town of Dauin and you have a dream weekend in Negros Oriental.