From the moment we set foot on Ayala Land Premiere’s Anvaya Cove Golf and Sports Club, we knew it was something special. The land, the layout, the amenities…everything about it just screamed “world class.” We know that that’s a term that’s been used quite loosely in the past, but rest assured, it is entirely appropriate when applied to Anvaya Cove’s stunning golf course.
It was never a sure thing that Anvaya Cove would make it to the hallowed top spot of our rankings. After all, a golf course is a living, breathing entity. Many things can go wrong in the course of its maturation. So much rides on the care and maintenance that it receives.
There were issues that would have served to undermine its victory—the trees and scrub beyond the golf course grew and began to obstruct some of the very views that make Anvaya Cove such a wondrous place to chase the little white ball. Even the zoysia matrella that covers the tee boxes, fairways and rough, though indigenous had become problematic with a huge buildup of thatch.
Enter Anvaya Cove’s new director of golf, Ray Valencia. As part of his orientation with the club, Valencia took out all the old images of the golf course that he could find, studied them and compared them to how the golf course, looked when he took over. After going over the images, he knew what he had to do.
So, the arduous work of clearing the areas outside of the golf course began. It was backbreaking work, but the results have been worth it. The pristine views of the ocean from the golf course have been restored, as has its place as one of the most beautiful layouts in the country.
Less obvious was the thatch problem on the fairways. Zoysia, although an indigenous species, is not without its issues. Chosen for its hardiness and playability, zoysia tends to be quite thick in areas and this leads to a buildup of thatch—decaying organic matter that hinders drainage and affects the health of the turf grass.
Valencia’s solution was to scrape the fairways down to the minimum to allow the turf to heal itself. The results were less than pleasing aesthetically, but it was a small price to play for the health and well-being of the fairways, longer term.
The result is a golf course that deserves the title as the best modern golf course of 2017.
Golf Plan’s lead architect, Kevin Ramsey best summed up Anvaya Cove thusly, “Truly great golf courses can exist in a single environment, but I prefer those that play through a diversity of environments. The terrain here—the elevation change, the vegetation and Ayala Land Premier’s overall land-planning acumen—allowed us to create an uninterrupted string of really strong golf holes that play through five distinct environments, never repeat themselves, and never fail to elicit a strong emotional response.”
Anvaya Cove isn’t just a pretty face, either. There’s plenty of good golf on tap here and if you thirst for an even stronger challenge, move back one set of tees and tee it up when the wind blows. It’s more than enough for any golfer under those circumstances.
This is a golf course that doesn’t favor just one shot shape. The holes turn both ways here, putting a premium on a golfer’s control of his ball flight. You’ll not only need to drive the ball well, you’ll need a sharp iron game to find the greens. The greens have matured, will receive a well-struck shot and they continue to roll true. The inherent slopes make them difficult to read, so finding the correct quadrant with your approach is important. A complete golf game is mandatory to score well at Anvaya Cove.
The course isn’t brutally long, it will take skill and clarity of mind to navigate properly. There are several holes that will demand the most from the longer clubs in your bag. Five, seven, 14 and 15 are tremendous golf holes. They’re long, require precise control of direction and trajectory both off the tee and with the approach shot and all have small greens with devilish slopes on them. Fifteen seems almost unreasonable; this is a 613-yard-long double dogleg that snakes alongside a ravine and traverses a small creek. Its green is hidden behind a small stand of trees. You’re going to need two massive shots just to get into position for the approach to the green. This is a hole that will baffle the most accomplished golfers.
Long holes aside, this isn’t a one-dimensional golf course that will brutalize you with its length and leave you senseless. Anvaya Cove is a puzzle waiting to be solved and the key here is the tee shot. Ramsey worked hard to give you more than one option off the tee and complicate your decision with cleverly placed slopes and bunkers. Finding the fairway unlocks the puzzle and playing the hole is straightforward from there. Straightforward it might be, but you will still need to execute.
Ramsey did his best to complicate your task by distracting you with the property’s inherent beauty. The golf course meanders in and around the hills of Morong above the West Philippine Sea, through verdant rain forests and close to the surf below. The Ocean views on the back nine are breathtaking. The course feels so much more mature than its age suggests. The Ayala Group prioritized the course’s sustainability and harmony with the environment. This meant a minimum of earth-moving and clearing was required. As a result, the course works seamlessly with the environment in which it sits.
This also brings up the one thing that we don’t like about Anvaya Cove and that is that it’s just not a walking course. The mindfulness of the environment dictated that many of the holes are separated from each other. That, along with the mountainous terrain, make walking the course unrealistic. But if that is the price to preserve the wonders of nature, then we are happy to pay.
Anvaya is the complete package. It will test every facet of your golf game and demand every shot from most of the clubs in your bag. It is a course that you must think your way around. It is the complete package. That is why it is at the top of our list.
From the tips, this is a golf course that will challenge the professional but will not detract from the experience of that amateur playing from one of the forward tees. Ramsey was given the latitude to make the fairways wide and as forgiving as possible. Juxtaposed with the fact that precious few of the homes are visible from the fairway making it a real treat for the golfer.
As good a golf course as this is, to focus solely on golf almost misses the point. As noted on our first visit to Anvaya—This is God’s country; majestic views of where the mountains meet the sea abound. Take a morning or an afternoon to explore the many trails that circle the property. Refresh and rejuvenate your body and soul with a massage in their world-class spa. Bask in the glorious sun on the immaculately manicured beach or better still take a motorboat and explore the surrounding coves. Rent a kayak or paddle board if you desire something more active. Take a dip in the refreshing waters of an uninhabited cove and revel in nature’s glory.
Anvaya Cove may not just be the best golf course in the country; it might just be the best golf experience period. We are very pleased to name Anvaya Cove as our best modern golf course of 2017.