Ratings are a generally a good thing. They provide a basis to compare similar things to convey the quality of the experience to others. But as good as they can be, ratings really don’t tell the whole story.
I’ve been rating golf courses for golf publications for over a decade and have been blessed to have played the country’s best. But some of my favorite golf courses will never make the top spot on any of my lists. But just because they don’t measure up to the standards set by the authors of these ratings, it doesn’t follow that they aren’t any good. Quite the opposite is true.
These golf courses have intangibles that aren’t reflected in the ranking sheets. They are unquantifiable but add immensely to the golf experience.
Take Calatagan Golf Club. While Calatagan does very well when judged on its aesthetics, design and shot memorability, it cannot compete with the longer, tougher golf courses when graded on its resistance to scoring and conditioning. It is short by modern championship standards and because it isn’t an all-weather design and doesn’t feature modern ultradwarf turf grasses on its greens, it doesn’t do well in the rankings.
But Calatagan is one of my favorite golf courses and the golf on offer here is sublime. Calatagan is the kind of golf course that you think your way around. The mature trees give supreme importance to shot placement; find the wrong part of the fairway and you could find yourself without a shot to the green. There are so many subtleties to a good round of golf here that it takes a few rounds here to learn them all.
It is where the golf course twists and turns on itself that this becomes most important. I may not be the biggest fan of RTJ Jr’s designs but this one is special; it doesn’t look or feel like any of his other golf courses in the country. From first hole to the last, you must pay careful attention to where you put your golf ball.
It allows you to play some interesting shots and rewards you handsomely if you pull it off. The tee shots on three, 10 and 14 are my favorites. If you can carry each of these doglegs, you’re rewarded by a very easy shot to the green. Fail and the penalties are potentially severe.
The zoysia greens are absolute delights. They’re fast and roll true. They are grainy but that’s zoysia’s nature and isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s just something you need to get used to.
Calatagan provides the complete golfing experience. It’s true, the fairways are carabao grass and play very differently to all-weather golf courses in many respects. The ambiance and the feeling you get when you finally walk off the golf course rank up there with any golf course in the country.
The other course that I truly enjoy but does not figure in the rankings is Camp John Hay Golf Club (CJHGC).
As those of who you follow me will know, I have a special affinity for the city of Baguio. It was here that I first stretched the wings of independence from my parents. Many memories here.
Baguio City has always been coveted as the perfect locale for golf. The weather is the wild card here; it is a unique pleasure to be able to play in this climate in a tropical country. The experience is unmatched in local golf.
The golf course holds its own in terms of conditioning, aesthetics and shot memorability, but succumbs in resistance to scoring particularly for those more gifted with length. As with Calatagan, this means that it will never see the top spot of the rankings. Also, like Calatagan, this take does CJHGC a glaring disservice.
The golf course is short, better suited for recreation and enjoyment than for competitive golf. But, this again, is part of its charm. Because of the cool climate, imported grasses thrive here. The greens are among the best in the country; they roll perfectly and are as quick as lightning on the cool afternoons of golf season.
Their secret is the cool season bent grass used to cover the greens. Bent is the same grass that they play on at Augusta National Golf Club—home of the Masters. It thrives in the cool of Baguio and provides a putting surface few clubs can match. With a bit of speed and the slope built into the greens to help them drain, the greens can be a formidable challenge.
This synthesis makes it the perfect resort course for those weary of the heat and humidity of the lowlands. It is perfect for the higher handicap golfer, offering him or her a chance of occasional glory on its fairways.
The golf is most enjoyable. Camp John Hay Golf Club is home to the most beautiful opening hole in Philippine golf. The par 5 plays downhill all the way and is easily within the reach of those long off the tee. It is a spectacular hole and a wonderful way to start your round.
The short par fours here are beautiful. They offer the long hitters a chance at all kinds of birds; eagles and albatrosses included. The Philippine Golf Tour makes a stop here every year and a 59 is not uncommon. But to judge it to that standard is to do the course a disservice. The enjoyment a round of golf here brings easily makes up for any complaints about its unsuitability to host the best golfers in the country.
The par threes are beautiful and deadly. A poor shot here can have severe effects on your score but the holes’ inherent beauty dull the sting of a blowup hole. Fifteen is the most beautiful of them all. It’s also potentially the most embarrassing as the tee box is just at the side of the clubhouse’s veranda. During busy season, a crowd will be around to witness the parade of golfers that stroll up to the tee to try their luck.
The facilities of Camp John Hay exceed all expectations. They are homey and elegant, the staff is impeccably trained and express a genuine care for their guests. The food is just superb. The hotel has the best customer service anywhere on the islands; it is a place that begs you to put aside your cares and stay on.
So, if your golf course isn’t on the list of the best golf courses in the country, don’t despair. It doesn’t mean that it isn’t any good. It may not meet the criteria but there are other things that make for a great golf experience. It’s the intangibles. It’s how it makes you feel just being there; never mind the golf. It’s the vibe the golf course exudes. Sometimes that means a whole lot more than a round of golf.
Image credits: Mike Besa