Story & photo by Mike Besa
The “ber” months are here again. This signifies the start of the longest Christmas season in the world. Like clockwork, the malls have begun playing Christmas carols and the music of Jose Mari Chan is upon us once again.
This is also the time of the year when we at the BusinessMirror begin our evaluations for our Golf Course of the Year awards. It’s a relatively simple concept; we tour the top golf courses in the country and rank them according to the quality of golf on offer. Note that we only rate the club on the quality of the golf experience. We disregard all other factors for this ranking; the quality of food, service or other amenities don’t figure in these rankings. All that matters is the golf.
Our criteria is as follows:
Shot values—How well does the course pose a variety of challenges that equally test length, accuracy and finesse?
Design variety—How varied are the holes in differing lengths, configurations, hazard placements, green shapes and contours?
Memorability—How well do the holes stand out individually and yet provide a cohesive experience for the golfer?
Aesthetics—How do the scenic values add to the pleasure of the round?
Conditioning—Were the fairways firm and fast? Did the greens hold your approach shots? Does the ball roll true on the greens?
Ambience—How does the feel and atmosphere of the club add to the experience?
WE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK!
This year, we’re adding a “People’s Choice” award to go with the Best Modern, Best Traditional and Best Public golf courses and to do that, we require your assistance. We’ve put up a poll in our Pinoygolfer Facebook Group. All you have to do, is surf on over and vote in the poll. To make it worth your while, your vote counts as an entry in a raffle. We’re giving away golf equipment and green fee coupons so let your voice be heard!
That said, let’s revisit the best golf courses of 2017.
Best Modern Golf Course 2017—Anvaya Cove Golf and Sports Club
The 7030-yard course designed by Golfplan partner Kevin Ramsey is an absolute stunner. 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. Few layouts in the country can compare to the raw natural beauty of Anvaya Cove.
When asked to describe the golf course at Anvaya Cove, Ramsey told us, “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.”
A strong response, indeed. Well done, sir.
Best Traditional Golf Course 2017—Luisita Golf and Country Club
Luisita Golf and Country Club is one of our great heritage courses. Finished in the late-1960s, Luisita was one of the pioneers of the modern park land design. It is the only work of the legendary golf Arch.Robert Trent Jones Sr. in Asia and with his passing will remain thus for eternity.
Luista was the first Philippine golf course to make use of modern turf grasses. The fairways are Tifton and the greens original tifdwarf. What is most remarkable is that these greens survive to this day in their original state.
Jones’s design is timeless. The way the holes turn in both directions requiring the accomplished golfer to be able to draw and fade the hole depending on the situation. The way the greens are presented to you from the fairway. The way that water is in play on every one of the par 3s. That mature trees line the fairway adds urgency to finding the fairway off the tee. The magnificent clubhouse takes you back to the time of the grand hacienda. The overall feel and history of the place is inexplicable and wonderful all at once. It is a marvelous golfing experience.
Best Public Golf Course—Ayala Southlinks Golf Club
Southlinks Golf Club excels on so many levels. The golf course was designed to use as little land as possible and all the choices that the developers made were done so with the intent of making the golf course sustainable in the long term.
Southlinks sits on just 19 hectares of land; remarkable when the typical golf course requires from 27-35 hectares. The bunkers have been designed like funnels with wide openings but narrow centers. The smaller footprint and native turf grassed fairways mean the course will require precious few inputs to maintain playing quality. The bunker design means using less of that expensive bunker sand adding to the savings from using local turf grass. The greens are grassed with a micro-Bermuda called Mini Verde to provide the best playing experience possible.
Beyond the nods to sustainability and eco-responsibilty, Southlinks is a very good golf course. So much hinges on the tee shot but getting that right is just part of the puzzle. Good strategy and execution are required to post a good score here.
That’s a recap of the best golf courses of the year past. We’re looking forward to hearing your opinion on which golf courses you believe deserve this recognition in 2018.
Image credits: Mike Besa