Golf-course design is a tricky thing. Golfers come in all shapes and sizes and of many skill levels. The ideal golf course will challenge the best and entertain the rest. It’s a much more difficult proposition than many realize. To challenge the game’s best, the golf course must be long and difficult. Put a neophyte on such a golf course and the chances are good that he’ll never pick up a club again. The best play for money and glory, and the rest of us play to have a good time. Shooting ugly scores on a PGA Tour level golf course, no matter how beautiful, is not a good time.
While some compromise on one end of the spectrum or the other, the clubs that can will build 36 or more holes of golf. It’s quite literally the best of both worlds. Valley Golf and Country Club is a good example of such a property.
The South Course measures 7,097 yards from the tips and is a match for the best golfers in the world. The course was the site of the Philippine Open in 1975, 1983 and 1991 and hosted the XVI South East Asian Games that same year. It’s a real test for most club golfers.
What has been forgotten about Valley Golf Club is that the club once was a 27-hole property. The club wanted an executive golf course that emulated the West Course at Wack Wack Golf and Country Club. Wack Wack’s East Course is one of the most difficult golf courses in the country and is just too much golf course for the recreational player, so having the more approachable West Course was an absolute necessity.
The board of directors approved the development of the North Course in 1989. It was decided that the new course would be constructed on the property on which the third nine sat. The property was roughly 41 hectares and to squeeze a new 18 on it, the club bought an adjacent piece property, which is now the driving range and a two of the surrounding holes, to provide more room for the new course.
The club didn’t hire a golf course architect to design the new golf course. Mel Verano and several other members were appointed to design and build it. Only four of the original third nine’s greens were retained—18 used to be the second green, 17 used to be number three, 16 was the old fourth and 13 used to be the seventh.
According to former general manager Benjie Sumulong (who graciously provided the background information for this article), 16 has retained much of the old fourth hole’s character. The tee box was behind the creek of flanking the current 15th hole, and it was played as a long par 4 without the creek in front of the green back in the day.
The old third nine was tough and complemented the South Course perfectly.
The North Course plays to a par of 72 and measures just 5,839 yards from the blue tees. Interestingly, its course rating is 67.8 but its slope rating is 130, much higher that its length or course rating would indicate. In a nutshell, it’s an easy course for the scratch player and not that easy for the bogey golfer. They struck a good balance here; the course is manageable for the higher handicaps but tough enough that they can play it often without it ever getting boring.
Interestingly, the North Course has an equal amount of par 3s, 4s and 5s, which explains the low course rating. Scratch golfers lick their lips at the prospect of a short par 5. It also makes it manageable for recreational golfers. The greens are perhaps a bit large for such a short course, but it goes back to the fact that the North Course was designed specifically for the higher handicap golfer.
The fairways and rough are mostly carabao grass and zoysia matrella adorns the greens. Both are sensible, sustainable choices; they’re both endemic and are incredibly hardy. They also require minimal maintenance for optimal results. Cut the grass, aerate and roll the greens and it’s good to go.
Although the fairways do get muddy during the wet season, which is normal, the greens are wonderful, they’re firm, fast and roll beautifully, but well struck shots will hold. They define the playing experience on the North. They’re large and aggressively sloped, hitting it close may not provide the best chance for birdie.
To play well here, it is necessary to hit it straight and keep the ball below the hole on the greens. Length is an asset, but it isn’t necessary. Hit it 200-yard straight and you’re competitive. With water in play on most holes, you’ll need to keep your wits about you and pick your targets. Aggressive swings at conservative targets will pay dividends.
The hilly topography makes clubbing a challenge. Some shots will play 20-yards shorter, others, 20 yards more than indicated on your range finder or GPS. Finding the commitment to make the shot is half the challenge.
The driving holes are tight. Seven, nine, 13, 16 and 18 will penalize you severely if you miss big. As short as 13 might be, leave the driver in the bag. A hundred and sixty or 70 yards off the tee is all you need. Lay up before the creek with a hybrid or fairway wood will leave you a wedge into the relatively small green.
This short course has teeth. You can lose more golf balls here than on the longer and more difficult South Course.
Ultimately, the North Course is a very enjoyable track. It has its challenges, but it also offers so many opportunities to score. The greens are a delight. They challenge the necessity of using imported turf grasses that cost much more to maintain to provide the best putting surface. The best micro-Bermudas are better but not by much. Zoysia has proven itself as an all-around solution for Philippine golf courses.
Valley Golf Club has a little gem in the North Course. It is what it set out to be; a fun golf course for the recreational golfer and more. It’s also a really good time for the better player. With proper course management, a score under par is not beyond expectation.
What’s more fun than that?
Image credits: Arnold Chung