Since the conversion of the former American bases, Subic Bay has been the most golf-challenged of the lot. Golf has prospered in Clark; there are three golf clubs with a total of 99 holes between them. Camp John Hay was always a golf mecca because of the amazing weather in the mountains. Subic had a great little golf course designed by the famous golf architect Desmond Miurhead, but the club has had rotten luck making the transition to privatization. Until now.
Subic Golf Club had long been considered as a haven for golf enthusiasts. The Subic Bay Golf and Country Club was a top destination for golfers during the American occupation of the free port. Two previous developers took bid for and won the rights to develop the golf club in line with the vision for Subic Freeport. Alas, neither succeeded in their efforts and the most recent developer—Subic Leisureworld Inc.—was declared in contractual default by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority.
Fortunately, a new company, Subic Smart Community Corp. (SSCC), has come forward and has redesigned and rehabilitated the long-deserted golf club. Good thing, too. The golf course at Subic Bay sits on a great piece of real estate, something not lost on SSCC President and Chief Operating Officer Rei Miyamoto.
Young and dynamic, the younger Miyamoto spent his early years in the United States and played high-level golf as a junior. His love for golf took a back seat to his corporate responsibilities. As president and COO of Subic International Golf Club, he finds himself reunited with his childhood passion.
Subic Smart’s Japanese entity develops upscale retirement communities in Japan. The communities have comprehensive facilities that cater to every need of an elderly population and it is their vision to build a similar development in Subic. The golf course was a nice bonus.
Subic Smart had planned on spending $30 million on rehabilitating the golf course and building a 200-unit residential facility. To date they’ve already spent more than that and they aren’t done with the golf course yet.
Subic Smart has great plans for Subic International Golf Club. They have set the goal of building a world-class golf club in the free port; one that will once again attract golfers from all over the world. Miyamoto-san was explicit that everything about the club would be world-class; the golf course, the facilities, services…all of it, would be the best that money can buy.
The clubhouse is a thoroughly modern affair; bright, open with a panoramic view of the closing hole on the opening nine and the lake fronting it. The opening nine of the golf course is complete and what is there, is promising. It’s not an overly long golf course, but it is tricky and requires precise shot placement.
The course twists and turns around the foothills and you’ll need to lay up on some of the tighter holes. There are plenty of opportunities to score. The par fives are short and offer excellent chances. It’s the shorter holes on which you need to tread softly. While the course’s most beautiful golf holes are on the inward nine, the medium length par three sixth is nothing short of stunning. The magnificent par three plays 175 yards from the men’s tees with water in front and the green framed by the mountains. It’s easily one of the most beautiful par threes in the country.
The closing nine holes are the most dramatic. The course rises over the mountain and meanders down the other side offering marvelous views of the bay. Fifteen should be the highlight here; a par three with a green on the tip of a peninsula. The view should be gorgeous.
The club has taken a slightly controversial approach with their caddies. They hired every single one of them fresh out of college and spent six months, training them, teaching them about the game and how to deliver the quality of service that a world-class facility demands. It’s an interesting approach that means the girls will have none of the bad habits other caddies may have picked up along the way but will lack the experience to help a golfer read the greens or with what club to take off the tee. It’s not a dealbreaker and the caddies will learn with every golfer that they assist on the course.
The caddies have a basic salary and are provided housing and an allowance for food. They have a curfew and must request permission to leave quarters during the workweek. They are treated very well here, far better than any other Philippine golf course.
The controversy has come up in the manner the club has chosen to market itself. Instead of making a big deal about the quality of the course and the experience, the club has chosen to showcase the caddies instead. Billboards have sprung up along the North Luzon Expressway and along the Skyway just outside Alabang with images of the caddies, dressed fashionably proclaiming that “Yes, we are the caddies!”
While it smacks of sexual exploitation, Thailand and Indonesia have golf properties that do the exact same thing and do very, very well. If properly managed, it might not lead to instances of abuse, but it questions the necessity of just putting the girls in a potentially compromising position. Especially if the course is as good as Subic’s.
Well-meaning as their advertising campaign might be, it’s already began suffering from feminist backlash. Some wives have forbidden their husbands from playing Subic. The Internet golf groups are beginning to hear from women golfers who are unappreciative of Subic International Golf Club’s campaign. Things could go south quickly if feminist groups decide to take action against the club for its policies.
Not ideal considering the club needs the support of local golfers. The club already has a healthy local membership and plans on expanding its membership base. There are many investment opportunities available for members interested in participating in the property’s development.
The other sticking point are the green fees. SSCC has set the bar very high for the club and that has its attendant costs. Their model for their fee structure is that of an upscale public golf course in the United States. That’s usually in the neighborhood of $150-$200, so once all 18 holes and the rest of the club’s facilities are complete, green fees will be P7,500 on weekdays and an eye-watering P10,000 on the weekends.
Both issues serve to detract from the potential of the golf that’s on tap at Subic. From what we’ve seen, the course has boatloads of it. The variety of the terrain traversed over 18 holes of golf is a golfer’s dream. There’s a bit of everything here; elevation changes, a great variety of holes and virgin rainforest. All work in concert to create a sublime setting for golf.
If SSCC can deliver on their promise to turn Subic International Golf Club into one of the best golf courses in Asia, it creates a tantalizing golf corridor in Central Luzon. Anchored by the golf-rich environment of Pampanga, it now stretches West to the hills of Morong (Anvaya Golf and Beach Club), Subic (Subic International Golf Club) then up to Hacienda Luisita (Luisita Golf and Country Club). This corridor has its own airport (Clark International), its own deepwater harbor (Subic Bay Free port), abundant hotels in every price bracket imaginable and will soon boast the most modern city in the Philippines (New Clark City).
If Subic International GC plays its cards right, it could play a key role in the growth of the game and of the region in general. A world-class golf course offering world-class service to a sector being positioned as a gateway into the Philippines. It’s an opportunity that few could imagine. It’ll be a great thing if they actually pull it off. The asking price is steep but if they can deliver the product they say they can, it might be worth the price of admission.
Image credits: Mike Besa