Hacker's overview about Golf in the Philippines

There's a wide variety of golf in the Philippines from run down tracks in the boondocks to world class private clubs and resorts. Many are located in outstanding beautiful settings.

I will start by recommending a couple of books.

It only costs P200. It's published by AMMO Phone 63-2-824-6989.

The current edition (2007)of the Golf Guide Philippines is available in the pro shops and bookstores for PHP 300.00.

new email address of AMMO is ammomedia@gmail.com

Telephone Numbers + 63 2 828 0948 8281178

Fax Number + 63 2 828 0942

There's a new book out, Golf in the Philippines available at most book stores, retail golf shops and course pro shops. It's got lots of info and a very nice keepsake as it's filled with excellent course photos. It costs around P1300.

Both can give you loads of information that I will just touch on in this post. I will also apologize that the bulk of my knowledge concerns the Metro Manila area.

Budget/Public Access Golf

There are a number of military courses around the country, most of which are public access. Around Manila, Villamor is your best bet. It's centrally located. Villamor Air Force Base is adjacent to the airport on the South Superhighway side. It's a nice championship layout but it's condition varies as it gets a lot of play. Avoid it after heavy rains. Costs:Greens fees P1400 weekday/p2000 weekends. Caddy fee p200 (add p100 or 200 for tip). Rental clubs/shoes, driving range, umbrella girls all available.

A unique course in Manila, is Intramuros located at the old city of Manila. With great wisdom accompanying our 50 year rule, the Americans took the moat of a 450 year old Spanish fort, filled it in, and made it an executive golf course. It's funky, unique and was remodeled a few years ago so it's in pretty good shape. Tourist green fee p2000. Caddy fee p250.

There are other military courses around Manila and around the country. Those are the two I've played that are in the best shape.

For the budget traveler, I'd recommend Swagman Travel. http://www.swaggy.com They have hotels in Manila, Baguio and Angeles. They can arrange golf for you at numerous courses in those areas including some of the nicer high end clubs.

They're also tied into some local weekly games where you can meet local expats which may lead to invites to some private clubs. One local expat club in Manila that welcome's visitors to their weekly game is the D.O.G.S.. http://www.pitstopit.com/maniladogs/mdogs_01.asp

Resort Golf

There is some good resort golf in the Philippines. Courses I've played and enjoyed include Puerto Azul in Cavite, Subic Bay GCC at Subic, Mimosa at Clark, Calatagan in Batangas and Evercrest in Batangas. Greens fees for resort guests range p1000-2000, add another p300-400 for your caddy with tip. Accommodation costs can be all over the map. The standard rate is usually high. The best bet here is to call and ask about "package" rates.

Microtel Inns and Suites, an American chain, has recently opened a few new properties with tie ins to a couple of courses. Luisita in Tarlac, Malarayat in Batangas and Eagle Ridge in Cavite. They are advertising "as low as" p2300 per person, double occupancy for one night accommodation, continental breakfast and a round of golf. I haven't tried it yet but intend to give it a go at Luisita which has an excellent reputation. Phone : 63-2-813-7523.

Private Golf

The best courses in the country for better or worse are private. Outstanding designs by the likes of Nicklaus, Jones, Palmer, Player are set in beautiful tropical settings. Some favorites that I've played include Sherwood Hills, Santa Elena, Southwoods, Riviera and the Country Club.

Share prices are published in the local sport pages weekly. There is (was?) a very active speculative market in golf shares. That market crashed a few years ago. If you are moving here, there are plenty of bargains currently on the market. A share can cost anywhere from p200,000 to p10,000,000. GG and A is a reputable local golf share broker. Latest prices can be seen at http://www.ggaclubshares.com/. Once you buy a share expect a monthly maintenance fee of P3000.

Another way to go is to rent playing rights from the share owner. For an annual fee you rent their right to use the club facilities. You also pay the monthly maintenance fee. There are great deals out there now. It's not rare to hear one paying zero rent as the owner just wants someone to take over the monthly fees. More typical is p20,000 to p100,000 a year.

The one gotcha is that most clubs have a one time transfer fee of p50,000 or more that gets added to the first year. If you don't buy or rent a membership, the best way to get on is to be invited by a member. If you get tied in with the local expat community or local Philippine businessmen you can find who the golfers are. Many are pretty happy to bring along new folks to their clubs. Guests are much more prevalent at private clubs in Asia as compared to the U.S.. Also, member's guests pay a lower rate than unescorted visitors. Guest green fees can range from p1000 to p3000. Weekdays are often half that of weekends and holidays.

If you can't find a member, don't give up. Many private clubs allow visitor play on weekdays. Just give them a call and ask. Also, many hotels have deals with golf clubs. Ask the manager or concierge. Some of the more accessible clubs are those a little farther from town (thus less busy). These include Canlubang, Evercrest and Riviera. Greens fees are a bit higher p2000-3000. Caddy fees are often left up to you at many private clubs. A good guideline is p300- 400.

My Cebu golf knowledge is limited. I was there in January and rang up Alta Vista GCC. They said come straight out. Weekday green fee was p1500, caddy fee p200 plus he was excellent so I gave him p200 tip.

When you do play the private courses, be on your best behavior. Observe good golf etiquette. Wear a collared shirt and tailored shorts. The good news is once you get out there and play, you'll generally meet some local players. That often leads to more opportunities to play as a member's guest. Many guys own shares in multiple clubs. If you meet the right folks you can be playing all over.

One more tip, when golfing in the Philippines, drink plenty of fluids. Warm temperatures, high humidity and hilly layouts all lead to dehydration.