What is your favorite golf course in the Philippines?
It is the question that I’m asked the most. There is no cut
and dry answer to the question. Not to evade the question; but it speaks to the
quality and the diversity of the golf courses in the country. There are reasons
beyond what satisfies the intellect and stimulates the senses. The intangibles,
if you will.
Mount Malarayat Golf and Country Club is the crown jewel of
golf in Batangas today. The club is nestled at the feet of the mountain range
for which it is named. At 1,025-feet above sea level the weather is appreciably
cooler than lower locales and provides the ideal climate for golf.
The course was laid out by Bob Moore of the JMP Design Group
who designed an almost surreal 27-hole layout. The golf course is home to three
distinct nines; the Lobo, Malipunyo and Makulot courses, named after peaks of
the Malarayat range. In a bit of serendipity, the opening hole on each course
faces the peak after which it is named.
It is beautiful here. Flat out gorgeous. Of the country’s
inland golf courses, there are few that match the manicured glory of Malarayat.
Everything is perfect, just as it should be. The mountains provide a serene
backdrop to the magnificent property.
The golf is as good as the golf course is beautiful.
The course is not overly long; a hair over 7,000-yards from
the tips, regardless of which combination you play. Each of the 27-holes is
unlike any of the others. All are beautiful, but some transcend the others and
are some of the most beautiful holes of golf anywhere in the country.
The finishing holes on each nine are standouts, but if I had
to choose a favorite, it would be the seventh hole on the Makulot Course. It was
once named one of the 100 Most Beautiful Golf Holes outside of the United
States by Golf Magazine. It’s a reachable par five, if you have the game for it
and the shot into the green is magnificent; the green is nestled beside a lake,
framed by acacia trees. It is one of the most beautiful shots you’ll face
anywhere in the country.
If you don’t have the long game to drive the shorter par fours
and reach the fives in two, you need not despair. Malarayat rewards a tactical
mind with decent control of the golf ball. There are generous areas from which
you can approach the green from a reasonable distance.
The greens set Malarayat apart. The undulations on them need
to be seen. Finding the correct quadrant of each green is of the utmost importance.
The greens are always in amazing condition, which is a good thing given how
difficult they are to putt.
That could be said about the golf course as a whole; the
thing is in fabulous condition. I’ve been playing Malarayat for the better part
of fifteen years now, and it is always in condition that would make most other
golf clubs green with envy.
Beyond the golf and the abject beauty of the property, it’s
the way everything comes together to make you feel, that I treasure the most
here. The ultimate is to book a couple of nights in the hotel so you can savor
each of the nines.
Malarayat transports you to a milieu of its own; one of
beauty, grace and serenity with some pretty good golf in the bargain. That’s
why it ranks high on my list of favorite golf courses.
Related Post :
2020 has been a disastrous year for the Philippines. At the onset of the year on the 12th of January, Taal Volcano broke its decades long slumber, shook the earth and spewed ash high up into the Philippine sky.......Read More
----------
It’s been almost exactly a year since I first set foot on Puerto Azul Golf and Country Club since its acquisition by Salvador “Buddy” Zamora and its renovation, presided over by his son, Bodie. It’s amazing to see the golf course in this kind of condition again.....Read More
----------
