Philippines Golf Academy

As the irresistible urban sprawl invaded Baguio City, I grew increasingly despaired at the destruction of the Baguio I knew as a youth. Taxi cabs and diesel dust drown out the fragrant aroma of the pine trees. Houses stacked one on top of another decimated the beauty of the mountains. I have to wonder what in God’s name happened?

My first trip to Baguio as a boy was with my parents and grandparents. We didn’t have a house there at the time so we stayed at the stately Pines Hotel. It probably wasn’t as grand as I remember but the rustic ambiance of the log-lined interior and that great fireplace around which the adults would convene for cocktails is indelibly etched in my memory.

The pines bathed in the golden light of sunset

As a young man, Baguio was a second home. I had cultivated friendships with quite a few of the locals and made monthly sojourns there to cleanse my mind of the pressures of the big city. Camp John Hay was a favorite haunt; we used to bowl at the old Mile High bowling alley and dine at the 19th tee where golfers would congregate before and after their rounds.

The golf course held a particular fascination for us back then. Only one of our group played and we were held spellbound by his tales of the terrain and layout of the old course. We would sneak on at night for long walks through the most deserted of the fairways only to be chased off by the security once we were spotted. What fun!

When I finally took up the grand game, I played the old layout a couple of times but really, my memory of it is hazy at best. It was a great walk in the woods with some quaint albeit idiosyncratic holes that all look back upon with fond memories. But I much prefer the new course.

It is far more playable and infinitely more enjoyable than the one it succeeded. Jack Nicklaus Golden Bear Group did a marvellous job of the renovation although it was not well perceived at the time. It’s still a resort course but for my money it’s the best in the country. There is no course in the country that can match the experience of a round of golf at the Camp John Hay Golf Club. Period.

The Veranda at night

Again, this is not a championship test. There are other golf courses that will demand so much more from your game. But after a couple of holes, it matters little. You’re in Baguio on its best golf course. What more can you ask? Walking down the first fairway, the fragrant scent of the stands of Benguet Pine hits you full in the face. You breathe deeply; filling your lungs with the fresh mountain air and all’s well with the world.

The course is unique not only for its idyllic location but for the fact that it’s the only course in Asia that is sodden with cool season Bent on its greens. The leaves of Bent grass are the finest of any grass on which I’ve had the pleasure of rolling a golf ball and make for a spectacular putting surface. The roll is always true; identify the slope and you’re set. I love fast greens and when these are in shape they’re the fasted in the country. Putting on them is sheer joy.

No golf course worth its salt doesn’t have at least one hole that will leave you dazed and confused after you’ve played it. Camp John Hay has several that fit that description, but we’ll get to them in a moment. The opening corner allows you to get into your game. All represent scoring opportunities and its best to take advantage because you’ll have to give some back to the course as you progress through the pines.

The 518-yard par 5 first is a spectacular hole and a great one to start your round; it plays downhill all the way and is easily within the reach of those long off the tee. The green is a multi-tiered affair that offers the ultimate defence. Play to the wrong tier and you’ll be thankful for a three-putt. Number two is a 280-yard par four that plays uphill all the way to a large green. The longest hitters might be able to drive the green, but a poorly positioned shot will leave a very difficult putt and there out of bounds beyond the green. Number three is an up-hill 343-yard par four. The tee shot is constricted by pine trees on the right and another solitary pine on the left further down the fairway. The fairway is generous, but a miss to the right will put you in the deep woods. Leave your driver in the bag here; a long iron or hybrid will still leave you a short iron or wedge to the green.

Four is the first real test; at 180-yards from the tips, the tee shot is hampered by a large pine on the right that guards that side of the green. That pine has knocked many a ball down into the deep bunker short and right of the green. The ability to work the ball from left to right is a real asset here; the back right pin position demands it. Five is the waterloo of many and the first of those holes that will leave you dazed and confused. A short, forced dogleg par 4; the 150-160 yard tee shot will leave you an uphill pitching wedge or 9-iron to a severely sloped, two tiered green. Finding the correct part of the putting surface is absolutely essential or you could find yourself asking for a wedge after your first putt.

The 17th is the 2-handicap

Six has been problematic to maintain because the green is heavily shaded. Its undergoing renovation as this is written. Hopefully the problems that plagued it will be suitably addressed.

Eight is a feel-good hole. Longer hitters with a high ball flight can carry the green which isn’t all that difficult. Make a good score here because you’ll probably give one back on nine. The one handicap; nine plays uphill all the way. Take a hybrid or fairway wood off the tee and play for position. This is another hole that you could find yourself putting your ball off the green.

The Fairway to Heaven

After the beating you’ll take on nine, the course gives you several relatively easy holes to help get your confidence back. Ten and twelve are drivable par 4’s. Eleven and thirteen are relatively short par 3’s. Fourteen demands a good tee shot to get into position to attack the green but having achieved that, it’s relatively straightforward. Fifteen is a stunning par 3 with the omnipresent Benquet pines and multi-tiered bunkers framing the green. The only real difficulty here is having to tee off in front of a veranda full of people engrossed in their conversations and revelry.

15 is a postcard perfect par 3

The last three holes provide a stern test and could ruin a perfectly enjoyable round if not managed properly. Sixteen is a downhill par 5 that doglegs around the largest lake on the property. It’s appropriately named Surf and Turf; keep your ball dry and a scoring chance is yours. Fail and well… you know the drill. Seventeen is the Fairway to Heaven. This par 5 plays uphill all the way but isn’t really difficult if you can keep the ball in position. The key is to play your approach shot from short and left of the green. That gives you the best angle to which to attack the pin.

Eighteen is named the Final Press; a medium length par 3 that represents your last chance to recoup money from your flight mates if you’ve played poorly. It’s not an overly demanding hole but like four, it’s not that hard if you have a high fade in your bag.

Although I have many fond memories of the old Camp John Hay, today as the golfer I am, the new one remains my refuge in the City of Pines. It remains the last bastion of what the City of Baguio used to be and is one of my favorite golf courses in the country.

Read the whole story on:http://pinoygolfer.com

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