Philippines Golf Academy

18 at sunrise

Known to the rest of us as Mimosa, the CDC Golf & Country Club was built on the original Clark Air Base Golf Course. Intended to be the ultimate getaway complex in golf boom of the 1990s Mimosa is built on what was known as the Clark Air Base Golf Club. The original eighteen was split and expanded into what are now two lovely golf courses. Redesigned in 1992 under former Mimosa Leisure Estate chair Antonio Gonzales by Hawaii based course architects Robin Nelson and Neal Haworth, Mimosa now boasts 36-holes of delightful golf that exploits the differences in terrain of the vast property.

The course that concerns us is the Mountain View. It is the championship course and at a monstrous 7,303-yards from the tips, it is one of the longest in the Philippines. It straddles the new and old worlds of Philippine golf courses. On the one hand it is of modern construction and on the other; the century-old acacia trees and expansive layout give it the feel of a much older golf course. Pity then that the greens are somewhat inconsistent; if they were up to the quality of the rest of the golf course, this would be one of the best golf courses in the country, no question. The quality of the layout, the aethetics and the challenge presented to the golfer are on par with the best golf courses in the country.

When you come to play the Mountain View, bring your A-game. Even from the men’s tees (blue) it’s no pushover even if it does play almost a thousand yards shorter. It’s a slightly unusual layout with three par-threes on the front and just one on the back nine. The first three holes take you around a hill that hosts the former communications tower of the old American airbase. The third hole presents a particular problem on this side; the short par-4 doglegs to the right around the base of the hill. It is probably one of, if not THE most difficult hole on the front side. The fairway is a narrow affair and the humps and elevation changes of the primary landing area make for a tricky approach into the green. It’s a spectacular hole but a hacker’s nightmare.

The golf course opens up after the almost claustrophobic opening holes. Five at 476-yards from the blues (543-yards from the tips) is a par 5 reachable in two and presents a real scoring opportunity. Seven is the one-handicap; at 487-yards from the tips, this hole is a monstrous par 4. Fortunately, it has a few less teeth from the forward tees. The tee shot must carry a hazard to a fairway set diagonally going away from the golfer, daring him to bite off as much as he can. The green is large and will receive a long iron or fairway wood. This is a good strong hole.

The back nine is set on somewhat flatter terrain but makes up for it with added length. Two of the longest par-fours and three par-fives are on this side, making it a formidable task for the weekend golfer. The 480-yard (from the green tees) 12th and the breathtakingly beautiful 458-yard 15th will prove especially difficult. Interesting then that the hardest hole on the back is the 578-yard par-5 13th; water is in play after the tee shot and the green is set just up against the lake which poses most of the problems for the golfer.

The 6th looks like it belongs on a postcard

The par-threes are delightful; six looks like it belongs on a postcard. It requires a long iron over water to a green framed by the mountain from which the course gets its name and 16 offers the ultimate treat; an island green. Fortunately for the recreational golfer, it’s not too long measuring just 153-yards from the gold tees and the green is generous. The course closes with a magnificent par-five that requires manoeuvring your ball around century old acacia trees. The hole plays uphill towards the clubhouse and is well bunkered to frustrate all but the best approach shots.

In spite of its difficulty, it’s a beautiful golf course and a sheer pleasure to play. It had been quite a while since my last game here but time has not dulled my memory of the course or the feeling that I get when I tee it up here. There are sublime views of the Zambales mountain range and Mt. Arayat is never far from sight. The vastness of the property will impress you with a serene round (except for the occasional shout of, “Fore!”) of golf on a glorious golf course. Factor in the amazing cuisine of the Kapampangans and you have the makings of a great golfing get-away that is more accessible than you think.

The lake between 12 and 13

The completion of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Exchange (SCTEX) means that the once distant city of Angeles is now a mere hour-fifteen away from Makati in normal traffic. The facilities at Clark are ample; Mimosa alone houses two hotels; the Holiday Inn Mimosa and Monte Vista Villas and Suites (which uses the former officers’ villas to house guests), a casino, Korean, Filipino, Italian and Japanese restaurants to boot. If you get bored on the base then there’s always the city of lights just outside the sprawling confines of Clark.

13 is a very difficult par 5

The water features fronting the 15th green

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