Philippines Golf Academy

The eighteenth green with the clubhouse in the background

Mention Eagle Ridge Golf and Country Club to most people and the first golf course that comes to mind is the fearsome Dye Course. “You play the Dye and you will DIE!” goes the saying. But to most of the members of Eagle Ridge, the Dye isn’t the most difficult course on the property; that honor falls on the course designed by Nick Faldo. Course and slope ratings from the blue tees are 74.4 and 144 making this one golf course you do not trifle with.

At a staggering 7,443 yards from the tips and just slightly more reasonable at 6,897 yards from the blue tees, the Faldo is, in a word, relentless. There is precious little time to catch your breath on this golf course. Every shot is a test. The strength of the Faldo is its length; Faldo was a great long iron player and his golf course will test you most severely in this facet of your game. The par 4’s are long; all but two are over 400-yards in length from the gold tees and only slightly shorter from the blues. The fairways are narrow and those that are not are heavily guarded either by huge bunker complexes or hazards or both.

The greens have huge undulations in them; the members joke that there are no straight putts on the Faldo; if you think you have one, better back off and read that putt again. So getting on the green is just half the battle. Besides the slope, you need to figure out the direction of the grain. Quite a few holes have the grain running away from the direction of the approach shot so they play lightning fast in one direction and significantly slower in the other.

But the Faldo is less visually intimidating than the more notorious Dye Course off the tee. You have less humps and hollows on the fairways so good lies on the fairway are easier to come by. But it’s longer than its infamous neighbour and significantly more demanding on the greens. Combine this with the strong winds that inhabit the courses at Eagle Ridge for most of the year and you have what many feel is the sternest test in Philippine golf.

One is the easiest hole on the course

Faldo starts you with the easiest hole on the golf course. The first is a mere 355-yards from the tips; a driver isn’t necessary for the stronger golfer. The approach shot, though over water, is relatively short, but the green is so severely sloped that care must be taken to keep the ball below the pin or a three putt is a very real possibility. Two is a good length par 5 that must be played as a 3-shoter for best results. The tee shot is fairly straight forward, but the placement for the second is put under severe pressure by a hazard to the left and a deep bunker just inside of it that constrict the target area. The approach to the sloping green is uphill and into the prevailing wind and as such demands the utmost precision. The green is protected on the right by a quartet of bunkers and a tall mound to the right. Avoid recovery shots from the mound above the green at all cost and again keep the ball below the hole.

The par 3 third turns and plays with the wind but the green is one of the most diabolical on the golf course. It’s a redan design; crowned in the center and falling off on all sides and is one of the most difficult on the golf course to hit and hold. You need a high ball that lands softly but finding the green is just the start of the battle. Four is the most difficult of the par 5’s; it’s a 603-yard monster that doglegs to the right around a deep ravine that’s marked out of bounds. The tee shot is best left short of the bunkers that pinch the fairway almost into nothingness. The second shot must skirt the OB on the right. You’ve done well to leave yourself with 150-yards into the green. The green runs away from the approach shot with the prevailing wind coming in from the left blowing the ball in the direction of the hazard.

On five, a well placed drive will carry over the bunkers in the center and end up on the lower half of the dual fairway, leaving a wedge in on a perfect line. Bailing out onto the upper left fairway will leave a very delicate approach to a green that tends to follow the slope of the hill strongly from left to right. Six is the longest of the par 3’s; 249-yards from the gold tees and only slightly shorter from the blues. The wind blows hard from the right tempting most to aim at the yawning bunker that flanks the green on that side. In fact when the wind is really blowing, you might want to think of it as a short par 4. The large green is really two smaller greens in one, with the left lobe slanting away and hidden behind a set of deep bunkers. There is also a distinct divider running from right to left off the tall mound at the top of the right bunker.

A view of the clubhouse from behind the eighteenth green

Seven is the one-handicap and demands length and precision off the tee and from the fairway. Those of lesser length will best play it like a short par 5. Only a fairly long and accurate tee shot will put you in position for a short iron to a green that slopes away and toward the hazard behind. Consider using the fairway short of the green as a soft landing area letting the ball trickle onto the green. Eight is a short par 4 but special care must be taken with the short holes since they tend to have the most difficult greens. The eighth is crowned in the back left portion and falls away on three sides. When the pin is on the right, play as close to the left-side fairway bunker as possible, but be aware that the tree left to the bunker can cause trouble if you are too far left. When the pin is on the left, place your tee shot on the right side of the fairway for the best angle in. If in doubt, use the right greenside bunker as a target.

The finishing hole on the front side is a real monster; it’s 444-yards from the blue tees (20 yards longer from the tips) and all of it playing uphill into a right to left crosswind. The landing area off the tee is generous but golfers that decide to lay up short of the green must exercise caution as this part of the hole is a scant 20 yards wide and guarded by bunkers on the left and a hazard on the right. The green is long and narrow and slopes away from the approach shot.

The water hazard that defends the approach shot to ten

Ten is another long difficult par 4; you’ll need to carry the tee shot 250 yards off the tee to find the ideal landing area just beyond the bunkers on the right. The approach shot plays uphill over a water hazard to a two-tier green. High handicaps are best advised to treat this as a par 5 for best results. Eleven is the shortest of the par 3’s but has the green that’s the most difficult to hit. Perched on a slender precipice, the green looks like a thin sliver because of the raised lip of the flash bunker in the front left of the green that hides the meat. Though the green is relatively small, there is enough room to hit and hold it. Thank Nick for the small mounds running off the lips of the bunkers and the right front that will tend to funnel poorly hit shots towards the center of the putting surface, but beware of the deep hazard surrounding the complex.

Twelve is best played as a three-shot par 5. The landing area off the tee is quite generous so be sure to take advantage. Faldo’s generosity ends there as the fairway narrows as you approach the green. The approach shot is uphill to a very tricky green whose subtle breaks will bedevil the golfer. The ideal tee shot on thirteen is a draw around the corner that avoids the bunkers that pinch the ideal landing area. The green is sloped from left to right and the grain runs away from the golfer necessitating the approach shot land well before the pin. Fourteen is an interesting par 5. Most will be best served by aiming at the bunker on the right of the fairway. Some will be tempted to carry the huge bunker on the left but there’s less room beyond than it seems from the tee. After a successful tee shot, lay up to wedge distance on the left as this is another green that slopes away from the direction of the approach shot.

Fifteen is a short par 4 that threatens a big number if you’re not paying attention

Fifteen is a short par 4 that threatens a big number if you’re not paying attention. The further from the tee you hit, the more the hazard impinges on the landing area, until at the end it is just a sliver. Short hitters may want to lay up rather than force a long iron. The green slopes rearward so you might consider playing short of the green and let it dribble on, using the small fairway mound to deaden the run-on. Care with clubbing is essential on the downhill approach shot.

The treacherous fifteenth green

Long hitters must be careful of the run out at the outside corner of the dogleg on this long, tight driving hole. It is still a long iron for most players from a landing area that is squeezed by two bunkers. The target is a deep green that has some considerable slope built in. It is divided nearly in half by a ridge that runs away toward the rear. If you have a running shot that you can land short of the green on the right, this is a good time to use it. Otherwise, a lay-up and a deft chip might be the answer to par on the toughest hole on the back nine.

The dramatic penultimate hole is as stern a test of your golfing skills as you will find. The hole’s length is compounded by the ever-present Eagle Ridge winds swirling up from the canyon behind the green. Note the pin position as the green tilts steeply back to front and right to left. Anything long faces a treacherous downhill recovery.

First impressions are important and the feeling you get as you tee it up on this relatively short finishing hole is sheer terror. A huge ravine yawns directly ahead of the tee box; but the carry to the mesa-like fairway is really not all that long, if you are playing from the proper tees. Be careful on the left as you second shot can be stymied by trees and overhanging branches. Remember to take extra club or three for the uphill approach shot into the wind. The small, complicated green slopes quite severely from right to left.

The Faldo Course might be difficult but a good score here is forever cherished as a golfing milestone. It’s a stern test but ultimately one that’s fair and most satisfying. It’s one that all golfers should take on at some point of their careers. It is one of my favorites.

The Eagle Ridge Microtel Inn and Suites – Where to stay and play 72-holes of championship golf

With 4 championship golf courses to choose from the question then becomes how best to enjoy them. Microtel Inn and Suites Eagle Ridge, located on the sprawling property adjacent to the four golf courses is the answer. The 57-room hotel provides an ideal setting combining comfort, privacy and an extremely convenient location.

Just five minutes by car from the golf courses and country club or a 15-minute brisk walk, your stay in Microtel Eagle Ridge is equal to any of the Microtels in the Philippines or their other locations around the world. The rooms are clean and comfortable and are outfitted with chiropractic designed beds for ultimate comfort and relaxation.

The Club also has sports (swimming pool, bowling, basketball & badminton courts), recreational, food & beverage and conference facilities. Guests of the hotel can avail of packages that include golf play and/or use of some of the Club’s facilities. It’s the perfect place for the golfer to enjoy the rigors of championship golf guilt free with his family in tow.

The hotel also has complete facilities for corporate meetings and conferences giving participants the chance to enjoy the pleasures of the club while attending to business matters.

For more information, call (63.46) 509.3333 or (63.917) 551.7878 or email them at eagleridge@microtel.ph; more information is available on their website; www.microtel-cavite.com

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

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