By Mike Besa
WE love beautiful things. Yes, we do. We love beautiful people, beautiful cars, homes and, of course, beautiful golf courses. As far as the latter is concerned, there are a few, if any, golf courses in the country that can hold a candle to Mount Malarayat Golf and Country Club. I was absolutely smitten with the vibe of the place when I first set foot here in 2005, and remain so to this day.
In a word, this golf course is stunning. It’s a beauty queen among golf courses.
The club is set with the mountain range, for which it is named, looming in the background. Situated some 1,200 feet above sea level, the weather is appreciably cooler than lower locales and provides the ideal climate for golf. Architect Antonio Turalba, chairman of the Active Group, knew he had a special piece of property and spared no expense to develop it. The course was laid out by Bob Moore of the JMP Design Group, who designed an almost surreal 27-hole golf course to challenge and entertain those that come to play it.
The three nines are all named after peaks in the Malarayat range: Mount Makulot, Mount Lobo and Mount Malipunyo. Interestingly, the first tees of each of the nines point you directly at the mountain for which the nine is named. Even more interesting is that this was achieved by luck and only noticed after the nines had been laid out.
I’ll never forget my first visit to Malarayat. We checked in to the hotel and just before going to our rooms, I wandered out on to the balcony and my jaw dropped. The scene was incredible! The finishing holes of the Lobo and Malipunyo nines winding their way around the lake with the Malarayat Range providing a majestic backdrop to it all. The course is a beautifully landscaped and immaculately manicured garden. Laid out between remnants of the old growth coconut forest that once dominated the landscape, Malarayat offers the golfer complete escape from his milieu.
Like a true beauty queen, there’s substance behind that pretty face. The golf here is pretty dang good.
Yes, Malarayat isn’t all that long. At a tad over 7,000 yards from the tips, it’s actually on the short side for a championship layout. But Malarayat has hosted its share of national championships. It’s been the venue for two Philippine Opens (both co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour), the Philippine Women’s Open, and is a regular stop on both the men’s and women’s professional tours. The course will give up some low scores, but speed the greens up and it’s a stern enough test for anyone. It isn’t going to terrorize you like the Langer course at the Riviera or the dreaded Dye course at Eagle Ridge, but it’s a great track that asks you to play some very memorable shots.
To score well, it’s less about how long you hit the ball here and more about the approach shot coming into the green. The greens are all multitiered affairs that have a good deal of slope on them. Some say that the greens are contrived or overly gimmicky, but I disagree. The greens require precision from your iron game but are fair. You can make a bunch of birdies if you’re striking the ball well. If not, you could have some very challenging shots around the green and that’s the beauty of Malarayat; there’s really something for everyone here.
Malarayat is a classic risk-reward course where length and accuracy off the tee is rewarded by a wedge or short iron to the green. Each hole presents the golfer with several ways to play it. At least one par 5 on each nine is reachable in two. The seventh hole on the Lobo nine is a drivable par 4. There are a number of holes which feature split fairways and greens that are open at the front that allow a running approach. The variety will hold your attention throughout the round.
The closing holes on each nine are works of art. All three wind their way around bodies of water and all will require challenging the hazard to get to the green. The Lobo closes with a reachable par 5 that has been the scene of much drama over the years. A good tee shot over a bunker in the crux of the dogleg sets up a daring approach over water to an elevated green.
The Malipunyo’s ninth is a strong par 4, at 450 yards from the tips, you’ll need two mighty blows to get home in two. The fairway winds around the lake on the right with the clubhouse in the background. The green sits adjacent to the ninth green of the Lobo and is heavily fortified. Par is a very good score on this hole.
It is the closing corner of the Makulot course that best represents the golf course.
The seventh on the Makulot was voted one of the top 100 holes in the world (outside the United States) and is the first hole you see when you enter the palatial gates of the property. Clearing the bunkers split, the dogleg off the tee leaves you with a doable approach to the green over water. Care must be taken with the long approach, especially if the pin is on the right, as there is water beyond it.
Eight is a beautiful postage stamp par 3. The three-tiered green is set obliquely to the elevated tees and requires a carry over water. The green is framed by mango trees. It is perfection.
The finishing hole is a great one. I love how the hole reveals itself as you make your way from the tee to your golf ball. The majestic Malarayat range frames your shot best on the approach shot to the ninth green of the Makulot course. The ball seems to float toward the green with the mountains in the background.
All this beauty isn’t just skin-deep. The course has never banned carts from the fairways, not even during the most severe storms. Any part of the course found wanting is immediately brought back up to spec. We experienced this firsthand during a tournament a couple of years ago. A storm descended on us and we played on. Not even when the greens had water running down them were we asked to keep the carts on the paths. They did not cut any corners building this course.
An exclusive community surrounds the course, one which is high on my list of places to retire. The hospitable nature of the people has much to do with that. Indeed, at Malarayat, it is the Batangueño hospitality that you will remember most. The staff is helpful and friendly, almost to a fault. Everyone, from the general manager to the caddies, will look after you in the kindest, most solicitous manner. The quality of the people at Malarayat is a perfect match to the splendor of the golf course and serves to make it the perfect golf getaway.
So is Mount Malarayat the most beautiful golf course in the country? You won’t win arguments to the contrary from me.
View his other articles in businessmirror.com.ph here : https://businessmirror.com.ph/author/mikebesa/
Source : https://businessmirror.com.ph/is-mount-malarayat-the-most-beautiful-golf-course-in-the-country/
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