SPORTS TOURISM

Club Intramuros: RP’s only day & night golf course

Golf was introduced to the Philippines sometime around the turn of the century, making the country home to some of the oldest fairways in Asia. The sport has since enjoyed popularity, that’s why today there are about 80 golf courses around the islands. Most of these courses boast of wide green fairways designed by the world’s best golf professional players and course architects. Friendly caddies and luxurious functions and resort facilities are bonuses; features that the Club Intramuros 2000 takes pride on.

Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA) general manager Robert Dean Barbers invites all golfers to Club Intramuros par 66, public golf course (along Bonifacio Drive, Intramuros, Manila). This is "public" because there is no membership fee. Barbers said that Club Intramuros is the only golf course surrounded by history since it is ensconsed in the bosom of the old walled city of Intramuros which was established in 1671 by the Spaniards.

The young Barbers went into memory lane, recalling that Club Intramuros then was called Muni, and was opened first in 1930.

Since then, Barbers said, the establishment has been carrying the ancient traditions of the game of golf. He proudly announced that Club Intramuros has nurtured golfers of all ages. Some of whom have gone to success, not only in the golfing arena, but in the world of business, industry and politics.

Barbers has tasked Engr. Jose Dion D. Diaz, deputy general manager for infrastructure to oversee the day-to-day administration and rehabilitation of Manila’s historic golf course. Engr. Diaz has taken pride in calling Club Intramuros 2000 "the only day and night golf course in the Philippines." He disclosed that the club underwent a makeover of close to R300 million to make the place an 18-hole, par 66, 4, 32.6-yard golf course.

The world-renowned golf course designers Dye and Associates who have designed and built 17 of the world’s top 100 golf courses, was commissioned by the PTA to undertake the rehabilitation and design of the whole course. One of the Dye novelties for the Club Intramuros is the use of "seashore Paspallum sagrass" which is described as having tolerance for brackish or salty water which Intramuros has.

"Above all, Club Intramuros is environmental-friendly, because we water our grasses with the brackish water that come from our own ponds," Engr. Diaz concluded.