Baguio Country Club Experiencing a century of opulence

Rich tradition, good food, chilly climate, vibrant people – these are virtues the City of Pines offers as the country’s summer capital.

But its merits do not end here. Reverberating the eons of time into a miniature of everlasting passion for the good life, the tiny city that sits on top of a mountain exudes a youthful fervor for life. To people who live and dream of living here, they call their spot Baguio City.

Baguio City is the country’s summer capital as throngs of heat-escaping tourists and visitors from across the archipelago flock the rugged terrain of this Northern Capital during hotter months. But to some travelers, the city of pines with its rustic landscape amalgamated with modern amenities actually has more to offer than a chilly climate all year round.

Baguio, indeed, is about experience.

And one of these experiences worth treasuring is the one available only at the vaunted doors of the Baguio Country Club (BCC). The experience at the Baguio Country Club – arguably, the country’s most coveted club membership – encapsulates the rich traditions and opulence of the city when it was founded just at the turn of the 20th century.

Built with concrete and boasts of state of the art amenities, its foundations are not its architecture but the very reason why the club came into being: hospitality, friendship, and great experience.

A humble beginning

The success and aesthetic majesty of the BCC rested on the solid grounds of genuine friendship among its progenitors. No wonder, it has survived the ravages of time for nearly a hundred years, for what tempest is strong enough to break a virtue founded on camaraderie and alliance?

The history of the Baguio Country Club can be traced back when Cordillerans and their American friends came up with the bright idea of building a clubhouse where its members can meet for fellowship and celebrate the natural beauty of the city.

Erected for the sole purpose of strengthening their alliance, the BCC flourished and evolved to become one of the country’s most sought-after vacation spots.

Over the years, this century old edifice has stood the challenges of nature and has transformed itself into a place where its patrons get a royalty treatment, literally!

On top of this scenic masterpiece is an 18-hole carpet of green sprinkled daily without remiss by the generous Baguio dew. This goes on without mentioning rows and rows of natural pine trees that line each of its stations. Indeed, its golf course mimics a paradise not only for golfers, but also for trekkers and adventurers, both seasoned and amateur.

Moreover, for those who love beating Baguio’s subzero waters, it has a world- class heated pool ready to serve each one’s swimming appetite, making the BCC a real haven even to the most discriminating taste of beach lovers.

And while most Baguio people find it hard to sweat, not with its favorable climate, BCC has a covered tennis and badminton courts to address this need.

Ahead of the pack

Aside from the usual attractions that define a rich experience at the country club, it also has recreation facilities, which is ergonomically located in one complex. It include automated bowling lanes, table tennis courts, darts and billiards, and for kids, the playstation row. For the more somber, there is the reading nook that also functions as a library.

Moreover, there is also a souvenir shop, beauty salons, clinic, and a business center so that mobile professionals can still connect to their offices via DSL Internet connection. The club also has one vacation essential installed: the automated teller machine or ATM, making it really tourist friendly.

Also, the Express Department is one notable innovation that is primarily tasked to handle prompt action on the needs of its members and guests. All these facilities are designed to make the life at the country club, easier and safer. With these innovations, the country club has transformed itself into a real family-oriented vacation spot, making it truly ahead of the pack.

Making history

Another great reason to visit the Baguio Country Club is its food, with its renowned raisin bread taking a much-deserved center stage. Just lately, this delicious and mouth-watering bread took another milestone by becoming, albeit unofficially, the world’s longest raisin bread. All it needs to land in the book of records is a recognition from the people of Guinness, which is expected very soon.

There are countless good reasons to stay at the Baguio Country Club, but for people who just want to have a leisurely experience with their families and associates, the BCC is one escape really worth treasuring. The friendship and royal treatment one gets here is, undeniably, one that is truest to its promise. It gives new meaning and substance to the aphorism that the opulence of experience, indeed, has no currency.