Pinoy Golfer Blog

The public golf course that you and I are familiar with is most likely in one of the military bases with fairways of carabao grass, hardpan during summer, a mud slog during monsoon season with sluggish zoysia greens. Well, Sun Valley Golf Club, a new public golf course in Cogeo, Antipolo has just blown those perceptions clear out of the water and raised the bar for public golf courses in the Philippines to another level.

The pride and joy of Johnson Ong, Sun Valley is a golf course that can hold its own with any course in the country. An Arnold Palmer signature course, Sun Valley’s fairways are Tifton 319 and the greens first generation Tiftdwarf. The course is fully sanded and is playable in all but the most severe weather. But what sets this course apart is its location. The hills of Rizal present numerous elevation changes and wonderful vistas. Natural ponds and waterfalls dot the property assuring the developers that their course will never go thirsty. This stunning piece of property is ideal for a golf course.

The clubhouse is large and airy and would do credit to any private club. It features magnificent views of the golf course and the foothills of the Sierra Madres. The lockers are well appointed and absolutely spotless. The staff is well trained and courteous and will recognize you in short order if you return regularly. The food presents yet another surprise; home made longganisa and roast beef, gourmet sandwiches, pasta, a selection of entrees and deserts are enough to sate even the hardiest appetites. And if you have time to spare, an infinity pool sits waiting, tempting your weary bones to indulge in a refreshing swim and enjoy a spectacular view of the sunset with the Ortigas Center in the foreground.

But what sets Sun Valley apart is the golf. I’ll say it now; this is one of the best golf courses in the country and has quickly become one of my favourites. Although short by modern standards at just 6,790-yards from the gold tees, there’s enough here to test golfers of all skill levels. Sun Valley is a mix of intriguing short par-4s with just some of the most beautiful par-3s in the country. The par-5s are scoring holes and present excellent birdie chances if properly managed.

The front nine is unique; few courses have golf holes that feel like worlds unto themselves. The front nine of Sun Valley is one of them. Each hole has its own unique character and when you play them, you are alone with your golf. It’s really a unique feeling. The first hole starts out innocently enough. Place your tee shot between the yawning abyss on the left and the huge fairway bunker on the right and you’ll have a short iron to the green. There’s a lot more space on the fairway than you can see off the tee, it’s a good hole to get started on.

Number two is a BEAST; all but unreachable in two except for the longest hitters. It’s also a beauty. Elevated tee shot to a fairway that doglegs right around a ravine to an elevated green guarded by a bunker on the left and the ravine on the right. Three is a charming little par-3; just 149-yards from an elevated tee. The green’s down in a grotto with a pond guarding the left side and a natural pool with a waterfall behind it.

Four is the club’s cardiac hill; the tee shot plays to a fairway that rises before you and keeps going upward to a severely elevated green. Walking up this fairway will leave you breathless.

Five is a lovely par-4; the tee shot plays to a fairway that seems to disappear in the distance; an “infinity fairway”, if you like. Playing down the left side will take best advantage of the slopes on the fairway. This is one fairway that you want to walk. Let the caddies take the cart forward for you, but walk this one. The view at the crest is stunning; virgin rainforest paints a wonderful backdrop to the green far below. Six and Seven are the most beautiful holes on the course and the only two on the front where you can see another golf hole besides the one you’re on.

Six is a 200-yard (from the tips) par-3 that plays to a green guarded by a pond to the left and long of the green. It’s a magnificent sight and a memorable tee shot. Seven is a short par-4 that plays back over the lake that is the main feature on these two holes. The fairway then doglegs slightly to the right and uphill. The green is guarded by several substantial bunkers with a large acacia tree just to the right.

Eight and nine are both reachable par-5′s. Eight has a very narrow fairway with a little peninsula green that hooks to the right at the very end of the fairway. If you do go for it in two, it will be over the ravine on the right. It’ll be a shot that you won’t soon forget. Nine is the birdie hole for long hitters. If you can carry the ravine in the dogleg, you’ll have a long iron second to a downhill green over a small hazard. This green isn’t hard to hit but is still not quite mature enough to hold a long approach shot. It’s very playable in three shots for the shorter hitter; a good drive and two mid irons should see you safely on.

The back nine is laid out like a golfing amphitheatre; there are golfers and golf holes everywhere you look. And what a beautiful sight it is. Ten is a short par-4; a 3-wood short of the bunker on the right side of the fairway will leave a short iron or wedge to the green. Eleven is a hole that the long ball hitters can gamble on; taking on the corner of the dogleg leaves a flip wedge to the green. Twelve is the longest of the par-3s; at 229 from the gold tees, the tee shot plays to a wide shallow green. Thirteen is a short par-5 at 483 from the tips. But it’s best played with something other than a driver off the tee because of the trees and lake that constrict the landing area. Fourteen is the highest point on the golf course and the most problematic to complete. This par-3 is a mountain top-to-mountain top affair; you tee off on one and the green is on the other. At 171-yards it’s a good 5 or 6-iron for the stronger player. Fifteen takes you back down the mountain with a tee shot over a lake to the fairway some fifty feet below. Sixteen is one of my favourite holes; a 546-yard five-par, this is a true grip-it-and-rip-it hole. Driver off the tee, 3-wood off the deck; don’t leave anything in your bag. The two finishing holes are position-play par-4s. A good tee shot that puts you in the right position is the key to a good score.

The shot values that Sun Valley presents to the golfer are nothing short of amazing. This is not only the best public course in the country, by my estimation; it’s potentially one of the best golf courses in the country. The location is to die for and aside from a bit of traffic, it’s very accessible. The only real downside is that golf carts are mandatory when you play Sun Valley, but after experiencing number 4 and 14, I think we can forgive the club this indiscretion. The terrain is severe enough to warrant the mandatory cart rule. The caddies are still a bit green, but should improve as the course gets more play. Congratulations to Mr. Ong and golf consultant Don Gauldin for the superb job they’ve done thus far.

I’ll close this the way I started by saying, again, that Sun Valley is the best public course and possibly one of the best in the country. Period.

Getting there:
Take Marcos Highway to Cogeo. After the Cogeo market, turn left into Forest Hills/Sun Valley development and follow the signs to the club.
Rates:

Green Fees: PhP 1,200 week days, PhP 2,000 on weekends
Golf Carts: PhP 800 (mandatory)
Caddie Fees: PhP 400 (plus tip if applicable)

Photos by Marty Ilagan

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