Pinoy Golfer Blog

Elmer Salvador Elmer Salvador shot a 4-under par 68 and recorded the best round of the day on another tough day at Sherwood Hills. He was the only man under 70 and is the only man under par after 36-holes of play. He struck the ball well and stayed out of the omnipresent trouble that lines the Sherwood Hills Golf Club. Benjie Magada shot a 2-over 74 and sits alone in second place 6 strokes back of Salvador. A shot further back and 7 back of the leader are veterans Carito Villaroman, Christopher de los Santos and amateur Miko Alejandro. Ferdie Aunzo is by himself in 6th and Arnold Villavicencio, Jun Bernis, Solomon Gines and first day leader Orland Sumcad who fell back after a 77 today. The... Read More

Orland Sumcad Day 1 of the ICTSI Sherwood Hills Classic is in the books and long hitting Orlan Sumcad is tied for the lead with amateur Johnel Ababa and Benjie Magada after opening day 70s. They lead by one from three other golfers; Solomon Gines, veteran Ruben Sasutil and dark horse Elmer Salvador. The fact that just these six sit under par are indications of the course conditions at Sherwood Hills. Jhonnel Ababa The course is playing it’s full length for the professionals and with the wind up and the constant threat of rain, conditions were difficult today. It was just as easy to make double as par and birdies were few and far between. Any gains are squandered with bogies or worse on... Read More

John Palanca, Boom Coscolluela, Cassius Casas and Juanchit Jose at the ICTSI Sherwood Hills Classic Proam We played the Proam of the ICTSI Sherwood Hills Golf Classic at Sherwood Hills yesterday and were paired with neo-pro Jomar Pepito. At 27-years of age, Jomar isn’t a youngster trying to break into the big time. He’s a talented first year professional that’s trying to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the Philippine Golf Tour, the first professional golf tour in the Philippines for the last ten years. A professional tour event usually starts with a proam to get the pros and their fans together to deepen their relationship on the links as well as off. Jomar... Read More

The USGA has decided to adopt new regulations covering grooves on clubs. Under these revisions, most of the current rules governing grooves remain unchanged with two additional provisions: restrictions on groove cross sectional area and groove edge sharpness on applicable golf clubs. In February 2007 the USGA issued a Notice to Manufacturers regarding proposed revisions to the Rules of Golf governing grooves on clubs. This followed the publication of extensive research work on this subject by the USGA and The R&A. Since February 2007, additional research has been undertaken and published by the USGA and The R&A. A number of manufacturers and other interested parties have provided... Read More

I wanted to show off my bag. It’s been a real process to get to this point; I could go into a litany about how many sets of irons, drivers and putters I’ve been through but I won’t. This bag represents the pinnacle of my current experience. Every club in the bag has been tweaked, balanced and weighted specifically for me. So I thought I’d record the moment for posterity. It could be downhill all the way from here. The bag is an Oakley Skull Collection tour bag. I love how it has a hard case for my shades attached to it. Very handy when it rains. The fact that it looks so good is icing on the cake. The wedges (Mizuno MP-R, Nike VR) were chosen to suit a variety of conditions.... Read More

I admit it. I’m a forged iron snob. My last four sets of irons have all been forged. I just love the overall experience of playing them; the feel at impact is soft and responsive. You can feel the ball compress and leave the clubface and the aesthetics are what I prize above all when standing over the ball. So when a friend dropped off a set of TaylorMade Tour Preferred irons, I was prepared to dislike them. They were, after all, cast; and I just new that there was no way that cast clubs would ever feel as good as any of my forgings. None ever had and I was sure that these would be more of the same. Well, I was in for a surprise. When I first set the Tour Preferred iron down behind the ball,... Read More

Whenever a discussion of the Philippines’ most difficult golf courses comes up, there is one course that is always at the top of the list; the universally feared Andy Dye Course at Eagle Ridge Golf and Country Club in General Trias, Cavite. But the course is one of my favorites. In fact, if you told me that I could only play one golf course for the rest of my days, the Dye would be close to the top of the list. The Dye is a beguiling mix of short and long holes and from the appropriate set of tees will offer tremendous variety and satisfaction when played well. Yes the course is difficult but it’s not unplayable. With a course rating of 74.4 and a slope of 141, it’s one of the most difficult... Read More

Set on a spectacular piece of property in the now not so sleepy town of Silang, Cavite are the twin courses of the Riviera Golf & Country Club. Riviera sits on an amazingly lush chunk of Cavite real estate. The two golf courses meander over and about a series of ravines which make for rolling terrain and marvellous vistas. Ideal land for golf. The members at Rivera are a lucky bunch. The courses, designed by Masters Champions Freddie Couples and Bernhard Langer are as different as a pair of courses can be. The opening hole on the Langer Course The Couples gives the impression of a tropical resort course with its tall coconut palm and verdant mango trees. Lush remnants of the rainforest abound;... Read More

Look at the development of golf properties around Metro Manila and you immediately notice that the bulk of them are south of the metropolis. But the bustling province of Rizal is home to some beautiful golf courses built to world class standards and of championship quality. Forest Hills Golf and Country Club is one of those tracks. Forest Hills has two golf courses; the first one by Jack Nicklaus’ design group and the other by Arnold Palmer. This makes Forest Hills the only golf club in the country with courses designed by both of these golfing greats. But as the Palmer course is just nearing completion, it is the Nicklaus layout that concerns us here today. The first hole at sunrise Set in... Read More

Though hardly a household name, Epon golf clubs manufactured by Endo Manufacturing Company, Limited are forged golf clubs of the highest quality and are now available in the Philippines through the efforts of two young entrepreneurs with a passion for fine golf clubs. In the ultra-competitive Japanese domestic market, Endo enjoys a high degree of notoriety. The company was founded in 1950 producing screwdrivers for sewing machine assembly in Tsubame-shi, Niigata. The company soon developed a reputation for forging high quality forged stainless steel products expanding operations to produce kitchenware and automobile parts. Endo started manufacturing forged iron heads in 1968, but instead of... Read More

I have a lot of friends from Ayala Alabang. To a person, I tend not to see them at all once they move there as they are loathe leaving Ayala Alabang itself, let alone Muntinlupa for dinner or drinks in Makati. If I don’t make the drive out, we don’t see each other. To a very large extent, I blame the Country Club. Alabang Country Club, Inc. has the most extensive array of facilities of any club in the country. It’s the only club with a golf course AND a polo field. Not to mention recreational facilities of every persuasion and even a gas station. If it had a supermarket, my friends would never leave the club! They have a gem of a golf course; an unsigned work of esteemed golf course architect,... Read More

The Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club is designed to be the consummate golf and leisure experience, an environmentally responsible haven for enjoyment with a world-class reputation for service excellence. Established in September 1990, it was, together with Sta. Elena Golf and Country Club and The Orchard Golf and Country Club, one of the first golf courses to that utilized modern all-weather construction techniques to keep the course playable year-round. Market forces have dampened that vision somewhat, but it remains one of the top golf clubs with two of the best golf course in the country. The Club achieved designation as a “Fully Certified Audobon Cooperative Sanctuary”... Read More

Change is painful. It takes us out of our comfort zone. It creates anxiety and uncertainty about the future. You can imagine the collective pain of Filipino golfers when news first came out the golf course at Camp John Hay was going to be redone. Gone would be the Nineteenth Tee, cardiac hill and the Halfway House. The co-home of the Fil-Am the largest single golf tournament was being dug up. What about the tradition, the memories? We needn’t have been concerned. Developer Fil-Estate, moved forward confidently with their plans. They commissioned Jack Nicklaus’ Golden Bear International to oversee the renovation. Nicklaus created a mountain top masterpiece. The course is short at just over... Read More