Pinoy Golfer Blog

AFTER THE UNITED STATES TOOK OVER THE PHILIPPINES in 1901, the new regime inaugurated a raft of development programs. Among these was infrastructure building to support to hasten economic growth. The U.S. Congress approved in 1905 the construction of railroads all over the archipelago. In Panay the task fell on Scottish and British engineers. But beyond building what they had been commissioned for, they built something else—a golf course. Not just any kind of golf course, but one that echoed the dramatic dunes of Scottish links. How did they do it? They wanted the course in Iloilo City, where they were based, perhaps somewhere around the scenic harbor. Trouble was that area was flat and prone... Read More

Things being what they were back in those days, the British, Irish and Scot engineers that built the country’s railways were responsible for the spread of the great game in the far flung reaches of the country. The game coalesced in The Philippines at the turn of the century under the rule of the Americans. British nationals, most of whom were associated with the Manila Railway Company, which was opened in 1892 by the British, pined for their favoured Scottish pastime. In 1901, they cleared a large, fairly level tract of land in the area adjoining the railroad station, several kilometers north of the walled city of Intramuros, where the residence of the railroad’s manager was located. Since... Read More

The following is an article I researched and wrote with Adel Gabot for the first issue of Swing Magazine back in January of 2005 on the greatest Filipino golfer of all time. It’s too good to not republish here. Among the many stories about the late, great Larry Montes, three of them involve Japan. Emperor Hirohito was a golfer in a big way. The Emperor, hearing that Montes was in the country, insisted that Montes live in the Imperial Palace and teach him golf. He did and taught his homegrown style to Japanese royalty. Normally this story, while interesting would be unremarkable, if not for the fact that no foreigners are allowed to live in the Imperial Palace. Larry Montes was the first... Read More

Sunrise on the 7th tee I’ll be the first to tell you that my first impressions of South Forbes were not favorable. When I first struck a club on the course in May of 2007, just 11-holes had been completed which probably added to the lack of quality of my experience. I felt they’d crammed the golf course into the only available land left on the property, that it was too short, that you couldn’t walk it, that it wasn’t very playable to high handicappers and on and on. But as the course had not been completed, I withheld judgment and decided to wait until Cathay Land had actually finished the course. I got my share of flack for this from other friends that had played the... Read More

If you follow golf on TV, then you already know Tony Meechai. With his black hat and his “Boom!” at the conclusion of his golf tip segment on the Nike Golf Club, he’s become one of the best known and most recognizable golf instructors in Asia. So we were understandably taken by surprise at his sudden appearance at the awarding ceremonies of the Discovery Suites Inaugural Pro-Am tournament in South Forbes recently. What a treat! Scrambling to recover from shock, we managed to shoehorn ourselves into his jam-packed schedule for a (very) quick interview. Mike Besa – Who is Tony Meechai and how did you get started in golf? Tony Meechai – I was born and raised in the United States in a... Read More

Marvin Dumandan leads the Philippine Golf Tour Order of Merit after his second place finish at the ICTSI Forest Hills Championships. Erstwhile leader Ferdie Aunzo slips down a spot to second and sweet swinging Elmer Salvador moves up a spot to third. Richard Sinfuego currently sits in 5th and Jay Bayron, the winner at Forest Hills jumps up to fifth. The next Philippine Golf Tour event will be at Valley Golf Club’s vaunted South Course which should provide another stern test for the professionals. If you have time to spare please come to watch. Admission is free. 2009 PHILIPPINE GOLF TOUR ORDER OF MERIT RANK NAME TOTAL CASH PRIZE 1 DUMANDAN, MARVIN 564,867.00 2 AUNZO, FERDIE... Read More

Mount Malarayat Golf and Country Club was just voted the 2009 Asian Golf Monthly Best Golf Course in the Philippines. The prestigious award was announced on October 28 during the 2009 Asia Pacific Golf Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. A fitting award for one of my favorite golf courses. Kudos to the Active Group and to MJ Carr for the achievement! For more information and images, please check out the post on Mt. Malarayat Golf and Country Club elsewhere in this blog.  Read More →