'Where Eagles Dare' Southerly Mindanao, the second largest
island of the Philippines is a land of great diversity where beautiful minarets tower in
the tropical sky and brightly striped vintas ply the waters between stilt houses. Mindanao
is also a nature lover's paradise for those who delight in exploring fauna and flora rich
mountain wilderness. In Davao del Sur the most southeast province of the island's 19
provinces one mountain rises above all others. Mt Apo is the country's highest peak and
occasionally seen soaring over its lofty precipice is the very rare Philippine Eagle.
The endangered bird is obviously far too small to be seen
from any point on the lush slightly undulating terrain of the Apo Golf & Country Club;
the exact opposite is true for its soaring namesake. In fact, the gently rounded Mt Apo
takes centre stage - rather centre fairway - on the par 4, 410 yard 10th hole.
Stepping up to the back tee of the first hole of the back
nine even the most jaded jetsetting golfer can't fail to be impressed by the stunning
view: a sky filling but sometimes cloud-shrouded purple mountain rising from behind a
forest of leafy veterans.
This scene-stealing hole has been a favourite since the par
72, 7079 yard course was opened for play in 1965.
The oldest of the two existing and fully operational 18
hole courses in the city and surrounds - more are on the way because business is booming
in investment-friendly Davao - the Apo Golf and Country Club is a mainstay on the ASEAN
circuit, said Jaime Saban, Caddy Master.
It was the course of choice for the 1995 Philippine Open
and features on the Johnnie Walker and Philippine Airlines interclub circuits every year.
It's also the home turf for golf tournaments for various national and multinational
companies which have set up shop in this, the second largest city of the archipelago.
Despite such popularity it's not difficult to get on the
course. Mr Saban calculated that only about 350 golfers a week make the 20 minute or so
drive from Davao to the scenic sporting sanctuary. That's good news for visiting golfers
wanting to try out the Manila grass fairways and the Bermuda green on this championship
playing field.
It doesn't take long to understand why the championship tag
is well deserved especially after battling the par 4, 450 yard 2nd hole.
It was the intension of local designer Mapao Sanchez to
inflame the golfer early in the game. He succeeded with the 2nd which has a water channel
neatly dividing the fairway in half. To the left there are many trees encroaching upon the
fairway. To the right of this, the course's number one index hole it's water, water and
more water. Watery hazards have been well interwoven throughout the well thought out 65 ha
layout.
The high point, most golfers agree, is the par 3, 11th
hole. It's just 170 yards long but most of the carry is over water to a mercifully large
green.
Surrounded by gemilina, mahogany, palms and narra the 11th
is the signature hole of the Apo Golf & Country Club even though the namesake mountain
is nowhere to be seen.
For a different view of this silent sentinel from another
course drive back to, through and nearly out of Davao City. On the right side of the road
just minutes from the airport is the entrance to the Lanang Country Club. Its par 72, 6401
yard course has been a driving force on the city's sporting life since 1980.
Built on the site of a former coconut plantation - many of
the palms have been replaced by stands of mahogany - the terrain for this rather compact
course built on just 40 ha. is flat.
The locals love it playing on average, three or four times
a week, said Ricardo Dakudao, the club's enthusiastic Marketing Manager. One of the
contributing factors to its popularity is its setting.
In terms of top scenic locations the par 4, 5th gets a
definite thumbs up because it has a clear panorama of Mt Apo. In terms of difficulty,
however, the number one index hole gets a positive thumbs down for a number of reasons.
For starters, there's water for nearly the full length of
its 368 yards on the left. The right of the narrow and heavily tree line fairway is OB
while a small canal bisects the fairway. For those actually reaching the patch of closely
cropped Bermuda the worst is yet to come: the elevated green tilts from right to left and
slopes down from back to front. Needless to say a birdie is most difficult to achieve on
this hole.
But remember this ... if Chi Chi Rodriguez came through so
can you! The famed golfer is one of the notables to have played Lanang, a city landmark
which has become a regular on the country's golf circuit.
Another factor that has made the course so well liked is
its landscaping. Flowering shrubs enhance the scene while orchids abound near the tee
mounds and around the greens.
A fine example of flower power extraordinaire can be seen
on the 330 yard, 13th. Here, there's almost always an outburst of colour from a large
orange Flame Tree. It's colour frequently reflects the aggravation of golfers trying to
navigate this hole which is influenced by water on both sides.
There is only a 'hint' of water on the long finishing hole.
The easily avoidable canal just beyond the tree is not really an obstacle; a lofty mango
tree in the middle of the 479 yard fairway most certainly is a problem.
Ripe with fruit during May and June this mature tree leads
a double life. Not only does it act as a golf ball deflector it attracts many different
types of birds.
There have been any confirmed sightings, however, of a very
rare winged creature with distinct two colour marking but it's certainly not an
impossibility because, both on and off the course, Davao is where eagles soar.
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