CHITO MALABANAN

JABONG!

Golf as with other sports have this term we commonly call as home court. Golfers must have a home course to establish a handicap and where they can play frequent the most. A course where they can establish rapport among peers and gain knowledge about its character.

Knowledge of the terrain, the greens and the hazards is an edge for golfers especially if you plan to compete and take your golf seriously.

Golf courses attract members because of golfers search for a home course that suits their needs and match their character . Living near a golf course does not translate always as an automatic qualifier in selecting a home course. It’s more of the golfer’s choice of character of players they want to play with , the people around they are most comfortable with.

In the olden days , Davao City have four golf courses with varying characters and identity. The Lanang Golf, the Rancho Palos Verdes, the Apo golf and the Davao city or commonly called Matina golf.

Lanang golf

Because of its location and proximity to the city enter, Lanang is the home of the doctors, engineers and contractors and golfers coming from the North. It is only about 5 minutes away from the Davao Medical Center and 15 minutes away from the DPWH offices in Uyanguren Ave where engineers and contractors transact their daily business . Lanang is a relatively flat golf course but abundant with Jabong and OBS at the fairways along its boundaries. Lanang is also popular for tourist golfers who reside in hotels nearby and doesn’t like the chaos of city traffic.

Rancho Palos Verdes

Palos as commonly called, is the home of the miners, the Diwalwal group and the Chinese businessmen. This group use golf carts when they play . Mind you golfers ,in the olden days, we don’t use golf carts,we walk. Golf cart is a luxury unlike today where it is common and mandatory .

Palos is known for its all weather fairways and undulating fairways where stance is a primary issue since it can affect your shot and club selection. Palos is also the home for the rich kids and the Korean tourists who arrived in droves, in bus loads and occupy most of the dining area of the clubhouse.

Apo Golf

Originally coined as the house of Conyo where the elites and the scion of rich families play. Most of its board members were top executives of companies and local big time businessmen .The preferred course of corporate world’s guests coming from Manila But on the technical side, Apo is the home and training ground of serious competitive golfers who want to pursue golf as a career.

Apo is known for its tight and long fairways, fast greens but the most endearing part is the presence of old Narra and Mahogany trees in its layout where you can enjoy the sound of its swaying leaves while playing underneath its shade.

Apo is the breeding ground of future national team members and have produced the top professional golfers in the country. The Casas,Bayrons ,Lascunas or Ababas all came from the Apo

Golf.

Davao City or Matina

Known in the golf community as the House of Commons. City hall officials, government workers, lawyers, politicians, and businessmen who want to have an early morning round before coming to office made this course as their home. Matina is known for its elevated greens, blinding fairways with lots of OBs and ravines. Matina is known for its unpredictable finishing holes where games are won or lost, where bets are adjusted and losses can be doubled.

But the character that made it known as the house of common is the camaraderie inside the clubhouse where anyone is a friend to everyone . And if you know how to play your cards, the pain of losing in the golf course can be eased up upon sitting on the table inside the clubhouse. Ya know what I mean.

But the funny thing is when tournament time comes. Golfers from different home courses converged and play the game disregarding their status as guest or home players.

Golf is a game, but it’s also a way of life. It’s a ritual that connects us to ourselves, our friends and the world around us. FOOOOOOORE.