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opposites attract
It’s hard to imagine two more contrasting holiday experiences than beautiful Boracay and manic Manila. But as the Philippines tries to attract more Australasian visitors, Jon Underwood discovers both have plenty to offer.
James Blovits Codde has played life from the back tees.
The tailor’s son from Detroit has been married four times, knew Tiger Woods when he was just a cub, and used to caddy for Ben Hogan.
Codde, or ‘JB’ as he is known, is now director of golf at Fairways & Bluewater Resort Golf & Country Club in Boracay. “I came here on Valentine’s Day with my wife and just fell in love with the place,” he says.
It’s easy to see why. Boracay is about 300 kilometres south of Manila, just off the northwest tip of Panay Island in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines. It’s just seven kilometres long but has some of the best beaches in the world. There’s every kind of water sport imaginable and with more than 350 resorts ranging from five-star to budget, there are plenty of accommodation options.
One of those is to stay at Fairways but it’s the golf course I’ve come to see. Designed by Australia’s Graham Marsh, it opened in 1997 with a pro tournament, the third leg of the Johnnie Walker Super Tour (Jesper Parnevik still holds the course record).
But despite that auspicious start, the course closed for several years and fell into neglect. Under JB’s guidance, they are getting it back to its former glory. Plans include re-grassing the fairways on the front nine, trimming the horrendous rough which has grown around the bunkers and replacing the sand in those bunkers. The turf is almost laid on the new driving range and building work will begin shortly on JB’s high-tech golf academy with modern teaching facilities.
“It’s gonna be PGA worthy when we get the course back into shape,” comments JB as we play. “It’s already a good challenge and is no gimmie but once the fairways are done, it will be a great course where you can pull off all the shots.”
While the course may still need a little tlc, there’s no doubting its scenic beauty, particularly on the back nine where there are some stunning views. The vista from the 14th tee will send you scurrying for the camera as you gaze over the course, the resort and on to the sea beyond.
The main defences at Fairways are the bunkers and the two predominant winds that occur on Boracay: the Habagat (south west) and the Amihan (north east). Depending on which one is blowing at the time changes the whole dynamic of the course. The par-4 fourth and par-5 fifth are classic examples. With the wind behind, you can drive the green at the former but then you’ll struggle to get on in three at the latter.
Measuring 5,517 metres off the blue tees (5,965 off the back), Fairways is not monstrously long but like most Marsh designs, you do have to golf your ball. The 10th is a par-5 with a gully that snakes diagonally down the middle of the hole. It’s a feature Marsh uses on a lot of his courses, where a good drive will encourage you to fly the ball over the ditch in two...but there’s always that nagging doubt about what will happen if you don’t. Classic risk and reward stuff repeated on several holes.
“It has wonderful contours so you’ll get plenty of uphill and downhill lies. The front side is a little flat but the back nine is full of adventure and you’ve got to put the ball in the right place to be able to score,” says JB.
“It’s one of those courses that when you finish playing you want to tee it up and play it again the same day.”
Signature hole is the par-3 16th that features a drop of some 80 metres from tee to green. So hit your ball…then go make a cup of tea. You’ll get back just in time to see it land on the green.
Special mention must go to the ninth hole. Not because it’s a particularly challenging par-5 but because it features an experimental bunker filled with recycled green glass. A bit daunting when you first step into it but I managed to get the ball out without losing an eye so it must work.
Fairways will appeal to all standards because there are enough challenges to keep everyone interested. Even off the back tees, you’ll still have plenty of short iron practice if you keep the ball in the fairway.
Truth be told, the greens at Fairways are still a little patchy in places but are true and easily paced. Most are large and tiered, giving some truly tricky pin placements. Once the refurbishments are complete, Fairways will be back where it belongs, as one of Asia’s premier courses.
And Boracay needs the golf course, a point that isn’t lost on the third member of our group. Mark Kirk is the extremely affable general manager of Shangri-La’s Boracay Resort & Spa. He’s a member at Fairways but that’s not the only reason he wants the course to thrive.
“The golf course makes Boracay the complete destination. Without it, there would be something missing. There are a lot of beautiful islands to visit and we’re going after the more affluent traveller and most of those play golf,” he says.
The Shangri-La is the first international deluxe resort on the island, built on 12 hectares on the northern tip of Boracay. To describe it as luxurious is like calling a Rolls-Royce just a car. This is quite simply one of the most beautiful resorts in the world.
From the moment you arrive, you’re treated like a rock star. After the connecting flight from Manila, you’re met at Caticlan Airport and whisked in air-conditioned comfort to a private transfer area. Then, while the ‘other’ tourists are clambering aboard the local ferry, you climb into the resort’s private speedboat for the 15-minute ride to Shangri-La. Talk about making an entrance.
The resort has 219 rooms including 36 villas and suites. You can choose from tree house villas with amazing views and a private Jacuzzi, or butler-serviced villas with private plunge pools, whirlpools and pergolas. There’s also a health club, swimming pools, tennis courts and a dive centre to help plan all the water sport activities. And being a child-friendly resort, there’s an entertainment centre and Adventure Zone to keep the kids amused.
“Most of our guests are surprised at how beautiful the resort is and the standards they get. And really just the sheer joy of being on this island,” says Kirk.
“I think the Australians are explorers who have done Bali, a lot of them have already discovered Thailand and Malaysia. I think they want to try something new. The Philippines is one of the most beautiful destinations in Asia but they just haven’t developed the tourism industry yet which is the focus now.”
Now if your idea of the perfect holiday is to do nothing more strenuous all day than build a couple of sandcastles, this is definitely the place for you. The two beaches are just stunning with sand like talcum powder and sea that wonderful turquoise-blue you only seem to see in travel magazines and holiday TV shows. A cold beer at the Alon Bar on Banyugan Beach while watching one of Boracay’s spectacular sunsets is a memory that will last for years to come, while the honeymoon couple who booked the romantic beach barbecue will no doubt feel the same.
“I think once people also know the service you get in the Philippines. For me, they are the world leaders in hospitality,” adds Kirk.
And then of course there’s the CHI Spa, which is really an escape within an escape. As soon as you walk in, the senses are set tingling with exotic smells, while the superbly decorated and fitted rooms hint at exotic treatments yet to come. Private rooms are available for couples who want to share this luxurious experience while wedding parties often book en masse.
With such a variety of attractions and fine dining options, it would be easy not to set foot outside Shangri-La once you arrive. But if a little nightlife is required, hop aboard a shuttle bus and head to White Beach, the hub of Boracay’s entertainment sector.
A long alley of restaurants, bars and clubs, White Beach is safe, fun and absorbing. I caught the Fire Dancers at the aptly named Sand Bar and marvelled at their skill, not to mention courage. Twirling flaming balls on chains around their heads while gyrating to Lady Gaga was a show to not be missed.
Appetite now severely whetted, you’re wondering just how you get to Boracay, right? Well, as yet there are no direct flights into Caticlan Airport from Australasia but there are plans to either extend the existing runway or construct a purpose-built one on a neighbouring island.
Operating since 1995, Seair is the second oldest airline in the Philippines and offers the largest number of connections to Boracay with their fleet of four, 32-seat, Dornier 328’s. This is one of the fastest turbo props in the world, allowing Seair to take off after their competitors and still reach Caticlan before them. My friendly stewardess informed me that in peak season they run 10 to 15 flights a day, offering plenty of variety when connecting from the capital.
MANILA
While Boracay has a distinct Robinson Crusoe feel, Manila is just a throbbing mass of humanity. With somewhere between 15 and 20 million inhabitants, it’s reportedly the most densely populated city in the world.
Fortunately, Shangri-La again offers sanctuary at their opulent hotel in Makati, the main business centre of Manila. Popular with businessmen, diplomats and government officials, they’d had a function a couple of nights before attended by the President. Despite Manila’s notoriously bad traffic, he was actually 10 minutes early…sometimes it’s good to be the king.
It has 699 rooms, each with great views of Makati and the city beyond, four international restaurants, a fitness centre, swimming pool, tennis court and business centre.
The hotel is now 18 years old but thanks to continual refurbishment, still looks contemporary. “We try and keep up to date with what our clients want,” explains Joy Wassmer, the delightful Director of Communications. Apparently many of the staff have been with the hotel since it opened.
With the largest function room in the city and two ballrooms, the hotel is hugely popular for social functions. When I arrived, they had two birthdays, three debutant balls and four weddings (but thankfully no funerals). So on any given weekend you’re likely to see plenty of young women in stunning ball gowns, getting their photos taken on the magnificent central staircase.
Just a five-minute wander from the hotel lands you in the middle of shopping nirvana. There’s Rustan’s, the premier shopping store in the country which has imported and local goods, Park Square, with boutiques, music stores, camera shops and sports accessories, and Glorietta, a four-storey mall with specialty shops stuffed full of designer shoes, clothes, home decor and furnishings, fabrics, computers and appliances.
There are plenty of golf courses in Manila but most require you to play with a member. Closest public course to the Shangri-La is Villamor, located near the local airforce base just to the south of Makati on the road towards Alabang. Set on 60 hectares, the par-72, 18-hole course has an illustrious pedigree, having hosted the Philippine Masters.
Flying to Manila and on to other domestic airports has never been easier with Philippine Airlines operating direct services from Sydney, Melbourne and more recently Brisbane. The launch of Airbus A330-300 flights from Brisbane follows the introduction of brand new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft on services to Sydney and Melbourne.
I was fortunate enough to sample the business class ‘Mabuhay’ service with lie-flat beds, state-of-the-art entertainment system and delicious food. There’s plenty of room with the section made up of 42 seats, each one some 50 centimetres wide. Turning left has never been so much fun.
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