A more inclusive golf culture

The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), in partnership with the National Golf Association of the Philippines (NGAP), is launching its “Fairway to the future” grassroots program on May 18. This initiative aims to democratize golf by opening all public courses and 12 other private courses to youth aged 18 and below.

Golf in the Philippines, and even in other countries, has traditionally been seen as an elite sport, catering to high net-worth individuals, CEOs and politicians for networking purposes.

Membership in private golf clubs is not for the faint of heart. Shares in Manila Golf and Country Club currently sell for around P190 to P215 million, excluding monthly membership dues of about P12,000. That is, if someone is selling, as the golf club only has 600 authorized proprietary shares.

Shares in the exclusive Wack-Wack Golf and Country Club in Mandaluyong are considered blue-chip assets, with current market values ranging between P80 and P90 million for direct purchase. Monthly dues are also at P12,000.

Interest in the sport grew during the pandemic because it was one of the few sports allowed at that time, as it is played outdoors. This caused a massive surge in demand and soaring private golf share prices.

For instance, share prices at Valley Golf and Country Club in Antipolo are reportedly selling for as much as P4.5 million, up from around P200,000 a few years before the pandemic.

Shares in other private golf clubs have also soared compared to prices of a few hundred thousand pesos just before the pandemic.

According to information from GG&A Club Shares, one of the country’s leading firms involved in trading and leasing club shares, as of May 11, sellers listed shares in Canlubang Golf & Country Club for P8.4 million per share. At Forest Hills Golf and Country Club also in Antipolo, shares are selling at P1.9 million apiece. At Mount Malarayat Golf and Country Club in Batangas, they are selling for P2.5 million. At the Orchard Golf and Country Club in Cavite, the price is P4.5 million, and at Riviera Golf Club in Cavite, P1.7 million.

Back in 2020, also according to data from GG&A, sellers listed Canlubang Golf shares for P1.5 million (compared to today’s P8.4 million), Manila Golf corporate shares for P75 million, Orchard Golf shares for P500,000 (now at P4.5 million), Wack-Wack shares for P43 million (compared to today’s P90 million) and Valley Golf shares for P1.4 million (now at P4.5 million if anyone is selling).

In 2020, GG&A reported buyers for Tagaytay Highlands golf shares for P850,000, for Tagaytay Midlands for P770,000, and for Sta. Elena Golf Club shares for P5.5 million, for Manila Southwoods for P1.2 million and for Eagle Ridge in Cavite for only P70,000. Now, Tagaytay Midland shares have market prices up to P3 million while Tagaytay Highlands shares are selling for up to P3.5 million. Eagle Ridge share prices are selling for P1.2 to P1.35 million while Manila Southwoods shares are selling in the range of P4.5 to P6 million. Meanwhile, Sta. Elena Golf share prices trade in the secondary market at P21 to P23 million depending on the class of shares.

I heard from a fellow golfer that someone at Valley Golf managed to buy around 65 shares before the pandemic when they were selling for maybe P250,000 per share. At the current selling price of P4.5 million maybe even higher, he is now super rich.

Investing in golf club shares turned out to be a very lucrative move for many.

There has also been a shift in the demographics of golf players in the Philippines, from an older, exclusive and predominantly male players to a younger and increasingly female player base. Recreational golf has reportedly seen an 18 percent year-over-year increase in female participation since 2022.

Young Filipina golfers have also been making noise in international competitions. Yuka Saso, now playing under the Japanese flag on the US Ladies Professional Golf Association tour and Bianca Pagdanganan who just earned another US Women’s Open ticket, are creating more interest among the youth to try out and excel in the sport.

Meanwhile, the emergence of new, trendy and casual golf apparel brands, like Malbon, is reportedly attracting millennials and Gen Zs who view golf as a lifestyle rather than just a traditional sport.

Yet, golf remains elusive especially for out-of-school and underprivileged youth.

NGAP’s new program aims to unlock medal potential, democratize access to the sport and nurture the next generation of Filipino champions.

PSC chairperson Patrick Gregorio, himself a golfer, said that golf has long been confined to private clubs and elite circles. The new program aims to break that barrier by designating government-owned golf courses and even private club partner courses as national training facilities.

The fairways of 20 participating courses nationwide will be open to golfers aged 18 and below, with daily access from 2 p.m. to twilight while driving range bays will be available throughout the day, guided by NGAP-accredited professionals.

The program will help junior golfers from diverse backgrounds, including public school students, children of golf caddies and out-of-school youth, step onto the fairways and receive world-class instruction. No membership fees and no green fees, according to one report.

Green fees even at public military and government-owned courses are still pretty expensive. At Villamor Golf and Country Club, golf rates for walk-ins (including green fee and registration fee) are around P2,000 on weekdays and P2,500 on weekends. These exclude caddie fees and cart rental fees. At Club Intramuros Golf Club, an 18-hole round of golf would cost a local P1,000, excluding caddy fee, golf cart and insurance fees. At Camp Aguinaldo Golf Club in Quezon City, green fees reportedly range from P1,265 to P2,317 on weekdays and P1,617 to P2,592 on weekends, excluding caddy and golf cart rental fees.

We soon expect to see more young golfers honing their skills on the fairways in the afternoons, in the hope that we will have more of the Sasos and Pagdanganans carrying our flag on the international stage.

With no less than President Marcos himself saying that the kids should be allowed to play and instructing the PSC to craft a groundbreaking grassroots program, I’ve heard from Gregorio that plans to eventually close Intramuros golf are now off the table. Hurray for Philippine golf.

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