Manila Golf And Country Club

Overview: Manila Golf And Country Club occupies a compact, valuable piece of green space in Forbes Park, Makati, where an 18-hole course sits unusually close to the centre of the capital's business district. Current scorecard data lists par 71 and 6,485 yards from the blue tees. The urban setting gives the course a particular playing character: mature planting and shaped fairways are enclosed by city infrastructure, while the short overall length places a premium on positioning, approach control and keeping the ball in play rather than simply chasing distance.

History: The club's roots reach back to the Manila Golf Club, whose earlier venues included a seven-hole course in Pasay and a nine-hole course in Caloocan. The course moved to Makati in 1949, and the Manila Golf and Country Club was formed through a 1959 merger. Those milestones describe a long institutional history rather than one uninterrupted routing, which is why the profile uses the 1949 Makati marker and leaves the designer unnamed when the surviving record only says British member.

Did You Know? Manila Golf's most unusual feature is its relationship with the city around it. It is the only full 18-hole course located in Makati, and golf-course descriptions note the safety nets required by the surrounding urban development. The old club also sponsored the first Philippine Open in 1913, linking today's enclosed Makati course to the formative years of organised golf in the country.