Masterplanned golf course communities: Landscapes of play, stewardship, and community

GOLF is a sport on which the sun never sets.

- By Felino Palafox, Jr.

There are more than 38,000 golf courses across the world, and as such, the sport is played on six continents; with 82% of countries having golf courses, the majority of which are in the United States, followed by Japan, and then the United Kingdom.The Philippines is home to 111 golf courses, the bulk of which are located in and around Metro Manila. The fringes of Metro Manila are home to numerous communities built around, and anchored by, golf courses.

Golf courses are more than places of sport. They are also living landscapes, carefully shaped terrains where nature, design, and human experience converge. In the Philippines, golf course development has played a quiet but influential role in shaping communities, land use patterns, creating value, and even our understanding of leisure as an essential component of a balanced life.

My experience in 18 golf course planning and development projects has been guided by the belief that these spaces should respond to their climate, topography, hydrology, and culture — not impose itself upon them. This thought process has informed my collaborations with some of the world’s leading golf course designers and has shaped landmark projects such as The Country Club, Sta. Elena Golf & Country Estate, Splendido Taal, Manila Southwoods, and Forest Hills.

COLLABORATION ACROSS DISCIPLINES AND BORDERS

Golf course design is inherently collaborative, While the golf architect shapes strategy, playability, and challenge, the planner and architect must ensure that the course sits harmoniously within a broader vision which considers accessibility, environmental _ systems, residential integration, and long-term sustainability.