Apo Golf & Country Club

This is the oldest course in the city of Davao, created back in 1968 and is an 18-hole course that lies in the foothills of Mt. Apo and Mt. Talomo in the Southern part of the City of Davao.

The club is situated in Barangay Bago, and around thirty minutes south of Davao City, and there is a long windy road leading to the clubhouse.

The Par 72 golf course stretches over 7,079 yards of fairways, bunkers, lakes and waterways. It was the host for the 1995 Philippine Open, the only venue to have hosted the event outside of Luzon.

Water comes into play on 13 of its 18 holes, and this course has 64 bunkers protecting the greens and fairways. The course demands accuracy off the tees and a sharp long game. Good shots will be rewarded with good lies and a relatively easy approach to the green.

Putting here is not too difficult as the greens are quite large with local Zoysia grass. Most of the club’s caddies are familiar with the twists and breaks of the greens.

Their fairways are a mix of Bermuda and Carabao grass which could be tricky when chipping and pitching.

The golf course is lined with varieties of unique tropical trees like Coconut and Mahogany, as well as a number of sand traps, and is designed with many water hazards, including a nerve-racking island green.

Great Views

There are fantastic views particularly from 10th with a view of Mount Apo which is the country’s highest mountain peak.

The front nine is fairly straight forward with wide fairways, with a number of back to front sloping greens. The back nine continues with fairly tight tree lined fairways with twists and turns.

The course’s most infamous water hazard is a large pond that was placed in an unusual location, directly in front of hole no. 11, offering a hard birdie opportunity for the brave.

Their Club clubhouse also provides excellent practice facilities, where members can warm up as well as a swimming pool. During your round, if you get thirsty or hungry, you can also take a break at one of the tee houses along the way or wait until you get to the clubhouse restaurant.

This may not be the “A” course in Davao as far as facilities or conditions, although according to locals its course conditions are typically reasonable. Their staff however are very professional, and treat everyone as if it were a five-star club.