INTERNET GRANDFATHER®

Golf Fest 2007, Part 2 (the Golf)

                                                    In Golf Fest, the most important thing is, of course, the golf. We were fortunate to play 3 beautiful courses: Ayala Greenfield, Ayala Alabang and Southwood. (A 4th course let us down because of a tournament so we'll try it again on our next trip.) All of the courses were designed by noted golf architects, all are set in beautiful places and all feature integrated residential developments, much as we see in new courses in the United States.

                                                                 Ayala Greenfield is located near the town of Calamba in the Province of Laguna, an hour's drive south of Metro Manila. For the trip to the course, we first met our wonderful driver. The traffic in and around Manila was the most difficult I've ever seen. There are no fixed lanes or speed limits that are honored. (I saw a sign on one stretch of road that said the rules would actually be enforced; it didn't make any difference.) For most visitors, driving in and around Manila would be impossible so we rented a car with driver to get us around. The same driver was with us for the entire trip, day and night as needed. I usually sat in the front seat with the driver so I came to appreciate his great skill and the cheerfulness with which he approached his tasks. He will remain one of the most memorable of the new friends I met on this trip.

                                                                 The course was designed by Robert Trent Jones II, a noted American architect, and was one of the most beautiful I've seen. Set near the dormant volcano, Mt. Makiling, Greenfield offered both flat and hilly holes, some very difficult, others offering us a rest. At Greenfield, we had 3 wonderful Filipina caddies, young women whose base pay is US$6 per day. From their pay, they also had to buy their own uniforms. Once again, I was amazed at their skills and cheerfulness. (In another group, we saw some horrible behavior by one of the players and our caddies pitched in to help the affected caddy.) Even though they spoke little English and I speak only 3 words of Tagalog, we communicated well. If I'm able to return to Greenfield, I would ask for the same caddies.

                                                                 By the way, the name "Ayala" signals great wealth and excellent developments in the Philippines. The Ayala family is reputedly the 3rd wealthiest in the Philippines and owns huge amounts of real estate in and around Metro Manila. It's no accident that two of the great golf courses we played bear the Ayala name.

                                                                Greenfield, as the first course we played in the Philippines, is the closest to my heart at the moment. In fact, I also rank it the best course we played in the most beautiful setting. (I'll talk about the other courses in the next column.) I learned from the caddies, I learned from the clubhouse personnel and I learned from the other players on the course: I was reminded once again that if we can enjoy what we have, it will make us feel better and will improve the lives of the others we encounter.

                                                                Try to appreciate your own life. It will help others appreciate theirs.

2-19-07