My Home Course

Often when playing with new acquaintances for the first time, I am often asked the following:  what is your handicap and where do you often play?  To the first i say, my swing and to the second I say, where the wind takes me.  the reason for the vague answers is simply because I do not really have a home course I can call my own.  If I have a home course I can easily get a handicap and I can clearly mention my home course as where I often play.  Since I got back to the game with renewed passion I always knew I would have to finally plunk down some well earned mullah to finally get a membership.

Thanks to good financial planning and much belt tightening I finally had enough resources by the end of 2009 to get a membership.  Then commenced the great search for “my home course”.  Clearly, this being hard earned money I did not want to overdo my spending.  Thus I set a limit on how much I was willing to spend.  After much research I narrowed down my options to the following:

1.  Membership in Camp Aguinaldo or Navy Golf

2.  Playing rights in either Forest Hills or Valley Golf

3.  Membership in Riviera Golf Club at a very reasonable rate as they were supposedly offering some delinquent shares for sale

Military courses are nice and straightforward.  A membership is purchased with a one-time fee.  No transfer fees, no membership fees, no routing for approval of membership.  All you need is a sponsor from the Military and the cash.  Monthly dues are very reasonable at P1,000 for Agui and P1,200 for Navy.  Clearly, you cannot expect country club amenities.  There are no pools, spas, manicured lawns, palatial clubhouses.  But then for golfers, all we really need are good showers and good food, both of which Military Courses adequately provide.  The downside for membership in Military courses is really the inability to transfer such shares.  These are mere rights to play and are not equity investments.

For the playing rights, the costs involved are the most relevant factors.  There are several things to be paid for playing rights.  The lease of the share, the deposit, the annual renewal fee (which is also very significant) plus monthly dues of P3,000 to P3,500.  But for this, you get to use the facilities of a true country club.  The courses are impeccable and the service is first rate.  But then, a playing right is, again, just a right and cannot be considered as an equity investment.  Unfortunately, getting a membership in either Forest Hills and Valley is just way beyond my budget.  If playing rights are already too costly what more a full membership.

Lastly, there is this offer of a share in Riviera.  I was playing Aguinaldo when I bumped into an officer of Riviera.  I told him that I was considering getting a membership in Aguinaldo when he told me that he knows that there are a few shares in Riviera that are delinquent and may be for sale for a very reasonable price.  I countered that surely there will be transfer fees that need to be paid that would jack up the price.  He said that on the contrary only the stated price has to be paid and I would be a member.  Monthly dues if set at p3,500.  Clearly, a membership in Riviera would be great, having two championship, well maintained  courses to play in and the facilities to boot.  More importantly, good friend and golfing legend Al Quitangon is a member and therefore I would already have a regular flight-mate.  Problem though is really distance.  Being a father of two small kids, I just can’t bear the thought of spending an entire day away for golf especially during the weekends.

All had their upsides and all had their cons.  What to do?  What to do?  I consulted a million and one people.  I even posted two queries in the pinoygolfer.com forum.  I valued all the advise and considered all the possibilities.  In the end my decision was shaped by the following factors:  price, accessibility, family time and liking of the course.  Given this I finally decided to become a member of the Philippine Navy Golf Club.  The membership fee is well within my budget including the monthly dues.  Forest Hills and Valley are just too prohibitive, especially the annual renewal fees and the monthly dues.   And as I said, membership is way beyond my budget.  While not as close to Aguinaldo to my home, Navy is close enough.  I can play a round in the morning, starting when the first rays of sunshine peek over the horizon and be home with my wife and kids just as they get out of bed.  On the other hand, Riviera is too far and will keep me away too much.  Between Agui and Navy, I like Navy’s course more as it is longer, more rolling and the wind is ever blowing (without the smoke from EDSA).  While not in the same level as the manicured Riviera and the championship level Valley, Navy provides a great deal of challenges and cannot be taken lightly.  Every hole can potentially bite you in the arse.   Agui may be tougher especially with so much water but the lack of fluidity in the design with forced lay-ups and much street crossing just isn’t appealing.  I also feel guilty whenever a ball flies over the walls into the streets potentially hitting cars and pedestrians.  Also, and as a side note, the garlic chicken in Navy is the bomb.  Lastly, my wife, who did not want to influence me told me when I decided on Navy that she was glad I chose it as my late father-in-law was a Navy-man.  So this is also a salute to him.

So after much thought Navy is now my home course.  I am happy with my decision and am raring to play as often as time would permit.  If I continue to play regularly in my Sunday dawn tee time, I should finally have an official handicap by midyear.  Then I can answer those two questions I posted earlier with more confidence.

So to all who gave opinions and advice, thank you.  Your contributions to my decision are all well-appreciated.  See you guys at Navy, my home course.