Golf in the Philippines
Two Jack Nicklaus courses south of Manila, a 1930s grande dame in the city, and mountain golf above a volcanic lake, all at strong value and warm year round. The courses that matter, the regions, the seasons and how to plan it.
Photograph: Manila Golf and Country Club Inc, Jim Reyes (Bujim), via Google
Why golf in the Philippines
The Philippines is the quietly excellent golf destination of Southeast Asia. Most of the great courses cluster within a couple of hours of Manila, across the provinces of Cavite, Laguna and Batangas to the south and Pampanga and Bataan to the north, which makes a week of high quality golf surprisingly easy to put together. The headline is Manila Southwoods, two Jack Nicklaus championship courses voted the best in the country, but the depth runs to Tom Weiskopf's ultra private Country Club, Robert Trent Jones II's Sta Elena and the 1930s pedigree of Wack Wack in the heart of the city.
For a traveling golfer the appeal is warm tropical golf at strong value, friendly, English speaking service, and the famous Filipino caddies who are part of the experience and compulsory at most clubs. Many of the best courses are private members clubs, so access is the catch rather than the cost, which is exactly where a planner earns its keep. Pair the golf with the beaches and islands and the Philippines becomes a genuine bucket list golf and leisure trip.
The regions
Metro Manila
The historic city clubs led by Wack Wack and Manila Golf, classic, mature courses minutes from the hotels and the easiest golf to slot into a short stay or a business trip.
Cavite, Laguna and Batangas
The golf heartland south of the city, home to Manila Southwoods, Sta Elena, The Country Club and the mountain courses of Tagaytay and Mount Malarayat, all within a couple of hours.
Clark, Pampanga and Subic
The northern cluster around the former Clark and Subic bases, with resort and parkland courses and the oceanside Anvaya Cove, a relaxed base away from Manila's traffic.
The courses that matter
Manila Southwoods, Masters
Two Jack Nicklaus signature courses voted the best in the country, the Masters playing over 7,300 yards with water on fifteen holes and rated one of the toughest Nicklaus designs in Asia, with the gentler Legends alongside.
Wack Wack Golf and Country Club
The grande dame of Philippine golf, founded in 1930 with two championship courses in the heart of the city, host of the 1977 World Cup and countless national opens, mature, tree lined and full of history.
Sta. Elena Golf and Country Club
A Robert Trent Jones II design with twenty seven holes shaped through tropical terrain, named the best course in the country by Asian Golf Monthly and ranked among the top 100 outside America, strictly members and guests.
The Country Club Philippines
A Tom Weiskopf championship course of over 7,600 yards, immaculately kept and famously exclusive, access strictly limited to members and their guests, the connoisseur's round near Manila.
Mount Malarayat Golf and Country Club
A twenty seven hole J. Michael Poellot design at the foot of Mount Malarayat, three loops, the Mount, the Lagoon and the Plains, known for tiered greens and cool upland air south of Manila.
Anvaya Cove Golf and Sports Club
A Kevin Ramsey par 72 of around 7,200 yards near Subic Bay, an all weather championship course voted the best in the country at the Asian Golf Awards, with sea breezes and a relaxed resort feel.
Riviera Golf Club
A thirty six hole club in the cool hills of Silang, its two courses developed with Bernhard Langer and Fred Couples, a popular, well conditioned base for a society wanting volume south of the city.
Tagaytay Highlands
A dramatic mountain course on the ridge above Taal volcano and its lake, steep, scenic and cool, one of the most spectacular settings for golf in the country.
Mimosa Plus Golf Club
A parkland course set among mature trees in the former Clark base north of Manila, a relaxed, accessible round that anchors a Clark and Pampanga itinerary.
Sherwood Hills Golf Club
A rolling, well treed course in the hills of Cavite, a good value, semi accessible round that pairs naturally with Southwoods and Riviera on a southern trip.
Designers and host history verified June 2026 where stated. Some opening years are omitted where they could not be confirmed. Many of these clubs are private and admit visitors only as a guest or through an operator. Course profiles are added across the site as the directory grows. Always confirm visitor access and fees directly before booking.
When to go
| Season | Conditions | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| December to February | Dry, sunny, the coolest months | Prime season, the most comfortable golf of the year |
| March to May | Hot and dry, courses firm and fast | Still prime, play early before the midday heat |
| June to October | Wet season, heavy afternoon rain, occasional typhoon | Cheapest and quietest, morning tee times only |
The dry season runs roughly November to May and is the time to plan a Philippine golf trip. In the wet season the rain is heavy but usually brief, so an early start often beats the afternoon storms.
Indicative costs
| Item | Indicative 2026 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Green fee | Around ₱1,800 to ₱6,500 | Roughly US$30 to US$115, varies by club, day and access |
| Caddie and cart | Added on top, modest | Caddies are compulsory at most clubs and part of the experience |
| A week, all in | Around US$1,500 to US$3,000 per person | Hotels, several rounds, transfers, excluding flights |
Indicative third party figures for the 2026 season, shown to set expectations only. We are a guide, not an operator, and never quote our own pricing. Always confirm directly before booking.
Getting there and around
Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport is the gateway, with direct flights from across Asia, the Middle East and a handful of long haul routes, and Clark International to the north is a quieter alternative for the Pampanga cluster. The catch is the traffic: Metro Manila is congested, so a private driver is essential and tee times are best set for the morning. Once you head south to Cavite, Laguna and Batangas or north to Clark and Subic the roads ease and the great courses are an hour or two apart, which makes a regional base smarter than commuting from the city each day.
Where to stay
For the city clubs, a hotel in Makati or Bonifacio Global City keeps Wack Wack and Manila Golf close and pairs the golf with the restaurants and the nightlife. For the southern heartland, a base around Tagaytay or Santa Rosa puts Southwoods, Sta Elena and the mountain courses within easy reach and trades the traffic for cooler air and views of Taal. To the north, the resort hotels of Clark and the Anvaya Cove development near Subic offer a relaxed coastal and parkland base. Book ahead in the dry season, and let one planner line up the right base and the guest access for each club.
Plan your Philippines golf trip
Tell us the courses you want and roughly when. One concierge costs the whole trip to the head, arranges the guest access, and replies within one working day, with no obligation.
Philippines golf questions
When is the best time to play golf in the Philippines?
The dry season from November to May is the prime golf window, sunny and warm with the courses in their best condition, and the cooler months of December to February are the most comfortable. The wet season from June to October brings heavy afternoon rain and the occasional typhoon, so morning tee times and a flexible schedule matter then.
Are golf courses in the Philippines open to visitors?
Many of the best courses, including The Country Club and Sta Elena, are private members clubs that admit visitors only as a member's guest or through a tour operator's arranged access. Resort and semi private courses such as Anvaya Cove and the Clark courses are more open. We arrange guest access and tee times across the private and resort clubs as part of a planned trip.
How much does a golf trip to the Philippines cost in 2026?
The Philippines is good value by Asian standards. Indicative 2026 green fees run from around ₱1,800 to ₱6,500, roughly US$30 to US$115, with caddies, compulsory at most clubs, and carts on top. A week with hotels, several rounds and transfers typically lands between US$1,500 and US$3,000 per head. Always confirm directly before booking.
Related
The Tee Sheet
New course openings, the trips our concierge is quietly building and the booking windows worth moving on early. Every other week.