Out With the Old ...

Alex Jenkins takes a look at the most breathtaking new courses to have opened in Asia-Pacific over the past two years

Views aplenty at Anvaya Cove in the Philippines

Anvaya Cove Golf and Sports Cub

The Filipinos know their golf – their national Open is one of the oldest in the region and they have no shortage of quality courses in which to tee it up. This is especially the case in and around Manila, the archipelago's capital.

Although golf has been played in the Philippines for well over a century, there has been little in the way of course development since the boom years leading up to the millennium, which saw a number of swanky clubs and well received designs come online. Anvaya Cove, which opened to much fanfare at the end of 2013, is one of the few exceptions – and in a very short amount of time it is now considered as one of the best layouts in the country.

Located by Subic Bay, which was known as the site major US naval base until the Americans pulled out in the early 1990s, Anvaya Cove is part of an exclusive residential enclave that occupies takes in dramatic mountain views and ocean vistas. The most memorable holes here come early on the back nine, with the short, clifftop par-4 11th earning most of the plaudits thanks to its risk-reward nature. When conditions are right, the hole is reachable in one mighty blow from the tee – but make a mistake and the West Philippine Sea lies in wait.

www.anvayacove.com.ph

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