In my 20 years in the game, I have developed a special appreciation for the short par 4. There is a special art to making a short hole memorable, to enable it to resist scoring and to leave an indelible mark on all those that walk its fairways.
Of the golf holes of this type that I’ve had the pleasure of playing, few stand out in my mind like the 13th of the Arnold Palmer Course at The Orchard Golf and Country Club in Dasmariñas, Cavite. At 381-yards from the tips and an even more reasonable 361-yards from the blue tees, most amateurs should have no trouble reaching the green in regulation right?
Wrong.
A beautiful pond guards the right side of the narrow fairway with mango trees and the out of bounds fence guarding the left. Precision is the name of the game here and if prudence is exercised it is not difficult to get within 150-yards to the center of the green. The green is large but slopes severely from left to right making an accurate shot into the green imperative if one is to walk off with a good score.
Best of all this is a gorgeous golf hole and feels a world unto its own. It is a credit to the club and is one of the most beautiful holes of golf in the country today.
Image credits: Mike Besa