Sta. Elena Golf Club

Built in sugar cane fields south of Manila, Santa Elena Golf Club was named for a member of the Yulo family, who owned the original hacienda on the property. The number one social club in the Philippines, this 27-hole facility also boasts the country's finest greens. Robert Trent Jones II helped Sta. Elena becomes the first course in the country to use dwarf Bermuda grass (Tiff Eagle) on its greens, and that has since become the local standard.

Overcoming Challenges at Sta. Elena Golf Club

Our main challenge in building the golf course in a nature sanctuary was to route and construct the holes among a series of large arroyos 60 or 70 feet deep that cross the property. We integrated a number of the arroyos as dramatic features of the golf course so that many holes run alongside or play across these hazards. In a few instances we were forced to lay drainage pipe in the arroyos and fill them in to make the golf course work on the rugged terrain.

A Unique Layout Amid Nature

The course plays through thick vegetation amid feathery bunkering that displays gentle, graceful curves. The open, linksy layout features a lot of wind, which Robert Trent Jones, Jr. refers to as “the unseen enemy.” RTJ II left the course open so that the wind would remain a factor and because the tropical vegetation grows so quickly. With ample hazards and impressive length (often matched by width that allows for occasional spraying of the ball) Sta. Elena Golf Club offers many playing challenges­-such as at the par three seventeenth, where the green hangs between the edge of a baranca and classic Jones style bunkering.

Practice Facilities and Amenities

Sta. Elena Golf Club features all the luxuries of a private club. It features practice facilities, club house, restaurant, locker rooms and more. Don't miss your chance to play this world class course.