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Boracay’s finest watering hole-in-one

By Maripet L. Poso, Staff Writer

08/05/2008

For stressed urbanites, nothing could probably top a weekend spent basking in the sun in the island of Boracay. Well, except maybe a weekend spent playing golf in an exclusive resort in said paradise island.

Yes, that’s right, a golf course in the middle of Boracay. The Fairways & Bluewater Resort Golf and Country Club is one of Boracay’s best destinations. It is exclusive, no doubt, so exclusive that you can stay there without actually seeing the tourist side of the island, if you know what I mean.

Fairways & Bluewater has everything a vacationer could ask for: top-notch accommodations, great food, a piece of your own secluded stretch of white sand and clear waters, hip parties and, of course, a staggering 18-hole par 72 golf course.

“There are many visitors who come to the island and do not know about Fairways,” says Cita Villanueva, the resort’s director of corporate communications. “Those who know about us think that we are ‘for members only.’ Others have the notion that we are just too far or out of the way, when in fact, all these impressions revolve around not having enough information about the resort.”

Or could it be that many are only intimidated by the resort’s size and grandeur? Covering more than 120 hectares or about a tenth of the whole of Boracay’s land area, Fairways & Bluewater is a world-class resort community right in the heart of the island. Developed by premier real-estate holding company, Fil-Estate Group of Marketing Companies, the resort is a sprawling fusion of design and nature at its best, boasting of three stretches of spectacular white beach in its very own private coves, each distinct with its own charms.

At par with the world’s best

Amid its many offerings, the resort’s pride comes in the form of rolling greens with scattered holes.

Designed by Australian master golfer, architect Graham Marsh, Fairways’ state-of-the-art golf course is considered one of the best in the world, earning the title “The Golfing Jewel of the Pacific.” It hosted the 1997 Johnnie Walker Super Tour, bringing together the world’s top players for its inaugural tournament.

“The par 72 championship golf course first opened in 1997,” says Gregg Pearson, general manager of Fairways. “It is well-maintained throughout the years. We continue to maintain it even during the down economy that hit the entire Southeast Asia region, including the Philippines. And it remains to be our pride.”

Rightfully so. Professional golfers admire it for the fact that they can get and do so much in one game. Non-golfers appreciate it for being what it is, an intricate and beautiful union of design and nature: Lush greens and colorful flowers go hand-in-hand with astounding man-made waterfalls, meandering streams, lagoons and rock formations, all in the midst of thick forest and pristine beaches.

“The vision is for us to become one of the best resorts not only in the Philippines, but in the entire region,” adds Pearson. “I believe that we are one of the best resorts on the island of Boracay today. Nobody has what we have, nobody has this entire package with the golf, our private coves, the restaurants and the amenities that we offer here... the exclusiveness. Other resorts have great amenities, we don’t deny that. But they don’t have what we have. That’s why we have a very good competitive angle to be able to share our services with the other resorts.”

Though resorts and other developments are mushrooming all over the island, there will never be another golf course in Boracay, not one as vast as that of Fairways’ anyway. “So, if we can share our golf course with other hotels to help Boracay be the number one tourist destination in the Philippines, then that’s our goal, to be a good neighbor and business partner with other resorts,” stresses Pearson.

Not only does it allow other resort partners to include the golf course in their accommodation packages, it also shares its welcome center in Caticlan with its partners. According to Pearson, guests who are billeted in their resort have the advantage of arriving in the comfort of a welcome lounge a few steps from the airport, an additional but very important service that very few resorts can offer, and being whisked off to its posh welcome center, where the hassle of a jetty transportation has greatly taken care of.

“Guests can right away create the distinction and feel the difference from the minute you come out of the airport to the entire route to the island. And once you’re here, we’re working on having the ability to offer you an all-inclusive resort.”

An investment in paradise

Being a resort community, Fairways & Bluewater has a unique way of providing you with your own piece of paradise: it lets you earn while you enjoy your grand accommodations.

“If you’re still working, let’s say, you’re in your 30s or 40s, and you’re going to be working for the next 30 years, you can buy a condotel unit, and it will automatically be entered into our rental program. After 15 years, you can use it as a resthouse. It’s a good investment. By the time you’re ready to retire, it’s already paid for,” explains Pearson.

Aside from 194 luxurious guestrooms, Fairways also has members’ villas of 34 units. The Villas on the 9th, namely Villa Maria, Villa Margarita, Villa Sofia and Villa Ysabel, as well as the newly opened Balaihara villatels, are first class condotels and accommodations that offer buyers with complete ownership of the units. With a Certificate of Condominium Title, each buyer is given the exclusive privilege of staying at the unit for a minimum total of two weeks per year. For the rest of the year, the units are leased back to the developer and will be managed and operated as a hotel, giving owners a real income-producing five-star investment without the fuss of renting out.

“Right now, we have approximately 2,300 members,” says Pearson. “There are three different types of membership: A, B and C. They all have the same benefits except for the season that they get to use their villas. An A member gets to use his villa during the peak season, which is from February to April, while a B member gets to use it in November, December and January. On the other hand, a C member can use it during the habagat season.”

Aside from the villas and Balaihara, Fairways is set to open The Lodgings soon, consisting of seven buildings with 72 units each.

“We are definitely looking at that market segment. Right now, we are selling our condotels in the States, to the balikbayans. But a bulk of our buyers is also (made up of) Europeans. We also have members from Australia, Japan and all over the world,” he adds.

Aside from the golf course, Fairways also offers other activities such as the ATV rides and horseback riding, as well as favorite water sports like jetskiing, banana boat riding, parasailing, snorkeling, wakeboarding, windsurfing, tube riding and scuba diving, to name a few.

“We are definitely an ideal location for a golf package. But what we are experiencing is a mix of market share. Our members usually come here with families. They come with their kids, and the kids have fun right on the beach. But for Koreans and Taiwanese markets, we get a lot of honeymooners. So, we have an advantage of a whole lot of market segments.”

In spite of the upcoming developments, however, Pearson is quick to address that peace and tranquility, which Fairways is marketing in the first place, will not be compromised. “If you’re staying in one of the villas, no matter how close you think you are to other units, if you look out the window, you’d still be looking at the golf course. Despite the many activities happening on the beach, the restaurants, the veranda and all these locations, you’re always just a walk away from your own unit where it is quiet and peaceful. And we will maintain that. That’s part of our operation.”

Of Spanish-Moroccan cuisine

Another thing that Fairways is known for, aside from its sprawling, lush golf course and opulent accommodations, is its restaurants. One of these is Andaluz.

Andaluz Restaurant is situated overlooking Fairways’ infinity pool and breathtaking beach by the private cove. It is owned and managed by brothers Chuck and Pinggoy Remedios, the same ones who own the famed Spanish restaurant in Station 3, the Dos Mestizos.

Served freshly cooked and still steaming, each dish is bound to transport you to the southern region of Spain where good taste and spices reign. Famous for its tapas and paellas, the Andaluz has been a favorite by the resorts’ guests ever since it opened a year ago.

“Before we opened Andaluz, Binggoy went to Spain to sort of get a feel of what we should offer,” says Chuck Remedios. Authenticity counts a lot in terms of the taste and the ambiance. Chuck adds, “We are a specialty restaurant. So, people come here and we don’t expect them to order something that’s not on the menu.” Of course, they still offer Filipino dishes.

With great food, excellent service and warm and glowing interiors, Andaluz is a perfect place to cap the day of playing golf or frolicking on the beach.

For inquiries, call the Fairways’ Sales and Marketing Office in Manila at (632)6331393-95 or visit www.fairwaysandbluewater.com. For its recently held golf tournament for the media, Fairways & Bluewaters would like to thank its partners: Seair, Callaway, Immuvit, Rider, Clear, Jacob’s BIscuits, Hawaiian Tropics, ATV Center of Fairways, La Reserve and Ralph’s Wines and Spirits.