The love-hate relationship is strong with this one and the players who love the Langer course adore it with a passion.
The reality is that the course grows on you. After sticking it out and playing the course regularly, you get comfortable and discover the hidden nuances of the Langer course.
You will realize that there are places where you need to go for an easier shot to the green or an area on the green you need to target to make the next putt easier. Of course, members prefer to bring their guests to this track over its sister course Couples since course knowledge of the Langer gives them a distinct advantage over those unfamiliar with the layout.
Langer was built in Silang, Cavite on the edge of a deep ravine. The course is one of the few golf courses in the country that was designed as an out-in course where you went out in the first nine holes and back to the clubhouse on the back nine. Just shows that Filipinos love going to the clubhouse after nine holes for a quick snack or drink.
The site allowed for interesting undulations on the fairways and penalty areas that make your round on the Langer a challenging and testy one. The layout abounds with forced carries over dense brush or over impounding lakes and both situations will demand accuracy and strength off the tee just to get across.
There are few golf courses in the country that challenge your every shot, keeping you on your toes the whole round. For the Langer, that is mainly because the course is a study in extremes. There is no middle ground on Langer. The fairways are either wide open or constricted, the Par 4s either short or very long.
The Fourteenth and Fifteenth holes are prime examples of this. The Fourteenth is a long par 4 that invites you to bomb one down the wide fairway but will still leave you with a long shot to the green while the Par 4 Fifteenth is a short hole with a skimpy fairway that will demand a nifty approach shot for the ball to even end up on the green.
Talking about target golf: the only Par 3 with a semblance of a fairway will be the Twelfth. The other three will be forced carries where your only target will be the green itself.
The Seventeenth is a thing of beauty and the signature hole of the club. This Par 3 is by no means long but the admonition “better be on” holds true here. The hole plays drastically downhill so clubbing really becomes an issue when the wind picks up.
Langer was the venue of the 2004 Philippine Open and has hosted professional tournaments at a moment’s notice and has been named the Best Golf Course in the Philippines in the past.
