DOT tees off GolfEx program to spotlight PH as top golf destination

The Department of Tourism (DOT) has launched its inaugural Philippine Golf Experience (GolfEx) program to strengthen the country’s position as a sports tourism destination.

The event, held at Mimosa Plus Golf Course in Clark, Pampanga, featured lessons and a tournament for diplomats, golf enthusiasts, and professional players. GolfEx is part of the DOT’s Philippine Experience Program, which seeks to highlight specialized tourism offerings across the country.

Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said the initiative reflects the agency’s broader goal of promoting sustainable, high-value travel. “Tourism, after all, is not only about how many people have arrived, but rather about how many livelihoods it sustains, how many enterprises it strengthens, and how deep the pride of place it nurtures across our communities,” Frasco said during the launch. She added that golf offers a “high-value, low-impact” form of tourism that encourages longer stays and greater visitor spending.

Professional Golfers Association of the Philippines executive secretary Elisa Bulawit noted that promoting golf aligns with global tourism trends. She cited Vietnam’s golf campaigns as an example and said the Philippines’ courses, combined with nearby destinations, could compete regionally. “We have a lot of beautiful golf courses that are not yet discovered by golf enthusiasts,” Bulawit said, adding that the country also provides world-class service and hospitality.

The DOT is targeting Japanese, Korean, and American visitors—both professionals and amateurs—to play and train in the Philippines, while also planning promotions in other markets including Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Southeast Asia. Frasco emphasized that golf tourism could be complemented by the country’s other attractions. “You can play golf one day, and then go to the beach the next, or you can go diving even,” she said.

Officials and diplomats from Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Netherlands, along with representatives from Clark Development Corporation and the private sector, joined Frasco for the ceremonial tee-off. Mimosa Plus, equipped with international-standard facilities and proximity to Clark International Airport, was chosen as the host venue for the program’s debut.

The launch comes as new golf estates are being developed nationwide. A recent report from Leechiu Property Consultants listed upcoming projects such as the 200-hectare Marina Estates, Megaworld’s 116-hectare Nascala Coast, Ayala Land’s 62-hectare Arillo in Batangas, Rockwell Land’s 200-hectare Rockwell Lian, and Megaworld’s 150-hectare Lialto and Golf Estate, also in Batangas.