The Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club in Bacolod City and the Bacolod Golf and Country Club in Murcia are bracing for the staging of what has been considered the biggest Philippine Airlines Interclub starting next week.

Close to 2,000 golfers from about 180 teams are coming to the city for the Feb. 21-March 1 tournament and officials from both clubs have expressed their readiness to host one of the most prestigious tournaments in the country. Marapara and Binitin also co-hosted the tournament in 2005.

The NOGCC has spruced up facilities to accommodate more people with the second floor of its clubhouse transformed into an air-conditioned function room. Its pro-shop was opened late last year.

"Probably those who have played here will think it's the same but they will be surprised to see what's in store for them," NOGCC president Epifanio Torre said.

NOGCC general manager Mark Gaston said the club is ready for the tournament.

The par-70 tree-lined layout designed by amateur legend Golem Silverio in 1962 is also being modified, providing a fresh challenge for golfers. Eight holes have been extended by 10 to 50 yards. Holes No. 3, 7, 15 have been stretched by at 15 yards. Twenty yards have also been added to the par-4 10, 11 and 17, while the par-4 6 will be stretched from 345 to 395 yards.

"All of this is part of our vision and mission to be a golf destination in Western Visayas . We want the club to be world-class," Gaston said.

Over at Binitin, the BGCC clubhouse has also been spruced up with capacity increased to 400-500 people from 150. It's a major undertaking that BGCC general manager Choi Ramos hopes will go a long way in their effort to make the province a prime golfing hub.

The new facility complements what Ramos calls a very interesting and golfer-friendly par-70 6,050 course. "We don't want to give visiting golfers a nightmare here," he said. But this doesn't mean that the course doesn't pose enough challenge for this year's Interclub stalwarts. While there was a significant increase in the length of the course at Marapara, Binitin's danger stems from its up-and-down and narrow layout.

Then, there's the new water hazard – an extension of the lake beside the eighth – on the par-3 eighth. And just behind the hilly portion of the par-4 283-yard 13 th, a two-meter drainage hazard lurks.

BGCC officers, led by president Rudy Montelibano, are leaving no stone unturned to ensure a smooth hosting of the tournament. Also helping out are VP Carlos Montelibano, Luigi Benedicto, Ricardo Gamboa, Ed Gasambelo, Bobby Herman and Leandro Montelibano.*CPT

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