Dakak: Great White Shark encounter

Greg Norman has the appropriate nickname, since he voraciously claimed 91 professional tournaments around the world, including 20 PGA titles. He was also the Tour’s leading money winner three times. In 2001, the Australian hero was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. From the 1980’s to 1990’s, most other golfers lived in fear of the man christened the Great White Shark, and justifiably so.

Now, the Great White Shark has come to the Philippines, and is building a signature course in Dakak.

The golfing legend flew into Mindanao Monday after a dinner with his in-laws in Cebu, to survey the course he has been designing since last year. After deplaning from his private jet, the Great White Shark declined the use of a helicopter provided by the Jalosjos family, and chose to start his inspection on an ATV (all terrain vehicle), and walked most of the length of the massive site, adjusting the lines and reconfiguring the holes. At this point, a majority of the greens fronting the sea. 

The vast expanse of green, spanning roughly 100 hectares, will be one of a kind, particularly because of the topography, the view, and the location. There are very few sites like it in the world, which is why the Jalosjos family is gambling about US$18 million to convert it into a challenging but exciting course.

“The budget could be what they tell us it is, it could be what we tell them it should be,” Norman explains. “Or we could say we have an unlimited budget and we’re going to build the most spectacular golf course in the world. But that would be bad business.”

Norman is planning to have the first nine holes completed early to mid-2015. This is his second visit to the site, which he normally doesn’t do this early in a course’s development. After all, he has at least three dozen other projects in various states of development around the world, and has spent the last nine years building courses in the Middle East. He says moving earth is the single biggest consideration when crafting the design and budget.

“What we’re aiming for is sustainability,” he clarifies. “Hundreds of golf courses have been closing down in the US. We want to build a golf course that will be fun to play and will be around for a very long time. We can’t do that if it isn’t sustainable.”

Accompanied by his senior management team and his son, wakeboarder Greg Norman Jr., he seemed genuinely excited about this project when facing a small group of local and national media on the small island where the clubhouse and first tee will be. There will also be high-end villas on stilts in the water, complete with helipads and parking for yachts. One of the first events Norman has planned is an invitational tournament with some of the best golfers in the world.

Even as an active player, Norman confesses that he was already studying various business aspects to the game. His apparel brand with the multi-colored shark outline sold well worldwide. He started studying designing golf courses at the peak of his career, consulting his seniors who were already into it, and now even exports his own brand of wine.

“I think it’s just an evolution, a process. It’s knowing the world of marketing opportunities and understanding consumer products. I knew I wasn’t going to be a great golfer forever. It was around the late 80s when things started to change. I enjoyed understanding it and building it.”

Though Norman won’t admit it, his design team has lofty goals for this idyllic slice of paradise. With its unique features, varied types of surfaces, multiple coves and elevation and stunning views, they feel the Greg Norman Course at Dakak Golf and Country Club could be one of the top three or four golf courses in the world. And they promise to do everything they can to make it happen. That will go a long way to polishing the image of Dakak and Mindanao as a safe, relaxing, world-class sports haven.