LUBAO -- The 17th World University Golf Championship (WUGC) now happening at the at the 18-hole golf course of Pradera Verde Golf and Country Club in Barangay Prado Siongco here affirms the potential of the latter as a sporting and tourism destination.
WUCG organizers said that the location can position Pampanga as the next best location for golf events.
The 400-hectare Pradera Verde tourism estate is around five minutes away from the Dinalupihan exit of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway. The golf course, which will soon expand to 36 holes, itself sits on a 150-hectare area of the estate.
Eleven countries including Philippines, Australia, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Republic of South Africa and Switzerland have joined the 17th WUGC opening with 68 student-golfers aged 17 to 25 years old.
Organized by the Federation of School Sports Association of the Philippines (FESSAP), the WUGC will have their four-day golf tournament.
WUGC Director Paulo Ferreira said the golf course here is exceptional.
According to FESSAP President David Ong, the Pradera Golf Course, which is less than a year old, has metamorphosed into a prime destination for Filipino golfers from North and Central Luzon and the biennial World University Golf Championship is one avenue for the world’s best golfers to pit.
The closing ceremony for the golf tournament will be on Saturday along with the awarding ceremony for the champions.
Last November, an 18-hole exhibition match between American Dustin Johnson, the US Open titlist and world’s No. 2 golfer at the time, and world third-ranked Rory McIlroy was also staged in the golf course.