WITH the ballooning unpaid share of the local government from the payment of the Camp John Hay (CJH) rentals, the management of the luxurious tourism center is contemplating giving out golf club shares to the city to partially pay its debt.

Baguio City Mayor Reinaldo Bautista said golf shares are being offered by the Bases and Conversation Development Authority (BCDA) as payment for the unpaid shares of the City Government from the lease rental of Camp John Hay.

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BCDA's proposal to give golf shares as payment for rental may augur well for the sports program of the city, particularly golf, with CJH being home to the world's largest golfing tournament.

But Bautista said they will study the offer from BCDA and it will be up to the City Council to approve the proposal of the government agency.

"This option is currently being studied and will be subject to approval by the City Council," Bautista said during the weekly Ugnayang Panlungsod.

The city's shares from the rentals amount to P425 million annually for the first five years starting in 1996 and P150 million annually thereafter.

As per the city treasurer's office's records, the city's share stands at P681,509,159.33 as of 2005.

Designed by the Nicklaus group, the Camp John Hay Golf club is the only course in the country to have bent grass greens. It plays to a par 69 and is an all-weather course.

Rolling terrain and abundant trees make the course more challenging.

The 18-hole CJH Golf Course continues to be home to the prestigious Fil-Am Golf Tournament, the world's largest amateur golf tournament with over 800 participants from the Philippines, US, and the Pacific. It has been upgraded to a par 69 championship golf course by Golden Bear International.