John Hay golf club management up for grabs

The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) plans to bid out the operation and management of the Camp John Hay Golf Estate as part of its bid to improve the Baguio leisure estate.
BCDA president and CEO Joshua Bingcang said on Wednesday they were targeting to auction off the contract within the year after studying the best model for golf operations.
“The objective is to make it the best golf course in the Philippines and keep it accessible to the public,” Bingcang said in a statement.
Meanwhile, GMI-DuckWorldPH, the BCDA’s designated interim golf club operator, expressed its commitment to maintain and upgrade the golf course in the meantime.
“That’s the objective that we are after, everything should be the best. Not only the golf course, but eventually, we will also improve the facilities like the club house, because that’s part of the whole experience,” GMI president Eduardo Arguelles said.
The BCDA said the consortium would also assess the condition of the golf course during the interim period and recommend long-term improvements. These include rehabilitation of the irrigation system, which the BCDA deems crucial in the maintenance of the property.
The BCDA started regaining control of major Camp John Hay properties in December last year, when it signed a new 25-year contract with Le Monet Hotel, one of the locators.
In January this year, it officially recovered three more properties—the Manor, the Forest Lodge and the CAP-John Hay Trade and Cultural Center. It has also taken control of Camp John Hay Golf Course and Commander’s Cottage.