Splendid in Tagaytay

Published in What's On and Expat Newspaper 2007

Splendido in Tagaytay


Nothing beats a fun-filled sojourn that doesn’t require too much planning or packing. For cooler climes and a short drive away from the traffic-filled streets of Metro Manila, Tagaytay has come forth as a destination for the last minute traveler, food lover, and golfer. The awesome views of the Taal Volcano and lake are Tagaytay’s best-sellers and a myriad of different establishments vie to offer the best ambiance to go along with the splendid backdrop. Splendid indeed was the first site of the volcano and lake when I entered into the grounds of The Splendido Residential Golf and Country Club that started start way up and seemed to extend endlessly down displaying the extensive 250 hectare property.

The golf course, fully operational and designed by Greg Norman occupies about 65 hectares of development and comes with two signature holes. Hole no. 2 which requires a golfer to drive his or her ball at least a 180 yards across a ravine and Hole no. 8 which also requires the ball to sail over the ravine (on the opposite side) and has the most scenic view. The fact that Splendido is a nature’s reserve as many part of it are still undeveloped welcomes visitors with a variety of birds that alight on the green or fly overhead in the trees. Keeping inline with Jack Nicklaus preference for “rustic” or better explained “as close to nature” courses, a view from above actually gives one the feeling of playing in the wild, surrounded by wild grass ( taller than a human being) with a lake in the middle to make the course even more challenging and a great training ground for both the serious and not so serious golfer.

Developed by the JAKA Investment Corporation, its founder, Senator Juan Ponce Enrile wanted the 18 hole course to be a world-class team champion course, with an important factor, it had to be walk-able. “If you had seen this when we started about 10 years ago” shares Katrina Ponce Enrile, the senator’s daughter and now President and CEO of JAKA Investment Corporation “ it would have shocked you, the property was actually ‘raised up’ about 60 meters, making it the second biggest earth moving jobs in Asia at that time.” Presently, golfers can choose to use a golf cart or can actually walk the course with their caddies from beginning to end, no remains aside from the ravine between Hole no. 2 and 8 are proof of how “high” they land had come.

Food tripping at its finest

A trip to Tagaytay would not be complete without some gastronomic indulgence and now there are two options available on the grounds of Splendido. Within the walls of its open air, Spanish style clubhouse is Ladera, meaning “hill” (as the clubhouse sits on a hill) serves breakfast as early as 6am and a variety of other dishes and desserts until 9pm. Another restaurant, La Esquina meaning “the corner” which is enclosed and air-conditioned at the (you guessed it) corner of the clubhouse serves Spanish food. Consultant chef Ed Quimson was present during this particular trip and guests gladly sampled some experimental concoctions such as a very delectable pizza with white chocolate and mango toppings! Chef Heny Sison also acts as a consultant for both restaurants and her desserts are on display at Ladera, tempting patrons as they enter the veranda and also when they leave.

Lunch was held that day in La Esquina and during an interview with resident chef Booj Supe gave as an overview of what to expect on the table that day. “The menu is changed on a quarterly basis” said the chef. “We keep some favorites and just add a little variety and continue expand and experiment with traditional dishes and give them a signature twist”. When it was time to eat, diners couldn’t help but dig in to typical pica-pica fare such as gambas but this time not just with garlic but with an extremely rich and mouthwatering crab fat sauce. The paella negra was moist, yet light and an adobo with green mango and cheese filled “lumpia” was certainly eaten up with gusto. Specialites also include the pollo iberico, croquettes and salpicado. Spanish served up at its best especially since the clubhouse was built in the Spanish style. A signature drink, called the Katrina drink was also served and although certainly not a lightweight in alcohol, it went perfectly with the food. Almost like a sangria with a bigger punch.

Looking around the interiors, one can admire the attention to detail. Most of the materials used were imported, such as the floor tiles and materials used to build the water fountain located at the entrance of the clubhouse. The foreign firm of Steven Leach were tasked to do the inside design while architecture was managed by Arch. Payumo and Associates. Katrina and her team also specially flew in flatware and glassware from various trips abroad, but the clubhouse is also peppered with eye catching decor accessories designed by local artist Milo Naval of Movement 8. Aside from having closely supervised the construction of Splendido, Katrina also keeps abreast with the latest trends in the world of food. “We just concluded an almost 2 week culinary excursion to Spain and Italy” confides Katrina, “we brought in different kinds of hams, oils, cheeses and other delicacies to serve in the restaurants.” Chef Ed Quimson is quick to add “Some of the most experimental and flavorful combinations come from the places we visited in Europe and this is a great thing to add to the cuisine we serve here!”

Much More to Come

There are also major plans in the future to further add infrastructure to Splendido as 90 hectares is dedicated to residential plots divided in cuts of about 280-350 square meters each (although some are bigger) and 55% of the lots have been sold. “Splendido affords many great views” states Sonny Marin. VP for Corporate Planning of JAKA, ‘The lots are situated in such a way that a house can have a Taal Lake view, or a golf course view, and some will have both views and since the land is elevated, one house cannot block the other, we have strict guidelines on that.” There are also plans in the near future to build a country club that will have basketball, badminton and tennis courts, a bowling alley, and game rooms for pingpong and billards. “It is now in its design stage” says Katrina, “Since we also know that we are going to start having a community here there are also plans to build a town center, fashioned after Telakepake in Sedona, California. It will be outdoors, 2 storey colorful little houses that will be connected by pathways and archways for residents and other guests to enjoy.”

Eventually, due to the expanse of land and the carefully mapped out plans for further infrastructure and facilities one can truly imagine a community booming and reveling in the seemingly endless breeze in Tagaytay. “By 2010 the area of Tagaytay and Batangas is already earmarked for major tourism” announces Katrina, “It is definitely a growing market it being 4 degrees cooler than Metro Manila making it an ideal getaway destination because you’re ‘far away’ yet not ‘far away’ due to it being a 2 hour drive from the city.” With all these advantages, Tagaytay is indeed heading for some rather splendid times.



Side bar:

The Splendido Taal Residential Golf and Country Club is open for member and non-member guests to use and dine in the current facilities. For general information contact the General Manager, Mr. Mike Cedo at (02) 529-8213 local 221. To inquire about the lots that are still for sale contact Mr. Perry Lukban VP of Property Sales for Property Group at (02) 893-5531 local 357.

For those who wish to stay in Tagaytay overnight, Splendido has a tie up with Taal Vista Hotel.

Helpful Travel Tips:

What to bring on a day out to Tagaytay:

1. Sunblock
2. Sweater or jacket (in the evening it can get quite chilly and windy)
3. Camera (for a lot of picturesque sites)
4. If you have kids bring them an extra set of clothes
5. Golf set

Plan ahead: Weekends and holidays tend to make the trip to Tagaytay traffic-filled, try to avoid leaving during rush hour. Splendido Taal is only 69 kilometers (42.86 miles) from Manila or 90 minutes from Makati City. It is 13 kilometers (8 miles) from the Tagaytay Rotunda and 3 kilometers (1.86 miles) from the Tagaytay-Alfonso boundary. There are two main routes to the site: via the South Superhighway or the Coastal Road.