The Department of Tourism (DOT) launched on Friday its inaugural Philippine Golf Experience (GolfEx) program, wooing more foreign and local golfers to explore the country’s fairways.

The launch, held at Mimosa Plus Golf Course, featured lessons and a tournament for diplomats, enthusiasts and professional players.

GolfEx is an offshoot of the DOT’s Philippine Experience Program, designed to position the Philippines as the region’s next premier golf destination.

“Tourism, after all, is not only about how many people have arrived, but rather about how many livelihoods it sustains, how many enterprises it strengthens, and how deep the pride of place it nurtures across our communities,” Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said during the launch.

“Golf captures this most beautifully — for when done sustainably, golf is a high-value, low-impact form of tourism that draws travelers to stay longer, spend more, and engage more deeply with our destinations, not to mention come back again and again,” she added.

In a separate interview, Professional Golfers Association of the Philippines executive secretary Elisa Bulawit said leveraging golf would certainly open up huge opportunities for the Philippines as the country’s courses and nearby travel destinations could easily compete with other nations.

“If you would notice from Vietnam, they also highlight the best golf courses that they have and that’s what the DOT is doing now,” she said in Filipino.

“We have a lot of beautiful golf courses that are not yet discovered by golf enthusiasts.”

Visiting golfers could also find all the requirements that they are looking for in the Philippines, including world-class service and the renowned Filipino hospitality.

“In Luzon, we have golf courses that would score 9/10 in terms of quality. And we also have those in Visayas and Mindanao,” she added.

The DOT is setting its eyes on increasing Japanese, Koreans, and Americans visitors — both professional and amateur — to play and train in the country.

Frasco said the Philippines also intends to expand promotions in other source markets, such as Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Germany, and countries in Southeast Asia.

“The experience of the Philippines is like no other because it’s not only the golf courses that are good in the country but also the destinations outside them,” she added.

“You can play golf one day, and then go to the beach the next, or you can go diving even,” she added.

Frasco, who led the ceremonial tee off, was joined by Senator Lito Lapid, Malaysian Ambassador to the Philippines Abdul Malik Melvin Castelino of the Embassy of Malaysia, Vietnamese Ambassador Thai Binh Lai, The Netherlands Ambassador Marielle Geraedts, Clark Development Corporation president and chief executive officer Agnes Devanadera, Filinvest Hospitality Corporation senior vice president Francis Gotianun, and other golf delegates from the tourism and business sectors.

Mimosa Plus, equipped with high-quality facilities and conveniently located near an international airport, is one of the more than 100 golf courses around the country. (PNA)