Construction is in progress on two of three courses planned for the US$3 billion Hann Reserve development in New Clark City, Philippines.

More than one million people are expected to eventually live in Clark, a city that will span a 10,000-hectare area two hours north of Manila.

Hann Reserve covers 450 hectares and will include golf courses by the Nicklaus Design, KJ Choi and Faldo Design firms as well as hotels, a commercial centre, casino, homes, retail spaces, a school and a public park.

“At Hann Reserve, we are not just creating golf courses; we are establishing a premier destination that will redefine the golfing experience both regionally and globally,” says Tim Neil, general manager of Hann Reserve.

“The land has been expertly divided to create three distinct golf courses, each offering a unique experience for players. The Nicklaus course, perched atop the mountain, presents an open and rugged highland layout that is fully exposed to the elements. In contrast, the KJ Choi course features a parkland design that meanders through the lush trees and natural vegetation of the mountain. Finally, the Faldo course is nestled in a valley, surrounded by the vibrant beauty of the rainforest, providing a serene backdrop for golfers.”

The Mountain (Nicklaus) and Valley (Choi) courses are under construction with ground expected to be broken on the River layout in late 2026.

“The Nicklaus course is routed on severe topography that naturally encouraged us to utilise the site’s long ridges and meandering valleys to locate golf,” says Jim Wagner, former Nicklaus Design associate and now partner at Curley-Wagner Golf Design. “As the ridges were broadened and valleys were filled, we were able to create enough space to present generous width off the tee and plenty of room around the greens to get creative.

“The presentation of the golf course is bold and starkly unique in comparison to most courses in the country,” continues Wagner, who is completing the Mountain layout as a design consultant. “Despite the limitations that often come with a severe site, we were able to create a great deal of variety, incredibly good width off the tee and fun strategy from hole to hole.

“The open feeling and width should allow golfers to feel more at ease off the tee while the greens will demand more precision and creativity. I wanted the golfers playing here to experience something different and I think everyone will have a lot of fun shaping shots into surrounding and internal green contours to access certain pin areas. These features can repel poorly struck approach shots as well, which will add to the fun factor and golfing experience.

“As a complement to the routing and design features, golfers will be treated to an unforgettable display of visuals with each hole encountering a completely different and captivating view than the one before it. Part of the course’s character and experience will undoubtedly come from the dramatic water features we’ve developed to help control how water is moved through the property. These features are not necessarily in play but throughout the round of golf you’ll get some wonderful little glimpses back into them from different holes, adding to the visual overload up on the hill.”

Construction is advancing on the Mountain course with the Nicklaus Design layout expected to open in 2026 (Photo: Jim Wagner)

WR RockGroup Construction is handling design and construction of the water features, which include streams and waterfalls.

“All water features need to be functional and solve ‘water flow’ issues on a particular site; not only focused on the intrinsic ‘aesthetic value’ of water features,” says Bill Rosmarino, senior designer and president at WR RockGroup. “When water features are designed with a ‘naturalistic approach’, properly constructed and well maintained, it adds a ‘next-level complement’ to great course design. All three courses will have extensive stream systems.”

Construction of the Mountain course is well under way, while on the Valley layout (that KJ Choi is creating with golf course architect John Cope) drainage has been installed, an irrigation lake built, five holes rough shaped and water feature work has started on holes three and seven. Water is also in play on the par-three twelfth as golfers hit down to a green sticking out into the irrigation lake. The Turf Company is supplying a Toro irrigation system as well as Toro maintenance equipment, Vista VIP shuttles and utility vehicles. Sports Turf Solutions has supplied Zeon Zoysia for tees, fairways and rough, and Lynkz Zoysia for greens and surrounds.

“To create a parkland layout, we are trying to save as many trees as possible,” says Cope. “The terrain has made this difficult in places but as the holes start developing, you can see this concept with large mango and acacia trees starting to show up. Holes thirteen onwards play down a high bluff that looks out over the Nicklaus and Faldo courses, which will make for spectacular viewing. We will also be using flowering trees and shrubs to further enhance our design.

“While the terrain dictates a lot of the routing, we are trying to incorporate as much variety as we can. We are achieving this with differing par three and five yardages, a variety of directions and a good blend of doglegs. Not starting into the rising sun and not finishing into the setting sun are also paramount.”

Choi has emphasised that he doesn’t want to set up strategy with a lot of bunkers. “We will use grassy hollows with minimal sand bunkers ,” says Cope. “This works very well for this climate as there are a lot of storms that tend to create maintenance issues. KJ likes his greens to be relatively soft but it depends on the length or difficulty of the holes as to how much movement there will be within the putting surface.”

Neil says: “We will not compromise on world-class playing conditions, this has been planned through the quality construction practices and choice of grass species for the playing surfaces. Further, we have designed these courses with the hosting of major tournaments in mind, and the quality of our layouts, the infrastructure through our hotels and resorts, and the great connectivity of Clark provides us a perfect venue for the world’s best players.

“Our primary clientele will encompass both local and international guests, with a particular emphasis on those residing at our Hann hotel properties, ensuring they enjoy a distinctive golfing experience. To enhance the enjoyment of all players, we will implement a tailored tee system that moves away from traditional colour-coded setups, allowing golfers to choose their preferred course length for an optimal experience.”

Hann Reserve has established partnerships with the R&A and PGA of America for the development. “We are dedicated to implementing sustainable agronomy practices that will guide every decision we make,” says Neil. “Our partnership with the R&A is pivotal as we strive to become one of the first courses worldwide to earn the R&A award of agronomic excellence. This initiative is not merely about our current achievements but also about our proactive approach to ensuring a positive environmental impact as we develop and operate.”

The partnership with the PGA of America will introduce the first-ever PGA player development facilities in the region. “These facilities will provide award-winning coaching programmes aimed at both guests and aspiring young athletes,” says Neil. “Through this unique collaboration, we are committed to nurturing the next generation of Filipino golfers and industry professionals, paving clear educational pathways that will empower them to excel in the sport.”

This article first appeared in the July 2025 issue of Golf Course Architecture. For a printed subscription or free digital edition, please visit our subscriptions page.