Now managed by the Iloilo Golf and Country Club, Inc. (IGCCI), the full 18-hole tournament course boasts of its verdant and natural terrain, making it a gem not only for golfers but also for nature lovers. One is overwhelmed by the beautiful terrain of sloped undulations, dotted with acacia trees and ponds. It undoubtedly deserves to be as much a golfing mecca as Scotland’s St. Andrews and other world-renowned golf courses, especially because of its rich historical background.

It all began in the 1850s when the British, led by Iloilo-based Vice Consul Nicholas Loney – known today s the "Father of the Philippine Sugar Industry" – began actively trading in various Visayan goods, especially sugar. While promoting the local economy, Loney also sought to enhance foreign access to Philippine products through improve sea and land transportation.

With the coming of the American colonizers at the turn of the century, the Philippine Commission, then the legislative body of the country, took cognizance of the vigorous economic activity in the Visayas, and ordered the construction of roads and railway systems. British expertise and technology in steam locomotives were resorted to and this, in turn, led to the arrival of Scottish engineers as employees of the Panay Railway Company in Iloilo.

Chancing upon a tract of rolling fields in the municipality of Sta. Barbara, in hills that reminded them of their native glens, what else would these homesick Scotsmen think of for recreation so far away from home but their "national pastime?" Thus was the game of golf born in this part of the globe.

In 1947, under the leadership of Wallace MacGreggor Davies Sr., manager of Strachan and McMurray, a local British trading company, architect and member Zafro Ledesma supervised the construction and expansion of what became known as the Quonset Hut Clubhouse. It was not until 1999 that, with membership funds, the present modern clubhouse was built.

Everywhere one looks today, the patina of age and history lies like a spell on the Santa Barbara Golf Course. Original sandboxes, alongside replicas, still dot the fairways. There are souvenirs of how the golf ball was played off the tee mound in the early 20th century: A handful of water would be poured into the sand in the adjacent box. Then, with the "niblick" or iron wedge, the wet sand would be scooped to form a mound on the ground, on which to "tee up" the ball.

Then there are the stone stairways, located at the foot of the 10th tee, leading towards the ponds. Over the years, the remains of the stairs have been repaired for the convenience of golfers and to protect against a muddy and slippery descent.

The acacia trees, once striplings, are now venerable giants, many with over two-meter diameters. They have been preserved over the years, as part of the golf course’s historical identity.

Last but not least, is the Golf Museum, where are preserved for posterity rare golf memorabilia, among them late 1800s golf balls excavated from the ponds of the golf course. These alone constitute indisputable proof that the game of golf was brought by foreigners – Scotsmen, appropriately! — to this country almost 100 years ago.

As the Sta. Barbara Golf Course Centenary looms in 2007, the 268-strong membership of the Iloilo Golf and Country Club and the even bigger number of corporate stockholders forge ahead with their vision to make the golf and country club the premier golf destination – and a tourist attraction – in the Philippines. And well should it be. Its 6,056 yardage plays to a par 70 on a tricky terrain, posing a challenge to players of all handicaps.