“Why don’t we try to do something ourselves first?” Fernandez recalled.
The answer was a modest driving range — a project small enough to undertake while tapping into Subic’s growing golf community.
As the owners learned to cultivate grass and make the most of the available space, the driving range gradually evolved into the compact course that now sits beside the resort.
Technically, Sunset Swing has only three holes. But players go around the layout three times, creating a nine-hole experience with a twist.
And that is precisely the point.
A traditional round of golf can take four hours or more, a significant hurdle for newcomers and busy professionals who simply cannot devote an entire afternoon to the sport.
At Sunset Swing, a round takes about an hour and a half.
“It’s different, but it still works,” Fernandez said.
“It’s unconventional, but it’s fun.”
The facility is open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., giving players the option to hit the range or play a round under the lights after work. Its busiest hours are between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m., when golfers and curious first-timers begin filling the facility.
“You can finish in about an hour and a half and if it’s raining and you can’t go out on a regular golf course, you can still come here,” Fernandez said.
Cost is another barrier Sunset Swing is trying to remove.
There is no membership requirement. Anyone can simply walk in and play.
The driving range costs P500 for one hour with unlimited balls for an individual, while groups can use it for P700 per hour. A round on the course costs P1,000 per hour during the day and P1,200 in the evening. Club rentals are available for P250.
For Fernandez, however, the goal goes beyond adding another attraction to the resort.
“If we simplify our mission here, it’s to grow the game,” he said.
“We want to use this facility in conjunction with the hotel. It’s one amenity that gives people something to do while they’re staying here.”
That makes Sunset Swing more than just a smaller version of a conventional golf course. It is also an entry point — a place where people who may never have considered golf can try it without the cost, time commitment or pressure that often comes with the sport.
The facility is also positioning itself as part of a wider golf destination in Central Luzon.
“In fact, we’re building this into the golf community because, arguably, some of the best golf courses in the country are up north — Anvaya, Subic International and Pradera Verde,” Fernandez said.
“They’re all within about 20 minutes’ driving distance from here, so it provides a good central point for a golfer’s getaway.”
Sunset Swing may not have the sprawling fairways, manicured expanses or exclusive atmosphere associated with the country’s premier golf clubs.
It isn’t trying to.
Its role is different: To be the place where curious beginners take their first swing, where seasoned golfers sharpen their games, where families spend an evening together and where visitors to Subic discover another reason to stay.
Golf does not always have to mean four hours under the sun, a long drive and a hefty commitment.
Sometimes, all it takes is an hour and a half, a few swings and a place that makes the game feel a little less intimidating.
At Sunset Swing, that may be the point of the game.
