The Club Intramuros Golf Course has opened to the public every Sunday since November 23, as Mayor Isko Moreno pushes to transform it into the Intramuros Forest Park. Drawing inspiration from Bangkok's Rotfai Park, once a private golf course now a vast public space, this move challenges the exclusive use of green areas in the city.
Since November 23, the Club Intramuros Golf Course has opened its greens to the public every Sunday, pausing golf activities for the day. This cautious step signals a potential shift toward shared access. Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso aims to convert the site into the Intramuros Forest Park, arguing it is underutilized and serves only a select few. “Recently, may mga nagwawalang golfer. Akala mo ba sila ang may-ari at karapatan. Nanggalaiti sila na bakit daw gagawing park? Tingnan n’yo ang argument. Talagang mahahalata mo na mga taong makasarili,” Moreno said on December 3, as reported by Manila Bulletin.
Opposition from golfers cites concerns over jobs and tourism revenue, but the conversion could proceed in phases, with Sundays as a trial. In Bangkok, Rotfai Park, formerly the State Railway of Thailand's private golf course, became a public space in 2002 to honor Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn's 50th birthday. The 60-hectare site features jogging and cycling paths, a weekend market, sports facilities, and natural areas with trees, streams, and wildlife.
It forms part of a larger complex including Queen Sirikit Park, offering serene escapes amid bustling Bangkok. In Manila, courses like Intramuros, Wack Wack, and others remain exclusive, while true parks are small and inadequate. Bangkok's example demonstrates that transformation is possible for more inclusive urban spaces.
