It all began in the 1850s when the British, led by Iloilo-based Vice Consul Nicholas Loney – known today as 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 improved 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 arrival of Scottish engineers as employees of the Panay Railways Company in Iloilo.

Chancing upon a tract of rolling fields in the municipality of Santa Barbara made them recall the golf game they often played in England, so they decided to build a golf course here to play. The golf course was built and completed in 1907, on 35 hectares of plain and rolling hills and was opened to the public in 1913.

The original course was a crude 9-hole course. A club followed the establishment of the course, which was initially only open to expats but by 1920 Filipinos were allowed to join.

According to Wikipedia and exploreiloilo.com