WHEN he?s not studying the Bible or dodging questions about his boss and brother-in-law Sen. Francis Pangilinan, political and protocol officer Jose Vicente ?Vic? Arenas Jr. is enjoying life in semi-retirement at Ayala Greenfield Estates.

In that sprawling subdivision in Calamba, Laguna, there are only a few active residents while the rest of homeowners are urban warriors who use the Greenfield Estates home as a weekend getaway.

Weary of beating the heavy traffic in the expressway, Arenas and his wife, Rita ?Maricel? Pangilinan, CEO of Harrisons Communications, and his children Julia, 26, and Jose Vicente III, 12, decided to move out of Ayala Alabang Village and migrate to the south.

When they visited the exclusive 350-ha Ayala Greenfield Estates, they were bowled over by the landscape in sharp focus. Standing at the foothill of Mount Makiling, they could see Batangas, Tagaytay Ridge and Laguna de Bay while the cool breeze rustled in the bamboo and fruit trees as it came whispering in.

?We fell in love with the place and came back five times,? recalls Arenas.

They built a 220-sq-m multilevel home that stands on a 550-sq-m lot on the sloping terrain of Ayala Greenfield Estates? Phase One. The home is judiciously furnished to give way to the focal point?the resplendent views.

Arenas says the air-conditioning bill is down to P5,000 a month from P30,000 when they lived in Ayala Alabang. The family has used the air-con only at the height of summer.

Arenas wakes up at 5:30 a.m. to the chirping of the early birds. Twice a week, Arenas reports to the Senate or attends events on behalf of Pangilinan.

In the afternoon, he picks up his son in De La Salle Canlubang and later help him in homework.

Meanwhile, his wife might still be working late in Makati and his daughter visits the family on weekends.

More than 50 years ago, Ayala dangled an incentive of a share at the exclusive Manila Polo Club to people who would move in to the then marshland of Forbes Park. Arenas says when they transferred to Ayala Alabang, a club share at the country club was offered to early residents.

It felt like deja vu when their new residence at Greenfield Estates was built. They were offered a share at the golf course. In his younger days, Arenas was an A-player, trained by local legend Ben Arda.

Challenging course

The Ayala Greenfield Estates? 18-hole, par 72, all-weather championship golf course was designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr.

The course is deceptively beautiful, what with emerald fairways, glittery streams, rolling terrain and the majestic Mount Makiling background. The golf course is natural, with sightings of birds crossing the greens.

?Trent Jones liked lakes. You?ll see that at the back 9,? says Arenas on the course by the environmentally conscious designer. To him, it?s the most scenic with its grove of tropical trees and shimmering lake.

The course is an exercise in tactical golf, ideal for youngsters such as the Junior Golf Interclub Championship. For senior players like Arenas and his golfmates, the game can jolt the nerves.

?Like any Trent Jones course, if you go out of the fairway, you are in trouble. The grass is long,? says Arenas. ?But the grass is awesome. With 200 members and frequent tournaments, hindi uka-uka (it?s not craggy). Ayala spends a lot on sprinklers and maintenance.?

A player must think his way around this golf course. He?s got to drive well and to the accurate place and hall the ball onto the green.

?The front 9 is easier than the back 9. There are no ravines in the front 9 except for the par threes or short holes. It?s harder to attack those holes in the back 9 because almost all the holes are guarded by ravines ,? says Arenas.

There are tricky slopes, which implies that the player has to set the ball off the tee. The main hazard is the lake in the 14th and 15h hole in the back 9. The powerful wind also poses a challenge.

?It gets to be so windy that when you are about to putt, the ball starts to roll,? he says.

All the greens are protected by bunkers especially in the front 9.

?If you get off the fairway, the roughs are really rough. There is a lot of tall grass. It takes a good wallop to drive the ball back into the fairway,? he says.

Some fairways are narrow with a bunker to catch the golfer?s drive, especially if the drive is long.

?In the back 9 there are holes to get over the ravine if you?re a strong hitter. Otherwise you?d have to play safe.?

Quality of life

Despite the challenges, Arenas finds the course benign.

?Good golfers always find themselves in the fairway,? he says. ?The bad ones are in the rough. The greens are tricky because they are not flat. They are tiered. The hole placement is set in a tough spot.? All these concerns fade at the sight of the tropical vegetation.

There are tee positions for all skill levels, but one would need to be an A player in 15th hole. Golf frustration is soothed over a meal at the clubhouse veranda.

During weekends, Arenas plays golf with his son or plays tennis with his wife at the clubhouse.

Would he recommend his friends to head for the South?

Arenas replies that upon the completion of the revitalized South Luzon Expressway and added skyway, the travel time to Makati would be less than an hour.

Aside from the golf course and clubhouse, the place has a nature park. ?You walk around and enjoy the shades, and see the birds,? he says.

Although he finds it easier to convince people to move into the lowlands, Ayala Greenfield Estate?s elevated site is unprecedented in the area.

?This is the only village I know here which has an altitude,? Arenas says. ?The quality of life here is good. Unlike Ayala Alabang which has the Town Center, there are no commercial areas here yet. It is quiet night and on weekends. Just looking at the views is so refreshing, you can see Metro Manila.?