By Bryan Manabat
bryan@mvariety.com
Variety News Staff
LAOLAO Bay Golf Resort, one of Saipan’s premier golf destinations, is facing mounting financial pressure and struggling to stay afloat following a destructive fire earlier this year and the continued impact of the island’s economic slowdown.
According to a statement issued by management on Wednesday, a fire in March destroyed several golf carts and wiped out the resort’s inventory of repair parts, leaving only about 70 operational carts from an original fleet of 100. Most of the remaining carts are aging, and maintenance demands have increased significantly.
LaoLao Bay is one of the few courses on Saipan that allows carts on fairways — a feature popular with golfers but one that accelerates wear and tear. Frequent damage from rough handling and driver negligence has compounded the resort’s repair challenges.
“Allowing golf carts onto fairways enhances the playing experience but inevitably increases wear and tear,” a resort operations team member said. “Repair costs continue to rise, and maintaining service quality has become increasingly difficult.”
With tourism numbers down and revenues declining, the resort says it cannot afford new carts or major repairs. Instead, it is rotating its remaining fleet and prioritizing essential maintenance to keep operations going.
Despite these constraints, LaoLao Bay has remained active in supporting community events. So far this year, the resort has hosted 11 fundraising tournaments — including the Northern Marianas College Golf Open — providing an estimated $28,000 in in-kind and discounted donations such as green fee reductions, complimentary room nights, and round vouchers.
Marco Peter, who chaired the 2022 Pacific Mini Games and several local tournaments, praised the resort’s continued support. “After the fire and amid the economic downturn, the resort continues to cooperate and support local events, which means a great deal to the golfing community,” he said.
However, resort management said if player numbers and economic conditions continue to decline, sustaining current levels of community sponsorship may no longer be feasible.
“It’s a challenging time, but our commitment to the community remains strong,” a LaoLao Bay representative said. “We are doing everything we can to keep operations running and to continue contributing to Saipan’s golf and local community.”
Bryan Manabat was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College where he also studied criminal justice. He is the recipient of the NMI Humanities Award as an Outstanding Teacher (Non-Classroom) in 2013, and has worked for the CNMI Motheread/Fatheread Literacy Program as lead facilitator.
