Archive | August, 2026

Bandung Bound!

30 Aug

This time last week, hubby and I flew to Bandung, Indonesia, with our golf buddies for a 5-day, 4-night golf trip. How time flies; a week has passed already, and we are back home!

Unfortunately, during the trip, I felt a little under the weather with terrible nasal congestion. I was so out of sorts that I didn’t have the energy to write on the blog for the whole trip until now. Each day, I slept early after returning to the hotel, passing up the opportunity to explore Bandung.

When we arrived in Jakarta, our little group took the Whoosh high-speed train to Bandung. The train ride reduced a typical two-and-a-half-hour road journey to 40 minutes, saving us time to do and see much more upon arrival in Bandung.

The speed peaked at 333km to Bandung; the return trip to Jakarta was faster at 348km.

I played three rounds of golf with my nose stuffed, ears blocked, and a slight throbbing headache that came bundled with the discomfort. Despite the health setback, I played better golf during all three rounds than ever before! I thought the congestion would derail my golf ability and enjoyment. Perhaps the cool weather helped, and I was not sweating too much. However, I didn’t want to incur a further setback, and I drank almost three liters of water for the first game and two liters thereafter for the next two games.

It was so dry in Bandung that the ponds dried up and posed no threat for the Par 3 (top left photo, at Jatinagor).

Our first round was at Jatinagor National Golf & Resort, the second round at Mountain View Golf Club, and the third round at Parahyangan Golf Bandung. Mountain View was the most challenging course, being very narrow and tight, and I lost three balls there. However, I played my best round on record, nearly breaking 90!

The three golf courses.

Typically, whenever I am overseas for three games, I expect to have one good game, one decent game, and one terrible game. This time, all three were good! Funny how things can work out. My golf buddy laughed at me and lamented that the handicapped one played the best golf! Hahaha.

After the second game, we agreed to experience the Saung Angklung Udjo performance. It was quite enjoyable, and everyone in the crowd participated with their angklung to perform when prompted. Good fun!

As always, my breakfast meals at the hotel are predictable and the same. I guess I am a creature of habit. But I refrained from drinking coffee or having fruits the whole time, as I tried to manage the nasal congestion.

Same same but different everyday for breakfast.

All in all, it was a fun trip because the weather played a big part in easing my discomfort. Weather aside, the group was fun to be with, and the food choices were delicious, but sadly, I did not have much of an appetite to savor it all. Would I return to Bandung? Definitely, I would say.

Batik Air was on time, and flying out from Subang Airport was a delight because the airport is so small and convenient, unlike KLIA, which is much bigger and further away. I’m taking a break from golf now to recover from my nasal congestion and look forward to my next golf escapade!

The Haze is Back! Part 2

18 Aug

The weather has been dreary because the haze is back. Do not be fooled by a sunny horizon only to be greeted with a dull, pale sky upon reaching your destination. Being out on the golf course in such conditions has been a blessing of sorts.

While there is no sun to contend with, the stillness can sometimes feel stifling and unbearable. I am amazed that I am golfing in such conditions when I should be staying indoors. Then again, as a diehard golfer, I take the lack of sun over the prospect of rain anytime!

As I navigate these conditions for my weekly sport activities, I cannot help but wonder how long they will last. I wonder because the environmental situation may affect where I am headed next week for another golf trip. Yay for the trip, boo for the environmental conditions.

Pray tell, where am I headed? Find out next week; we leave on Sunday morning, so I’m crossing my fingers for clear skies and improved air quality.

The Haze is Back!

11 Aug

It’s an annual thing – the haze is back! This morning’s last-minute golf game was played in a hazy environment. I was not supposed to play, but my original appointment was canceled. And since there’s nothing on the plate, why not just go for a round of golf?

The sky was pale and almost colorless; not a spec of blue could be seen. Thankfully, it was breezy, and this helped with the biting humidity and heatwave. I hope this hazy situation won’t drag on. Then again, having constant rain is no better for ardent golfers! I guess we have to deal with it in stride.

Perhaps I should focus more on pickleball, an indoor activity, for the time being, over golf, outdoors and under the heat, and now with the haze back in town. We shall see.

Escape to the Highlands

4 Aug

This golf trip was spontaneous in the sense that it was slotted in between other golf trips! Heheheh. Remember the Seremban and Johor Interclub trips? Somehow, we decided on this trip before our next adventure, and we escaped to Resorts World Awana Golf Course for a 2D/1N Stay and Play golf package.

Breathtaking views of Awana

The weather in Awana was gorgeous—cool and refreshing. The newly renovated golf course was also fresh and provided a new challenge. Our two flights of golfers totally enjoyed the course. After the game, we checked in but did not meet for dinner. Instead, four of us opted to shop at the Genting Premium Outlet (GPO), while the other four did their own things.

There were some really good deals at the GPO, and shopping was a priority over dinner. So many choices, so little time, and the evening went by quickly. A good round of golf, good company, good after-game activity – what more could one ask for? A simple dinner!

The following day, we checked out of the hotel and headed to Berjaya Hills Golf and Country Club for our second round. The undulating course proved to be quite a challenge, and I seemed to have lost my groove. Nothing was going right, but I still enjoyed the company, the weather, and the beautiful natural surroundings.

We had a scare at the Par 3 hole during the crossover. All three of us were so focused on watching our friend’s ball fly toward the green when, suddenly, a fierce giant pig-tailed macaque appeared out of nowhere and jumped onto my buggy—just two feet away from me! Our immediate screams startled the monkey, though, and it quickly jumped away. Thank goodness the encounter was brief, but it was scary nonetheless. After that, we lost all motivation to make par on that hole and drove away quickly!

The remaining holes suddenly became much harder to manage after that incident. Perhaps because the sun came out and the heat was cranked up, or we were all still having palpitations from that encounter? We played on to complete the round without further interruptions. This incident was not the best highlight of the trip. Hahaha. Everyone concluded that the weather takes precedence, and already, there are mentions of returning to Resorts World Awana Golf Course for another round or two of golf in the near future!