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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!

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Unfathomable Phenomenon, Part 2

28 Jul

The mind is a powerful thing. Today I decided to be more disciplined in my thoughts during the golf game. Week in, week out, I play so badly at my home club; it has created a lot of self-doubt and a loss of confidence. There’s nothing to lose this week except maybe the contributed pool money for the winners.

I manifested more positivity and made some changes to my approach. I also decided to use that big-ass golf umbrella instead of my usual minuscule one to protect myself from the sun and heat. Since I always collapse after the turn, I thought a bigger umbrella might help eliminate the discomfort. And it did help!

I tuned out the other players in my flight and focused on my approach for every shot. All these little measures and changes helped amazingly. The heat did not get to me, and the external noise from the chatter did not affect my swing or focus. Putting was good at 30 despite raking up three holes where I three-putted. A case of could-have and should-have. Oh well.

It’s funny how all these small adjustments seem to work out well. Why didn’t I think of these changes before, and had to endure so many rounds of unsatisfactory golf? So today is the first time after so many rounds that I finally managed to play under my club handicap at my home club! Wheee, a truly rewarding feeling.

To cap off the satisfaction, I was joint second runners-up in the group, and was duly rewarded from the pool money. Nice! The unfathomable phenomenon is basically a mind game, a test of mental strength, and I did well in today’s game. This is just as important as the golf swing and all. Fixed my mindset, changed my attitude, and focused on my approach. Now that I know what I should actually do, I hope to maintain the outlook and start playing better golf from now on. My next game is this Thursday.

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Unfathomable Phenomenon

21 Jul

Every week I play golf, and it has become routine. However, every time I play at my home course, I experience an unfathomable phenomenon. I become a nine-hole player, even though I play 18 holes. In other words, in the first nine, I play superbly, but in the second nine, I collapse.

Is it the course? The weather? Me? I cannot understand why I’m always like this. To illustrate the silly phenomenon, after my return from Johor, for two consecutive games recently—one during a club tournament on Sunday and the other a friendly social among my weekday group today—both outcomes were the same! The first half of the game was good, but the minute our flight crossed over and the sun came out, everything fell apart. So predictable! Hrmph.

Perhaps my mental strength melts away whenever the sun is out? I couldn’t do this and that, as if I were a novice at this game called golf. I really don’t understand. However, when I play at other courses, I play well. The perfect example being the recent game at Port Dickson where I achieved a personal best gross score. And it’s the same sun, and not like somewhere cooler, just a different state and golf course. An unfathomable phenomenon indeed.

But of late, the weather has been very extreme, so the heat does take a toll on me. And this shows in the golf score, unfortunately. I rest for a week before I try again next week. And knowing the weather and heat will take a toll on my mental strength, I need to prepare better for it. We will find out next week; stay tuned.

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Same Same But Different

14 Jul

Week in, week out, the routine feels the same; yet it is different, hence the saying, same same but different. Over the weekend, it was yet another outstation golf trip, but with our golf club instead of on our own.

Last Friday, hubby and I joined our club for an Interclub golf trip to Johor. The week before, I was in Seremban with my golf buddies for a 2D/1N excursion; this time, it was a 3D/2N outing.

Our first game was at Johor Golf and Country Club, which has been undergoing massive redevelopment but is open for play. The golf course was very enjoyable; however, the clubhouse is still under renovation, so we were not able to use the facility. Nonetheless, I give it a thumbs-up and would like to play there again once the redevelopment is completed and the clubhouse is ready.

The next day, we played at Orchard Golf and Country Club. Not a very nice course, honestly. Everything that worked the day before fell flat. Putting sucked because the greens were bald! So many times, my ball skidded past the hole and didn’t roll into it; a forgettable round of golf.

The hotel we stayed at is the usual choice whenever we travel down to Johor with the club. You can tell it is an old hotel when there are no modern plug points with USB ports at the bedside for charging use. But the seasoned traveler in me brought all the necessary charging docks, plugs and cables to overcome this, having stayed here on past trips with the club.

Finally, on the last day we had our Interclub golf challenge against Palm Resort Golf and Country Club. We were slated to play the Cempaka course. The other two courses were Allamanda and Melati.

Our day did not start well. An illegally parked car blocked our bus from leaving the open space car park compound, delaying us by 20 minutes. Then, as we made our way to the club, traffic was at a standstill on the narrow road for another 20 minutes, creating further anxiety for an already delayed journey. I thought we would arrive late, but thankfully, there was some breathing space and soon the tournament started after a quick breakfast.

It was a shotgun start, and my flight started on Hole 4. All was fine and going well until we crossed over to the back nine, which was very long. All the Par 3s, my goodness! I had to pull out my driver twice and couldn’t even reach the green. So demoralizing.

Towards the last three holes, the sky turned dark and threatened with rolling thunder, and strong wind followed. Dang! I rushed through my shots. Ugh. Beaten by the weather and overall unfamiliarity of the course!

We left Palm Resort defeated in the team event, unfortunately, but took heart that our club will host them for a return match in September at our home course. The team will take revenge then and take the trophy back. Hahahaha. Moving forward, I feel I could have played better, and would like to return to this golf club. Perhaps another trip down South? Something to think about.

There were some good memories as we left Johor for home at 3.00 pm. Traffic was horrendous, doubling the travel time back, arriving at the club near midnight. What a trip, what a journey towards the end. So another one filed away for remembrance until my next golf trip!

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Redemption!

7 Jul

Soon after the demoralizing Annual Club Championship golf result, I took a break and went away to play more golf! It’s weird, but going away with some golf buddies helped. Perhaps it is the golf course of choice because I played one game on Tuesday—two days after the annual weekend—at my club’s Hills course and fared just as badly. So it is the golf course! Hahahaha, a fact that I cannot understand.

My golf buddies and I did a mid-week 2D/1N to Seremban and Port Dickson last week. And it was a very enjoyable outing in terms of the golf, company and food. I vaguely remembered the layout of Seremban International Golf Club (SIGC), having played there before in recent years, and played a decent round. But the second game on the second day was redemption!

It’s been a long time since I last played at Port Dickson Golf and Country Club. So familiarity was not on my side, but I took it in stride. My ball striking was crisp, and my putting was exceptional again, with 29 putts.

I returned with a personal best gross score of 91, almost breaking 90!!! It is redemption indeed. I could have broken 90 if not for a three-putt. Oh well, I am happy with the results. It reaffirms I can play good golf. It is not me but the course doing weird things to the mind when the outcome is not what we hope for.

Second to my personal best score, I did not lose a single golf ball for the two games! Typically, at my home course, losing three or four balls for one game is expected, and the score is an eye-popping figure. My home course sucks, in other words! Hahahaha.

I left the outcome as is, taking a real break from golf for the next few days after that fantastic feel-good score, before my next golf adventure.

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Extended Weekend

2 Jun

It is nice to have an extended weekend with two replacement public holidays on Monday and Tuesday. But it throws the momentum off. Monday felt like Sunday, and Tuesday felt like a Saturday! It’s a weird feeling.

I played golf on Sunday and Tuesday, and Mother Nature had a little fun with us on both days. We gave up the last three holes when the rain started for the Sunday game, while on Tuesday, playing at a course outside and with five holes left, the rain came down in a fury and we didn’t have enough time to find shelter. I was soaked to my underwear. We decided to wait it out and did manage to complete the game.

The extended weekend saw many holidaymakers travelling. Some even took leave from work to stretch the holiday break. We opted not to be part of the crowd, hence, the golf and eating out because I deemed the home kitchen closed! Heheheh.

It will be quite some time before we have another long stretch of holiday break. So, making use of it and being happy about it!

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Mother Nature-1 Golf Game-0

12 May

We have been experiencing some rough patches of weather lately. As you know, it rains every day, and planning a golf game is difficult. Last week, my friends and I decided to play a morning game, as the pattern seems to be rain and thunderstorms mostly in the afternoons. So, we took a gamble and booked an 8.30 am tee-off at Royal Kampung Kuantan Club.

The drive to the golf course was just under an hour, and we arrived an hour early. It started to drizzle as we got out of the car. Since we arrived early, I decided not to register ahead but wait for the situation to improve. Hah! Wishful thinking.

Water, water everywhere! Same spot, inundated within minutes.
Flooded within a short time

The rain started coming down heavier than ever! Bummer. Pretty soon, the whole golf course became flooded, with the fairways blending into the nearby pond. From the golfer’s terrace, the putting green fared no better. Long story short, we waited for three and a half hours during the downpour. Mother Nature decided it was not a day for any outdoor activities! She goes one up against golf.

Lunch was crabs with mantou, prawns, baby squids, and Lala bee hoon

The rain was relentless! It was too heavy to get to the car, and too early to go off for brunch. Finally, when there was a window, we managed to get to the car and drove to Kuala Selangor for a comforting seafood lunch. It was the least to cap off a washout outing. I think golf needs to take a backseat for the time being until the weather improves.

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It’s May Already!

5 May

The old saying, time flies when you’re having fun is so true. Suddenly, it is May already. Last week, I had a packed schedule of activities. Amazingly, I could even pull it off with the horrible weather that we are experiencing.

Every day, without fail, it rains, making it hard to plan a round of golf, whether a morning or afternoon game. At least, the pickleball games are indoors, and whether it rains or shines, we are not affected.

Strangely, the daily downpour has been very localized, at least for us as far as golf is concerned. It may rain at home, right before we leave, but be dry at the golf course of choice. Like yesterday, for example. Luckily, we were able to finish the afternoon game in good time, although it rained a little, but not heavily enough to stop the game.

I guess when time flies by so quickly, the weather shouldn’t be a deterrent to having fun. We have to learn to circumnavigate the situation. This week, the same busy schedule is in place again; rain or shine, the fun continues!

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A Year Older

28 Apr

You know you ARE getting old when on that special day, you end up seeing the doctor! In my case, it was actually the dentist (the doctor is another story, another time!). Yesterday was that milestone day, but it didn’t feel special. I had to see the dentist as soon as possible because the filling in the back molar tooth fell off.

Actually, it was the second time. There was a small gap from two weeks ago when a tiny piece fell out. And the irritating gap has become bigger with this new mishap. I even started a food storage in there!

A day earlier, the latest unfortunate incident occurred when I was eating some fruits after dinner! How terrible is that? Not from biting on something hard, but a soft fruit. Duh.

A year older these days is not something to celebrate, although age is just a number. Of course, there was the usual birthday trip (we went to Ipoh and Damai Laut for golf with friends last week) and dinners to celebrate, but this year, nothing too fancy or extravagant.

Nevertheless, I had my fair share of cakes this year, and I even bought myself a present! Why not? And I’d like to think, although older, not necessarily wiser. It’s too much for the brain cells, mine at least. Hahahaha. As long as I’m healthy and stay healthy, this matters more than gaining new knowledge and wisdom. Dinosaurs cannot take things for granted and must prioritize health above all.

So here’s wishing myself a very happy birthday, and stay healthy!

Happy birthday to me!

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Taking a Break

24 Apr

We decided to take a break from everything, especially the stress of worrying about when my DIY pinball machine package will arrive.

At the start of the week, on Monday, we escaped to Ipoh with some friends for golf, and I did not have the chance to post anything until I returned.

The following day, we continued our getaway to Damai Laut for two more rounds of golf. The small group was enjoyable, the weather was lovely, and the food was delicious. Having the buggy on course for all three rounds, the golf was not tiring at all. What more could we ask for?

Interestingly, we had shopping opportunities in Ipoh and Sitiawan, and we were happy to contribute to boosting the local economy.

However, in the blink of an eye, the four days flew by, and we are back home to our usual routine and extreme heat. This morning, I decided to cancel the DIY pinball machine order because there have been no further updates on its status, other than that the package is packed and waiting for delivery. Hrmph.

I have been waiting for over a month since placing my order on March 22nd. And each time I inquire about its status, I receive repetitive messages stating that my order has passed the stated delivery date, information I already know and don’t need to be reminded of constantly! Initially, I tried to be patient and understanding, but it has become increasingly frustrating. Moreover, the urge to build and craft is gone, especially with the wait. Sigh.

So, I am glad we took the break to forget about the unfortunate non-delivery and do the right thing to end the wait and move on.

Damai Laut Golf & Country Club

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