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Vicious Cycle

14 May

The weather of late has been super wonky. It’s humid, raining, or hot like a furnace, and the pattern repeats. It’s a vicious cycle, I tell you. It’s tough, especially when we want to play golf.

An early morning or afternoon tee-off cannot escape the conditions. Most days, it would rain in the afternoon so heavily that the fairways were soggy the next day. And golfing on soft fairways is not fun.

Then there are days that it is so humid and hot that my brain feels fried! I cannot wear my hat. Instead, I use my umbrella, but I end up being so tan – it’s not fun either! It’s a vicious cycle.

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Not Quite So Fit

19 Apr

You would think that playing golf three times a week makes one fit. Well, I had an eye-opener to my stamina and health when I walked nine holes on Thursday. Dang, I was heating up and had palpitations!

It was a late tee-off, 8.35 am, and we decided to use the trolley to pull our bags instead of taking the buggy. By the sixth hole, I wanted to give up. The golf course was like a giant oven! No hat nor umbrella could help me. And the hot coffee I had in the flask became so unappealing in the hot environment.

I was sweating buckets and gasping, especially going uphill! Perhaps I should walk more instead of sitting in the buggy for future games. Hmm, something to consider to overcome this inadequate stamina and strength. I’m not quite as fit as I thought, and it’s a humbling realization.

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Derailed

2 Apr
Slight drizzle was enough to derail the golf momentum

Just when you thought the hot weather was here to stay to make golf outings hot and humid, it rained this morning to spoil things. The siren did not go off because there was no electric charge in the air. We had no choice but to tee off and play on.

It threw me off in every department when it came to ball striking. Maybe it was the air and the dampness. And for the life of me, my putting skills failed me miserably. After averaging 30 putts for the last few games, the record turned ugly with 38 putts this morning. Ugh, and double ugh.

However, I should not worry too much because the playing conditions were abnormal, with the weather throwing us off. So I shouldn’t retire my Scotty Cameron putter. And it’s not even a setback with the unfortunate outing.

Come Saturday, another game awaits. So, let’s hope the momentum returns.

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Improved Performance

26 Mar

Now that I am back to my golf routine playing at my club, my golf game, especially putting, has improved because of the familiar grounds. I was doing 30 putts for two games before peaking at a phenomenal 27 putts during the last game!

On top of the solid putting–my Scotty Cameron has been so good–I had a good round with five pars and a birdie, a confidence-boosting outing. The icing to that round – nine one-putts, zero three-putts recorded, and a free lunch. Woo hoo.

My short game was sharp, my drives were straight, and my woods were long, not just the putting. Everything fell into place despite playing in the heat and high humidity conditions. Looks like I can manage my game in such climates.

I hope I can maintain the newfound improved performance. We shall see.

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Heatwave Alert

22 Mar

After returning from Hanoi, we have been experiencing a heatwave. It’s like a giant furnace here, unlike the nice cool weather we encountered a week earlier. But, being a diehard golfer, I continued my weekday golf routine, mindful to stay hydrated.

Dang, it was hot out on the golf course on Tuesday. My water intake, during and after the game, was more than usual to combat the heat and humidity. And luckily, the atmosphere during the Thursday morning game fared better, with less heat and some breeze.

The heatwave condition will be like this until mid-April before it subsides. Until then, the golf outings will continue, and water consumption will have to increase to stay hydrated if I want to be outdoors.

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A Washout

8 Mar

It has been raining lately, unusual for this time of the year after Chinese New Year. So, whenever it rains, planning laundry is hard; likewise, playing golf in the afternoon.

Yesterday’s afternoon game was a washout. We managed to complete only nine holes. Very unsatisfactory, if you asked me. But I try to take the positives from the shortened round, where the short game and putting improved. It was so much better compared to the previous outing on Tuesday. And I caught up with my golf buddies, which was more important than the game itself. I have not seen them since before the Chinese New Year festivity.

On the brighter side of the weather, the rain cools down the temperature and is more bearable. However, this won’t last, as the Weather app has predicted sunny conditions for the next few days. Brace for the biting heat again!

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Short Game Setback

5 Mar

After playing two decent games with good putting (31 putts), today’s game was just the opposite. What happened?

It is darn right demoralizing when things do not go as planned. My short game was off, while the putting was not any better. Today, I did 38 putts! Yikes. And to add salt to the wound, I had six three-putts, missing several short putts. Horrible.

I hope all these, especially the short-game errors, are temporary. On a brighter note, my tee-off has improved. A slight tweak to my setup had me averaging at least 30 meters more than before! I am most impressed with myself with this newfound ability.

Now, if only I could say the same about my short game and putting. I have another game lined up to fix all these. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the weather will hold for the afternoon game.

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Day Trip to Teluk Intan

2 Feb

Two weeks ago, we did a day trip to Teluk Intan to see the Leaning Tower of the town. We were not disappointed. We took the new West Coast Expressway instead of the usual Plus Highway, and the drive was pleasant enough.

I must admit it was our first time visiting the tourist attraction site. Although not as towering as the famed Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy in terms of height (25 meters versus 57 meters), the structure was beautiful and just as intriguing. We enjoyed being tourists despite the heat of the mid-afternoon sun.

An obvious tilt
The difference in height on two sides of the tower
The Leaning Tower of Teluk Intan

Lunch soon after at the local coffee shop was an eye-opener! The prices were so cheap compared to prices in the city for the same orders. Well, being a small town, I guess the affordability showed. After the satisfying lunch, we decided to head home as there was nothing else to see or do.

We saw a Tapir road sign along the drive instead of the typical version with a cow that we see on the highway warning of animals crossing in the area. The funny thing was each time there was a Tapir signpost, they looked different. Consistently inconsistent in terms of the image of the Tapir. Why?

Tapir crossing sign post

It was interesting because we were on the trunk roads, cutting across plantation land. What if we did encounter a Tapir crossing? Wow, unimaginable. Then again, it would have been scary because the animal is rather huge and can be dangerous for us in the vehicle. Thank goodness, nothing of that sort, merely Tapir road signs mostly and not the animal.

Day trips are fun to discover the country. We should do it more often, and I look forward to planning the next outing.

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Slow Recovery

30 Jan

After all that medical calamity last week, I’m facing a slow recovery to get back on my feet. But I should not wallow at home in my misery. Instead, I decided to play some golf and get some sun. A little bit of Vitamin D might do me wonders. And wonder I certainly did.

I could not tee off because my rhythm was off. After nine holes, I managed to score a pathetic seven Stableford points! Never have I been so out of synch in my game. When an illness takes so long to overcome, all the muscle memory is gone, and the body is too weak to play decent.

I wondered if I made the right decision to return to golf so soon. Oh well, with another nine holes to go, I might as well plow on. After all, I had good company this morning.

Suddenly, things clicked, and before I knew it, I went from scoring zeroes to birdie, bogey, and birdie! Wow. What just happened? The birdies were on Hole 1, a Par 4, and Hole 3, a Par 5! Woohoo. I have never had two birdies in a game before. And it sure felt nice this morning!

The tonsillitis is gone, but there’s still some throat irritation, causing tiredness. It is a slow recovery indeed. With the weather getting hotter these days–gone are the continuous rainy days–I better be mindful more than ever to stay hydrated to take care of myself regardless of activities. Staying healthy is a number one priority for me these days.

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A Quiet Public Holiday

26 Jan

Malaysia is a country with a lot of public holidays within a calendar year. Yesterday was the first of the many – Thaipusam, the Hindu festival to celebrate Lord Murugan’s victory over the demon Surapadman. Typically, I welcome such weekday holidays and would do something enjoyable.

However, it was nothing enjoyable or any different for me. I was a sloth the whole day! I had to give up my golf slot because my horrible cough turned out to be tonsillitis! Ugh. I have no choice but to rest, having already given up the Tuesday game earlier.

I should not complain as this is for my good, health-wise. Any extra quiet days to recover are much appreciated. I have a game lined up on Saturday, but most likely, the outing will be a half-hearted effort. I don’t feel my strength returning yet. We shall see.

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