Tag Archives: golf club

A Rescue

1 Mar

We played our usual golf games over the weekend. Sunday’s outing, however, was unusual. Hubby stumbled upon a baby bird after his tee-off at Hole 6. It fell from the nest above the tree. The poor thing!

When he picked it up, I thought we were going to be parents again, having to care for it. He couldn’t leave it there because firstly, the ants especially would devour the hapless thing alive, and secondly, mummy bird cannot lift it back to the nest. She has to accept the loss.

The little fella slept in the cup holder of the buggy

We had to care for it to ensure it has a chance to grow up. So little birdy came along with us in the golf buggy. After two holes, we went to the halfway hut and asked the attendant for a container. A makeshift nest would make it easier to carry it home.

When hubby explained the need for a container, the attendant took a look at the little birdy and was keen to care for it! So after a short debate, we gave the little birdy to him.

We will have to check on its health and well-being the next game we play and when we see the attendant. Stay tuned on this.

The Rainy Season is Here

8 Dec

The rainy season is here since November, and just about every other day, it would rain, thwarting plans for golf games especially. But rain or shine, games are on every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday for me. Occasionally, hubby joins in on a weekday game.

Last week, we decided to walk 18-holes instead of taking the buggy for a change. And it rained, a spoiler to the outing. But we were all die-hard golfers and played on in the drizzling condition. Three of us carried our bags, and one used the golf trolley.

My golf bag umbrella bought on my 2012 trip to the US came in handy. It shielded my clubs from the rain while my regular umbrella protected me. Thankfully, after three holes, the rain let up, and the die-hard golfers in us managed to complete 18-holes.

It was a wet morning but an enjoyable one

Worrying Trend, Part 2

19 Oct

Last week, the CMCO phase was enforced, and there was confusion as far as activities are concerns. Initially, I thought it would be a blanket ruling, and no golf allowed because the situation now is very different from the first CMCO period. The sudden steep spike in Covid-19 positive cases in the country is worrying so much so, the authorities decided to reinstate the CMCO to curb the contagion.

Well, golf is allowed but back to the single-buggy single-player ruling. However, if hubby and I play at the same time, both of us can share a buggy because we are from one household.

Contrary to this option, we can choose to use the golf trolley or carry our bags if we play at the Hills course of our club. So far, I have had a mixture of the single buggy, shared buggy, and golf trolley games the past week. I anticipate the same again for this week’s games.

Hopefully, positive cases will decrease and the CMCO lifted by the end of the second week. We can only hope. Until then, golf rules for social distancing remains as is.

First Road Trip Post-MCO, Part 2

20 Jul

The weekend’s post-MCO road trip was nice. The drive up North was pleasant and didn’t take too long. As always, going away is about food. Our first stop was in Ipoh for lunch; we had Chicken Rice and bean sprouts.

The must-eat choice when in Ipoh

After lunch, it was smooth sailing all the way and we arrived by mid-afternoon. The folks are fine and doing good. But weather-wise, it rained a lot so we couldn’t go out. Anyway, with social distancing still in practice, we didn’t want to and was contented just to laze at home.

Before we knew it, it was dinner time! We decided to have Thai food at the restaurant that we visited the last time and discovered the restaurant has changed its name! Despite the change, the food quality was still good.

Previously it was called Khun de Thai

Saturday was our customary golf day. We make it a point, every trip to play at Darulaman Golf Club, which is a short drive away. And I am pleased that this round, I played so much better than all previous games.

After the game, we got boba teas!

The weekend quickly passed with another sumptuous dinner on Saturday night with the parents and an Aunty before we left on Sunday morning. On the way home, we opted for noodles instead of the usual crab porridge at Nibong Tebal and I must say, they were good choices.

The dinner spread for six
Lunch at Nibong Tebal

The journey home was peppered with rain now and then, but not too heavy until it made the drive tiring. It was a good weekend away.

To Walk or Not to Walk

13 Jul

To walk or not to walk 18-holes for a round of golf, that is the question. I thought most in our golf group may not be willing to do so now that the buggy ruling, post-RMCO has been relaxed for twin-sharing but I was wrong.

The Tuesday and Thursday games, played at the Lakes course were on the buggy, twin-share basis, and we had lovely weather which made both outings enjoyable. But the weekend was a different story.

Saturday was again at the Lakes course on the buggy at a snail’s pace because the golf course was packed and the flight in front of us was just terribly slow. We gave up after 15 holes. The wait was unbearable, not just at every hole; it was every shot.

On Sunday, our group’s super-fit elderly asked me (a few days prior) if I would like to join him to walk 18-holes, carrying our bags while our other two flight mates opted for the buggy. He is 78 years old! Amazing… I guess I’m not the only one wanting to do this.

The amazing 78-year-old with his bag and a bucket of sand

We were the first flight out and I certainly enjoyed the company and exercise to keep up my stamina and strength. Moreover, I wanted to do this (walk 18-holes) because I have gained a little weight last week. With restrictions having eased at this recovery stage of the pandemic, and we find ourselves eating out a little more, and it has shown.

So the question to walk or not to walk shouldn’t be raised now that I have another golfer willing to accompany me and I have a reason to do so.

 

A Recovering Situation

6 Jul

There has been much progress in containing the spread of the Covid-19 virus in Malaysia. Statistics tracking new cases and deaths have been very positive with very little or no big breakouts; it looks like the country is well on the road to recovery. As such, various restrictions are easing up and many sectors are reopening. Health guidelines are also being relaxed for life to be back to normal.

Last week the SOP for golf has been revised and golfers are now allowed to twin-share a buggy for a round of 18-holes. No more single-player, single-buggy rule.

With this update, it looks like our weekend (and weekday) games from now on will be with the use of buggy, twin-sharing, and less if not, no more walking with a golf trolley for our group.

So we shall see how it goes as we took a break from golf over the weekend to spend some quality time with M2.

My New Normal?

26 Jun

Last weekend’s plans to walk 18-holes was derailed by the rain. On Saturday, my flight had three holes left to play at the Hills course when the skies opened up. Luckily the halfway hut was close by and we got there on time to wait out the downpour.

When the rain lightened and there was a slight reprieve, we quickly made our way back to the clubhouse. It certainly wasn’t comfortable with the pants and socks all wet. Luckily, the weather on Sunday was better and we completed a full round but I had a terrible game. I am very inconsistent. Sigh…

Despite being another slow week at the office, I played only one game (on Tuesday), giving the Thursday game a miss so that I could sleep in. And today, I will be in the office.

I now wonder if this will be my routine for the next few months. Once or twice to the office, an additional Tuesday game on top of the weekend games and an occasional Thursday game thrown in. Welcome to the new normal.

Sleep vs Sun

12 Jun

Morning golf is always a challenge, especially when I have to wake up at 5.30 am. It gets tough when the night before was a restless one, and it’s usually the case. I don’t know why. Pre-game anxiety?

It’s always a debate on sleep versus the sun for me. An early tee-off means less sleep and a late tee-off, more sun (and heat) to deal with. Sometimes there’s also rain to contend with regardless of tee-off time, but rain is not the main thing.

Our regular weekend group generally prefers early morning golf. But these days, it is not easy to book an early tee-off at our golf club because of reduced slots. With the CMCO in place, tee-off times are ten minutes apart instead of seven minutes, and this has reduced the playing slots available.

The early slots are gone very quickly if we’re not fast enough to book ahead. Pre-MCO days, we usually tee-off at 7.15 am, but these days, we’d be lucky if we can even get the 7.25 am slot.

This past weekend, we played at the Lakes course on Saturday on a single-player single-buggy basis following the CMCO guidelines. Not the earliest tee-off (8.45 am for me, and 8.55 am for hubby), I thought I’d have the sun and heat to deal with. Luckily it was cloudy and cool, and I had a good game.

The next day, it was a different story. The flight registration for my tee-off at 8.25 am was muddled up, and I was not updated, so this flustered me. Then I misplaced a flight mate’s membership card. Not a good start. Sigh. Thankfully hubby found it before my flight headed to the tee box.

And my woes didn’t end there. The sun was out full force, and I lost focus as the heat got to me. At Hole 13, Par 3 with several houses flanking the hole, I pulled my ball into the backyard of one of the homes, something I’ve never done before! Yikes.

Then I dropped my Maruman Conductor utility club cover somewhere along the walk on the fourth nine on the Hills course. Sadly, I can deem it lost unless someone found the cover and kindly returned it. Boo hoo hoo. On the last hole, I launched my ball into the ditch in front that wasn’t even in play. The putting was terrible, the short game was off, and my flight mate even hit my ball wrongly. You could say I didn’t have a good round.

If anything good that came out of this terrible round of golf, it was the determination to walk the 18-holes carrying my bag with my 11 clubs. And I did it. For this and this only, I felt very accomplished.

Looking back, I’d rather forsake a little beauty sleep for an early tee-off, so I don’t have to deal with the heat and have unnecessary mishaps.

As the country entered its recovery phase on 10 June (CMCO is now Recovery MCO or RMCO), tee-off times have been revised and are no longer ten minutes apart. I hope the coming weekend’s 7.47 am tee-off on both mornings will result in better rounds of golf for me.

Almost a Pro

29 May

Our weekend golf games are routine by now. During this CMCO phase, we’ve opted to walk and carry our golf bags playing at the Hills course instead of taking the buggy. Some may say crazy but to me, that’s my outdoor gym right there and really good exercise.

I’m proud to say our stamina has improved and the past weekend we walked 18 holes on Saturday and 16 holes on Sunday. An increase in holes covered compared to the weekend before.

And both days, hubby baked in the afternoon. On Saturday, he made dinner rolls which turned out soft and fluffy. And on Sunday, ciabattas. On top of these, we did our tag team baking as well for yet another apple-filled effort.

First time making dinner rolls
Ciabatta was simply heavenly

Not a pie nor a tart, it bordered between an Apple Bread and a Caramel Apple Bomb. We had to combine two recipes because we didn’t have caramel and I didn’t want the outside to be too flaky. So a bread-like texture akin to dinner rolls instead.

Our version of Apple Bomb
Honestly, you wouldn’t know what these are

Turned out good. So did the ciabattas. Like the golf, the baking is almost like a pro too. And as always, I look forward to the weekend routine of golf and baking efforts by hubby.

The Accidental Baker

22 May

I am bowled over that hubby dearest has taken to baking so effortlessly, like fish to water. I simply do not know where he gets his energy from.

Even after a round of golf, he can still bake whereas I would just keep things slow to a manageable pace. For me, it’s to cool down my body in this furnace of a weather and not sweat any further than what I have already shed at the golf course. But he just goes on.

Last Sunday, after walking 15 holes with me, we got home and two hours later, he whipped up a superb herb whole wheat loaf. And as if that’s not enough, he baked a sponge cake thereafter!

Sponge cake had coconut shreds topping

If you thought I helped in anyway, hardly… I just ate when they were fresh from the oven. Of course this encouraged the accidental baker in hubby.

And as he’s constantly at it, I have to exercise constantly too to balance my intake. The weekend golf games are scheduled already and I am pretty sure the accidental baker will bake after the games.

Weekday efforts: cupcakes, banana bread and mini scones