Tag Archives: golf course

Annual Championship 2025

17 Jun

Over the weekend, my golf club held the 2025 Annual Championship for the Ladies, Senior, and Super Senior categories. It was a mixed-feeling experience. The Ladies and Super Senior categories teed off in the morning on Saturday, while the Senior category had their round in the afternoon. The Men category will commence this coming Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

All was good but hot! I played fairly decently and did not blow up any holes – no double-digit scores for the strokeplay event. Putting was good with the Scotty for 31 putts.

The next day, the categories swapped tee-off times, and the Senior category played in the morning. The other two, in the afternoon. And boy, oh boy, was it hot!

Despite the heat, I played much better on the second day. After we completed the back nine holes and crossed over, the weather changed and was cooler. However, don’t be deceived by the drop in the temperature!

As we approached the 4th hole and were about to tee off, an unexpected sudden lightning flashed! It was too close for comfort. We headed to the halfway hut nearby to take shelter, along with other players from within the few holes. But soon, everyone returned to the clubhouse immediately for safety. The rain came down fast and furious, and the siren came on.

The golf course was pelted and looked flooded, and the strong wind blew the sponsor’s drink tent onto the green at Hole 9! I have never seen an incident like this before.

Everyone had to wait out at the clubhouse until the weather improved. However, after some time, the Tournament Director and the Committee decided to abandon the second day of the 2025 Annual Championship tournament due to the weather, and scores from Day One for the Ladies and Super Senior would stand as the final results. While some players were unhappy, I was okay with the decision. The weather got too hot for me. The Senior category was not affected by the weather.

Looking back, my score from Day One compared to my past years’ participation was an improvement. And while I could have played well on the second day, I’m happy with my overall performance. It is over now, and I look forward to taking a break from golf.

Monsoon Season! Part 2

17 Dec

The threat of the monsoon rain last week did not materialize drastically to affect the golf games when I hosted a visiting friend. We were most fortunate to take in another two games. In total, we played three and a half rounds, the half being the first game that lasted only nine holes due to the downpour.

While it was fun to be playing so many games in good weather, the game performance went from bad to worse. Hahahaha. Could it be we were talking so much? I do admit the tennis elbow did act up now and then. Sigh. However, it’s not like the course was hard to handle – it’s my home course, and I play there week in, week out, three times a week!

I do notice that when I talk and laugh a lot during a round of golf, I don’t play well – the focus is not there. Oh well, it was more for the company, which was great. And we were fortunate the weather held up for the bonding time.

I’m glad I could host my friend for several games, rain or shine, and she has plenty of good memories to bring back when she leaves Malaysia. I look forward to future golf games with her on her next return trip.

Afternoon Washout!

4 Oct

My plans for a round of golf yesterday didn’t quite work out because Mother Nature had other ideas. It was an afternoon game, not my usual morning tee-off, and the outing was a complete washout.

We had three flights – only the 12.30 pm flight managed 15 holes, while my flight did 12 as we were two slots behind them. I’m unsure how many holes the third flight completed because they started on the back nine.

It was quite a sight to see all the fairways inundated with water! That’s how heavy the rain came down, as there was insufficient time for the excess water to drain. Some holes even had their tee boxes immersed in water as well. There’s no way we could have resumed.

The buggy ride back to the club was not the most pleasant as we had to deal with pelting rain from the sides and driving through big puddles of water. Despite the situation, everyone was happy with an early happy hour! Hehehe.

Drinks and titbits were on the table, and eventually, dinner. The chatter and camaraderie were most enjoyable. Sometimes, we don’t need to complete a round of golf to enjoy the company of friends.

A New Injury!

27 Sep

Golf is a dangerous sport! I picked up a new injury last week. After years of playing with minor injuries here and there on the body, my latest injury is on my right elbow, a new spot. It hurts, ouch.

I have to say I’ve never had tennis elbow issues all these years, but on the left wrist mostly. And I would wear a wrist brace to protect my wrist. The wrist is no longer an issue, thank goodness.

I suspect I picked up the tennis elbow problem from the tournament on Monday two weeks ago. I must have taken too much of a divot. Ouch, again. What else can I do but rest?

But the rest period is not long enough for a full recovery as I’m resting for a few days only when it should be weeks. So, I have to rethink my golf outings if I want a full recovery. Boo hoo hoo.

Being Away

27 Aug

Last week, hubby and I escaped the doldrums of our daily routine for four days of golf! You would say that the golf part is the same, so how can this be different from the usual routine? When we play at other courses outstation, it’s exciting because the anticipation and expectation are different.

We left on a Thursday for Forest City Golf Resort. The drive was pleasant without too heavy the traffic. We detoured to a nearby town for a simple lunch at a coffee shop. Contented, we headed to Forest City for the 1.00 pm tee-off.

Played Legacy on Day 1, and Classic on Day 2

The golf course was pristine and in tip-top condition. We had a competitive round and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Dinner after the game was a good choice of chunky chicken satay and grilled fish. We requested that the spicy sauce be on the side instead of over the fish. We topped off the meal with hot ginger tea instead of beer. Nice.

Satay and grilled fish on Day 1, and burger and wrap for Day 2

On the second day, the situation changed though. We had an 8.45 am tee-off, and the pace was horrible. Every other hole and every shot, we were kept waiting. My momentum was out, I was angst to the core, and it was the worst game I played in a long while. Sigh. How can this be fun? Dang. I couldn’t wait for the game to be over. Double dang.

It got worse after that. Dinner was too heavy, and I was bloated. Ugh. An early night might be the remedy for the shortcomings. Thank goodness, the next day, we are checking out and headed to Desaru.

Vicious Cycle, Part 2

21 May

As you know, the weather has been super hot and very wet. I try all sorts to stay comfortable while playing golf. My umbrella has been working overtime! So, I bought a portable fan recently to attach to the golf buggy.

As it is, I have a palm-sized handheld USB fan, but it’s not enough. So, this new fan is a timely purchase. The 12,000 mAh fan has three speeds and works best when the buggy is parked. It helps when there’s no wind blowing.

The Malaysian Meteorological Department recently issued alert-level hot weather status in the coming months! Eeeks. I’m glad I made this purchase to get some relief on the golf course, besides staying hydrated with more water than usual. Otherwise, it’s indoor activities and no golf. Boo hoo hoo.

My portable fan for the golf buggy

The Curry Puff Hole

17 May

At my golf club at the Lakes course, there is a hole that I now call the Curry Puff Hole fondly. It is a Par 3, Hole number 5, near the drink hut. So, being a Par 3, we try all sorts of incentives to reward a good outcome.

Whenever we play together, our regular golfer friend would buy curry puffs for everyone to share if he holes out for a par. In other words, everyone gets half a curry puff. Isn’t it nice of him? 

Not too long ago, I improvised his incentive and modified the on-the-spot curry puff on top of drinks after the game during lunch whenever I play with my group of lady golfers.

Like my friend, everyone gets half a curry puff for a par by me. However, if I struck a birdie, everyone would get one curry puff each! It has been rewarding.

A delicious chunky curry puff.

Slow-Play Angst

7 May

Typically, a round of golf would take four hours plus a little more to complete. But when it’s crowded, the duration will be longer. In the past two monthly medal tournaments that I participated in, it took forever to complete!

Call it slow play, over-subscribed participation, or whatever in the April medal game – it was just too long. Six hours to be exact. Crazy. The angst and frustration were evident. I lost my momentum and returned with an unfathomable effort. Then again, when it’s six hours to finish 18 holes of golf, it’s hard to imagine playing well with all that waiting for every shot. 

But I learned my lesson, and in the recent May medal tournament, I tried not to focus on the waiting period like the last time. It worked out better. Chatting with my flightmates about everything under the sun helped our slow-play angst. The game ended ten minutes shy of six hours.

We must learn to be more patient and control our thoughts when it takes longer than usual on the golf course. If we don’t manage our emotions, participating in monthly medal tournaments will be a frustrating outing instead of an enjoyable one. 

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.

Better Than Phenomenal

15 Dec

With two weeks left before 2023 ends, I’m cutting back on my golf games for two reasons. Reason number one is the wet weather conditions. It rains daily, and being out on a soggy golf course is not enjoyable. The round of golf becomes more like a field-plowing exercise, chunking the shots constantly on the soft ground instead of playing proper golf.

Reason number two is the festive season of Christmas around the corner. This year, I’m playing more Christmas carols on my Spotify and indulging in Christmas shopping. It’s a fun season, and I am enjoying it.

However, I must highlight the last golf game that resulted in better than phenomenal putting. I’d take this highlight anytime! The score was not the best because of chunk shots on the fairways. Even at the tee boxes that were soft and soggy, I could not stand firm and ended up with several mis-hits. But putting with the TaylorMade Spider Mini made up for all the mishaps.

I made 26 better-than-phenomenal putts! To break that down, it was 12 putts on the first nine and 14 on the back nine. There was even a silly three-putt, but the eight one-putt and a chip-in for a zero putt made up for the lone ugly blemish. The thing that helped tremendously was the short game. I was accurate and gave myself many opportunities to putt well.

I should hold my head high with this new putting achievement for this year and hope this phenomenal putting can continue. Maybe it’s the focus that creates confidence. I look forward to better-putting results next year!