I’m officially taking a break from golf. Typically, on Tuesday, I’d have a round of golf. But with the tennis elbow injury persisting, it’s best to rest.
The last game on Sunday was not a good outing. There was no distance upon tee-off for fear of aggravating the elbow, and it was a domino effect for subsequent shots, taking more strokes than necessary. Sigh, it wasn’t the best, but I didn’t let it get to me. I told myself I merely wanted the exercise.
Separately, the monsoon season has started, and it rains almost daily. Remember the game last Thursday that was a washout? So, a little less golf to get a timely two-week rest might be the right thing to do. Why two-weeks? Ahh, find out on Friday! Stay tuned.
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.
The stubborn me is still playing golf with a tennis elbow that hurts to heaven! Holy moly, I need to be disciplined and rest. In the last two games, I resorted to various methods to suppress the nagging discomfort with pain relief spray or cream, elbow strap, and pain killer. Did they help? Yes and no. Sigh.
Not only does the elbow feel the pain, but the returned score is a smack in the face for confidence and ability. One can’t have it all good all the time, right? Playing good golf is never a sure thing. There will be highs and lows. There’s no need to elaborate on the highs, but lows are injuries besides putting woes, chipping yips, and endless other reasons.
I have lined up two more games to play before I give my elbow a good two weeks of rest. Hopefully, this will work. It’s no fun playing golf in pain and acquiring more injuries to hamper the activity that I enjoy most.
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.
We have yet another long holiday, stretching from the weekend until today. And it feels like Sunday thrice over. The weekend golf differed from the usual schedule, with a Saturday game and a tournament on Monday.
The four-day weekend was due to two overlapping public holidays on Monday. But Tuesday is considered an optional holiday for some. For us, if it’s a holiday, enjoy it!
Since we had a round of golf on Monday, we opted to sleep in today and skip the regular Tuesday golf. The cool weather added to the comfort of a lazy Tuesday that feels like a Sunday. Nice!
I’m wondering whether I should give up Homescapes. Every week, I catch up with the end of the game, and it irks me that I have to wait until Friday for the new levels to open up.
If I play the game daily, starting over the weekend, I will hit a roadblock by Tuesday. Then, I have to wait until Friday for the new levels. It has become cumbersome. Should I continue with the game or not? Sigh.
Maybe I’m too dependent on my iPad Mini, which is very unhealthy, Homescapes aside. On days when I’m not golfing, I spend hours and hours on it. So bad! It could be a small step, giving up Homescapes to be less device-dependent. We shall see.
Level 15701 has opened but after completing 50 levels, the wait starts again.
Going away for a golf vacation is supposed to be enjoyable. Unfortunately, this trip has not been quite the case. Only the first day was a good experience. Well, it is the fourth and last day of the trip. I decided not to have any expectations for what was to come.
After a hearty breakfast, we checked out and headed for the Valley course of The Els Club, a short drive from the hotel. Again, the clubhouse was not grand but rather plain. I wouldn’t call it modern because it didn’t come across as one.
Top: my breakfast choices, bowl of porridge, mini vadai; bottom: Singapore Hokkien Mee and Soto Ayam for lunch
We arrived early but decided against teeing off ahead. After two days of things turning out for the worse, I think it’s better to stick to the plan to avoid disappointment. The Valley course is known to be more challenging because of the terrain, but I started with a bogey, par, par. It didn’t feel that difficult.
When there’s no expectation of any sort, things go on smoothly. The day was perfect – our pace was excellent, the weather was cloudy, the caddy was good, and our duel was intense. After two losses in the last two games against hubby, I had an uphill battle to even the odds.
I had bunker issues, as always, because my typical game plan for these situations is to avoid them. But avoid them, I couldn’t, especially for the Par 3s. Luckily, the Par 5s saved me, and we battled until the last hole. I won in the end. And we completed the round in three and a half hours! The outcome from the four rounds: we won two games each for our mini-golf challenge.
Looking back, I think next time, whenever we plan an outstation golf trip, there shouldn’t be any expectations, especially when visiting a new golf course. Forest City was better than before, I have to say. The pace of the golf game cannot be a factor to fault the golf course. After all, it is a popular destination.
As for The Els Club, to say it was a disappointment is an understatement. The upkeep of both the courses was not the best, and they were not picturesque for photo opportunities like Forest City. At the signature hole of the Ocean course, we encountered a baby snake right off the bunker on the greenside. So there goes the photo opportunity! I’d say we will give the place another year before returning.
Uphill hole guarded by bunkers & a downhill snaking terrain, green on the right. The Johor River bridge Senai-Desaru Expressway
While there were complaints and angst on this trip, it wasn’t that bad or unpleasant. It was simply a change in environment to do the things we enjoy most together. Will we plan another golf trip before the year ends? Well, I have to find the window, and if our daily routine becomes monotonous again, why not?
It was the third day of our golf escapade. After breakfast, we left Forest City for The Els Club Desaru Coast for our third game. The drive was not too long, and we arrived early.
We found the golf club a tad plain. There was no grandeur in the architecture of the clubhouse. Maybe it’s meant to be like this?
As we arrived early, we could tee off earlier than our allotted tee-off time. Big mistake! There was a four-ball flight in front of us that was so slow and a two-ball flight behind us that was too fast! Ugh. And it started to drizzle. Sigh. The wind picked up, and my hands were cold. It was not the best experience playing at the Ocean course of The Els Club.
To our angst, the sand bunkers were flooded and looked like mini ponds on the fairways and beside the greens! Not nice. Hubby lost a ball in the flooded sand bunker. It was mildly shocking that maintenance was not up to par for an award-winning golf course. We’re not talking about one or two sand bunkers but several throughout the Ocean course.
Golfing on the Ocean course is supposed to be easy, but it was not in the best conditions to live up to it. Sadly, it was a forgettable round for us. I wonder if the outcome would have been different had we teed off at 12.30 pm instead of two hours earlier? Hmm.
There was some consolation when we checked into Four Points by Sheraton. The room was spacious and very comfortable. Dinner was equally comforting. The generous tray of Briyani rice and meat fulfilled the urge for carbo after two nights of dinner choices without rice. We have one more game tomorrow, and hopefully, the trip will end on a better note.
The Els Club, dinner and a huge green side bunker that was flooded
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.
Angieneering 
Remarks