Tag Archives: golf

Wrapping Up DIY Project #23

13 May

DIY project number 23 has been such a challenge. After five months, I’m glad to say DIY project number 23 is a done deal. Well, almost. Not so much of it is hard to construct, but more because of my commitment to staying focused to get it done. When there are other things to do, crafting miniatures takes a backseat.

DIY project number 23

The structure and furniture pieces were all completed some time ago. However, I left things unattended, diverting to felting Miffy rabbits and cute tortoises in between playing golf. The finishing details were the schoolbags and ceiling lights which I decided to skip doing for practical reasons, or call it customizing, if you may.

The opted out pieces

The set will sit in the Ikea display cabinet with the other completed miniature projects. So being in the display cabinet, ceiling lights are pointless because it is too tight a space to touch anything in there. In other words, I have not turned on the lights of any of the sets for some time already. As for the bags, well, I find them too tedious to make, so I’m leaving them out now, but I may change my mind. We shall see.

I have also decided not to take a long break and will jump right into DIY project number 24, which is a much smaller set; hence, the time to complete it will not take so long. I hope I will be more focused on it once I get started.

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A Welcome Celebration

29 Apr

What a difference with another year passing by for birthday celebrations! The existence of Covid-19 makes it hard for us to predict what can happen with its spread making daily situations so volatile. We cannot plan special occasions so far ahead because things are constantly evolving. Even as I write, the SOPs will change again come next month.

Two years ago, my birthday dinner celebration was a muted affair. We stayed home because of the pandemic and had food delivered. There were scores and scores of containers for the meal. It wasn’t the best in presentation, but being at home made up for it, given the virus fear and lockdown circumstances. Last year, it was a blur, and honestly, I don’t remember what we did on my special day.

This year, things are a little bit different. A spontaneous four-day gastronomic journey that began on Sunday to celebrate instead of a golf getaway like we usually do. Moreover, we just went on a golf trip to Forest City recently, so another trip now is too soon. This mission to discover new food to savor in the run-up to the actual birthday is much appreciated for the chef in me to have the week off from making dinner nightly! Woo hoo.

Lovely fine dining Japanese dinner
We ate to our fill!
We came home to cut my yummy Lemon Pistachio birthday cake
We played a post-birthday round of golf!

The birthday dinner was also a welcome change for various reasons. It was the first fine-dining experience after the many lockdowns we had during the pandemic. Secondly, it’s the first year with M1 joining us, being away for her education, and missing my birthday celebrations for the last six years. All in all, a welcome celebration. A toast to a good year ahead for me, and be in the best of health and mind.

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The Perfect Ball

25 Apr

Last week, a golfing friend scored a Hole-in-One. We were thrilled for him when we heard the news. It got me thinking, when will my turn come for this elusive Hole-in-One? I have yet to achieve this feat despite playing golf for so long.

Perhaps it is the choice of the ball used? I have to admit ball choice was never a priority for me before. I used to play all sorts of brands to find the perfect ball for my game. New balls, used balls, hard balls to soft balls, the Hole-in-One is never within sight.

When I did commit, TaylorMade Distance+ was my preferred choice. But over time, I found the characteristics of the ball not suitable for my ball striking. The TaylorMade Distance+ Soft is no better. So I decided to stop using this brand.

The leading brand Titleist, favored by the pros, is too expensive for a social golfer like me. Although Titleist has a range of balls with different characteristics, it is not my go-to choice. Price aside, it does not suit me because my swing speed does not maximize the ball’s capabilities. In the end, it would only create frustration more than pleasure when playing.

So these days, I play with three brands mostly that are soft in characteristic – Srixon Soft Feel, Bridgestone Extra Soft, and Wilson Duo Soft+, as these soft balls suit my game better. However, I wouldn’t try the different ranges in each brand because, as I have mentioned earlier, my swing speed does not maximize the ball’s capabilities.

Often, social golfers neglect the choice of balls used, like me in the past. The focus is usually on the clubs, especially the driver, to tee off further. Next is the putter, but never the balls for the game. A golfer should understand their swing speed to make the right ball choices, but let’s not get into this. It can be endless and subjective, not to mention very technical too.

When I started to limit my ball choice to the three brands, my game improved by leaps and bounds, and it was gratifying. I have won some side money a fair bit during friendly matches but no Hole-in-One. Yet.

Since my friend struck his Hole-in-One using a Srixon ball, perhaps I should eliminate the other brands and stick to just Srixon, to increase my chances at this elusive achievement? Hmm. It’s a good thought, and hopefully, my turn at this feat will happen soon. And if indeed this happens, I have found my perfect ball for my golf game.

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The More, the Merrier!

22 Apr

The itch to buy something from my favorite online site surfaced not too long ago. Although there are more than a dozen DIY miniature sets on my wishlist, I thought it was not a good idea to buy more yet. I have to be sensible and not give in to impulse buying.

Besides, I already have eight unopened boxes waiting for me – acquiring more does not seem practical. Let’s not forget the current DIY project number 23 has not seen any progress since January.

But the itch had to be addressed. So I bought covers for my golf clubs, specifically, my three utility clubs. As the driver, 3- and 5-woods already have the same family type of covers, I bought similar ones to match. The more, the merrier to make them one big family!

My doggo covers and three with tags!

The only difference is size and color, and tags for easy recognition. I love my golf set covers – they look good, and I feel good.

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Another Public Holiday

19 Apr

Today is a public holiday, yet another one. Malaysia has lots of public holidays, and sometimes it is a disruption. Typically we do not appreciate it because it disrupts the work schedule.

But of late, work is sporadic, so a public holiday is perfect for golf. What this means is that the DIY project is untouched yet again! Oh well.

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DIY Project #23, Part 3

18 Apr

DIY project number 23 has stalled big time. Right after the Lunar New Year, I was so busy with my golf routine that crafting miniatures was relegated to become a thing of the past – a pandemic lockdown activity to kill time. My initial apprehension at my pace and fear of it stalling came true. Sigh.

I have to admit, I did not set a deadline, nor am I committed to completing the project. Hence, the stall. Occasionally, I find myself felting instead as this activity takes less time. Am I losing interest in crafting miniatures?

Bearing in mind, I still have eight sets waiting for me and a dozen more on my wishlist on the online shopping site that I intend to buy! I need to find the time, stay focused and prioritize my crafting time.

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Phenomenal Putting, Part 2

5 Apr

The phenomenal putting streak has ended. When the going is good, it’s too good to be true for it to last. When I thought my Scotty Cameron putter was stable and doing wonders for my confidence and game, it let me down last week.

I had just recovered from my food poisoning and opted to play the prearranged game. But I think, psychologically, my mental strength was not quite sharp. I was more tuned to my tummy than my putting. Call it a distraction or an excuse – the putting performance was erratic and inconsistent. There were flashes of one-putt brilliance, but it wasn’t enough.

For the record, there were five holes that I three-putted! I am appalled at my sudden unbelievable inability to putt, achieving this horrendous statistic after such a good run with Scotty. To add salt to the wound, I also had one four-putt at the Par 5. The putting warrior in me was so bruised and battered.

After the game, when I got home, I removed Scotty immediately from the bag, and the Peanut Putter went into the bag. Let’s hope the putting fortune will turn around for the better for future games.

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Lady Luck Strikes Again

1 Apr

Sometimes when we join golf tournaments, it is not just the will to want to play well but to gain competition experience to be a better player. How to manage our emotions on the golf course, have good course management, know our ability and hit shots sensibly, yet at the same time, play without fear. To win a club-organized tournament is icing on the cake and a booster to our confidence.

But being social golfers, our competitive drive is not quite at that level to win tournaments. So we aim for the next thing, which is to win the lucky draw during the prize presentation after the game.

Last Sunday, after returning from Forest City a day earlier, I participated in the Greensome tournament organized by my golf club. My partner and I started well but faded midway. It was a case of could-have and what-if. Our combined handicap was 15, and we returned with a three-over for our net score, far below other pairs that played better and scored well under their combined handicaps. Oh well, it was a good experience.

But all is not lost as there’s the lucky draw after the prize presentation! There is still hope to win something. And win we did, woohoo! Lady luck has been kind to me, this being my second time in three months winning something at the lucky draw during competitions. The first time was iron covers; this time, a golf travel bag.

And now that borders are opening for most countries and traveling abroad is picking up, the travel bag will come in handy, not that I don’t have one already, for a golfing trip abroad. But my recent experience at Forest City Golf Resort has superseded any travel ideas abroad for golf. Then again, we’ll keep our options open. Thailand?

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It’s a Small World

29 Mar

When we went to Forest City Golf Resort, we thought we had the perfect getaway from it all. Little did we know, we would bump into two golfing friends who were also there for golf. It’s a small world!

The first encounter was a brief one in the pro shop when the friend was heading out as we were walking in. A quick chat was all we had. The second encounter was equally brief, but we made plans to meet up for dinner as the friend had just checked in.

On Friday afternoon after our morning tee-off, M1 and I decided to visit Legoland, located not too far from the resort. Hubby opted out since he had work to do. So the arrangement worked out well.

Both of us spent the hot and humid afternoon wandering through the attractions at Legoland. The Day Pass ticket was not cheap. But we were upgraded to an Annual Pass as the theme park is trying to retain or attract visitors. So would we visit again with the Annual Pass? Perhaps.

No crowd, no queue, it was ideal

The plus side of a semi-post-pandemic situation is no crowds in a theme park. There was no queue at all the rides, not many wailing kids to contend with, and no icky arms close to us because everyone had to maintain the one-meter social distancing. It was perfect save for the humid weather.

The mini wonders at Legoland
Sealife at Legoland

After completing the outdoor attractions and rides, we moved indoors to Sealife aquarium. I think we enjoyed the air-conditioning more than the attractions! The rain came down when we came out from Sealife. It was a short drizzle, and the umbrella came in handy as we headed to the car.

That evening, we had dinner with our friends in the next township from Forest City, followed by a bottle of lovely French wine in the hotel lobby. It was a good getaway for us to rejuvenate and reset to face our daily routine.

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Forest City Golf Resort

28 Mar

Forest City Golf Resort is a lovely golf resort. But I have to say there aren’t many choices within the resort as far as dining is concerned. Nonetheless, food is not the main highlight of this trip, as there is much to share of the two golf courses – the Legacy Course and Classic Course.

Each course has its characteristics, appeal, and challenge. Being there for the first time, we were unaware of the layout at times, as we did not have a caddy to guide us. But since buggies are allowed on the course, this predicament was not a big issue. We had all the time in the world, and at times, a short drive up to see the layout was necessary before hitting our shots.

Both courses had very pristine fairways, even the roughs along the way. The ball floats nicely on top, and it is not difficult to get out from the rough. The tee boxes were a joy as they were even and had carpet-like quality grass. As for the greens, it wasn’t as fast as touted. But all in all, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

There is hardly a blade of grass out of place on the fairways. The only thing messing up the perfect condition was an unexpected bird poop I spotted on our second day. It was indeed jarring to the overall greenery of the golf course. Even the wasteland features were immaculate.

The eye-sore bird poop on the fairway!

The only thing we did not enjoy was the annoying crows. They were very aggressive, following us throughout each game and coming in packs to hoover in our buggy, looking for food, which we did not have. I suspect they have honed their senses to zero in for grub. After all, the resort is four years old, and the crows have been around since its inception. I was glad for the sanitizer provided by the resort, and I used it on the buggy each time after shooing the crows away.

The golf course is as good, if not better, as some of the golf courses in Thailand without the price tag and long journeys that include flying and taxi rides. For us, it’s only a four-hour drive with allowance to detour for a meal and time to spare to settle down before the allotted afternoon tee-off slot on the first day.

We will make another trip down south again soon, very soon.

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