5th Goofy Golf Tournament

The curse at the 6 hole

Four of us - Dick, RK, KBC aka Peter Koh and myself played the Army/Air Force courses on the morning of boxing day Friday 26th Dec. Beautiful weather and great kakis.

The Goofies have the reputation for Naming Rights - Jonas' Tree and CYM's Hole!!! Somehow when I get to the respective tee-boxes I get the feeling, sometimes eerie otherwise a "pulling" aura and sense somehow, something may happen to my tee shot. Believe me it happened that day!

I will call it The Curse of CYM at the 6th hole of Air Force. I have always liked and actually enjoyed playing such holes! (Hee! Hee!) But, blooooody fooool, instead of executing a simple smooth swing from the tee-box, using a tee mind you!, I chopped my shot - yes it was like me --- bloody short!! Ball went into water before the red tee-box and had to buy a jug of beer. (Actually frust but also happy to contribute drink at 19th hole).

Imagine the pulling power of CYM even when he was not there - so, must be The Curse! (He actually swore and cursed that dammed hole so many times that I think his saliva dried up there and saw a few dead worms there too! Such powerful curse).

My partner and I lost that hole and eventually lost the sixes! If only ....... I will try again on Monday 29th - have to make amends and try to rid myself of the curse.

CYM, you too must play that hole again and undo the Curse, otherwise the hole welcomes you everytime you stand on the tee-box! Don't run away, practice many times, you will be perfect. Ha! Ha!

Equally Hilarious Army 6th Hole

This morning at Army 6th hole, we had an incident that got Lee Heng and myself having a good time laughing ... and in part thanks to CYM who wasn't even in the flight :)

Our good friend RK (no names pls but who else!) had a reasonably good 2nd shot approach onto the left side of the green. He approached his ball for his third shot with Lee Heng standing near him. RK on moving backward (apparently after examining the green for his chip) and at the same time talking to Lee Heng, accidentally stepped on his ball making it to move - that's a 1 stroke penalty. Then he kicked his ball apparently to move it back to the original position - that's another 1 stroke penalty. Lee Heng saw all these and told him it's a two stroke penalty. RK initially refused to take the 2 strokes penalty because he claimed to be distracted because he was talking about CYM :) Then he threatened to catch us from then on for any penalty we incurred. All these while, Lee Heng and I were laughing our hearts out! In the end he took the 2 strokes penalty and lost the hole to Lee Heng and squared me. I played terribly today but at least I got to square this hole and have something other than my score to laugh about.

Moral of the story? Don't talk about CYM when he is not around :)

Covette Ong achieves Pro status

We are so proud that one of our own has achieved his pro certification after completing his test conducted by AMGTF (American Golf Teachers Federation) in Batam Palm Spring.

Covette has passed his practical and theory test to attain this covetted (pun intended) title.

Well done, Covette.

PS : We are looking forward to one more pretty soon.

Fun at Army Hole 9

It was so hillarious!!!

Me and Dick were literally rolling on the floor laughing.

CYM teed off into the coconut trees on the left of the tee box. Of course he had to buy beer. He grabbed 2 irons from the buggy and went into the hazard. Dick immediately said "Just watch him, he will leave his club in the hazard".

Of course, as we all know, CYM is a smart man. He did not leave the iron on the ground. He leaned it against the coconut tree!!! Now, that 1-stroke penalty.

He duffed his chip shot and the ball still remained in the hazard. Now he moved forward but his view is blocked by giant yam leaves, so he used his club to push the yam leaves aside. Now that's another penalty stroke.

At this point, he found another tree to lean his club (+ another stroke). He couldn't get his next shot out. The following shot, he chipped it to the right side hazard.

He did get to the green on his 6 or 7 (I lost track), but that's excluding the penalties.

Other than laughing at him, we were kind.

How to blog..

I was asked by CYM how to post on this blog.

Well, its easy. If you have a gmail account, just click on the "sign in" tab on the top right corner, key in your gmail id and password...bingo, you can start to blog.

But I need to grant you admin right first. Currently the following have admin right:

1. Bobby
2. CYM
3. Chee Hoo
4. Peter

Those of you who have gmail account, please give me your id.

Looking forward to see more fellow goofy bloggers..

Monkey off Lam Chih Bing's back

Some weeks ago, I blogged about Lam who was among the leaders heading into the last day at the Singapore Open. He messed it up on the Day 4 and finished 18th.

We were still talking about him yesterday morning prior to our golf game and about his tendency to blow-up on the last day.

Well, he did benefit from his exploits in the Singapore Open and British Open.

I just returned from a family outing at about 4pm on Sunday when Arch smsed me to watch the Volvo Master of Asia as our local boy Lam was leading. I turned on the set to catch Lam parred the 17th and birdied the 18th.

Yes, he won the season-ending Volvo Master of Asia with a score of -14. This is his first win on the Asia PGA Tour after turning pro in 1999 .

He became the 2nd Singapore pro to win on the APGA Tour after Mardan Mamat who won the Singapore Masters and the Indian Open. Now that the monkey is off his back, he is ready to achieve greater glory.

Bad day turned good

Something is definitely wrong. Played real bad today..a horrendous 92, almost equal to the worst game of the year at Jade Dragon Snow Mountain at 93.

Duff, top, shank, fat, skulling bunker shots, you name it I did it. The only thing that worked was my putter. Thank you KJ Choi.

The good thing that came out of it?? Did not lose money in individual bets. Vincent Loh (he wanted to play 5-5-10 stroke play)was generous to donate $20 for me to pay Jason. Huat Siong was shy to take my money, so we halved.

So what was the reason for the bad game? It could be the drinking session last night which lasted til 2am. But the previous week I was also out til 2am and nursing a damn bad headache in the morning. I still shot 83.

What it the range practice? I was just at the range on Friday and everything seems ok. Even went to practise my chipping.

Was it the strong wind that made golfing difficult? Or was it the swing change?

I am still lost.

Malaysia (Airline) Tak Boleh

Sorry if I offended anyone with this post.

Please be aware that the shuttle arrangement between SQ and MAS has been terminated since 1 Jun 08 (where have I been?)

Had a flight booked for 3.40pm on SQ605 (SQ Codeshare with MAS). Left KL at about noon, without any lunch. My colleague Senggaran was supposed to drop me at KL Sentral to catch the express train. Well, I was stuck on the traffic jam for 2 hours. Finally, caught the train and reach the airport by 3.10am.

Rushed to the usual shuttle row at Row L. Counter was closed. Strange. So I checked the monitor, it showed Row C. It is at the other end of the huge airport. I tot SQ row has been relocated.

Rushed over to Row C, saw that it was MAS and not SQ.

Went back to SQ, I was told that my flight is MAS under SQ codeshare.

Went back to MAS, queued and was told that the gate is closed. He (counter staff)told me he cannot do anything, showing me the unhelpful face. I must speak to the supervisor, at the last counter.

Went to the supervisor, he told me the gate is already closed. I can try to get myself on the next flight at 5.55pm. I am determined not to walk back to SQ, if its gonna be MAS, so be it. Again, not very helpful, trying to get rid of me.

Queued for another 15 minutes at MAS and finally reached the counter, she told me she can check me in the next flight, but I have to pay a RM300 penalty. But I have to go to level 3 to MAS office to pay the penalty and then come back to MAS row again.

At this point, I am sweaty, hungry and damn bloody pissed. I have been stuck in KL traffic jam, walked the whole airport 3 times and now I have to go to Level 3.

Next I did the smartest thing I possibly could. I walked back to SQ row, yes, again.

Reach the counter, saw a girl whose counter was indicated "Closed".

"I need help, I just missed my plane", I pleaded.

"Can I see your ticket?"

"Is there another SQ fight later?", I asked.

"Next flight is a MI at 6.05pm, I can book you on that flight"

"Do I have to pay a penalty?"

"No." She replied.

"Nur, that is the most wonderful thing I have heard the whole day!!!!"

Nur, this SQ staff is really such a sweet gal. Courteous, responsive service with a smile. She served me even when the sign said "Counter Closed". I am so glad, I did not go to MAS office and back to MAS row.

So finally at 4pm, I am taking my lunch and blogging at KLIA, waiting for the most wonderful Silkair MI 337.

What has this got to do with golf? Nothing. I am just pissed.

Red tee and buying beer

Last Saturday, while enjoying our few jugs of beer (we had about 6 jugs free!!!), we started a lively debate regarding when a golfer should buy beer for not passing the red tee, especially when ball is in the drink.

Under which circumstances should he buy?

1. Eventual ball position in the water? The difficulty is determining where is the ball, especially when its a close call. The ripple will be a good reference.

2. The point of entry before the red tee?

3. The drop point where he should drop the ball, assuming there is no official dropzone.

Case in point is CYM's favorite hole, Airforce 6. If the ball is in the water, the point of entry is definitely before the red tee.

So what do you think?

15 hours for a golf game

My itinerary for the day goes something like this..

4.20am Woke up
5.00am Reach Felix's house
5.50am Reach Tuas Checkpoint
7.20am Cleared Tuas. Jammed for 1.5 hours
8.50am Cleared Malaysia checkpoint. Jammed for 1.5 hours
9.30am Breakfast at Kelapa Sawit
10.30am Teed off at Legends
2.30pm Finish Game
3.00pm Left Legends. Jam along the way, road block.
4.00pm Reach Senai for Lunch/Dunch
4.45pm Left Senai
5.15pm Reach Tuas
6.30pm Clear Tuas (Jam 1 hour 15 mins)
7.10pm Reach home

I finally reached home 15 hours after I woke up for game.

What a day!!! I still have not learned my lesson after previous experience.

NEVER EVER GO FOR A GOLF GAME IN MALAYSIA DURING A LONG WEEKEND!!!!

4 City Bumpkins Challenge the Sea of Pearls..by CYM

It all started with 8 but one preferred Bogor and so there will 3. Another on biz trip, the 3rd one cannot go (don’t know why but suspect no visa), the 4th don’t know where to go and so there were 4. These 4 heroes from Water Margin then made its plan to Zhuhai, the Sea of Pigs (ooh….should be Pearls, soon you find out why pearls and not pigs). When I said plan we really plan.

2 days before the journey we had a post-trip meeting, wah pian so serious men, don’t pray, pray. Meeting supposed to start at 4.30p at McCafe, Great World City. Lee Heng was there at 4.30pm sharp (now you know who was the most excited one), 5pm LCK walked in followed by Billy. I was the late one at 5.30pm. Before I could warm my seat, LH had to go and 15 minutes later Billy. What a plan? So what did we discuss? Money, transport, golf courses, itinerary…………&*^%$#@!.

Woke up at 4am on a warm Saturday morning, 8 Nov 2008, for Billy to pick me up at 4.40am (this LCK don’t know why picked a flight at 6.30am departure). I guess he was training all of us to wait up early for the next 3 days. Reached LCK’s house at 4.55am, wa lau wife, mother, daughter all waiting to send him off. Hello LCK kena wear chastity belt or not, I asked? Shee……

As planned, arrived at airport Terminal 1 at 5.10am and checked in. Still got plenty of time to take breakfast, supposed to take noodle but one wise crack suggested Burger King. Ok, lah (and soon I regretted). 3 of us ordered the same breakfast set except for this wise crack and he got into some kind of a tiff with of all kind of people, a female Chinese nationalist. Food and beverage came, took one bite and the wise crack said his order wrong. Ya loh, must be revenge by the Chinese girl. She came, uttered some words, with a flicked of her fingers and LH’s cup of hot coffee came flying and landed of all places on my ‘tee tee’. Luckily wearing a thick blue jean but still hot inside, you know. @#$%^&*()+_)(*, I want to see your manager thinking maybe get a free meal, tan ku ku ok. And so I flew all the way from Singapore to the Sea of Pearls with the coffee aroma of Burger King. Guess who is the wise crack who gave me this special flavour?

Landed in Hong Kong, wah quite cooling men, siok like Kunming weather. Settled our transit via ferry to Zhuhai, still got plenty of time and so ‘chor tai tee’ until we reached our destination. Alamak, it’s damned cold men with the strong wind coming from the sea. Hello, why nobody check the weather before coming? Of course, none of us brought a sweater. Quickly jumped into a cab. Ferry point to hotel, Nanyang Seascape (nan yang hai chin) was about 30 minutes. Can’t wait to check-in. Wow, the room very big leh, can play 18 holes in there. I like it and so are the rest. ‘Ok, 15 minutes later to wait at lobby to take lunch’ said LCK. He must be real hungry, don’t give me chance to remove the coffee. What do you think the first thing we or rather I will do after lunch?

If you think crooked you were all wrong. I went to Lotus Road to hunt for a pair of jean. I thought maybe I can claim it back from LCK (now you know who the wise crack was) but alas he claimed innocence.

Wow!!! we saw many pearls walking around but there are pigs too. Found and bought a pair of Chinese-made Armani jean but the 3 nowhere to be found. I guessed I know where they are, look for the ‘Pearls’. And there I found all 3 surrounding a pretty mei mei drinking tsing tao beer. In Zhuhai, they have these drinking stalls lining up the entire street with a pretty girl manning the drink stall. You can play cards with her or if you like by yourself, dice also can. All you need to do it to pay for your drink, beer, juices or soft one. Strictly no hanky panky, just young innocent girls doing a decent business. 1 after another they drank, mesmerised by this pretty pearls. ‘Hey, you guys already drank a dozen, we need to go I’m still with my coffee’, I heard myself uttering these words. While walking back we scouted around checking which good restaurant to eat, settled on one and so back to hotel. ‘Everyone to fall in at 6.30pm at the lobby for dinner’ shouted LCK.

It was really cold with the fierce wind blowing, yet we chose eating in the open air area (asked for it, still cold while eating). It was a ‘big fish big meat’ dinner with roast goose, pigeon, crabs, prawns, garoupa…..I can’t remember the rest but it was a sumptuous dinner. An enjoyable meal if not for the frequent harassment from young girls to buy their flowers, sings us a song and so on……

What a meal and so what’s next?

Me, LCK and LH wanted to go for our favourite activity. Billy had no choice but to follow. We went hunting pub after pub after pub for one particular one. LCK told us his friend said this one the best, it has got everything there which others may not have. And it’s true. There in front of us, it was BIG, men. Wow, so many people watching.


…………………. To continue in the next episode.

Lexus Cup

Despite the bad weather, my daugther and I still persisted in going for the Lexus Cup. Paid $33 for myself as kids get to watch for free.

We were planning to follow the last match between Seon Hwa Lee and Angela Stanford, so we sat at the 10th tee waiting for them to crossover. After watching 3 flights teed off, the game was suspended for a 2nd time. I thought to myself, $33 for 3 tee-offs, $10 per flight, its gonna be expensive.

1.5 hours later, the game was on again. We waited and waited and finally, Seon Hwa Lee came. She was already 3-down. We followed her flight hoping to see a fight-back but she lost hole 10 to go 4-down, missing a near putt for par. Guess what? We decided to abandon her flight (so much for being a fan!!).

We hung around the 16th hole and watch the flights come by. Paula Creamer came along, she squared 16th hole but lost her match. She was really cool. Took out her new balls, sign them and gave them out. Both my gal and her friend got one autographed ball each.

Then Jang Jeong came along, she was already 3-down with 3 to go. She promptly birdied 16th to pull one back. We decided to follow this flight to watch her fight-back. She teed off 17th to within 6-7 feet and then birdied again to win. However, she can only square 18th and lost 1-down.

While hanging around the 18th green, we managed to catch Yani Tseng, the World No 2 ranked player. My gal and her golf kaki (ya, she has her kakis too!) managed to get this photo taken with her.

My intention in bringing her there is to hopefully inspire her to take her golf more seriously. She managed to get Annika, Na Yeon Choi, Inbee Park, Yani Tseng and Creamer 's autograph.

Hopefully, I achieved my goal.

4 Goofy members in Zhuhai Golf Trip

Billy, CYM, Lee Heng (what's his last name?) and Chi Keen made the trip in early November to Zhuhai. While we wait impatiently from CYM for his post on this blog, here are some pictures of their recent trip. C'mon CYM, make us regret for not joining your trip!!!

I just heard today that CYM wets his pants at Changi Airport just before departure. What a start to the memorable trip.

Even Tiger Woods is hit by recession!

GM ends Tiger Woods deal

DETROIT (Michigan) - BELEAGURED US automaker General Motors, facing desperate times in a troubled economy, has ended its endorsement deal with 14-time major golf champion Tiger Woods, the firm announced on Monday.

The sponsorship contract, believed to pay Woods US$7 million (S$10.6 million) a year, was due to expire at the end of 2009 but instead will conclude at the end of the year under mutual agreement between GM and the global golf star.

GM has sought US$25 billion in loans from the US government to avoid a shutdown that would cost thousands of jobs at its factories and related auto part manufacturing plants.

Woods has been featured in advertisements for GM products worldwide, notably the Buick automobile brand in China, Canada and the United States, and has played in many US PGA Tour events sponsored by the auto brand.

The decision comes as US car manufacturers face huge financial losses and budget shortfalls while Woods is on a layoff following left knee surgery after his triumph in June's US Open at Torrey Pines.

While the car company looks to save money, Woods seeks more personal time with his wife Elin due to give birth to their second child in 'late winter'.

'I am very proud of the long standing partnership I've had with GM and have enjoyed being a part of the company's dramatic product evolution. We've had a lot of fun together,' Woods said in a statement.

'We've had a lot of fun together, and I participated in some unique and rewarding activities. We've enjoyed a tremendous partnership over the years, and we will maintain strong ties with the many people at GM we call friends.'

GM officials say the ending of the deal is unrelated to the automaker's request for US$25 billion in loans from the federal government.

'Tiger has been a great friend to GM and a fantastic asset through the years,' said GM vice-president Mark LaNeve.

'This decision is the result of discussions that started earlier in the year and the timing of this agreement with these other activities is purely coincidental.'

Woods, who needs four more major titles to match Jack Nicklaus atop the all-time list, is not certain when he will return to action after missing the past six months to let a knee heal.

A likely contender for Woods' comeback tournament is Torrey Pines, where he won in a playoff last June while limping to the finish.

The Southern California course will host the US PGA Buick Invitational next February and Woods has won his past five starts there.

Woods said last month he was 'very confident' in playing at next April's Masters, the next major golf championship. He has won the event four times.

Woods has carried the Buick brand on his golf bag since 1999. The only other sponsor logo seen around his clubs since he turned professional in 1996 has been that of another major sponsor, Titleist. -- AFP

Rusty, no KTH and an interrupted sleep

Teed off very early today at 7.15am with Dick, Robert and Jonas. After not having made a single swing for 3 weeks (not even at the range), I went onto the course to take on these 3 buayas.

First shot was really bad, a hook on Airforce 1 (sounds like George Bush's plane) into the left bunker. Out to green side and failed to get up-and-down. Can't get into the hang of things. Chipping was especially bad, not having any feel at all. Putting was in patches, some time excellent, some time horrible. Navy 4, had a horrendous 4-putts. However, I was quite pleased with my new swing, it was quite alright even after a long lay-off. Shot 89, which I think was still decent.

Luckily $ wise, did lose too much, won all 6-es, lost the 2nd drink hole. Individually, lost to Dick 15, Jonas 10 but thanks to Robert, who decided to "press", I won 25. So I broke even.

Dick played well today, especially in the AF9, scoring pars when the 3 of us were making bogies. Of course all of us had excuses for playing badly. Me, I was rusty after 3 weeks without golf. Jonas (aka Key Tow Hong) decided to leave his "Hong" at home.

Robert? He said his sleep was interrupted by his wife at 3am.

I shall not elaborate on the details.

World class vs regional talents

I can't believe I have not swung a golf club for the past 2 weeks. By this saturday, it will be 3. Came back after 2 weeks of winter chill in Switzerland and France just in time to catch the last day of Barclays Singapore Open.

One thing that struck me most was the gulf between world class talents such as Jeev Milka Singh, Harrington and Els vs regional talents such as Chapchai and Lam Chih Bing.

What differentiate them was mental toughness. When push come to shove, these world class players soak up the pressure and still make the key strokes and putts. Chapchai and Lam Chih Bing, both leading into round 4, wilted under the tremendous pressure. We have seen many times how golfers when paired with Tiger going to the last round get intimidated and ultimately present the the trophy to him.

Jeev Milka Singh also took a while to break through, and now he knows how to win, having won the Volvo Masters last year and now Singapore Open.

Lets hope Lam Chih Bing will learn from his good performances in the British Open and Singapore Open and achieve his major win (not Major) soon.

Jonas "Key Tow Hong" - Posted on behalf of CYM

Wow, this Jonas 'key tow hong', did not made a single mistake at Navy. Every 2nd shot attacked pin and masok green, man. Upto 6 holes down 3 holes, how to play. Offered to pay $7.50 to avoid further damage. Wow lau, he so confidence rejected my offer. So I decided to show him my colour.

At 7th hole I hid my 2nd shot to 105m and he put it on again, cnn pow see liao.

I took out my 9 irons and gave it a good hit. It sailed up, pin high, dropped about 15m from pin and rowed to about 4 ft away. The buaya nearly birdie the hole, gave me a fright but I also par it. So down to 2 holes.

At 8, cnn my ball went to the left and rolled into hazard. The buaya 'flicked his tail' and gave a crooked smile. I was disappointed with my tee but did not gave up hope. Found my ball in the hazard but playable, I took out my 5 iron, managed to get it out to about 60m from the green on the left. He hid into the bunker. I told myself, ada chance lah. I used my sand wredge and got my ball on to about 20ft from pin. Alamak, our buaya friend putted from the bunker to about 15 ft. Neh neh ku, know how to play safe, ha. Buaya ada sikit brain. I putted to about 3 ft away. Lucky he didn't masok lobang. We both bogeed and so it's down to 1.

He hid a f*$%ing good shot at 9 but landed in the bunker to the left. I screwed my tee shot to just 10 - 15 ft passed the red tee. My 2nd shot was solid but still on level distance with the buaya. Wow lau, his 7 iron got him to 120m to pin playing yellow. I told myself, if I can get to about 100m still got chance. Again I screwed my 3rd shot and left me with 165m away. I know with his 'tow hong' day he will put it on with his 3rd shot. So I died died must cheong. Took out my 5 iron (these days my 5 iron can carry 160m, don't need my U wood). Hit my 4th shot, sailed thru' the air, alamak kanang pergi lah and tok nam, loh. Maybe still got chance if he top and masok ayer. Prayed hard hard, Lee Heng also. Wow lau, the tow hong really tow hong, pin high and landed 3 ft away from hole for birdie chance. I raised my white flag. Lucky only 9 holes otherwise backside bocho.

Although, lost individual still got chance to win our three's. Lee Heng and myself is up 1 hole going into 9. Need only half to win. Lee Heng got his bogee. So both of us chant 'miss, miss, miss'. I can see the buaya hands trembling but being a buaya how to let the prey lari. So the bite was hard, deep and painful. His birdie got him to even par for the 9 holes.

Well done, Jonas!!! It was fun, the only regret we did not do was taunting you.

A game of 2 nines?

Can't agree more with this statement.

Again, the weather was not kind to us, especially early in the morning. All flights were delayed by 1 hour due to the rain. Even as we teed off at about 8.30am, it was still raining. The rain did not stop until the 7th hole.

I am not sure if it was the rain or my new swing, my first 9 was horrendous, with 2 triple bogies. Started with a birdie but could not sustain. Had a 12 over for the first 9. Poor Richard, both of us partnering for the first six could not beat Peter and Albert Teo. He threatened to report me to CPIB :).

At crossover, I told myself to wipe out the first 9 from my memory and focus on my game. Weather was perfect on the 2nd 9. No sun, no rain, what else is there to ask for. Shot 1 over for the 2nd 9 with a lone bogey on Navy 4.

Apologies to Dick, who was so kind to give an early slot to me as I needed to run an errand. He ended up unable to crossover due to the rain.

Heard Jonas had a solid Navy 9, he shot even par. No wonder his flight could not crossover. CYM must have deliberately slow the game down to avoid being slaughtered further.

A day with the bombers

Had the privilege of being in a flight of bombers, Covette, Huat Siong and Chong Win (me excluded). These 3 guys are constantly bombing 20-30m past me, sometimes even 40m, especially Huat Siong.

What makes them drive so far? They are not much bigger than me. So it must be the technique. This gives me more motivation to continue to work on my swing, just to keep up.

Having played 80 today with the swing change is very encouraging. I tot I will be making a mess at NSRCC. But I guess the key to a good score is still short game, chipping and putting, which helped me tremendously today.

Deepavali Open Results

Goofy Golf Deepavali Open was successfully held today, a day of beautiful weather. A total of 24 golfers participated in this event, 19 Goofy members and 5 guests. All of us had a really good time and enjoyed ourselves tremedously.

The results are:

1 Covette 9.4 / 22 /18/ 40 ( $50 proshop voucher )
2 Chee Hoo 17.9 /17/ 22/ 39 ($30 proshop voucher )
3 Robert 22.8/ 23 /15/ 38 ($20 proshop voucher )
4 Gerald 6.5 /20 /15/ 35
5 Huat Siong 12.8/ 20/ 14 /34
6 Dick 20.8 /14/ 19 /33 ocb
7 Lee Heng 23.0 /17 /16/ 33 ocb
8 Billy 20.5 /18 /15/ 33 ocb
9 Peter 21.5 /20/ 13/ 33
10 Phillip 20.5/ 20/ 12/ 32
11 Albert Tay 28.0 /14 /16/ 30
12 Jonas 14.7 /16/ 12 /28
13 Quek 28.0 /14/ 13/ 27 ocb
14 Albert Teo 20.7 /15/ 12 /27
15 CYM 28.0/ 8/ 18/ 26 ocb
16 Bobby 16.2 /13/ 13/ 26
17 Chi Keen 22.5/ 13 /11 /24
18 KP 23.8/ 13 /11/ 24
19 Charles 26.9 /14/ 9/ 23

Note : Hdp / Front9 /Back9/ Total ( Prize)

Congratulations to Covette, Chee Hoo and Robert.

Deepavali Open

Goofy Golf will be holding our first Deepavali Open on 27th Oct 2008. 22 golfers have already confirmed their participation. They are:

1. Kheng Poh
2. Robert
3. Peter
4. Philip
5. Albert Teo
6. Bobby
7. Chee Hoo
8. Billy
9. Quek
10. CYM
11. Charles
12. Albert Tay
13. Jonas
14. Gerald
15. Covette
16. Huat Siong
17. Lee Heng
18. Dick
19. Chi Keen
20. Daniel
21. Roy
22. Chong Win

We still have 2 more slots. Hurry and register if you have not.

Update : Sam is joining the event and now we have only 1 vacancy. Note that the competition is for Goofy members only. Non members are joining for social game only.

Moment of Truth

Played today at SCC with Siew, Meng Wee and Chiang and it is the first game with my swing change. Still struggling with the swing and I am not getting the distance I use to have. Other than my tee shot at 13 which was thin and found water, I think the rest of the shots were pretty ok. Fat shots at holes 1, 7, 8A and 10.

The main problem now is how to adapt the new swing for uphill and downhill lies which are the characteristics of the Commando Course.

The thing about SCC is that the course is short and it does not really punish you when you lack a little distance. The short game can still pull you up.

Lost to MW (gave 12) by 1 hole overall, halved Chiang (gave 4), lost 2 sixes.

I still need to work on the ball striking, leverage and the follow-thru. Overall, I am quite pleased with my first game. NSRCC will be a more stringent test.

Above is a picture of the right-sided swing that I am trying to adopt. Notice how the left hip is straight and quiet on the back swing?

2nd lesson

I have been practising the new swing for a week, trying to get the hang of it. Decided to go back to Paul for some pointers, just in case I got it wrong and I can get it corrected before it becomes ingrained. Well, I was right, and wrong.

Right to have gone back for the follow-up. Wrong in that I got some of the technique still incorrect.

I was still swaying my hip, although to a lesser extent than last week. We did some more work on keeping the hip quiet, the leverage and the follow through.

I finally grasp the concept of keeping the hip still, ie. by putting more weight on the left.

Tomorrow will be the moment of truth. I will be playing at Sembawang with my SCC kakis. I've got to give Meng Wee 12 strokes, I think. Chances of winning is not very high, even with my old swing. There is really nothing much to lose with my new swing.

Really missed playing with the guys at NSRCC today, but got to accompany gal to the NJC Open Day. So I am looking forward to Deepavali. I think Cheong (YM) will be very happy to play with me!!!

Work-in-progress

Went back to the range today to try to practise the new swing. I must admit, it is damn hard to unlearn 10 years of muscle memories, all due to the tens of thousands of golf balls I have hit over the years. I still feel so uncomfortable adopting the new setup and swing.

It has been quite a while I shanked so many times on the range with a 7 iron. But this new swing has certain advantages. I am hitting it pretty straight although I am still new at it. It is still somewhat lacking in power as the swing speed is still not there.

Nonetheless, I will still perservere.

Overhauling the swing

I am embarking on something of a gamble, something crazy.... I am going to overhaul my swing.

Took up a lesson with Gary Edwin and Peter Senior Golf Academy at OCC and today was the first lesson. They charged $120 per hour (one to one)and if I would like to continue, the $120 can be offsetted against the package price.

Spend 1 hour with Paul Tudor, who asked me to hit a few shots with my 7 iron and videotaped me. The next 30 minutes was spend in the aircon room, analysing on the the computer and working in front of mirrors.

Running my video next to PGA pros such as Rod Pampling, the difference was very obvious. I was swaying my body too much, to the right during the backswing and to the left on the downswing. Now this was exactly what I learned from my first coach, David Jest at Green Fairway, ie. weight transfer.

I am not sure if it was a compliment or not, Paul said I swing like Jack Nicklaus :). OUTDATED!!! OLD SCHOOL OF THOUGHT!!!. He said that this swing has to rely on perfect timing to execute correctly.

What the academy teaches is "The Right Handed Swing". A teaching by Gary Edwin and Peter Senior and is adopted by a lot of Aussie pros such as Peter Lonard and Rod Pampling.

So the next few minutes was spend in front of the mirror trying to emulate the setup
(reverse K), which was totally different from my usual setup. The fundamental difference is to fixed your left side and swing with the right. They say this is a more efficient swing without the swaying.

After working on the mirror and the impact bag, it was back to the range. After hitting a few balls with the new swing, he taped me again. And this time, back to the computer, hey presto, against Pampling, the swing was quite similar. But of course, the result is not.

I am still working on the setup and will see how I progress. I think its pointless to go back every week. My intention is to work on what I have learned and to go back every 2 weeks to work with Paul again.

Of course, in the mean time, I will avoid the buayas who might be taking advantage of my...er...work-in-progress. :)

Why do you like golf?

What is it about golf that is so addictive? Whether you had a good game or a bad game, you always want to go back for more.

There is this popular saying "The worst day in golf is still better than the best day in the office".

For me, golf is my way of destressing, when I am out on the course, I am in my own world. You get the feeling that you are trouble-free. Perhaps it is a form of escapism. The other reason is the comradeship. I get to mix with my kakis who are so much fun to be around with. No barriers, no air, no nothing. Just golf.

Let's hear from you guys.

Sam and I lost 1 down in 4BBB

Came back to NSRCC for the 2nd round of 4BBB. To our dismay, we found out that we will be playing scratch ie. no handicapping. Our opponents were Michael and Jack, so we called them Michael Jackson!

We started off very well in Army with a win on hole 1 and maintained the lead til hole 4 which we lost. Both teams have chances to win subsequent holes but either did not capitalise or the opponent made excellent putts.

It was all-square all the way till Airforce 2 which we lost but we promptly level the score at Airforce 3.

Sam and I both teed into the water on hole 5 but we lost to a birdie on that hole, so that was a consolation.

We lost hole 6 and found ourselves 2 down with 3 to go. The match can end on Airforce 7, if we lost. But we managed to halve 7 and won 8, so the match went down the wire to the last hole.

Sam bogeyed the hole 9 and halve our opponent but it was not enough. We needed to win the last hole. The match was lost.

Michael Jackson managed to win because they were more complementary to each other. When one screwed up, the other save the team. They also sank about 3 crucial putts from a long distance, otherwise we would have won those 3 holes. I think they were also more experience in matchplay than us.

Overall, it was an exciting game. I made a couple of nerve-wrecking putts to halve the holes. Sam had a better game than me, putting in from the fringe twice. I did one round better than last year, so next year, the goal is to make it to the 3rd round.

Enough of competition for me. Lately, I have been playing in quite a few events. Time for some rest.

From 4BBB to Saddam

I partnered Sam for the 4BBB (4-balls better ball) competition in which today was the qualifying round.

As usual, Sam, Hong Pew and Roy were so enthusiastic in wanting to Saddam me. At face value, I thought it was a bad deal, Hong Pew is now playing at 16. But for the fun of it, I took the challenge.

So the 4BBB competition kinda took a back seat to Saddam.

Straight away after the first 3 holes in Navy, I was already 3 down, eventhough I was only 1 over. Sam birdied the 2nd hole and Hong Pew birdied the 3rd. I sort of accepted my fate that Saddam will be killed. I even had a horrendous double par when I hit the roof of the Army halfway house (eventhough I was playing on Navy :))and the ball went OB.

Nonetheless, I just focussed on my game and narrow down to 2 down at crossover. My back 9 was more solid. Started off with par-par-birdie, to narrow down to 1-down. After the 6th hole, I was 2-down again. On the 7th hole, I teed into the bunker whereas Roy was already at the greenside putting for birdie. I hit out from the bunker to about 4 feet. Roy missed his birdie and I sank my par. I was still 2 down going to the last 2 holes.

I was regulation on at 8th green and Hong Pew hit his 3rd out from the bunker to about 6 feet. I made par and he bogeyed. So I was 1-down going to the last hole.

I teed-off into the hazard but luckily I found my ball in the thick vegetation. Sam was nicely on the fairway. I chopped my ball out with my 60 deg wedge to about 140m and put my ball on the green with my next shot. Sam hit his 2nd shot into the water and played his 4th to about 5 feet from the hole. I 2-putted for bogey but Sam missed his bogey putt. Phew!! Saddam survived the attack by United Nations!! I was never in the lead at all throughout the whole game!

For the 4BBB, me and Sam came in 5th overall with 62 and made it to the 2nd round. Roy and Hong Pew came in 30th with 69, they missed the cut.

Sam and I will be back tomorrow for the 2nd round which will be a matchplay format. Lets see whether we can make it to the 3rd round.

Gerald wins the Sembawang Championship for B Division!!

Sorry, I could not blog as I was playing 36 holes, dinner and prize presentation, went to Robert and Peter's brother's wake (my condolence to both of you), then came back to watch the F1. Was damn tired and soon knocked out flat.

So here is the update.

Maintaining a lead of 7 strokes after Day 1, I started Day 2 with an early tee off at 7.17am. I was in the group of the 4 leading players. Started off very well, with some superb puttings, birdieing the very first hole. Played the front 9 at 3 over with one-putt at 4 holes.

However, 2nd 9 was a different story. My nightmare started with bogeying 10 and 11 and had a horrendous double par (4)on 12. Teed off into the bush, found the ball but could not get it out in my first attempt. Reverse chipped out on the 2nd. Made mess at this hole. Finished the back 9 at 11 over for a total of 86. If not for my strong front 9, my result would have been much worse.

My nearest competitor Teck Lee had a 83 and my lead was down to 4 strokes (167 vs 171). The other 2 players faded away and were no longer in contention.

Had a quick 15 minutes lunch at the terrace and soon teed off for the 3rd game. I figured I cannot play anything worse than my last 9.

Started badly again with a series of bogies. The only consolation was parring the last 2 holes on the first 9 to score +7. My closest competitor scored +4 and I lost another 3 strokes of lead, which was down to one (210 vs 211).

As the day got on, I was feeling damn tired. I constantly remembered to keep myself hydrated so that I don't end up a victim of heat exhaustion.

My swing also started to deteriorate as I was getting tired. I lost confidence in my driving as I had to use my old driver as my current one is non-conforming. My only consolation was my putting.

I started my last 9 holding on to a precarious 1 shot lead. When your long game deserted you, your short game became handy. Chipping and putting was my saviour of the day.

I held a 2-shot overall lead going into the last hole which I bogeyed and my opponent parred. He shot 4 over on the 2nd 9 and I matched him with a 4 over. I won the SCC Championship for B Division by a single stroke! Phew! I now realised how some of the PGA golfers felt when they are in the lead and being chased by Tiger Woods.

My gross score was 250 (81, 86, 83), my chaser was at 251 (88, 83, 80). The winner of the overall championship was from A Div at 249. Yeah, I could have won the overall championship if not for the screw-up at hole 12.

For my effort, I won 3 trophies. Overall Men's Division B Gross Champion, Day 1 Best Gross and Day 3 2nd Nett score.

USA wins Ryder Cup

After leading the 1st day 5 1/2 vs 2 1/2 and the 2nd day 9 vs 7, USA romped to a 16 1/2 vs 11 1/2 victory over Europe at the 2008 Ryder Cup held at Valhalla Country Club, reversing a trend of 3 straight losses.

Paul Azinger's bet on 6 rookies paid off as they proved with grit and determination that they can match up to the best that Europe can offer. Antony Kim, Chad Campbell, Ben Curtis and JB Holmes all won their individual matches. Hunter Mahan, also a rookie, was the leading points winner with 3.5 out of maximum 5.

Especially impressive was debutant Antony Kim who thrashed Sergio Garcia 5 and 4 and led the singles victory charge. Kim, who won 2 PGA events this year was more than a match for Sergio, conceding nothing to him. I am begining to like Kim a lot and I think he will be Top-3 in the World Ranking by next year. Just watch out.

So was Tiger missed at the event?

Gerald leads Sembawang Country Club Championship After Day 1...

For the first time ever, 11 years after I joined SCC, I took part in the Club Championship. The event will be played over 3 x 18 holes. The first game being today and 36 holes will be played next Sunday 28th Sep 08.

On a very hot afternoon, I shot a gross score of 81 and a nett score of 68, playing at handicap 10.5 and course handicap of 13. I am leading the Men's B Division and tied for lead across the A, B and C division. The leaders in all 3 divisions are 68 nett.

The pin positions today were some of the toughest I have ever played at SCC and the greens were very fast due to the dry condition.

I didn't start very well as I was not relax enough. Took the turn at 42 which was not very good. The only saviour was a birdie at hole 7. The 2nd 9 was a lot better as I started to relax and play my normal game. Shot 39 with a birdie at hole 16.

Let's hope I can maintain my form or improve for next Sunday's game. Watch this blog for update. Check out SCC website at www.sembawanggolf.org.sg for the detailed results.

Fastest fingers...

This lastest change in booking system of 50/50 walk-in and internet has made internet booking more important. Those of you who cannot be at the club to do the booking can try to book via internet.

I just want to share some internet booking tricks how to make sure you can get a slot.

1. Key into your calendar for a weekly reminder at 5.55pm to remind you. If you have access to internet, you can try.

2. Open a Word file or notepad. Type out your membership number. Then you block copy the whole number. This is to allow you to paste directly without typing in the booking page.

3. Do have a simple password (eg. AAAAAAAA). No point making it so complicated that it slows you down.

4. 10 secs before Friday 6pm, refresh the booking page. It should refresh just after 6pm. If you do it after 6pm, it might be too slow.

5. Once the weekend slots appear, paste your membership number (remember you have copied it earlier?) and key in your simple password and choose the day. Click "Book".

6. Quickly choose any slot that is available. Those later time slots will be easier to book, eg. 8.53 or 9.07. Kranji is also easier to book.

By using some of these tricks, you can save critical seconds that will allow you to get a slot. Some of you might know of other tricks, do share with us here.

I am looking foward to 100% internet booking. With so many members, I am sure our club can get at least 4 slots.

Wet wet wet

Woke up this morning hearing the rain drops outside my bedroom window. Called the clubhouse at Kranji and was told that the course was closed till 8am. It was 7am then. Since our t-time was 8.39am, our earliest t-off will be about 9.30am.

SMS Jonas to tell him that course was closed, but that kan cheong spider said he was already on the way there. At 7am.

As usual, thinking of playing 9 holes, already "sian ji puah". Nonetheless, since I have to get used to my old driver (found out my SQ+ was non-conforming) and will need to use it in SCC's Club Championship next week.

Finally when the course opened, it was about 10am. Gave Jonas 1, Bobby 1 and Billy 7. Well, I should have stayed at home to sleep :). Played 7 over and lost 1, 2 and 2 holes respectively, $10 for 9 holes each. We can only play 3-es, I lost 1, win 1 and half 1. Another $15 down.

With this latest booking system, it is causing havoc on the way the group can play together. Either NSRCC implement an all internet or all walk-in. This system is neither here nor there.

7 Tips for golfers

These are some tips I received via Andy Brown E-zine. Just thought I should share with you. I don't agree with his first point. The rest, I thought they are quite sensible. What do you think?


"My Number One Key Lesson, and possibly the
most important of all, is the fact that I REFUSED
to change my clubs until I had broken 80.

i.e. I didn't even think about the concept of
all the new technology and "buying a better game"
until I had a really sound swing grooved in and
a proper understanding of how to play the game.

I shot a 78 with a ten year old Big Bertha, a
20 year old Mizuno three wood, a set of hand-me-down
Mizuno irons (that were at least 20 years old)
and a horrible old Wilson putter that was found
lying around the store at the golf centre.

So the lesson is .....

Plain and Simple ....

- don't put the cart before the horse!

Don't expect great clubs to make you a great golfer
- And here's WHY in a Nutshell!


Number Two is to make use of the wedges.

But again DON'T start jumping into the whole
lob wedge thing before you can really play
well round the green.

The lob wedge is a great tool but don't expect
to improve your scoring and keep it well out
of your bag when you're out on the course until
you are really comfortable with it around a
practice green.

After you are comfortable with it then get
yourself four, equally spaced (I use 46/52/56/60)
wedges and get out there and work out exact
distances with each club.


Number Three - Get a putter you love - you must
really love the feel of a putter or it simply
won't work for you.

It almost doesn't matter what it looks like -
as long as you can fall in love with it then
it can work for you.

I used (cue: golfing madness alert) to sit
twiddling my putter while watching TV in an
effort to get really comfortable with its weight
and feel

- I advise you to do the same but be aware
that, yet again, this stuff doesn't exactly
make you popular with your partner.

I did exactly the same thing with my Ping 56* SW
since that became my round the green "go to" club.


Number Four - get the easiest to hit irons you
can find.

Don't worry about what they look like and be
swayed by the looks of super-sexy slim blades.

The name of the game (unless you're already a
single figure handicapper) is to find great game
improvement irons.

I used Mizuno MX-17s during the challenge and as
a present to myself after I completed the challenge
traded them in for beautiful forged MP-30s which,
if I'm honest, I doubt that I hit as well as the
much cheaper Mx-17s.

So remove the ego and get inexpensive cavity back
game-improvement irons.


Number Five - use hybrid clubs.

The average high handicapper really shouldn't be
using a 3 or even a 4 iron these days.

Hybrids make the job vastly easier.

I have a Mizuno 2 iron MP-37 blade which I use at
the range to teach myself certain practice
techniques (more later) but it goes nowhere
near my bag on the course and I don't even have
a 3 iron.

So again ignore the ego, ignore your mates who
call them "girl's clubs" and buy at least one
hybrid.

Number Six - get a decent driver that suits your
swing.

I spent a clean fortune on drivers during the
year and that was ultimately a mistake.

But it's a mistake a huge amount of golfers make.

We're forced, through the power of huge advertising
budgets, to think that the newest driver on the block
will transform our game.

The key is to get one decent driver that suits your
game and stick with it.


Number Seven - buy last year's models.

Irons, drivers, hybrids etc. should all be bought
one year out of date.

The industry moves at a ferocious pace and most of
the time you can buy a brand new club for as low
as half the original price just because it isn't
fashionable any more!

Avoid the hype and keep a rational mind (even though
I know, more than anyone, how tough that can be with golf)"

Spiderman wins BMW Championship

Camilo Villegas, aka Spiderman won his first tournament in the PGA Tour at the BMW Championship. In the rain-delayed event, the Colombian with model look and stylish dressing, led wire-to-wire with scores of 65-66-66-68, to win by 2 shots.

Villegas has been contending in the past few events and finally he got his breakthrough win. Why is he called Spiderman? Well, just take a look at the picture above and you will know what I mean.

Vijay Singh, who won the first two events of the Fedex Cup Playoff, tied for 44th and earned enough points that all he has to do is complete four rounds at THE TOUR Championship in two weeks to collect the $10 million payoff.

The only way Vijay can lose, is to be disqualified and Camilo wins the Tour Championship.

You can, if you think you can

Vijay won back-to-back Fedex Cup playoff at Barclays and Deutschebank Open with some awesome putting. A couple from 30 feets to 50 feets.

We all know Vijay is not a strong in putting until now. Why this change? He said:

"I think in my head, I convinced myself that I'm the best putter.

I think through the past weeks and months and years, with the media talking about my putting and writing about my putting and people talking about my putting and people want to help me, I must have had hundreds of letters and phone calls and all saying that they can fix my putting.

At the end of the day, it gets to your head that you're not a good putter.

So I made a point after last week that going to change that attitude, and I believed in myself that I'm the best putter, and I came out here with a different attitude, and I putted great this week.

If I keep doing this, I'm going to win a lot more golf tournaments."

And sure enough, he was holing putts from all over the place.

This reminds me of my 2 sessions with my hypnotherapist, Jennifer Norris. Basically, hypnotherapy is about working on your subconscious and unconscious mind. You start to think of the positives and put all the negatives aside. You will believe you can pull off whatever you want to do. This gives you the mental strength to play golf.

I credit Jennifer for the improvements I have made to my game, especially the mental aspect. Since her sessions, I must have cut 8 strokes off my handicap.

For those of you who are keen to learn more about hypnosis and how it can help your golf, visit http://www.greymatternetwork.com. If you are game to try, contact Jennifer at 96930676.

Richard tames the 3 buayas

In a week of persistent daily rain, this morning's sunshine was a welcomed relief.

Teed off early with Richard, Jonas and Covette. I played the first 9 pretty well but soon the game changed after the crossover, a torrid 10 over.

Richard was in top form today scoring 84 despite 3 double bogies. The 3 buayas got thrashed by him and were sent licking our wounds.

For the record, Richard made $25 from Covette (press), $20 from Jonas and $10 from me. I lost the 2nd 9 to Richard by 5 holes. He don't even need strokes to beat me.

Winning the Lily Neo Challenge Trophy Golf Tournament

Took part in the Lily Neo Challenge Trophy Golf Tournament today at Orchid Country Club. It was a fund raising event meant to provide assistance to the needy in Kim Seng Constituency.

Based on System 36, I scored a gross of 2 over 75 and 39 stableford points with 3 birdies and no blown holes. Maximum score I had were bogies. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th positions were all tied at 38 points.

Again the game was disrupted by rain and lightning. We had to stop for 30 minutes before we can finish our last 3 holes.

The highlight of the day has to be receiving the trophies from Dr Lily Neo, the prettiest lady MP in Singapore.

For my effort, I received a Challenge Trophy, a beautiful crystal trophy which I get to keep, $150 Robinson shopping vouchers and 2 boxes of balls. I think I got back more than what I have contributed to the charity.

One good deed deserves another!

Well done, Jiawei, Yuegu and Tianwei!

I thought I should devote some space to these three outstanding athletes in a sport that play another type of white ball that is similar to ours.

I managed the catch the final match of the team event semi-final. TianWei was fighting the fiesty Korean girl. And god, it was a hell of a match! I was really impressed by the tenacity of our girl, the strong will and desire to win for Singapore.

When the Korean missed her last shot, I screamed and cheered. We made it to the final and after 48 long years of wait, we got at least a silver medal. The match against China is a forgone conclusion, we don't stand a chance against this powerhouse.

I was really sad to hear a friend made a comment recently. He said, "I really hope they lose, they are all imports in the first place". Why should there be a differentiation?

Singapore has never shy away from the foreign talent approach in wanting the best resources for the country. Though the 3 of them were foreign born (indeed the whole team were foreign by birth), we should really embrace them as part of our own. Our forefathers were also imigrants, didn't they contribute to nation building too?

We want the best talents to grow the economy, we should also do the same for sports.

Well done girls! Jiayou!

Rain out

Woke up this morning with great anticipation, even before my alarm went off. Afterall, I have not played at NSRCC for the past 1 month. Also looking forward to battle the big buayas, Jimmy, Jonas and Bobby.

But alas, it was not meant to be. As I sat at the breakfast table, the sky grew dark and eventually started to pour. It was about 7.30am. Quickly messaged Dick and Jimmy since they live near to the course. They told me bad news, it was raining in the east too. Called the club house and was told that course was closed till 8.45am. Since my flight was 8.53am and they have to clear their backlog, I figure we will not be able to crossover. If the closure is extended, I think even the earlier flights will not be able to cross.

So decided to pull out and had a nice cool quiet Saturday morning reading the papers and will still be in time to sent my girl for her golf lesson at 2pm.

Perhaps tomorrow, I can try to join a flight at Sembawang just to satisfy my "gian". Any one keen to join me? Couple of flights are still available in the afternoon.

Guys, did you put in any game? How did your day go?

Golf in Davao

I was in Davao, Philippines for a work cum leisure trip from 13th to 17th Aug. Davao is in the island of Mindanao which is in the south, near the troubled area of Cotabato.

While there, I managed to put in 2 games, one at Palos Verdes Golf and Country Club and Apo Golf and Country Club.

About 45 min drive from the city, Palos Verdes is a very hilly and undulating course. Every fairway is uniquely designed. One of the par 3 is a 180 m hole with a steep ravine the right side. You need a carry of 180 if you are going for the green. The 9th hole reminds me of the last hole in Kapalua, Hawaii. Not that I have been there but I saw it many times in the Mercedes Open. You will require a tee shot of 210 m and the 2nd shot of about 170m across a cliff. Nice. Play +7, +3 from white which is not particularly satisfying. Top course in Davao, worth playing again.

Apo is slightly nearer to the City. It is a very flat but mature course with huge trees lining both sides of the fairway. The course is not scenic, very much a city course. Somehow did not like the water features lining the course cos they smelled of sewage. However, my umbrella girl Lovely made it more tolerable for me :). The greens were nice, fast and true. Played +5, +5 from white, somehow was a little distracted by Lovely!! Haha! The girls will make me go back to the course, not the course itself.

Guess which one is Lovely?

Padraig Harrington wins back-to-back Majors

Sergio Garcia must be wondering what he needed to do to win a Major, despite Tiger not being around. I think he will win when Harrington is not around. This is the 2nd time he finished 2nd to Harrington in a major championship, the previous one being the 2007 Open Championship.

Harrington shot 277 (3 under)to win the PGA Championship by 2 strokes. Sergio was again let down by his woeful putting. He had a putt from 5 feet on the 17th hole for a birdie, nearer than Harrington. He missed the chance to tie the lead after missing that birdie attempt. Tied for 2nd is Ben Curtis, former Open Champion.

Harrington became only the 4th person to win the PGA Championship after winning The Open Championship. He is currently the hottest player in the world right now having won 3 of the last 6 majors.

Dick was correct when he predicted Sergio is one of the in-form player. He is definitely still the BPYTWAM. Best player yet to win a major.

AWESOME 71!!!

Man, I am over the moon. Never in my life have I imagined I can shoot close to par. Well, I shot 1 under par at Sembawang Country Club from blue tee!!! 71!!.

It was the round of my life. It is like striking Toto on 888 (well, not really).

4 Birdies, 3 bogies and 11 pars, 100% fairway hit, only 3 putted once. Everything just worked perfectly. Driving was straight, approach was solid, chipping let me down only once and putting was superb.

Started the day early at 7.25am. Didn't expect much, just playing consistent golf. Was par all the way until the 6th hole which I lost a shot. Immediately I recovered with a birdie on 7th. Took the turn at even par. Gain a shot each at 12th and 13th. A 3-putt, even with a regulation on, caused a bogey on the 16th. But immediately recovered with another birdie on 17th.

On 18th tee, I was wondering what my eventual score will be. Started to get nervous. First shot found the right side on the green but luckily not in the ravine. Chipped out from the rough on the green and faced a downhill quick putt. I 2-putted for bogey and total score of 71. But I must admit the last putt I was virtually trembling. It was almost unbelievable.

It was a beautiful, awesome game.

Jeev Milkha Singh is joint leader after Day 1 at PGA Championship

Jeev Milkha Singh is doing Asia proud by shooting a 68 and is among the 3 persons leading the PGA Championship after Day 1. The other 2 are Robert Karlsson and Andres Romero

My pick Lee Westwood shot 77 and is 7-over for the day. Looks like I might have to stick to my day time job rather than a golf pundit :).

Who will win the PGA Championship?

If Tiger is playing, my money will be on him. But he is not.

Vijay has just won the WGC Bridgestone Invitational, so he is one of the in-form player. But his putting is horrendous.

Phil Michelson finished tied for 4th at the same event, so he must be fancying his chances.

Lee Westwood has been contending in the last few events. US Open, The Open Championship and the WGC. This could be his breakthrough win.

I have a preference for a first-time major winner. So my bet is on Lee Westwood.

So who is your pick?

Gerald wins Juniper Charity Golf and a hole-in-one!

On Friday, I shot 80 at Keppel Golf Club, scored 38 points based on System 36 and won the Juniper Networks Charity Golf on countback!

I was invited by Avaya to take part in this event on this hot and sunny afternoon. In my flight were Ramon of Citigroup, Jispal Singh of AIG and Fulvio of Avaya.

The famous Keppel Club terrain took a toll on us early. I struggled and did not manage a single par for the first 6 holes. But I know it does not matter as long as I don't shoot a triple bogey or more. All that matters were birdies!!!!

On the 7th hole, a downhill par 3, I was about 12 feets from the hole after the tee shot. I told myself I have to get the birdie. It was a slight uphill, right edge. Took a firm putt and sank it. It was to be the turning point of my game. From there, I had a run of 8 pars, 1 bogey and another birdie.

Figuring that I will need at least 3 birdies to win, I played aggressive on the last hole but unfortunately dumped the ball into the water. Nonetheless, I shot double bogey for that hole and I know it would not hurt me that much.

With 2 birdies and 38 points, I think my chance was pretty good for the top few prizes. And true enough I won, on count back.

The top prize was a set of latest Titleist AP-1 irons with a bag. Since this was a charity event in support of Special Olympics, I decided to auction the set off. I managed to raise $2200. Not bad eh? Maybe if it was AP-2, I might have kept it :).

And no..I was not the one with the hole-in-one. It was my good friend Darren Ng from Fujitsu (ex-scs). I was so happy for him. Too bad he did not win a car cos there was no sponsorship. Just a little trophy. But still, it was a great day for all of us.

Horizon Hills Golf & Country Club - Review

Today, 6 of us decided to check out the latest golf course in Johor, Horizon Hills. Hong Pew, Roy, Bruno, Quek, Lawrence and myself set out early in the morning 7am with great anticipation. The weather was fine but the traffic to Tuas was quite bad but after crossing the causeway, traffic was smooth.

As all of us have not been there, I only relied on directions given by a friend. Exit to Pasir Gudang highway after 2nd Link and take the first exit out. Guess we were too excited, we exited too early to Nusajaya and went on a big excursion inside a huge construction site. Finally I called the clubhouse and they told us to take the Pulai Interchange Exit 307C then Exit 308.

Eventually we found the place. It was still before 9.15 so we managed to get the early bird price, which was RM110 without caddy. With caddy, the price is RM127, but because we were late, all the caddies were taken.

We teed-off at about 9am. I find the course beautifully designed and the condition excellent. The fairways are almost unblemished, of course with some divots unpatched. The greens are fast and true, perhaps about 6 on the stimpmeter, and almost all are well protected by bunkers, many huge and deep. Just take a look at the above picture and you will know what I mean.

The par 3 is particularly challenging, esp the 17th hole, which is an island green. The other par 3 (8th hole) is also very tough. You need about 170m carry to reach the green, protected on the left by water and right by a bunker.

I also find the Par 5s very well designed. 2 or 3 of them, you need to clear water hazards for your 2nd and 3rd shot.

The course is nestled within a huge property development under the Nusajaya precint. All around the course were constructions. The course can be very hot as it is quite bare, the trees are all young saplings, hardly any shades at all.

In terms of clubhouse, I would rate it as nice but bare. No other facilities other than golfing and F&B. As for the service at the golfer terrace, you get the typical slow and lousy service like most of the other Malaysian clubhouses.

No golf is complete without a little wager. I played 89 (42,47), not very happy with the 2nd nine due to the constant bunker practices. But I still won $5 each from Hong Pew and Roy, so not bad la.

Overall I would rate the course as fantastic, in terms of golfing experience. In my opinion it is the best course in Johor right now. Perhaps it is still new.

So guys, you better try it before the condition deteriorate. I will be heading there pretty soon to conquer the course :).

New golf course in Johor - Horizon Hills

The golf course at Horizon Hills is now open for play. It is located at Nusajaya, Johor, near Skudai/Perling.

The visitor green fee is RM175 for weekdays and RM275 for weekends, inclusive of buggy and caddy. You can call +6072356940 for bookings. For more information visit - http://www.horizonhills.com.my/main.html.

I am thinking of going there next week to play. Any takers?

And now he has 2...

Padraig Harrington wins The Open Championship. Defying an injured right wrist that almost threatened to derail his plan, he successfully defended his title against Greg Norman and Ian Poulter.

Starting the day 2 strokes behind Norman, Harrington quickly took the lead after 3 holes. The game then see-sawed between these 2 with Norman fading away on the back 9. Poulter's late charge on the back 9 left him and Harrington as the only 2 golfers to break par on the final day.

But Harrington had other ideas. He shot a superb eagle-3 on the 17th hole to seal up the tournament and win by 4.

Singapore Lam Chih Bing had another horrid day as he shot 81 to finish 83rd on the list, last of those who made the cut.

Lam Chih Bing makes cut at British Open

He achieved a major milestone for Singapore by being the first ever to make the cut for The Open being held at Royal Birkdale right now. He shot 72-75 for a total of 5 over, ahead of many big names such as Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els and Vijah Singh. For a while, he was even on the first page of the leaderboard (though that was only after 4 holes).

Unfortunately, Lam shot 83 on the brutal day 3 which had winds blowing in excess of 60mph. There was this instance where Jacobson refused to address his ball which was in the bunker, where the wind keep moving the ball. This caused 4 flights to be stuck at the 10th tee. The official eventually waived the rule. 30 minutes were lost.

His position dropped to last in the field after 3 rounds. Lets hope he will do better in Day 4. But Lam has already achieve history for Singapore.

Super Strokes Putting Grip

Have you seen the thick putter grip used by KJ Choi?

Well, I invested in one last Friday and immediately fixed it onto my putter. I used it on Saturday and WOW! I had one of my best rounds in putting in my whole golfing career. I had 2 birdies and a couple of other putts were holed out from more than 10 feets.

The thick grip actually takes away the tension in the hands and also reduces wrist actions. I find it great for near putts. For long putts, you may lose a bit of your feel.

It cost $60 at the NSRCC proshop. Mine now only cost $35 now after realising some ROI :).

If you are having some problems in putting, try it!!

The Tee-off...

Welcome to the all new Goofy Golf blog!

This will be the forum where all we crazy goofy golfers exchange our ideas and views. There will be no limits on what you can talk about. You can blog about your new equipment, latest duels, winnings or your unfortunate experience being eaten up by buayas. Or you can discuss whether Cengkareng or Padang Moden have buggies or not!!

The photo above shows the 8 of us who went to Kunming/Lijiang. The whole Goofy Golf has more than 30 members.

For a start, the committee members will be the authors of this blog. All other members can participate as "commentors". We will see how it goes from here. Committee members, please email me your google accounts.

So lets tee-off now!