Jakarta Weekend Golf, INDONESIA

AUGUST 8 – 9, 2008

DI asked Zack and me to join him for a weekend of golf in Jakarta. It sounded like a crazy arrangement. Take the first flight out of KL on Saturday to Jakarta and return the next day after 2 rounds of golf. If there was ample time, we were supposed to play the third 18 holes before the 7.45pm flight back. We were following the Minister of Information, Datuk Shabery Chik and his entourage. We just could not resist. Datuk Bahar, another crazy golfer joined our flight.

We left KL by Malaysian Airline with the Minister and his gang. Upon arrival in Jakarta, we made our way in a separate transport arrangement to Pantai Indah Kapok Golf Club, a beautiful course not too far from the airport. I had played there before and loved the course.


PANTAI INDAH KAPOK GOLF CLUB

Kapok's Green

Coconut Trees Fringed Fairways

We were at the club house early. The embassy booked our round at 1.30pm and it was not even 11.30am. DI just could not wait to hit the fairway. When the minister’s group arrived, we were ready to tee off. The weather was excellent with no cloud in sight. It was mid day. A recipe for my migraine was in the making. The hot sea breeze was of no help to cool the afternoon heat. We were roasted on the fairways.


Zack teeing off

I was losing more balls in the rough fringing the fairways. Even when I found the ball, it was a tough job trying to get out. Other than the tough rough, the fairways were in pristine condition, a golfer’s dream. The greens were so fast that only those with PGA experience could manage a decent putt. Zack was putting well, liking the greens to his Saujana course back in KL.

Pantai Indah Kapok is a Robert Trent Jones Jr.’s designed course. It measures 6,084 metres from blue tees. The fairways are fringed by coconut trees and “tough” rough. All holes have water ponds on their left or right side, a uniquely designed course. The biggest man made pond fronting the club house gives the course its picturesque backdrop. From afar, it looks like an ideal pond, azure blue water with white sandy beach. However, sandy white beach is actually made from cement and painted white. It looks stunningly beautiful.

DI and the caddies

When the dust settled, everybody had a tough round. I liked the course so much that the score did not matter.

Kapok's Club House

After the game we left for our hotel without taking the usual shower after golf round. We checked into our hotel, Red Top. We stayed at this 4-star hotel during the last trip.

We had dinner at Laguna Restaurant, a popular place for tourists and locals alike, serving Sundanese foods. It was jam-packed with diners. Our group was one big entourage due to the presence of the minister. Sundanese foods were served hot from the kitchen, unlike nasi padang, another Indonesian favourite cuisine.

ROYALE JAKARTA GOLF CLUB (HALIM 3 GOLF CLUB




This is one course in Jakarta that is gaining popularity with golfers especially Malaysians. It also means a slow demise of Bogor Raya. Just like Bogor Raya before, the main attraction was its big pool of beautiful caddies. The club house was still under construction. The makeshift club house with restaurant, registration desk, caddy shack and pro shop added to a crowded welcome.


The Minister's Big Group

The Caddies

The golf course is still relatively new. The trees were just planted making the place one big open course with no shades. The fairways were well kept, just like most good courses in Indonesia.
I was not hitting the balls well enough, registering triple bogeys all over. I decided to quit half way and waited for the rest at the makeshift club house. It was hot and crowded. I could not believe the number of golfers coming to play at this club. After more than 2 hours, the first flight comprising the minister and his big betting golfing buddies came back. Then, the rest followed. We had bets carried forward from the day earlier. The purse total was impressive in Rupiah, 4.8 million.

The Green

We left to have lunch in the city. We had plenty of time to kill before our 7.45pm flight.