Borneo Golf & Country Club, Sabah, MALAYSIA

December 26, 2007

The drive to the golf course located in Bongawan from Kota Kinabalu (KK) took more than 1 hour. We left KK early and wanted to stop for breakfast half way. Most of the restaurants were still closed. It was the day after Christmas. Since there was no eating place available along the Papar-Beaufort Highway, we had our breakfast at the club house.

The 18th Green with Club House at the Back

Borneo is one of my favourite, must-play golf course. It was designed by the Great Bear himself, Jack Nicklaus. The course was a far cry from a laid back atmosphere the last time I was there. There seemed to be a Korean invasion when the ownership changed to Korean hands. It is now a 100% Korean club. The restaurant at the club house serves mainly Korean food. Even the TV program was Korean. To add insult to injury for the locals, the mangosteens, very expensive fruits in Korea and Japan were sold at RM10 for 12. Since it was winter in Korea, the club was full of Koreans running away from the cold.

With a View like This, Borneo Remains as One of My Favourites (156m Par 3 Hole 14)

However, there was a plus side from the Korean invasion. The course was well kept. What else could a golfer ask? They had added more chalets to the place. I was told that the Koreans camped out at the place during their winter time.

We started from the 10th tee box since there was a group of Koreans on the first. As a rule of thumb in local golf, try to avoid playing behind a group of Koreans or Japanese. They are very slow. Once in Bukit Tinggi I played with 2 Koreans and a Malaysian friend. We spent a good 6 hours on the course for an 18-hole round.

Hamidon & I on Hole 15. Hamidon's approach shot landed in the big seaside 'bunker'.

I had a solid start, out-driving everybody including the long hitter Datuk Iskandar on the first hole. We were feeling a bit gung ho and played from the longer gold tee box. There were 5 of us in our flight. Hanafiah was late. The club allowed a maximum of 5 golfers in 1 flight. I started with a par followed by a boogey and a par. It was too good for my standard. Then we came to one of the most memorable holes in all the golf courses that I played.

The 355m Par 4 Hole No.13 was certainly the best Borneo had to offer. A golfer has a choice of hitting across a wide pond or laying up to the right. Since I was hitting the balls pretty strong, the group asked me to be the sacrificial lamb to take up the first shot. The distance was make-able but when I tried hard to impress people, I drove the first ball into the water. My second sliced to the right into the water. The third found the fairway for a horrendous double par

Ayob deciding straight or right at Hole 13. He went straight and into the water.

Hanafiah joined our group after the disasterous 13th hole. So, I proceeded with Hamidon and Ayob in one flight. Hanafiah, Zack and Datuk Iskandar made up the other. Somehow, I managed to post a score of 43 with 4 pars and 1 birdie for the first nine. Hole 13 cost me the opportunity of breaking 40.

Zack at mysterious Hole 6. Once, a man was said to be lost inside the pond (on the right) while looking for balls. He surfaced the next day alive. Believe it or not!

After finishing the first nine, we came upon 2 groups of Koreans just about to start their games on the first tee box. We knew it was going to be a long wait. So the group decided to bend the local rule a bit by playing in a group of 6 golfers in one flight. We were not going anywhere with the 2 flights in front of us. It turned out to be a very decision. We had more fun in a bigger group, joking and laughing all over the fairways. We decided to come up with a small bet. Loser would pay for lunch. Hamidon took the honour. I came up close. My game took turn for the worse.

Datuk Iskandar & Zack. Looking for Lost Balls?

After the game we decided to stop for lunch at a road site stall highly recommended by the locals. It was famous for its soto and ox tail soup. I found both to be below par. Anyway, it was Hamidon's treat.

Nexus Golf Resort Karambunai, Sabah, MALAYSIA

December 25, 2007

Karambunai Club House

It was Christmas Day, we were in Kota Kinabalu (KK). We flew in from Tawau the night before. My body was still aching from playing 36 holes in Tawau. We were at Sutera Harbour waiting for Datuk Iskandar to arrive from KL for an 18-hole round at Karambunai. Upon his arrival, we, the craziest of the crazy golfers did not waste much time and were on our way to Karambunai in a jiffy.

Hamidon, Zack, Datuk Iskandar & Ayob (L to R)

Karambunai is a 5,625 metre resort course surrounded by hills and sea. It is a very beautiful getaway course. The club is affiliated to Staffield, my club, so I only need to pay for 50% of the green fee. Since it was Christmas, a public holiday, the green fee came to RM360. Ouch! As usual, when we reached the club house, I went to buy club logo balls to add to my collection.

Par 3 Hole

There were 6 of us scheduled to play, so we split into 2 flights with Datuk Iskandar, Zack and Hamidon in one flight and Ayob, Hanafiah and I in another. We teed off with the mid day heat at its worst. Ayob, our KK branch manager was the better golfer. For all the hard sweaty efforts, I managed to post only one par, quite a handful of double and triple boogeys. Hanafiah claimed to be a beginner but obviously a solid beginner with 4 pars to show.

Hanafiah in Action

Karambunai’s Hole No.13 has always been my most memorable hole. I was always unlucky at this 455 metre par 5 thirteenth. I had a solid tee shot, way in front of Ayob and Hanafiah. I had a choice of crossing the pond to the green or laying up to the right. I laid up nicely to the right with a good possibility of green in regulation. As fate had it, I duffed my 3rd shot into the fairway bunker and wasted several strokes going from bunker to bunker for a triple boogey 8. It was my jinx hole.

The Green of Hole 13

We finished our round feeling toasted and exhausted. What a way to spend our Christmas holidays! After the game, Ayob brought us to the house of a ball collector selling used golf balls. I bought 70 balls at 70 sen each. It was a good bargain. The balls were in excellent condition.

Yours Truly

Merry Christmas…

Shansui Golf & Country Club, Sabah, MALAYSIA

December 24, 2007

The Club House

After we finished our round at Hotspring, we made our way to Shansui. We liked the caddy, Nadi so much that we asked him to come along with us to Shansui. He obliged. We learned that Nadi is the son of an Indonesian family working in Sabah. He does not go to school but helps out his family by working as a caddy. He makes about RM100 to RM200 a month, enough to ease some family burden.

Tee Box Hole 10

Shansui is my club. I became an honorary member when the owner, Datuk Kuor became very generous one day and granted membership to the entire entourage of the then Chairman of Bank Pertanian, Datuk Sulaiman Daud. I play there on the average once a year. So much for free membership!

Zack Teeing Off at Asia's Best Par 5 as It Started to Rain.

Shansui is a par excellent golf course. Earlier, many many years ago, it was accorded the best golf course in Asia. Until today, it still carries or at least promotes itself as the best course with the best par 5 and par 4 holes. To me, it may no longer be the best but certainly it is one of the golf courses you must play before you die.

Shansui Still Claims to be the Best in Several Aspects

By 11am we were teeing off from the 10th tee box. The sun was getting very hot. It was like 12 noon in West Malaysia. The pace was fast and the score was lackluster. I managed to post 2 pars. It was so hot that we decided to take a break at a hut surrounded by cocoa trees. Shansui was built on a former cocoa plantation. We had a picnic lunch of bread and water at the hut.

Brief Respite from the Gruelling Heat

The second nine proved to be a better round for Zack. He posted 5 pars and 1 birdie. I got 2 pars and double boogeyed the rest. Half way through we started to get cloud cover from the hot mid day sun. Soon it started to rain. Again we had to stop at a hut, this time to ride through the downpour. We managed to finish the round at sometimes after 2pm, just in time to get ready for our 5pm flight to Kota Kinabalu.

Zack at the 18th Hole

The trip to Tawau would always be worth the long journey because of Shansui and Hotspring. These are 2 of my top courses in Malaysia. When you are playing at Shansui, beware of wild crocodiles. We came upon 3 crocodiles at Hole No.3, one was resting on the fairway. This 156 metre par-3 hole carries over a pond that becomes the home of these crocodiles. I managed to land my ball on the apron near to the edge of the water with crocodiles swimming nearby. It was a really nerve-breaking putt. I had to remind Zack and Nadi to look out for crocodiles while I was putting! Just in case…

The One That Got Away at Hole No.3.

Kelab Golf Tawau (Hotspring), Sabah, MALAYSIA

December 24, 2007

Tawau Golf Club House at Dawn

I have not been back to Tawau for more than a year. The golf course now has a new club house, a far contrast from the shack used as its temporary registration counter and eating place.

It was before 6.30am when Zack and I got to the club. The sun was just rising. The registration desk was still closed. We were early. It was Monday, a low day for golf. The staffs could have assumed that there would be no early golfers. We had to start early so that we could proceed to play another 18-hole at Shansui Golf Club before catching our flight at 5pm to KK. These are 2 top notch golf courses, must-play before you die category. Anyway, there were quite a number of boys aged between 10 to 12-year old waiting to caddy for us. Zack picked a 12-year old kid named Nadi.

By 6.30am, we were on the first tee box. As we were teeing off, a couple hornbills flew past us. It was a sight to behold. Where else could you get this experience of playing in a hilly tropical jungle setting for an adventure golf you would never forget? The sun was still blocked by the tall trees fringing the fairways. It made the green very wet and very slow.

Hotspring's Longest Hole. 584m Par 5 Hole 8

We were moving very fast from one hole to another. Both Zack and I registered consecutive triple boogeys for the first 2 holes. It must have been the slow greens. We had to hit hard at the balls to putt. The undulating hilly greens made things worst. They were dead slow.

Hole No.3 is one of the hole that you must play in your golfing life. This steep 326 metre par 4 hole plays from a highly elevated tee box. This is one of my 2 favourite holes at Hotspring). My first shot was out of bound (OB). My second (counted as 3rd due to OB) was smack in the middle of the fairway. My approach shot landed near to the pin. It would have been a good birdie opportunity had it not been for the OB.

Daunting Hole No.3. View from the Tee Box

Our 12-year old caddy, Nadi, turned out to be one of the best caddies a golfer could get. He was pleasant and full of energy. After a few holes, he knew what clubs we required for our shots, a mark of a truly good caddy. He would go out of his way to retrieve balls from our many errant shots. I dare say that the Indonesian caddies at many golf courses in West Malaysia are no match compared to Nadi.

Nadi Hard at Work on the Green of Hole No.10

My other favourite hole was Hole No.10. This short 279 metre par 4 hole plays from highly elevated tee box. I needed a 9-iron to place the ball on the fairway below before hitting the ball across a pond to the green uphill. It was a tedious task where accuracy was required. Holes No.3 & 10 would be 2 of my most memorable golf holes.

When we got to Hole No.17, Zack bought 120 used golf balls from one of the boys at the tee box for a song. It was quite a haul.

Typical Hotspring Green Setup. 509m Par 5 Hole 13

By 9.30am we finished our round at Hotspring. The scores were bad but we had an enjoyable round, unmatched by most golf courses that we played. This 5,904 metre course is definitely one of my top golf clubs.

Kota Permai Golf & Country Club, Shah Alam, MALAYSIA

November 29, 2007

The Team: Shahrul, Zack, John & Me

John Preston, the Country Manager for our franchised arm, UTS Group, booked us in a charity golf tournament at Kota Permai Golf & Country Club. The tournament is organized annually by the American-Malaysian Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM). The Ambassador’s Cup is the winner’s challenge trophy. The format of play is best ball. All 4 golfers hit their respective shots and pick the best one for subsequent shots. A boogey in this format spells disaster.

Getting ready to rock n roll

After donning our UTS Group’s team shirts, John, Zack, Shahrul and I proceeded to Hole 6 for shot gun start. It is a par-3 hole. Both Shahrul and Zack missed the green. John was on but miles from the hole. My shot ran all the way over the bunker to the green. It was a make-able birdie. Unfortunately all of us missed the short downhill putt. It was a good start for the team. Kota Permai’s green was fast.

John started the ball rolling with the first tee off

The 2nd. hole (Hole 7) was a disaster for us. We chose Shahrul’s shot lying in the rough under some trees as our best ball. It was the furthest. We argued for a while for the second shot. The plan was for 2 persons to go for the green and if they failed the other 2 to lay up. Zack & Shahrul went for the green but ended in the water. John and I laid up for our 3rd. shot. Again we missed the green, our best ball was found in the bunker. We had a boogey, which turned out to be the only one for the day.

I caught the photo of this caddy running across the fairway to retrieve a ball

I had a good round, contributing to quite a number of best tee shots for the team. Shahrul came in a few times to rescue us when all hopes seemed gone. He was our savior. Zack came back into the game after switching to the “royal” yellow ball. That was the turning point for the team. John holed in the last hole to give us a much needed birdie for a 4 under. It was good enough for the 3rd place.

The 3rd place team (minus Shahrul) getting our prizes

That was not the only thing that we won. In the lucky draw, Shahrul won a night stay in Langkawi, Zack got a hotel room at Carcosa Sri Negara, a pricey place and John got a RM100 dinner voucher at Outback Steak House. Of all the luck, I won a Motorola RZR hand phone worth more than RM1000 which was the lucky draw grand prize. Lucky me!
Prizes were given by the new US ambassador to Malaysia. I got my handphone.

Royal Palm Spring Golf Club, Port Dickson, MALAYSIA

November 25, 2007

It was a family weekend in Port Dickson. The golf club just happens to be right in front of Tiara Beach Resort where we stayed for the weekend. I could not resist. Furthermore, I had this Top Premier voucher, expiring soon, that gave me free green fee.

Palm Spring brought back some old memories to me. It was here that my group of golf newcomers in year 2000 came to play. We called ourselves the Millennium Golfers. We needed a not so busy golf course to hit or rather miss hit balls during our early golfing days. Palm Spring was the perfect place.

482m par 5 Hole 10. The palmtree-lined fairways remind me of Medan's Graha Helvetia

I decided to tee off alone starting from the 2nd. Nine. My uncle, Haji Rashid would be joining me in the 1st. Nine. It was Sunday evening and the course was quiet. I was moving very fast from Hole10 to 11 until I came upon a group of golfers, 7 of them driving 4 buggies playing together at Hole 12. It would be against club rule to play in a group of more than 4 golfers. I could not afford to wait and play behind them. I decided to skip the hole.

This green of 147m par 3 Hole 15 overlooks the Straits of Malacca

Palm Spring is a 5835 metre par 72 course. It is rather a flat terrain with water in play at a few holes. The greens were not really putt able surface. The ball would bounce off the surface and jumped up and down all the way to the hole. It made reading the line useless. The fairways were reasonably well-maintained. They reminded me of Graha Helvetia course in Medan, Indonesia, minus the caddies. The green of par-3 Hole 15 was the scenic hole overlooking the Malaccan Straits.

Haji Rashid looking for his par

Haji Rashid joined me for the remaining 9 holes. It was still early when we finished the round. I had 4 pars, blew 3 holes and had mostly double-boogey game. Haji Rashid had a reasonably good round despite registering only 1 par. We decided to return and play again the next morning.

Guoman Hotels, Port Dickson, MALAYSIA

November 24, 2007

Guoman Hotels, previously known as Guoman Resorts, Port Dickson, has a 9-hole golf course. I have never played there and decided to give it a try. It is a walking course.

While registering to play, I was approached by 2 golfers asking me to join them. They had completed 9 holes and were going for another round. Fadzlan introduced himself as a beginner in golf and Idris was the iron man.

Fadzlan drove into the water from the first tee box, giving me the impression of a beginner golfer. Idris teed off with 5 iron, all the way. Both of them made good playing companions. The only thing was that, sometimes Fadzlan respectfully addressed me as “Uncle”, making me feel like an old man. Somehow, this old man out-drove the 2 young men most of the times.
Hole No. 2. 480m par 5

Guoman is a fairly good 9-hole course. The greens offer reasonably good putting surfaces, they were well maintained. I was hitting boogeys all the way minus the elusive pars. The course was short, about 2,516 metres from the blue tees. That partly explained my unblemished score. This par 35 course has three par-3 holes, all three play over water.

It was a grueling task for me, walking and pulling the trolleys. I was panting for breath by the time I reached my ball to take up a shot. It was a good exercise. Fadzlan, the newbie, managed to post a par. Idris was the better golfer. The lack of people playing, it was a weekend, made it all the more enjoyable.

If you happen to be in Port Dickson and short of time, Guoman may be a good place to hit some balls and unwind your golfing blues. I just wanted to test a course that I have not played before. It was ok.