The Club House
Today is the last day of our Sabah Tour. I was beginning to feel the tolls of playing golf everyday for the past 3 days, most of the times in the heat of Sabah’s coastal sun. My skin colour began to change except for the white patches from wearing glove and watch on my left hand.
Like Tiger Wood, Wearing Red Shirt on Final Day
Dalit Bay Golf Club is part of the Shangri-La’s Group of resort hotels located in Tuaran, Sabah, about half an hour drive from Kota Kinabalu (KK). The golf course is filled with water ponds that come into play at most holes. It is a rather flat course but nonetheless exciting. It is a “must play” course when you are in KK. The course measures 6,369 metres from black tee and 5,956 metres from blue.
Hanafiah could not make it today. So he was replaced by Dato’ Dr. Azhar, the Malaysian Cocoa Board’s Chief. Later, I learned that he was from my hometown, Arau and also came from SDAR, my high school in Seremban. It is a small world. Again, I was paired with Ayob and Hamidon. Datuk Iskandar, Dato’ Azhar and Zack made up the other flight.
It was already 8.30am by the time we teed off. In terms of sun clock, it was like 9.30am in West Malaysia. The heat was beginning to hit you. Datuk Iskandar’s flight started from the black tee box! Ouch! Black is the longest tee box meant more for the lower handicapper and pros. We had to follow suit.
Ayob Ripping It Off on the First Hole
Dalit has 2 nines, the first called Mengkabong Nine and the second is known as Tambalang. There are waters every where. I made sure to bring enough balls for my round.
Everybody in my flight had a good start. Ayob drove onto the fairway slightly to the right and Hamidon put it smack in the middle. I had the longest drive, as usual, a bit more to the right. I fumbled on my second shot and put it in the greenside bunker. I had been having trouble adjusting to my new R7 sand wedge. It took me 2 strokes to get out of the bunker for a 2-putt double boogey. That was the start of my horrible score. Again, as Zack used to put it, “What else is new?”
Hole 11 From the Tee Box
We plodded on to the second nine. We stopped to get more balls from Ayob’s car, just in case. Hole 11 was the star attraction for Dalit Bay. It plays over the sea in a very scenic setting. I remember having a birdie (more from fluke than skill) at this hole the last time I was there. Today, it was a boogey day. This 169 metre (from black tee) par-3 has a close resemblance to Langkawi Datai Bay’s Hole 19 and Damai in Kuching with almost similar design and sea setting. These are the holes that you must play before you die!
Green of Hole 11
I was really struggling when we got to the final holes. Five rounds of golf in 4 days during the hottest times of the days began to take tolls. It was a very fulfilling golf outing. This golf resort that carries the tagline “Heaven Created the Setting. We Just Added the Finishing Touch” is definitely a must-play course for the golf geeks.
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