Six hundred and sixty one under par

This blog is not dead yet

noreply@blogger.com (CE) — Sun, 18 Jul 2021 23:52:00 +0800

I'll be back, someday. :)

I want to be a billionaire

noreply@blogger.com (CE) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 11:25:00 +0800

HDB resale flat prices up 3.8 per cent in Q2 this year
http://www.todayonline.com/Hotnews/EDC100702-0000084/HDB-resale-flat-prices-up-3,8-per-cent-in-Q2-this-year

Private home prices surpass 1996 peak
http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20100702-224859.html

Survey shows Singapore is world's 10th most expensive city
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/414327/1/.html

Singapore inflation climbs to 14-month high
http://business.asiaone.com/Business/News/Story/A1Story20100624-223698.html

Hence,

Hokkaido Day 5 and 6 - City Lights

noreply@blogger.com (CE) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 23:31:00 +0800

Saw some lovely ladies at the lobby of Grand Asahikawa Hotel. Realized that they were clad in Kimonos for their high school graduation ceremony.

Got wood? We headed to the Asahikawa Furniture Centre after breakfast.

That's the single picture that I took. Realized that photography is not allowed in there. In essence, the place showcases the furniture made by the skilled carpenters from Hokkaido. Most of it are made of oak. Very fine craftsmanship I'd have to say. If you pick up a copy of Home and Decor every month, then this is the place for you.

A confectionery selling Japanese treats at the AEON Asahikawa-

nishi Shopping Center...

...which was our lunch place. We settled for a family styled restaurant after much deliberation. I had omu rice along with a hamburger.

The entire afternoon was spent in transit from Asahikawa to Sapporo, Hokkaido's capitol. It is the agricultural hub and financial center of Japan's northern island. Around 2 million people live there.

Some sights of the city

Sapporo's iconic television tower - one of the most popular photography sights in the city

Susukino - Sapporo's equivalent of New York's Times Square. Plenty of lights, plenty of life.

Sapporo's underground shopping center, very popular during Winter!

Queensway in Sapporo!

My last dinner in Hokkaido was Shabu Shabu. Check out the marbling! For a sum, you can have free flow of beef for 1.5 hours. Price ranges from 2000 to 7000 yen per person depending on the grade of beef. www.mooshabu.com

Day 6 was a day spent in transit back to Singapore. Had my last Japanese breakfast in Hokkaido at JR Tower Hotel Nikko.

Good bye Hokkaido. Till we meet again!

Travel mates - Simon Tan from Attorneys Inc, me, Saito-san from Furano Tourism Association and Risa-san from Prime Travel and Tour. Thanks!

Hokkaido Day 3 - We're going to the zoo. How about you?

noreply@blogger.com (CE) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 19:26:00 +0800

For day 4, it's Biei to Asahikawa. The countryside scenery was really quite amazing, so we had to get off the car and snap some shots.

This is the Ken & Mary tree that was used famously in the 70s Nissan Skyline commercials. Those of you in that generation may have an idea. I don't.

First stop in Asahikawa was a visit to the Asahiyama Zoo. We made it just in time for the penguin parade. They only do this in winter for obvious reasons. Everybody just went "kawaii-ne!"

Unlike the penguins, the polar bears are kept strictly behind moats and glass walls

The zoo built a vertical cylinder for visitors admire them in motion, up close. I don't know how to rotate videos, so do bear with this.

Red Pandas!

Here's the can of corn soup I had, courtesy of Risa-san. Wonder if this product will work in Singapore.

Found some nice drawings at the deer enclosure

After the zoo visit, we went to pick some strawberries. For about a thousand yen, you can pick and eat as many as you like.

The strawberries are "entrepreneurially" grown by Ishikawa-san. She runs a building business, constructing houses and sheds in the summer. All work ceases in the winter because of the cold, but the workers still need to be paid. To keep the cash flowing, she opens this strawberry farm for visitors.

For lunch, we went to this little shack for ramen. The entire place is run by the couple in this picture.

I was told that their specialty is miso ramen. The broth is very thick and hearty. Its noodles are springy, while the char siew melts in your mouth. A simple, yet very gratifying meal for both the soul and body.

After the great ramen lunch, we head to this Yukaraori Museum. It's the place to go if you are into traditional Japanese arts and crafts, namely cloth weaving.

Because of modern distractions and its labor intensiveness, fewer and fewer Japanese pick it up...

...which is why products sold there can be rather expensive.

Next, we walked to the adjacent Snow Museum

The owner of the museum is enchanted by snow and built a museum so that people can admire it all year round. It includes an ice chamber, has a room filled plenty of information about the formation of snow and even a theatrette for weddings and musical performances.

The 3rd and final attraction for the day is the Takasago Meiji Brewery. Here, we learn about the fine art of sake brewing, and even got the chance to taste the final product..hic!

We ended off the night with Japanese BBQ at 大黑屋, located in the city of Asahikawa. Lamb is this restaurant's specialty, but don't go ee as you don't really taste the gamey taste typical of the meat. In fact, it was flavorful, succulent and juicy. The accompanying salad balances the meaty flavors while the beer cools everything down.

Finally, we had post-dinner drinks at this quaint little English-styled bar. It exudes a fuzzy old-school charm. Sasaki-san is the distinguished gentleman who prepared all our cocktails.

As you can see, I was a little tipsy from the shots of sake, cocktails and whiskey.

Hokkaido Day 3 - Furana to Biei

noreply@blogger.com (CE) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 22:36:00 +0800

Here's the view from my Hotel Natulux room in the morning

The breakfast place

I had a traditional Japanese breakfast, complete with raw egg and fermented beans.

Time to say goodbye to the Natulux...

...and hello to the Kaleidoscope Museum!

Mitsui-san is the curator of Hokkaido's Kaleidoscope Museum. It was converted from an old primary school. Mitsui-san can't bear to let the authorities tear it down, so he bought the place and used it to display his grand collection of kaleidoscopes. Winners of the Kaleidoscope Grand Prix also donated their works to this museum.

Next, we head to the Furano Cheese Factory to try our hand at ice-cream making

And here was me trying to make the waffle

The final product! It tasted light, yet tasty. I was told that the secret lies in the milk - a specialty of Hokkaido.

A sight we saw during the transit to lunch

For lunch, we went to Chiyoda Farm. I'm not a salad person, but this was really damn good. Fresh and crunchy!

Hokkaido potatoes. Sweet!

Award-winning beef was the main course.

Pumpkin pie for dessert. This was the first time I ate pumpkin pie.

We also said hello to some of Farm Chiyoda's residents

The day ended with a bit of trekking across Hokkaido's snow-covered countryside. We set off from the car park of Hotel ParkHills

The experienced guides patiently took us around. They educated us on Hokkaido's trees and its uses among the people here.

Finally, dinner time! We had Italian fare at Restaurant Valore. There was plenty of Japanese influences in the dishes created by Chef Saida. In this salad, he also added otoro and sea urchin.

Seaweed pasta with local vegetables, shrimp and oysters

Beef cheek with risotto, bamboo shoot, potato and onion

Pumpkin ice cream, macha cake with hazelnut and strawberry panna cotta

Hokkaido Day 2 - Journey to Furano

noreply@blogger.com (CE) — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 23:50:00 +0800

After checking out of the airport hotel, I was whisked to Rera Chitose Outlet Mall

The usual big brands are here - adidas, Gap, Hugo Boss, Timberland, Coach, etc

Here's my loot after scouring from the bargain bins. The adidas top costs about S$15 while the Puma shoe costs around S$45. Does the Japanese words make sense? I hope it's not "I'm an idiot".

Lunch time! Went to this Sakana Isshin sushi place

This was the best sushi meal I had in my life. Everything was so fresh! My favorite was the scallop sushi. The scallops were sweet and succulent, with a firm texture. The prawn was visually impressive but I'd prefer mine thoroughly cooked.

Next, we head to Furano, a skiing town in central Hokkaido. Took us 3 hours. Here are some sights we saw along the way

Saito-san from the Furano International Ski Promotion Council drove us there.

It may sound crazy, but in all seriousness, eating ice cream at sub-zero temperatures won't make you feel colder.

Thermometer at the convenience store said -2 degrees celsius.

Destination reached - Natulux Hotel.

Here's the view from the corridor outside my room

And here's my room! Definitely more aesthetically pleasing than the room at the airport hotel

The whole hotel is artfully put up. Funny how a simple book case at the lobby looks so appropriate.

These shelves greet you as you enter the hotel. They also serve to display wares for sale. I don't know, they just look artistically placed.

Had dinner with the Furano hotel and tourism bureau folks. Interestingly, my favorite dish was the basket of steamed vegetables served in that dim sum thingie. They were just so sweet!

Took a walk after dinner. Furano was hauntingly quiet at night.

-4!

Hokkaido Day 1 - The Transition

noreply@blogger.com (CE) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 21:41:00 +0800

I've always read with disdain blog entries about "fantabulous" overseas trips, posting photos and showing off to the whole world what a wonderful time they are having. Well guess what? I'm doing a series of blog entries like that of my own. Hokkaido is one place I'm really excited about and thanks to my boss, I have the chance to experience Japan's northern city, all fully-paid.

During the first day, I've seen nothing else but airports. In the morning, I depart from Changi airport at 8.20am. After a 7-hour flight, I find myself in Narita Airport. Then, it was another 2-hour wait to get onto the plane to Sapporo.

The highlight of the day was the ramen I had soon after I touched down at New Chitose airport. They were very generous with the char siew, and the shoyu-based stock was addictively salty. I'm going to be spending my night at this tiny airport hotel called Hotel Com's New Chitose Airport. Decent clean place I'd have to say. But very cosy.

For the first the time, I experienced snow. Wow! Here's my day in pictures:

Reached Narita Airport. This guy in the foreground's undoubtedly tired.

This is the only shop in the entire domestic terminal. Sells the usual array of cakes and Japanese snacks.

That's damn right!

I tried this chow mein. It's nothing but microwaved food. The first meal I had in Japan wasn't very good I'm afraid.

The milk tea was very yummy though

My ticket to Sapporo

Long, 2-hour wait at the gate. Zz..z..

Day ended with a great dinner. Sapporo ramen of course!

Here's me, slurping away my ramen like how the Japs do it.

My room for the night

Took a walk outside...

For the first time in my life, I experienced snow!

HWM >> Advanced Technologies

noreply@blogger.com (CE) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 23:51:00 +0800

I picked up a January copy of HWM, read through stories such as the one on 2010's biggest tech trends and the report on Blackberry's developer conference held in San Francisco. The gadgets featured are a clear manifestation of technologies currently available and they also give a glimpse of what to expect in the near future. The articles are well written, well laid-out and comes along with relevant pictures and illustrations. Very insightful and entertaining indeed. Regular readers of the magazine will surely be abreast of technological trends.

Then, I suddenly had an epiphany. I realized how unnecessary it was for my former group to exist in the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore. That department is called Technology and Planning and my particular group is called Advanced Technologies. I remembered that the group's scope was to anticipate trends in the 5-10 year horizon, catch them while they are hot and derive ways on how they can benefit Singapore.

I was tasked to conceptualize a way to systematically gaze into the crystal ball and catch emerging trends before they even happen. It was a project that was doomed to fail. It does not take a genius to realize that technology moves at a very rapid pace, and whatever may happen in 5 to 10 years is merely an opinion said by a futurist, researcher or even the ah beng in the coffee shop. What value will an opinion add to a public organization like IDA, which bases their decision on hardcore facts?

Regardless, I proposed to archive relevant articles, read through them, map out a particular pattern and derive an emerging trend. Well, that got thrown out of the window, as it'll take way too long and higher management does not appreciate projects that take way too long. I also suggested to use reports such as Gartner and McKinsey and compile a list of trends for the higher management. But, the boss said that we will be just content compilers, something that even monkeys can do. I tried, but I failed.

My time in the public sector was filled with nothing but grief and regret. I just couldn't get into the idea of "adding value to the system". When I was at IDA, I felt that public servants were simply making mountains out of molehills. Case in point, another group within my department came up with a Digg system, where you can post stories and "digg" them if you think they are relevant. The Digg mechanism is nothing new, and it's just a way to share stuff. You can also do it in a Facebook group for goodness' sake. However, my ex-colleagues milked it for what it's worth by simply compiling the top stories for the particular week and sending them to the head honchos in IDA. I used to do that in Creative Technology simply as a service and did not expect anything much in return. Those guys however, treat it as a KPI and strangely, the well-read group of directors even applaud their efforts. It simply boggled my mind.

I couldn't handle the shifting goal posts as well, If you suggest something too forward-looking, the folks there will say that you are out of your league and that it is unrealistic. If you suggest something too simple, then well, you'll be mocked and be told that you have no depth. Either way, I lose.

Well, enough of me wallowing in self pity.

Higher management of IDA, here's my message to you: you don't need to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars every year setting up specialized departments to capture technology trends and generate intelligence reports. Just pick up a copy of HWM. It's informative, it reflects current trends, it shows how the technologies can benefit people, and what industries are mushrooming in Singapore and around the world. Most importantly, each copy is just $6.90.

Reflection

noreply@blogger.com (CE) — Thu, 3 Dec 2009 22:41:00 +0800

You've got to
follow through,
let it rip,
see it fly.

You hit it well,
have good distance,
should never be
scoring past the century

Never be discouraged,
have more confidence.
You're better than you think,
yes you do.

Golf depicts life,
wouldn't beg to differ.

Sensory Unarousal From Above

noreply@blogger.com (CE) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 22:51:00 +0800

The constant, monotonous drone,
numbs the sense of hearing

The quaintly insipid meals,
numbs the sense of taste

Tight aisles, barely-adequately-spaced seats,
numbs the sense of touch

The spilled-over discharge at the lavatories,
numbs the sense of smell

The sahara-dry air wicks the spirit from the soul,
and the tears from your eyes.

Ah, the satisfaction of cattle-class travel!

My Room at The Empire Hotel and Country Club, Brunei

noreply@blogger.com (CE) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:03:00 +0800

Life Macroeconomics

noreply@blogger.com (CE) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 14:08:00 +0800

Since I'm now writing for Golf Digest Singapore, the majority of my mental resources for golf-related subjects have gone into the magazine or the golfdigestsingapore.com website. Do support by buying a copy at the newstands or at least, visit the website ;) As such, I've not been contributing much to this blog.

And for those silly enough to follow my little blog, nope, I won't be shutting it down, but rather, shift it into a different direction. I've decided to use this blog as a platform to let out sporadic outbursts of nonsense, or whenever I feel like writing about stuff other than golf. Hope that will keep my writing sharp, personal and not too "manufactured".

Certain events that happened in my life prompted me to see life from a further perspective. In my prior post, I wrote about publishing a person's title wrongly. Understandably, she got upset and in a way, gave me a piece of her mind. I felt bad about it. That following week, I received an SMS from the mother of a junior golfer whom I've featured. She thanked me for the coverage as it brought plenty of laughter and joy into the family. That really warmed my heart.

Recently, I've fallen out with a friend. I had good intentions and dished out advice straight from the heart. Obviously, the good intentions were perceived wrongly. That along with other episodes culminated to the present situation where we've shut all communication channels to each other. On the flip side, I've met some really interesting folks and solidified old friendships. They brought me new perspectives and hopefully by listening to their experiences, makes me a better person.

So, the moral of the story is, things always even out at the end. If you accept all the happy events, surely you must also accept the bad. Even golfs professionals don't score birdies at every hole and in the same vein, your streak of double pars will come to an end, somehow. I've learnt to accept what is going for me, be it good or bad. So cheers to looking forward to the future, and not mulling over the past.

OK, back to my job. *hunches over the keyboard *

All I want, is a glass of water...

noreply@blogger.com (CE) — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 00:55:00 +0800

In Singapore, golf has always been regarded as a 'rich man sport'. Just look at the membership prices here, and how much it costs to play a round of golf. It is truly, a game that distinctly divides the 'haves' and 'have-nots'.

I used to think that what is mentioned above is rubbish. Look at me, I don't earn astronomical amounts of money, but yet I enjoy a decent amount of golf right here in Singapore. But after my trip to a particular clubhouse of a particular country club, I realise that I've been living in denial.

I had an appointment there. So there I was, going through all the security check points, providing my name and IC number, and finally got myself a nice visitor pass. I sat down at the clubhouse, laid out my documents, and waited for the person that I had scheduled to meet. Just as I did that, the smartly dressed waiter approached me, and asked me if I wanted to order a drink. I was thinking, hmm...coffee, or coke light?

Oh actually, I'm not a member here. Can I buy a coupon to purchase drinks?
"You're not a member? Then WHAT are you doing here?"

He then noticed my 'Visitor' tag.

I am waiting to meet a friend. Anyway, can I buy myself a drink?
"No."

He turned his back on me, and walked away. And that was the last I'd seen of him.

Yeah, I guess membership does have its privileges. I can die of thirst for all they care. True, I am not a freakin' member of their esteemed club. But, I was kind of expecting a simple glass of "complimentary" water. Even tap water at room temperature suits me fine. But no, he walked away.

I understand that if I own a piece of property, I wouldn't want people to step into it as and when they please. But if they were here to visit say, my son, I would at the very least, offer them a glass of water. Boiled, with perhaps, 4 cubes of ice. I own a nice house, I can afford to offer water and 4 cubess of ice. Now, why can't the club, with all its riches, offer me, room temperature water with no ice? I don't get it.

Oh, actually I do. I belong to the 'have-nots'. Hence I have got NO service, and I have got NO water.

Anyway, let's hope it's just a single encounter of a waiter who is more member-centric rather than guest-accomodating.

OK, rant over.

By the way, Happy New Year!

CE

Tiara Melaka Golf & Country Club

noreply@blogger.com (CE) — Sun, 2 Nov 2008 15:04:00 +0800

Wow, it's been 4 months since I last posted on 661underpar! Well, if you must ask, there were a combination of factors. First, my buddies and I did not explore golf courses further than Octville and Daiman 18. So, it's the same old places all over again - no point blogging about it. Also, my scores stank so much, I didn't even bother to record them. Hence it was relatively quiet here at 661underpar.

In my opinion, not recording the scores lets you enjoy other aspects of the game. For me, I appreciated the scenery a lot more, I had a lot less stress because I don't mull about that quadruple bogey at the previous hole, and I don't have the constant "if-I-par-the-next-hole-I'll-have-a-chance-to-break-95-but-shit-I-triple-bogey-it-instead-argh" feeling.

With this attitude, I went to the Tiara Melaka Golf Course with my usual golf buddies SW and Hazeman, which was initially an after thought as we had only planned to visit Melaka town over the long Deepavali weekend. Cost-wise, it was excellent with an AGN membership. We only paid 74x2 = 152 RM for 2 buggies, plus another 3 RM each for golf insurance.

Lunchtime Entertainment
First up on the menu - lunch! The selection at the clubhouse was simple, yet adequate. They have the usual array of nasi gorengs, which comes in the kampung, Chinese, Indian and Malay flavor. Malaysia, truly asia indeed. The food was ok - nothing too much to shout about. The view though, was great. The clubhouse overlooked some over-the-water tee off spots of the Lake course. We had fun laughing at the people who lost their balls into the water hazards. Hehe!

SW sniggering at the poor golfers who lost their balls

An issue with security
While the food and the view were pretty good, we had a rude shock when we got into the changing rooms. A club member opened his locker, and discovered that some of his valuables went missing! That certainly got us to scramble back to our lockers, and retrieve our passports. Then, the starter told us not to leave any valuables lying around the buggy, not even zipped up in your golf bags! Wow, what kind of place is this? Ninja thieves from the jungle? Luckily, all that we lost were some balls. Yes, a good majority were mostly at the holes that has tee-off boxes overlooking the water, viewed by the folks from the clubhouse. Hate it when karma bites me in the a**.

Mental fortitude and long drive skill needed
For the 18 holes, we played on the Meadow and Lake courses. The Meadow course was like most courses you find around the region - plenty of trees, shrubs, and jungle. Unsurprisingly, the Lake course has a good number of water hazards. Condition-wise, the fairways and greens were pristinely maintained. This is probably due to the fact that the club takes a very strict view on buggies staying on track.

One hole that I personally remembered very well was the index 1, 8th on the Meadow course. The information given on the club's website says that it is the toughest hole on the course, and it sure is. You need to tee-off over a very long stretch of water, I'd say about 180m, then draw it around the trees to find the greens. Finally! A hole that reward me, the more consistent long driver. The Hazeman, who used a hybrid, fell pretty short and gave up after 2 tries. SW's banana drive just barely made it, lodging the ball onto the opposite bank of the lake. Me? Of course it went onto the fairway nicely on my first attempt. *smug*

If only...
Other than the security scare, I thought that Tiara Melaka offers an excellent golf experience. If only it's nearer to Singapore, we'll definitely drive there more often. However 2 hours of driving is no joke. Our champion driver (of the car :P), the Hazeman, slept like a baby come nightfall. But yes, given time and opportunity, we will come back again. Nice challenging greens, well maintained fairways, and yeah, great experience!

Daiman 18 - Public Course Without The Pubic Hair

noreply@blogger.com (CE) — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 13:22:00 +0800

When I think of public facilities, 3 things come into my mind; overcrowding, uncleanliness, and poorly maintained amenities. Thinking about the dinghy shower rooms with choked plumbing at the Mandai Executive Golf Course makes me cower in the dark corner of my room. Most public toilets usually greet you with a scent of stale urine, complemented with unflushed faeces floating in the toilet bowls. These are the reasons why I had reservations about playing at Johor's Daiman 18 golf course. It is a public course, and there is no need for a booking. All you have to do is walk in even on a weekend!

Now, if Octville - a full-fledged golf club - has facilities lousier than my neighborhood community center, Daiman 18 - a public golf course - should be a lot worse isn't it? Well, I was pleasantly surprised.

Daiman 18 is situated about 20 minutes away from the causeway. Looking at how our driver navigated through the streets of Johor Bahru, it doesn't seem difficult to get there. Once you reach there, it looks and feels like a proper "golf club". You have the bag drop area, receptionist, cafes, restaurants, pro-shop, the works. Excellent for a public course!

Changing Room Facilities - Better than expected!
While this place does not have nice marbled finishes like Ria Bintan, but it's nicely maintained and the toilets, shower area, and "powder area" are logically located. Unlike Octville, it doesn't seem dark, it does not have flickering florescent tubes and it is properly carpeted.

Course - Most of it cow grass, but well maintained
Since I'm such a lousy golfer, I can't really tell if this course is easy or difficult. But, the conditions are pretty good, with avid groundsmen repairing the divots expeditiously. Landscaping-wise, I don't have much complaints. It is definitely more interesting than that flat, soul-less course at Marina Bay.

Will I come back again? - Yeah sure!
Though the prices are uncharacteristically steep for a public course at 70RM (even for AGN membership), facilities here are just as good, or even better than proper clubs in JB. All I need now is a better short game to make my overall experience less infuriating.

Scores (congratulations to SW!):

Shitty shitty bang bang

noreply@blogger.com (CE) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 10:05:00 +0800

Every moment wasted looking back keeps us from moving forward

Hillary Clinton

The previous month or so had been really shitty for me. Shitty at work, shitty at golf. Had a couple of terrible golf games, hence I didn't bother blogging about it.

If you really want to know, I lost 10 balls at Octville a couple of weeks ago, most of them Pro-V1s, and gave up at the 16th hole, went to my buggy, and sulked for the rest of the game.

More recently, I shot a 116 at Palm Springs in Batam. We were playing (and putting $10 on the line) some point-based system. When Seng Wee said, "hey Josh, you scored a 70! Ong has 62.". Josh had this smug look, thinking that he had 70 points, beating me by a full 8 points. But what happened was, he had 70 strokes for the first 9, and I had 62. Upon realization, expression on his face was priceless. But having those kind of scores for 9 holes is simply embarrassing for golfers who have played for 3 years.

Anyway, let's hope for more blue skies ahead.

Patience - Needed for Golf

noreply@blogger.com (CE) — Wed, 14 May 2008 00:17:00 +0800

After watching an episode at my nephew's place, I'm totally fascinated by the sleek animation, the simple stories, and the humor of Pocoyo! Never fails to make me happy that little boy.

Here, he's trying to learn our favorite game, that's golf!

Marina Bay Golf Course = Singapore

noreply@blogger.com (CE) — Tue, 6 May 2008 20:52:00 +0800

What's the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about Singapore?

Clean & green?

Efficient?

A nanny state?

Fast-paced?

Well, whatever you can think of Singapore, you can also apply it to the Marina Bay Golf Course, a public golf course managed by an NTUC-owned subsidiary.

Like Singapore in general, despite the packed conditions, the fairways and greens are extremely well maintained.

Like Singapore in general, the place is relatively litter-free, with the exception of a few cigarette butts here and there.

Like Singapore in general, there seemed to be a very efficient system. For example, specific buggies meant for specific tee-off timings are assigned to specific golfers, unlike the "anything-goes" system at Batam or JB.

Like Singapore in general, you feel that you are being watched all the time. Marshals are very much on the ball, preventing you from doing anything illegal. If you try something funny (like driving the buggy onto the greens), you'll get some cards. Receive 2 yellow cards or 1 red card, you're outta there!

Like Singapore in general, you'll have to move at a pretty fast pace. Any slower, you'll get told off by the lovely marshals. It was Wednesday morning mind you. Can't imagine how it is like on a weekend morning.

This may be a bit controversial, but like Singapore in general, the place is pretty boring. It was constructed out from a piece of reclaimed land, hence, everything is man-made. No naturally growing trees. No naturally occurring lakes. No natural rock outcrops. Every hole is somewhat straight, sprinkled with pot-hole bunkers all around. I mean, what's the point? After some time, the bunkers are no longer a challenge but simply a nuisance. Screw the sand wedge. Give me the hand wedge any time.

Oh, now I get it... MBGC = NTUC = PAP = Singapore. Hence MBGC = Singapore.

Apart from proving to myself that I can get a better score, I wouldn't come back anytime soon. One thing that turns me off is the strict requirement of showing a valid handicap card. Either that, or pay SG$10 to let a golf pro assess you. Then, the pro grant you license that's only valid for 1 freakin' month. I played at the Blue Canyon Country Club in Phuket, which it hosted the Johnny Walker Classic. That place didn't even have a half baked request for a damn handicap card.

Public course my ass.

Scores:

Don't have the full scores. I only remembered Richard carding 91, Sean 101, me 109, SW 112.

New Course, Same (lousy) Experience

noreply@blogger.com (CE) — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 14:45:00 +0800

Pulai Springs is another JB course that is on our list of "AGN partners". From the website and brochures, it seems like a very decent course, very much better looking than Octville and Kinrara. In addition, it's pretty cheap, especially on a weekend morning.

So, here we go...

Getting there
For once, SW volunteered to drive his Toyota Corolla into Johor Bahru. I was the assigned navigator, while Hazeman tried to help from the back seat. Anyway, it turned out disastrous. We got stuck in traffic, took wrong turns, went there late, rushed through breakfast, and got our body chemistries all wrong at tee-off.

The Game
It's the usual complaints playing in Malaysia. Yes, we were terribly pampered by Batam caddies. So, when we had to run back and forth from our buggies with a bunch of irons, we tend to bitch about it quite incessantly.

I mean, just imagine - you hit the ball down the fairway thinking that it's all OK. Then, you bring your hybrid and 5 iron for the second shot. You walk there, "hey, it's in this deep bunker!". So, you have to walk all the way back to your buggy to grab your sand wedge. Being hideous golfers, this happened to us quite frequently. Of course, the good thing is that we get to burn calories from all these walking and running. SW definitely needs it. Heh!

Showers
Pulai Spring's Club house is good, just like how a proper club should be. It's not too cramped, and the furnishings are pretty luxurious. Nice place to clean yourself up after an entire day of running around.

Will we play another round here at Pulai Springs? Well, can't say never, but we'll be less inclined to do so in the future.

Scores:

Deflowering the Virgin

noreply@blogger.com (CE) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 22:13:00 +0800

There she was, nicely wrapped up, virtually untouched by any other man.

I grabbed her, gently removed her top, and admired what's exposed.

There she was, gleaming at me, all raring to go.

Next, I placed her head next to my ball.

I took a simple upswing, generated force as I moved to the down swing, finally making sure I followed through properly. Ah..the ball penetrated into the sky, straight down the fairway of Southlinks' 1st hole. Then I realized, I'm head over heels in love with my brand new TaylorMade Burner Driver. She's friggin awesome!

Firstly, this babe is light, very light for a driver. And, she's longer than the average driver. Lightweight + extra length = longer distances. I didn't feel that it added the 5-10 meters to my drive marketed by TaylorMade. But, probably because of the new technologies embedded into the head, my balls don't really disperse that much now.

So if you're looking for a new driver, do give the Burner a thought. I'd highly recommend it. I got mine at www.golftiam.com. (Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with the online shop owner, but his prices are definitely lower than the ones you find in brick-and-mortar shops.)

My new love...

Did I play well with the new driver? Looking at the scores, it wasn't too bad. Now, I really do look forward to hitting the sweet spot of the Burner. Game on!

Scores (9 March 08):

Surabaya - Undiscovered Golf Gem

noreply@blogger.com (CE) — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 20:42:00 +0800

Surabaya is Indonesia's 2nd largest city located at the eastern side of Java. It does sound rather unappealing, but it really is a modern city with gigantic malls, lifestyle services, and great golf courses. What's more, taxis are run by professional companies that go by the meter, unlike those from freaking 'Malaysia Boleh!' KL. Boleh my ass.

During our visit to Surabaya, we visited 2 city courses - Bukit Darmo Golf Club and Josh's favorite Golf Graha Famili & Country Club.

Bukit Darmo Golf
Bukit Darmo Golf is one of the more premier courses in Surabaya. It is a bit on the expensive side but it's worth the price. We had to come here twice, as the planned Friday game rained out even before we step on the course.

The Golf Course
The Jack Nicklaus designed course is not very intimidating, no extreme doglegs with huge water hazards. We even managed to get a few pars into our scores. As for the quality of the fairways and greens, it's really well maintained. Driving onto the fairway ensures that you get the best lie. I really had an easy time chipping the ball from the fringes onto the greens.

The Club House
One thing's for sure, the teh tarik here sucks big time. It's like drinking plain, hot water.

Fatboy Slim with a glass of mud water

As for the changing rooms, not sure if the interior designer is on drugs, but the whole black and white theme threw me off. The ceilings are painted black, the cabinets are all black, while the floor has chessboard-like tiles. Weird. Josh enjoyed the rain shower faucets here though.

Scores:

Golf Graha Famili & Country Club
The first thing that struck us was the golf bag handlers. They are girls, wearing tight, white tops with short demin skirts. Not something I'd associate with a "Famili" club. Anyway, this should be one of Josh's favorite club in the world. Why? Not because of the girls, but because of the fact that he beat us both.

Josh - King for the day

The scores were recorded by the caddies, so can't dispute that. Heck, he didn't even use a driver. Since division 1 Barnsley can beat Liverpool at Anfield (with the winning Barnsley goal struck at the Kop end), I guess anything can happen in sport. Bwahaha! Congrats bro, good for you.

The Golf Course
The greens here have a strange mixture of cow grass and "golf" grass (not sure what's the name of the species). On some holes, you get nice carpet-ty grass, while some others, you get cow grass on the fairways. Weird. The greens here are of championship standard I tell ya. Expect plenty of up-down puts and shit holes placed on slopes that makes you 3 or 4-putt. You want a putting challenge, look for it here, especially on the first 9.

The Club House
The changing room is small, but more tastefully done compared to Bukit Darmo. As for the restaurant, it's serviced by girls in short uniforms. Again, not something I'd expect from a "Famili" club. Food's pretty decent, nothing too spectacular about it.

All in all, Surabaya was a refreshing experience for us. Perhaps it was helped by the fact that our champion can speak the language, hence can abang abang kawan kawan with the locals. Will we come back again? Yeah sure, why not? Especially if Jetstar Asia offers the $3 tickets again.

Check out our Surabaya pictures, here.

Golfing @ Kinrara Golf Club Sucks

noreply@blogger.com (CE) — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 19:53:00 +0800

That's right, the whole experience of golfing at KL's Kinrara Golf Club sucks monkey balls.

Kin-Far-Far
Firstly, the golf club is way too far from the city. Well, at least that's what the taxi driver told us, who charged us a freakin' 60 RM to get there from the hotel. That's SG$30! For that price, I can hire a Mercedes limo taxi service back in Singapore. (Yes I know I'm not in Singapore, so spare me that crap) Getting back was worse; 70 RM. Sheesh.

Service? What service?
Service there sucks. Why oh why must the registration start from 12.30PM onwards? Does it matter if we registered earlier? Will they lose a limb? When it was 12.30, all the PM-tee-off golfers converged at the reception counter, formed a considerable queue, and in the process wasted everybody's time. Wouldn't it create a more pleasant experience if they allowed golfers who reached there earlier to register? Wouldn't that eliminate the cluster-f*ck problem?

Josh asked the receptionist, "Can you help us call a cab later, after the game?"
"Oh, they won't come here even if we call, it's too far"

"But there's the mega mall beside here! They should come here what."
"Er, sorry. They won't come here, too far"

"How much does it costs to go back to the city if we do get a taxi? 60RM?"
"Dunno"

"Hmm..."
"You can try waiting outside for cab. Better lah."

Now, cabs won't go there if they call. But cabs will go there if we wait outside. Logic sia.

Noisy, but well-maintained golf course
OK, the golf course was pretty good, except for the construction all around. The course is still quite raw, and they are trying to add more landscaping to the place. And, because buggies stay strictly on the tracks, the fairways are nicely maintained. No buggies on track, not even on a dry, hot day. Nope, no way. And with no caddies, running to and from the buggy made us burn quite a lot of calories.

Clubhouse - Failed the SW test
The clubhouse serve only pre-prepared buffet food, which we didn't opt for. For some strange reason, there's no ala carte menu. Showers and toilets? Well, SW - a really easy going dude - didn't feel like shitting anymore after looking at the toilet bowls. Don't get me wrong, they are not dirty, but the whole place is just not conducive at all.

SW's and Josh's sentiments on the overall experience at Kinrara Golf Club

See pictures of our KL adventures, here

Scores:

Somebody's got a new toy...

noreply@blogger.com (CE) — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 22:08:00 +0800

Congrats Mr Chua. Hope you get more birdie or even eagle opportunities with your spanking new, King Cobra Speed LD Fairway Wood!

Only SG$300 cash at Far East Shopping Center.

Last year to use the prefix '2'

noreply@blogger.com (CE) — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 12:18:00 +0800

Just as I've "resolutioned" that I want to prevent SW from beating me in golf in 2008, I got my ass kicked over 9 holes at Southlinks, on my birthday!

It was not that I didn't play well (hit a respectable 50, ok?!), but SW was simply on fire that day, hitting a 45. He drove onto the fairways, chipped delicately onto the greens (most of the time) and used a new putting stroke to get the ball in within 2 or 3. Hazeman? Well, he had his usual problems, but I'm sure he'll improve in 08.

Apart from the golf, as it was some sort of a birthday celebration for us January babies (Hazeman and I), we exchanged gifts and indulged ourselves in food and a bit of beer.

All in all, thanks guys, for a great birthday celebration!

See more pics here

Scores:

Golf resolutions for the new year

noreply@blogger.com (CE) — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 16:15:00 +0800

2007 was a year that was filled with golf. We managed to visit exotic golfing destinations like Phuket and Bangkok, tried new courses at Bintan, and even discovered a nice place at Southlinks. But, scores aren't improving as much.

Here are my golfing resolutions for 2008:

Break 90!
Well, after having consistently scored in the low 100s and a couple of 90s, it's time to aim even lower.

Earn comfortably to replace my TaylorMade 2002 RAC LT irons and ugly R5 460 XL driver without batting an eyelid
I know that my present irons aren't too bad, but it's just that they're a bit out-dated. Of course, nothing beats SW's Mizuno Zephyr when it comes to out-datedness, but yeah, good to have new equipment.

And while my driver never gave me significant problems, it's a bit ugly. Not sure why I even chose it in the first place. Love is blind? Bwahaha!

Prevent SW and Josh from beating me
I've always told SW and Josh that the day they beat me over 18 holes will be one of the happiest day in my golfing life. Why? Because as a friend, I want them to improve too. Not that I'm a fabulous golfer, it's just that my scores are always lower than theirs at the moment.

See? I'm such a nice guy. But, the competitive streak in me still don't that to happen. Again, bwahaha!

Play golf beyond South East Asia
Not sure how much damage will be done to the bank account, but it'll be great to tee off in South Australia after some wine tasting in Barossa Valley, or to aim for a birdie putt on the Formosa greens after walking through Shih-Lin night market the evening before.

Happy Holidays to all. May your 2008 wishes come true!