With an 8:00 am departure today I’m headed to Green Valley CC. This course has a nice driving range, so I’m told by my driver and it’s always a plus to get a good warm up.
Upon arrival I’m ushered over to the range in a separate cart and collect my colored golf balls. It’s 40bht for 40 balls to hit off of a mat or 80bht for the same amount to utilize the grass….. less than $3 bucks and what a deal. The turf is very nice and it pains me to see a Chinese guy randomly plowing up the sod in various areas about 10 paces away. I guess the grass grows back quickly, but I’d ban his ass to the mat immediately.
I’ve got lots of time, so I hit two full trays at various targets with irons and just a handful of drivers. It’s a nice warm up practice session and when I leave, to the delight of the range attendant, there is one strip of missing turf the length of my alignment stick.
Right on Que my caddie for the day “Yulip” arrives in our cart and it’s off to the first tee. This place is crowded. Foursome on the green, foursome on the fairway and then us on the tee.
I’m playing today in a unique threesome comprised of a very gracious Japanese guy and a young boy about little Raymond Sharma’s age accompanied by his instructor and the boys mom. The instructor is there for guidance and the mom dutifully records every shot in a log book. They start play mid fairway on a shortened course suitable to the little guys skills. It all goes smoothly and it’s a fun group.
I share some pics of the Sharma boys that Ray sent me and I think this would be a good match as the kid is competitive.
I’m not a fan of the golf course though. It’s my least favorite since I’ve been here.
It’s not very scenic and the fairways and surrounds are wet and soft yet the greens are severely undulating and very firm. Despite hitting some high shots that landed close to the pin, most took a big bounce and ended up off the putting surface in some form of scraggly Bermuda rough.
Chipping is difficult playing the ball down as I’m invariably short or long as you can’t consistently control the contact. I just have to get better at it, but we don’t see this type of grass back home other than a few places. Bottom line is I suck at it and it kills my score.
My caddie was super nice, but I was information starved today and ended up in several hidden fairway bunkers off the tee that could have easily been avoided with a bit of local knowledge.
Still a nice sunny day and good company makes for a pleasant experience and not too far a drive back to the hotel.
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| Green Valley CC enterance |
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| "Yulip" my caddie of the day |
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| On the range |
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| Really nice guy from Japan |
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| Little guy in action with the entourage |
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| Golf course view |
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| Bougainvillea flower tunnel |
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| Mom & caddie on the cart headed to the tunnel to the next hole |
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| Yulip making her presence known |
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| Little guy again |
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| 18th closing hole over water.... Par 5. Reached it in two with a high 7 wood, only to watch the ball bounce over the green into the scraggly rough.... no a fan |
