Today finds me writing this as we inch along Bangkok traffic at an excruciatingly slow pace to return to the hotel. Let me just say that there are NO golf courses close to the city of Bangkok. In an attempt to entice players, the various clubs advertise “ just a short 30 minute drive from the city center”, but whoever came up with that timeline is a bigger liar than Pinocchio. I just ain’t true.
I would estimate that the average distance from the city to any course would be similar to driving from Washington to Jefferson City…. Some farther. Compound that with bumper to bumper traffic and I know I’m going to spend at least 4 hours of my day sitting in the backseat of my driver's car. If I lived here that would be all it would take to discourage me from playing. Let me tell you all that we don’t know how good we have it at our club.It’s definitely a different world.
Today I’m at Suwan Golf and CC with BEE, a nice young gal who has been at this club as a caddie for 15 years. That’s hard to believe as I would guess her age to be about 20.
As I’m pounding away my range balls in the blazing hot sun and soaking my shirt……BEE is guarding the cart in the shade and applying and extra coating of pasty white makeup and lipstick in preparation for the round. Another light day of players on the links finds BEE and I navigating the course by ourselves.
Suwan is a nice course for sure with beautiful closely mown green fairways and flawless surrounds and holes that play among the Palm trees and twisting canals and lakes. There are generous landing areas for your tee ball, but miss those by a few yards and your ball is headed for the drink. The second shots are demanding, to say the least, to well bunkered slightly elevated greens.
However, today the greens are a disappointment. Some are quick, some are sanded, some seem very grainy and uncut. I don’t know what the reasoning behind it could be but there is no consistency. BEE says there is an upcoming Asian tour event here and perhaps someone who knows more about greens than I do has a plan.
After being spoiled a bit yesterday at Thai CC, I’ve got a snooty attitude about it myself……which does not help my cause in route to 3 three putts today. Pair that up with a couple bogeys from the fringe and ZERO birdies, despite several good opportunities, I card a disappointing 77.
Usually, after the round is completed, I take advantage of the nice locker facilities for a shower and fresh change of clothes, but before I do, I drag BEE back to the range for another sack of balls in the sun. While there, a Thai teaching pro is giving a younger player a lesson and I’m watching a bit between shots…. And I can see his mistake right away.
They are watching me as well. I’ve got a Sean Foley teaching aid that I use when I practice and I offer it up so the kid can try it. Between Thai and English instruction and some hands on, we definitely help the kid out and he gets a big smile when the ball starts jumping off the face of his 7 iron. A little good will goes a long way!
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