One of the best days yet of golf in Thailand, not because of the score mind you, I can’t get off the 73 number, but because of the two wonderful gentleman I had the pleasure of playing with today. Gerrod, now 83 was the two time senior amateur champion in Holland and still has game despite some arthritis that forces him to chip with his right hand only…. And he’s more than proficient. He had a golf equipment store in Amsterdam before retiring a few years back and was known as “Doctor Golf” in his home country. He was also proud to mention that his daughter was twice Holland’s women’s amateur champion.
Our other playing partner is Lars. He’s 82 and hits it as well as the senior boys back home at FCCC with tight draws and greens in regulation. Lars’ wife recently passed but he’s been coming to Hua Hin to play golf for the last ten years in a row.
It sounds like a plan that I’d be interested in following.
Today we are at Majestic Creek. It’s 27 holes carved out of a stark and barren former pineapple plantation…. It’s dry and crispy everywhere except where the golf course weaves its way through. We agree it’s not much to look at on the surface but the holes are well designed, the turf is nice and the greens are as good as any I’ve played since being in Thailand.
My caddie for the day is “Tou”. She’s been here 10 years and is just as nice as can be. No touching the clubs or ball unless she’s handing them over. She’s professional to a fault and takes great pride in her job. Pace of play was also great thanks to the many sharply struck shots of my partners and lack of hunting for balls.
At the end of the round Lars and Gerrod are eager to sit and share a beer together.
I immediately offer to pay and Lars insists that he will buy. Gerrod says “Let him” and instructs me to ask him about his cars? This I do and spend the next 20 minutes exchanging the phone with Lars looking at pictures of the best 20 or so cars in the “Lars collection”displayed and personally driven all over the world. With names like Bugatti, Ferrari, Dusenberg, Shelby and others….. Lars can probably afford the 6 bucks for the beers. We met as strangers on the first tee and left as friends with numbers exchanged. Golf… what a game.
 |
| Miss "Tou" professional all the way |
 |
| Lars & Gerrod and the gals |
 |
| View of the course |
 |
| View of the course |
 |
| Gal from Myanmar selling water balls. Her two kids were in the lake in front of the hole diving for balls whe we played. I gave her the $$$ and told her to keep the balls. |
 |
| View of the course |
 |
| View of the course |
 |
| "Tou" doing her thing |
 |
| Darn tough finishing par 5 |
 |
| View from the clubhouse outward |
 |
| Caprese salad by the ocean tonight... Not too bad! |
No comments:
Post a Comment