HSBC Champions, Shanghai

The HSBC Champions 2006 in Shanghai just ended with Yang winning the tournament. No biggie for me, a "play when feel like playing golfer", but it was exciting for my friend who was leading the PR team for the event. She had a crash course in golfing from me months ago in preparation of the event. I think I was more excited than her when she initially got the job from HSBC earlier this year.
I just heard from her this morning, fresh off the tournament. She can be quite giggly when it comes to good looking men hehe. There are quite a number of the playing golf professionally. As far as I remember, until Tiger Woods came along, they were all old and grumpy looking and unfit. Colin Montgomerie just looks like an old aunty!

She was already having some problems focusing when she initially saw Villegas at the press conference running up to the event. I've provided a photo of Villegas in case you were wondering who he is. Ok, he's quite cute la I must say, I like his dressing. Very Sweedish.

He's not too bad a player also, I believe he is one of the upcoming young stars on the circuit.

For those into golf, Tiger Woods is by far the fittest in the circuit. His secret workouts are legendary. My friend was stuck in the elevator with him going into the press conference. Trust her to check out his butt! She claimed it was SO pinchable hahaha, I'm a golfer myself but having my friend check out Tiger Wood's ass is something else!

Here's a nice promo shot of the golfers playing ping pong on The Bund.

Golfing fees

Golfing rates have gone up significantly this year. I played in Sri Selangor the other day and was charged RM70 for a round but with breakfast thrown in. I used to pay only RM55 for women as we were not charged bugy fees. Drats. The blow came when we played Kinrara, which used to be a cheap course at RM45.50 including a RM10 meal voucher. I got charged RM60 the other day! The greens were terrible! Dry, patchy, uneven, oh, the list goes on. Skip that course if you can.

With price increases at most course, it is now not worth it to hold an APAG card. Don't bother as I was told that APAG gives out so little returns to the courses for each flight played by members that the clubs have chosen not to provide a good rate. Probably better off joining MAGIC or AGN, someone even recommended PDGCC which has a great list of affiliates and low monthly fees. Oh well, doesn't seem like I have enough time on hand this year to play that much golf so will just continue complaining and pay the increased rates.

Golf at Bukit Beruntung Country Club

January 10, 2006, tee time : 8am. Anna, Julie, Charmain, Joan.

Good lord! Please do NOT waste your time playing in such a club. The condition of the fairway and greens were horrendous! So badly kept, and I swear there was a "being" in the ladies' locker. I skipped my showed that day. Julie and I got in our buggy and it farted for a good 10 seconds before skipping into move mode at 10 mph. I mean I could pretty much wave to the crowd by the side while on the buggy while admiring the clouds, the grass formation, trees etc - you get my drift. Julie cracked up big time when the buggy farted, we got stared at...I figured I'd give it about 5 holes before we had to call for a new buggy. Somewhere into that number, Joan and Charmain's buggy died instead!

We called in, it took them about 20 minutes to send a replacement buggy, they probably ran out of good buggies to replace! The course is also very short, greens are really impossible to putt, so slow and bumps all over the place, not properly watered either. At the sign up counter, we were told buggies on track, when we teed off, the course marshall was waving at us and I couldn't figure out his sign from across the second green and a huge drain. Turns out he was screaming at us to go on course! How funny is that?

Do try to avoid going to that course if you have other alternatives present. Kundang Lakes I think is the only other course which ranks worse than this one. I call it Kowdang Lakes, I can seriously smell the cow dung in the air, wonder where it is coming from....