|
Thursday, May 22, 2003
Chiongbian: Shaking off the umbrella man
By Edgar R. Chiongbian
Tee time
Last weekend, I went to Manila with my wife on a family mission with a scheme to play a little golf on the side. You can ask Jake Marquis who was on the same flight with us because we told him the same story then. But as it turned out, we were able to finagle a golf game on three of the four days that we were there.
A tight schedule on Saturday prevented us from playing the Tagaytay Midlands golf course, where some folks were waiting for us. Oh well, that would have made it a perfect four of four days. Anyway not to worry because Dr. Boy Limkakeng is a member there and we have a golfing trip lined up to play there soon.
FALDO. Whenever in Manila, I get to play at Alabang GCC, Sta. Elena and Southwoods because it is there that my cousins Edward and Henry play.
Since both were out of town I had to schedule a game elsewhere and ended up playing the Faldo course at Eagle Ridge, the Intramuros golf links and the west course of Wack Wack Country Club.
The Faldo course at Eagle Ridge is very playable and friendly except for the sloping greens that are difficult and very easy to three-putt. Having been a member at another Nick Faldo course in Phan Thiet, Vietnam, I was quite familiar with the concept of his course design, where he usually lays out the course so that the holes would be playing against or with the wind to give you problems with distance.
Faldo greens are usually long (deep) but narrow and sloping with huge bunkers guarding on the sides. Added to this are multiple tee boxes to give you a different look each time and to create havoc on the yardage.
Our next game was night golf at the Intramuros golf links in Manila. I played this course at lot during my younger years but it wasn’t as good as it is now. When you drive by it at night, the golf course looks very exciting and enticing from the road but sorry to say it is not as stimulating on the course itself because of the pollution and the noise coming from the cars and buses.
A PLEASURE. Nonetheless, Intramuros is still quite pleasurable to play at night without the sun bearing down on you. The fairways and greens of the par 66 course are very well maintained and well lit. They have a par 5 and par 4s but mostly par 3s. Water hazards guard the greens on most holes. There is an island green that is 150 yards from the tee that is very difficult to get on. On another hole, you need to carry 180 yards from the tee to clear the water.
The greens are by far the hardest sloping greens I have ever seen with about five to six slopes to contend with on every green. The worst feature of the golf course is that you have to cross three very busy roads (two times) to complete the round and become subjected to the elements of city life. The whole place is crawling with people but not playing golf, just walking the walls, much like the Great Wall of China with live bands, and open-air restaurants. The people watching you play from atop the walls is like having a gallery because they clap whenever you have a good shot to the green.
Last stop was the famous Wack Wack Country Club via invitation of Renato Magadia who is the chairman of Waterfront hotels. The golf course is very nice but the amenities and facilities are outstanding. There are three very difficult holes but the rest are very typical layouts found in good golf courses.
What I experienced at Wack Wack was a shocker to me because there they have umbrella girls for the ladies and umbrella men for the guys. So when I started to play the first hole this man stood right next to me and opened an umbrella. So I asked, who are you? He replied I’m your umbrella so for the rest of the round I was walking wounded and could never shake the idea of this new concept.
Never in my mind did I believe that this can be possible but I guarantee you, this will never happen here in Cebu. Can you imagine Boy Barcelo, Bombi Aznar, Knox Booth, Bebs Libre and Toto Lizares with an umbrella man? Fat chance!
(erc@skyinet.net)
(May 22, 2003 issue)
Want Sun.Star news on your mobile phone? Click here.
Write letter to the editor. Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board. Click here. |
|
[ return
to top ]
[ home
]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
SUPERBALITA
WEEKEND
|
