Golf


Introduction
Welcome to the Golf Section. Here I will assemble everything pertaining to my great hobby: Golf !!

Malaysia provides good golf opportunities, plenty of golf courses, and fairly reasonably priced. I am playing on a regular basis, i.e. trying to manage a round about once a week. I have attended only a single coaching lession, but I should be taking more to further improve my game. I play these days scoring in the 50's for 9 holes, which is not really good enough.


Scorecard
Here is the record that I keep of my scores.

Click on the picture to open the fileI mostly play at the KGPA, which has a 27 holes, 18 of which are their competition course, and the remaining 9 (Forest Course) you can play by walking and at any time of your convenience. Green fee is about RM 65 for 9 holes in the week-end, which is not too bad. The 18 holes course has access restrictions for non-members. There is also a record of rounds played on other courses. I am strongly considering a term membership in the KGPA, as it is located quite near to our home. It is a club for civil servants in Malaysia, but they do allow non civil servants to become members for a limited period (term). I usual play rounds with Iain (father with kids at the Garden International School) and/or Stephen (old Leo colleagues who goes back many years). Iain is not affiliated to a club (like me) whereas Stephen is a member of Tropicana Golf Club, which is a very nice course, but quite busy.


Courses I have played
Here are some links to the courses I have played
  • KGPA
    My so called home club where I have played the most. Conveniently near to home. 27 holes


  • Tropicana
    Is Stephen's home Club. It is known to have the best facilities of any golf club in Malaysia. 27 holes, of which 18 with night golf


  • UPM's Golf Club
    I have played there once with Iain, without registering my scores. Belongs to University Putra Malaysia and is quite cheap. Not so well manicured but offers a bit of challenge. Offers 18 holes


  • Nilai Springs
    With iain. Paid an awful lot for a mixed experience. 27 holes but had to paid for 18 even though we only wanted to play a quick 9 holes. Iain made his first birdy there (mine is yet to come)


  • Saujana
    Really one of the best courses in Malaysia, where the Carlsberg Malaysian Open was held, with the participation of Thomas Bjørn among other celebrities. I watched the 2005 Malaysian Open there. They have two full courses: the Palm Course and the Bunga Raya Course. The Palm Course (also known as the "Cobra"), is the course where all the big competitions are held. The Palm Course has been voted the best course in Malaysia on several occasions. It has also been voted the "Most Memorable", the "Most Difficult", and its 2nd hole "Most Difficult". I have played the Bunga Raya Course once before we moved to Malaysia, but not the Palm Course (yet). No scores registered


Literature
Here are some books that I can recommend, having had great benefit from reading them myself.
  • Dave Pelz's Short Game Bible
    Really good and systematic review of the short game, which is so important to a player's ultimate score. Was recommend on a golf site.


  • The Golf Instruction Manual by Steve Newell
    Extremely well illustrated general manual on golf going from drving over iron play, pitching, chipping, bunker play and putting. Furthermore, there is a chapter on fixing common faults, and handling special situations and problems.


Updates
I have joined KGPA 9th July 2005 as a term member for two years. The course is much cheaper than many of the other clubs in the greater KL area and the standard of their 18 hole main course is quite decent. It is also very flexible, you can always manage to play a game there even if you did not book on the last 9 hole, the Forest Course. I invited Iain and Stephen for a round today (Sunday 10 July) and I only made the booking yesterday afternoon. They had to pay 83 RM in gree fee (about 20 USD) and add an additional 25 RM for the buggy. For comparison, Tropicana (Stephen's club costs 180 RM in the weekend for a guest green fee). We had a good round and played for the first time the Lake course, all in all a nice experience. We were interrupted by the rain for half an hour, but then continued our game. Nice day.

I also have now signed 30 June 2005 up in Royal Copenhagen Golf Center which is a new golf project near to the centre of Copenhagen the first International golf course in Copenhagen. There will be an 18 hole championship golf course and a 9 hole intermidiate greenfee course. The 9 hole course will open early 2007 and the 18 holes course august of 2009. This is partly done as an investment project on my side, and also to have a course to play once I am home for holidays, and if and when we move back to Denmark.