'Invisible' Flight Member

3 April 2010...My beloved wife's birthday...My squad-mate, Major (R) Dato' Salehuddin PGB, wedding reception at Selayang Baru...My participation in DGCC's Monthly Medal (MM) after a long break...the last one being on 26 June 2009.

Why I'm not active in the club's MM? Simply because the club's management have it almost 99% on FRIDAYs...don't really know the rationale behind this choice. Why not Saturday? Afterall, it is a weekend too. And secondly, to cut costs I suppose, there are only 2 divisions - "A" and "B" medals; A medal hc 15 and below, hc 16 upwards B medal. The prizes are in the form of vouchers redeemable at Pan West Pro Shop only (see the comparison below).

Compare with the MM at Royal Kedah Club (RKC)...

                          DGCC                       RKC
~Payment -  RM26 (buggy)         RM12.60 (walking)
~Divisions-   A & B                    A, B & C
~Prizes     -  RM100 & RM80      RM150, RM100, RM70 & Lucky Draw
~Meals     -   Breakfast              Breakfast & Lunch
~Golf Levy-   RM5                      RM2

I came to know about this miserly value of the vouchers the next day. Frankly, I really don't understand why the club is so 'members unfriendly'. You see, the members are charged 'golf levy' of RM5 every month. Previously, this so-called levy was itemised as 'monthly medal RM3' and 'interclub RM2'. I wrote to the manager then that the club must display a statement of 'Income & Expenditure' account of these sub-accounts because these were members' contributions. The amount collected should not be considered as 'revenue' for the club. For one or two months, the statements were displayed. Then, the club grouped these collections as 'Golf Levy' and thus not subjected to be scrutinised by the members. Well...I expressed my displeasure but to no avail. So...As long I can pull my trolley with my members every morning for 4 days a week, I'm happy....que sera...sera.

My flight was made up of K. Seelan (hc 10), Shamshir (hc 16) and Chang Min Tat (hc 14). Chang was richer by RM80 when he played 2 under. The Champion for B medal played net score 68 and the runners-up 71. Me? Poorer by RM26 for buggy fees (previously RM21). Well...You should know my game by now...gross 101, net score 80...he...he...he.

Now  back to the golf itself...

At hole #12, par 4 (390m), the gradient of the fairway is a gentle sloping towards the green which is proctected  by 3 bunkers. On his 2nd shot, Chang's ball rolled slowly into  the bunker in the picture. All of us saw it rolled into the bunker. But when he reached the bunker, he could not find the ball. No way the ball was 'plugged' in the sand because there was no sand, only hardened earth. We searched all over the area but the ball...simply vanished!! Shamshir commented that the 'additional golfer' was fooling around.

This incident reminded me of my experince a few years back at hole #15, par 4 (378m). I was pulling my trolley with 2 others. For your information, I'm not 'Big Easy' type of walking...it is brisk pulling throughout the game. I'll be far ahead of others. This is my way of exercising and now you understand why my games slides downhill. Back to the story...on my 3rd shot (miracles if I'll make 2 'on' at par 4), overshot the green. When I walked on the green to my ball, there was nothing on the green. But, after chipping, I saw an additional ball there. I shouted at my 2 friends who were  about 120m away, to call out when I was still on the green. They shouted back that they had not hit their balls yet, in fact, waiting for me to clear the green. Well...I threw away the ball. But then it's nothing compared to what Seelan experienced at this green. According to him, he saw 'a buffalo' on the green when he wanted to hit his 2nd shot. The animal looked at him when he shouted and then...believe it or not, it vanished in thin air!!

On my second shot at hole #16, par 5 (490m), my ball flew to 'tree-under' on the right side (pic on the right). Even my friends told me so. Off I went searching for the ball under the rubber trees but could not found it. In the mean time, my friends on the fairway shouted at me that my ball was in the centre of the fairway.

Well...as what 'Bujang Lapok' said in "Pendekar Bujang Lapok"...CUBAAN!!

Mind you, when I played at Teluk Rubiah last month during RKC's  outing to Lumut, my buggy partner - a naval officer from the RMN Naval Base - told me that it is not advisable to play alone in the late afternoon, especially the 2nd 9. It seems there were golfers who saw a girl picking up balls at hole #15, par 3. This hole is so isolated and at the edge of the jungle. And also...unable to the find the ball right in the centre of the fairway is normal.

Well...How true it is...Wallahu'alam! Only in Almighty Allah I seek protection.

Golfers, please feel free to share your mystical experiences while golfing.