We were at Hua Hin Thailand

We Were At Hua Hin

A team of 27 senior golfers led by the President, Secretary and Captain SSGS went to Hua Hin for the 26th Asean Senior Golf Championship-27-29 july 2009. Players selected were mainly those who had done well at the SSGS monthly medals and the better golfers of the society.

It was a 3 hour coach journey from Bangkok to the seaside resort of Hua Hin. The golfers from Asean were put up at the Dulsit Thani Hotel. It is classy with resort facilities and a lovely view of the sea. The beach was very clean and inviting. However, with the hectic golfing schedule over 3 days, there was little time to stop and stare.

The AGM for the Confederation of Asean Senior Golferss’ Association(CASGA) was traditionally held in conjunction with the Championship. President Toh Shung Chee, Hon Sec Pang Boon Hee and Captain Raymond Tan represented SSGS at the AGM. The chairmanship was handed over to Thailand by Singapore. Thailand would hold the chair until the next Championship in 2010. Brunei will be hosting the 27th Championship next year, tentatively in October.

Singapore made a pitch for the formula to allocate places for the Champiionship to be reviewed. Currently the allocation of places is based on country membership size. Thus smaller countries like Singapore and Brunei are at the losing end with only 25 and 18 places respectively compared to more than 50 places each for Malaysia, Phillipines and Indonesia. The AGM agreed that the basis of allocation would be reviewed for a decision to be taken at the next AGM in 2010.

The daily routine was taxing. Breakfast was at 5 am and the coach departure for the 2 courses, Springfield and Imperial Lake View, was at 6 am . The 2 courses were reasonably challenging and well maintained. They were, however, flat and peppered with lots of bunkers, especially around the greens. Scores of the leading golfers were impressive. The Filipinos dominated the field followed closely by the Bruneians. Singapore Seniors only managed an enjoyable golfing trip! Only Andrew Lee made the roll call for a runner up position in the stableford age group category. JS Lee also made it on stage to qualify for one of the Octogenarian achievement awards.

SSGS made arrangements for a separate game at the Black Mountain course. It was generally agreed that the course was much better in terms of quality, maintenance and scenic beauty, than those for the Champiionship. With no pressure from competition, our members had good scores and came back with renewed confidence in their respective games. We recommend the course for those who intend to make a trip to Hua Hin

The above article is contributed by Lim Siam Kim

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