What a break. I meant what a break really, offered by mother nature after miserable three consecutive weeks of lousy weather afflicting rounds of playing golf in as many Sundays. Weather transforming to a comfortable temperature surroundings something like eighteen degrees Celsius last Sunday around Hamilton peninsula at Kingsforest golf course. Eighteen players who showed up were blessed with almost perfect weather with the sun mostly up for the whole afternoon as we played with the wind as a no factor at all. Hopefully this was a good indication of good things to come, weather wise.

Back to golf results. Parity in golf as opposed to individual dominance, might not be everyone’s favorite, but it could be certainly entertaining and most specially if you were a participant. A swift turnaround in fortunes of any player early on could give confidence and set how competition would be in such a more confrontational manner. At a point where it’s about quality, not quantity Jimmy Manguerra fired a brilliant four over par 76 gross score, roared to a gross eight-shot triumph over his closest competitor in Round 6. Jimmy slammed the door closed on his way to sweeping aside any competition winning the Nassau total score as well as the back nine & the day’s prize. Two players worth mentioning – Ed Ilao who won the Nassau front nine, and Joey Cruz coasted to firing gross scores in the high 80s.

Closest to the pin contest: After Sunday previous, another precise swing paid off for Julio Rodriguez at the seventh par 3 hole while Exe Navarette displaying a memoir precise golf swing of old, got it so close to the pin on hole fourteenth.

ANNOUNCEMENT: A new declaration of golf rules concerning pace of play and choice of playing from the forward (red) tees for male players as voted on by majority of members are added to supplement SGC Local Rules 2017. Prez Joey Cruz hereby declares:

1. If one or more players in a group playing in a sanctioned SGC’s round of golf deliberately delay the game during a round, all players in the group will be penalized 2 strokes. The other players in the group not causing the deliberate delay must warn the player(s) of his/her action immediately before moving on. If the so said player(s) will continue delaying the game after the warning, then that/those player(s) will be disqualified. A non-action from the other players in the very same group to warn player(s) who is/are causing the deliberate delay, all the players in the group face disqualification.

2. Any male member 75 years of age or older, or approaching 75 years of age in a year may opt to tee off from the red tees in his very first game in any given year. (See ruling regarding Established Tee Box Selection) Same age ruling applies to a new member provided he has already an established handicap index. (Established handicap index from his former club or the normal SGC handicapping process. Both depending on SGC approval) Since most golf courses do not offer course & slope rating for men teeing off from the red tees, it has been decided that the net score adjustment assessed to a player teeing off from the white tees will be used plus an additional stroke. Example: If net adjustment from the white tees is 2, the net adjustment from the red tees will be: 2 + 1 = 3. This will take effect immediately for those players who have not yet played their first game of the year at next Sunday’s game at Glen Cedars, June 4, 2017. These two amended rulings will stay within SGC Local Rules for the coming years until SGC decides to obliterate them.

Food for thought: SGC with 55 percent of its members are seniors, needs young blood to replenish its membership count for the sake of its future. Whether you like it or not, things hopefully would be looking up to achieve such an achievement that relies on every member’s shoulder most specially to those younger members. SGC is such an accomplished organization not to attract newcomers to its fold. SGC just received a heartbreaking news that one of our old-timers is having health issues as of late. Nap Pascual is recently suffering different health complications. In behalf of SGC and its members, we would like to pray and wish for Nap’s speedy recovery. See you soon at the golf course, Bud. On a good note, I’ve known this member for a little short while when I joined SGC some years ago. Last Sunday I happened to be playing with this member as in many occasions over the years and he continues time after time to amaze me with his gentlemanly play and perseverance. Mar De Veyra who happens to be SGC’s most senior member has astounding physical stature. How I wish to be in a position like that when I get to be his age. Cheers.

SGC welcomes back Manny Marquez, Exe Navaretti, & Ron Wilson to our league and of course the ever loving gigolo, Ray Macapagal. We hope to see Pat Deoca,  Fred Halili, Sam Kim, Lina Mayo, Jun Paculaba, & Para Tuy, freed from their respective accountable obligations and likely to see them at the golf course soon. Be glad to see you all back.

How about this? Prez Joey Cruz and Tony Peña have a viable suggestion of having seniors of 75 years of age if they still wish to play to give them a competitive status by teeing off from the forward tees. Let’s talk.

Round 5 at Royal Woodbine last Sunday: Guess what? Like the two previous Sundays, let me say it again – mother nature reigned supreme. Rain was the catapult for the whole day. It was so wet that day I had to wring dry my gloves with my hands every time I intended to use them. Anyway, out of nowhere a persistent player had to win this debacle event. What was so remarkable was the way he did it. Joey Cruz fired a gross score of eight over par 79 as if he was playing on a tropical island with coconut trees growing all over the place. It was so chilling display of scoring low consistently for his three starts that feared most of his competitors and backed off betting anything on the side. He deservingly got the day’s prize for this astonishing feat. Joey did seize one Nassau corner and shared the total best score with someone else as well as a winning share of Super Series 1. My, oh my, the fruitful results of playing in Pinas during the winter’s hibernation period was paying off.

Closest to the pin contest: Julio Rodriguez fired an accurately designed shot on the seventh hole while nobody got any closer to Jimmy Manguerra’s shot at the longest fifteenth hole par 3.                    

Month 1 contest: Another Pinas vacationing member, Jojo Dizon showed consistent play on three occasions winning this Month 1 contest convincingly.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Beware of looking for lost golf balls in thick bushes. You could possibly get bitten by ticks that could result to Lyme disease. Common Lyme symptoms include:

•fever•headache•muscle and joint pain•spasms, numbness or tingling•facial paralysis•fatigue•swollen glands•expanding skin rash

People with Lyme disease often see symptoms within 1-2 weeks. But symptoms can appear as early as 3 to 30 days after a bite from an infected blacklegged tick.

People with Lyme disease often see symptoms within 1-2 weeks. But symptoms can appear as early as 3 to 30 days after a bite from an infected blacklegged tick.

The preceding post is not intended to scare you but just a simple precaution notice to avoid contacting Lyme disease.

A promise of eighteen degrees Celsius temperature with no rain and no wind at BraeBen golf course last Sunday seemed idyllic conditions to play a round of golf. But boy, what did we get? Prevailing winds that blasted the whole golf course at least 50 mph took twenty-two players by surprised. What made it more difficult for the players was the higher altitude setup of the golf course where the pesky winds blew a lot stronger. And then the rain and hail came about for good half an hour. We all thought that the weather supposed to calm down later on but it never did as temperature dropped down a little bit more with the absence of the sun. Everyone was caught off guard by the course conditions. Everything about the last two weeks was different. We paid dearly to enjoy the game because of the uncooperative mother nature. Weather reigned supreme for now but hopefully next Sunday would be a lot better. Cross your fingers.

It made it tough for everyone, but it felt like that someone had his favorite conditions to play in the wind. It was no secret that playing in high winds like this was to hit low and harder. Ed I. with his enormous length from the tee kept his nerve to win on 69 net. This meant Nassau corners were swept by the day’s winner. While it was noticeable that only five players – Ed I., Joey C., Dave N., Julio R., & Jimmy M. carded gross scores in the high 80s, it was a display of patience by these members playing in blistery conditions.

ANNOUNCEMENT: This is your chance to help SGC look for golf venues for next year. Please notify Mr. Rey Plaza with your intention to join his partnership in creating our SGC golf schedule for next year, 2018. SGC is curios if anyone who has got any computer and website hosting experience?

 

It was not an ideal setup to play golf at Springfield golf course last Sunday. Mother nature was not in the mood to greet SGC with some tranquil surroundings at all. The weather forecasters true to their words with their forecast, got the players reeling but it was expected. With dark clouds looming ahead and at 6 degrees Celsius with the wind blowing like crazy, creating havoc throughout the open field, it felt more like minus 6 degrees. The forecast wasn’t going to improve as the day progressed as rain was anticipated later in the day. After a previous rain soaked day, hitting golf balls with that gusty wind stopping with almost zero roll in the fairway and greens, ten brave members showed up and dared playing in this tough weather conditions. These valiant players though came prepared as they were all appropriately dressed to suit the prevailing winds and low temperatures. Way to go members. SGC was a little concerned prior to the game about the declining player turnout because of the weather that might cause a conflict with the course management’s expected number of confirmed players four days earlier. But after consulting with the pro shop staff, they were pleasant enough to understand the situation and discussed blame to no one but the weather. Merci beaucoup.

Well, with only a handful of members showing up to play, somebody had to produce a tumultuous score lower than anybody else and had to win something. Guess who it was? None other than the winner of last week’s opening day, Jojo D. He made it look easy at Springfield, even though the day began and lasted in rugged conditions with a light rain and temperatures in the low 6s throughout the day. Say what you think and think what you say, but Jojo as reported earlier upon playing golf all winter long in the tropics got all his mojo going again by signing a net of 67. There was another member who exemplary kept pace with the day’s winner firing a round of high net in the 60s. Our newest member, Ron P. who defected from our friendly rival Philcan was a stroke behind Jojo.

Last Sunday was the membership fee deadline. It was noted and announced as routinely every year to the membership that your first two games would not count if you were not able to make the deadline. Our treasurer, Bingoy P. who bothered to show up for the sake of giving members a chance to meet the deadline, declined to play a round of golf. You may want to contact him for your future games to count.

SGC would like to know most specially to those who played last Sunday at Springfield golf course your input about the golf course – a keeper or not? You can blog it here so we can appreciate what you think with no string attached.