MARAN HILLS GOLF CLUB PAHANG

MARAN Hills Golf Club is located halfway between Temerloh and Kuantan and using the old trunk road it is about 53 km from Temerloh. The club is managed by the Majlis Perbandaran Maran so the maintenance budget is quite small but we can still enjoy playing golf here. 

The green fees for visitors is RM80 on weekends and RM70 on weekdays and there are no caddies. The course measures 6,022 metres from the blue tee and 5,793 metres from the white tee, it is not a long course but the fairways are small and rain-forest on each side of the fairway. 

HOLE 1 is 384 metres from the white tee with jungle on both side of fairway, bunkers on the left. My second shot was about 165 metres and I used a 5 wood to send it to the apron. It is better to miss it right of green and not left of green. I three putted for a double bogey. 

HOLE 2 is a short par 5 dogleg left, the tee shot should be placed to the left and short of the pond. The second shot will be over the pond and just a short chip to the green for a birdie or par.

HOLE 3 is a short par 3 about 110 metre over a ravine and club selection is important, it is better to over club rather than short of the green. I made par here.

HOLE 4 is another short par 5 measuring just 415 metres. The tee shot need to carry 150 metres of water and then an uphill approach to the green. There are two large trees on the right of the fairway and a short chip will put you three on the green. An easy par here.

HOLE 5 is a par 4 measuring 354 metres. Its a tricky par 4 with hazards all the way on the left. My second shot was about 140 metres to the green and landed on the apron. I made a bogey here due to poor putting.

HOLE 6 is a long par 4 about 364 metres away. My second shot landed 30 metres from the green and made a bogey here. On the right of the fairway and green is all water.

HOLE 7 is another short par 3 downhill at 115 metres and I used a pitching wedge pin high to about 25 feet from the hole and made par.

HOLE 8 is a 360 metres par 4 and second shot is important because it is an island green. Depending on your tee shot, you have to make a choice whether to go for the green or lay up. I went for the green using a 3 wood and landed at the apron carrying 165 metres and made par.

HOLE 9 is a par 4 dogleg left about 356 metres uphill. Taking  a Tiger line on the left must avoid OB and a large bunker.My second shot was probably 160 metres away and fell short of the green. I made bogey here.

HOLE 10 is a par 5 about 466 metres with downhill tee shot and pond on the right about 220 metres from the tee box. A good second shot will leave you less that 100 metres to the green and I made par here.

HOLE 11 is a tricky par 4 measuring 371 metres dogleg right, for me the second shot is a lay up to avoid the hazards and pond and needing another 60 metres to reach the green. This green is tricky and sloped from left to right and I three putted for double bogey.

HOLE 12 is a short par 4 measuring just 290 metres with OB on the right and jungle on the left. We cannot see much from the tee box and have to aim at the center of the fairway. Usually our second shot is about 60-70 metres to the green. Once on the green it is easy to two putt for par.

HOLE 13 is a straight forward par 3 measuring 141 metres and it is guarded by bunkers. A hybrid for me and 7 iron for others should reach the green and make par.

HOLE 14 is a par 4 sharp dogleg to the left measuring just 290 metres to a small green. A tee shot on the fairway will give you less than 100 metres to the uphill green. 

HOLE 15 is a long par 4 measuring 379 metres away and very straight from tee box to the green. There is a green-side bunker short of the green. A bogey is a decent score here.

HOLE 16 is a long par 5 measuring 462 metres and dogleg left. The second shot must have enough carry to see the green on the left, for me a pitching wedge for my third shot to the green and an easy two putt for par.

HOLE 17 is a long par 3 measuring 178 metres to the green guarded by bunkers. For most of us senior citizens the faithful driver is in use here and I made it on the green, missed my birdie putt and made par

HOLE 18 is a short uphill par 4 measuring 333 metres and it is best to aim at the lamp post or the club house. A good tee shot will leave you about 140 metres to the uphill green and take one club longer for the approach especially if it is the blue flag. I reached the left apron with by second shot but a poor chip left me 20 feet to the pin and 2 putted for bogey.

HOLE 19 is a 'makan place' and there are plenty to choose from within the Maran town.  

Happy golfing guys...

PGMS Golf outings in Jakarta , September 2018

PGMS stands for Persatuan Golf Melayu Selangor and its office is at Sri Selangor Golf Club. For the month of September 2018, it organized a overseas golf trip for its members and 16 golfers took the challenge. For a fee of RM1,850 you get return airfare by Malaysian Airlines, 3 golf outings and single room accommodation for 3 nights and 2 sponsored dinners. So I managed to convince 3 of my friends to join the outing and Jakarta here we come.

We took the early morning flight to Jakarta and upon arrival proceeded to Sentul Highlands golf course for the first round of golf. Most of the golfers didn't perform well for lack of sleep and motivation but there were people who can play with or without sleep. These were different breed of golfers who have golf implanted in their brains.

After golf we returned to Jakarta and checked in at the Ibis Styles Hotel at Gajah Mada, fka All Seasons Hotel. It is a nice 3 star hotel with large lobby and outdoor swimming pool and located next door to Gajah Mada Mall. A few meters away is the Jakarta Fruit Market where you can buy delicious fruits like Salak Pasir, Harum Manis, Jeruk, Avocado  etc. Opposite the hotel at night there are stalls selling street food if you can stomach them, they are much cheaper than eating at Rumah Makan.

Second day we played at Permata Sentul GC, also a very nice course which I have previously played a few times. Maybe its worth mentioning that caddies in Sentul are very friendly and beautiful too...that explained why golf courses in Bogor are more popular than courses in Jakarta.

The organizer provided us two dinners at Pondok Laguna and Cabe Ijo, food simply delicious because they were free dinner, so to speak, should try the Baracudda grilled fish and sayur pakis.

Third day we played at Damai Indah/Bumi Serpong GC near Tangerang not too far from Jakarta. Very nice course and we should play there when visiting Jakarta next time. 

Tired but happy we left hotel at 10.00 am to catch the flight home at 1.30 pm.

UNIPERTAMA Golf Club

Located just south of KL, its been a while since I last played there because it was not that popular amongst golfers. When golfing buddies Mas Ali, Syed Muzaffar and Zainal Abidin called me for a foursome last Tuesday, 2 October 2018, I just wanted to visit the place. Not surprising there are many golfers arriving at the club at 0800 hours, mostly retirees and pensioners.

Mas Ali took care of the registration, RM60 for Senior golfers and RM70 for visitors including buggy. There are some female caddies fro Indonesia, mostly from Medan although our caddy was from Surabaya. Caddy fee is another RM60 excluding tips.

We played the Par 5 Hole 1 from the Blue Tee and managed 4 on but 3 putted for 7. I am not very fond of elevated green. First 9 score was humble with 1 par (5), 2 bogeys and 6 doubles at the so called Orchard 9.

The 2nd nine is called Forest 9 and was more challenging with so many OBs and dogleg fairways. Some of the second shot were blind from the fairways for new visitors. Managed 48 for this nine with 2 pars (3,5) 2 bogeys and 5 doubles. Most of the par 3s were long to as much as 190 meter and we cant get to the green with drivers, a clear signal that next time we must play from White tee box.

The caddy was good and polite and did her line reading candidly but we a just lousy golfers.

We had lunch at the club and they served good selection of tasty menus and overall damage for the day was RM80 including lunch.  For that much what is there to complain ?

GOLF IN KARAWANG, INDONESIA, APRIL 2018

KARAWANG is an industrial town outside Jakarta located between Bogor and Bandung. It has three golf courses, Lotus Lakes GC, Sedana GC (now known as Palm Spring GC) and Jababeka GC, all three equally nice and challenging. We stayed at Karawang, the Swissbellin Hotel is in town and has adequate facilities for golfers. The breakfast spread is acceptable and only 20 minutes to golf courses.

Normally Lotus Lakes GC will be the first stop and Palm Spring GC on the second day. We would play Jababeka GC on the third day as the course is located nearer to Jakarta. The reason being golfers would spend the third night in Jakarta before flying home the next day..The choice hotels would be somewhere in Gajah Mada and Hayam Wuruk area where golfers could find halal restaurants, fruit markets and shopping malls nearby. 

 From Jakarta airport to Karawang, the trip would take about an hour if traffic is normal and since we arrived in the morning, the journey was quite pleasant. We had three flights of golfers, the stronger ones played with each other.

 During the game, these caddies borrowed my HP and they have a field day selfie when they could and I played golf.

 There are not many rumah makan in Karawang being a small town but we managed to visit the better ones and when time is constrained just have our meals at the clubhouse albeit the price is 60% higher than normal restaurants.

 Different course with different caddy but they are all very nice and dedicated to their job, after all not many foreigners play golf in Karawang.

 Playing all three days with with good friend Aziz who plays 22 hcp and I have to give him 4 strokes advantage each and every round.

 One of my favourite Indonesian meal is Bebek goreng cabe ijo, at the clubhouse it cost about rph 90,000 as opposed to normal price of rph 35,000 in normal rumah makan. The price of course depends on the servings small or large portions.

 Really nice course and great fairways,

The ever happy smiling faces after a good round of golf.