December Golf Report
Does finishing 2nd count as a defeat? In some circles it may, but when you win a big white shoe bag adorned with pink and purple ribbons, it sure feels like a great victory. And that was the case for me in December with golf at the Spring City Golf and Lake Resort in Kunming, the aforementioned prize, additional prizes for winning closest-to-the-pin contests in two consecutive chances, and generally having a great time with playing companions of the best sort. I was at Spring City to speak at a turfgrass management conference. A full report of this conference, in Chinese, is available here, or a summary can be found here in English.
I also played at the Banyan Golf Club in Hua Hin (pictured below), at Springfield Royal Country Club in Hua Hin (winning again), and closed out the month with a round at the classic Luisita Golf Club in the Philippines (also victorious). My record in golf matches this year is approximately nineteen victories, one defeat, and six occasions of indeterminate outcome. Those six draws, as we shall call them, were due to my stellar play that would normally produce a victory but with unusual circumstances intervening (such as technically finishing in 2nd place) that make me hesitant to claim a clear victory. This Pacquiao-like year comes to a close with an inimitable match record and illimitable confidence for the golfing year ahead.