Golf

I wasn’t able to continue my winning steak in May, although I did finish the month with a winning record. I lost at Sri Lanka and in the Philippines, won at Vietnam and in multiple matches at Thailand, and am now prepared for some epic matches to be contested at Thailand and Australia in June.

When you think of golf in April, the Masters Tournament surely comes to mind. And if you follow the Masters Tournament, then the 12th hole at Bangkok’s new Dream Arena course will look familiar to you.

My record this month was four wins in four matches. I’m undefeated in the first quarter of 2011. In fact, I’m undefeated since early November of last year. And perhaps I am feeling a little bit of pressure, because I fell behind in each of my matches before storming back for decisive victories.

You may recall that I won a large trophy last November at the Chairman’s Cup in Boracay. But I did not bring the trophy to Thailand with me after the staggering victory.

Two birdies on a cerulean afternoon at Bangkok’s Alpine GC brought me a draw in my only match this month. You may remember Alpine as the site of Tiger Woods’ victory at the 2000 Johnnie Walker Classic.

My record in January was 1-0. I made two birdies in my first round of the year and then concluded the month with three solivagant weeks away from the challenges of the golf course.

You may have already seen the January 2011 issue of Greenkeeper International, with its cover image of Phuket’s Blue Canyon Country Club and the promise of insight into turfgrass management in Southeast Asia.

Like Manny Pacquiao, I took the month off, spent some time at Japan, and made plans for a match in 2011. I also went to India and visited nineteen golf courses, including the Ft.

I’m still basking in the refulgence of my stunning victory at Boracay. But it would be remiss of me to omit the two small defeats that offset my three gigantic wins in November.

After finishing my training at Baguio and the practice round at Boracay, I took a break from golf and went searching for balut on the beaches and backroads of the island.