Phoenix Golf and Country Club, Pattaya

We planned to play a practice round at the Siam Country Club, Old Course, but found out that the club was closed for maintenance on Mondays. So in its place a game was arranged at the Phoenix Golf and Country Club.

multi-tiered waterfall at the lobby of Phoenix Golf Resort club-house

The group of 13 RSGC golfers who came later on Sunday evening had a bus to shutlle them and was staying at the newly completed Ibis Hotel,Pattaya. It happened to be just next door to where C K Lim and I were staying, so we hopped on to a tuk-tuk with our golf bags and joined them at 7.00 am in the morning en-route to Phoenix Golf Course.

a view of the golf course from the club-house

Phoenix Golf Course was just about 20 minutes out of Pattaya. It is a 27-hole course, one of the older golf courses in the region. So it is a mature course, well maintained and manicured with a huge new club-house. Our group was the first to arrive that morning and we were happy to tee-off without any pressure at all.

the flat and friendly course of Phoenix Golf Resort

The course is generally short - the Lake and Mountain Nines that we played totalled only 6222 yards from the white tee. It suited us( mostly senior golfers) fine and allowed us to have a leisurely game - although I must admit that the scores I returned with did not reflect how friendly the course is! I guess the fatigue from the early Sunday flight and the overdone 3 hours of massage had its telling effect.

C K Lim doing a practise swing

Alex Hwang IL Rok and Chun Ki Hoe, the two Koreans (who run Korean restaurants in KL) decided that they were better off playing from the black tee, or else they would be putting 2-on on most of the par 4's.

ex-Captain Lee Tuck Chew and Korean Chun Ki Hoe raising his glass of Black Label

I played with C K Lim (handicap 20) and Wong Yew Kwong (handicap 19). With my handicap of 24,I returned a score of 57/49, C K Lim scored 51/45 and Y K Wong carded 50/52. We played a small stake and Yew Kwong collected a few dollars from both C K and I.

Wong Yew Kwong wong collected money from both C K Lim and pakdokter

All in all, the Phoenix Golf and Country Club was a good venue for a warm up.

the ever scientific Dr Francis Ho who will only believe in anything if it is evidence-based (extreme right) and Ronald Yeo,the introspective lawyer and chi kung practitioner who reads everything from philosophy and religion to holistic medicine.. Captain Lee Tak Suan looked on the two colleagues who finally decided to stop their intellectual discourse and savour the delicious Thai food...Korean Alex Hwang IL Rok at extreme left.

C K and I decided that in preparation for the competition on Tuesday, we must tone up our bodies with another 3 hours of Thai massage.

The group went for a sea food dinner at a restaurant in downtown Pattaya where I realised how bustling has Pattaya become since I was here some 20 years ago and again about 2 years ago. The new Central Pattaya Beach Department Store to be opened in 2009 looks set to rival KL's Pavillion!