The Interport Game at the Biwako Country Club...

Sunday was another bright and sunny day perfect for golf. We checked out of our hotel and were shuttled to the Biwako Country Club for an early breakfast before the early morning tee-off for the friendly game with our Japanese hosts.

Pakdokter was made to partner pakZaid Ibrahim with two very senior gentlemen from the Biwako Club, namely Mr Morikatsu Shiraishi (handicap 10) and Mr Yasuhiko Kasamatsu (handicap 14). Both gentlemen were in their late sixties if not early seventies yet they both hit their drives much longer than the both of us!

Unfortunately both of them spoke very little English to enable us to get to know them better.

pakdokter, Kasamatsusan, Shiraishisan and pakZaid...

Pakdokter and pakZaid decided to play a small bet on the side, agreeing to both play to a handicap of 24 and to pay a small fee per stroke difference in our final scores based on a stroke play.

We played the Ritto Nine and the Mikami Nine for the competition, the Ritto Nine being the longer of the 3 Nines at the course. Playing from the white tee, the course measured 6241 yards.

PakZaid did very well in the first 4 holes, scoring pars on the first (par 5) and third (par 4) holes and left pakdokter a little shaken trailing 4 strokes behind after the fourth hole.

Pakdokter's luck came in on the 5th hole ( par-5) with a par to be followed with two more pars on the next par 3 and par 4 sixth and seventh hole. Pakdokter bogeyed the eight hole where pakZaid scored a triple bogey and we both bogeyed the last par-4 hole number ninth.

Pakdokter returned a score of 44 for the first 9 against pakZaid's 49. So pakdokter was happy to have a a 5 stroke lead into the second 9.

the fairways were generally still brown from the severe effects of winter but the full bloom of the sakuras made up for it....

After the usual lunch break we went back to play the Mikami 9 and with a comfortable lead pakdokter was able to stay calm and played a steady game. Pakdokter scored a par at the par 4 second hole and another par at the par-3 fourth hole. Poor pakZaid must have lost his nerves and was ten down after the fourth hole.

We agreed to cap the game at the 1o strokes difference and played on to try and win the competition with the other golfers.

Pakdokter played a consistent game to the end to return a score of 46 for the Mikami 9 with another par at the par-3 hole number 8.

our caddy was so happy with pakdokter's performance the she gave pakdokter a big hug for this photo.....

At the prize presentation after dinner pakdokter was declared the winner amongst the RSGC players, playing to a score of -6 from a handicap of 24!

This was one of pakdokter's best ever score in his golfing career, only to be 'bested' at one of the Nines at the Ciputra Course in Surabaya in February this year when pakdokter returned a score of 40!

Dr Saitosan, the Captain of Biwako Golf Club congratulating pakdokter for the fine game..

Shiraishisan and Kasamatsusan at the dinner...

After the dinner and prize presentation, we were shuttled to the Kyoto Station from where we took the Nozomi Shinkansen, the famed Japanese bullet train which brought us to Tokyo in just two and a half hours covering a distance of more than 500 km!

RSGC Lady Captain Rosie Dewal, Ms Low Lea Kim and Ibu Suliana...

Md Noor Noordin, Azzat Kamaluddin and Zaid...

Song Kueng Nor, Mokhtar Ibrahim, Chang see Tum and Lim Cheng Yow..

Practise Round of Golf at the Biwako Country Club..

Saturday morning saw us heading for our practise round at the Biwako Country Club. As the Club has organised breakfast, lunch and dinner for us, we informed our hotel, The Royal Oak in Otsu, about it and to our surprise and delight the hotel decided to refund each of us the cost of breakfast ( 2500 yen) in the form of a credit voucher to be spent at the hotel F&B outlets.

We were welcomed upon arrival by club officials who were waiting for our arrival at the club foyer. We were each alloted our locker in the changing room and were given a tube of the club's golf balls as a gift.

We helped ourselves to the breakfast spread as more and more of Biwako Club's members arrived to join us.

Zahardin testing the speed at the practice green..
Nakanosan, Lim Cheng Yeow, Azlan Abdullah, Zaid Ibrahim..

Kubosan, pakdokter, Zahardin, Mahmood Merican..

It could not have been a better day for golf. It was bright and sunny and slightly cool in the morning but the temperature rose to probably around 30 by the middle of the day. Many of the golfers from RSGC were 'first-timers' and I am sure that they were all as excited, if not more, as pakdokter in having the chance to play at this club. The sakuras were in full bloom as the season had come somewhat later this year due to the rather cooler month of March. We were indeed a lucky lot this year.

However the fairways were still brown and dry and has not yet fully recovered from the 'winter effects'.

Zahardin getting out of the bunker..

Mahmood Merican at the tee...

Sakura in full bloom...

Pakdokter played with Zahardin and Dr Mahmmod Merican, accompanied by Kubosan ( Mr Tetsuji Kubo) who is a comittee member of the Biwako Country Club. Kubosan has been a regular visitor to RSGC in our interport games. Kubosan owns a company involved in 'fresh-water pearl farms'. He has now retired and has left the business to his son.

Korean members of the RSGC...Alex Hwang and Thomas Chun..

Mr Lee Chee Kin and daughter Ms Susan Lee Sook Leng..

Zahardin and Azlan ...

Most of the Biwako Club's members were quite senior as almost everyone that pakdokter came to know of were in their sixties or more. Yet most of them have low handicaps and put pakdokter to shame by 'outdriving' pakdokter by at least 20 to 30 yards ahead of pakdokter's drive.

We played the Mikami and Biwako Nines which measured 6152 yards from the white tee. Pakdokter scored 51/53 (handicap 24) pakZahardin scored 52/50 ( handicap 22) and Dr Mahmood Merican returned a score of 50/52 (handicap 19). Our host, Kubosan, playing to a handicap of 5 returned a score of 41/39.

Golf in Japan is played at a leisurely pace. After the First Nine, we stopped for a choice of set-lunch before continuing to the Second Nine about an hour later. The bath after the game must have been quite an experience for the 'first-timers'. It was a typical Japanese bath, where one was given just a small face towel and has to bathe openly in our 'birthday suit'. After a wash and scrub at a sit-down stool, you can then soak yourself in the hot-pool which was steaming at a temperature of 41-42 degrees celcius.

It took pakdokter a while the first time 3 years ago to get used to the idea of going around in the nude in the company of other nude gentlemen in the bath and more so in the changing/dressing room when the caretaker lady walked around to pick up the used towels oblivious of us guys in the nude!

But once you get used to this cultural practice of the Japanese bath, you begin to enjoy and appreciate the philosophy behind the practice. Apparently it is meant to strip everyone to become equals and to enable a free flow of communication exchanges without worrying about each other's status in society....Hmmmm....Once we are all stripped to skin, we are all the same???

Happy Birthday pakZaid.....

Our flight to Osaka left Sepang at about midnight and in between the light supper and the very early breakfast served on board there was hardly any time left for sleep. Naturally when we touched down at the futuristic Kansai Airport ( designed by the same architect who was commissioned to do our KLIA Sepang) we were all very sleepy and tired. It was a cool 12 degree celcius and the sun was bright and shining as if it was on a hot summer day. If the weather stayed on like this, we were all very hopeful that we were going to have a great golf outing.

It took about an hour by bus to reach Kyoto. We were taken to a 'kimono' store and were entertained to a 'kimono' fashion show paraded by pretty Japanese models on the catwalk. After some souvenier shopping we were then taken to visit the Hei-an Shrine in downtown Kyoto - one of the 'must visit' places if you were to come to Kyoto. It could not have been at a better time for us as the 'sakura' was in full bloom all over the place.

We were then taken to an old street of Kyoto lined by rows of shops much to the delight of souvenier hunters. We also had time for lunch at one of the many little Japanese restaurants tucked in between narrow lanes along the street.

We checked into our Royal Lake Hotel in Otsu, a little town by the Lake Biwa (Biwako). It was such a great hotel with a very spacious room by Japanese standard. Pakdokter's room overlooked a pretty and well-tended garden with flowers in full bloom. The room was anytime good for a 'honeymoon'.

Pakdokter's old schoolday buddy, pakZaid Ibrahim ( whose latest book - Saya Pun Melayu was reviewed by pakdokter last week and blogged at this site - and for those of you who may be interested to read it, look out for the English and Chinese versions which are in the making), was also in this tour group.

That day, April 10th, happened to be pakZaid's 58th birthday. So pakdokter, pakZaid and pakZaid's partner, Ibu Suliana, celebrated pakZaid's birthday with a dinner at the hotel's French restaurant.

Happy Birthday pakZaid......

Here's wishing you many many more years of good health...

pakdokter, Ibu Suliana and the birthday boy pakZaid..

Spring in Kyoto...

Without fail, for the past 3 years, pakdokter has been travelling with the RSGC golf team to Kyoto, in our club's annual home-and-away game with our reciprocal club, the Biwako Golf and Country Club. Our Biwako friends ( their biggest contingent so far of about 30 golfers) came to play at the RSGC in February during the severe winter season. RSGC's tour of Biwako is always during the first week of April to catch the arrival of sakura.....

This year's group must also be a record of sorts. More than 50 members originally signed up for the tour but with some withdrawals later on, the group was downsized to a more manageable 33 which included 6 non-golfing spouses.

Below is a potpourri of pictures of some sights of Kyoto, courtesy of pakdokter's partner, who has been in Japan a few weeks earlier with our son who has been working in Tokyo for the past 3 years. Pakdokter's partners travel-blog can be viewed at www.aginghippietales.blogspot.com.

Pakdokter will be reporting on the golf escapades in due time.

Happy reading...

SAYA PUN MELAYU....

Pakdokter sudah lama tidak membaca buku yang di tulis di dalam bahasa Melayu. Bukan apa, sebenarnya, tidak ada pun buku Melayu yang menarik perhatian pakdokter setiap kali pakdokter singgah ke kedai buku. Takkan lah ketika usia sudah hampir enam puluhan ini pakdokter masih hendak membaca buku Melayu tentang kisah cinta monyet para remaja! Lagi pun buku-buku Melayu tentang kisah hantu dan toyol juga tidak menarik minat pakdokter kerana pakdokter sebenarnya tidak percaya tentang ada nya hantu atau toyol itu. Lain lah kalau tentang hantu dan toyol yang sememang nya selalu 'ganas' di lapangan-lapangan golf!

Apa yang pakdokter hendak katakan di sini ialah hakikat bahawa kita sebenar nya ketandusan buku-buku bahasa Melayu yang bermutu....


Buku 'SAYA PUN MELAYU...' tulisan pakZaid Ibrahim ini satu-satu nya buku bahasa Melayu yang terbaharu. Pakdokter membeli dan terus membaca buku itu dalam masa kira-kira empat jam sahaja. Begitu lah menarik nya buku ini.....menarik bukan sahaja kerana pakZaid Ibrahim ini sememang nya kawan akrab pakdokter semasa dari zaman sekolah lagi, tetapi persahabatan kami terus mantap hingga ke hari ini.

Pakdokter dan pakZaid Ibrahim semasa di sekolah dahulu memang nya giat dalam aktiviti perbahasan. Malah kami berdua mewakili STAR ( Sekolah Tuanku Abdul Rahman ,Ipoh) dalam pasukan debat bahasa Inggeris antara sekolah-sekolah di Perak pada tahun 1970 dan menjadi johan pada tahun itu. Bayangkan lah, budak-budak 'sekolah' Melayu yang asal nya lansung tidak petah berbahasa Inggeris lima tahun sebelum nya tiba-tiba berjaya mengalahkan pasukan debat sekolah-sekolah St. Micheal's Institution dan Anglo Chinese School di Ipoh. Kemudian di dalam debat terakhir kami berjaya pula mengalahkan sekolah King Edward v11 dari Taiping di dewan Kolej Melayu Kuala Kangsar!

Pakdokter masih ingat lagi dua dari tiga orang pengadil pada debat terakhir itu. Yang pertama Datuk Sri Dr M Mahadevan, doktor pakar perunding jiwa dan pengarah di Hospital Bahagia Tanjong Rambutan ketika itu dan yang kedua Datuk Sri Jeyaratnam, seorang peguam yang ulung di Ipoh yang kini juga menjadi Pengerusi Kelab Lumba Kuda Ipoh dan juga giat dalam aktiviti amal menyediakan kemudahan untuk orang-orang kurang upaya (OKU) di Perak. Entah kenapa pakdokter tidak dapat ingat siapa pengadil yang ketiga itu. Tapi yang pasti pakdokter tidak dapat melupakan, pakdokter di pilih sebagai pendebat terbaik hari itu. Sebenar nya pakdokter tidak menyangka yang pakdokter begitu hebat.......

Berbalik kapada buku pakZaid Ibrahim ini, yang menarik nya ia lah kerana buku ini membincangkan perkara-perkara yang 'relevant' pada hari ini.(apa agak nya perkataan Melayu yang tepat untuk perkataan Inggeris 'relevant' ini ya...?....pakdokter sebenar nya tidak suka bahasa Melayu di 'cemar' dengan perkataan-perkataan Inggeris....baru lah kita bolih kata kita ini Melayu jati...)

PakZaid Ibrahim menjelaskan dalam bab pertama buku itu kenapa dia meletakkan jawatan sebagai menteri baru-baru ini. Bukan kerana hendak suka-suka jadi 'hero', bukan kerana derhaka, bukan kerana tidak berhutang budi...tetapi kerana prinsip. Prinsip tentang keadilan yang tebal dalam jiwa dan sanubari pakZaid.

PakZaid juga menulis tentang ' Ketuanan Melayu' - asal usul 'slogan' ini dan bagaimana politikus-politikus yang menjerit-pekik 'slogan' ini tidak sedar bahawa kadang-kala taarif mereka tentang perkara ini mungkin bercanggah dengan Perlembagaan Negara dan membahayakan keharmonian suku kaum negara kita. Yang juga amat menarik pakZaid berani membincangkan dan menghuraikan pendapat nya mengenai kekusutan perlembagaan akibat drama politik di negeri Perak akhir-akhir ini. Apa kah DYMM Sultan Perak telah membuat keputusan yang tepat dan adil? PakZaid saperti lazim nya membincangkan perkara ini tanpa emosi tetapi dengan mengutarakan pendapat ilmiah berasaskan rujukan undang-undang yang sememang nya bidang kerjaya pakZaid. Sama ada pakZaid betul atau salah itu perkara lain, yang penting nya kalau anda berlain-pendapat sila tulis dan terbitkan buku anda. Itu cara yang ilmiah dan tertib. Bukan mengutuk, memekik dan menjerit macam orang kena rasuk.

Bahagian kedua buku itu semacam riwayat-hidup (autobiography) PakZaid sendiri. Kisah zaman kecil pakZaid membesar di dalam keluarga miskin di Kelantan, pencapaian nya di sekolah rendah, menengah dan di ITM, kemudian bekerja menjual 'tape 3M' di Pulau Pinang sebelum mendapat pinjaman MARA untuk mengikuti pengajian Bar di Inner Temple di England, semua nya terkisah dengan terperinci di dalam buku ini. Sedih juga pakdokter bila membaca bab riwayat hidup pakZaid ini. Pakdokter sangka sebagai anak Melayu yang cerdik semua kemudahan senang di dapati nya. Rupa-rupa nya 'indah kabar dari rupa'. Pakdokter percaya ramai professional-professional Melayu yang walaupun sudah berjaya hari ini bolih memahami apa yang terpaksa di lalui pakZaid untuk sampai ke tahap yang dia capai hari ini.

Bab ketiga buku ini membincangkan perkara-perkara politik. PakZaid memberi penjelasan kenapa dia membuat keputusan untuk meminta maaf kapada Tun Salleh Abas dan hakim-hakim yang lain lansung memberi mereka sagu hati yang banyak di pertikaikan olih ramai orang. PakZaid juga membahaskan tentang ketidaksetujuan nya dengan cara politik Mahathir mentadbir negara walaupun pakZaid mengiktiraf pencapaian ekonomi yang di bawakan olih Mahathir. Akhir nya pakZaid memberi rumusan tentang watak-watak politik yang di hormati nya.

Buku 'SAYA PUN MELAYU....' pakdokter lihat merupakan gelanggang di mana pakZaid membuat jawapan-balik ('rebuttal') terhadap macam-macam cemuhan yang di buat olih pelbagai pihak ( terutama nya ahli politik UMNO) terhadap nya. Sebenar nya amat seronok membaca jawapan-balik pakZaid ini. Tetapi pakdokter juga ingin mengatakan di sini bahawa buku ini bukan lah buku politk murahan. Banyak yang bolih di pelajari dalam buku ini kerana pakZaid menguatkan hujah-hujah nya dengan fakta-fakta ilmiah.

Apa yang juga menarik buat pakdokter ia lah keupayaan pakZaid menulis dalam bahasa Melayu yang mudah dan jelas, malah mirip macam tulisan pakMahathir. Tidak ada hendak menunjuk-pandai dengan perkataan-perkataan rekaaan-baru yang entah apa makna nya ( macam Anwar Ibrahim) dengan konsep-konsep yang memeningkan. Plain, simple and clear....maaf ya..tiba-tiba termasuk ungkapan Inggeris ini pula...

The Thana City Golf and Country Club...

The Thana City Golf and Country Club is another golf course where our club has a reciprocal arrangement where we enjoyed 'free green fee'. As it is located quite near to the new Suvarnabhumi Bangkok Airport, we decided to play a game here on Monday morning after which we were able to go to the airport for the return flight home.

hole No. 1 par 4 416 yards..

The Thana City is quite an old golf course and the club-house looked quite jaded. Being a Monday morning the course was not busy at all and we were able to play our game at a lesuirely pace.

pakTgAzman at the tee at hole No.2..

It is a par 72 course measuring 6966 yards from the blue tee. The course is quite flat and you have the choice of walking with your caddy carrying your bag or taking the buggy for an additional 600 baht.

As pakHyder was sufferring from a sorethroat caused by too much 'drinking' and too much 'thai massage' he decided to go on a buggy with his 'sweetie and wholesome' caddy.

hole no. 4 par 3 measuring 148 yards .....where only pakdokter managed not to put the ball into the lake....

apartments at the fringe of the course..

Pakdokter has had too much golf the previous 3 days and was not in his best form. Pakdokter returned a score of 53/56. We had expected pakTgAzman to take home whatever bahts we have left but as luck would have had it, pakHyder who was ill with a sorethroat came home with the best scores beating both pakdokter and pakTgAzman.

Anyhow, the lunch was generously sponsored by pakHyder who probably ended up with nothing much from his winnings...

some luxury villas...




the look of an 'aspiring' champion.....

pakHyder despite being down with a sorethroat managed to put both pakdokter and pakTgAzman to shame...

the clubhouse from the fairway of hole No. 9...

pakTgAzman scored a 10! on this par-4 hole No 15....

since he got a par for this hole..he requested the putt to be re-enacted and posted here...

the return from hole 18....

The Interport Game against the Royal Bangkok Sports Club...

About 50 golfers from the RSGC made it to this annual pilgrimage to Bangkok to play against the Royal Bangkok Sports Club during the weekend of 14th and 15th March 2009. Some golfers (like pakdokter's group of 4) made our own travelling arrangements while others hopped on the package tour organised by the club's travel agent.

pakTgAzman and pakGarrick Law..



the partnership of pakdokter and pakHyder...

The first game was played on Saturday afternoon. After a buffet lunch at the club-house we all teed-off to a shot-gun start from our allotted tees.

pakHyder, pak?, pakGarrick and pakdokter..

The Royal Bangkok Sports Club golf course is located smack in downtown Bangkok and doubles up as the Royal Bangkok Race Course as well. It is a short course playing to par 66 but is cleverly designed to make use of all the available ground in the limited space of the course grounds. There are many streams and lakes too in this very tight course!

the golf course with the horse-race course at its perimeter..



Novotel Siam Square at the fore-ground of the golf course..

It was quite an experience to play golf here. Apart from a caddy who walked and carry your golf bag, there was also a 'fore-caddy' in each flight who will look out for your ball if you sent it into the water. The 'fore-caddy' will jump into the stream or lake and retrieve your ball for you. So no worries about not having enough golf balls in your bag!

Pakdokter partnered pakHyder and we both played to an 'adjusted' handicap of 21. (In our own club we played to a handicapof 24!) Our opponents were RSBC committee member Mr Garrick Law who played to a handicap of 20 and a young golfer ( whose name pakdokter has forgotten..sorry) whose handicap was 12. Mr Garrick Law is a British who had worked in Thailand many years ago and after selling off his private hospital enterprise in Jersey Island has decided to come back and retire in Bangkok with his Thai family...

The game was played on a 4-ball best ball format. Taking advantage of our handicaps, pakdokter and pakHyder were able to match our opponents throughout the game and only won the match after hole 17.

the driving range of the RSBC is in the centre of the course..

The rest of the RSGC pairs did equally well in their games. The first day game ended up with RSGC taking the lead from RSBC 21 points against 13.

pakGarrick trying to figure out how to beat pakdokter and partner..

In typical RSBC style, we were entertained to a sumptuous dinner at the club that night to be followed by a 'typical' Bangkok 'cultural show' which pakdokter is unable to post the picutres here. The pictures are only for 'mature' and 'cultured' viewers.....heh..heh....

Sunday morning saw us play the second round and despite being mesmerised by the 'potpourri of culture, cuisine and free flowing wine' the night before, the RSGC golfers surprisingly returned a better score of 21 -3.

Pakdokter again partnered pakHyder and played against RSBC committee member Vichet Bunthuwong ( the CEO of Bangkok Mass Rapid Trains -MRT) and Mr James Richard Amatavivadhana ( the Regional Director of Johnsons & Johnsons SEA). Pakdokter and partner managed to beat our Thai partners only at the last hole!

Apparently RSGC has never beaten the RSBC the past 10 years or so at their home turf until this year. Well done RSGC...