The 'Battle Finale' at the Royal Samui....

4th July 2009

the Lamai beach at the down-left corner with the Royal Samui Golf Club perched on the mountain-top overlooking the sea...




a closer view of the golf course...

The Royal Samui Golf and Country Club is located on a mountainous terrain overlooking the Lamai beach on the south-eastern corner of the Koh Samui island. As one flies in or out of the island's airport, one can get a glimpse of the 9-hole golf course perched on the mountain top.

the spot where the transfer to a 4-wheel drive took place....

From the Marriot Vacation Club's downtown office at Chaweng, we were driven in a van to a location along the main island road where the steep track up to the golf course began. We were transferred to a 4-wheel drive land-cruiser as ordinary vehicles can never make it to the top. Part of the track was metalled while the remaining half was still a dirt track. So, pakdokter guessed that during the rainy season of December to February, one can forget about playing this course.

We were picked up and driven by Mr Bong, the Manager of the club itself. What an honour it was for us! The drive up to the golf course was itself an experience . The track was steep, passing by villages brushed with palms of coconut trees. At many vantage points one get a view of the sea and the beaches of the island.

Mr Bong explained that the golf course is about 3 years old and only 9-holes have been completed. A British investor was supposed to have paid for the completion of the remaining 9 holes but due to the current economic crisis this development has been stalled.

the uncompleted club-house and apartments...

The course is a short 9-hole par-33, measuring 2081 yards from the blue tees. But almost every hole is either steeply uphill or downhill with narrow fairways flanked by deep bushes if not jungles to swallow your golf balls.

The 'truly-confident' pakTengku never forget to challenge pakdokter to a match-play with the same bets as in our previous 2 games. No problem......

Hole No.1, 215 yards uphill, the green is behind the rock in the centre of the fairway..

PakTengku confidently hit with the driver and sent his ball to the left, not knowing that there was a pond which took in his ball. Pakdokter sent the ball up with the wood-5 and pitched in from 100 yards upwards to the top of the green. With a drop, pakTengku sent the 3rd shot to the green and 3 putted for 6 while pakdokter holed in for 5. So 1-up.

the Hole-1 green is behind the huge central rock...





pakTengku pitching up to green No.1....

hole No.2 , 276 yards downhill....the green cannot be seen from the tee..

Pakdokter pulled the shot at the 2nd tee and sent the ball into the pond on the left. PakTengku hit with the driver and lost his ball into the bushes. Pakdokter managed to reach the green for 4 and 3 putted for 7. PakTengku equalled the hole. Still 1-up.

green of Hole No.2 with the sea in the distance..

par-3 hole No.3 ..only 92 yards...

Pakdokter used a gap-wedge for the next par-3 hole, sent it near the pin and missed a birdie! PakTengku used a pitching iron, sent it to the left, a few feet outside the green and had to settle for a bogey. 2-up....

Hole No.4, par-4 250 yards.....

Pakdokter again used the trusted wood-5 and sent the ball from the tee across valley onto the fairway at the hole No.4. PakTengku put aside his 'bravado', took our his iron-4 and topped his ball which went low but fortunately hit a rock at the top end of the valley which helped bounced the ball onto the fairway. Pakdokter hit a 9-iron and sent the next shot to the top of the green and scored another par. A 'starting-to-be-nervous' pakTengku sent his ball short of the green and had to settle for a double bogey. So......3-up.....

view from the tee at hole No.5... a par-4 measuring 329 yards but going steeply downhill with 2 valleys to play across...

The valley to go across looked too long for the 'aged' pakdokter, so out came the driver. Alas, the ball was sent O.B. to the hill on the right. Pakdokter took a drop but the 3rd shot went into the valley again. So, pakdokter gave up and took an 8. PakTengku used a wood-3, the ball looked threateningly heading into the valley but before he could hit the 3rd shot from the 'drop' he saw his ball just beyond the valley. So, gleefully, he took his 2nd from there, put it on for 2 and 3-putted for 5. But, still 2-up.... PakTengku's ball must have hit the track and bounced onto the fairway beyond the valley. Where can pakTengku drive as long as 300 yards......never!....

the ride from hole 5 to holes 6, 7, 8 and 9 passed through coconut plantation ...

hole No.6....par-4 measuring 316 yards...

Hole No.6 also required a long drive across a pond which pakdokter pulled to the left into the coconut tress. The 'almighty' pakTengku, with all his strength on the driver sent his ball which looked like it was heading into the ocean but was nicely on the fairway with a short 100 yards left to the uphill green to the dog-legged left. With a bogey against pakdokter's 7, pakTengku reduced the deficit to 2.

from the green of hole No. 6....the Lamai beach in view...

hole-7, par 3 measuring 185 yards...

Hole-7 par 3 was tricky as it was narrow with the wind threatening to blow one's ball across either way. PakTengku's ball went a little right of the apron enabling him to get a par. Pakdokter who was distracted by the fantastic scenery, sent the ball into the rough, lost the ball and accepted a 6 like a gentleman! Still...1-up.

a 'newly confident' pakTengku posing at the tee at hole No-8,

a par-4 measuring 312 yards..
the long stretch of Lamai beach in the background..

pakdokter with a new 'hat'....

PakTengku has found back his 'confidence' and struck the driver well to send his ball long onto the fairway. Pakdokter was honest to admit that he was not the better player and only managed a poor drive with the wood-5. PakTengku took the hole with a par as against pakdokter's 6.

So it was left to the last hole No 9 to determine our fate for the game in the 1st nine.

Hole No-9 was a par-3 which measured only 106 yards. PakTengku who had the 'honour' used his pitching wedge but pulled it to the right, luckily avoiding the bunker. From there he pitched over the sand but short of the pin to settle for a 5. Pakdokter used a shorter gap-wedge and sent it straight to the green about 15 yards to the pin. From there it was another easy 2 for a par.

Pakdokter waited for pakTengku to 'double-up' for the next Nine but he 'amazingly' quiet. So pakdokter settled down for another round on the same bet and to to cut the story short pakdokter came home winning the 2nd Nine again with a 1-hole advantage.

Being the good 'sport' that pakTengku is, he invited pakdokter and partner to a Thai dinner at downtown Chaweng that night.....

TQ pakTengku...