pakdoktergolfblog

Day 4: Golfing @ The Mission Hills Golf Course,Phuket

Pakdokter had played at the Mission Hills Golf Course in Phuket only once some years ago - just after Phuket was hit by the tsunami and the golf course had several of its holes destroyed by the tsunami. It was also the newest course in Phuket then. So pakdokter decided to check out this course again this time.

This course has a sea-side setting - located on the north-eastern tip of the island facing the Phanga Bay. It took almost 45 minutes to reach by car from the Secret Cliff Resort in Karon which is sited on the south-western end of the island. The driver took the round-island road that passed the Kamala Bay and Thalang Bay before cutting across to the other end. It gave pakdokter the chance to view the many tourist developments at these parts of the island.

Golf at Mission Hills is slightly cheaper than at the Red Mountain. Pakdokter paid 4800 bahts (RM480) for the green fee, caddy and transfer and had , as usual, to hire a buggy for another 600 bahts. Perhaps because of its far-off location - there were not many golfers playing here and pakdokter had the luxury of playing the round alone.

This is a typical resort-course - in some ways quite friendly without intimidating forests and valleys as at the Red Mountain. The course is fairly short but on many holes one had to play across water which was made difficult by strong inward-blowing winds which caused pakdokter to send some balls into the water. Pakdokter finished the game within a quick 2-hours and since pakdokter had asked the driver to come back for the pick-up after 5-hours, pakdokter had a lot of time to kill. Pakdokter had initially toyed with the idea of going back to play another round but pakdokter's caddy had recommended the Spa which she said had many 'pretty' masseurs. Pakdokter took her advise and did not regret it. It was a lovely and clean spa with fairly-priced therapies. Pakdokter took a 90-minute " Golfer Lover's Massage" package which cost 1700 bahts (RM170) which essentially was an aromatherapy massage with oil similar to sport massage pakdokter indulges in KL for about RM90 for a 90-minute session at pakdokter's regular place, the Thai Oddysey outfit in Bangsar. ( Similar treatment at 5-star resorts in Langkawi like the Datai and Westin could easily cost RM300 )

the golf course is generally flat, wideand short

but with strong winds from the sea....

the Maya Dhevi Spa is clean and luxurious.

the Phad Thai @ the Mission Hills below.

Day 3: Dinner @ the Royal Palm Restaurant, Patong,Phuket

Raena had made-to-order a 'cheong-sam' at one of the tailors in Patong yesterday and had to go back for a 'fitting'. So we all went back to Patong on a tuk-tuk that night after which we stopped at the Royal Palm Restaurant for a seafood dinner.

the Hard Rock Cafe had a 'rock-band' performing on an open-air stage along the street

there was also a mobile bar with the whole range of drinks on offer....

the lobster thermidor which Raena had @ the Royal Palm...

Day 3: A Day @ the Karon Beach, Phuket

Karon Beach is located south to our resort. A tuk-tuk drive down the hill to this little town with a long stretch of clean white beach cost 200 bahts (RM20) for the whole car. Karon town is much smaller than Patong and looks cleaner and neater. The sea-front street is lined by many shops ( mostly cafes and restaurants) apart from the many hotels of different classes. Karon looks like a more desirable place to stay at if pakdokter ever comes to Phuket again in future instead of the crowded and noisy Patong.

after lunch at one of the street cafes, we headed to the beach

where most of the sun-decks have already been occupied

by the sun-seekers most of whom were Russians and Scandinavians...

we managed to rent 3 sundecks which cost 100 bahts each for the day

Raena and Fareeda treated themselves to Thai Massage at a nearby booth

before going for a swim later in the afternoon when the sun was not so strong,

pakdokter spent the whole afternoon finishing one of the books that pakdokter was reading...

Day 2: A Night @ the Bangla Thai Boxing Stadium,Phuket

Raena used to do 'kick-boxing' during her school and college days and was keen to watch the Thai Muay-Thai (kick-boxing). They had bought tickets to view this that afternoon and had informed pakdokter about it via sms.

The Thai Kick-Boxing is one of the tourist attractions on this island. A truck with loud-speakers would continously drive around the streets of Patong announcing the event with some of the boxers putting up demo-boxing on the converted open-air trucks. The ticket to watch the show came to 2000 bahts per person.

The Bangla Thai Boxing Stadium was packed with tourists - mostly Russian and the Scandinavian types. There were quite a huge female audience and the 3 to 4 hour event had about 10 fights - each fight lasting between 3 to 5 ot 6 rounds depending if the boxers could last to the end without suffering a 'knock-out'. Pakdokter found it quite 'brutal' and did not really enjoy the show. In one of the fights - a young Thai boxer received a severe kick to his abdomen and was knocked out. He was flat on the floor for at least 5-minutes and being a doctor , pakdokter was imagining a torn liver and an internal bleeding which would risk his life. Luckily after a 'massage' treatment from his assistants, he finally stood up and looked alright. In another fight between an Iranian teenage against a local Thai boy - the Iranian kid kicked the Thai boy on his left knee that he was 'knocked-out' because he could not stand up anymore and would have been beaten and kicked ( to death?!) if the judge had not stopped the fight and declared the winner. There was also a match between a ?Russian/Swedish girl against a local Thai girl which went for the full 5 or 6 rounds - although the huge Caucasian looked like to have had all the advantage, the small-sized but tough Thai girl finally was declared the winner when she was able to inflict more kicks and punches against her oppponent.

the full house Bangla Thai Boxing Stadium

these boys must be 12 years old!

Day 2: An Evening Walk along Patong and Dinner@JungCeylon Mall,Phuket

Having rested and spent the afternoon catching up on reading - pakdokter took a tuk-tuk from the resort to join Raena and pakdokter's partner who had gone down to Patong since the fternoon. Stopping a tuk-tuk on the roadside - the driver charged pakdokter only 100 bahts (RM10) instead of the usual 300 bahts if pakdokter had asked the concierge to call for one.

Pakdokter was dropped at the southern end of the Patong beach and took a walk along the esplanade catching the sunset from the usually crowded beach which was beginning to be cleared up.

sunset @ Patong

sundecks being stacked up for the night

many sail-boats anchored off Patong...

pakdokter walked up the Patong beach and traversed

the Bangla Walking Street towards the JungCeylon Mall

where Raena and Fareeda were shopping

and we had dinner @ the Joe Louis Thai Restaurant....

Day 2: Golf @ the Red Mountain Golf Course,Phuket

6th January 2012

Pakdokter had pre-booked a golf game at the Red Mountain Golf Course prior to coming to Phuket. Although pakdokter's golf club, the RSGC, has a reciprocal arrangement with this club and its sister course, the Loch Palm Golf Course, which would entitle pakdokter to only pay half the normal green fees - due to a rather late planning, pakdokter did not manage to make use of this facility. Golfing in Phuket is an expensive outing. The green fee in the Red Mountain Course came to about RM560 inclusive of the caddie fee. On top of this one is required to hire a buggy which cannot be shared with another golfer for another RM70. With tips to the caddy which was fixed at a minimum of RM40 - a game of golf here easily cost around RM600 to RM700. Despite of this the golf course was still quite crowded with groups of golfers from Japan, Korea and the Scandinavian countries.

As pakdokter was alone and the course was quite busy - pakdokter was requested to play with a father-and-son golfers from Finland. They were on holidays from the severe winter at home. They told pakdokter that the rest of their family members ( 2 daughters and their mother) were at the hotel recuperating from food-poisoning.

The Red Mountain Golf Course is reputed to be the current most popular course in Phuket. That probably explains the high fees. It is built on high ground and at its highest spot, one gets a commanding view of the island ( our caddies could not tell us how high it was at the highest altitude of the course). Most holes were narrow and tight with either forest or lakes to their flanks. For a mountainous course, the number of lakes was quite surprising. On top of that there was always strong winds on this high altitude. Pakdokter's flight mates lost so many golf balls as they were strong hitters but tended to be wild and sent many balls into the jungle.