Do you need a range finder on the course?

My golf kaki, Kenny is an advocate for the range finder. Needless to say, he had a good chuckle when the GPS on the T1 hybrid watch did not function. 

A good range finder (we are talking about those from reputable companies, Bushnell, Nikon, Leupold etc) will usually cost upwards of RM900.00 and that's alot of dough. You could get a new driver or 2 wedges for that kind of money. So I am pretty put off by the price if I am being honest. Then again, the T1 hybrid watch retails for RM629.00 here at MST and that's quite pricey as well. The second issue was, size. I had never tried using a range finder before and was always of the impression that they were bulky and a hassle to use. But I was proven wrong.

I had time to fiddle with Kenny's Bushnell Tour v3, slope edition range finder and first impressions? For starters, it was much smaller that I expected. Fit nicely in the grip of my palm and compact enough to fit in my front pocket.

What about ease of use? You pretty much look into the view finder, take aim, press the button and the yardage will appear in a second or two. Simple.

On the course at Sungai Long (and in the absence of yardage figures from my watch) Kenny was very kind to assist. Distances to the hazards, lay ups and pin were literally a touch of a button away, so that was very convenient.  

 

All said and done though, you need ask yourself if you need a range finder and whether it will help your game. Well, you know me and training aids. More next!

Golfing in KL : Part 2 - Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club

When one mentions Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club ("KLGCC"), the words, prestigious, beautiful, expensive and CIMB Classic usually follow.

KLGCC has two 18 holes courses, the East Course and West Course. 

I first stepped onto the KLGCC grounds last year during the CIMB Classic tournament and suffice to say I was in awe. As I made my way around the West Course during the competition, I was left salivating at the thought of playing there one day. 

If it was good enough to host a PGA event, it was a must play course in my mind. That's not to say the East Course (where the 2014 Sime Darby LPGA event will be played) is anything less stellar.

As a matter of interest, I am told that memberships are priced upwards of RM200,000.00 (Blimey!~), however, only term memberships are available at present. 

For the uninitiated like myself, the green fees were an eye opener.

Visitor's green fee for 18 holes on the weekends (including buggy, caddy and insurance) will come set you back about RM780.00. Note that there is an additional surcharge of RM50.00 if you choose to play on the West Course.

Bookings were full for the West Course on the Saturday afternoon, but we managed to get a flight on the East Course and I was fortunate that a flightmate was a member and thus only paid the member's guest rates (RM300++ which was way less then the visitor's rate). Otherwise I would honestly have given it a hard-second thought.

If you park at the multi storey visitor carpark, have a look at the adjacent driving range and you will probably get an idea just how prestigious KLGCC is.

If only we have such a facility here in Kuching.

Part of the clubhouse

I forget whether this is hole 1 or hole 10 of the East Course.

My thoughts of the East Course? For starters, its a beautiful course. I am always taken in by good landscaping and both the East and West Courses do not disappoint in that regard. Difficulty wise, the course layout presented quite a challenge. 

The greens in particular were something else. Reminded me of the greens at the Siam County Club in Pattaya. On average I was making 2 to 3 putts on every hole. Couldn't come to grips with the green speed and our Caddy wasn't very good with giving line reads either. More on that below.

Condition wise, I thought it wasn't as good as say Sungai Long Golf and Country Club. For instance, there were alot more divot marks on the fairway and the bunkers weren't as fluffy. Probably caused by the large number of golfers but for RM700+ green fee, you would expect immaculate conditions. That said, conditions were still good in my books and naturally, conditions get better closer to and after the LPGA and PGA events. 

When I made my last putt, it was bitter sweet that our round was over but it was very fulfilling nonetheless.

Onto the ratings.

My Ratings:-

Course conditions - 4/5

Course difficulty - 5/5

Caddy rating - 2.5/5 (our male caddy, though experienced and friendly appeared rather disinterested and wasn't very helpful with green reads.)

Club house facilities - 5/5 (from what I saw - rest rooms and golfer's terrace)

16.5/20 - Play it at least once!

Some will say that KLGCC is over rated and that you can play at just as good courses for much less. While I agree with the 'much less' statement, I personally think that you should play at there at least once, simply because it hosts such prestigious events. 

As I said earlier, if it's good enough for the LPGA and PGA, what more can I say. 

A round on the West Course in future? Let's see. 

Golfing in KL : Part 1 - Sungai Long Golf and Country Club

Been travelling a fair bit of late and dropped by KL for leisure and work. Managed to play 4 rounds of golf in less then a week and it was fantastic. Managed to play at the Sungai Long Golf and Country Club, the prestigious Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club, Seri Selangor Golf Club and Kelab Golf Perkhidmatan Awam. 

Here's part 1, Sungai Long ("SLGCC")

SLGCC, situated at Bandar Sungai Long, Cheras, Selangor features an 18 hole Course and the first in Malaysia designed by the Golden Bear, Jack Niklaus. A legend in the game, Jack is also a renowned course designer and if that doesn't get your Golf juices flowing, the RM200.00 (Friday green fee, inclusive of twin sharring buggy and insurance) should. AGSSG members pay only RM160.00 and member's guests, RM188.00. Fortunately for me, my golf buddy Kenny is a AGSSG member.

"At 7,019 meters long and with features such as specially designed bunkering, immaculately groomed greens, generous landing areas, sculptured fairways and paved card paths that weave throughout the meticulously landscape, it’s no wonder that we call it our “Garden of Eden"

For a Friday afternoon, there weren't as many golfers as we thought (which probably contributed to the fantastic course conditions). I remember playing at Kota Permai on a weekday morning and the course was packed with golfers. 

SLGCC is a lovely course. Course conditions were immaculate (bermuda grass) and the design presented a good fun challenge. Find yourself in the thick stuff and you will be tested sufficiently. Land in one of the many deep bunkers and you will test your skills getting out of the fluffy sand. 

Finally get on the green and have fun with reading the lines and judging the speed. 

Our game was paused mid way though by the afternoon KL shower and we adjourned to the Golfer's Terrace for a drink. But the rain stopped shortly after and we were back on the course. The fairway was a little soft, resulting in some plugged balls but otherwise very playable and the greens weren't water logged. 

The clubhouse is new and modern and I had a chance to drop by the locker room which was spacious, clean and complete with the necessary amenities. 

Onto the ratings.

My Ratings:-

Course condition - 5/5 (Prior to the rain. Even after though, the course was still very playable)

Course difficulty - 4/5

Caddy rating - (Male caddies available. We didn't opt for one but in hindsight it might have been worthwhile simply because I lost a few balls in the rough and a set of experienced eyes would have come in handy)

Club house facilities - 4/5 

13/15 - Play it!

Overall, I really enjoyed golfing at SLGCC (save for the brief rain) and I would definitely recommend having a go at the course. 

A weekend of golf

Flew over to KL for the weekend and managed two rounds of golf with my golf kaki Kenny at the Sungai Long Golf and Country Club and the exclusive KLGCC. Had a smashing time but as the saying goes, all good things come to an end and I will be flying back to good'ol Kuching tomorrow. Normal posting and course reviews to follow next. 

Hope everyone had a good weekend.