2014 round up!

As usual, it's hard to believe that the new year is just around the corner. So as we bid farewell to 2014 and usher in 2015, it's time to reminisce on the highlights of the year.

Striking a pose at Borneo Highlands.

2014 has been a pretty good year. In terms of Golfing, I would have to say it's been fantastic.

For starters, I started blogging again. After reigniting my love for the game, I decided to document most things golf right here on kaki-golf.blogspot.com and it's been good fun.

In terms of game time, I was pleased that I managed to play alot more golf. Squeezing in a round of 9 holes during the week every now and then. 2014 was also a year of travel and I was fortunate enough to play on a number of courses abroad and at home. 

In July, the boys and I had a golfing excursion to Thailand. Pattaya and Bangkok to be more precise and we played on some great courses.

Thai Country Club, Bangkok.

St. Andrews 2000, Pattaya.

Through September and October I played a number of courses in Kuala Lumpur including the prestigious KLGCC (although I wouldn't rate it as the best course in KL) 

KLGCC.

In between, I made a trip to KL to check out the CIMB classic 2014 and had a blast. Met a bunch of the stars, snapped plenty of pics and got a bunch of autographs. 

CIMB Classic 2014, KLGCC.

Ryan Moore successfully defended his title. A worthy champion, especially those approach shots down the stretch on day 4, my word.

Then, thanks to my mate Kenny, we attended an exclusive demo day with Titleist at the Glenmarie Golf and Country Club to check out the latest 915 metals.

In November, the boys and I made our second golfing trip. This time to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. We had a great time and our kaki, Edwin made his first ace at the Sabah Golf and Country Club.

Sabah Golf & Country Club, Kota Kinabalu.

That pretty much sums up 2014 and I couldn't have asked for a better golfing year. All things considered, I might have set the bar pretty high for 2015. 

Moving forward and onwards, there are a few things I would like to improve about the blog. Getting a proper web domain is something I have been considering and I am probably going to tweak the 'golf review posts' too. Particularly, the criteria ratings.

Come the new year, I am also hoping to play more new courses in KL and if the opportunity arises, a round at the The Els Club, Teluk Datai, Langkawi. There's also the golfing trip to Bandung, Indonesia next June the boys and I have planned next June. 

Speaking of which, it's devastating to read about the latest on QZ8501. I can only imagine the sorrow the grieving families must be going through. May they find solace soon.

Closer to home, states in West Malaysia are experiencing the worse floods in decades and through this difficult time, it's moving to see Malaysians come together to help those in need. 

If anything, it serves as a reminder the life is indeed precious and short. 

Cherish your loved ones. Always be thankful. Appreciate the little things. Strive to be happy and remember to pick up the pace on the fairway.

With that, I wish you, my dear readers and fellow golf kakis, a Happy and Safe New Year. 

Golf Ball Flex Rack

A while back I posted a pic of the Ikea glass cabinet I bought to display my golf memorabilia.

It looks fantastic in my books but there was alot of unused space particularly in the lower 3 tiers and I had a bunch of other balls I wanted to display. My mum suggested that I create another tier in between the compartments but that seemed rather difficult. 

So I was rummaging around for a golf ball display that would fit in the glass cabinet and came across this, the Golf Ball Flex Rack. For starters, it looked better then the conventional wooden golf ball displays. 

Secondly, it had a flexible structure allowing for wall mount or stand alone display and what's more, you can combine two or more units to create different shapes to display different amount of golf balls. 

Each unit holds up to 24 balls and it fit just nicely in the glass cabinet. No assembly required either. Just shape to the desired shape and place balls.

They come in a couple of colours and also come with magnet attachments that fit onto the display poles so you can display ball markers too. 

Ta-dah!~ So I have used the rack to display logo balls from courses I have played on and other novelty logo balls. 

So this is what the 2nd tier looks like now. I have also laminated some of the tickets and draw sheets to ensure they stay intact. 

This is what the 3rd tier and bottom tier look like.

Holding score cards, markers and other souvenirs. At the rate I am collecting, I am going to need another glass cabinet soon. 

Hope everyone had a good break over Christmas.  

True shoes!

There have been a shortage of pictures of late and posts with words and only words make for a boring read.

So here are a couple just to shake things up.

 

I confess, I am a shoe-nut. A golf shoe nut to be precise. My mates think I am obsessed and while some call it a fetish, I prefer to call it a hobby (LOL!)

So imagine my excitement when the postman came by to drop off the latest addition to the collection. 

The True lyt dry in White / Salmon. More info here.

Ryan Moore wear these as well and I really like how they look. And when I slipped them on, boy were they c-o-m-f-y. Like all shoes from True, these are spikeless, so if you are a traditionalist, these aren't for you. 

However, if you want a pair of golf shoes that you can wear on and off the course that are comfortable / fashionable and practical, do yourself a favour and check out the True line. 

Trues are available in Malaysia but at a hefty price in my opinion (upwards of RM300.00). Transview at the Thaniya Plaza, Bangkok were selling the PHX and Protos (both discontinued) for less then RM200.00. So worth checking out if you happen to be in the area. 

Tis the season

The last few weeks have been rather busy. So much so that I haven't touched the golf clubs since the Ball Sweep event. Yikes! Needless to say, I am looking forward to the weekend when we hit the fairways, so here's hoping for fantastic weather (and for the game to stay intact).

In other news, I am contemplating whether or not to attend the Maybank Malaysian Open 2015 which starts on 5th - 8th February. Lee Westwood will be back to defend his title and he will be joined by Ryder Cup mates Graeme McDowell and captain, Paul McGinley. 

Apart from the star trio, they will be joined by other players from the Asian / European tour. A lack of star-power if you ask me (compared to the CIMB Classic). 

I mean if I was staying in Kuala Lumpur, sure why not. But if i am going to have to fly there, it better be a star-studded field in my eyes haha. More info here.

Christmas is just around the corner followed by the impending new year and if you detect a tinge of gloom, you are not wrong. I have come to accept that time flies faster the older we get. 

So make sure to get in as many rounds of golf as you can. Take that golf trip with your buddies. Buy that driver you have always wanted. Keep trying to get that elusive hole-in-one. And always remember to replace divots and repair your ball marks.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Nerves and slowplay.

Last Saturday, I joined the Samarahan Country Club's Ballsweep. At RM100.00 per golfer (inclusive buggy fee, goodie bag and lunch) there was no reason not to play. I was playing in the Handicap 19 - 36 category and because my game has been rather erratic, I didn't expect to win anyway.

It was a shot gun tee-off so we started off on the Par 3 on Hole 17. Personally, I don't like starting on Par 3's but fortunately, my first short of the day, though short of the green was safe. 

In summation, I didn't play very well (what's new?!).

For starters I was hit by a case of the 'nerves'. Secondly, a golfer in our flight was slow and I mean terribly slow, but we will get to that later.

So, nerves. I have played in a few competitions and I still get nervy whenever I tee up. This time though was rather ridiculous. I was stubbing / duffing chips (which I haven't done in recent games) consistently and I was hitting shots, really fat. As a result, the confidence in my swing and game took a terrible beating and it was infuriating to say the least.

The silver lining from Saturday's experience though was that I improved in two areas. I was having a pretty good 'driver' day and on a day when my iron play was awry, my 3 wood oddly enough performed excellently. Out of 13 drives, 10 were sweet and straight. The 3 wood on the other hand was a much needed boost of confidence. I used it off the deck 3 times and every strike was pure, flush and more importantly, straight. 

Now on to the subject of SLOW PLAY. I have played my share of long rounds but Saturday was ridiculous. It was bad enough that we were teeing off at 11.00am (when it was getting very hot) but it took us a ridiculous 5 HOURS to complete the round and we didn't even stop at the halfway house.

(As a disclaimer, this has got nothing to do with age. I have had the pleasure of playing with other senior golfers who play at a very good pace and the displeasure of playing with younger golfers who play at a snail pace)

Said golfer (let's call him uncle) was probably in his late 50's / early 60's but it wasn't his movement that was slow. It was his super long PRE-SHOT ROUTINE and his lack of urgency to speed up. 

On the tee-box, he would take at least 30 seconds to set up (I timed it) and he would take nearly as long for every other shot. I could nearly see the grass growing.

As we progressed along, the golfers in front of us eventually disappeared from sight and we were more then a hole behind. To make things worse, the flight behind us were soon just 'a-stroke' away and they were clearly agitated from the lengthy wait. 

The course marshall came to our group 3 TIMES to tell us to speed up play and at various stages, we politely told uncle that we had to speed up play. To send a message, twice the marshall told us to walk off the green after taking our putts and uncle was left on the green alone. Didn't make a bloody difference and frankly speaking, uncle was lucky that he wasn't penalized.

It didn't matter that his fellow flight mates had to wait an eternity for him to take his shot or the fact that we were holding up the flight behind us. He was simply oblivious and went about his business.

I don't want to blame uncle but if I am being honest, my game was affected to an extent. To compensate for his slow play, I was taking less time for my setup (especially during my putts for instance) and I was brisk walking / jogging back and forth. 

Some may say I shouldn't have given a crap and just carried on as usual since it was a competition, but I was honestly embarrassed because we were holding up the flights behind us and I loathe SLOW PLAY.

Uncle wasn't a beginner either. I think he plays to a handicap of 20 or lower and as a seasoned golfer there was a serious lack of awareness and etiquette on his part. Suffice to say, I won't be looking forward to be in his flight again. 

Uncle if you happen to read this, I am sorry if you feel offended but I believe my views are warranted.

Whether it's a casual round with your mates or a competition, there simply is no room for SLOW PLAY. 

- End of Rant!

But in other news, what about Jordan Spieth? A 10-stroke victory at the Hero World Challenge beating out an elite field of golfers. My word is he playing some scintillating golf at the moment.

Guess who's back?

If you haven't heard, a certain Mr. Woods is back. 

Plenty has happened in Tiger's world in recent months. First he decided to split with Sean Foley and then subsequently announced that he has partnered with new swing consultant, Chris Como.

He's set to tee off at the Hero World Challenge tomorrow (4.12.2014), (an 18 man field, 4 day, no cut event) and this will be the first time he's played since he missed the cut at the PGA Championship in August.

I wouldn't say I am a huge fan of Tiger per se. But that said, I am in awe of what he's accomplished as a golfer and have a ton of respect for what he has done for the game of golf. Even if you're not a fan, you can't help but be compelled to watch him on the telly. 

I will be tuning in to the Golf Channel, but until then, here's a peek at his 'new' swing.

Golfing in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah - Dalit Bay Golf & Country Club

They say, leave the best for last and that's what we did.

Our weekend of Golf in Kota Kinabalu was quickly coming to an end. But we still had time for one last round at the exclusive Dalit Bay Golf & Country Club.

I don't know about you, but when one speaks about golfing in Kota Kinabalu, courses like Sutera Harbour, SGCC and Nexus Karambunai usually come to mind. 

I can do no better but refer to Dalit Bay's website for an introduction which reads:-

"About Dalit Bay. Ensconced within the 400 acres of Shangri-La's Rasa Ria Resort, this superbly 18-hole championship course designed by Ted Parslow, provides the challenger with a stimulating playing experience, and was designed with the sensitivity to the natural beauty and the character of Sabah." 

Truth be told, I had never heard much about Dalit Bay prior to our tee-off and so had no idea of what to expect. 

And boy was I pleasantly surprised. The Dalit Bay Golf and Country club is a beautiful golf resort. 

Everything from the clubhouse, the facilities and ultimately, the golf course was reminiscent of the Golf Courses in Thailand. In fact, I can say with some confidence that it is on-par with some of the top golf clubs there and in Kuala Lumpur.

The clubhouse is modern classy and the course is gorgeous. Conditions were immaculate and the views, breathtaking. 

I didn't take alot of pictures at Nexus Karambunai or SGCC but I was compelled to take a bunch here, so I will let the pictures do the talking. (looking back though, I should have taken more, but I was simply enjoying the golf)

We couldn't have asked for better weather. Fairways were in tip top condition, greens were in great shape and the landscaping was top notch. Oh and did I mention that the views were breathtaking?

I honestly felt like I was playing abroad (not to say Kota Kinabalu isn't great, but you know what I mean)

While there were a few holes that I thought were difficult, the course on a whole wasn't over challenging so it made for an enjoyable round of golf, even for a high handicapper like me. 

There were a number of contenders for most scenic hole, but the Par 3, Hole 11 really lived up to its signature hole label.  

The tee box is set against the backdrop of the south china sea. When setting up, golfers face the Tambalang river mouth and then take aim of the green with the imposing Mount Kinabalu in the background. Simply stunning.

View from the tee-box. Pardon the distorted panoramic picture. 

Fortunately I didn't play too bad so that made for an enjoyable round. But alas, we eventually reached the 18th green and made our way for a well deserved rest at the golfer's terrace before hitting the showers. 

The locker room was also very nice. Spacious, modern, clean with plenty of shower cubicles. 

If I had to nit pick, I noticed though that there was a shortage of staff (i.e. bag attendants, marshalls, caddies, locker room staff) and food and beverage were rather pricey (but that is to be expected really) 

After a nice soothing shower, we made our way back to town for a late lunch of, you guessed it, Sang Nyuk Mien before making out way for our flight back to Kuching. 

And that brings our Kota Kinabalu golfing weekend to an end.

My ratings:-

Course conditions:- 5/5 (conditions were immaculate and the landscaping, beautiful)

Course difficulty:- 3/5 (a few difficult holes, but the course on a whole wasn't overly challenging)

Caddy rating:- No caddies available

Club House facilities:- 4/5 

12/15 - MUST PLAY! Overall, I was thoroughly impressed with the experience and will definitely return again in future.

Take note though that with top Golf Clubs, expect to pay 'top' green fees. I think a kaki of ours managed to get us a promotional rate so we paid less then RM200.00 per person. Though, I would have happily paid full price (Published rate is RM420.00 inclusive of buggy-twin sharing and insurance)

Golfing in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah - Nexus Golf Resort Karambunai

Our next course on the list was the highly rated Nexus Golf Resort Karambunai.

Situated about 25 minutes away from Kota Kinabalu, the 18 hole course promises golfers of all levels a stunning round of golf. On the front 9, golfers will enjoy the lush greenery of the Borneo jungle, while the back 9, is set along the coast of the South China Sea. 

We began the day with a glorious breakfast of KK's famous sang nyuk mien. Which is basically dry tossed noodles with a side of soup filled with porky goodness.

The soup is undoubtedly the star of this modest looking meal. The soup is rich and delectable. The delicate slices of pork, tender and succulent. Yummy stuff.

Then it was off to Nexus Golf Resort. I played here last year and similar to my experience at SGCC, I had a terrible round. This time was much better and I was quite pleased. 

Traffic on the course was rather brisk, but the experienced marshals were conducting the flow ably and directed us to tee off from Hole no.5, a par 3 with plenty of water no less. Fortunately, my first swing of the day was alright and I managed to stay high and dry. 

The weather was perfect and the fairways and bunkers were in great condition (buggies were allowed on the fairway). But I wish I could say the same about the putting greens. They were under maintenance so there was plenty of sand and holes on the green. Needless to say, putting was rather irrelevant.

Though that said, considering we only paid the promotional rate of RM111.00 (green fee, buggy - twin share) on the weekend no less, there was very little to complain about. 

The blend of nature with modern landscaping was perfect and it made for lovely views. Beautiful indeed.

The course itself is rather flat but the layout presents a nice challenge, with plenty of water hazards to make one think. So course management is rather crucial. 

Overall, we had a great time and would definitely return again (so long as the management continue with the promotional green fee)

My ratings:-

Course conditions : 3/5 (only because the greens were under maintenance, otherwise conditions were great)

Course difficulty : 3/5 (not a terribly difficult round of 18 holes but course management is key and having a caddy would be helpful for info on yardage and green reads).

Caddy rating : Business was brisk so there weren't any caddies by the time we teed off.

Club house facilities : 4/5 (locker rooms were clean and spacious. Plenty of shower cubicles and amenities)

10/15 - A must play. With the promotional rate of RM111.00 there is no reason not to play this lovely course, even if the greens are under maintenance. You could do alot worse then Nexus Golf Resort.

Golfing in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah - Sabah Golf and Country Club ("SGCC")

So my kaki-golf group flew to Kota Kinabalu for a golfing weekend from 7.11 - 9.11.2014. A couple of months back, Malaysia Airlines were having a sale and we managed to snap up return tickets (Kch-KK-Kch) for a bargain RM100.00. 

November soon came and we were raring to go. After touching down on the Friday morning, we headed for brunch of noodles before setting off to SGCC for our tee-off at 1.30pm.

I played at SGCC last September and I was truly humbled by the course. This time, I was determined to play much better. 

SGCC is an 18 hole course which opened in 1976, making it the oldest course in Sabah. Designed by Robert Muir Graves, SGCC which measures 6335 meters, it is rated as one of the toughest courses in Malaysia. In 2004, the 18 hole layout was remodeled by Nelson & Haworth Golf Course Architects.

Week-day walk in green fee is RM180.00 (inclusive of buggy, a bottle of mineral water) We had reciprocal arrangements so we only paid RM44.00 each.  

Personally, the course is a challenge to play on because of the hilly terrain, undulating fairways and quick greens. The course layout doesn't make it any easier either. 

Picture of the green (on top) and a panaromic picture of the Par 4, 9th hole.(apologies for lack of pics)

The greens were still quick and made for a number of 2 - 3 putts but I was pleased to card a score of 95 (1 under - hdp 24) which was 10 strokes better then before, so I didn't have any complaints.

Having just seen him in action at the CIMB classic, it was a pleasant surprise that we bumped into non other then current Malaysian No.1 golfer, Nicholas Fung who was also playing a round. He obliged a friend for an autograph which was pretty cool.

To cap off a nice afternoon, our kaki, Edwin added some magic when he aced the par 3, 5th marking his 1st ever hole in one. Needless to say we were all ecstatic. 

Had he aced the hole the next day during a tournament, our friend would have 'driven' home with a Toyota Hilux. Either way, a hole in one is still a wonderful achievement and we are all patiently waiting for his treat.

Then after our shower, we headed into town where we stopped at the New Welcome restaurant for a seafood feast. Fresh seafood, cooked beautifully at reasonable prices, what more can one ask for. 

As always, my ratings:-

Course Conditions : 4/5 (Fairways / rough were a bit wet/soft in some areas but course conditions were very good overall)

Course Difficulty : 4/5 (undulating hilly terrain and quick greens)

Caddy Rating : Didn't get a caddy

Club house facilities : 4/5 (Could do with more shower cubicles, but was a nice locker room overall. Didn't like the RM50.00 deposit for a locker key though)

12/15 - Definitely check it out. (Golfers playing a handicap higher then 24 may want to take a rain check. The ladies at the reception can be pretty strict. The last time we played, they asked to see our NHS card)

A guide to collecting autographs : Tournament edition

If you have been following my recent instagram posts (#gordonmccloud), you would have seen some pictures of souvenirs / autographs (*read : showing off ) I got during the CIMB Classic. 

 Assorted balls / caps and tags with autographs

This was from 2013. Managed to get Rickie to sign a hat, a few balls and a ticket. Big fan, so am hoping to see good things for him this season. Pity he didn't come down this year.

Back to back winner, Ryan Moore. Managed to scoop 3 of his autographed balls and he kindly signed this photo this year. Only regret was not asking for a photo with him. There's always next year.

 Sergio Garcia and two time runner up Gary Woodland

Jason Dufner. Had to wait for a long time but I managed to get his autograph and I am convinced I am the only one who did.

Some people think it's a waste of time but I like collecting memorabilia and autographs and I think it makes for a cool collection. Some are rather envious and have asked how I got them (stalked for them), so I figured, why not make a post of it.

So here it is. "A guide to collecting autographs : Tournament edition".

Firstly, I won't lie. It takes alot of time and perseverance to get these autographs. But being prepared definitely makes things alot easier.

1. Attire

I attended both editions of the CIMB Classic in 2013 and 2014 and here's what I can say about the weather. It's very hot and at mid-day, scorching. It also rains sometimes so attire is crucial.

Top : Wear light, comfortable clothing that dry quickly. If you're following the players and want to wait for autographs, you are going to sweat, alot. So think moisture-wicking material.

Bottom : Comfortable loose sport shorts, with pockets. Golfing shorts are most ideal. Avoid long pants at any costs.

Shoes : Comfortable sport / walking shoes or spikeless golf shoes (I wore my True - Phx) with comfortable thick socks. You're going to be walking / standing for half a day so it helps to keep your feet comfy. Avoid slippers, sandals or dress shoes, unless of course you are there to spend time in the air - conditioned marque tents. Actually saw a couple of guys in suits no less. 

Other stuff:-

It's going to be hot and the sun will be glaring. So make sure to wear a cap, bring your sunglasses and do not forget the sunblock lotion. Helps to bring a towel too. I used one of those Mission Enduracool towels which help to keep you a little cooler.

Backpack. Bring a big enough backpack to keep the following:-

i. Your autograph equipment (more later) 

ii. a spare change of clothes

iii. an umbrella or rain coat

iv. bottle of water

v. Small packets of tissue

vi. Basic medication like panadol / Oral Rehydration Salts or two. Last year, I saw a guy on the course who collapsed to his knees and started vomitting. Poor fellow looked like he had a heat stroke, so I passed him a bottle of water with a pack of ORS, a pack of tissues and some panadol for his throbbing head. Oh, and he was wearing khakis long pants and a polo t-shirt and only had a bottle of water. Safe to say, he was not prepared.

2. Autograph gear

Most of the stars will sign anything. Phil Mickelson signed a guy's shoe last year and no, it wasn't a new pair (he politely told me that he doesn't sign golf balls though). In my opinion Golfballs, caps, photos and posters (draw sheets  or magazines) make the best memorabilia. Golfballs are very personalized so they are great. Hats are also ideal simply because you can just wear it and it fits a ton of autographs. Photos and posters are even better but you will need to keep them in a file (I used an A4 file with envelope sheets) to keep them from crumpling.

Golfballs : You can always bring your own balls but I would suggest heading over to the merchandise tent (MST has a great merchandise tent) and grab a box of those logo balls. This year, I bought 2 boxes (24 balls in total) of Wilson Staff balls with the CIMB Classic logo for RM100.00. It's no ProV1, but I like that it has the CIMB Classic logo.

Caps: Buy a CIMB Cap and bring one of your own. Like last year, I brought a Puma cap for Rickie and a Callaway hat for Phil.

Photos : Good quality A4 prints on good thick photo paper. None of those light A4 stuff. They will crumple / tear and you will cry. 

Pens : Sharpies with fine point nibs. The pros use them and will usually have their own but there are instances where they don't have it on them. Lost count on the number of fans I have lent my sharpie to. So bring your own. No permanent markers, as they tend to bleed-out and make the signatures, ugly. Ultra fine pens or ball point pens are hard to sign with.

3. Where to get autographs

The best place to get autographs is outside the scoring area which is where the golfers submit their score cards after each round. There is a designated area with barricades and security personnel.

That's me in blue and Ryan Moore after his round on day 2. Photo was taken by Chris who was helping the PGA with the tournament. Met him during day 1 and had a good chat with him whilst I was waiting for the pros to emerge from the scoring area. Great guy.

4. When to get autographs

After the pros submit their score cards. Never before. Usually the pros will emerge from the scoring room and oblige their waiting fans. Bear in mind though, that some don't come back out (esp. if they had a bad round.) I have seen so many fans chase after the pros during their warm up sessions, during rounds (this is a HUGE no-no) and right after they step off the 18th green much to their disappointment. So,  wait in front of the barricades and you will probably get a signature or two. 

Also, worth noting that if you are determined to get autographs, try to attend on the first 2 days when the crowds are much less. 

I should though mention that I waited at the scoring area for a long time. This year I waited outside the scoring area from 11.45am and only left at about 1.15pm. I am pretty sure I was the only one waiting the whole time so don't let that scare you. You can always get a signature or two, leave and then come back later.

5. Plan ahead

The daily pairings will usually be published the night before tee-off and there will be daily draw sheets with grouping info and tee-off times. 

Have a good read to plan ahead and you won't have to follow that particular group the whole 18 holes. It will usually take 4-4.5 hours for a flight to complete their rounds and with the draw sheet, it isn't difficult to monitor when a particular flight is heading for the scoring area.

6. Stay hydrated and nourished

As I said earlier, always have a bottle of water in your bag. There are a good number of food and beverage stations so make sure to stay hydrated and grab a bite to eat.

7. Remember names

I will admit to not knowing alot of the players out of the top-50. 

The tournament website will usually have a page of the field and there will be photographs, way before the tournament starts. But even if you don't check out the field, it isn't too hard to find out just who is walking off the green. You can always refer to the draw sheet and the players will have their names on their bags or caddy's bib, so make an educated guess.

Kevin Chappell came out to sign some autographs and this one uncle kept calling him "John, John!" I cringed. Kevin didn't find it too hilarious either and actually told him "Look, I am not John." So I quickly told the uncle who he was and he then started to call out "Kevin, Kevin!". I think it's only polite to call a person by their correct name. But if you really have no clue, "Hello, could I have your autograph?" usually works.

Didn't end there though. I think the uncle must have asked for a personal souvenir because I saw Kevin patting his pockets and heard him say "Sorry, I don't have anything else on me." I cringed again. It's one thing not to know the person's name but to ask for a personal item after? Alamak.

8. Persevere

Most of the players are very obliging and will take the time to sign autographs and take a picture or two. Phil, Rickie and Sergio for instance will spend ages to try and sign for the fans. Some though, don't. 

So when they come out from the scoring area, do what I do. Call them out (politely of course) and stick out your autograph item. That's worked for me.

Like I said, some stars don't spend very much time to sign for autographs or even come out after, so if you don't get it on day 1, try again on day 2, 3 and 4. 

Last year, I waited 3 days for Bubba Watson. He didn't come out on day 1 and day 2. On day 3, he made a quick dash to the scoring area after his round and eventually did re-emerge. 

9. Exclusive passes

You will see alot of people wearing tags around their necks around the course and club house. Only for the exclusive crowd, these passes are the golden tickets. 

Some tags will get you right into the club house and that's where you will catch the pros in a more casual setting. They will usually oblige for photographs too so If you can get your hands on one of these next year (pass me one) and make full use of it.

Thanks to Ian, I got a pass to the BMW Marquee Tent, which was very cool. That's Sergio, Davis Love III and Ryo Ishikawa's signature (from left to right)

Then when you come back home, sort out the memorabilia and display them proudly like so. Hope some of you will find this useful in future.