We are days later than we would have wished in relaying this report about the Tee Set Championship, however, sad to relate that while your scribe was enjoying the fun of probably the best Tee Set Championship day in history, his laptop was being hacked for the first time ever – after using the bloody things for more than 30 years. People who do this stuff have clearly not discovered golf or they would have something better to do on a Sunday.

Far more importantly, here is tell of some of the day that causes us to think this year’s Championship was a bit special and, helping to make it was so special of course were our gold sponsors Hot-Hed, Samson Tiara, International Paint Indonesia and Seascape Surveys while our Silver sponsors were Quest Geophysical and Fugro Indonesia. Other sponsors were Kojo, Star Deli Pub, Murphy’s Irish Pub, Mad Dogs Pub and PT Adi Warna Pratama. Thanks once again to you all; without you this great event just would not happen.

We had imagined that an opening registration time of 05:30 would be too much of a challenge for most so we were amazed by just how many people were already there before then – and already looking for their Tee Set Championship shirts!!

93 players in the end after a number of withdrawals for all the usual reasons in the last few days – offset somewhat by a few optimists turning up on spec – and with all this keeping our flight pairings master busy and on his toes.

They say in Ireland that the secret of a good election is voting early – and voting often, and between registering, downing Bloody Marys and Margaritas, and breakfasting on the breakfast of champions, Nasi Goreng, 54 Tee Setters exercised their democratic right by voting for their candidate of choice as Tee Set President 2013/2014 – and as far as we could see voting only once in fact as we had a system in place.

We are also happy to relate that neither candidate was spotted flashing brown envelopes as is the tradition closer to us here in our adopted home.

54 voters was a pretty good turnout for the election as there were just 83 Tee Setters who had played 8 times or more since the last Championship, the cutoff for getting a vote – especially as half a dozen or more of them had left the country before this years Championship!

With the Hot-Hed hotdog stand parked strategically outside the clubhouse, drinks carts criss-crossing the course delivering Jack Calcote’s inimitable yellow aiming fluid (aka Smoothies) and much else, perfect scoring conditions in perfect weather and everyone in festive mood, the play itself was significantly above average and with many busting their handicaps – and some by a lot!!!

After the round, a fine lunch was immediately available and provided by the club, supplemented by the usual excellent Tucker Box yabbies, delectable mini pies baked by Cecilia’s Café on Jl Ampera – and all topped off by Jesse Baker’s superb chili beans deluxe. With Mike Garwood away looking after sheep issues in New Zealand – and having refused to leave behind his Chili Beans recipe, Jesse’s fine contribution was particularly welcome.

Before the start of the prize giving itself, long time Tee Setter Anthony King took the opportunity to say a few words about that rock of the Jakarta golfing scene, Matt Harter, who had passed away two days previously, just hours after reaching his home town in Colorado. Matt’s brother Peter had overseen his medical care in Singapore for the past 9 months and accompanied him on the long haul home. Anthony reminded us all of the massive contribution that Matt had made to golf in his long association with Indonesia, having pivotal roles in the Interleague, the Bali Classic, the Tee Set itself and much else besides. Matt was a big man in every sense.

With so many of Matt’s friends present there was more than the odd tear in the eye as we raised glasses to show our respect to a fine man taken before his time. RIP Matt Harter, you will be greatly missed by so many.

The President of Everything, with his 15 minutes of fame ahead of him, recapped an eventful year for the Tee Set, not least the fun of the Bandung Bash, the success of the 30th Anniversary event, the resurgence of the Tee Set Interleague team that made it to fourth place this year and with most valuable player Sam Western winning every one of his 5 matches – before finally getting around to a prize giving which was more extensive than ever before with Nenden Fleischmann taking top honours with the Tee Set Championship, closely followed by David Shenman in the runner up spot. Well done both.

The match play competition was overseen throughout the year by Jesse Baker and the final match was played on time between Matt Fairey and Alistair Livingstone with Matt prevailing 1 up. Terrific match that went all the way to the wire. Congratulations to both players on their efforts and indeed the fine spirit that the game was to be played in.

This year. and for the first time, your committee decided that superior performance over the entire season should see some reward also, and three new categories duly appear on the remaining prize list.

Tee Set Championship
Low Gross – A Division, Sam Westen
Low Gross – B Division, Peter Reichlmeier
Low Gross – C Division, Jan Jelinek
Low Putts – Nurey Puzey
Longest Drive – Ladies, Santi Miller
Longest Drive – Men, Mo Maharam
Nearest to the Pin, Bob Fleischmann
1st Par HC>=30, Cate McCosker
1st Birdie, Chris Smith
1st Sandy, Harold Hayne

Best over the season
Best Gross, Joseph Peries
Best Nett, Sam Westen
Most Played, Evaldo Roos

Congratulations to them all!!

We are unable to give you the usual player by player detail this week as Mr Hacker’s activities included screwing up your scribe’s Microsoft Office to the extent that it is now rather less useful than a dead parrot. A very dead parrot.

As his last act, the President of Everything then announced that, following the counting of votes by the only two sober Tee Setter’s still present, his successor, the new President, would be Peter Reichlmeier.

Peter then thanked Ric for his enormous contribution over the years, a contribution that had brought his beloved Tee Set to its current extremely healthy (and marginally solvent after today!) position.

Special thanks from Peter also to the many Tee Setters who had put in so much hard work to make the day a great success, Santi Miller for trophies, Octa for Matoa duties, Tuti and Wulan for manning the drinks carts, Brenda and Tuti Kidd for the scoring, and Jamail and friend for bar duties and finally himself for shirts and caps. Ben Kidd was given a regulation spray for stealing Tuti, our secretary, but all is forgiven now that equally beautiful Brenda has taken over the secretarial duties. If we missed anyone then please forgive us.

In a populist move designed to reinforce his good standing with the ever bribeable Tee Setters, the new President then conducted a draw of the scorecards from a hat that looked more like a fish tank, when, courtesy of Jesse Baker, Evaldo Roos and Peter Reichlmeier, 20 or more bottles of the stuff designed to give you a headache went to the lucky winners. Personal observation suggests that not too many of those prizes made it out of the door.

Peter went on to say how delighted he was to accept the Presidency – but that as a busy chap he had only been able to accept the honour due to the strength of the backing he would be relying on, and been promised, from all the Usual Suspects, including his predecessor. Ric laughed but didn’t argue.

The Band from Bandung then struck up and were to be joined by a long succession of Tee Setters keen to exercise their by now well lubricated vocal chords. A difficult call but the general consensus was that Craig Ewers won the prize for best amateur. Unfortunately there is no such prize, Craig, but we will definitely have one next year if it is any consolation:-)

It is also clear that the band from Bandung is now firmly in the Championship Day schedule, as long as that chick remains the lead singer.

Amazingly the day did not finish for a small but dedicated group of 5 diehards until they filed out as one at sunset to take on the 10th and 11th holes one more time, with only Matoa waitress Renny as caddy for all, nevertheless the unbelievable happened and some decent shots were played to round out a brilliant day.

It almost goes without saying that the immediate past President of Everything was one of five and indeed the last to leave for home.

Next Week

Well, after all that excitement it is now back to the bread and butter – the usual Tee Set Sunday at Pondok Cabe – and at the rather less challenging starting time of 11:30 from tee boxes 1 and 10. Green Fees of 400,00 including cart – or just 325,000 if you want to walk this most friendly of walking courses as many prefer to do.

On your behalf and at very little expense, a small but dedicated group of Tee Set Midweekers tested the Pondok Cabe course on Tuesday, and found it in far superior condition to that which we found at Matoa; it certainly offers a great combination of good conditions and attractive green fees these days .

As usual, let us know if you intend playing by filling in the usual here.

See yah Sunday! ….. Tee Set

PS currently unable to upload more than one of the hundreds of photos taken of the day. These will be put up when the situation is restored to some semblance of normality.