The Day

The start of the new Tee Set season occurs the Sunday after the Championship so player results and statistics can be reset to zero. Also helps the chief cost controller to reconcile the accounts and clear outstanding beer bills.

The Tee Set 2014 season was kicked off today at the quaint Pondok Cabe course, under the stewardship of the immediate past President of Everything who it appears is still doing everything. We are assured that will change in 2014.

The Play

The venue has been getting some serious positive raps of late from our web master who regularly sees it in its best condition during the week. Most of the day’s 20 players would agree on this, at least to a point, however, the greens were a bit bumpy prompting a comment from George Bevege that his putts looked good in the air. Nevertheless he shared low putts (30) with Mel Meeds and James Ross so one has to ask if they were actually that bad, George!

In 2013, Mel Cantarella managed to avoid the most skirts ratio (held jointly by Mike Webb and Shane Rawles with 0.4) by the finest of margins – and was determined to start the year with a statement that skirts were a thing of the past. Such was his confidence he even elected to play with the ex President of Everything to prove he would not be intimidated. Congratulations to Mel for becoming the first player to earn a skirt in 2014, witnessed by most of us waiting on tee box #1. Classic, it just doesn’t get any better then that!!

Joining Mel in the pink skirt this week were James (red wig) Ross, Craig (Indo Idol) Ewers, and Paul Evison who all failed to reach the red tee box at some stage during day. Craig was additionally punished for taking 10 strokes on a hole which was the highest score of the day but he turned out all square financially when awarded the most improved with a mammoth 11 strokes.

Paul Lowndes would have been fined for most putts if he hadn’t left early but then again 38 is hardly worthy of punishment anyway.

Entertainment value was provided by Chris Smith on the 9th tee box when his driver head went almost as far as his ball (see photo at top for evidence of this -and indeed PC’s new caddy recruitment policy). He swore black and blue that his clubs were not copies from you know where.

A seldom won prize award is First Eagle but Sam Westen managed to snag this rare bird on his last hole played. In so doing it brought his score to an even par 72 for the day and of course the lowest gross award. Awesome golf from Sombrero Sam. Nevertheless that double bogey on the 9th must have hurt a little bit and made you feel almost human.

Welcome to new player Damian Greenwood who enjoyed the day so much he’s already fully equipped himself with a Tee Set Championship shirt and cap. While stocks last, all new players in 2014 will be eligible to purchase both items at the bargain basement price for such fine gear of just Rp300K. Such benefits help to make the other Jakarta golf societies green with envy.

Welcome backs to Anlo du Pisani and Ed Helsing who we haven’t seen for a while.

One final observation of Pondok Cabe is that beer in a can is Rp45,000 while the same beer in a big bottle is Rp58,000. A lot of empty beer bottles were to be found around the course after play was over. Wise old birds, Tee Setters.

Full results here while a wider selection of photos from the day can be found here and we finally got around to putting up the Tee Set Championship photos here

Next Week

Back to our old base at Pangkalan Jati next Sunday, another very reasonably priced course in decent condition, when we will tee off from 1 and 10 at 11:30 as ever over there.

Later in the week we will reveal exactly what reasonable means, in the interim sign up for play here as usual.

See yah, Sunday!! ……. Tee Set