The Day

An excellent turnout of 44 Tee Setters found a stinking hot day with intensely high humidity at Gading Raya, a day which more than anything else made one feel equally intense gratitude to the guy who invented the golf cart – with only cloud saving the day in bringing some relief on the back nine.

Some consolation could also be taken from some amazingly short journeys from the South of Jakarta brought about by the completion of the JORR’s missing link, something which is making courses out to the West such a pleasure compared to the grinding homeward bound traffic that characterises the Jagorawi Tol.

Our usual flight arranger’s over-sleeping was mitigated by a sterling effort from Mel Meeds in matching up everyone into compatible groups. Only 6 revisions before tee time which is not bad for a group of 44, some of whom showed up very much on the late side, with Wina “Just in time” Nugraha living up to her nickname once again but the title of “Last to arrive” went to Aditya Chitharanjan who didn’t even come bearing an excuse. Wina was most indignant.

The check in system at Gading matches your score card to a bag tag number to a restaurant bill and everything else but, if the cards get mixed up inadvertently, as the Immediate Past President of Most Things was to find out, correct allocation of expenses goes out the window.

A very strict religious local member (aka “The Vicar”) will be asking questions of management Monday as to why he was billed 10 cans of beer and a massage on top of his green fees. In the realms of speculation of course but we have reason to suspect that Craig Binks may know the answer to that particular question.

The latest shirt version has proved very popular with another 7 pieces sold on the day and stocks nearly exhausted. We can hardly wait to see what the Championship shirt will look like but we guarantee it will be worth playing the Championship for the shirt alone.

Just one Newcomer to report in the shape of Tadashi Seki, enjoy your golf with us Seki, while we had a clear winner in the Welcome Back stakes with the visiting Tony Blackburn at a whisker under a year significantly out-distancing the near unpronounceable (to an Anglo Saxon tongue anyway) Aljosja van Dorssen.

Aljosja, based in the Land of the Clog, is an infrequent visitor and has yet to establish a handicap as he has only played with us three times in a little less 18 months and is worried that Ric will, as advertised, wipe out his oldest ones after 18 months – and that he will never get a handicap.

You can rely on the Immediate Past President of Most Things to do the right thing, Aljosja 🙂

Despite the heat and humidity on the first nine, for which we can hardly blame Gading, a great day overall on a great course in great condition. It will most definitely NOT be another two years before we return.

Something else that cannot be laid at the door of Gading Raya is the interesting journey home for those who listened to Michael Seabrook’s declaration that he knew of a miraculous new, traffic free and three lanes each way “East-West Passage” that he guaranteed would get anyone home who followed him even more quickly than they arrived.

A lengthy peregrination of the kampungs of eastern Tangerang later and the convoy of the gullible were almost back where they started. Michael is therefore the inaugural and worthy winner of the Tee Set’s newly established “Vasco da Garma” award – and receives a modest but not unattractive trophy which he gets to keep until anyone else can beat his amazing, erm, navigation skills.

The Play

Some excellent rounds recorded today with none better than the one from Wina who has just missed out on Low Net so many times previously. This time she roped it in on the back of a very ordinary front 9 but matched George’s 8 strokes most improved on the back.

Neil Mullins game is sharpening up nicely since he went back to getting out of bed earlier in the day and today saw him take Low Gross with just 77 off the stick while there was nothing wrong with Jiro’s putter as he needed it just 26 times today in taking Low Putts.

Congratulations to Santi Miller who had a fine day shooting 79 off the stick and taking the 1st Eagle award by knocking an 85 meter shot onto the green where the ball bounced once and then ducked into the hole like it was returning home to Mama.

Craig Binks regularly gets his money back and uses a variety of devices to do it, today taking 1st Birdie on his very first hole played while Chris Chan waited a couple more holes to secure 1st Sandy. Richard Mau had some reason to be disgruntled as he made no less than FOUR sandies on the day – but all of them later than Chris’s 3rd hole achievement.

A healthy crop of five cross dressers taking a Skirt this week, your scribe amongst them. It was a close run thing but, as it was at the very first tee, the Immediate Past President of Most Things, in a notably uncollegiate act, snapped a piece of undeniable evidence. Bastard. Rather unusually, a 100% turnout of cross-dressers for the traditional photo.

Must have been something to do with the pressure of being secretary for the day once again with Brenda away on other work duties. “Hurry back Brenda, we miss you” was heard from more than one Tee Setter.

The quality of the greens made putting a pleasure today and meant that an unlucky Pieter Groen had to put his hands in his pocket for an amazingly low Monster Putter tally of just 39 putts. Three water balls on the 4th by Pulpy meant that insult was added to injury as he took Most Strokes on a hole for the fist time ever, again with a rather low 10 strokes.

More detailed, player by player results here while a bunch more photos of the day can be found on the Tee Set gallery.

2014 Tee Set Match Play Championship

Just one result today as Peter Bush steam rollered an out-of-sorts George “Pulpy” Beverage by 7 up with 5 to play!! Those three identical balls thrashed into the water on one hole of his unfortunate and rather uncharacteristic front nine of 51 (yes, fifty-one), to the general hilarity of his flight mates, didn’t help either.

Recovering to a more normal 41 on his back 9 was also of little help as George was to quickly run out of holes against an opponent playing very solidly to his handicap.

Peter goes on to play the winner of Neil Mullins and Dave Baglivo in the final. Hopefully this can all be wrapped up before Tee Set Championship day; there is just enough time.

2014 Tee Set Championship

The main news is that we are full up and only a personal impassioned plea to the organiser, the Immediate Past President of Most Things, is going to get anyone else in.

Everything else is on target with a full roster of sponsors and everything material (solid and liquid) already to hand or on firm order.

Next Up

There are not too many courses where we would accept a 12:30 start even from 1 & 10 – but a shot at playing the fabulous (and rather tough) Riverside course (and not Riverville which is where your scribe lives) and facilities has to be one of them.

Green fees of 770,00 are also a tad more than we are used to paying, apart from Jagowari (sic) of course, but well worth the “investment”. If we hit 40 players or more then there will be a certain amount of free beer flowing 🙂

Sign up here for what should be yet another great Tee Set Sunday.

See ya at Riverside!! … Tee Set