For the golfer sound of body and serene of mind there is no such thing as bad weather; every round has its beauty, and storms which whip the blood do but make it pulse more vigorously.

The above photo is one taken by a Teesetter at Gading Raya in 2019. Last Sunday it was too dangerous to contemplate outdoor photography So here are some shots that truly capture the terror TeeSetters were faced with last Sunday

You can feel the angst amongst this group as the storm rages over head. If not for the ample supply of bravery juice they would have all surely have been beseeching Hughie, the God of Golf weather.

Some more fortunate golfers made it to a slightly better stocked shelter shed, that also had a range of vaping products, as the wind made it quite difficult to torch an old fashioned cancer stick up.

Meanwhile back in the brand new clubhouse the 2 flights that thought they had found the best spot to wait out the storm were soon shuffling tables and donning the waterproofs as the ceiling started leaking like a sieve and the electrics sparked and farted and fizzled out. Our thoughts were with the building contractor, hoping he had had enough time to escape the country. There is some rumour going around that he is the main contractor on the new Capital City, Nusantara.

A photo of one of the drier sections of the clubhouse.

The day started out in very reasonable weather. A short delay as a two ball playing their final two holes were allowed to play through. Then the first group stood on the tee box and flayed shots to the left right and straight up in the air. This had all the makings of a pretty ordinary round. Jude managed to scramble a boofie what was written on the two Dougs and President’s scorecards will not be disclosed here to prevent further embarrassment. Hey it’s the first hole and none of these golfers have been known to take advantage of the excellent driving range adjacent to the first tee to shake the cobwebs out of their swings. That’s for the realm of golfers who don’t buy second hand balls. Social slappers work their way into the game.

Anyways, with in a few holes the pars started coming, mainly for Jude but the rest of us nailed a couple as we raced the weather. The wind started blowing but we golfed on and on and on then finally there was the siren blowing its warning of an incoming electrical storm. It is important that these sirens are heeded for the safety of players and caddies. A few lightning strikes on golf courses have left stains where the victims once stood.

On hearing the siren we were fortunately close enough to the brand spanking new clubhouse and so sought shelter there. Air Conditioned well lit and lovely ceiling fans ahh the luxury. Down came the rain and lightning and we barely thought of our fellow golfers suffering in crappy little shelters as we purveyed the menu’s full range of eastern delights. With in minutes I was feeling a little drizzle, then the rain was pouring through the lights and fans. Mop boys were called for, then bucket boys. We retreated to higher ground. Sari and the Malaysians found a drier location also, Adhe was forced to relocate also. The weather radar was painting a bleak picture. The lightning lit up the overcast afternoon and the thunder had the locals quivering in fear. Slowly golfers from around the course were making dashes to the clubhouse pool.

Gading Raya was offering rain vouchers for golfers yet to complete 6 holes we were on the8th tee box when the storm hit so were cussing our luck on missing out. A decision was made to head for the exit as the water level was rising and the service was dropping so caddies were paid off and to the changerooms we went. Just then the all clear siren sounds so a quick dash to re-employ our caddies and our 4 ball minus Douglas MacQuarter were charging back into the fray.

Here’s a shot of a few golfers who didn’t charge back into the fray but stayed for some adult beverages in the soggy clubhouse

A light drizzle persisted for a hole or two but Doug Ure was off to a smashing start with a crunching 250m + drive to restart the game. Myself and Jude took a more conservative route electing to drive a bit over the 100m line. You need to warm up again. By the end of the 8th hole Jude was wishing he’d stayed indoors, but in true TeeSet character he battled on and was soon back into par mode. Doug nailed a nice birdie and parred the index 1, to finish in style whilst the President managed a sandy par on the 18th

Back to the clubhouse to see who else made it. Bags, The Singing Ex-President were well into their cups in the company of Tri. The Finns who had started early were into a Bintang inspired warm down. Warming down after sport is a necessity and TeeSet’s chosen warm down fluid is any product from the Brewery of San Miguel when available, normally found in Bill Lloyd’s medicine box. Slowly the survivors came in and it was encouraging to see more than half the starters had hung tough to complete the day.

Let’s get to the winners

Here they all are from left to right. Low gross Ian with 77, Michael first sandy 18th, Bill 40 Stableford points, Alessandro a birdie on the 1st. Missing from this group is TeeSet’s favourite fairweather golfer, Axel, who nailed an eagle on his 4th hole.

There was a bit of chatter about how good Ian’s round was in some difficult conditions. Ian himself was aware that things were rolling along nicely but in the back of his mind was his jinx 76. Probably doesn’t help if you have Bill on the green calling dots. But good golf from both the Stableford and low gross winners.

This Sunday back to Gading Raya, first tee time 11.30

TeeSet Annual Championship 23rd of November Cengkareng

Preparations are well underway. What we need from you is to sign up on MyGolf2U ASAP so we can best cater fro everybody on the day.

What you will get:

A competitive stroke play competition on a great course
2 drink stops on course and 2 food booths
a lovely buffet dinner with a range of wines, cocktails and beers on offering
Music
Prizes for the various category winners
Lucky draw prizes including a range finder
A special prize for the golfer who submits the best photo of the days action
Did I mention lots of after golf adult beverages
Goody bag
Meet the new President

A day you do not want to miss.

Now for something completely different

I am looking at starting a midweek comp based out of Fluid Force Golf with Gavin Webb. 9 hole comp on a predetermined course. You will be able to drop in at anytime and play your nine holes, with friends or by yourself, the leaders will be viewable on the leaderboard.

Opposite Fez Kemang https://maps.app.goo.gl/gcCPCDAcG2STZaeM7?g_st=iw

Stay tuned for more information.

Sorry about the late arrival of Jakarta’s most read golfing blog but it was truly a busy week.

Sayonara

だいとうりょう