You got it licked BJ!Good job!

Played Black Mountain yesterday for the first time, decided to walk round to get a better look of the place and take in the ambiance. It truly is a fantastic course and a 'must play' for anyone in Hua Hin that likes their golf. Green fees at the moment are manageable at 1,500 plus 300 for caddy (carts are 600 baht if you want one), they're doing some construction work on a couple of the holes but its all still playable (if you can concentrate over the noise).

The club house and facilities are 5 star, from the underground car park, to the elevator to the pro shop, to the putting and chipping greens and attentive staff. The caddies are very professional and know their stuff - the proof was that I actually made a couple of putts and managed to par the signature hole which has a little jungle waterfall!

The course is very hilly and undulating, very few flat lies, some wicked greens and the odd huge rock in the middle of the fairways - challenging is an understatement. There is a pagoda thing on the back nine up in the mountain which offers one of the best views of the surrounding area I have ever seen; the course slopes away down the hill in front of you and you can see all the way to Sam Roi Yod on the left and thunder clouds rolling in from Burma on the right. I would have been happy to sit there all day watching other golfers play the game properly!

Needless to say I didn't score well and played like an idiot (which I'm getting used to now) but just being out there on one of the country's best golf courses made the day.

must agre with you buksi

BM is a great course and 1k5 is a good offer

after having played the course now a few times I manage to play more or less my handicap (7), usually depening on the putting and taking the correct decision on the T-Box

Good attitude Buksi, once you get used to not trying to be Tiger you can settle back and enjoy the courses and views and park-like settings. I gave up on trying to be a low handicapper a long time ago and unless you exhibit a natural talent within the first couple of years or first couple of sets of lessons you should just enjoy the surroundings and company on the course as you do the best you can at the game and try not to get frustrated or take it too seriously.

Played my first actual game of golf on Wednesday at Black Mountain and couldn't have been more pleased. What a difference between the real thing and the practice tee! Shot 108 with little idea how to putt or chip. Then repeated the same score the following day. Some pleasing aspects.. My fitness held up well in the heat. My opening drives on both days were straight and my bunker play was spot on. Irons were fine. I'm using Mizuno MP32s. I know they are more for pros but too beautiful to let go. I played off the whites on the first day, then the browns on the second.

Biggest downside was my putting. Absolutely desperate. No feel at all. My caddy committed suicide. On the upside, there's 20 shots for the taking right there. Will work on the short game now and hope to be out again in a week or two.

Thoroughly enjoyed the setting, the challenge and the experience!

That's an excellent score to start with, Mr P. Another pro in the making.

Yesterday was the first time I looked at The Observer classified section in a long time. I was amazed by the quantity of golf memberships for sale in HH. I never see quantities like that in publications for other Thailand locations. What is happening; residents returning home, short of cash, clubs opening up new membership drives, speculative buyers now selling.... all of the above? Pete

prcscct wriote:



mrplum wrote:


Alternative golf?

It gets better.. Shot 94 at Palm Hills this morning, even after missing a 2ft birdie putt at the 1st. Not bad for only my 5th round.

Still pinching myself.

Putt on, Mr P.

Yes, but in a professional match it wouldn't count because with all those herbal concoctions you take, you'd fail the dope test......lol.

Only kidding mate, and glad to see you're enjoying the game.

Thanks.

Just in case you want the recipe...

"Eye of newt, and toe of frog,
Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,
Adder's fork, and blind-worm's sting,
Lizard's leg, and howlet's wing,--
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble."

It's shaved 14 shots off my handicap.

MrP,

I think you must be one of those lucky people with a natural talent for the game. It's been my experience, after playing the game off and on for nearly 50 years, that some people have are naturals for this type of game and can take it up, play well almost immediately, and continue to improve dramatically fast.

I knew one guy back in Florida that had never swung a club before. He took up the game and his first round was around 120, but you could tell that he was not thinking and the high score was because he was "going for it" on every shot. His swing actually looked very comfortable and he was making good contact with the ball almost immediately. He settled down after a few rounds and within one year had a single digit handicap! I think you may be one of those people.

Others, myself included, can play for years and unless they devote there lives to practicing or playing every day they struggle to stay under 100. I did spend a good number of years practicing and playing nearly every day and still never had a handicap under 18. For those like me you have to eventually realize you will never be very good at the game and just enjoy it regardless of the score.

Have fun!

Ohhhh it's TONGUE of dog....my poor pup will never forgive me, but then he didn't want children.....

I have to go up to BKK a couple of times next week and am thinking about visiting Thaniya Plaza.
I know that the place has been recommended before on this thread, but can anyone tell me what the set up is like?
I'm particularly interested in trying to find a new driver, so do the shops have demonstration clubs that I can try out? Do they have those awning things that track the ball when you hit it? Do the people who are selling the clubs know what they're talking about? (I have a vague idea of what will suit me, but I'm still a novice at choosing clubs, so I need good advice). Are the prices competitive?
I'll find out for myself, but any prior information would be appreciated.