Shingle Creek GC - Orlando, Florida

The city of Orlando, Florida is blessed with so many beautiful yet challenging courses and Shingle Creek is definitely one of them.

Opened in December 2003, Shingle Creek Golf Club is an 18 hole golf course designed by David Harman and is highly rated among the top courses in all of Florida by Golf magazines.

Located just 15 minutes by car from Universal Studios Orlando and a mile from the Orange County Convention Center. Its central location makes it a popular choice for those wanting to get away and play without travelling too far from central Orlando. 

Upon my arrival at the club, the valet (complimentary!) whisk away my rental car as I head towards the pro-shop to register myself. The Pro-shop was well stocked and huge by Brunei standards (I guess in the US everything is supersize!) I paid my green fees and took a set of rental clubs (one month old Taylor Made R-Bladez - nice..)

As I head towards my buggy at the starters area, there is a spacious grass range, putting green and short game area for players to warm up. The buggy was relatively new and equipped with Uplink GPS which I noticed are standard feature when playing in the US (GM RBA, apa lagi)

Around the course, fairways are mostly undulating with interconnecting waterways. Greens are generous but very slippery - so watch out for those slopes. On the par 5 second hole, a pair of large birds ( di goreng nyaman kali?) were busy looking for food which makes you realise that nature is so close to you. 

I think all golfers will like this course as it has five sets of tee. So no matter what, even if you are a beginner or scratch golfer, you can choose from different distances that play from 7228 yards to 6314 yards. Cool eh?

Overall, its a good course to warm up before playing others around Orlando. However, when planning to visit Orlando do avoid coming in July as it rains daily and some courses would not be able to absorb so much water over a short period.

Malaysia welcomes new Ernie Els designed course

In my travels to Europe, Australia and Asia, I was not lucky enough to play at an Ernie Els golf course. 

This will soon be history as 'The Big Easy' is set to open not one but two (technical assistance to Vijay Singh design course) in Desaru, Johor which is set to open in 2014.

The 27-hole golf course managed by Troon Golf, will be one of the main attractions at Desaru Coast, a 17km beachfront integrated destination on the west coast of Johor that features an array of luxury resorts, hotels and golf residences, complemented with differentiated leisure and entertainment offerings to include signature golf courses, retail mall and theme parks, and all these are easily accessible with just a short drive from the Senai International Airport, Johor Bahru and Changi Airport, Singapore.

Els' design team is also providing technical services for another golf course at Desaru Coast, an 18-hole layout for Vijay Singh. The earth movement for Vijay's course will begin in June 2012. In addition, Ernie Els Design and Destination Resorts are also working together to develop Els Residences, the Els Performance Academy as well as an Els Club in Desaru Coast, which will be exclusive for the region.

According to the press release, Els Club Desaru Coast will have three distinct nine-hole loops aptly named the Lake, Ocean and Ridge for members and guest to enjoy and utilizes the natural terrain provided. Encompassing three unique environments the golf course meanders through natural wetlands and lakes as it makes its way to a spectacular setting alongside the South China Sea. The Lake Course ranges from 2,514 to 3,641 yards, the Ridge Course ranges from 2,834 to 3,643 yards and the Lake Course ranges from 2,568 to 3,575 yards.

So start planning Guys!

Pictures: Troon Golf

Royal Gems - Bangkok

Alpine Part ll

Bangkok Trip - Part 1

Long overdue report at Alpine...

Golf in Los Angeles - Black Gold Golf Club

Look past the strange name, Black Gold GC is one of Orange County's leading golf courses.

Designed by Arthur Hills, this championship public golf course is spread out over 219 acres over the hills in Yorba Linda, South of LA. 

Design

It has a Links/ Desert course feel to it with contrasting desert vegetation surrounding the course. Few of the Par 5 are reachable in two but it does punish wayward shots. Being located in the hills, it will test your imagination and shot shaping in order to reach the green, especially avoiding the houses that line up the course. Very few of the holes were flat, with most of the holes either downhill or uphill with elevation changes - makes it more interesting!

Condition
During the visit in early July, the course was in overall good condition. Greens was fast and true although there were several un-repaired pitch marks which was really annoying.

Clubhouse/Service/Pro-Shop
Service was efficient and good. The Pro-shop was well stocked with apparel, shoes and equipment. This being a public course, the clubhouse can also host meetings, parties and the like. 

Price
A solid course, a nice layout for under US$100 including cart 

Salam Ramadhan 1434/2013

Time to reflect and be closer to Allah SWT
Time to be with family & loved ones
Time to consider the less fortunate & be generous to them
Time to seek forgiveness
Time to be grateful with what you have received from Allah SWT

Wishing all muslim BMMJ brothers a blessed Ramadhan Kareem....

BMMJ car

Nice......
(Thanks to Kap Amos for the pic)