Military Golf

Usually when a golfer describes his game, he may say "military" golf. This usually means that his shots are going left and right and he is out of control. Just like in the military when the troops are marching, the drill sergeant will usually shout in cadence, "left, right, left, right..."

In Manila, my friends retired General Tuti Ebuen and Dr. Boy Hilvano introduced me to the real military golf - we played in the military golf courses of Camp Villamor and the Navy Club. Here you meet and play with the Generals and Commodores, the big brass of the armed services. It is not farfetched to say that coup rumors may have its start here. I better shut up or else we may find unwanted people reading this blog. Shown above are two retired generals with Boy Hilvano and myself.

Of course, not everything you do in the golf course is play golf . You sometimes get distracted by the umbrella girls, a golf course feature that may be unique to the Philippines. Here you will see Ady Dalton and friend posing with their prized possessions. Sometimes I wonder if they came here to play golf or just recruit amateurs to enjoy their golf fetishes.

A round of golf in the Philippines will not be complete without visiting the clubhouse for that refreshing buko juice

and authentic filipino dishes. Here is the group having fun after the golf game - Boy Gella (manager of a casino at Clark), Boy Tuico (from Madrid), Boy Hilvano (prestigious Philippine surgeon), Mr. x, Ady Dalton (from LA), Mr. y, Jun Aspillera (from SF), Tuti Ebuen (retired PAF general), Bong Obligacion (non-retired salesman), and Nito Abad (non-retired computer programmer from CT).

Aside from the military golf courses, my classmates and I were invited by another classmate, Sonny Vistan, to Canlubang Country Club. I would say that the golf course itself is in prestine condition, better than all the golf courses I played on in the Philippines. Here my group again (on the left) is shown having our after game lunch at a favorite sushi restaurant. Shown receiving his golf winning is Tuti Ebuen while Ady and Jun A converse. The head belongs to Sonny V.

Of course, I got invited by another former classmate and barkada. Atty. Vic Fernandez to another "members only" country club, the Wack-wack Golf CC. Like I said before, I really played lousy golf on this trip and playing golf here was not really fun too. I remember getting beat by an octogenarian member I was playing with.

However, I enjoyed meeting new friends, whose names, considering my state of mind now, I have forgotten. But I remember all of you visually, so if I meet you again and show some signs of recognizing you, please help me out and tell me where I met you.