GOLF IN SABAH

Welcome to Sabah and its capital, Kota Kinabalu (KK). Just like the cat is the icon for Kuching, Sarawak, the marlin is the icon for KK. We went there to golf and cari makan from 9-13 Jul. Many courses are available in KK, the most famous being the Sutera Harbour Resort Course, where the walk-in greens fees for 18 holes is RM 460.

One of many drinking holes found in KK. This one is just outside the Hyatt Hotel. The time we were there, there was rain in the afternoons so our golf games were disrupted. Maybe that's why drinking holes abound.....

This is the course we played at the Karambunai Resort. The rate advertised on the internet for walk-ins is RM 360. Our friend and agent there got us booked in for RM190. This is one of the holes featured for its roughs. Being used to cow grass, rich men's rough like this caused some considerable problems for me. I got stuck continuously for 3 shots in a par 5 and ended up with a lucky 8!

This par 3 reads 157 m on the score card but a check with the GPS showed 170 with a blue pin. Not only that, the wind was against us. All of us found water. Teh who hit a beautiful 5 wood found water at the far edge. The hole is made more difficult because of greenside bunkers and a diagonally elongated green sloping to the left.

View of the South China Sea from the course.

Preparing for tee-off at the 1st Hole with club house in background.

Karambunai with its hilly back drop.

The approach to the green of the 1st Hole, a par 5, which requires crossing water. Although Karambunai is surrounded by many hills, it is a flat course.

Karambunai Club House.

Joe is practising before teeing off from the 10th Hole, as Kim looks on. We arrived at the Kundasang Golf Course, about 6,000 ft above sea level in Mt Kinabalu, full of enthusiasm to play the course only to be told that the course was closed due to its marshy condition. The reason - it had rained a week continuously. Undaunted, we requested to play; the course was opened for us. After five holes, we surrendered as it was difficult to walk, the balls got lost after being plugged and we felt miserable.

The 1st tee-box. The sign on the kerbside advises that the course is closed.

The 18th Green towards the mountain. The appearance is deceiving as when you step on the green, there is water oozing out. When you land on, the ball is semi-plugged and when putting, the ball leaves a trail of spinning water in its wake.

A stream runs under the par 3 13th. The distance is about 135 m downhill. I hit a beautiful shot which landed on a slope on the left of the green, which normally would have run onto the green. When I went there, my ball disappeared, swallowed by the wet and marshy ground.

Maples grow in the mountain too. We found one in the golf course.

The golfers who eagerly awaited to play the Kundasang Golf Club mountain course only to be disappointed and dampened by the wet and marshy conditions. Third from left is George Wang who flew in from Taichung, Taiwan, to join us.

I wonder what Joe is pondering as he walks on this suspension bridge we found while exploring the Mt Kinabalu Park .

These wild flowers are found abundantly in the park.

This "wallpaper" found beneath the Balsam Cafe could well appear in someone's handphone. The morning glories forming the wallpaper are very bright in hue.

The Balsam Cafe is one of two eateries found in Kinabalu Park. Here is where meals are served buffet style only. For ala carte food, there is a restaurant at the Visitors' Centre. We had our lunch at the restaurant after golf and imagine that as we ate and drank, clouds started forming and it became very cool too. Someone commented that he felt we were in Heaven!

Ethnic musicians playing wind instruments for diners at the visitors' centre restaurant.