Archive for category Birdie
Great Birdie on Tough 16th @ Kau Sai Chau, Hong Kong
This is never an easy hole. A 496 yard Par 5, the blind tee shot has to clear a ravine but at least there is a pole to aim at to know where to go…in theory. Our tee shot was perfect and actually just made it to the back the edge of the fairway on the sharp left dog-leg. A 5-wood shot near the green for an 80 yard pitch to the front pin. With strong wind against us, we took a 52° and just cleared the front greenside bunker landing on the fringe and trickled onto the green. A five foot uphill putt was easily knocked in for Birdie!
111125 Kau Sai Chau East Course, Hole 16 (Par 5)
Last Hole Birdie @ Discovery Bay, Hong Kong
It was a shocking front-9 on the Diamond/Jade course at Discovery Bay, Hong Kong. I’d rather not talk about it. The back-9 was much better. And finally on Jade 9, our last hole, our chip in from off the green tracked perfectly into the hole for Birdie. Now we just have to find a way to figure out how to play better on the front-9.
111120 Discovery Bay, Jade 9 (Par 4)
Miracle Back to Back Birdies @ Discovery Bay, Hong Kong
This was miraculous. On our back-9, the Jade course at Discovery Bay, Hong Kong, the two hardest holes (in our opinion) of all the 27 holes are Jade 1 (Par 5) and Jade 2 (Par 4). And we managed to Birdie both of them, back to back!
On Jade 1, our drive went miles and landed on the platform just short of the valley…somewhere we have never been before. Taking a 5-wood and hoping to land within 100 yards of the green, our shot went too far right. Lucky us, I just missed the cart path and landed in the rough 100 yards in. Our pitching wedge also went right, but a favorable kick knocked me back to the putting surface, pin high and leaving an 18 footer for our first Birdie.
Then on Jade 2, our drive left 180 yards to the green. Taking a 21° Hybrid, I landed left of the green, but again fortunately rode the slope and kicked right to land pin high with 15 feet to go. Not believing our luck, we took a deep breath and made our putt. Perfect line, perfect speed…I managed to just sneak in the right edge. Birdie number two! We were so ecstatic that we forgot to take a picture.
Getting par on these two holes is hard enough, getting a Birdie is lucky…getting Birdies on both holes is priceless…
111112 Discovery Bay, Jade 1 (Par 5)
Weekend of Birdies @ Lotus Hill, China
We were in China this weekend for the Reunification Cup tournament between four of Hong Kong’s private clubs – Country Club (which we were playing for), American Club, Football Club and the Chinese Recreation Club.
We went up to prepare with a practice round on Friday and managed one Birdie. This happened on the Par 4 seventh. A blistering drive left us only 100 yards to the pin, but a pushed approach shot was 21 feet from the hole. At least I was pin high. A right to left break did not stop us from jamming into the hole. Birdie #1.
On the next day, the first day of the competition, we had a blistering start. A par on the first followed by a Birdie on the Par 3 second. A severe downhill tee shot got us three feet past the hole for an uphill putt. We also won the Nearest-to-pin prize for this! Then on the Par 4 that followed, our 5-wood just missed the right fairway bunkers and our approach landed pin high with 12 feet to go. The tricky downhill putt had a severe right to left break, so we just hoped to get close. But I was tracking perfectly and pleasantly ended up at the bottom of the cup. Then on the back-9, R’s back was starting to ache. At this age, he should refrain from playing too many consecutive rounds! Shots were starting to land 10-15 yards short, so on the Par 5 18th, we took an extremely conservative route. The strategy worked out, as we were on the green in regulation. A delicate downhill putt was left for Birdie and we made it. A good bonus considering R’s back.
On the final day, R’s back was worse and he couldn’t follow through. So we were taking one to two clubs more for shots. Our scores were not good but at least we managed a Birdie on the Par 5 fourth. A good drive hugged the right side of the fairway and our second shot left us with 100 yards to the green. Taking more club (a pitching wedge) we landed left of the flag with a 15 foot downhill putt for the Bird.
Note to R: Next year, please don’t play the practice round. Your back will thank you. I will too 
111104 Lotus Hill, Hole 7 (Par 4)
111105 Lotus Hill, Hole 2 (Par 3)
111105 Lotus Hill, Hole 3 (Par 4)
111105 Lotus Hill, Hole 18 (Par 5)
111106 Lotus Hill, Hole 4 (Par 5)
Jinxed Hole turns out to be a Birdie Hole @ Clearwater Bay, Hong Kong
The 8th hole at Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club, Hong Kong is normally where our nightmares begin. This Par 4 hole repeatedly had given us problems off the tee, regardless of whether we were playing from the whites or the blues. This time, for the 2011 BMW Golf Cup International, we were playing as guests in the social category (we won last year) so there was no pressure. Playing off the whites (320 yards), we took a 3-hybrid and cut the Tiger line to leave 120 yards to the pin. With the green slightly uphill and wind against us, we took an 8-iron to make sure we reached the green. Hit perfectly, I flew directly towards the flag and landed just two feet past the hole. The downhill putt was no problem for a nice Birdie. Let’s keep this thought the next time we play this hole.
111021 Clearwater Bay, Hole #8 (Par 4)
