Batam - Golf Paradise?

How time flies! I used to organise golf day trips for friends to Batam once a month for a few years. It is not easy to get people to come together on the same day so eventually I just picked a date and those who can come will do. Most of us do not have a handicap and you know how difficult it was those days to have a game in Singapore? Especially if you do not purchase a country club membership. So I gathered quite a few people and those at my level we got started at Mandai - short par 3 course for beginners. We just bought ourselves the cheapest set of golf clubs that have everything including a free bag and got started banging.

Many people gave up golf at the driving range. This is the biggest mistake. Do you give up playing or watching soccer at the training pitch? If you had given up golf after trying it on a real golf course, then I respect that. And so we got a bit better so we upgraded somewhat to SBGC (the former Seletar Base Golf Course) which is a full 9-hole course built on natural terrain right in the middle of a country side with such fresh air that I would love to live there. As we obtained our PC (Proficiency Certificate) there, that became our only place where we could play. Just as you would yearn for a bigger car or house, you would also want a bigger golf course. We started golfing in Johor, Malaysia at places like Palm Resorts, Palm Villa, Ponderosa, Austin Hills,  Star Hill, Porasia, Orchard, Daiman 18 and so on sometimes but more frequently we were going more to Batam.

The allure of Batam is that it gives you a feeling of being on holiday. You have to go by ferry, get stuck there a whole day, take your time, have fun golfing and then take the fixed time ferry home. You can't push or rush it. We would wait for a month just to get together to do it. Sometimes when in the ferry and looking forward  to play, we looked out the window and saw a storm brewing, everyone would become quiet, speechless and frowning. Although we have been to both sides of Batam almost quite equally, we gravitated more towards Nongsa (from Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal) over Sekupang (from the former World Trade Centre now Harbour Front). 

My favourite golf course from Sekupang used to be South Links, a course so well manicured, wide and open plus friendly though it cost more and you can grab a handful of wooden tees from a big glass there. Another course Indra Puri Resort Golf Club is quite interesting though it was oldish, it was created by world renowned architects from Ronald Fream Design Group and is a mature course covering 300 acres of land but I went to Paradise Bay only once as I used to dislike it as it wasn't well-maintained and has a very old club house back then. Today it is known as Batam Hills (I'll share later). As the ferry gets close to Nongsa, it could immediately see a golf course but I have never played there for it had only 9 holes. None of the friends I brought along wanted to play the same nine twice having made such a long journey. That is the Tamarin Santana.

Nongsa is a holiday a resort area so it is more relax and laid back with probably less people as opposed to Sekupang's industrial areas. I made the arrangements so often that at one time all the Batam golf companies in Singapore and their representative at Batam side knew me well. It raised every one's enthusiasm as we look forward to the trip each time.  Most of us could wake up by ourselves even before the alarm clock rang. Talking about motivation. During weekdays, you can have almost the entire course to yourselves. Usually there are no flights in front or behind you so there is absolutely no pressure for anyone. Some folks could even play the best of three from tee off. In Batam, you usually go one round around the golf course and hardly have two holes right beside each other. When it was all over, you just slack, take your time to enjoy your lunch, have some beer, shower and wait for the bus to take you back to the ferry terminal. 

At Nongsa, I like Palm Spring too which has one course which was quite tough but I do not really like the caddies there then. My favourite course on Nongas side was Tering Bay, designed by Greg Norman with greens protected by great white bunkers. Very good place to train your bunker shots. Those days, we love to play with used balls and you can get great ones here at Tering Bay or Palm Spring. Some friends would ask me to buy some back for them but they are so heavy! Gradually work got busy for everyone, it became harder to organise. At one time, after a break I returned to Tering Bay and got a shock. Half of the club became a casino. They have security that used metal detectors on us. It was time to stop going there I thought. Ferries plying to Nongsa have lesser golfers but most on board were going to gamble ta Leisure World. 

Once, while golfing, there was a riot and people were killing each other somewhere in Batam (after the Suharto era). During a 9 hole stopover toilet break, I met a Singaporean and he shared the news with me asking me "how ah like that?" I told him that we should play on as there would be no safer place and continue to get updates. And as my golf got better and can easily golf back home for half a day, it became increasing difficult to go on such day trips. You become lazy. Even the golf bag felt heavier. So when some colleagues planned and invited for a 2D1N trip, I joined.

Batam Hills

I was having drinks the night before and getting up at 5.30am is not cool. We were headed for Batam Hills Golf Resort. It was a cloudy and slightly hazy day. 

The first hole welcomes you. It proposed and proved a slight challenge for some.

The all female caddies were neatly attired and they knew their job well. They were mostly just my daughter's age. That's how young they are not how old I am.

It is different from those days when it was known as Paradise Bay. Now known as Batam Hills Golf Resort, the clubhouse and the course are terrific. Unfamiliarity means you may have to play the holes a little blind. Experience and your vision tells you where to try to land. It may not be quite sufficient. Bring it on!

It is a challenging course and it is very well maintained.

The greens are not only fast they have many breaks. Not only that, some landing areas are small and goes up and down.

Doglegs are common sights - to the left and to the right. So know your draws and fades or just hit straight.

One of the wonders of playing at Batam is that you don't get to see such tall trees and jungles at the golf courses. It is unlikely you hit a ball OB bound and get a lucky bounce back to the fairway. You probably just get straight into the forest. Don't bother searching for balls. There are snakes in there - cobras. I have seen them. Once a friend saw a snake and he chased it around with his driver. I told him it was a cobra but he would not believe me until the snake suddenly stopped, rose and opened its hood that got him worried enough to run back. Also do not pick balls in Cambodia or elsewhere. You go in looking for one and you may loose two. There are landmines.

There are enough holes with water around to catch you - those who are less proficient.

Most foods suck at golf clubs but here they are quite okay. Well, at least the beer tasted the same. We had absolutely lots of beer even while playing in the morning. Then more beer during lunch and more beer during dinner. Crazy?

The Swiss Inn Hotel we stayed is good. Neat, tidy and clean. Surprisingly good.

It looked new and was spicks and specks. Not expensive too.

We had late dinner at WF or Windsor Food court. The moment you sat down, all the beer ladies swarmed in to make their pitch - Tiger, Heineken, Carlsberg.....

It was packed and I think there could be lots of Singaporean and Malaysian old men there having gotten their CPF or EPF. DOM (Dirty Old Men)?

I was told the scallop was 100% fresh, no cold storage. Not sure but it tasted fresh and good.

The steamed promfret was fresh and very good though it was not a big fish. I thought the fried oyster was very good.

WF has a stage and the lady singer who has a good voice and she will sing people's request to entertain.

Fortunately, my game came back on the second day. Otherwise, I will be pouring water here as pay back for many days of my life.

You may look forward to a trip. The journey back is another thing. You feel like a balloon with the gas siphoned out.

Welcome to Batam Hills Golf Resort!

Indonesia and Malaysia has very good keropok. It reminds me of the greens at the course. Not only are they fast, they are like keropok, up and down, left and right.

Kerupuk Udang Super - Mutu Isti Mewa.

I think my golf has benefitted somewhat. It was like going to the mountains although they were just hills. It was a good but tiring outing.

Golf as in life, play as it lies.