Fiery Start To Far East Golf Circuit

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31339, 8 April 1967, Page 11

Fiery Start To Far East Golf Circuit

(Specially written for "The Preet” by 1. H. LISTER]

MANILA. A ROUND of golf in Manila provides a searching test for a player used to New Zealand conditions and courses. The length of the Manila course (7000 yd is greater than that of any New Zealand course, and there are some very tough holes into the bargain.

I did not relish teeing off at the first for it was a 414 yd dogleg left par four hole. Nothing less than two wellhit well-placed shots would do if you wish to hit the green in regulation. The seventh is another case in point. Sand traps flank the fairway at about 250yds and to add to the hazards there is a 40yd lake right in front of the green. The green itself has a drop of about 20ft over the back. I was last off on the first day and by the time the ninth was reached a fire had started on the third hole.

While we played the ninth, tenth and eleventh we were showered with ashes from the fire. I hoped the fire would envelope the whole course and so cause the cancellation of the day’s play. But the fire was snuffed out —and I had an 82. The other three days were uneventful from my point of view. But the Manila galleries are tremendously biased. Chen Ching Po, the Chinese golfer who was leading the Filipino, Celestine Zugot, by three shots after three rounds, played with his rival and Billy Casper (U.S.A.) in the last round. Whenever Zugot played a reasonable shot the roar from the 1000-strong gallery was deafening; good shots by Casper or Chen did not draw a very enthusiastic response.

President Marcos of the Philippines always starts the tournament by hitting three balls off the first tee; each ball is worth 200 pesos (£2O) to the finder. This little scene is very amusing. There are about 1000 people grouped down the fairway, all waiting for the ball. I do not envy the poor people who reach the ball first. Certainly the winner gets his £2O but everyone swarms over him; one man had only his underclothes left on when he staggered up from the ground. One fellow thought he would be cunning—he wrapped a towel round his hand and stood about 10yd from the president When the ball was hit he dived in its path, but luckily—or unluckily—he missed. All the taxi drivers in Manila drive like suicide

pilots; a trip which would take half an hour in Christchurch lasts only 20 minutes in Manila. To add to the hazards the traffic is unbelievably thick 'aS the time and there are only about two main streets—the rest of the roads are like a maze of rat tunnels.

After living in this place for a week I am glad I was born in New Zealand. Some of the dirty little places where families live are almost unbelievable. And it is not safe to walk alone at any time of the day in Manila. The golf club and all the picture theatres have signs outside saying that firearms and other deadly weapons are to be left at the office.

All the night clubs, hotels and places of importance have two armed guards at the entrance. Apparently the night before I arrived an intoxicated man walked out of a bar shouting abuse and a guard shot him dead without asking any questions.