Bintan leg of trip (arrive Wed Sept 30, depart Friday, Oct 2)
Deluxe Bintan Lagoon room $108 x 3 rooms x 2 nights = $777.60
Jack Nicklaus course $65 x 6 = $390.00
Ian Baker Finch course $60 x 6 = $360.00
Ria Bintan course $150 x 6 = $900.00
Ferry ticket SIN - BIN @$23.60 x 6 = $141.60
VIP immigration clearance $5 x 6 = $30.00
Ferry ticket BIN – BATAM @ IR130,000 x 6 = 780,000 = $110.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Total = $2,709.20
( = Singapore $451 per person)
(Not included = Indonesia visa fee = US$10 per person)
Batam leg of trip (arrive Friday Oct 2, depart Monday Oct 5)
Superior room Batam View (weekend rate) 2 x 3 x $110.00 = $660.00
Superior room (weekday rate) 1 x 3 x $100.00 = $300.00
Golf at Tering Bay $61.00 x 6 = $366.00
Golf at Palm Springs $87.00 x 6 = $522.00
Golf at Indah Puri $75.00 x 6 = $450.00
Ferry Batam – Singapore = $25 x 6 = $150.00
Transport Bintan Ferry – Hotel = $35 x 2 = $70.00
Total = $2,518.00
(= Singapore $419.66 per person)
Grand total = $870 per person
Monday, September 21, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Two weeks until touchdown ...
Well we are getting somewhere on the organisational front and have come to a decision for the first part of the trip at least, so here is how it goes:
You Guys arrive before dawn on Wednesday, Sept 30. Get in a taxi to my place to drop any spare bags you may have and pare down your kit. We will catch a ferry at 11.15 am from Tanah Merah Ferry terminal (which is actually right near the airport) to Bintan island where we'll be met and given a VIP escort through customs and immigration to the Bintan Lagoon Resort. The ferry takes 55 minutes.
The hotel has full resort facilities and one of the best beaches on the island. There is lots of non-golf stuff to do, but as soon as we've dumped our bags (although, given Bintan is an hour behind Singapore, it will feel as if you have time traveled) it will be off to play golf.
I suggest we first play the Jack Nicklaus-designed sea view course, just 18 holes as I'm sure you'll be knackered, and then back to the hotel for dinner. Accommodation is twin sharing (two to a room).
The next day we will play the Ian Baker-Finch-designed forest course, which allegedly has deadly greens. Given Baker-Finch had to quit the game because of the worst yips in history (coining the term Ian Baker-Flinch) I understand this is not for the faint-hearted. Again, I suggest we start early and only play 18, and then take advantage of the resort facilities (tennis, water sports etc).
We could also resume go-karting, but given that Fox Snr is the Michael Schummacher of 'Babwe and Fox Jr the slightly crapper Ralf Schummacher, the rest may be too demoralised. The hotel management have asked Grant, Gavin and Pete NOT to use the beach facilities as speedos are not allowed.
We overnight Thursday at the same hotel and then pack up all our stuff and take it with us to the fabulous Gary Player-designed Ria Bintan Golf Course. This course consistently rates in the top three courses in the whole of Asia. I have played it once and it was simply amazing.
From here, we are taken by minibus to a different ferry terminal for a 45 minute boat ride to neighbouring Batam island, arriving early evening.
All the above part of the itinerary comes as a complete bed/breakfast/ferries/transfers/golf/buggies/caddy package totaling US$345 per person inclusive. On Bintan, buggies are compulsory and generally one caddy per buggy.
Bintan is NOT a wild party place. The entire island is very much a beach resort place catering purely for Singaporeans (almost all prices are in Singapore dollars ...). Nevertheless, the golf courses are lovely and the resorts very nice too.
I am still finalising the Batam leg of the journey (three nights, three days of golf) but it will be cheaper because Batam is much more "Indonesian" rather than "Singaporean". It is also a lot more lively.
Hopefully I will have details in the next day or so for that leg, but negotiations are slow.
I URGENTLY need the following from all of you:
Full names, date of birth, passport type, passport number, issue date, expiry date, place of issue.
Please send to david.fox@reuters.com and singapore_fox@yahoo.com
You Guys arrive before dawn on Wednesday, Sept 30. Get in a taxi to my place to drop any spare bags you may have and pare down your kit. We will catch a ferry at 11.15 am from Tanah Merah Ferry terminal (which is actually right near the airport) to Bintan island where we'll be met and given a VIP escort through customs and immigration to the Bintan Lagoon Resort. The ferry takes 55 minutes.
The hotel has full resort facilities and one of the best beaches on the island. There is lots of non-golf stuff to do, but as soon as we've dumped our bags (although, given Bintan is an hour behind Singapore, it will feel as if you have time traveled) it will be off to play golf.
I suggest we first play the Jack Nicklaus-designed sea view course, just 18 holes as I'm sure you'll be knackered, and then back to the hotel for dinner. Accommodation is twin sharing (two to a room).
The next day we will play the Ian Baker-Finch-designed forest course, which allegedly has deadly greens. Given Baker-Finch had to quit the game because of the worst yips in history (coining the term Ian Baker-Flinch) I understand this is not for the faint-hearted. Again, I suggest we start early and only play 18, and then take advantage of the resort facilities (tennis, water sports etc).
We overnight Thursday at the same hotel and then pack up all our stuff and take it with us to the fabulous Gary Player-designed Ria Bintan Golf Course. This course consistently rates in the top three courses in the whole of Asia. I have played it once and it was simply amazing.
From here, we are taken by minibus to a different ferry terminal for a 45 minute boat ride to neighbouring Batam island, arriving early evening.
All the above part of the itinerary comes as a complete bed/breakfast/ferries/transfers/golf/buggies/caddy package totaling US$345 per person inclusive. On Bintan, buggies are compulsory and generally one caddy per buggy.
Bintan is NOT a wild party place. The entire island is very much a beach resort place catering purely for Singaporeans (almost all prices are in Singapore dollars ...). Nevertheless, the golf courses are lovely and the resorts very nice too.
I am still finalising the Batam leg of the journey (three nights, three days of golf) but it will be cheaper because Batam is much more "Indonesian" rather than "Singaporean". It is also a lot more lively.
Hopefully I will have details in the next day or so for that leg, but negotiations are slow.
I URGENTLY need the following from all of you:
Full names, date of birth, passport type, passport number, issue date, expiry date, place of issue.
Please send to david.fox@reuters.com and singapore_fox@yahoo.com
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
A fun game to play
Here is a keen way to hone your golf skills and have some fun at the same time.
We've all seen pictures of holes that we'd like to play, but you never know what the state of the green will be until you get close.
Try this fun "Guess the Green" website and see how you do.
We've all seen pictures of holes that we'd like to play, but you never know what the state of the green will be until you get close.
Try this fun "Guess the Green" website and see how you do.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
The tour gets going
Due to overwhelming popular demand (ok, an email from Stu and a yahoo from Simon), planning for the Ugly Bitch Golf Tour 2009 is officially getting underway. Last year's Thailand trip was an enormous success, combing golf, go-karting and synchronised soapy showers. Can this year be better?
The aim is to keep things slightly more modest (ok, cheap) this time and perhaps only venture as far as Indonesia or Malaysia. I'd like to get some feedback for a couple of options listed below (please note that in all cases you'll be arriving on Saturday morning (Singapore time) and leaving very early Sunday morning a week later.
Here are a couple of tentative itineraries:
(Please note that the rates on many of these links are way out of date. I've already been in contact with all of the courses and the rates we have been offered are considerably cheaper than you can see below. As a ballpark, you can count on golf costs about $S55 per 18 holes, S$70 per unlimited. All prices include buggy and caddy fees. Although I plan on organising the whole thing myself, there will be a few "mini-packages" within the trip that I will take advantage of.)
Batam Island (5 days/4 nights)
Sat: Arrive Singapore in morning; rest of the day for shopping or chilling out.
Sun: Take ferry from Singapore's WTC ferry pier to Batam's Nongsa Pier (approx 40 minutes). Transfer(10 minutes) to Tering Bay Golf Course for 27 holes. Spend the night at Batam View.
Mon: Transfer to Palm Springs (10 minutes) for 27/36 holes. Spend night at hotel to be determined in Nagoya (35 minutes). Dinner at street/hawker type place and beers/pool in town.
Tues: Transfer to Southlinks (34 minutes) for 27 holes. Afterwards, back to Nagoya for go-karting/shopping or chilling out. Dinner and beers in town. Massage.
Wed: Transfer to Bukit Darmo (35 minutes) for 18/27/36 holes. Afterwards, back to Nagoya. Possibility of water-skiing, paintballing or go-karting depending on mood.
Thurs: Transfer to Indah Puri golf course (35 minutes) for 18/27/36 holes. Afterwards, transfer to Sekupang ferry pier (15 minutes) for boat ride back to Singapore (4o minutes).
Frid: Free day
Sat: Free day before flying home late night/early Sunday morning.
Batam Island/Bintan Island combo (5 days/4 nights)
Sat: Arrive Singapore in morning; rest of the day for shopping or chilling out.
Sun: Take ferry from Singapore's WTC ferry pier to Batam's Nongsa Pier (approx 40 minutes). Transfer(10 minutes) to Tering Bay Golf Course for 27 holes. Spend the night at Batam View.
Mon: Transfer to Palm Springs (10 minutes) for 27/36 holes. Spend night at hotel to be determined in Nagoya (35 minutes). Dinner at street/hawker type place and beers/pool in town.
Tues: Transfer to Southlinks (34 minutes) for 27 holes. Afterwards, back to Nagoya for go-karting/shopping or chilling out. Dinner and beers in town. Massage.
Wed: Transfer to Nagoya ferry (10 minutes) for boat ride to Bintan Island (30 minutes. Transfer to Ria Bintan golf course for 18/27/36 holes. Afterwards, transfer to hotel as yet to be determined.
Thurs: Transfer to Bintan Lagoon golf course for 18/27 holes. Afterwards take ferry back to Singapore 45 minutes.
Frid: Free day
Sat: Free day before flying home late night/early Sunday morning.
Batam Island/Malaysia combo (5 days/4 nights)
Sat: Arrive Singapore in morning; rest of the day for shopping or chilling out.
Sun: Take ferry from Singapore's WTC ferry pier to Batam's Nongsa Pier (approx 40 minutes). Transfer(10 minutes) to Tering Bay Golf Course for 27 holes. Spend the night at Batam View.
Mon: Transfer to Palm Springs (10 minutes) for 27/36 holes. Return to Singapore in evening and overnight at Chez Fox.
Tues: Take ferry from Tanah Merah to Sebana Cove Ferry in Malaysia (35 minutes, see map here). Transfer to Sebana Cove Golf Course (five minutes) for 18/27/36 holes. Overnight at Sebana Cove Hotel.
Wed: Transfer to Desaru Golf Course (20 minutes) for 18/27/36 holes. Transfer by minibus to Johor Bahru town to spend night at hotel to be determined.
Thurs: Transfer to Palm Resort (30 minutes) for 18/27/36 holes followed by Go Karting. Transfer by minibus to Singapore (1 hour).
Frid: Free day
Sat: Free day before flying home late night/early Sunday morning.
The aim is to keep things slightly more modest (ok, cheap) this time and perhaps only venture as far as Indonesia or Malaysia. I'd like to get some feedback for a couple of options listed below (please note that in all cases you'll be arriving on Saturday morning (Singapore time) and leaving very early Sunday morning a week later.
Here are a couple of tentative itineraries:
(Please note that the rates on many of these links are way out of date. I've already been in contact with all of the courses and the rates we have been offered are considerably cheaper than you can see below. As a ballpark, you can count on golf costs about $S55 per 18 holes, S$70 per unlimited. All prices include buggy and caddy fees. Although I plan on organising the whole thing myself, there will be a few "mini-packages" within the trip that I will take advantage of.)
Batam Island (5 days/4 nights)
Sat: Arrive Singapore in morning; rest of the day for shopping or chilling out.
Sun: Take ferry from Singapore's WTC ferry pier to Batam's Nongsa Pier (approx 40 minutes). Transfer(10 minutes) to Tering Bay Golf Course for 27 holes. Spend the night at Batam View.
Mon: Transfer to Palm Springs (10 minutes) for 27/36 holes. Spend night at hotel to be determined in Nagoya (35 minutes). Dinner at street/hawker type place and beers/pool in town.
Tues: Transfer to Southlinks (34 minutes) for 27 holes. Afterwards, back to Nagoya for go-karting/shopping or chilling out. Dinner and beers in town. Massage.
Wed: Transfer to Bukit Darmo (35 minutes) for 18/27/36 holes. Afterwards, back to Nagoya. Possibility of water-skiing, paintballing or go-karting depending on mood.
Thurs: Transfer to Indah Puri golf course (35 minutes) for 18/27/36 holes. Afterwards, transfer to Sekupang ferry pier (15 minutes) for boat ride back to Singapore (4o minutes).
Frid: Free day
Sat: Free day before flying home late night/early Sunday morning.
Batam Island/Bintan Island combo (5 days/4 nights)
Sat: Arrive Singapore in morning; rest of the day for shopping or chilling out.
Sun: Take ferry from Singapore's WTC ferry pier to Batam's Nongsa Pier (approx 40 minutes). Transfer(10 minutes) to Tering Bay Golf Course for 27 holes. Spend the night at Batam View.
Mon: Transfer to Palm Springs (10 minutes) for 27/36 holes. Spend night at hotel to be determined in Nagoya (35 minutes). Dinner at street/hawker type place and beers/pool in town.
Tues: Transfer to Southlinks (34 minutes) for 27 holes. Afterwards, back to Nagoya for go-karting/shopping or chilling out. Dinner and beers in town. Massage.
Wed: Transfer to Nagoya ferry (10 minutes) for boat ride to Bintan Island (30 minutes. Transfer to Ria Bintan golf course for 18/27/36 holes. Afterwards, transfer to hotel as yet to be determined.
Thurs: Transfer to Bintan Lagoon golf course for 18/27 holes. Afterwards take ferry back to Singapore 45 minutes.
Frid: Free day
Sat: Free day before flying home late night/early Sunday morning.
Batam Island/Malaysia combo (5 days/4 nights)
Sat: Arrive Singapore in morning; rest of the day for shopping or chilling out.
Sun: Take ferry from Singapore's WTC ferry pier to Batam's Nongsa Pier (approx 40 minutes). Transfer(10 minutes) to Tering Bay Golf Course for 27 holes. Spend the night at Batam View.
Mon: Transfer to Palm Springs (10 minutes) for 27/36 holes. Return to Singapore in evening and overnight at Chez Fox.
Tues: Take ferry from Tanah Merah to Sebana Cove Ferry in Malaysia (35 minutes, see map here). Transfer to Sebana Cove Golf Course (five minutes) for 18/27/36 holes. Overnight at Sebana Cove Hotel.
Wed: Transfer to Desaru Golf Course (20 minutes) for 18/27/36 holes. Transfer by minibus to Johor Bahru town to spend night at hotel to be determined.
Thurs: Transfer to Palm Resort (30 minutes) for 18/27/36 holes followed by Go Karting. Transfer by minibus to Singapore (1 hour).
Frid: Free day
Sat: Free day before flying home late night/early Sunday morning.
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