World Masters Golf Championship in Hua Hin
From June 14 to June 19, the Centara World Masters Championship golf tournament will take place on four golf courses in Hua Hin, namely Black Mountain, Banyan, Majestic Creek and Imperial Lakeview.
Access is open to golfers over the age of 35 with an official handicap, who are divided into 15 groups based on age and handicap. More than 700 golfers from over 20 countries are expected to take part in this major tournament, which has previously taken place in Australia many times.
19th hole
Of course, the participants come to compete against evenly matched opponents for US$30.000 in prizes and lucky draws, but the event is not just a golf tournament. The tournament headquarters, the Centara Grand Beach Resort, hosts nightly social events featuring music and international artists. Thailand's largest 19th hole is “played” every evening on the beautiful roof terrace, beach and pool. The tournament opening party and a decadent farewell dinner will be the highlights of the week. The success of the event is the camaraderie developed among the participants. Many lifelong friendships are forged.
Hua Hin: a mecca for golfers
Hua Hin's destiny as a gulf mecca began in 1910 when Prince Chakrabongse “discovered” the then quiet fishing village while hunting tigers nearby. His enthusiasm prompted King Rama VII to build a summer palace there in 1928, which he named Klai Kang Won, (Carefree). The current King Rama IX and other members of the royal family still make frequent use of this palace.
In the XNUMXs, the now royal seaside resort also attracted the interest of the well-to-do citizens of Bangkok. A railway line was built and a luxury hotel built. We wrote about the hotel with the name Railway Hotel (now Centara Grand Beach resort) on this blog, see: www.thailandblog.nl/hotels/historie-van-het-railway-hotel-hua-hin
In 1920 Royal Hua Hin, Thailand's first golf course, was built on the other side of the railway line. Legend tells us that the caddies had to chase the tigers off the fairways before play could begin. Today, as many as nine golf courses can be found along the Gulf of Thailand between Cha-am and Hua Hin.
Royal Hua Hin
Not many golf courses can boast a historic event like this first golf course in Thailand. In 1932, King Prajadhipok (Rama VII) was playing a round of golf and during this game he was told that an alliance of bureaucrats and officers in Bangkok demanded that Siam's 700-year-old absolute monarchy be replaced by a constitutional monarchy. The king said to his companions, "I told you so," and played on quietly. And so began Siam-Thailand's go-stop-go journey towards a liberal democracy.
Anecdote Chang beer
One of the participating golf courses, Imperial Lake View, is owned by the Chang Brewery, co-sponsor of the major event. Last year, the players on this course were treated to free Chang beer at several places during the tournament. Due to the consumption of this beer, the course of the match was slowed down considerably, because trailing players had to wait for their drinking and sometimes lagging predecessors. But the pursuers also had a good taste of the beer, so that the entire tournament on this track got completely out of hand. New rule for 2015: free beer after the round in the clubhouse, not on the course.
Finally
For more information about the possibility of participation, prices, costs and excursions during the tournament, please visit the website: www.thailandworldmasters.com
About this blogger
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Bert Gringhuis (1945), born and raised in Almelo in the beautiful Twente. Later lived for many years in Amsterdam and Alkmaar, working in export for various companies. I first came to Thailand in 1980 and immediately fell in love with the country. Been back many times since then and moved to Thailand after my (early) retirement as a widower. I have been living there for 22 years now with my somewhat younger Thai lady Poopae.
My first experiences in Thailand as a kind of newsletter sent to family, friends and acquaintances, which later appeared under the name Gringo on Thailandblog. Many, many articles followed those first stories and that has grown into an almost daily hobby.
In the Netherlands still an avid footballer and football referee, but the years are starting to tell and in Thailand still avid, but the pool billiards is really of inferior quality, ha ha!
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The consequence of Lake View being owned by Chang Beers is that no other brand of beer is available anymore. Until a few months ago, people still had a leftover Heineken at 120 baht per bottle! You won't love Chang like I do. A regular Coca Cola is also not available. Weird policy. Just drink water on hole 19 these days…aarrgghhh.