In my early years of playing golf, my officer’s rank then was a Major. I can still remember that my classmate, Ernie B, would call me through our landline phone at Headquarters Philippine Army and invite me for a game of golf during Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, being considered as our Athletic and Physical Fitness time/period for all the Officers and Enlisted personnel. Most of the time, our assembly time was 12:00 Noon and we would take a simple lunch at the Clubhouse and we should be driving our first ball at Hole No. 1 before 1:00 PM.
In a group of four players, it is called “four-some”. During these athletic periods, the management of the old Fort Bonifacio Golf and Country Club would strickly impose “four-some” in every “golf flight”. “Golf Flight” means a group of golfers (at least “four-some”) that go together and tee-off on a scheduled time.
My “golf flight” always consists of my friend Ernie B, Jun E, Ebbie P, and myself. Ernie B and Jun E are my classmates in the Philippine Military Academy while Ebbie P is a civilian businessman who is a very close friend of Ernie E. Ebbie P is a handicap 12 golf player when we started playing golf in the early 1990s. The membership of this golf flight was a permanent and we go from one golf course to another during weekends in the military camps and sometimes to golf courses outside Metro Manila.
It was almost 4-5 years that we played golf together and became closer to one another. My golfmates were good in golf, very good in telling golf jokes, and good in talking to the lady caddies and umbrella girls. They were all cigarette smokers! They fart when you are putting on the green. And worse was, they always beat me and I had to lose some money to them.
I could still remember the “always repeated three questions” Ernie B would asked to the lady caddies and umbrella girls whenever we play golf—(1) Who was the former seminarian/priest among us who opted to leave the church? (2) Who was still single among us? and (3) Who was the “playboy” and could easily attract ladies among the four of us? Because I have a flat stomach, very silent but with a smiling face (?), didn’t get angry when I had “bad shots”; and wearing colorful golf shirts; almost always, the lady caddies and umbrella girls always point their fingers to me!!!The caddies and the umbrella girls were all wrong in their answers.
Today, we seldom play in a “golf flight” the way we used to play when we were still with the rank of Majors in the Philippine Army. Ernie B just retired from the active military service last 15 February this year as the Commander of the 10th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army based in Davao City. Jun E is the present Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines whose retirement was extended up to 09 May 2008. Ebbie P is still playing golf but his business had been delegated to his children. As for me, I will be retiring on my 56th Birthday on 17 May 2008.
Soon, this “golf flight” will be revived again and I am sure those lady caddies and umbrella girls will point their fingers at me again once Ernie B will ask those three questions. I am sure also that these guys will not completely bring home my bet/money. This time will be a “payback time”!
