The few, the proud, the golfing Marines

"Tell it to the Marines."

Many a stories often elicit such reaction. The other day, I told the Marines to join me for a round of golf and yesterday, we played at the Alta Vista Golf and Country Club. I was literally not just telling the Marines, but also showing them around the course and the wonderful view from the hills of Pardo.

When people from other places visit Cebu, many of us true blue Cebuanos can't help but prove to them how nice our place is and how great is the Queen City of the South as a place to live in.

I was with my "brother," Maj. Romy Racadio PN (M) together with another officer of the Philippine Marines Maj. Tony Rosario and Cdr. Sean Anthony U. Villa of the Navy yesterday.

Romy and I were squadmates from the first day of our plebehood in Camp Aquino in Tarlac until the last day I spent at the Academy in Baguio City. We also have the same foster mother, the famous Auntie Rose Villareal of Sogod, Cebu, who is a long-time resident of Baguio City.

It was actually Auntie Rose who hooked me up with my "brother" during her visit to Cebu early this month.

Romy is in Cebu as part of the contingent to help provide security for the delegates of the 12th ASEAN Summit and so is Tony and they're hoping that their brief stay in Cebu can also help them link up with the civilian community and help change the way some people think about the military.

Cdr. Villa, who is new to the Navforcen (Naval Forces Central), will be spending a longer time in Cebu. I sure hope that we can find time to play again maybe I could get tips from him on how to improve my game.

We were asking him if he did a lot of putting practice on the ship, but he jokingly (or is it really true) told us that he gets to hit a lot of balls because of the fishing nets on the boats that keep them from falling off to the sea.

I first thought that it might be a bit stiff playing around military officers most specially battle-tested Marines. I was totally wrong.

It was fun even if in the end when the scores were counted, I found out that I was the worst in the foursome.

Cdr. Villa said that there are not too many golfers from the Marines, but the ones who play are really good. So, the slogan for the golfing Marines should be "the few, the proud and the even fewer golfing Marines...huwaaah!!!"

* * *

It has been over 19 years since I last saw Romy and another squadmate, Donald Cabalo, who is now head of security at the Ayala Museum.

We got together last week after what seemed ages and looked back at the good and the many bad times we shared doing mass exercises, aligning during parades, cleaning our barracks, take life, boodling, and many more.

Donald was in town for a one-day seminar and we hope that the next time we'll get together other squadmates would also be around.

I'm looking forward to that my brothers. Maybe Police Supt. Rady Gungun, another squadmate, can also join us for golf next time.

* * *

Registration for the Christmas Fun Golf Tournament of Alta Vista is now ongoing. Contact the club's registration counter to sign up for the event set on December 16 and 17.

This will be an 18-hole tournament that is open exclusively to members of the club and selected guests of the sponsors.

I also got word that the Charity Fun Golf event is set on December 5 at the Cebu Country Club. This tournament regularly donates to The FREEMAN Foundation and its contribution always goes a long way to help the people who come to the foundation for assistance. This will however be strictly by invitation.