A warm welcome

Bacolod City—After years of covering the Philippine Airlines (PAL) Interclub, I learned that the fastest way to know which gate are the flights headed to you destination is to see where familiar faces are gathered.

On my way here last Sunday morning via Manila, I took a short stroll to the wrong side of the Centennial Terminal and realized my mistake when there was no familiar face in sight.

Before I walked any further, I headed to the opposite end and saw one then more familiar faces at the last gate also waiting for their flights to the City of Smiles.

The PAL Interclub is like an annual reunion of hundreds of golfers.  In fact, it is only during this time of the year that I get to see my cousins from Mindanao, who play for the South Cotabato team.

It is also only during this time of year that I am with other golfing sportswriters and editors from the Big City to share our passion for the game both on the course and through our stories and columns.

* * *

To make the coverage even better, I made sure that I will have a first hand look of both courses that would be used – Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club in Bacolod City and the Bacolod Golf Club in the town of Murcia.

A big surprise greeted me last Monday when our group – the golfing sportswriters and editors – reached Bacolod Golf Club.

The first thing I noticed was the bigger clubhouse and the second was the presence of Cebuano-Ilonggo Choy Ramos, who I was told, is now the manager of the club that people fondly call Binitin.

Over at the NOGCC, the clubhouse also got a major facelift.

One thing very obvious is how our friends from Negros Occidental wholeheartedly welcome the tournament and its participants to their land.

* * *

Since were in the subject of warm welcomes, Rep. Monico Puentevella, who I still call Partner despite his now being a congressman of Bacolod City, hosted a small get-together for the sports editors and writers at his home Monday night.

Nyok was also one of five people to hit ceremonial drives yesterday morning at the NOGCC to officially open the tournament.

If not that he had to head to Manila to attend to his work as congressman, the new lolo (yes, he now is one and proudly shows off the pictures of his grandchild that he keeps on his mobile phone just like Philippine Star sports editor Lito Tacujan as they showed each other their prized photos during the dinner) wanted to just stay home and join the sportswriters’ tournament.

Don’t ask me how I did, the welcome I got on both courses were not as warm as the ones that I got from my old friends here.