The View 2011 tees off

Today, the biggest tournament of Alta Vista Golf and Country Club -- The View Invitational, tees off.

This is a four-day event where teams composed of a club member and a guest will play two rounds within the four-day period. The players will be allowed to use only three-fourths of their lowest handicap for the past three months to ensure a balanced competition.

The Modified Stableford Scoring System will be used and the team with the best 36-hole total will be declared as overall champion. There is also the overall lowest gross award.

Last December, the club started giving specially-made plaques to the tournament winners. The club will be giving such prizes only during the Christmas Fun Golf and The View tournaments.

The plaque features a picture of the clubhouse, which has been cast in metal. Even if I won’t get to win this plaque, I would be attached to it having taken the photograph that was used to make the mold.

But, I hope to get a chance to hang one at home some day. That would surely be better than just the thought to being part of making the plaque.

The first half of the field is set to see action today. I understand we have about 400 participants for the tournament including several from other parts of the country and the world.

I am set to play my first round tomorrow yet and the final round on Sunday. It never fails that I get a lot of text messages and calls when I am playing, so I better lay it down this early, I don’t have a team in the NBA Finals so I am not following the games and only check the results hours after the game is done.

It would be nice to get to turn off my phones for the duration of the game, but it’s hard to be out of touch too in this line of work that I chose.

At least as a sportswriter, I am also working while playing, but that doesn’t mean I get compensation for both hehehe…

The name of the tournament literally explains the other pleasure you get out of playing at Alta Vista – you get a great view from up there. It does not guarantee a good game, but the breath-taking view makes up for most bad shots that you would be making.

The past few weeks, I have been playing more often than usual. I am not practicing for the tournament, but spending more quality time with my son, who has decided to pick up the game again after two years of absence.

I am now more convinced to really get the kids started in sports the right way by getting proper instruction. Despite his lengthy absence, it did not take too many holes for my son to hit shots that I can only imagine making as gracefully as he does.

Thanks to his coach, Raul Sorino, who taught him well! 

If you want you kids to learn a sport, don’t scrimp on the coach as it truly pays to have somebody competent to help them start off from the right foot. This follows even if you try to teach them a sport that you are already into. 

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MILESTONES: Happy birthday greetings to Anjieliz de la Torre, Sonny Abuzo, and Tricia Zosa-Anton.

Advance greetings to those celebrating tomorrow like Retired General Nathaniel Legaspi, Francis Yu, Daniel Yu, and Michael Burden.

More power to all of you!