Destination Golf - March 2018 * | Page 56

Centara Grand Beach Resort But a great hotel is not defined merely by its facilities. It is of course its service. And service here is second to none in SE Asia. From comfortably seated check in, to creatively varied turndowns complete with a new snack or amenity each night, discrete but attentive service, things like an unexpected amuse bouche at dinner, a thankyou note from the chamber staff written in silver on a freshly plucked leaf from the exotic gardens permeating the property. And my personal favorite especially given the tropical setting, a bucket of ice every evening. A freshly concocted Gin and Tonic on the balcony during the dusky interlude of each day’s transition to evening’s culinary delights never tasted quite so good. It would be a travesty on my part not to mention how all this is done so well day after day, and what a pleasure it was to learn some of those secrets from Katejiraporn Kaewngarmsa AKA - “Apple” and Jan Weisheit. Two extremely personable and immensely talented managers that seem to be everywhere all the time. As Peter said to us, he has never worked with staff that cared so much about an event and who came up with new fun ideas year after year. You get the unmistakable feeling that they look forward to this event more than any other. They clearly transcend a business partnership and truly like working with each other. Of course the real beneficiaries are the guests. THE GOLF This Year there will be four courses in play including two of Thailand’s best courses, Banyan Golf Club, Hua Hin and Black Mountain Golf Club. 56 Destination Golf .TRAVEL Sam Sakocius with Ian Morgan, Golfasian Banyan Golf Club, Hua Hin. We visited Banyan first and from the moment you arrive you are attended to. This was on a Monday with no special events going on but we were greeted with friendly helpful smiles and a flurry of activity on our behalf. It is said that the tenor of a club comes from the top down and it could not be truer here. I looked forward to meeting Stacey Walton, Golf Club Manager/ Director and it was immediately evident that the warmth and hospitality of the place has its roots in the front office. Affable, gregarious, and knowledgeable, we learned a lot in a brief visit and tour before we got on the course. The Centara Masters is their biggest event and always in the back of their mind for things that matter, like nursing then stressing the course right before the event, (Professional Tour style) so that the playing conditions are as good as they can be. Or extra training sessions so the entire staff is at the top of their hospitality game when the phalanx of players arrive. The course itself is quite interesting with a balanced mix of straight forward, strategic, and quirky holes that will keep you on your toes. A study of the yardage book and a good rapport with your caddy here is essential to a good round. The surrounds and course are lush but play is mostly hard and fast so when the wind kicks up, shifting your game to a bit of low trajectory links style, will serve the scorecard well. Of great help is the first class GPS positioning System on every buggy. It has an interactive touch screen so that distance information to every feature or hazard is readily available and exact. I need to mention the club facilities. Like the course, quirky and fun, a bit of a mashup blending