Island Tee

CEBU - Caddies at the Mactan Island Golf Club had a heyday yesterday as several officials of the club hit ceremonial drives in the opening ceremony for the 8th Island Tee.

I came a little late for the activity, but just in time to see my fellow newspaper columnist Atty. Ely Espinosa hit a drive that almost landed on the green.

Yes, the green, but that of hole number two beside the tee mound of the first hole as he wanted to make sure that the caddies would not work too hard to get that ball, which was to be redeemed for cash by the lucky caddie who would be able to retrieve it. Ely is really a kind fellow and he displayed it once again yesterday. 

The real drives, those that scream off the tee and land 250 yards from the tee, will be coming out starting today until Sunday as the action in the 8th Island Tee will be taking place.

There are lots of prizes at stake and my friends at MIGC also warned me of the surprises as they are unveiling a new green on the 13th and there have been a lot of changes in the course since the last time I played there several months ago.

One thing definite about the changes though is that they are for the better of the course and the club, which many MIGC members and guests have attested to.

I can’t wait to tee off on Friday.

* * *

This weekend will be a very busy on for the sports buffs and the sportswriters with so many events scheduled.

Also opening today would be the Comcentcom Cup 2008 at the Central Command (Kamagong) Firing Range inside Camp Lapu-Lapu.

This is a level 2 match sanctioned by the International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) and the Philippine Practical Shooting Association (PPSA).

There will be seven courses of fire featured in the competition.

The Colt 45 URCC Cebu 3: Nemesis is taking place this Saturday at the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) in Mandaue City. Mixed martial arts events have quite a following in Cebu and I heard that many are looking forward to the action this weekend.

This is also one reason for the many press conferences set this Friday – three as of my last count. There are also the press cons for the European Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines (ECCP) football tournament and the La Salle-Ateneo Golf Classic aside from the URCC.

On Saturday, the Field of Dreams of Jesse Bernad also opens its doors to the sportswriters at the Aboitiz Field beside Makro also at the Mandaue Reclamation Area.

This place that Jesse is opening features batting cages for those who would like to relive those good old days of baseball and softball or would like to introduce their kids to the sport.

What I am really looking forward to is the plan to bring together former players from the University of the Philippines Cebu College, who played the game of softball during our intramurals.

This should be another venue to celebrate the centennial of our university.

* * *

MILESTONES: I would like to greet Buena Paz ‘Bonbon’ Montero, Francis Benedict Cutiongco, and my fraternity brother Leon Flores III as they all turn a year older today.

More power to all of you! (THE FREEMAN)