2016 Centara World Masters – The Best Week of My Life

Golfers have been quick to rate the third annual Centara World Masters Golf Championship hosted in Hua Hin as the best ever. Playing in the tournament for the first time, Victor Danko from Australia declared it was the best week of his life. At 71 years of age, Victor is a member of Bayview Golf Club in Sydney and plays off a credible handicap of 10. He scored 136 points for the 4 rounds of stableford competition and finished in second place in the 66+ A grade division. “I have played lots of tournaments, but none better than this week. It will take some time for this smile to go away. I loved everything. The courses were so good, especially Banyan and Black Mountain. The caddies were spot on and the chatter between caddies and players was great fun. I have never felt better or more relaxed on a golf course and no doubt it helped my scores. The caddies found my ball even when I thought it was totally lost. I came here on my own but it was so friendly that I never felt like I was on my own. I played golf with amazing people from all over the world whom I will definitely keep in touch with. Every night we were entertained and the free drinks were a bonus. The Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Hua Hin is just so beautiful and the staff treat you like royalty. It is 5 minutes’ walk to the centre of town where you are spoilt for restaurants and bars. I had a massage most days for about $10 and everything is such great value. I don’t know exactly how many players were here this week, but I know it was more than 400 golfers from 23 countries and we were all so spoilt. Go Golfing and Golfasian know how to look after golfers. Little things like having the buses take you to and from the courses, your golf clubs valeted from course to course, everything clearly explained so you really didn’t have to think about much which is great when you’re on holidays. This has been the best week of my life and I will be back every year,” said Victor. The Centara World Masters Golf Championship is a week-long celebration of golf, social and entertainment events in the popular seaside resort town of Hua Hin in Thailand. The event is open to all male and female golfers over the age of 35. Hua Hin, about 2.5 hours south of Bangkok, was awarded Asia’s Best Golf Destination in 2014 and serves up a winning combination for tournament participants. Drought conditions in Thailand required organisers to change the host courses and reduce the field from 650 golfers to a capacity of just 430 this year. Golfers played 2 rounds at Black Mountain, Asia’s number one ranked course, Banyan Resort and Sea Pines. Carts and caddies are included at all courses. Each player has a caddy wearing a bib with their name and country flag. Centara Hotels & Resorts is the major sponsor and have confirmed their involvement through to 2019. Most golfers stay at the ideally located Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Hua Hin. Established in the 1920’s, the resort has modern luxuries while retaining its bygone age of elegance. Taking full advantage of Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Hua Hin’s beachfront location, the opening night welcome dinner and gala presentation dinners are hosted around the resort pool with the beach and ocean as a stunning backdrop. Golfers gather each night during the tournament for 19th Hole festivities where tempting Thai cuisine and Chang beer flows and daily golf winners are celebrated. There’s more than US$30,000 in golf prizes and lucky prize draws won. Big winners were Eric Butler from Australia who won a return trip to the 2017 Centara Masters and Irene Goh from Malaysia who won at trip to the Ladbrokes World Masters on the Gold Coast in Australia. Irene was also the champion for the ladies 60+ A grade. There were 2 holes in one at the tournament, both by Australians. Richard Mittra from Beaconhills scored a hole in one on the 17th at Banyan, while Mark McDougall aced the 11th hole at Black Mountain. Sponsored by TaylorMade, Mark also received a bonus of a 30,000 Baht set of golf clubs. The Tournament is played in 15 divisions based on age and handicap. Golfers play each day with competitors of a similar age and handicap. Tournament champions came from Australia, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Philippines, China, Ireland, Thailand and the United States. Visit www.thailandworldmasters.com to view the official golf results. The Centara World Masters is co-hosted by Australian-based Go Golfing and Golfasian who look after more golfers in Thailand than any other tour operator. The seamless co-ordination of flights, accommodation, transfers and event logistics for 600 plus golfers is among the event’s notable achievements. In addition to Centara Hotels and Resorts, reputable companies including TaylorMade, Coca-Cola, Chang and the Tourism Authority of Thailand are proudly contributing to the ongoing success of the tournament. The event raised 109,500 Baht for Jungle Aid, a charity providing a better future for displaced Thai children in remote communities. The fourth annual Centara World Masters Golf Championship returns to Hua Hin, Thailand, from 11 to 17 June 2017. For complete event information and to book visit www.thailandworldmasters.com