Intraclub tournaments are all the rage these days and why not? They represent a break from golf’s individual competitive nature and allow golfers to play together as a team. They foster camaraderie between the members and allow them to get to know each other better. The match play format is a welcome break from the medal-based formats of most tournaments. If you don’t mind moving around between teams, intraclub tournaments present a vehicle that allows you to get to know most of the people in your club in a way that no other can.
The king of the intraclub tournaments has to be the one at the Orchard Golf and Country Club in Dasmariñas, Cavite. It is by far the largest of them all. The 2017 edition had 13 teams with 338 golfers participating. It took six months to complete the single round robin format that allowed each team to play five matches in three different formats against each of the others.
As a member of just two years, this was my first chance to play in the Orchard Intraclub. I consider myself a pretty decent player but I was taken aback at just how many good golfers play at the Orchard. I’m not just talking about single digit handicaps either; I’m talking about golfers with handicaps in the low single digits. Each team seemed to have six or seven of them to anchor their lineups.
It was also interesting to learn that they don’t all hit the golf ball 300 yards and swing the club like a touring professional. In fact, you’d be hard pressed to guess their handicaps if you just came up on some of them on the driving range. A lot look quite average but they keep the ball in play at all costs and have short games that will make you look foolish by comparison. The diversity is enlightening and shows clearly that there is more than one way to get things done on course.
This edition of the Orchard Intraclub saw some notable performances by the teams. The format of two rounds of five matches each in the semis and the finals meant that only the teams with the deepest rosters had a shot at the win.
U-Freight/A-Plus Paints has been the dominant team the past two years. They are well funded and dedicated; their talent level makes them a perennial contender. They won last year and repeated in 2017. They did suffer losses along the way; the field is deep and the tournament is long, but in the end, when it counted, they were the best.
Ecostrong set a record of sorts by finishing second overall for a third straight year. They have some of the club’s best golfers but have struggled to match U-Freight/A-Plus Paints depth. Ecostrong came from behind in their semifinals with third-placed team Teejots but just couldn’t match U-Frieght/A-Plus Paints in the finals.
It was a remarkable tournament for the Teejots. They started with four straight losses; two to teams that finished in the lower half of the field but turned things around with eight straight wins before bowing to Ecostrong in the semifinals. The Teejots won the Orchard Intraclub in 2015 and may yet do so again.
So now the yearlong wait until the 2018 Orchard Intraclub begins. There will be movement among the teams and a chance to rebuild and reinforce the lineups for next year. It has become an event whose arrival is eagerly anticipated among the members. It builds bonds, introduces the members to each other and provides some of the most exciting competition that some members see the whole year. It is a tournament not to be missed.
Image credits: Mike Besa