I have an avid golfer client who wants to see the golf course. Is it open to the public and how do I contact them please?

Golf Club "Piedra So"

Ann, Found the course when we were there in Feb... Looks like a challange. No grass, all sand & rocks. Also has a driving range, but you need to shag your own balls. I'll wait to bring my clubs once a new course is built.

Wow...Roger, I didn't know there was a golf course on Bonaire...BTW...some of us are still floating in the middle of the Atlantic on your map and we're getting exhausted from treading water ;-)

Oh the joy of one language and different meanings, I now have a mental image of someone trying to hump his golf balls. Time for the red hot poker.

Cynde

I have sent several folks the co-ordinates close to their location. I guess they have not got around to changing it.

Cynde, see this post for help in getting high & dry.

Where is the course located? What part of the island? One must decide between clubs or fins!

Brian, I thought the same thing about the language...I once again said to myself "I really must learn Dutch." I did try to click around and "guess" what was being said...they need more pictures...and I certainly don't want to "shag" my own balls...ouch...red hot poker Jan ;-)

Roger, I'm off to see if I can find a life raft ;-)

John & Sue;

For the location, check the Blennylips Bonaire Map. Select "Golf Course" from the waypoint list and then click "Display".

Ann, you can contact us -- Coco Palm Garden has a company member ship

I thought the golf course was over by the dive site ' 18 Holes ', you know, the one by the Governor's mansion... ;-)

The golf course is at Wachikimba -- just before Lagoen you go into the Kunuku direction of the chicken farm - it is following the coast line on the east coast

If anyone of you BT-ers is having trouble with the Dutch language, I'll be more than glad to translate for you.
So don't hesitate and mail me.
(and if I don't have the right answers, maybe Diana and/or Joss will give you a hand?)
Greetz,

Theo

Shaggadelic, Baby!!!

So now for the million dollar question : do you want me or Diana give you a hand???

gotta stop , so many bleepable remarks coming up , gotta run......

As always, you people crack me up! But seriously, I'm so glad this thread started after I left for Bonaire. My dive partner is beyond avid regarding golfing, I would call him rabid! We usually end up with at least one day of him golfing on every trip. So does this golf course rent clubs? Wes won't haul clubs and dive gear. He usually ends up hauling his dive gear and renting clubs. Has any one golfed this course? Is it worth missing a day of diving?

I'm right there with you Jeanine. Both my husband and I are avid golfers, but we won't haul both scuba gear and golf gear. The pictures of this course make it look ... um... different! Wish I could read Dutch!

Hi Ginny,
read my post # 186

Help Theo! I don't read Dutch, can read German, so I was blundering through the golf course website and it was taking way too long. I got that it was an 18-hole, they preferred people to golf in groups (or they would pair you up) and that eventually they will have a tourist section for the website. It is in a rather interesting mixture of Dutch and English. OK...can you decipher if they rent clubs, are open to the public, and how much does it cost for a round? Thanks - I do hope your offer applied to me as well as to Ginny!

Oh yeah...thanks again for not posting this earlier. I just read (I think) that they had a 9 hole tournament on Aug 7 - we were there for that and I know Wes would have wanted to go.

Ok...one last question (if you don't ask, you don't learn), what does Elke mean? I have a German friend and that is her first name, but the word appears on the golf course website and I would like to know what her name means in Dutch. Thanks!

Green Fee

Ook niet-leden van "Piedra So" kunnen gebruik maken van de baan voor het beoefenen van de golfsport. Hiervoor wordt een "green fee" in rekening gebracht. Deze bedraagt voor lokale spelers Ang. 15, - en USD 15,-- voor toeristen. Hierbij geldt voor lokale spelers, dat er in totaal maximaal 5 maal gebruik gemaakt mag worden om te spelen tegen vergoeding van een green fee. Daarna worden zij geacht lid te willen worden van de vereniging.

OK, here we go with a quick translation of the most important issues:
Non members can use te course to play golf.
If you want to play you have to pay a "green fee" of Ang. 15, - for locals and en USD 15,-- for tourists.

Golf lessons: 30 min.: ANG 50,--.

There is no mention of renting clubs; if you want I could send a mail to confirm.


Elke means every / each... "elke speler moet lid zijn" translates to "every player must be a member..."

Thank you so much Martin! For all of the translations. I promise, I will buy a Dutch/English dictionary - especially since I plan on continuing my visits to Bonaire. I will attempt an email to the course. I'm sure someone there will be able to read it. I'm actually kind of embarrassed that I didn't think of sending them an email. Thanks!

If they don't understand your mail, don't hesitate to mail me/ send me a message; I'll be more than happy to translate.

Jeanine

I am certain that English is taught to all Dutch Pupils in the Netherlands, I am not sure, but think this would also be the case in Bonaire as well. I think someone on island will confirm this.

Most people on Bonaire speak some English .. kids start learning it at school 4th class (about 11 years old) ... the board of the golf course is mostly Dutch, there should be no problem sending an e-mail in English Tanneke Bartels totbartels@telbonet.an --- and as far as I know there are golf clubs for rent available, even for kids.
The next tournement is on Bonaire Day 6th of September.
The course is an very natural state ... no green fairways (lots of little stones .. that is the reason for the name Piedra So ... means Only Rocks...bring some coloured balls, they are easier to find) , the greens have no grass either but are soil with as little stones as possible.... local rule is "if the ball is length of your putter (the normal putter, not the long ones !!!) to the hole, count 1 stroke" .... certain times of the year some hole are closed because birds are breeding .... and you will have a good chance that some donkeys follow you from hole to hole .....

I hope to go out and take a look at the course when we are on Bonaire in November, but in all honesty the diving on Bonaire is so wonderful we would never give up time diving to play golf (which we do here at home all summer long). I might bring along a sleeve of bright pink balls, tho, to try my hand at putting!