GENEROUS GOLFING GOURMETS
2015 BANGKOK POST-BLACK MOUNTAIN CHARITY GOLF & GOURMET DINNER
The highly anticipated fourth edition of the Bangkok Post-Black Mountain Charity Golf & Gourmet Dinner was another rip-roaring success, raising four million baht for charity
The 2015 Bangkok Post-Black Mountain Charity Golf & Gourmet Dinner held, aptly enough, on National Children’s Day raised four million baht to support the education of needy schoolchildren under the aegis of the Bangkok Post Foundation.
Set amid the manicured landscape of one of Asia’s premier golf courses, this unique affair welcomed 150 highminded golfers — Thai and foreign, veteran and amateur — as well as a number of benevolent gourmets to a casual golf game rounded off with a sumptuous barbecue dinner by some of the country’s top culinary masters.
The event was favourably received by many corporate, business and other guests who had bought their tickets months in advance. Among them were Deputy Prime Minister MR Pridiyathorn Devakula, former Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij, American International Assurance vice-president ML Jiraseth Sukhasvasti, Post Publishing Plc director Worachai Bhicharnchitr, Loxley managing director Dhongchai Lamsam and Thai Credit Guarantee Corp president Vallobh Tejapaibul.
The breezy Saturday started off when the first group of golfers arrived at the registration desk in the clubhouse. The registration was followed by a golf clinic by local champion Thongchai Jaidee and veteran Scottish pro Simon Yates.
Besides offering participants a meet-and-greet opportunity, the star golfers also shared their wealth of experience, demonstrating what it takes to perform at the highest level. The clinic was directed by well-established sports anchorman and former golf professional Vanpe Sajamark, who generously served as the emcee of the event for the fourth consecutive year.
After the 90-minute up-close-and-personal golf showcase, attendees tucked into a gourmet buffet lunch by the club’s Swedish executive chef Marten Karlsson.
The line-up included a variety of international entrees and main dishes such as Thai-style spicy salad, Chinese crispy egg rolls, Italian bruschetta, American-style barbecue pork ribs, chicken with cashew nuts and pineapple fried rice.
With stomachs and taste buds gratified, the golfers, grouped in 30 teams, headed to the scenic fairway for their starting point in the 18-hole, par 72 (7,420 yards) tournament.
Since its opening in 2007, the worldclass Black Mountain championship golf course has garnered many prestigious awards. Among them are Asian Golf Monthly’s 2011 Best Championship Course in the Asia-Pacific, Golf Digest’s 2012/2013 list of the 100 Best Golf Courses Outside the US and, most recently, Asia Pacific Golf Summit’s Best Course in Thailand, Best Course in Asia and Best Championship Course in Asia.
The club has also hosted a number of international competitions, including the Asian Tour Masters and the Royal Trophy. It has lately been announced as a venue for the inaugural Thailand Classic, the first event co-sanctioned by the European Tour and Asian Tour, which is currently taking place.
Around 5pm, after a round of golf, guests began to arrive back at the club house where a mouthwatering repertoire of pre-dinner canapes by Centara Grand at CentralWorld’s executive chef Martin Fischl awaited.
The gourmet finger food, including the likes of foie gras sacher cubes and baby lamb loin en croute, were complemented by a selection of classy cocktails and fine wines by Chivas Regal and Jacob’s Creek.
These prepared the guests’ palates for another highlight of the event.
Continuing to benefit from Hua Hin’s al fresco charm and hillside breeze was a grand barbecue dinner by 15 executive chefs from several of Bangkok’s fivestar hotels.
To the guests’ excitement, eight live-cooking stations and buffet lines had been set beneath the twinkling stars. Bordering
them was an exquisite dessert display by The Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok’s executive pastry chef Claus Olsen.
Gracing the scene were a seafood and oyster station by executive chef Stefan Trepp of The Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok; a foie gras station by executive chef Mark Hagenbach of Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok and executive chef Petr Feher of Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok; and a carving station by executive chef Leslie Stronach of InterContinental Hotel, Bangkok, and executive chef Philippe Gaudal of the Landmark Bangkok.
As if in a crowd-pleasing competition, they were challenged by the barbecue station of executive chef Erwin Eberharter of Fine Food & Two Chefs Co and executive chef Marten Karlsson of Black Mountain Golf Club; and the paella and tapas station by executive chef Jose Martin Ruiz Borja of Renaissance Bangkok Ratchaprasong Hotel and executive chef Nicolas Schneller of Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok.
There were also a sashimi and sushi station by executive chef Michael Hogan of JW Marriott Hotel Bangkok; and a la minute pasta station by executive chef Martin Fischl of Centara Grand at CentralWorld and executive chef Pierre Andre Hauss; plus a salmon and salad station by executive chef Thibault Chiumenti of Plaza Athenee Bangkok and executive chef Matthew Bennink of ShangriLa Hotel Bangkok.
Guests tucked into the five-star fare with relish. Some also took pleasure in snapping photos of the food and its amiable creators. The evening was filled with finger-licking contentment and joyful chit-chat as well as friendly sharing of culinary tidbits by the kitchen maestros, complemented by the sweet and entertaining tunes courtesy of Swedish pianist C-M Carlsson.
During the dinner, the winning teams were presented with prizes. The top prize went to Cabinet Interior Design’s team with a score of 99. The team received the 2015 Bangkok PostBlack Mountain Golf Club trophy, a week’s stay at Black Mountain Golf Club’s villa with a daily round of golf, round-trip BangkokPhuket air tickets from Bangkok Airways and special golf bags by Omega.
An auction was also conducted to boost the charitable coffers. For a putter donated by Thongchai Jaidee, a generous sum of 200,000 baht was offered by the Chatikavanij family.
The night came to an impressive end with a total of four million baht raised.
With support from Omega, Pernod Ricard, Bangkok Airways and Gourmet One, the 2015 Bangkok Post-Black Mountain Charity Golf and Gourmet Dinner is the fourth edition of the joint-venture charity project initiated in 2012 by the Bangkok Post Foundation and Black Mountain Golf Club, Hua Hin.
Since its inception it has generated 14 million baht for the 33-year-old foundation.
The money raised, without any deductions, has been used to help renovate seven schools in Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani and Nakhon Pathom provinces devastated by the 2011 mega floods, as well as to provide new buildings for four schools in Prachuap Khiri Khan. The rest was used to support the education of hundreds of underprivileged students nationwide under the supervision of the Bangkok Post Foundation.