Golf is always a good idea. “A bad day on the golf course is always better than a good day at the office,” my hubby Dennis always says. Typical. There are few things he loves as much as his wife, and these include golf and cars.

 

So, when golf and cars are featured in one event, Dennis and I are bound to enjoy them. He’s eternally hoping that his creaky swing will win him a car from a hole-in-one.

 

The latest tournament we joined was the 2nd Philippine Automotive Cup. Car manufacturers and distributors took part in this exciting event, hosted by the Inquirer at Santa Elena Golf Club in Cabuyao, Laguna.

 

Shell was major sponsor of the tourney, which is part of a series of activities lined up for the 30th anniversary of the Inquirer.

 

Auto companies are said to have been enjoying brisk, record-breaking sales for the past two years. It was great to see major brands represented in a friendly round of golf. They included Toyota, Lexus, Mercedes Benz, Ford Isuzu, Chevrolet, Foton, MINI, Rolls-Royce, JEEP, Audi, Porsche, Bentley, Lamborghini, Mazda, Baic and BYD.

 

Ford won the team event for the second straight time; among the individual winners were Edmund Yee of Ford, JJ Dinglasan and Steven Tagle of Bridgestone, Danny Isla of Lexus/Toyota, Willy Tee Ten of MINI and Rolls-Royce, Bryan Cockrell of Sta. Elena, and Vivian Chua of Baic.

 

Felix Ang of CATS Motors, distributor of Mercedes Benz, was elated to win second and receive his trophy from Inquirer chair Marixi Prieto and president Sandy Romualdez. Felix told me he was used to giving out trophies but never winning one.

 

The Inquirer power ladies thanked the car companies for their continued support over the years.

 

Indeed, cars and newspapers combine to make a great medium and message. There is nothing like seeing a beautiful car displayed in the paper, with an in-depth report on its capabilities in the write-up, which can be valuable to the millions who read about it in print and online.

 

I had fun reconnecting with Willy Tee Ten, whom I last saw at the Rolls-Royce Drive Experience in Tagaytay Highlands. Willy got us to experience the highs of the automotive pinnacle by flying us to Tagaytay on an Airbus helicopter. A taste of ultra-luxury, the iconic Rolls-Royce four-door saloon, Ghost, and the brand’s most powerful model, the two-door Wraith, were parked next to the clubhouse for guests to test-drive.

 

With breathtaking Taal as my backdrop, I settled for a selfie with the cars instead of being tempted by the Rolls’ luxury and craftsmanship. Mia Borromeo of Tatler sat beside me in the Rolls, happy to just imagine a hunk chauffeur at the wheel, ensconced in our “oasis of calm” in the cavernous rear seats.

 

Pairing luxury with food, Willy had lunch catered by renowned chef Billy King. The 110-year-old Rolls-Royce brand was the perfect foil to the cuisine master; guests loved the food while eschewing the finer points of the car, such as its V-12 engine and the quiet-as-a-whisper cabin.

 

The Rolls-Royce showroom is at 5th Ave., Bonifacio Global City; e-mail [email protected].

 

Wilcon Cup

 

I took my chances at winning a luxury sedan at last month’s Wilcon Cup, the first annual invitational golf tournament of Wilcon Depot held at Wack Wack Golf and Country Club in Mandaluyong City.

 

Over a hundred golfers, composed of industry professionals and Wilcon’s business partners, gathered to raise funds for the Wilcon Foundation and Crocodylus Porosus Philippines.

 

The Wilcon Foundation is the socio-civic arm of the group, and education is a key pillar among its projects. Crocodylus is an industry association for crocodile farmers who are raising the animal in an environmentally sustainable manner.

 

A generous check was presented to its chairperson Angel Alcala at the awarding ceremony.

 

Golf is especially fun when playing with dashing athlete Derek Ramsay, my fellow ambassador for Taylormade golf clubs. Our flight included John Aguilar of Phil Realty TV and Jong Arcano of Inquirer Golf.

 

William Belo, president of Wilcon, and Rosemarie Ong, SEVP and COO, did the honors at the ceremonial tee-off.

 

Johnny Litton hosted the awarding ceremonies, with Lorraine Cincochan of Wilcon presenting the trophies and prizes.

 

Manny Angeles was the lucky hole-in-one winner of the tournament, earning himself a round-trip ticket for two to the US sponsored by Uni Orient Travel.

 

PGA Cars and Delta Airlines also sponsored the hole-in-one prizes.

 

The raffle was equally amazing, with a grand cash prize of P50,000. Major sponsors included Davies Paints, Pacific Paint (Boysen), Grohe Philippines, Franke Kitchen Systems, Hocheng Philippines, Mariwasa Siam Ceramics and Matimco, as well as a host of minor sponsors.

 

Torch

 

After all that golf, we hied off to the new Torch Restaurant at Greenbelt 5—which is fast proving to be top-of-mind when it comes to its signature international cuisine that includes crispy pizzas, delicate sushi and sumptuous steaks.

 

Mike Chua, owner of Torch, told me this is the fourth branch, with the flagship in Greenhills and two more in Katipunan and TriNoma.

 

For reservations, tel. 4773771 or 0917-5120000.

 

Valentine’s concerts

 

With V-Day fast approaching, among the shows to watch is “Only You: An Evening of Romantic Hits,” starring Matt Monro Jr. and a tribute group dubbed “The World Famous Platters,” with guest Christian Bautista, on Feb. 14 at the PICC Plenary Hall, and Feb. 16 at the Newport Performing Arts Theater of Resorts World Manila.

 

The concert is produced by Royale Chimes Concerts and Valorie Dela Cruz.

 

For tickets, tel. 8919999.

 

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