The View and Amo

After months of preparations and meetings that sometimes had animated discussions, The View Invitational 2011 went by last Thursday to Sunday at the Alta Vista Golf and Country Club.

I have been part of every tournament committee for this event since it was first held in 1999 and have seen how it has evolved into what it is today.

There are still many growing pains as the club itself is still considered as very young compared to Cebu Country Club and Club Filipino, which have been around since the first half of the 20th century.

I’m already looking forward to the 2012 edition of the tournament even if I felt so tired after Sunday’s award rites having been up since early morning for my second and final round and standing up practically the whole night as master of ceremonies.

I’m quite used to it though having done so for many years now all for the love of the game and the wonderful company. Okay, the not so wonderful company can also be included in the list hehehe…

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Last Monday, the 71st birth anniversary of Albino D. Gothong was celebrated. To those who only heard about him, he is the man we had fondly called Amo.

The 4th Amo Cup, which is held in his honor, will be held on June 25 and 26 at the Alta Vista Golf and Country Club.

Amo was one of the people who helped push golf in Cebu and elevated the standards of tournaments here.

I got actively involved in the game because of Amo and my big brothers in the tournament committee once known as the Fil-Chinese Committee.

Fil-Chinese for the Filipino-Chinese Friendship Golf Tournament, which offered spectacular giveaways as well as hole-in-one and raffle prizes to the participants.

I was first invited to help in the event publicity, but later on was already involved in many other aspects of the tournament and the other events that Amom organized with the group.

If there was one man, who found so much pleasure in making others happy, I believe it was Amo, who aside from being the patron of golf in Cebu, was also a philanthropist, whose kindness continues to benefit many of the underprivileged until today through his various charities and the Don Carlos Gothong Memorial National High School, which is named after his father.

I’ll have more details of the 4th Amo Cup soon, but this is an event that you should not miss.

Amo may have passed on, but his legacy remains and his vision of holding golf events to remember continue to be espoused by the Fil-Chinese committee members, who remain actively involved in the Cebu golf scene.

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MILESTONES: Belated birthday greetings to those who turned a year older last Monday especially my mistah Lt. Col. Jemar Aseron, dyRC’s Niño ‘Bonito’ Padilla, and Peter Raymund Yap.

The same goes to those who turned a year older yesterday – my classmate Michelle So, Jone Sepe, and Amabelle Ivy Cañedo.

Today’s greetings go to my wife’s niece Karen R. Barns, Y101’s Martha Tuason, Gloria Gapas, Carlu Barba-Overhill, Hnery Yap, Jesse Gallenero, and Ruel Aballe.

More power to all of you!