Kenson So captured the low net award as the 36 handicap shot a 108 for a net 72. The executive with Rexon Rubber Manufacture said the windy conditions made it tough on the 29-man field.

“The wind was howling today and that really inflated the scores. I was driving the ball well but you really had to keep your shots low to score well. There wasn’t a lot of right-to-left,” he said.

Rick Wang, general manager of Retailcoinc, which operates the Athlete’s Foot chain in China among its businesses, explained the social group consisted of Taiwanese businessmen and overseas Chinese based in Shanghai. The “fraternity”, which was formed in 1995, meets on the third Saturday of each month at different golf courses around Shanghai. There is also a twice-annual road trip at different locations around the region. After visiting Australia’s Gold Coast on its last trip, the next adventure is planned for Hainan Island, China, in March.

“We really are a fraternity of businessmen. We all work very hard at our various professions and the club is an outlet where we get together, have fun and socialize. We only have 36 people and what sets us apart from other golf societies is three things: commitment, friendship and fraternity,” said the West Virginia native.

The fact that the group is all dressed in matching black uniforms is another thing that makes the “Friends” standout. “Yeah, we go all out. Other groups might have a shirt but we go the whole way with new uniforms every year,” Wang said.

The nearest-the-pin contests were won by T.K. Ke and George Sun.