Driving up to Baguio City has always been a pleasure for me. But on one special occasion, I had a mission.

On my sixth time in the City of Pines this year alone, I was tasked to lead a group of seasoned golfers who are as close to my heart as my love for the sport.

Appointed as the team captain for the sportswriters team in the 75th Januarius Fil-Am Invitational, it was rather amusing to hear stories of decades of genius work from the giants of the industry, a sweet recollection of how they defied the test of time from the age of paper and pen to the ever progressing digital realm.

Representing the John Hay Golf - John Hay Hotels in the seniors category were former Manila Bulletin and Tempo editors Ding Marcelo and Rey Bancod, Inquirer's Jun Engracia, Star's Nelson Beltran, and Spin.ph's Dodo Catacutan. I couldn't be more proud and excited, albeit in a challenge one would remember for a lifetime.

Fil-Am Golf is an annual contest for amateur golfers co-hosted by the Baguio Country Club and John Hay. The two courses, from Nov. 25 to Dec. 13, will accommodate close to 1,500 participants from local teams to foreign delegations.

In this annual event, most play for the crown, some to reconnect with old friends, others to enjoy the summer capital in its most glorious when the cool weather tempers the heat of rivalries.

But for the scribes, who had the Philippine Sports Commission as one its believers, there was no pressure — only cheers and jeers. It was camaraderie, laced well with banters, that made it all memorable after four days of tournament rounds and two as practice.

We shared food, dozed off after hours of laughter and a "few" drinks, walked down the finest fairways perched on the mountaintop destination, and played the game we all could understand but had trouble every step of the way.

For once, these gentlemen faced the demands of real competition, one against hundreds of equally eager golfers. For them, it felt surreal, writing was easier than doing it yourself.

After all, Fil-Am Golf made us rethink the way we craft our features and made us appreciate the hardships on the scene.

It also gave us some realizations.

From the words of the PSC chairman Patrick Gregorio, golf should be accessible, especially for kids who want to try the sport that is generally perceived as a rich man's game.

Why not?

Gregorio laid out his plan to encourage public courses to open their gates to young players — free of charge.

From his proposal, students from all levels can hit the fairways and test their skills noontime onwards.

Golf doesn't need height, nor physical advantages. It only needs a training ground, and a good set of equipment. The government is willing to provide both.

Like the breeze in Baguio, that was a breath of fresh air in a sport we have all envisioned to be inclusive.

If the dream pushes through, we can all see editions of Fil-Am Golf with homegrown players becoming the product of this initiative.

For us, writers hoping to become as great, we'd love to hear their stories.

(Ramon Rafael Bonilla is the editor of Manila Bulletin's Sports section.)