PSC Golf from Lewiinski’s Golf Society

Sunday, August 14, Green Valley – Stableford

A Flight

1st Nick Shaw (18) net 69

2nd Connie Walsh (14) net 70

3rd Ed Wyckoff (13) net 73

B Flight

1st Barry Tregurtha (23) net 64

2nd Don Lehmer (23) net 69

3rd Mick Beresford (20) net 69

Recording the third lowest monthly medal score in the competition’s history, Barry Tregurtha scorched the Green Valley layout and the field with a gross 87, net 64.

The only lower winning totals were fashioned by Svein Vistang (net 63in June 2002) and Paul Ovens (net 62) inDecember2002.

The victory qualifies Barry for entry onto the wall of fame at Lewiinski’s and as with every monthly medal winner, it also qualifies him for the year end gold competition held after the December medal winner is determined, and not forgetting the bottle of Jameson’s Irish whisky he received also.

Left holding scores that would have won most other months were Barry’s B Flight mates Don ‘the ladies’ man’ Lehmer and Mickey ‘nine holes’ Beresford, both with fine net 69’s; Don gaining a narrow count back victory for the silver.

A Flight, not to be outdone, also had a net 69 belonging to Nick ‘Elvis’ Shaw which gave him the top rung on the podium.  Ireland’s inform Connie Walsh took the flight silver with a very good net 70.  Old friend Ed ‘our man in the white house’ Wyckoff closed the flight with a net 73.

Monday, August 15, Greenwood A & B – Stableford

1st Mick Folan (18) 36pts

2nd Vic Wright (19) 35pts

3rd John Feehan (15) 32pts

Well here we are in the middle of the low season and it seems it might just get lower; the good thing is we virtually had the course to ourselves on a very warm day.

With all the political upheaval and the low exchange rate that stops tourist from coming to the Land of Smiles, it seems strange that the local golf courses seem to think that if they raise their prices it will offset the lack of golfers.  Never mind, we all had a good day tackling the A+B layouts

The scores were a bit tame today as Mick Folan took the top spot in A Flight and the man of the match honours with a solid even par round.  Mick was followed closely up the podium steps by Vic Wright who was just one stroke adrift.  This left Irishman John Feehan to close the flight but only after he gained a count back decision over Peter ‘the silver surfer’ Henshaw. both knotted on 32 points.

Wednesday, August 17, Khao Kheow B & C – Stableford

1st Jim Elphick (26) 43pts

2nd Ian Steele (28) 36pts

3rd Christy Knight (23) 35pts

The Lewiinski’s gang travelled to the favourite of many Khao Kheow.  The course was in its usual great condition and the weather remained dry but excessively humid throughout the day.

This did not deter Jimmy ‘two shots’ Elphick as he played one of the best rounds of his life, scoring four points each on five separate holes, admittedly with two shots on the holes (hence his nickname), one being a chip in off the green on hole C6 followed by another four pointer, a par on C7 a par on C8 for three points, but he had to settle for a bogey on the last hole C9.  This gave him 22 points on the front nine and 21 on the back, for a total of 43 points and man of the match honours.

Ian Steele posted a fine even par round for the silver, as Co. Dublin’s Christy ‘good’ Knight rounded out the flight on 35 points.

Friday, August 19, Burapha A & B – Stableford

1st Christy Knight (24) 40pts

2nd Derek Briton (32) 37pts

3rd Kevin Rogers (12) 36pts

Burapha was the venue this Friday for the Lewiinski’s gang when they visited to play a stableford event.  The course was in fine condition and once again the weather was extremely hot with the temperature hovering around 40 degrees Centigrade and the humidity was like you had been in a sauna room for around two hours.

Irishman Christy ‘good’ Knight was the standout in the field as he returned the best total of the day, an exceptional 40 points.  Christy was three clear of his good friend Derek Britton as Kevin ‘the thunder from down under’ Rogers filled the podium in third with a solid even par round, but he did need the aid of a count back verdict over the unlucky John Vincent.

Note: Lewiinski’s is situated on Pattaya land Soi 1, Beach Rd Soi13/13 near Walking Street.  Anyone wishing to play with us just pop in and add your name to the list otherwise why not call Peter on 086 139 6301.  Transport is provided.

IPGC Pattaya Golf Society at the Links Bar

On a hot and steamy Monday the Pattaya Golf Society travelled to Khao Kheow on 15th August to play a stableford competition on the B and C nines, which were in reasonable condition but the back nine (C) had sanded fairways and less than consistent greens.  However these problems were not enough to detract from a tight competition.

Khao Kheow always holds all the aces and only golfers on top of their game will walk away unscathed at the end of eighteen testing holes.  Such was the case this day when new member Christian Boysen, forsaking his home group at the Phantom Bar, played a round of quality golf to finish on 35 points, putting him at the head of the leaderboard.  His round was helped by two birdie ‘2’s on the par threes on the back nine.

Sharing second place with 32 points each were Murray Edwards and Mark Lang who shared the best gross figures of the day (81) with Christian.  The other birdie man was Ken Page who recorded his ‘2’ on C3.

As Mr Len announced the sad demise of the Booby Bevy, to be replaced by a non-winners consolation beer from now on, it was fitting that he received it himself for his less than sparkling round.  If memory serves him right, he received his first Booby sixteen years ago in Soi Chaiyapoon.

Honours shared at Burapha

The Pattaya Golf Society visited the sumptuous course at Burapha on Wednesday, 17th August to play a stableford event on the A and B nines, which were in excellent condition.  Fairways were well grassed and the greens are so consistent and, on this occasion, quick.

A close contest was on the cards as Scot Ken Page finished with 34 points, having been usurped by Masa Sugaya and Khun Wichai on 36 points.  Robert Moses was the first to collect a birdie ‘2’, on A6 and the feat was emulated on the back nine by Masa’s fine effort on B3.

The demise of the Booby Bevy after fifteen years saw the non-winner’s consolation beer go to Ken Page as he technically was not a “goody” winner even though he made the top three as the small field allowed only two major prize claimants.

Burapha is a “must play” course for Pattaya golfers and the current low season rate is only a beer or two more expensive than the likes of Khao Kheow.

Page & Firkin share the win

The end of another excellent week saw the Pattaya Golf Society visit Crystal Bay for the first time in four months to play a stableford competition on Friday, 19th August.  The B and C nines were used and the course was much improved since our last visit, with greens which were putting quite true.  OK, the course will always be a little rough around the edges but as a typical resort course it offers all golfers a chance to make good scores.

A strong swirling breeze was evident all day but it kept conditions comfortable whilst posing club selection problems for those involved.  Toby Glass, Alan Walker and Karl Flood all posted scores of 32 points to share third place but they were a way off the winning pair, Ken Page and Mike Firkin with 36 points.

There were no birdie ‘2’s and the consolation beer went to Bryan Barrell after he bemoaned the demise of the Booby Bevy, his non-winning card having been drawn out by the cashier back at the bar.  The week had ended as it began, golfers in good humour and comradeship at the Links Bar in Soi Buakhao.

Friday

DFiT, Dusit Thani Pattaya: Visitors using the group fitness membership can avail of the THB 2,000 offer for five visits to the gym after their membership has expired.  The offer includes unlimited use of DFiT facilities including tennis courts.  For more information, call 038-425611 ext. DFiT.

2:00 p.m. Pattaya Sports Club Bowling at PS Bowl on the top floor of Tops Supermarket at the junction of Central and Second Roads. Contact La at PS after 1:30 p.m.

Saturday

Pattaya Archery Club meets between 10am and 12 midday every Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday at our dedicated shooting range within easy reach of Pattaya, near the new railway road.  Beginners of all ages are welcome, and equipment and coaching are free.  For more information call Eric, the club President , on 089 535 1193 or visit www.pattayaarcheryclub.com

Ocean Marina Yacht Club invites experienced sailors and learners for racing weekends and funsail/training weekends.  The club has 5 star clubhouse facilities and a fleet of 25′ racing yachts available. www.omycsailing.com, phone Kev Scott 087 825 0011.

8:00 a.m. Diving with Mermaid’s Dive School.  Contact Mermaid’s Dive Center, tel. 038 232 219 – 20, email: mermaids@loxinfo.co.th

8:00 a.m. – noon & 2 – 6 p.m. (Sat & Sun – Also Monday to Friday) Horseback riding at the Horseshoe Point Riding Academy, the biggest equestrian center in South-East Asia.  Show jumping, hacking, trail, dressage and classical dressage.  Training courses from beginners to advanced riders with English speaking instructors.  Leisure trail riding, group and private classes.  All levels of riders welcome.  Over 100 horses and ponies available.  Located on 1,500 acres of beautiful tropical garden land just outside Pattaya.  Free shuttle service available.  For more information: phone (+66) 3873 – 5050 (ext. 4016-18), fax (+66) 3873 – 4973 or email: ridingschool@thehorseshoepoint.com

8:30 am. -10:00 am. International Players Academy meets every Sat. morning for Jr. Intermediate level Tennis at Ambassador City Tennis Courts. Visitors are welcome, just bring your tennis racket, ages range from 10-16. For more details call CJ on 086 086 2121

Indoor Lawn Bowls Free at Coco Club every Saturday for school or college aged children from 11.00am – 2.00pm, with Male – English and Female Thai tutors.  Parents can sit at the bar and watch.  New champions needed!  Call Sue on 087 135 8357 or pop in to the club at Baan Amphur – signposted behind Phoenix Golf.

12:30 p.m. Pattaya Sports Club Softball plays slow pitch recreational pick-ups games every Saturday at the soccer stadium right behind the National Indoor Stadium on Chayapreuk 2 Road.  New players always welcome regardless of skill level, experience, age or time away from the game.  For more information and directions see the softball page at the Pattaya Sports Club website www.pattayasports.org or contact Dirk Brijs at dirk_brijs@yahoo.com  or 088-218-8148

Sunday

Badminton players are invited to play 3 mornings a week at Mama Badminton Club on Soi Khao Noi, Tuesday, Friday and Sunday from 10am-12 noon. For more information, visit www.pattayasports.org/sports/badminton.

The Amazing Sunday Golfers are a friendly group of average index who welcome new players.  Each Sunday they have friendly games on different courses with a meeting point at the course.  Contact Philippe at 082 546 0770 or email 2012tasg@gmail.com to be updated each week for the upcoming game.

8:00 a.m. Diving with Mermaid’s Dive School.  Contact Mermaid’s Dive Center, tel. 038 232 219 – 20, email: mermaids@loxinfo.co.th

3:00 p.m. Pattaya Jungle H3 meets every 1st and 3rd Sunday of each month and departure is from the Lek Hotel on 2nd Rd at 3pm.  For more info please call Kai on 01 863 5095.

Monday

3.15 p.m. Pattaya Hash House Harriers: The club for drinking people with a running problem meets every Monday at 3:15 p.m. in Pattaya Third Road, in front of the Buffalo Bar close to soi Lengkee, and just down the road from the Boxing Roo. We depart at 3:30 p.m. sharp. More info at: www.pattayah3.com.

Tuesday

Chess and Scrabble Club: every Tuesday 12pm – 5pm at Hoek-Van-Holland in Jomtien. Take Thappraya Road to intersection with Beach Road. Dong Tan Police sub-station is right there. Walk back towards Pattaya 10 meters along walking path. Hoek-Van-Holland is on the right, before the parking lot. Bring your own chess set and/or scrabble board. For more information please see website www.hoek-van-holland.com – Everyone welcome.

The Pattaya Chess Club meets every Tuesday evening from 6:30 p.m. onwards at Brauhaus on 2nd Road between Soi 7 and Soi 8. Learners and anybody who would like to play chess are most welcome. Boards and clocks are provided.

Pattaya Ladies Netball Club: 7.30 pm every Tuesday at Fairtex Sports Club.  All ages and abilities are welcome.  100 baht per person.  Please email pattayanetballclub@gmail.com to confirm or find us on Facebook – ‘Pattaya Ladies Tuesday Night Netball’

Wednesday

4.00 pm – Club Petanque Thailand plays Wednesdays and Saturdays from 4 p.m. until 9 p.m.  The court is open for groups every day. New and bigger surface. Very good drainage as well as better lighting.  No membership fee. Find us at Soi Nernplabwan 100/2 Moo7, next to Sutawas Temple and small Banglamung Police station. Contact: 085 280 7182, fax 038 248 067, email: petanque.Th@gmail.com  (English, French, German, Scandinavian); (Thai & Chinese: 080 618 2831.)

Thursday

4.00 p.m. Pattaya Cricket Club practice nets at Thai Polo Club. All ages and abilities welcome. Please contact Simon at chairman@pattayacricketclub.com or visit the club website for more information and ground location: www.pattayacricketclub.com.

7:00 p.m.  Pattaya Panthers Rugby training every Thursday night at Horseshoe Point next to Siam Country Club. New players are always welcome – we are a very sociable team! Please contact Damian McCoy on Telephone 086 111 2816, Adrien Simon 095 705 0822 or send email to info@pattayapanthers.com.

PSC Golf from Colin’s Bar

Sunday, August 14, Green Valley – Stableford

1st J.P. Maffray (14) 43pts

2nd Colin Davis (21) 37pts

Just 5 of us today but J.P. Maffray put on a short game display that was something to watch.  J.P. single putted the first 6 holes and continued in similar fashion for the entire round, with a total of just 23 putts for 18 holes and a stableford score of 43 points.

Playing partner The Donkey was hanging onto J.P.’s coat-tails and came  home with 37 points for second place.

Monday, August 15, Khao Kheow B & C – Stableford

1st Steve Baker (18) 37pts

2nd Ed Wyckoff (13) 35pts

3rd Mogen’s Melander (23) 34pts

12 players today for Khao Kheow and the ever-present Steve Baker was the man to watch as his solid as a rock 37 points garnered the top place on the podium.  Ed Wyckoff trailed in second 2 points behind and Mogens Melander was third a further point back.

Near pins went to Greg Bates  &  Tip Briney.

Wednesday, August 17, Burapha A & B – Stableford

A Flight

1st Colin Davis (20) 38pts

2nd Nick Shaw (18) 37pts

B Flight

1st Mogen’s Melander (23) 42pts

2nd Neil Smith (35) 39pts

A little better turnout for Burapha today with 15 players in total and the weather looked good despite the forecast.

The field was split into 2 flights and the star-turn came in the B Flight from Mogens Melander who returned with 42 points on his scorecard to earn top billing.  Mogens was three clear of Neil Smith in second place.

Colin ‘The Donkey’ Davis hung on by a single point to win the A Flight, his 38 points proving to be just enough to see him take first place ahead of Nick ‘Elvis’ Shaw.

Near pins were claimed by Colin Hopkins & Mike Omiya while the longest putt award went to Mogen’s Melander.

Friday, August 19, Crystal Bay C & B – Stableford

A Flight

1st Christen Boysen (8) 42pts

2nd Colin Davis (20) 36pts

B Flight

1st New Satita (32) 41pts

2nd Barry Oats (24) 38pts

Crystal Bay was the challenge today, with 14 players in 2 flights taking on the C & B courses in that order.

This day turned into the Christen and New show as first Christen Boysen took out the A flight with a lifetime best 2 over gross 42 points, six clear of The Donkey in second, and then New Satita followed suit with a 41-pointer to take out the B Flight ahead of Barry Oats.  Christen and New’s playing partners, Iain Jones and Kent Gustuasson, could only look on in amazement.

Near pins went to Colin Davis & Greg Bates and the long putt to Colin Hopkins.

PSC Golf from Siam Country Resort Pattaya

Tuesday, August 16, Phoenix – Stableford

On Tuesday we went with 3 groups to Phoenix and played the Lakes & Ocean course.  We are still not used to the redesign of the Lakes and the players who know the old layout don’t like the changes very much either.

We expected that the course would be in a very good condition after the King’s Cup, but that was also a little bit disappointing.  Nevertheless, we had a nice day on a crowded course. The group behind us was very pushing and could not wait on their tee-time.  The weather was ok, sunny and not to hot.

Neil Harvey (H/cap16) was in excellent form today and won with 42 stable ford points.  Second was Stuart Banks (21) with 39 points and in third came Willem Lasonder (23) with 37.

The nears pin went to Neil Harvey and Martin Hayes (twice).

Thursday, August 18, Treasure Hill – Stableford

We went with off with 3 groups to Treasure Hill on Thursday.  The course was in a very good condition and we again had nice weather with a cooling breeze.  The course was quiet and we played in a relaxed manner.

Daniel Oshiro (H/cap 19) led the way today and won with 39 points.  Stuart Banks and Neil Harvey confirmed their form of the week; Stuart taking second place with 36 points and Neil in third with 35.

The near pins were claimed by Paddy Devereux (twice) and Jonathan Pratt.

Note: Siam Country Resort Pattaya is located just off Siam Country Club Rd, after going under the arch past the 7/11, turn right after 50 meters, with the venue on the left another 200 meters along.  Golf from here is generally played on Tuesday & Thursday, with the Resort hosting prompt presentations on both days.  As a PSC affiliated venue we welcome ALL golfers, including ladies & seniors (>60s) who have opted for the “Silver” tee option.  Call 089 253 5440 (Willem Lasonder) for scheduling or enquiries.

Travellers Rest Golf Group

Something completely unheard of in my living memory happened at the TRGG this past week.  One player played four out of the five competitions and came third on each of the four days, and what is even stranger is that he finished the week on a higher handicap than he started.  So what does that tell you?

Firstly, he must be some kind of millionaire being able to afford to play golf four times a week in Pattaya at the moment.  Secondly, he must currently be the most consistent golfer in Pattaya and thirdly that, looking at his scores for the week, he only just bettered his handicap on one occasion which was enough for him to go out a point on his handicap, so how lucky is that?

One thing for sure I shall be wanting to know what lottery number he is intending to buy next time out.  So doff your caps to big John O’Donoghue, the retired Aussie train operative.  Any chance you are going back to work anytime soon John, so the rest of us can get a look in?

Monday, August 15, Pattana – Stableford

The golfing week commenced on Monday at Pattana (B and C courses) and it turned out to be a low scoring affair and once again I am writing about the man with no name.  Take no notice of what is written below against the number one slot that could just as easily read James Bond.  This man keeps leaping out of the shadows, winning one of our golf competitions and disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Little is known of this Asian gentleman other than he is pretty good at golf and he doesn’t like his photo being taken.  In second place it was old gravel voice himself Jim Cooper, our enigmatic Scotsman who likes a drop of the hard stuff.  No need to say anything further about the guy coming in third, yes you guessed it, John O’Donoghue.

1st Seil Peter (6) 34pts

2nd Jim Cooper (16) 33pts

3rd John O’Donoghue (18) 29pts

Tuesday, August 16, Burapha – Stableford

On Tuesday it was off to Burapha ((A and B courses) once again.  This week only one player bettered his handicap, which is most unusual as high scoring is normally par for the course around Burapha.  That man was Darren Stanton, another guy I have never been able to catch up with to take his photo., In second place it was our mop haired Kiwi Jeff Bunn who played exactly to his handicap.

The only third place up for grabs this week went to Philip Starkey so well done to him.

1st Darren Stanton (15) 37pts

2nd Jeff Bunn (6) 36pts

3rd Philip Starkey (10) 35pts

Wednesday, August 17, Greenwood – Stableford

The TRGG returned once again to Greenwood (A and B courses) on Wednesday. This time it turned out to be a terribly close run affair with the leading seven golfers being covered by just three points.

In top spot all on his own was the perma-tanned Mike Sanders, who I know lives for golf and is always out practicing.  In second place Philip Starkey bettered his previous day’s score by two points, which was good enough to move himself up a place.  Jonny O’Donoghue only lost out on second place on a count back but that would have ruined my story.  John should not complain anyway as he beat two other guys who also finished with 37 points.

1st Mike Sanders (6) 38pts

2nd Philip Starkey (10) 37pts

3rd John O’Donoghue (19) 37pts

Thursday, August 18, Green Valley – Stableford

On Thursday it was back to Green Valley and my old buddy Roger Wilkinson had a good day and rattled up 40 points, which was far too good for all the rest who finished miles behind.  Joe Nagle and John O’Donoghue fought it out for second and third places, with Joe just getting the upperhand after another count back.  So John ended up third once again. Oh dear, how sad, never mind.

1st Roger Wilkinson (14) 40pts

2nd Joe Nagle (13) 35pts

3rd John O’Donoghue (19) 35pts

Friday, August 19, Eastern Star – Stableford

It was the turn of Eastern Star to provide the day’s challenge on Friday and normally a very trying challenge it is.  Indeed only one player bettered his handicap on the day and that was Keith R Evans, playing only his second round at the TRGG.  His admirable 39 points won the day and he walked off with all the dosh.  In second place came Noom Baxter who came very close to playing to her 40 handicap.  The Third Man as you are now aware was not Orson Wells but of course John O’Donoghue.

1st Keith R Evans (18) 39pts

2nd Noom Baxter (40) 35pts

3rd John O’Donoghue (19) 34pts

Good luck to all you golfers for the coming week and if you would like to play a round of golf with the TRGG, please phone Derek Thoro­good on 080 673 3118 or pop into the Valentines Guest House Restaurant and Bar in Soi Lengkee and add your name to the weekly lists which are posted on the notice board.

IPGC Golf from The Haven

Monday, August 15, Mt. Shadow (blue tees) – Stableford

CSS 75 NC

1st Daryl Burkett (12) 31pts

2nd Shuichi Kodaka (18) 29pts

3rd Phil Cass (16) 28pts

4th John Carlin (19) 27pts

5th David Heller (27) 26pts

Returning after some problems with the course during the last visit just three weeks previously, the players were pleasantly surprised to find there had ben quite a few improvements to the general appearance with the fairways especially deserving mention.  But the surrounds and rough were still very marginal with some areas just off the fairways needing more attention to detail.

Having noted all that, there was much to be appreciated although the greens still need a considerable amount of work to get them back to the old top class condition. These details were all reflected in the CSS for the day as it rose by three and became non-counting for upward review.

Daryl Burkett had the best of the day although still well over his handicap allowance but still two ahead of second placed Shuichi Kodaka.

Phil Cass placed third another shot back and John Carlin fourth one back of him, with David Heller fifth.

There were no 2s in the second division but Daryl Burkett added to his take for the day with the solo one in the first division.

Wednesday, August 17, Khao Kheow B & C (yellow tees) – Stableford

CSS 72

1st Chris Smith (0) 35pts

2nd Masanori Takano (9) 34pts

3rd John Carlin (19) 33pts

4th Neil Skilton (5) 33pts

5th Pete Seil (6) 32pts

The second outing of the week found the players facing a totally different proposition in the shape of a course that was a sheer pleasure to play, it being in top class condition and the greens a delight to putt over, even if there were one or two too many three putts on them.  But the heavy weather conditions, being extremely hot and humid, determined that the scoring would once again be higher than the standard, although the CSS for the day remained at 72.

Chris Smith was clearly the best of the day after returning a gross 73 for a one point win, and denying Masanori Takano a win on his return to the group.

John Carlin was quickly back into the groove following his three weeks absence, taking third place after winning a count back over Neil Skilton with a better 17 to 16 over the back nine.

Pete Seil took the last step of the prize podium just one more behind in fifth place.

Larry Gibb swept the second division 2s rollover pool clean, whilst Chis Smith and Neil Skilton shared the first division roll over.

Friday, August 19, Phoenix Lakes & Ocean – Monthly Medals

Division 1 (0–15)

Blue tees

CSS 77 NC

1st Peter Skinner (9) net 78

2nd Jon Batty (8) net 78

3rd Mike Dabanovich (11) net 79

Division 2 (16+)

White tees

CSS 72

1st Danny Greer (25) net 73

2nd Stephen Beard (22) net 74

3rd Shuichi Kodaka (18) net 76

Once again returning to Phoenix following the recent King’s Cup and with the Ocean nine now in operation following many months of maintenance, it was disappointing to find virtually no improvement in the course and still even more disappointing to find that unbelievably some of the greens on the Lakes nine were even worse than previously, with many areas marked as GUR.  This situation did much to affect the scores from the first division players, having too few shots to play with, although the smart ones in the second division used their extra shots to good effect.

The first division was led in by a very befuddled Peter Skinner at six over handicap, taking his second medal of the year, having already qualified for the Gold and Silvers earlier in January, after being totally flummoxed as all of the better players were, by the greens inability to hold the ball no matter how the approach shot was hit.  He had needed to win a countback over Jon Batty, which he did with a better 36.5 to 42, leaving Jon having to settle for a qualifiers spot at the end of the year.

Mike Dabanovich placed third after he had also struggled with the non-receptive greens and having to play many of his next shots from behind the green, i.e. “three putt land”.

The second division did much better than the first as mostly they were chipping to the greens for their third or fourth shots and not having to deal with their crispiness, as evidenced by the scoring which was unusually better that the first division, net that is of course.

Danny Greer won the day to clock up his second win of the year after a very tidy one over handicap return to leave Stephen Beard ruing his extremely poor results from three of the par fives, over which he managed to amass a staggering 27 shots with an 8, 9 and a 10 to go along with fifteen holes which he played in just twelve over par.  But at least he took second place and qualified for the first time this year and even saw his handicap reduced by 0.8.  Shuichi Kodaka took the last place in the division another two shots back in third.

There were no 2s in either of the divisions.

Note: The Haven golf group has now relocated to Soi Lengkee, on the corner of the road leading to the Vogue Hotel, where there are good parking facilities.  If you would like to play with The Haven group, you can contact 094 465 5002 or call in to The Haven, 315/13 Soi Lengkee, situated between Third Road and Soi Buakhao. All transportation to the course is arranged and you do not need to sign up prior to the day, but you should be there by 8.15 on a Monday, Wednesday, and Friday on the days that you wish to play. A schedule of courses to be played throughout the year can be found on the web site at www.thehaven-hotel.com.

PSC Golf from The Golf Club

Monday, August 15, Green Valley (white tees) – Stableford

1st Pat Ryan (15) 36pts

T2nd Jack Grindvold (4) 35pts

T2nd Mike Omiya (8) 35pts

T4th Dave Ferris (20) 33pts

T4th Peter Thomas (18) 33pts

T4th Takao Yotato (14) 33pts

T4th Kevin Hamilton (19) 33pts

Course update: The management has decided to shorten the distance of carry off the first tee box, thus bringing forward the fairway some 40 yards.  This should be completed in about 6 weeks from the look of it.  Otherwise the remaining 98% of the course was in spectacular condition!

Results of the day were a veritable laundry list with 7 names in the good graces of Capt. Phil.  Just too many were tied for 4th, but a notable was Dave Ferris who won here last week.

Visiting Hawaiian Mike Omiya had a solid 35, as did our buddy the amazing Jack Grindvold.  Amazing because he runs Swimpex, owns and manages News Steaks & Grill, has 5 kids, keeps in great shape and still maintains a 4 handicap, don’t you hate him now?

At this point I had better mention that Capt. Phil, who has been playing much better these days, managed to beat everyone on the 16th par-3 for our Caddy Smile near pin shot.

Our winner today was Irishman Pat Ryan who was also the only bloke to shoot to his handicap.  Pat generously “Rang the Bell” when we all got back to The Golf Club and bought a round for everyone. Cheers Pat!

Tuesday, August 16, Phoenix Gold (white tees) – Stableford

1st Dave Ferris (19) 35pts

T2nd Peter Thomas (18) 34pts

T2nd Fred Graham (16) 34pts

I think we all concur that the original layout here was the best design.  Things are quickly growing in, as they do in Thailand, so the Lake course is in much better shape now, and we are just going to have to live with it.

Sports Day at Phoenix Gold is one of the best values in Pattaya and with free carts included the tally is just 1,300 baht!  I don’t care where you come from, that is a great deal.  I often hear about golf costing so much here, but they do not compare like for like, especially when you factor in our fabulous caddies!

On to the scoring, and it was “locals only” today as 3 of our regular T.G.C. stalwarts done us proud.  Our Caddy Smile Near Pin was also taken by Freddie Graham.

It was a very close comp as the numbers show, but Fred and Peter had to bow to Dave Ferris as “the big wheel” dropped one better putt to claim the top spot for the day.

Thursday, August 18, Wangjuntra Jungle (white tees) – Stableford

1st Corey Cusatis (22) 37pts

2nd Robbie Taylor (14) 36pts

3rd Andrew Newton (9) 31pts

A pretty strong field of 18 golfers took the dare and set out on the 90 minute trek to the very impressive Wangjuntra Golf Park.  The loop today was the Jungle course so an individual stableford comp was on the cards.

Clubhouse conversation revolved around the enormous greens and, although sanded lightly they ran true and fast.  Overall course condition was excellent, and how they can maintain this vast acreage to such a high standard is quite a feat.  There are three 18-hole golf courses at this complex and each has a personality of its own.  Layouts on all courses are designed by the group of Thai shareholders and partners, so I guess in the right situation, design by committee can actually work!

In the past, we have usually played the Highlands course and the format was a 2-man scramble. Today it was every man for himself and just breaking that 30 point barrier would get you on the podium!

First off, a pat on the proverbial back to our old mate Brad Gearie who is back in town again after too long an absence.  Brad claimed the Caddy Smile Near Pin today and also made the putt for a 2.

If you had 31 points, ya got third place and Andrew Newton did just that.  Regular darksider Robbie Taylor had a great day in the Jungle and came away with a big 36 circled on his scorecard for sole second.  Story of the day was a name that has had a bit of a cold spell of late.  That all changed today as Corey Cusatis off a 22 handicap stormed the course with 37 points on a track he had never played before.  Nice job Corey, it didn’t hurt the card to sink that 90 foot putt either!

Note: The Golf Club is located on Soi L.K. Metro.  Just call 085 434 3377 or see our website www.golfclubpattaya.com and for more information mail us: pattaya4golf@gmail.com and see updates at www.facebook.com/golfclubpattaya… all handicaps welcome!

PSC Golf from The Growling Swan

Monday, August 15, Treasure Hill- Stableford

There must be something about golfing at Treasure Hill, because today 3 bus loads and a few cars transported 29 golfers.  We left The Growling Swan a few minutes early for the trip up 331.

Yes there is something about Treasure Hill!  A well maintained course in every way, with the quick and true greens, flat tee boxes, and good run on the fairways.  At the price of Bt.1000 covering green fee, cart and caddie who could complain?  Well done Treasure Hill!

The trip took about 50 minutes due to some more roadworks, but really didn’t cause a delay.  After a quick check-in the first group was quickly on the first tee.

A group from another bar in front of ourselves moved along very nicely and enabled our group to finish the round in just on 3hrs. 30min.

This course is considered a challenge, and big scores are not the norm.

In A-Flight, the ever-popular Ebrahim (handicap 16) turned in a great performance to blitz the field with a huge 42 points and post the best score of the day.  In his first game back after returning from Australia, Martin Todd (12) had 37 points for second place and a count back was required for 3rd and 4th, with Fred Starbeck getting the nod over the consistent Sal Brizz, both on 36 points each.

We saw a first time winner in B-Flight in the form of Bernie McCart (31) won took the honours with a steady 34 points.  Patrick Poussier (27) was second, one point behind and Rob Cross (28) took third with 32pts.  John Anderson (26) completed the podium in fourth with 30 points.

Near Pins: Ebrahim (2nd), Graham Rice (6th), John Anderson (13th), Fred Starbeck (17).

Long Putts: Tony Cook (9th), Mashi Kaneta (18th)

Thursday, August 18 Silky Oak – Stableford

After a tough few days when we lost a great mate in Russell Calcutt (R.I.P Russell), twenty-four golfers set out to Silky Oak in overcast conditions.  The course was in tip top condition and some good scores were expected.  As always the water traps claimed many victims.

A Grade was won by Mike Johns with an excellent 40 point score.  He won by a point from Martin Todd who putted magnificently all day thanks to an astute caddy.  Big Boy Graeme Rice was the unlucky one who finished third by way of a count back, also on 39 points.

B Grade was taken out by John Anderson with a fine 39 point score.  He was 2 points clear of Rob Cross who filled second spot by way of a count back over Rona Carungay in third.

A Flight (0-18)

1st Mike Johns (15) 40pts

2nd Martin Todd (12) 39pts

3rd Graeme Rice (14) 39pts

B Flight (19-36)

1st John Anderson (26) 39pts

2nd Rob Cross (28) 37pts

3rd Rona Carungay (23) 37pts

Near Pins: #3 Martin Todd, #6 Martin Todd, #8 John Anderson, #14 Greg Proctor, #16 Rob Pearce.

Long Putts: #9 Martin Todd, #18 Mike Johns

Note: For serious golfing with a dash of fun (and compulsory sledging), the Growling Swan welcomes golfers of all persuasions. We generally play on Mondays and Thursdays at any one of the fine courses around Pattaya. We also encourage women to play. Please contact Peter Grey for bookings or any information on 086 1503 086.

The Growling Swan also caters to the bowls enthusiasts. Bus transport departs the GS on Sundays at 10.00 am for open grass bowling at The Retreat. The cost including return bus transport, bowling fees and a hot lunch is less than 400 baht so great value for a day out.

It is hard to believe that the time has gone round so quickly and that it was time to hold what has now become the 5th Annual Jaa Memorial Cup for the caddies here in Khao Kheow.  For those who may not know it, Jaa was caddy No. 065 at Khao Kheow for many years until her untimely death at the very young age of twenty six years when she contracted dengue fever from a mosquito bite.  Jaa was a beautiful young lady and as well as being an excellent caddy she was also a very accomplished golfer.

Jaa’s mother, who is also an excellent caddy and a good golfer still works at Khao Kheow and plays in this competition every year.  The contest is confined to the caddies from Khao Kheow, all of whom would have been very good friends of Jaa.

This year forty four ladies turned out in an attempt to get their names on what has become a very coveted annual trophy.  And for the fifth year in a row we had a different winner, which will give encouragement to all the other ladies to keep on trying and maybe next year it will be their turn.

The competition is medal/stroke and as anyone who has ever played here will know, this is a very difficult course for that kind of format and this year it was played on the A and B nines.  Again, as in the past years, the standard of golf was very high and what was even more impressive was that the fourballs went around in three and a half hours, which should be a lesson to a lot of us as to how golf should be played.

The formula and scoring was done by the management of Khao Kheow who deserve great credit for all the work they put in to organizing and running this competition and also for giving such a big discount on both the green fee and the golf carts and for the beautiful meal afterwards.

This year the trophy was awarded to the best gross, which was won by a caddy with the very appropriate number of 001, this being Sompis Sam-ang-in who went round in seventy four shots, two over par, which off a handicap of four was a net seventy.  Brilliant golf on this course and a deserved winner!

First runner-up was Sukunya, Caddy No 005 with a net sixty nine off a nine handicap and second runner-up was Prakaidao, Caddy No 123 with a net seventy two.

The four near pins were won by Rungaroon Pung­sriklao on A9, Yupa Ponpaiparn  on A5, Panita Srisuk on B3 and Nitchapa Panmuan on B8, while the long drives went to Sukanya Sam-ang-in on A2 and Ladda Ssingsena on B2.

To give an indication of the standard of golf these ladies played, our group from the Tara Court were out just behind them and even taking into consideration that the ladies were playing off forward tees, not one of us managed to hit our drives even near as far as some of these ladies hit them and not one of us came even near where the near pin markers were, but we still had a lovely day and joined the ladies for a meal and the presentation in the clubhouse afterwards.

Alec Hoare from The Dusit Thani College Pattaya had done most of the work in organizing this competition and unfortunately due to work commitments he wasn’t able to join us for the golf, but he did manage to make it for the meal and the presentation afterwards.

PSC Bunker Boys Golf Society

Monday, August 22, Eastern Star (white tees) – Stableford

1st Geoff Cox (15) 34pts

2nd Raleigh Gosney (18) 33pts

3rd Les Burns (30) 32pts

Near Pins: Mogens Melander, Colin Greig, Geoff Cox, Raleigh Gosney

The Bunker Boys were obviously discomfited by the well-presented Eastern Star course as not one of the thirteen players managed to play to their handicap, and 34 stableford points took first place.

Hip hip hooray for the groundskeeper!  Unlike the vast majority of other courses in the area, the bunkers were in excellent nick and were so pretty you had a hard time staying out of them.

There was a bit of anxiousness back at the Club as people could be heard to say, “how many did you have on the back”, “how many did you have on the back”? This was the result of Les Burns, Neil Carter, Lee Butler, and Jimmy Carr all posting 32 points.  Smiley Les walked off with the 3rd place prize by scoring 18 points, one better than Jimmy at 17.

Wednesday, August 24, Pattavia – Rainbow Stableford

1st Neil Carter (15) 39pts

2nd Jimmy Carr (17) 38pts

3rd Les Cobban (8) 38pts

Near Pins: Trevor Priestly, Les Burns, Jimmy Carr

Playing from the red, white, and blues is a real mind-fudger: One needs to match skill sets with tee-boxes, and this is a lot easier said than done.  Neil Carter entered the fray with a theory (using the term lightly) borrowed from Colin, i.e., get the blues out of the way from the go get, and save the reds for your last six.  It obviously panned out as he posted a very respectable 39 points to take first place.

Neil wasn’t as fortunate with near pins as he hit two of the four greens only to be knocked-off by Trevor on the 7th, and Les Burns on the 13th.  We were all amazed that no one was able to hit the par-3 17th, even though most players were playing from the reds at 152 yards.

When all is said and done, the whole shooting match should have been won by Raleigh as he had three par-putts lip-out, and two that missed by a you know what hair.  Add these five points to his 35 and, yeap, you’ve got the winner.

Friday, August 26, Mt. Shadow (blue tees) – Stableford

1st Geoff Parker (13) 33pts

2nd Jimmy Carr (17) 33pts

Near Pins: Gerry Cooney (2), Jimmy Carr

For the last month or two, this course has been bouncing back and forth between scruffy and less scruffy.  We’ll call today less scruffy although the bunkers and tee-boxes were in terrible shape.

Geoff Parker took first place on count back over Jimmy with a paltry 33 points.  Oh, what could have been: Geoff had at least five putts that missed by millimeters, and the wheels came off for Jimmy on the back, with just 13 points after posting 20 on the front.

With two rounds to go to decide Golfer of the Month it’s neck and neck between four players: Colin Greig, Geoff Parker, Raleigh Gosney, and Neil Carter.  Good luck to you all.

IPGC Pattaya Golf Society at the Links Bar

The long awaited Birthday Bash for the PGS organiser, Mr Len, took place at Pattana on Monday 22nd August. The course was in splendid condition as befits such an event and the A and B nines were the assigned route for the day off the yellow tees.

The format was pairs stableford BB and a dozen teams had entered to celebrate the day.  Old and new friends had returned for the day and a very convivial atmosphere spread from the first tee.  In breezy conditions and on quality fairways the day was set fair for a tight competition and so it worked out.

Many technical prizes had been donated by Garry Hookey, Toby Glass, Mike Firkin, Kevin Timbrell and Mr Len and these were won by Mark Lang, Murray Edwards, Masa Takano, Jesper Hansen, Kevin Timbrell, Chris Smith, Ken Page and John O’Sullivan.

Special mention must be made of Wichai Tananusorn’s exquisite eagle on the 590 yard par six (A5), his fourth shot chipped in from just off the fringe.  A rare bird indeed!

In the main event four pairs shared the winning score of 43 points and a lengthy count back was needed to find the ultimate winners.  Losing out with 21 points on the back nine were Wichai Tananusorn and PGS Champion Chris Smith, leaving Jon Batty and Mark Lang to challenge John O’Sullivan and Jesper Hansen and Mike Firkin and Bryan Barrell.  Dropping to third after a final six-hole calculation was the Welsh/Danish pairing of O’Sullivan and Hansen.  After a further comparison of final three hole scores the winners were declared as Mike Firkin and Bryan Barrell (7 points), leaving Jon Batty and Mark Lang (6 points) unluckily in runner up place.

What an excellent competition it had been and the excitement continued at The Links Bar in Soi Buakhao when the presentation party saw an excellent buffet provided by Russell and his hard working staff.

The Boss had certainly had a day to remember on his “milestone” birthday and is already considering his options for next year!

Timbrell back to the table

On Wednesday, 24th August the Pattaya Golf Society visited Khao Kheow to play a stableford event on the B and C nines from the yellow tees. The day was fine, the course in good condition and the return of old friends was to make the day a little bit more special.

Competition at Khao Kheow is always tight and this day was no different as Toby Glass returned to form with 37 points to take fourth place, just nudged off the podium by Garry Hookey and Masa Takano who shared second place with 38 points.

For more than a month now Kevin Timbrell’s game has been in the mire, offering no consolation or confidence to Kevin but this day his form kicked in again with the best PGS round at Khao Kheow for three years, 41 points.  Impressive stuff and a substantial handicap cut is very much in order at the weekend.

Garry Hookey took the ‘2’s pot with a fine brace on B8 and C3 and Gary Bolger enjoyed the consolation beer as his card was draw out by the cashier at the Links Bar.

Once again Khao Kheow had come up trumps and the deal on offer gave very good “vfm” and helped the golfers to enjoy another fine day on the golf course.

Fitting finale for glass

On Friday, 26th August the Pattaya Golf Society visited the tough course at Treasure Hill to play a stableford event on the well prepared course.  Currently offering the best deal in the province it drew the largest field for a month or two and was proof if it were needed that courses can do well, even in the lowest of low seasons, if an emphasis is placed on customer service not profit.

Scores generally were quite good for the course with a whole field average approaching 30 points and a tight leaderboard saw Mike Firkin, Andrew Purdie and Masa Takano share second place with 36 points each.  The best gross figures of the day were recorded by Mark Lang, his 78 gross rewarding his accuracy and consistency on the day.  The winner was Aussie Toby Glass who drew the curtain on his annual stay with an excellent 38 points.  The group will miss him and his golf over the next few months and it is to be hoped he can find time to hit some balls during a heavy work schedule which lies ahead of him.

Toby and Mark Lang shared the ‘2’s pot with birdies on the seventeenth and John O’Sullivan was the winner of the consolation beer draw back at The Links.

Thus another busy week for the PGS drew to a close at the Links and an even busier week lies ahead with the change of management heralding golf as normal.  We shall see and it will certainly be an exciting week.

Results & Standings August 25 (week 8)

Chonburi residents warmly welcomed home Sukanya Srisurat who made her home province proud by winning a gold medal in weightlifting at the Rio Olympics.

Gov. Khomsan Ekachai led the welcoming party Aug. 20, congratulating the athlete for lifting a combined 240 kilograms to win the gold medal in the women’s 58kg bracket.  He said she had made Thailand proud, especially her friends and family in Si Racha.

Others offering congratulations were members of the Weightlifting Association of Chonburi, the Amateur Athletic Association of Thailand and the Sports Association of Chonburi.

Her teachers and trainers – including Maj. Sakchai Titha­jaree and Maj. Aranaya Bua­thongsai – were recognized as mentors who pushed her to succeed, proving Thailand has some of the world’s best athletes.

The 21-year-old set an Olympic record in the snatch with 110 kg., before lifting 130kg in the clean and jerk.  Pimsiri Sirikaew took the silver medal in the same event, the first time Thai athletes have finished 1-2 in an Olympic event.

Srisurat gave Thailand its second gold medal in women’s weightlifting.  Sopita Tanasan opened the Games with a gold in the 48kg class.

Khomsan also said Chonburi is prepared to support any individual who loves sports and especially those who are willing to commit their time and effort to become a professional.  The province is known for promoting sports along with tourism and is aiming to establish a strong community where youths are encouraged to sharpen their skills for future competitions.

IPGC Golf from The Tara Court Golf Group

Sunday, August 21, Green Valley – Stableford

A smaller than usual group out today for our regular game here at Green Valley.  We still had some good scores though on what was again a perfect day for golf.

We have a few players who are playing very steady golf at the moment and once again this week they were in the prizes.  Allan Parker is one of them and today he came out the winner on the count back over Russell Gilroy, who is also having a good run and both had thirty seven points.  Russell had two 2’s on his card so won’t be too disappointed with the second place as he still got the most money today.  Kevin O’Sullivan took the third and last place with thirty four points.

1st Allan Parker (9) 37pts

2nd Russell Gilroy (17) 37pts

3rd Kevin O’Sullivan (12) 34pts

Tuesday, August 23, Greenwood – Stableford

We were back at Greenwood again today along with our friends from the PFGS.  When we booked here on the previous Thursday they quoted us 1,250 baht for everything including the cart and we actually double checked the price with them and they confirmed it.  However, when we arrived they charged us 1,350 baht instead and despite talking to the manager they refused to discount it even though they accepted that they had made a mistake, not good business and it will be a long time before we go back.

We played the A and C nines off the white tees and had only one golfer who managed to play to his handicap.  John Fenwick was that man and won the day with thirty six points.  Dan Hobbs took the second place with thirty five and, as usual, Allan Parker featured in the prizes and today came third with thirty two points, beating Jim Traynor on count back.

We had no ‘2’s today.

1st John Fenwick (19) 36pts

2nd Dan Hobbs (22) 35pts

3rd Allan Parker (9) 32pts

4th Jim Traynor (27) 32pts

Thursday, August 25, Burapha – Stableford

We wanted to make it a bit of a challenge today so we all decided to play off the blue tees on the A and B nines.  The course was deserted and we were heading for a three hour round until we got to the sixteenth hole where we caught up with the group in front who were playing very slowly, but we still managed to finish in three hours and twenty minutes.  One of our caddies told us that the other group had started two hours before we did!

Jon Batty had a blank on the ninth hole and had sixteen points but he went round the back nine in one over par, which off the blue tees is brilliant golf and he was a clear winner with thirty seven points.  Bernie Stafford played to his handicap and was second with thirty six and Mark Lang took the third and last place with thirty four points.

We had no ‘2’s today.

1st Jon Batty (8) 37pts

2nd Bernie Stafford (16) 36pts

3rd Mark Lang (5) 34pts

Note: The Tara Court Golf Group play every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday, leaving O’Gara’s Bar and Restaurant in the Tara Court on Pratamnak Rd. around 10.00 a.m. Sign up either in O’Gara’s or ring Joe on 089 249 1364.

Results & Standings for August 22 (week 10)

Jomtien Golf with the IPGC

Monday, August 22, The Emerald – Stableford

There were a few cancellations on the sign-up sheet as Emerald wasn’t up to scratch on our last visit here, so we had just enough to make two divisions with the cut set at 12-17 in the top flight and 18+ in division 2.  After the round here today though, many people thought the overall condition was more preferable to Eastern Star at the moment.

Curtis Hessler with 35 points topped the second flight as Willy Van Heetvelde came second on 34 and Khalifa Nasser was third with 31.

After 15 holes in division 1, Neil Gamble, playing off 17, was standing on the 16th tee with 33 points on his card but it was all downhill from there as he blobbed the last three holes.  Iain Usher won the flight with 35 points as Neil placed second and South Africa’s Jerry Sweetnam was third with 32 points.

Near pins went to (Div 1) Iain Usher, and (Div 2) Colin Aspinall, Neil Gamble, Willy Van Heetvelde and Annamarie Usher.

No ‘2’s today in either division so a rollover to Burapha on Wednesday.

Wednesday, August 24, Burapha – Stableford

Playing off the white tees, Iain Usher (H/cap 13) won division 1 today at Burapha with 41 points.  Khalifa Nasser was a distant second with 36 and Jerry Sweetnam came third on 34 points.

Bryan Rought was allowed another round of golf with us and duly won division 2 with 40 points, while his arch rival Harry Vincenzi was second two points behind and Colin James took third with 33.

Near pins were claimed by (Div 1) Terry Madsn, Iain Usher (2) and Chris Voller, and (Div 2) Harry Vincenzi (2) and Willy Van Heetvelde.

Chris Voller birdied B3 for the only ‘2’ of the day and scooped the division 1 pot.

Friday, August 26, Eastern Star – Stableford

An equal cut in the two divisions today and Bill Bertram, playing off 9, came in with 40 points to win division 1, one point ahead of Jerry Sweetnam in second.  Paul Hartley completed the podium in third place with 37 points.

Jeff Greer, with his best ever round with us, won division 2 with 36 points while Tony Thorne was second on 33 and the organizer took third with 32.

Near pins went to (Div 1) Brian Green, Paul Hartley and Jerry Sweetnam (2), and (Div 2) Jeff Greer, Frank Kelly, Joe Kubon and Tony Thorne.

Jerry Sweetnam birdied the 3rd and 17th in division 1 to take sole possession of the ‘2’s pot.

Travellers Rest Golf Group

All the winners of the TRGG competitions this past week had one thing in common – they all won by a street as long as the Sukhumvit Road.  The Magnificent Five, as they will no doubt become known in the tales of folklore when those that were there to witness the deeds of derring-do recount the splendour of those five rounds of golf which left the other competitors in jaw dropping awe.  You have probably guessed by now that yes even I, your lowly scribe, was one of the Five.

Monday, August 22, Khao Kheow – Stableford

The week’s massacres began at Khao Kheow (B and C courses) on Monday.  Our hero of the day was Neil Bramley who has not been his regular consistent self of late.  The cackhanded maestro (he hits the golf ball using a reverse handed grip, I nearly broke both wrists when I tried it) rose like a phoenix from the ashes to record 38pts and first place.

Scrabbling three shots behind, Richard Talbot and Ted Senior had a dog eat dog scrap for second place; Richard ended up with the bone and Ted ended up with the scraps.

1st Neil Bramley (9) 38pts

2nd Richard Talbot (17) 35pts

3rd Ted Senior (16) 35pts

Tuesday, August 23, Burapha – Stableford

The bloodbath continued at Burapha (A and B courses). on Tuesday.  Last week I was telling you about the ‘Third Man’ John O’Donoghue, who managed to finish in third place four times that week.  This week he was not messing about with third place.  He jumped aboard his shiny locomotive (he used to be a train driver back in Aus) built up a head of steam and set the controls to runaway train mode and then belted out a 43pts round.  He completely blew his stack and finished six shots ahead of second place.

Derek Thorogood in second place needed a telescope to see John up ahead of him while Tim Dalton in third place must have felt he was still in bed he was so far behind, even though he finished with a very respectable 36pts.

1st John O’Donoghue (19) 43pts

2nd Derek Thorogood (15) 37pts

3rd Tim Dalton (19) 36pts

Wednesday,
August 24, Treasure Hill – Stableford

On Wednesday the TRGG faithful were expecting to play Pattavia but discovered they had been hollow-tining the greens so a last minute change of venue took place and we ended up at Treasure Hill instead.

Now Treasure Hill is one of those courses I really disliked as I never managed to play a good round there and so five years had passed since my last visit.  Boy did things change last Wednesday.  Aided by a very good caddie I, Andy Rich, played some really pleasing golf. Well I was pleased but the rest weren’t.  My 37pts was four shots better than anyone else could muster on the day and I treated myself to a few beers to celebrate.

Richard Talbot, one of my playing partners, took second place for the second time in three days and Michael Patterson took the third spot.

1st Andy Rich (19) 37pts

2nd Richard Talbot (17) 33pts

3rd Michael Patterson (16) 32pts

Thursday, August 25, Green Valley – Stableford

The week’s walkovers continued at Green Valley on Thursday.  Mike Sanders, who knows this course like the back of his hand, made that knowledge count by rattling up 39pts.  Masa Takano finished in second with 36pts and he just managed to pip Joe Nagle on count back after they both finished on the same score.

1st Mike Sanders (6) 39pts

2nd Masa Takano (9) 36pts

3rd Joe Nagle (13) 36pts

Friday, August 26, The Emerald – Stableford

On Friday it turned into the biggest bloodbath of the week at Emerald.  Keith R Evans won by seven clear shots to take first place.  Neil Bramley, our hero on Monday, could only summon up 33pts on the day but that was good enough to pip Thursday’s hero Mike Sanders on count back.

1st Keith R Evans (17) 40pts

2nd Neil Bramley (9) 33pts

3rd Mike Sanders (6) 33pts

Good luck to all you golfers for the coming week and if you would like to play a round of golf with the TRGG, please phone Derek Thorogood on 080 673 3118 or pop into the Valentines Guest House Restaurant and Bar in Soi Lengkee and add your name to the weekly lists which are posted on the notice board.

PSC Golf from The Outback Golf Bar

Monday, August 22, Burapha – Stableford

Enjoying the last round of our Burapha promotion, we had 27 players across two flights enjoying the fast greens of the relatively easy A&B course.

George Hensher scored a great 38 points to get him into 3rd spot in Div B.  For this division, two players had 40 points and going down to the last six holes on count back, Kenny Chung emerged the victor over Gary Lawson.

In the A division, Colin Goon scored a brilliant 76 gross to finish with 37 points in 3rd place.  Yurie Murakami played another great round to finish on 40pts for second and Wally Brown made sure that his lovely lady’s birthday was special (for him) by shooting the candles out with an awesome 43 points.  A further handicap cut is off course in order for Wally after that round!

When it came to the ‘2’s, Gary Lawson and John Dearden both got some more beer money.

Tuesday, August 23, Laem Chabang – Stableford

Laem Chabang is getting quite busy and in fact, we’ve been finding it difficult to always increase tee times from our allocation in the last couple of weeks and rounds have been slow and nearing the 5 hour mark on a few occasions.  Same situation at the Siam’s on Sport Days, and it looks like the good courses, or those offering good deals, are busier than usual for this time of year whilst the lower grade courses are struggling more to attract a following.

With 5 groups and 17 players, higher than our usual Tuesday turnout, there were a few fabulous scores as well.  Bill Bockstahler scored 37pts to get him into 4th spot, Colin Goon played another tremendous round and scored 75 gross for 38 points to get him to 3rd.  In 2nd place, Steve Plant played a great round to get 40 points but the man of the day was Brendan Cope again, who shot an unbelievable 44 to take top honours.

There were several ‘2’s today by Rod Croswell, Cotty (Wayne Cotterell), and Vince Butler.

Wednesday, August 24, Greenwood – Stableford

The 331 is looking good and just a small single lane section remains which made our trip feel a lot shorter than usual.

With no one getting a ‘2’ today, our payout list extended to 5th place with Wally Brown getting that place with a good 35 points.  We we’re happy to welcome some German-Swiss players join us and Hans-Georg Bufe played a solid round with 37 points to get the 4th spot.  Beating Georg on count back was Colin Patterson who made it to third place, but playing partner and money taker of note during the last week, Brendan Cope again came in with a high score of 39 points.  Unfortunately for Brendan, Neil Fidele had a better back 9 and walked away with the top podium position with his equally fabulous 39 points.

Friday, August 26, St. Andrews – Stableford

With Green Valley closed for competitions over the next few weeks we get to play a lot of the other courses in the complex at discounted rates.  Next Friday we will give Silky Oaks a go since we haven’t played there for several months already and it will be good to have a look at the progress over there.

For our round today, with two divisions being played (A division up to 21), it was clear that the higher handicappers struggled a lot more with the difficulty presented by St. Andrews and there were no ‘2’s at all, which meant that prizes extended to 5th place in both divisions.

In 5th place in the B division, Dave Headington made it into the prizes with only 31 points, followed by Gary Lawson also with 31 points in 4th.  32 points from Brendan Cope was enough to earn him 3rd place while Gerard Lambert had 33 for second as he lost out to the winner, Bob Mattes, on count back.

In the A division, Eddie Beilby made it into the prizes with a very low 30 points, then a big gap to Sugar Ray Handford with 36 points in 4th.  Steve Plant had his second good round for the week to finish 3rd, and Wally Brown had yet another good effort to beat Steve on count back, both with 37 points.  In top spot was Jack Butler who scored by far the best round on this difficult track and finished with a great 40 points.