Pattaya Sports Club Bowling League

VFW Post 9876 won the match up with Brother D and took over first place with only 4 weeks remaining in the league. Ooy Pluemkamon was once again the spark plug for VFW with games of 181, 176 and 193 for a 550 series. Wade Meyers bowled a 200 game and 504 series for Brother D.
Bavaria moved up to fifth place after taking three and one half points from third place Green Tree. Ken Johansson, who has the maximum handicap of 40 pins, bowled a 528 series, 648 with handicap, to lead Bavaria. Tukata Thompson bowled a 200 game and 531 series and Noodle Russell had a 514 series for Green Tree.
Lek Reaper bowled a 536 series and Antero Ronkainen had a 517 for Canada but it was only good enough to win two points from Mitt in 2012. Canada dropped from fifth to sixth place.
Indiana led by Somrit’s 521 series won four points from Café Kronborg. Kran Nielsen, who is the best bowler in this league with a zero handicap, bowled a 518 series for Kronborg. Results & Standings Oct. 26 (week 25)

Results & Standings Nov. 12 (week 26)

Pos.	Team	Score	Standings
1	VFW Post 9876	4 - 0	60 - 44
2	Brother D	0 - 4	58.5 - 45.5
3	Green Tree	0.5 – 3.5	55.5 - 48.5
4	Café Kronborg	0 - 4	50.5 - 53.5
5	Bavaria	3.5 – 0.5	50.5 - 53.5
6	Canada	2-2	49 – 55
7	Indiana	4 - 0	48.5 - 55.5
8	Mitt in 2012	2 – 2	43.5 - 60.5

Monday Quiz League

Results & Standings Oct. 29

		15-Oct		22-Oct		29-Oct		Total	Total
Pos.	Team	Sc.	Pts	Sc.	Pts	Sc.	Pts	Score	Points
1	Palmers	80	8	88	10	70	10	873	89
2	Offshore Bar	80	8	72	5	66	5	846	76
3	The Londoner	74	3	74	6	70	10	829	72
4	Cheers	88	10	72	5	69	6	835	67
5	The Ranch	75	4	60	2	64	4	804	58
6	Irish Rovers	77	5	72	5	63	3	770	40
7	Nervous Wreck	60	2	76	8	52	2	715	34
Percentage correct by round this week:
Geog.	Sport	History	Movies	Science	Reading	General	All	Average Team
59.20%	57.10%	63.30%	61.20%	69.40%	75.50%	67.90%	64.90%	Total:  64.9

Vets get one over on national squad stars

Indoor lawn bowling at the Coco Club

Coco Club near Baan Amphur has been hosting the Thai national team for preparation of the upcoming Bowls Title events in Malaysia and Australia with the indoor carpet being more comparable to the outdoor Australian grass.
This culminated last weekend with a challenge event between the Coco “veterans” with an average age of at least about 55 against the Thai’s average of nearer 30, all accepting to play in the championship format.
The vets donned their “whites” from previous eras - only just fitting in some cases and games were very professionally monitored with the scores reflecting the closeness of the matches.
The morning singles and foursomes ended 20-17, 21-16, 18-14, 18-21, to give the “vets” a 3-1 lunch time lead. The afternoon pairs and triples continued with scores reflecting a similar pattern of 17-16, 14-11, 15-14 and 13-25, so on the day the “vets” got their way with a 6-2 score and the Thai’s vowed to get their own back before they depart on tour!
Back to reality and the local leagues continue with the Sunday out of the hat doubles being led by Bank - our only Thai male player – heading a list of the Thai girls of Pin, Lek and Thanom.
Tuesday’s mixed doubles looks like going to Lek and Joe with Kelvin and Sue having to lose by 35 bowls in the final match to prevent them taking the runner-up spot. Friday’s triples is in the hands of Pin, Yuppa and On to lose.
The new Wednesday pairs started this week, new league players are welcome, and fun games are always available with staff players who can give free instruction. Call Sue on 087 135 8357.

Pattaya 9-Ball Pool League

Results & Standings Oct. 31 (week 20)

Team	Played	Won	Lost	Pts.
Cheers	20	18	2	52
Buddy’s Bar	19	16	3	47
Simple Simon	20	12	8	36
Queen Vic	20	10	10	35
Irish Rover	19	10	9	33
The Ranch	19	9	10	29
Rioja	20	9	11	29
Hotties	20	9	11	29
Roxy	20	9	11	29
George n Dragon	19	8	11	24
FCUK	20	6	14	19
Moonshine	20	5	15	17
Results:  Cheers 13 v 4 George n Dragon, Irish Rover 12 v 13 Buddy’s Bar, FCUK 13 v 10 The Ranch, Hotties 13 v 10 Moonshine, Roxy 13 v 9 Simple Simon, Queen Vic 13 v 10 Rioja

Crumpton Oaks Cider Monday Pool League

Results & Standings Oct. 29 (week 9)

Division 1
Team	P	W	L	F	A	+/-	BP	Pts.
The Irish Rovers	9	8	1	87	61	26	0	24
Links Bar	9	8	1	86	63	23	0	24
Pook’s Bar	9	6	3	83	74	9	0	18
Sweethearts Bar	8	4	4	68	69	-1	1	13
The Butchers Arms	9	4	5	75	77	-2	0	12
Nicky’s Bar	9	3	6	70	78	-8	2	11
Easy R-Con Bar	8	1	7	62	78	-16	2	5
The Caddyshack	7	0	7	39	70	-31	1	1
Results:  Links Bar 10 v 9 Nicky’s Bar, Sweethearts Bar 10 v 9 The Caddyshack, The Butchers 10 v 8 Easy R-Con Bar, Irish Rovers 10 v 7 Pook’s Bar
Division 2
Team	P	W	L	F	A	+/-	BP	Pts.
TJ’s Bar	9	8	1	84	52	32	0	24
The Stag’s Head	9	7	2	76	65	11	0	21
Eor’s Bar	9	6	3	75	59	16	1	19
Hotties	9	6	3	78	54	24	0	18
Mai’s Bar	8	4	4	59	65	-6	1	13
Offshore Bar	9	3	6	74	72	2	2	11
Rabbi’s Elephant	8	1	7	41	75	-34	1	4
The Drunken Duck	9	0	9	45	90	-45	0	0
Results:  Hotties 10 v 6 Mai’s Bar, Rabbi’s Elephant 2 v 10 TJ’s Bar, Offshore Bar 10 v 5 Drunken Duck, The Stag’s Head 10 v 3 Eor’s Bar

Pattaya 8-Ball Monday Pool League

Results & Standings Oct. 29 (week 7)

Division 1
Team	Played	Won	Lost	For	Agst	Diff.	Pts.
Biggy’z Rest A	7	6	1	62	43	19	19
Shoot Pool B	7	5	2	62	43	19	17
Dean’s Bar	7	4	3	60	45	15	15
Crazy Eddie’s	7	4	3	54	51	3	15
San Snack Bar	7	3	4	46	59	-13	13
Phimai Geordie	7	2	5	50	55	-5	11
KiK Bar	7	2	5	45	60	-15	11
Old Thaiangle	7	2	5	41	64	-23	11
Results:  Shoot Pool B 7 v 8 Biggy’z Rest A, Old Thaiangle 8 v 7 Phimai Geordie, San Snack Bar 8 v 7 KiK Bar, Crazy Eddie’s 6 v 9 Dean’s Bar
Division 2
Team	Played	Won	Lost	For	Agst	Diff.	Pts.
Shoot Pool A	7	6	1	71	34	37	19
Joy’s Paradise	7	5	2	57	48	9	17
Mee Chew	7	5	2	57	48	9	17
Biggy’z Rest B	7	4	3	56	49	7	15
Parrot Inn	7	3	4	48	57	-9	13
Rising Sun	7	2	5	47	58	-11	11
Connections	7	2	5	40	65	-25	11
Buffalo Jack’s	7	1	6	44	61	-17	9
Results:  Biggy’s Rest B 8 v 7 Shoot Pool A, Buffalo Jack’s 7 v 8 Joy’s Paradise, Parrot Inn 5 v 10 Mee Chew, Connections 6 v 9 Rising Sun

Wednesday Quiz League

Results & Standings Oct. 31

Pos.	Team	B/F	17-Oct	24-Oct	31-Oct	Total
1	Palmers	24	3	3	2	32
2	Rest Stop	25	3	1	1	30
3	The Londoner	21	3	3	2	29
4	Cheers	16	3	3	3	25
5	Offshore	15	1	3	3	22
6	Queen Victoria	16	1	1	1	19
7	Nervous Wreck	13	1	1	3	18
8	Shagwell Mansion	14	1	1	1	17
Results:  Cheers 106 v 100 Rest Stop, The Londoner 106 v 106 Palmers, Nervous Wreck 100 v 96 Shagwell Mansion, Queen Victoria 90 v 102 Offshore

Kelly’s 66 takes medal win at Green Valley

PSC golf from The Outback Golf Bar

Monday, Oct. 29, Burapha C & D - Stableford
A good turnout of 28 players here at Burapha for the last round of the low season for the regular Monday slot with the Outback, this month will see the rates go up 400 baht. We were back on the C loop for the first time for a few months, with its regular sparring partner D loop, which was played as usual from the white tees.

Paul Kelly (left) is presented with his medal trophy by the sponsor, Greg Hirst of DeVere.

Our Albany visitors’ holiday was at an end but not before three of them found their way on to the Div A podium; as Nev Meyers won with 39pts, with brother Jeff in third on 35 and Dave Ash in fourth with 34; only Paul Bourke from the regulars, found his game to take second place with 37.
Div B was a slightly different story, as ex Burapha member, John O’Keefe won with 38pts; from visitors Chris Thompson & Paul Pedelty both on 36 and Andrew Makara (34) heading a five-way count back to take the last place.
Welcome back to Stuart Tinkler & Steve Durey and also to John Murray, having a hit with us for the first time.
There were two ‘2’s from Rosco & Jim Brackett.
Div A (0-14)
1st Neville Meyers (11) 39pts
2nd Paul Bourke (9) 37pts
3rd Jeff Meyers (9) 35pts
4th Dave Ash (10) 34pts
Div B (15+)
1st John O’ Keefe (15) 38pts
2nd Chris Thompson (24) 36pts
3rd Paul Pedelty (15) 36pts
4th Andrew Makara (29) 34pts
Monday, Oct. 29, Khao Kheow B & A - Stableford
Only 7 Outbackers went to Khao Kheow after a timesheet mix up and they took on the B and A courses from the yellow markers on a great day for golf; sunny and very little breeze.
The course itself has improved a lot since I played it 12 months ago and the greens are very close to their best and will be in a couple of weeks. The fairways have undergone major renovations and unfortunately have not got any growth in them yet and therefore the ball sits down, in a bad lie or a muddy lie and I will be recommending ‘lift, clean and place’ for the foreseeable future.
It was great to return and see all the work that KK are doing and it is still one of the best in Pattaya and just a great test of golf.
Only one player managed to beat the course with Chris Playforth scoring 40 points off his 13 handicap and Chris also had the only ‘2’ for the day.
1st Chris Playforth (12) 40pts
2nd Stephen Mann (8) 30pts
3rd Anton Rowbottam (19) 28pts
Tuesday, Oct. 30, Pattaya C.C. - Stableford
With 13 players today, this is the last time the Outback will be playing the front nine twice as on Thursday (1st Nov) the newly renovated back nine re-opens. Nobody really knows what to expect but by a few reports, it does seem as it maybe a little early?
There were no real surprises with the scoring as the regulars rose to the top again, Geoff Moodie beating playing partner Chad on count back, both with 35pts; but in an encounter which was probably much more important to Chad, he beat John Lawton!
There was one ‘2’ from Ian Covill.
1st Geoff Moodie (26) 35pts
2nd Barry Chadbourn (19) 35pts
3rd Campbell Potts (16) 34pts
Tuesday, Oct. 30, Laem Chabang - Stableford
Twenty four players to Laem Chabang for our last game of the low season, so no more Laem Chabang until April next year, which is a pity as the course has nearly returned to its usual great condition.
We played B and C and the course was very heavily booked so the round was completed in just over four and half hours, not too bad considering the number of players on the course. The course itself varied a little from B to C as C greens had been lightly sanded but putting was like putting on a skating rink, very fast and not always true. The rest of the course was in great condition and even the rough was playable. Hot sunny day and some players wilted towards the end.
Congratulations to the Laem Chabang staff, especially the starters who did a great job and the marshalls who kept the course flowing.
Andre Coetzee put a good round together to score 38pts, beating Jim Brackett who shot 36pts, both having the same gross of 77, to take the first two places in Div A. The handicapper is finally catching up with Chris Playforth who also posted another good score to take third place (losing on count back) in Div A.
Div B was won by Paul Kelly (38pts), who is at last playing some good golf and in second was the departing, Ed Turner on 33.
There were three ‘2’s from Rick Forrest, Anton Rowbottam & Andre Coetzee.
Div A (0-14)
1st Andre Coetzee (7) 38pts
2nd James Brackett (5) 36pts
3rd Chris Playforth (11) 36pts
Div B (15+)
1st Paul Kelly (25) 38pts
2nd Ed Turner (17) 33pts
3rd Paul Pedelty (15) 32pts
Wednesday, Oct. 31, Siam Plantation A & C – Stableford
Twenty players for our outing to Siam Plantation (A & C) and this course is proving very popular with visitors and locals alike and if you want to play, get your name down early as spots are strictly limited. Call into the Outback - have a meal or a drink and you can buy a voucher to play this marvellous course.
Great day on a great golf course and as usual presented in fantastic condition; staff and caddies are all top class and they make sure all players have an enjoyable experience.
One division for the day plus the ‘2’s and Andre Coetzee continued his great golf with 38 points off his 7 handicap, to win the division on a count back from his playing partner Ian Bell, also on a 7 handicap. In third was Bob Maloney with 37 points from Mike Quill on 36, who beat Neil herd also on a count back.
There were three ‘2’s to Neil Bramley and Bob Maloney on hole 3 on Sugar Cane and Andre Coetzee on hole 6 on Sugar Cane
1st Andre Coetzee (7) 38pts
2nd Ian Bell (7) 38pts
3rd Bob Maloney (13) 37pts
Thursday, Nov. 1, Pattaya C.C. - Stableford
Twenty-nine Outbackers made their way to the local Pattaya Country Club – which The Outback has supported for the past four years – for the first day when all 18 holes would be open following seven months of refurbishing the back 9.
Sadly the general feeling was that it had re-opened too early. On closer inspection, some of the holes had been altered; bunkers added, greens flattened and shape and size changed but the management had clearly forgotten one thing in their rush to open up; it takes time for grass to grow – as a result, many of the holes were ‘tatty’ with much patchwork that clearly had not worked, and generally lacked TLC. New sand has been put in the bunkers (and left unraked) but it is unlike any sand seen before – maybe time will tell.
The fairways in places showed signs of some improvement but if you missed the green bit down the middle it was all too easy to find yourself playing off dirt where the grass will never have a chance to grow properly. The greens on this new nine were sandy, bumpy with little grass giving no roll, which is reflected in the scores.
Also on the re-opened back 9 it was carts on paths only – which will mean some of the regular players will not be able to play – that together with unrealistic green fees, increased prices at the drink stops (up 25%) with two not open and also in the restaurant – all may well discourage players returning for quite some time.
With 29 players divisions it was 2 divisions plus ‘2’s.
In Division A, count back was used to determine the first two places with both Sugar Ray Handford and Mike Coleman each having 34 points, with Sugar winning having the better back 9. It was also count back for third and fourth between Pottsy, aka Campbell Potts and Turnip, aka Dennis Persson, both on 33 with Pottsy securing 3rd place.
In Division B, 33 points was the winning score for Dave Earthrowl, followed by Colin Jones in second with 30 points and Ken Davidson third with 29 points. The final place went to PCC member Geoff Moodie with 28 points.
There were two ‘2’s from Paul Bourke & Dennis Persson.
Div A (0-19)
1st Sugar Ray Handford (17) 34pts
2nd Michael Coleman (17) 34pts
3rd Campbell Potts (16) 33pts
4th Dennis Persson (18) 33pts
Div B (20+)
1st David Earthrowl (21) 33pts
2nd Colin Jones (20) 30pts
3rd Ken Davidson (20) 29pts
4th Geoff Moodie (26) 28pts
Friday, Nov. 2, Green Valley – Medal
Thirty-five players turned out for the Monthly Medal at Green Valley on a perfect day for golf, sunny with a light breeze. The course was again in good condition with great fairways and tees and the greens were consistent throughout. The pace of play was a little slow but that’s to be expected on a medal day.
The condition of the course and the great weather contributed to the good scores and the winners of the divisions all shot in the 60’s, with Division 3 winner being Don Lehmer who shot 69 net off his 20 handicap. Division 2 winner was Paul Rodgers who shot 68 net and beat Eddy Beilby on a count back, while Division 1 winner was Chris Playforth who continued his great form to shoot 69 net, but the DeVere Monthly Medal went to Paul Kelly with a great score of net 66. The Low Gross award went to Paul Greenaway with a gross 79, beating his playing partner Ian Heddle on a count back.
Only four ‘2’s for the day with Peter LeNoury on hole 12, Paul Greenaway on hole 16, Paul Rodgers on hole 9 and Eddy Beilby eagled hole 7.
Monthly Medal
1st Paul Kelly (25) net 66
Div A (0-13)
1st Chris Playforth (11) net 69
2nd Paul Greenaway (7) net 72
3rd Stephen Mann (8) net 73
Div B (14–18)
1st Paul Rodgers (17) net 68
2nd Eddy Beilby (18) net 68
3rd Barry McIntosh (17) net 71
Div C (19+)
1st Don Lehmer (20) net 69
2nd Suzi Lawton (19) net 71
3rd Ian Hart (19) net 71
Note: The Outback Golf Bar is situated about 6km from Sukhumvit Road along Soi Siam Country. All are welcome to come and join us for a beer and a hit. Just call in and put your name down on the list or give Jack a call on 087 941 2474.

Scribe scores successive wins

PSC golf from Tropical Bert’s

Derek Brook
Wednesday, Oct. 31, Burapha – Stableford
Long time no see this course. We generally have not visited for some time but with the last day of the ‘low season’ upon us we thought we would treat ourselves with a really good course before the rates went through the roof. And I am informed they will.

Max (left) presents the MBMG Golfer of the Month award to Brian Parish

So we booked in and an early tee time was our prize, mind, as the course is close we could leave only a little early. We had a good group go there and we were soon booked in and out to the cart area. As all players must use a cart we were sure to get around quickly, we hoped, as we noticed the course was packed. However the test for the day was to be the C & D Nines, a lot different than the other two, and really the more difficult 18 holes.
Off we went and we noticed the fairways were reasonable, however the ball did pick up mud, and the rough was somewhere you did not want to be. You also did not want to be in the bunkers as the sand was deep and to even get out was really difficult, indeed I saw really good sand players needing to smoke a Hamlet.
However the greens were generally good and I have to admit that after weeks of playing badly, for some reason I was inspired by an enjoyable round and shot my best round for months. But would it be good enough? So after a reasonably swift round it was into the showers and into the restaurant.
A quick return to Bert’s saw us back early for a change and we had time to breathe and have a cold one and a bite to eat, then into the results. In the A Flight, 0 to 18, the scribe held on, so the winner with a fine 43 points was Derek Brook ahead of Brian Parish with 39 points in second and Mashi Kanata in third with 38 points.
In the B Flight the scores were not as good with Barry Oats winning with 36 points ahead of Daryl Evans in second with 34 points and Graham Buckingham in third with 33 points.
This was also the MBMG Group Golfer of the Month, and after many recounts the winner was Brian Parish, well done Brian. We then had time to reflect on a great day.
Near Pins: Henry Wong, Johnny Guarnes, Jim Larsen, Brian Gabe

Double winner Derek Brook with two of ‘Bert’s finest’.

Friday, Nov. 2, The Emerald – Stableford
With the Friday leader still not well, it fell to the scribe to step into the gap, ably assisted by, and thanks to Daryl Evans. This being the first day out of the ‘high season’ it was interesting to see how the course was and how many groups were playing. So quite surprisingly off we went with a little reduced group as some seem to be awaiting the great price rise. Mind, the normal escapees from Pattaya were seen to be present and I wondered how many would make their way back to Bert’s after the game.
We were able to get to the tee a bit early and the starter took a look and got us underway. The course is drying up nicely, so we were allowed carts, but there are still areas where it remains soggy and there is not much run on the ball.
The course being so difficult, in that humps and hollows mean you very rarely get a level lie, means that you have to be on your game to come in with a good score. There are also the greens which are often way above the approach and are usually long and, in good condition on this day though. Some people love the course and on this day it provided a fine walk around.
The scribe after his good round on Wednesday wondered if he could keep up his good form and despite some really amazingly bad shots he recovered well. So we would see how the rest played and most reports were of a very mediocre day, indeed on first report there was hope for me yet.
Back at Bert’s nice and early, we were a small group, and as some trickled in others disappeared. The winner of the single flight with 41 points was the scribe, playing off his highest handicap for years (obviously a matter that will be rectified shortly) Bob Watson took second with 37 points ahead of Henry Wong in third with 32 and in fourth was Mick Coghlan with 31 points.
So with the second win in three days it was time for the scribe to buy a drink for the golfers, fortunately with so few there it was a cheap round. T.T.F.N.
Near Pins: Randy, Landis Brooks, Derek Brook

Women on top for second outing in a row

PSC golf from the Blue Moose Sports Bar

Oiy St. Laurent (left) with Gay.

Wednesday, Oct. 31, Green Valley – Stableford
Three groups took off to play with the Blue Moose on Wednesday at the Green Valley golf course for the monthly trophy. We had a foursome of women playing which produced the winner as Oiy St. Laurent came in first with 33 points, beating out Arnold Van DeGraaf on count back. Arnold seems to be continuing his bridesmaid role. Joe St. Laurent once again was beaten by his wife and came in third with 32 points.
Nang Glavina, playing her first round of golf, took closest to the pin on the 12th hole and Arnold won near pin on the 4th hole.
The golfers returned to the Blue Moose for some roast pork and beef for a Halloween celebration with the staff of witches. Fun was had by all.

Allidi stars at Eastern Star

PSC Golf from The Growling Swan

Paul Quinn, Duangjai Tusagad & Mike Allidi.

Peter Blackburn
Monday, Oct. 29, Eastern Star – Stableford
Even though we had two “no shows” we were still left with our best ever field of 30 golfers eager to tackle the challenging Eastern Star Golf Course. They started to arrive at The Growling Swan nice & early and we were very happy to welcome Pattaya Sports Club President, Tony Oakes who was keen to have another game with us. Also Bob Akapita back for another week’s R & R from his work in Gove in the Northern Territory of Australia and also once more another good friend, Paul Sharples from his work in Oman.
It was terrific to see Jean Claude Lhoste from France back in Pattaya for several months and electing to play golf with us. We also had a contingent of newcomers from Geraldton in Western Australia who are in Thailand for a golfing holiday and we welcomed Greg Hill (now residing in Pattaya), Mark Rossiter, Ian Jones, Mike Quill, John Lee, Neil Herd & Paul Kelly. We wished Bon Voyage to Geoff “2 corsets number 2” Bracegirdle who was returning to Perth, Western Australia in a few days time.
After waiting several minutes for one of the “no shows” we finally departed the GS five minutes later than scheduled at 8.35 am and with the Monday morning traffic not too bad on Sukhumvit South we arrived at Eastern Star in just 41 minutes and the course did not appear too busy. The weather was fine but hot and our first four-ball teed off ten minutes ahead of schedule at 9.55 am.
The golf course was in very good condition with greens that were firm & true and at times fairly slick and there were very few areas that were still suffering from the recent heavy rain. We managed to complete our first nine holes in a little over two hours and after a quick drink stop at the halfway mark proceeded at a leisurely pace, somewhat slower as the sun was now beating down and humidity was quite high. We were all walking, so I for one was certainly a bit slower than normal but we managed to complete the round in four hours & fifteen minutes after enjoying the game and the company.
As the scores indicated the golf course was the winner on the day with just one golfer playing to his handicap.
With the excellent field we were able to have, for the first time 3 grades with four podium spots in each. A Grade was for handicaps 0 to 14, B Grade for 15 to 22 and C Grade for 23 and over. We had nearest the pins on all the par threes and longest first putts on the 9th & 18th which were collectively sponsored by The Growling Swan, Bob Akapita, Geoff Bracegirdle, Paul Kelly, Mark Rossiter & Roy Dayton. Many thanks to these golfers for their generosity.
Two handicapper Mike Allidi once more showed the way and his gross 73 gave him 37 points which enabled him to win the A Grade by two points from Mark Rossiter in second place. Tony Oakes finished in third place with 32 points and John Pierrel (13 point back nine) was fourth on a count back from Mike “Hunter” Gosden (12 point back nine), both having 27 points.
The B Grade was won on a count back by Paul Quinn (16 point back nine) from Alain “Inspector Clouseou” Taddei (14 point back nine) in second spot with both scoring 32 points. Another count back was required to decide third & fourth places with Greg Hill (16 point back nine) beating Geoff “two corsets number two” Bracegirdle (14 point back nine), both having 29 points.
In C Grade it was Kae who was victorious with 34 points and veteran Kevin Dinan finished second with 32 points. In third place came Graham “Grunter” Buckingham on 28 points and Max “two corsets number one” Bracegirdle finished in fourth place with 24 points.

Roy Dayton, Peter Grey & John Pierrel

A Flight (0-14)
1st Mike Allidi (2) 37pts
2nd Mark Rossiter (14) 35pts
3rd Tony Oakes (11) 32pts
4th John Pierrel (12) 27pts
B Flight (15-22)
1st Paul Quinn (18) 32pts
2nd Alain Taddei (18) 32pts
3rd Greg Hill (17) 29pts
4th Geoff Bracegirdle (18) 29pts
C Flight (23+)
1st Duangjai Tusagad (33) 34pts
2nd Kevin Dinan (27) 32pts
3rd Graham Buckingham (24) 28pts
4th Max Bracegirdle (28) 24pts
Near Pins: 3rd – Piet Andersen, 6th – Mike Gosden, 17th – Mike Allidi
Long Putts: 9th – Mike Allidi, 18th – Paul Quinn
The Growling Swan NAGA Award, (awarded to the golfer who has the worst score on the day) was narrowly won on this occasion by Sandy “leaperfrog” Leiper and as is usual for him he accepted the award in fine spirit.
Thursday, Nov. 1, Plutaluang E & S – Stableford
Yet again we had a great turnout with our group of 28 after a couple of late withdrawals due to illness. The weather was terrific once more as we assembled at The Growling Swan to prepare for our drive to Plutaluang after not playing there for a few months.
There were many new arrivals and we were happy to welcome back Michael Catillon from France and local boys Ken Cornwall & Scott Leszynsky. Also newcomers Jorn Hansen from Denmark, Randy Lodinger from Texas, USA and Aussie Eddie Kost, now residing in Bangkok & Pattaya.
Sadly we were saying farewell to Ernie Picken who is returning to Melbourne, Australia and good friend Bob Akapita who is returning to his job in Gove in the Northern Territory of Australia.
We managed to depart the GS a couple of minutes earlier than our scheduled 8.30 am in three mini vans and after 43 minutes arrived at the course where there seemed to be plenty of activity. It appeared that all four nines were open and we were allocated the East & South nines where there was only one group ready to tee off in front of us. We managed to get our first group away 15 minutes early at 9.45 am and in superb weather conditions we proceeded at a good pace.
The course was in excellent shape with understandably a few soggy areas due to recent and overnight rains but it was good to be back at Plutaluang although most of us were finding it tough, as the scores indicated later. The greens of course were in direct contrast to what we had been playing on over the past few months with their traditional “slowness” but this certainly did not detract from the attraction of the golf course.
As mentioned earlier the weather was perfect and not too hot and we completed our first nine, East in two hours & ten minutes. We slowed down a bit on the second nine, South, and that was partly due to the necessity to look for straying golf balls (mostly mine) but we managed to complete the full eighteen in four hours & twenty minutes which included a couple of drink breaks. It was a very enjoyable round with very good company and a struggle for most with just one of the field of 28 playing to their handicap or better.
With the very good field we were able to have 2 grades with six podium spots in each. A Grade was for handicaps 0 to 18 & B Grade for 19 and over. We had nearest the pins on all the par threes and longest first putts on E9 & S9 which were collectively sponsored by The Growling Swan, Bob Akapita, Bernie McCart, Brendan Byrne, Eddy Kost & Mozart Bronze. Many thanks to these golfers for their generosity.
There was a clear winner on the day with the consistent John Pierrel taking out the A Grade prize with a great 37 points, 6 shots ahead of yours truly in second place. In a count back for third & fourth places it was Mike Allidi (16 point back nine, 12 points on the last 6 holes) who finished just ahead of Bob Akapita (16 point back nine, 9 points on the last 6 holes) with both having 30 points. Kiwi Lindsay Fry finished in fifth place with 29 points and in another count back it was Paul Hack (13 point back nine) who finished sixth from Randy Lodinger (11 point back nine), both having 28 points.
In the B Grade the winner was Roy Dayton with 34 points from Dick “Reverend” Braimbridge who finished second with 33 points. Veteran Kevin Dinan was third with 32 points just 1 shot ahead of his Irish mate Brendan Byrne in fourth spot. J C Lhoste was fifth on 30 points and the colorful Bjarne Kjaer rounded off the podium in sixth place with 27 points.
A Flight (0-18)
1st John Pierrel (12) 37pts
2nd Peter Blackburn (11) 31pts
3rd Mike Allidi (2) 30pts
4th Bob Akapita (12) 30pts
5th Lindsay Fry (9) 29pts
6th Paul Hack (11) 28pts
B Flight (19+)
1st Roy Dayton (22) 34pts
2nd Dick Braimbridge (36) 33pts
3rd Kevin Dinan (27) 32pts
4th Brendan Byrne (22) 31pts
5th J C Lhoste (23) 30pts
6th Bjarne Kjaer (19) 27pts
Near Pins: E2 – Ebrahim, E5 – Kevin Dinan, S4 – Kevin Dinan, S7 – Mike Allidi
Long Putts: E9 – John Pierrel, S9 – Kae
The NAGA Award was presented to Growling Swan Delinquents Skipper and mine host Peter Grey and as is usual for him he accepted the award in fine spirit. Peter wore the NAGA cap for a while but he did discard it, complaining about it giving him a headache. It was suggested that this was unlikely as he should be used to wearing it by now!
Note: Growling Swan Golf welcomes golfers of any persuasion – low & high handicappers alike, female golfers and beginners. We generally play Mondays & Thursdays, meeting at The Growling Swan (formerly The Bunker Bar) in Soi Chaiyapoon at 8.00 am with transport departing at 8.30 am. For bookings or more information please contact Peter on 0806 351 386 or email to [email protected].

No mistakes for Dave this Sunday

PSC golf from Lewiinski’s Golf Society

Sunday, Oct. 28, Green Valley – Green Valley
A Flight
1st Matt Doyle (14) 40pts
2nd Jay Burns (1) 37pts
Mark Rossiter (14) 37pts
B Flight
1st Dave Driscoll (15) 42pts
2nd Colin Davis (17) 38pts
3rd Jez Lees (19) 37pts
Near Pins: No 4 Paul Hack No 9 Jim Brackett No 12 Yui Andy Byrne No 16 Yui Bietry
It wasn’t going to take long to justify the ‘Title Guy’ this week as Dave ‘the fisherman’ Driscoll was man of the match with 42 points playing off his old 15 handicap. This feat was accomplished with two no-scoring holes on his card and it also made amends for the previous Sunday’s disappointment.

Matt Doyle.

That flight winning score was 4 strokes clear of ‘the Donkey’ and a further stroke clear of the duo of Jez ‘the Principal’ and Norman Cheetham. Jez’s maths added up the better in the following count back so Norman only got the knowledge that he nearly made the podium.
Matt ‘Dillon’ Doyle (O-G) continued a dominance he has enjoyed since his arrival as his A Flight 40 points were three clear of the trio of Jay Burns, Mark Rossiter and Aussie Paul Hack. Jay Burns had the best of the count back while Mark Rossiter contributed moderately to the Land of Smiles when he landed third. Poor Paul Hack went the same way as Norman in B Flight.
Jay Burns a pair and six others shared the 2,s pot.
Tuesday, Oct. 30, Greenwood A & B - Stableford
1st Matt Cronin (14) 36pts
2nd Jim Bell (15) 36pts
3rd Matt Doyle (14) 36pts
This is another track where anything close to your handicap usually gives you a shout. Today saw three players do just that. The Irish pair of Matt Cronin, Matt ‘Dillon’ Doyle and Aussi Jimmy ‘AK47’ Bell in an even par count back. Matt Cronin took the top spot on the podium, Matt Dillon took the bronze and Jimmy ‘ak47’ was sandwiched in between with the silver.
Matt Cronin and Jim split the ‘2’s pot along with Kevin you know who.

Wednesday, Oct. 31, Burapha C & D – Stableford
A Flight
1st Jimmy Day (18) 35pts
2nd Francis Goyons (8) 34pts
3rd Colm Mullen (16) 33pts
B Flight
1st Jim Elphick (25) 37pts
2nd Peter Henshaw (21) 26pts
3rd Johnny Larson (22) 35pts

Andy Byrne.

Ah beware the flower children. How synergistic that Jimmy ‘the good Captain’ Day and Jimmy ‘2 shots’ Elphick should both grab gold in their respective flights on the same day. Jimmy Day took the A Flight honours (what Jimmy in A Flight? Well I never). Indeed it was as his solid 35 points bettered Francis Goyons by a single digit. Colm ‘the right honorable’ Mullen, Matt O-G Doyle, Monsieur Thierry Petrement and Kevin O-G McEntee were tangled up on 33pionts, when the dust had settled it was Colm who emerged the victor as he sent the C. Offaly and Thierry home satangless. Well not quite, Kevin and Matt did grad a share of the ‘2’s pot.
B Flight provided the man of the match as Jimmy ‘two shots’ Elphick was the only player to better par with a very satisfactory 37 points. Peter ‘Don O’corleone’ Henshaw and Johnny Larson followed Jimmy up the podium steps in that order. Peter coming up a shot short as Johnny was a further shot back
Sharing the ‘2’s pot with the Co. Offaly gang were Jimmy Day, Mike Jeffreys, Serge Straeten and Pierre Bietry.
Lewiinski’s welcomed back Sean Soden and Reg McKay.
Friday, Nov. 2, Mt. Shadow - Stableford
A Flight
1st Andrew Byrne (8) 37pts
2nd Kevin McEntee (7) 34pts
3rd JP Maffray (12) 33pts
B Flight
1st Jimmy Day (18) 39pts
22d Rod Brown (18) 34pts
3rd Colin Davis (17) 30pts
C Flight
1st Peter Henshaw (21) 30pts
2nd Bill Peach (22) 28pts
3rd Sean Soden (23) 28pts
In a span of 48 hours Ireland’s Jimmy ‘good’ Day went from a hard working guy who deserved anything that came his way - to a no good, sandbagging, @%&#%^, son of a $@#%&, etc. Ah, God bless Pattaya! The important thing is Jimmy showed he is tending to play better. Well he better because that new handicap will require it.
Aussie Rod Brown, who is always around the lead, was 5 strokes in arrears. Colin ‘the Donkey’ Davis was nine shots back as he pocketed the B Flight balance.
In A Flight the Co. Offaly gang came good as Andy Byrne took the top rung with 37 points, closely followed by the gang leader Kevin ‘you know who’ McEntee on 34 points. J-P Maffray closed the flight a shot back of Kevin.
Skipping down to C Flight saw Peter ‘Don Corleone’ Henshaw complete a trio of firsts for the Irish boys with a very steady 30 points. But the luck of the Irish ran out in a count back for the minor places as England’s Bill Peach edged Sean ‘the wee one’ Soden for the silver.
Tore Eliassen, Terry Smith, Christy Knight and Mick Robertson split the 2’s pot.
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 or call Colin on 089 826 0764. Transport is provided.

Marion secures maiden win at Greenwood

PSC golf Bunker Boys @ The Ranch

Monday, Oct. 29, Easter Star – Stableford
The high season must have arrived since we had 5 groups today, and hence two flights, for the first time since April.

Marion Melia celebrates her “maiden” victory with Gordon.

The course was in dry and generally good shape, but the rough has been allowed to grow excessively during the recent wet weather. It was immediately obvious that there was going to be a lot of ball searching for those golfers unlucky enough to stray off the fairways. Neil Hurst was one of the unlucky ones on the first hole, hitting a fine second shot just to the left of the green, only to lose the ball in the dense rough – not the best way to start a round!
All the groups progressed reasonably smoothly until our first group arrived at the par three 13th hole only to find 3 groups from the Grinding Halt golf society waiting there – how does that happen?
Geoff Parker was the winner on the day with a modest 34 points, whilst Neil Griffin took the honours in the B Flight. Geoff’s points gained for the win were enough to secure the October Golfer of the Month title with one game remaining.
A Flight
1st Geoff Parker (13) 34pts
2nd Tony Robbins (12) 32pts
3rd Lee Butler (13) 32pts
B Flight
1st Neil Griffin (28) 33pts
2nd PJ Redmond (23) 29pts
3rd Paul Edgar (18) 27pts
Near Pins: Dave Ashman, Lee Butler, Neil Griffin and Mashi Kaneta.
Wednesday, Oct. 31, Green Valley – Stableford
We welcomed the return today of annual visitors Stuart Tinkler, Ken Davidson, and Keith Norman, and with several other regulars due in the next few days we’ll soon be approaching our normal high season compliment of golfers.
The sky was overcast as we tee’d off, but no rain was forthcoming and we completed the round in near perfect conditions, albeit with a stiff breeze at times. The Green Valley course has survived the rainy season in better shape than most in the area, although today the greens were a little slower than usual.
All in all the conditions were ideal for somebody to produce a good score and Dave Keats duly obliged by carding his best score for quite some time. Tony Robbins came in second place, thereby cementing his position as runner-up in the Golfer of the Month contest – but sorry Tony, no prizes for second place. With 16 golfers today there were prizes for third and fourth places with Geoff Parker edging out Mike Johns on the count back.
1st Dave Keats (30) 38pts
2nd Tony Robbins (12) 35pts
3rd Geoff Parker (13) 33pts
4th Mike Johns (16) 33pts
Near Pins: Bernie Stevens, Neil Hurst, and Geoff Parker (2).
Friday, Nov. 2, Greenwood C & B – Stableford
A minor hassle with transport today as we found ourselves short of drivers for the first time in recent memory. Everything was sorted out eventually, and with the assistance of a local taxi company, and we set off up the 331 in bright sunny weather.
The course was in good condition and we tee’d off without delay for what was to prove an enjoyable day for all, on one of our favourite courses.
We were welcoming back Marion Melia for her annual visit, and she promptly repaid our welcome by running away with the top prize on her first game back! It seems like there’s been a lot of practicing going on back in the U.K. over the summer – but it’s a pity she didn’t take husband Gordon along to practice his putting! There was a 3-way tie for second place with Paul Smith winning the count back ahead of Tony Robbins and the resurgent Paul Edgar.
A special mention is due for Roger Mitchell who picked up his first near pin prize of the year.
1st Marion Melia (23) 35pts
2nd Paul Smith (3) 34pts
3rd Tony Robbins (12) 34pts
4th Paul Edgar (17) 34pts
Near Pins: Paul Smith, Roger Mitchell and Paul Edgar.
Note: The Bunker Boys are a PSC affiliated golf society, who now play out of The Ranch bar on Pattaya 3rd Road (in front of the fire station, and almost opposite the Buffalo Bar). We play three times per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, so if you enjoy a fun day out, and a friendly but competitive golf competition why not come and join us.
We meet at The Ranch at 9 a.m. for breakfast and transportation, and new players are always welcome. Contact Buff on 086 046 5091 or 080 605 5663 for all enquiries. You can find all the news, schedules and results on our website at www.bunkersociety.com.
John Preddy Charity Golf Tournament
The annual John Preddy Charity Golf Tournament will be held on Friday 23rd November 2012, at Mountain Shadow G.C. This year’s tournament has received many new sponsors and all proceeds will be donated to the Anti-Human Trafficking and Child Abuse Centre (A.T.T.C.) in Nongprue.
With the help of our new sponsors, there’ll be great trophies, prizes, food and a lucky draw. We’re hoping that this year’s tournament will reunite many old members of the Bunker Boys, and the team event will be particularly keenly contested, including teams from different bars and societies from all over Pattaya.
Entry Fee 1,700 baht per player, contact Buff at the address above for more details and registration. Tee times are filling up quickly so please book early to avoid disappointment.

Yasuo and Shuichi claim the Medals

IPGC golf from The Haven

Monday, Oct. 22, Greenwood - Stableford
CSS 72
1st Erik Donnestad (4) 35pts
2nd Joe McArdle (14) 34pts
3rd Shuichi Kodaka (16) 34pts
4th Barry Wellings (5) 33pts
5th Eugene Woods (9) 32pts
6th Wayne Waywood (16) 31pts

Shuichi Kodaka.

At last the weather looks as if it has changed for the better and is here to stay except for the odd shower or two and as always the courses are back in great shape (seemingly almost overnight) and the scores are starting to reflect that fact.
Erik Donnestad at last began to show some form after a couple of weeks of hard times with a one over handicap gross 78 which was just enough to slip into first place by a point from a close tussle for second between Joe McArdle and Shuichi Kodaka, which Joe won with a better 11 to 10 over the last six after they had tied the back nine at 16 apiece and Shuichi added in a couple of doubles in the last three holes.
Barry Wellings took fourth spot one further back as new member Eugene Woods started very slowly with a front half that included two triples for zero points on shot holes but just stayed ahead of Wayne Waywood, who was unable to keep the good form that he had shown on a trip away with another group.

Yasuo Suzuki.
Erik Donnestad and Joe McArdle shared the first division 2’s pool while Ole Stamnes and Shuichi Kodaka did the same in the second division.
Before the presentation of the prizes there were welcomes for Todd Pahl and Eugene Woods and welcome backs for Johannes Murken, Barry Wellings and Don Everett.
 

Wednesday, Oct. 24, The Emerald - Stableford
CSS 72
1st Shuichi Kodaka (16) 41pts
2nd Jim Lloyd (29) 39pts
3rd Yasuo Suzuki (13) 38pts
4th Phillip Cass (20) 32pts
5th Ole Stamnes (26) 32pts
As always the competition at Emerald was played under the local ‘lift and place rule’ in the fairways as the condition and abundance of the broad leaf grass leaves very few fair lies after a drive down the middle.
This no doubt helped some of the players, as the points scoring spiraled to heights not seen for some weeks, with Shuichi Kodaka taking full advantage to record his best score in over two and a half years of playing in Thailand, even although he has been found regularly amongst the winners recently.
Jim Lloyd was a close second as he put in a special round that was his first under 100 in Thailand and was disappointed that Vincent, one of his regular playing partners both here and back home in Oz, had been unable to witness the event but hopes that he will believe it when he reads this report.
Yasuo Suzuki was showing off a bit to the rest of his group as well as taking a few extra yen as he slipped into third place with a two under handicap round that proved to be the last of the good scores for the day.
Phillip Cass had the best of a count back with Ole Stamnes winning fourth with a stronger back nine after Ole had looked like a possible winner after the front nine after carding twenty points but sadly faded badly over the last six holes.
There were no 2’s in the first division but Shuichi Kodaka added to his day’s collection with the only one in the second division.
Prior to the presentations there were welcome backs for Phillip Cass, Mike Hill, and “Yahikayu Tours” made up of Hideo Akiyama, Kaneo Watanabe and Yukio Kikuchi, led as usual by their intrepid leader and guide Yasuo Suzuki.
There was also a fond farewell for Trevor Schirmer who was returning to Oz for remedial work on his knee and is expected to return in full health in around three to four weeks time.
Friday, Oct. 26, Phoenix - Monthly Medals
Division 1 (Blue tees)
CSS 74
1st Yasuo Suzuki (13) net 76
2nd David Lowe (7) net 76
3rd Peter Sumner (7) net 76
Division 2 (White tees)
CSS 72
1st Shuichi Kodaka (16) net 73
2nd Karl Flood (16) net 73
3rd Yukio Kikuchi (19) net 76
Once again Phoenix’s Mountain and Ocean courses were found to be in tip top condition with greens that were both flat and fast and the final scores on the day were affected by the competitions being medal stroke play rather than the courses.
Yasuo Suzuki became the eleventh different player to win a first division medal in the current series to join the other ten hopefuls lined up for the Gold and Silver Medals to be played for in December. His score of four over par and two over the CSS of the day was better than it appeared at first glance; with many single figure handicappers in contention he finished the last six holes in one over gross to ensure that he won the count back by two. This came after an almost disastrous start that saw him accumulate a double, a triple, a quadruple and then a single bogey on the first four holes, he then miraculously pulled it all back together to win his only his second medal in ten years of trying with a back nine of 34.5.
David Lowe took second place after winning the count back over Peter Sumner with a better 23.7 over the last six after they had tied the nine at 36.5 apiece and was disappointed not to have won the medal itself after taking a triple bogey on the par five ninth on Ocean to finish.
In the second division Shuichi Kodaka rounded off a very good week with another win to join the elite group vying for the Gold Medal in that division and now looks forward to the coming weeks competitions following a two shot cut in handicap for the week. He needed to win a count back over Karl Flood, which he did with a better 33 to 39 even taking a double on the last.
Karl was left with second place after he had started very brightly and was well placed at two under after ten but faded a little towards the end and had to settle for just missing out.
Yukio Kikuchi also started very well but finished the back nine seven worse than the front to take third place.
There were no 2’s in the first division but Phillip Cass scored the lone one in the second division to sweep the pool.
Back at the Haven there was a welcome for new member J.C. Gideon and welcome backs for Peter Sumner and Karl Flood together with a farewell for Phillip Cass.
Note: If you would like to play with The Haven group, you can contact mobile 082 219 0965 or call in to The Haven Hotel, at 185 Soi 13, between Beach Road and 2nd Road. 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 Monday, Wednesday, and Friday on the days you wish to play. A schedule of courses to be played can be found on our web site at www.thehaven-hotel.com.

‘Roachie’ takes Monthly Medal

PSC golf from The Golf Club

Treasure Hill winner - Dale ‘Gangnam Style’ Shier.

Steve Ellison
Monday, Oct. 29, Green Valley (White tees) – Monthly Medal
A Flight
1st Kyle Roadley (6) net 69
2nd John Emmerson (11) net 69
B Flight
1st Serge Straeten (18) net 72
2nd Joe Mooneyham (14) net 73
It was a strong field today as 36 golfers took on the challenge of the TGC Monthly Medal for October at the beautiful venue of Rayong Green Valley.
Our Melbourne buddy Kyle Roadley has been a great friend and supporter of our little enterprise here at The Golf Club since we opened our doors over 5 years ago. Back then, we had bare walls and no budget to do much about it. Kyle is better known to his friends as “Roachie” (for reasons we will not go into here) and has been a PGA tour caddy for yonks.
He saw our situation, and of his own accord went out and got us signed hats, signed pin flags from the golf major tournaments and whatever else we needed to create the intimate and cozy atmosphere that we now have. That’s the kind of guy he is, and he does it time and time again.
Roachie was caddy to Marcel Siem until he broke his collarbone at his 5th Charity Caddy Cricket Classic at Wentworth earlier this year.
Roachie is a great mate, but like most tour caddies, does not have much time to play golf himself. After returning from his recent foray in Europe bagging for Richard Finch, he signed up for today’s Monthly Medal to get out and have a good stretch and ended up shooting 3 strokes better than normal to walk away with a win, for himself this time, of the coveted Gold Star! OK, it’s probably not the most treasured award he has had bestowed upon himself, but we sure had a good time helping him celebrate the occasion! Hey, what are mates for if you can’t help them with a future hangover? Goodonya mate!
In the B Flight, our jovial Parisian M. Serge Straeten won by a stroke over PSC golf chairman Joe Mooneyham for top honours. But it was the way he did it that was surprising, having 10 strokes on one hole! The 11th par 5 is a tough reach all right, but when Serge ended up in a greenside bunker lying 3, nothing was too unusual. When he took another 4 strokes just to get out he ended up with a big fat 10 for the hole. Undaunted, Serge maintained his cool and finished off with a win on the day. Goes to show you that even in medal play, don’t let one hole do your head in, hang tough and play your best.
Tuesday, Oct. 30, Laem Chabang (White tees) – Stableford
1st John Pierrel (12) 42pts
2nd Tom Sully (20) 39pts
3rd Michael Hastie (17) 36pts
John Pierrel has been here in Pattaya for the last couple of months and today had his personal best, a round of 42 Stableford points. John has been in the frame of late. He won last week at Greenwood as well, but today he surpassed himself for a great win at Laem Chabang. He’s back to the States next week, so what a great feeling to go out on top!
How amazing it was that I had to cancel a tee time because guys had not signed up for Laem Chabang and the last Sports Day of 2012. Please take note: any golf course in the world wants to sell as many tee times as they can to maximize their profits. That is their business and it runs just like your business back home.
I get a phone call from the golf course a day or two before a scheduled golf comp to make sure we are using all of our requested tee times, and if not then they are released and they will sell them on. That’s just business and I do not blame them for it. If you do not sign up, then I will release those tee times so please do the right thing and sign up early. If you do not do this then don’t expect to play, simple as that. As it turned out, a four-ball came in Monday night and wanted to play. Too late, we are in the high season now so plan ahead.
Friday, Nov. 2, Treasure Hill (White tees) – Stableford
1st Dale Shier (13) 36 points
2nd Pierre Cere (12) 36 points
3rd Ken Aihara (5) 33 points
What can you say about Dale Shier (at least that’s printable) that hasn’t already been said? His list of golfing accolades runs as long as a piece of string. Far be it from me to wax lyrical with any more honours, so let’s just give him formal congratulations here for a job well done, finally. Only 3 blobs on the card this day out was just enough to take the top spot (OK, shared with Pierre) so well played mate.
Ken Aihara has just returned from Japan for the high season and you will be seeing and reading more of him as his consistent good play will always put him in the frame. Today he came in third, but he is just warming up, so watch out.
Note: The Golf Club is located on Soi LK Metro. We usually play on Monday, Wednesday and Friday so come join us for a seriously fun day out. 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.

Armstrong cooks up a winning score

Jomtien Golf with the IPGC

Tony Kay & Mark Armstrong.

Monday, Oct. 29, Green Valley – Stableford
After a hectic and successful week in Chiang Mai the numbers will be slightly lower over the next two weeks with the group recovering from the trip and also there are a few returning to their home countries before their return for the Christmas festivities here.
It was a slightly cloudy day on our approach to the course at Green Valley. There were seven groups out and it was a slightly slow round (4ฝ hours), but this is to be expected at the start of the high season.
The Aussie chef Mark Armstrong recorded the highest score of the day, winning division 2 with 38 points (including 23 on the front nine). Burnie Sinclair took second with 36 points and the Welsh boy Mike Lewis beat Patrick Robinson on a 16/14 back nine count back for third after they both returned scores of 34.
The down under boys were in the limelight, with Tony Kay winning division 1 with 36pts, Mikael Andersson second one point behind and Mike Combs third with 34.
Near pins went to Sid Crawley, Wilf Latham, Raivo Velsberg, Ian Hart, Colin Phillips and Patrick Robinson.
Four ‘2’s in division 1 today from Mike Combs, Dennis Scougal, Tony Kay and Wilf Latham and a rollover in division 2 to Wednesday.
Back at the presentation at Siam Cats there was a warm welcome back to Mike Combs, Jim Connelly and Raivo Velsberg.
Wednesday, Oct. 31, Greenwood – Stableford
We were allocated the B and C courses here today and the majority of the layout was in good condition except for the greens; we will give this place a miss for a month at least.
The equal cut today was 9-17 and 18 plus and the best recorded score came in division 2 with Mike Lewis, playing off 18, scoring 23 on the front nine and 14 on the back to win with 37 points. The maple leaf boy Gordon Everingham was second one point behind and William Chang took third with 35.
Slightly lower scores in division 1 with Chris Voller beating Bryan Rought on a 17/15 back nine count back after they both came in with 34 points and in third place, riding his bike to every course we play, was Jerry Sweetnam with 33.
Near pins were won by Lindsay Phillips, Iain Usher, Chris Voller, Gordon Everingham and Bryan Rought.
Grenville Hill and Lindsay Phillips birdied the 5th on the B course in division 1 while there were once again no ‘2’s in division 2.
Friday, Nov. 2, Eastern Star – Stableford
Our first game here in two weeks and it had dried out considerably since the last time we played and the greens were the best they have been for a couple of months.
Walter Weber returned from Austria for 8 months to win division 2 with 32 points, beating Tom Novak by one point, and now living in Bang Saray, Bryan Priestley, was third with 29.
In the last group out today Mikael Andersson topped division 1 with 37 points and Chris Voller beat Wilf Latham on a 17/14 back-nine count back for second after they both came in with 33 each.
After returning from Africa, Don Head birdied the 6th and Frank Kelly the 13th to share the ‘2’s purse in division 2 while a rollover in division 1 ensues to next Friday.
Near pins went to Mikael Andersson, Wilf Latham, Chris Voller, Don Head (2), Frank Kelly and Bryan Priestley.
Note: There is still no information regarding the future of Siam Cats as it is up for sale. Jomtien Golf with the I.P.G.C will remain here until further notice.

Erik shows his class

IPGC golf from The Haven

Monday, Oct. 29, Pattana B & C (Yellow tees) - Stableford
CSS 71
1st Erik Donnestad (5) 39pts
2nd Masanori Takano (7) 38pts
3rd Mike Hill (24) 36 cb 22pts
4th Khun Arai (6) 36 cb 20pts
5th Yasuo Suzuki (13) 36 cb 18pts
6th Jens Gunnarsson (14) 35pts
After a month’s acclimatisation Erik Donnestad is at last beginning to demonstrate on his completed cards the class that he shows on the course; from his silky smooth swing to the pinpoint accurate putting, starting the week off with a three-under handicap return that was just sufficient to see off the challenge of Masanori Takano.

Erik Donnestad.

Having started out with a one-under gross on the front nine he covered the inward half three over including a double bogey blob on the last as Masanori slipped up also on the last hole, taking a bogey when a par would have won the day.
Mike Hill showing continued form from the previous week took third place with a storming back nine of four-under handicap that ensured a strangely familiar Khun Arai ended up in fourth place, after losing the count back with by a difference of 22 to 20.
Yasuo Suzuki also returned the same level handicap points score but could amass only 18 on the back nine.
Shuichi Kodaka, now playing in the first division, had the only ‘2’ to take that division’s 2’s pool and Mike Hill had the lone one in the second division to clean that one up.
Before the presentations were made there were welcome backs for Jamie King, Phil Groves, Dick Heaney and Anna Donnestad. Anna, who has won the Norwegian Ladies Amateur Championship several times together with other Scandinavian honours, will be playing from the white tees during her stay with the group.

Wednesday, Oct. 31. Mt. Shadow (Blue tees) - Stableford
CSS 75 NC
1st Mike Hill (24) 33pts
2nd Erik Donnestad (5) 30pts
3rd Alwyne Burley (18) 29pts
4th Anna Donnestad (7) 27pts
For the first time in several outings the format for the day was single Stableford instead of a team scramble or better-ball and the day’s results reminded the players why these had been the preferred formats on a course that had been originally designed for players with 15 handicaps or below, with it’s extremely difficult greens and narrow fairways.

Mike Hill.

The best score from the counting competitors was six over so inevitably the CSS moved out to 75 and the day’s competition a non-counting one.
Mike Hill did extremely well to win handsomely by three shots and keep the inform Erik Donnestad at bay in second place over the testing course as the latter struggled all day after finding himself continually on the wrong part of the green trying to prevent a three-putt.
Alwyne Burley finished in third just a point behind and two in front of Anna Donnestad, whose nine over handicap was a lot better than the numbers showed after finding herself with too many woods into the greens from tees that were two places back from the normal positions as a lady golfer.
There were no 2’s in the second division but Peter Skinner’s only highlight, in fact just a slight glimmer, of the day took the first division pool on a day when the top four players had only four 3s between them to underline the difficulty of the course on the day.
Prior to the presentations there were welcome backs for Al Rolnik, Peter Skinner and Mike Bogunovich.
Friday, Nov. 2, The Emerald - Stableford
CSS71
1st Erik Donnestad (5) 40pts
2nd Alwyne Burley (18) 39pts
3rd Brian Libbey (10) 38pts
4th Hideo Akiyama (15) 36pts
5th Yasuo Suzuki (13) 34pts
6th David Lowe (7) 34pts
After a bit of a mauling during the previous outing it was a completely different set of challenges that confronted the players at the short but tricky Emerald layout and with the usual ‘lift and place’ local rule in the fairways in play the scoring was much improved.
Erik Donnestad took his second win of the week with an even better score than the first with a gross 73, but he was run very close by Alwyne Burley who took his second podium placing of the week and ensured that his handicap would be at its lowest point for several months.
Brian Libbey took third place following a round that started slowly and finished in fine style as he accumulated five three-pointers in the last seven holes.
Hideo Akiyama took his sole podium position on his last outing with the group with Yasuo Suzuki taking fifth after winning a count back over David Lowe with a better 13 to 11 on the last six after they had tied the nine at 17 each.
Dennis Botch, Alwyne Burley and Dick Heaney shared the pot in the second division 2’s pool, whilst Erik Donnestad, Brian Libbey, Hideo Akiyama, Shuichi Kodaka and Jens Gunnarsson had a pittance each in the first division.
Back at The Haven there was a welcome for new member Dennis Botch and a welcome back for David Bowles.
There were also farewells for the “Hiyukaya Tours” group consisting of Hideo Akiyama, Yukio Kikuchi and Kaneo Watanabe, who were leaving for home, while their tour guide cycles to the courses in their absence.
Note. If you would like to play with The Haven group, you can contact mobile 082 219 0965 or call in to The Haven Hotel, at 185 Soi 13, between Beach Road and 2nd Road. 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 Monday, Wednesday, and Friday on the days you wish to play. A schedule of courses to be played can be found on our web site at www.thehaven-hotel.com.

Vanderwegon makes winning return

PSC golf from Cafe Kronborg

Monday, Oct. 29, Pattana B & C - Stableford
We had not visited Pattana for some time and although the check-in was still slow we managed to get off B1 tee 25 minutes early under sunny, blue skies. The course was in very good condition but a bit soft underfoot.
Back in the opulent clubhouse after a round of 4 hours and 10 minutes, we welcomed Jim Larson from Lake Tahoe, Henry Wong and Brian Gabe.
There were 2 flights today with the cut at handicap 20. Ted Morris took the A flight win with 38 points, Stu Rifkin was second on 37points, Brian Gabe third with 34, and Henry Wong took fourth on a count back from Leif Kirkgaard, both with 31 points.
Mick O’Connor took the B Flight with 36 points, Dave Richardson was second on 33 points and Jan Lovgreen third on a count back over Elias Magnusson, both on 29
A Flight (0-20)
1st Ted Morris (17) 38pts
2nd Stu Rifkin (15) 37pts
3rd Brian Gabe (20) 34pts
4th Henry Wong (19) 31pts
B Flight (21+)
1st Mick O’Connor (24) 36pts
2nd Dave Richardson (24) 33pts
3rd Jan Lovgreen (21) 29pts
4th Elias Magnusson (21) 29pts
Thursday, Nov. 1, Mountain Shadow – Stableford
Mountain shadow was the venue today where we had not played since mid June. We got off the first tee 25 minutes early under sunny skies and hot conditions. The course on the day was in very good condition with very fast greens. The clubhouse is being refurbished and even the men’s showers are being overhauled.
Welcomes went out to Kurt Sandgaard from Denmark and Joe Vanderwegon from Belgium.
Two flights today with the cutoff at handicap 21. The Danes took the A Flight with Leif Kirkgaard winning with 33 points, Jan Lovgreen second on 32 and Niels Hansen third with 29.
Joe Vanderwegon won the B Flight with 35 points, Mick O’Connor was second on 32 points and Graham Buckingham took third with 31.
A Flight (0-21)
1st Leif Kirkgaard (18) 33pts
2nd Jan Lovgreen (21) 32pts
3rd Niels Hansen (13) 29pts
B Flight (22+)
1st Joe Vanderwegon (26) 35pts
2nd Mick O’Connor (24) 32pts
3rd Graham Buckingham (24) 31pts
Note: If you are looking for a game of golf in Pattaya, call Dave on 083 602 2117 or email [email protected].

Clive the best at Khao Kheow

PSC Golf from Mulligans Lakeside

Jonathan Pratt & Clive Hoseason.

Tuesday, Oct. 30, Khao Kheow – Stableford
Tuesday was to be our last ‘low season’ game (and price) until next year, so a visit to Khao Kheow was chosen, with the B & C combination to be our test. The course was in reasonable condition after the recent rains & the greens were regaining some of their firmness.
Recent in form golfer Clive Hoseason (23) led the way home with a modest 33 points, ahead of Jonathan Pratt (19) who signed for 32, while Jeff Wylie (6) was next best another point behind. Near pins were shared between Willem & Jeff.
Thursday, Nov. 1, Crystal Bay - Stableford
Crystal Bay was our Thursday venue, as the ‘high season’ prices kicked in. As with Tuesday, the B & C loop was allocated to us today. Good scoring conditions were available out on the course, but only visitor Ian Waddell (23) from Qatar was able to maintain his form throughout the day, eventually signing for 41 points. Jeff Wylie (6) certainly should have done better than his 35 points for second spot, but played too many uncharacteristic loose shots when in good positions. Owen Walkley (7), despite having some troubles on the greens picked up third place another point behind. Near pins were shared around between Owen, Ian, Jeff & Trev (the Great).
Note: Mulligans Lakeside plays golf generally on Tuesday & Thursday, with ML hosting prompt presentations on both days. As a PSC affiliated venue we welcome all golfers, including Seniors who have opted for the “Silver” tee option. Call 089 094 1841 for scheduling or enquiries. Hope to see you there, cheers & good golfing!

Kingdom Property unveils new project at Golf Life event

Pattaya Mayor Ithipol Khunpleum (left) is welcomed by Kingdom Property Chief Executive Officer, Nigel Cornick to The Golf Life by Southpoint event.

Thailand property developer, Kingdom Property, recently wowed golfing fans by unveiling the company’s eagerly anticipated Southpoint project to participants at The Golf Life by Southpoint event held at the prestigious Royal Varuna Yacht Club recently.
In a glittering gala occasion, presided over by the Pattaya Mayor Ithiphol Khunpleum and Kingdom Property Chief Executive Officer Nigel Cornick, up to 1,000 golfers enjoyed a night of celebrity entertainment and prizes. Event sponsors Kingdom Property offered prizes to golfers competing in The Golf Life by Southpoint tournament including cash vouchers up to THB100,000, a Suzuki Swift car and the latest version 5 models of iPads and iPhones.
Mayor Ithiphol said he was delighted to see such a great turnout of golfers as it further demonstrated Pattaya’s ability to host big tournaments on world-class courses as well as attract families to enjoy the city’s other attractions. “We are grateful for the support of Kingdom Property in sponsoring this event and pleased they have selected the prestigious Pratumnak area for the Southpoint condominium project,” he said.

Kingdom Property CEO Nigel Cornick (2nd right) greets guests at the Royal Varuna Yacht Club.

Mr. Cornick, who has enjoyed a long and successful association with Pattaya through pioneering condominium projects Northshore (completed in 2006) and Northpoint, (completed in 2010), said Pattaya was a growing destination offering both a great lifestyle and investment opportunity. “Pattaya’s combination of world-class attractions, access and facilities - such as the wide range of championship golf courses - and the economic strength supported by tourism and the industrial might of the Eastern Seaboard really does provide a great opportunity to home seekers and investors,” he said.
“We are pleased to be able to support the city and destination now and in the future as we are planning many more high quality projects for the city which are drawing interest from Thai and international visitors looking for holiday homes and investments.””
Southpoint project is located a short distance south of Bali Hai in Pattaya City, on an elevated site on Pratumnak Hill, offering extensive sea views and within walking distance from the Royal Varuna Yacht Club. The THB2.5 billion valued development is on a four rai freehold plot and will be completed in 2015. For further information, go to www.southpointpattaya.com.

 

High-scoring week with TRGG

Travellers Rest Golf Group

Andy Rich
Well you can tell the weather has improved this week because the courses have been in excellent condition and the winning scores have all been better than basic handicap and in most cases by a long way. As they used to say when April arrived in Europe, “Spring has sprung, the grass has risen, I wonder where the birdies are?” Well the birdies this week were all over the golf courses of Pattaya.

Dave Palmer.

On Monday 29th October, TRGG paid a visit to Emerald and one of our regular patrons Roger Wilkinson (13) showed the foreign invaders the way home by taking first place with 37pts. Antipodean Chris Sloan (7) was a close run second on 36pts and North American Mike Rushant (12) came in third on 33.
On Tuesday 30th October it was off to Laem Chabang to play the (C and A courses). Now Laem Chabang in most people’s eyes is a pleasure to behold, the scenery is fabulous and its immaculate condition makes it a pleasure to play.
The top three all had rounds to remember and they will all be seeing a cut in their handicaps. Dave Palmer (6) showed he can play off scratch by posting a remarkable 42pts to take first place. Norman Cheetham (15) took second on count back from Michael Prideaux (12) in third both finishing on 38pts.
Thursday 1st November was our weekly trip to Phoenix to play (Mountain and Lakes). Michael Prideaux (11), playing off his reduced handicap, took it all in his stride by shooting 39pts, beating Chris Sloan (7) on count back as those two took first and second respectively. Steady Teddy Senior (14) came third with 36pts.
On Saturday it was Crystal Bay’s (A and B courses) turn to play host to the TRGG. The winning scores again turned out to be remarkable. Gary Hookey (16) shot 41pts to take first place from Norman Cheetham (14) with 40pts in second and Dave Palmer (4) in third on 38pts.

Roger Wilkinson.

For the record - Tananusorn & Purdie

The Pattaya Golf Society (IPGC) based at Rabbi’s Elephant Bar

On Monday, 29th October, the Pattaya Golf Society visited Crystal Bay to play a stableford competition on the course which has drained well since the soggy conditions of the previous week. The B and C nines were chosen and play got under way on time on a relatively empty course.
The day was to see some sensational scoring by two golfers in particular and Dave Edwards could be forgiven for thinking his 39 points was worth much more than it was. Andrew Purdie and Wichai Tananusorn blew the field away with scores of 46 points each! For Wichai it was his best ever with a gross 71 destined to live long in his memory. His first twelve holes saw ten pars, one birdie and an eagle and then the tension got to him, when he dropped three shots over the closing holes, picking up only one more birdie. It was outstanding golf indeed and represented the best scores in PGS golf for nine years!
Ken Grimes recorded the only birdie ‘2’ of the day, on C7 and he also picked up the Booby Bevy for the largest split scores of the day. Everything else on the day was eclipsed by the winning rounds and those who witnessed them will long remember the power and accuracy of the golfers at Crystal Bay. How do you follow that?
Prodigious Purdie
On the final day of “low” season the Pattaya Golf Society chose Khao Kheow as the venue for a stableford competition, on the B and C nines. The course has been in very shabby condition and is probably two months at least away from being enjoyably playable. The C nine has huge tracts of GUR with the nearest relief area s in the Bermuda rough or on slopes. Off the yellow tees it was a big “ask” for golfers to perform well, but some indeed did.
Sharing third place were Wichai Tananusorn and Masa Takano on 34 points and Joe Niisato acquitted himself well with 38 points for second place. Having recorded 46 points two days previously, Andrew Purdie almost repeated the feat with a prodigious 42 points for another monstrous win. Elsewhere questions may have been asked but Andrew has history with the IPGC groups as a past monthly medal winner and has other notches on his belt, but this week he has discovered a rhythm hitherto unknown and that has made the difference.
There were no birdie ‘2’s and Rabbi’s free beer draw was won by Dave Edwards whilst Phil McClure received the Booby Bevy for his mediocre performance. On Monday we all asked “How do you follow that?” Well, it seems Andrew Purdie has emphatically given his answer.
Hansen continues the “Forties” pattern
The Pattaya Golf Society began its “high” season with a trip to Phoenix to play a stableford competition in two flights over the Ocean and Mountain nines. As usual the course was in good condition, if a little soft and the greens were running well.
With the cut at fifteen and under a tight competition was on the agenda and in the second flight the week’s hero, Andrew Purdie, scored 34 points to share second place with Ken Grimes and Garry Hookey. The winner was Dave Robinson with 36 points and he completed an all-Aussie leaderboard for the flight.
In the top flight Ron Matthews played well for his 38 points and he was pushed into third place by a guest golfer who scored 39 points with the best gross figures of the day, 75. The best score of the day took the flight with Jesper Hansen recording 40 points, and he became the fourth winner with the group to register forty plus points during the week.
Robbie Taylor and Garry Hookey recorded birdie ‘2’s on Mountain 8 whilst Dave Edwards made it a triple triumph with his birdie on Ocean 7. Rabbi’s free beer draw was won appropriately by Ray Cody, just hours before his return to Oz and the surprise return of John Mason took the less surprising Booby Bevy for his brave efforts in the heat and humidity which saw him prop up the field in style.
So, old friends are back and high season is within our grasp. What will the future hold for the PGS we wonder?

Oduya leads Farangs to victory in Bangkok tourney

Johnny Oduya in action for the Flying Farangs.

Story Scott Murray/ Photos by Naz Brown
Johnny Oduya of the Chicago Black Hawks, currently locked out over a revenue sharing dispute between the National Hockey League owners and players, took advantage of his spare time to lead Bangkok’s Flying Farangs to do something they’ve never done before, win their own tournament.
The four-division, 36-team, 18th annual Land of Smiles tourney was labelled an instant classic with the Farangs defeating the Abu Dhabi Storm 2-1 in a very close final game to win the international open division. Bangkok captain Geoff McIntyre provided most of the final-game dramatics, assisting on Rob Taylor’s tying goal, after Abu Dhabi jumped out to an early 1-0 lead, and then scoring the winning goal himself.
McIntyre didn’t make it easy for his team though taking a minor penalty with just over two minutes to go; the pro-Bangkok crowd was on pins and needles as the clocked ticked down to the Flying Farangs’ first home championship. Net-minder Dean Tzembelikos, who flew in from Hong Kong for the tourney, provided crucial saves for the Farangs at key times to earn the win, and veteran Robert Voisine also played an important role, tormenting opposing net-minders so Farang forwards could better put in the blasts coming from their stellar defensemen on the points.
Thai National star Tewin “Thor” Chartsuwan skated on the Farangs top line with Swiss speedster Jurg Dolder and Swedish ace Henrik Olofsson. Likit Neimwan-Andersson, the only Thai to ever play professional ice hockey, teamed up with Oduya on defense. Likit had played with Oduya’s brother Freddy (now deceased) years earlier in Sweden, and was one of the few players on the team who could handle Oduya’s rocket-hard passes.

2012 Land of Smiles tournament champions – The Flying Farangs.

The “Pitstop” team from Latvia defeated the Singapore Manimals to win the International Men’s Tier Two division (the Flying Farangs’ second squad came within a goal of reaching that final as well, losing in a semi-final shoot-out to the Latvian team).
The Hong Kong Hitmen trumped the Abu Dhabi Theebs to win the Asian Division and the Abu Dhabit Storm beat the Bangkok C Gal’s to take home the women’s division honours.
Also competing in the tournament for the Finnish team Jellonas was Vesa Toskala, the former number one goalie for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Now retired, Toskala also played for San Jose, Anaheim and Calgary in his NHL career. Toskala holds the San Jose record for most points by a goalie in a game (2), he was also traded to Anaheim with Jason Blake for former Conn Smythe trophy winner (MVP in the playoffs), Jean-Sebastien Giguere.
Oduya was traded to the Atlanta Thrashers (who became the Winnipeg Jets) from the New Jersey Devils on 4 February 2010 along with Niclas Bergfors, Patrice Cormier and a 1st round draft pick for Anssi Salmela and Ilya Kovalchuk. On 10 March 2010; Kovalchuk went on to sign the most expensive contract in NHL history - US$102 million spread over 17 years.
Oduya was later dealt to Chicago on February 27 of this year for a 2nd and 3rd round pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. He is scheduled to make US$4 million this year (if the NHL resumes play), and he plays on defense with former James Norris trophy winner (best defenseman in the NHL) Duncan Keith and his co-Olympic gold-medal winning teammate Brent Seabrooke.
The Land of Smiles tourney took place over five days from Oct. 23-27 at “The Rink”, Grand Central Rama IX Mall and the Imperial Samrong Ice Arena. The Zamboni at Samrong broke down early in the tournament and panic set in quickly, because when the machine broke it left a large and deep rut in the ice, so dangerous that the Canadian Hackers team threatened to leave for safety concerns. Quick thinking by Flying Farang Mike Swager saved the day, as after packing the hole with some loose ice, he grabbed a fire extinguisher and hosed the rut shut earning the nickname “The Extinguisher”.

Farang netminder Dean Tzembelikos makes another save against Abu Dhabi Storm.

Local windsurfers set sights on Youth Olympics

Pattana Bunsawat (left), secretary of the WAT, presents an award to Nattaont Chui following his success at the recent RS:X Youth World Windsurfing Championships.

Phasakorn Channgam
The Windsurfing Association of Thailand (WAT) led by its president, Pattaya Mayor Ittipol Kunplome, held a press conference on Oct. 31 at Krua Serf restaurant in Jomtien to announce training plans for the Kingdom’s up and coming windsurfing stars.
With one eye firmly fixed on the Youth Olympics, to be staged in Nanjing, China in 2014, the Association said preparations were underway to train the nation’s young sailors up world class standards.
Several of the team are currently competing in the Hong Kong Open, taking place from November 5-13, and plans are in place to send the team to as many international events as possible over the next 18 months leading up to the Games. To this end, Pattaya City Hall has agreed to provide 1 million baht in sponsorship to help with training costs.
Following the press conference, cash and a plaque were presented to Nattanont Chui who won second place in the 2012 RS:X Youth World Windsurfing Championships recently held in Tapei, Taiwan.

Elegance condo onboard at Commodore’s Cup

 

Chris Dando
Forty-nine boats were on the water over the weekend of October 27th and 28th October to compete in this year’s Commodore’s Cup, kindly sponsored by property developers AML’s new project in Pattaya, The Elegance condominium at Cosy Beach. The weekend started with great sailing conditions on Saturday with a good breeze and some tough competition. The prize for the most swims went to the multihull class where several boats pushed things a little too far in the conditions.
The first race was won by Morten and Florent, but with Pom getting the new Nacra F17 up to speed, all changed for the rest of the day as they powered to 2 victories. Morten’s challenge was hampered by a broken rudder in the final race and the consequent swim.
In the monohulls, Gareth started as he meant to continue with a couple of wins. However the final race was turned upside down by a significant shift up the final beat favouring all those who had gone right. Although Gareth managed to recover to second, he was unable to catch Marcel by the finish line.
In the Optimist fleet the race wins were spread around the top competitors, with Tara, Alex, and Miki all scoring first places.
Sunday looked to be ideal with the sunshine and a promise of the wind building. Unfortunately this didn’t happen and the wind remained light and very tricky for the racing. The multihulls set off on the first of 2 medium distance races, and even with the change of format from Saturday’s races around the buoys, Pom and Apple seemed to be in a class of their own. Aroon and Akkharawat’s consistency came through to enable them to secure second place overall ahead of Morten and Apple.
Meanwhile in the monohull class Gareth was giving a masterclass in tactics by dominating all 3 races. Second and third places overall went to Chris and Marc respectively, who both kept on plugging in reasonable results while others had their ups and downs. Only the top 3 boats managed to avoid double figure results over the entire weekend.
In the Optimist fleet Som-O was relishing the lighter winds, and although she had not won a race the previous day, she managed three wins out of four on Sunday to snatch the overall wins from Tara by just 2 points. Alex also sailed a fine series to achieve third.
Over the weekend, our RS Vision fleet joined in the monohull racing, and it was great to see several new faces out on the water and competing in the races. With support from our new coach, Jordan, they had their own mini-series within the monohull fleet (and were up with the lead Lasers in several races). Congratulations to our Commodore, Simon who, together with Junior, managed to win the RS Vision prize.
Monohull Results
1st Gareth Owen (Laser), 5.0
2nd Chris Dando (Laser), 14.0
3rd Marc Coakley (Laser), 22.0
Multihull Results
1st Pom Green, Apple (F17), 4.0
2nd Aroon, Akkharawat (F18), 8.0
3rd Morten J., Florent (F18), 14.0
Optimist Results
1st Som-O, 13.0
2nd Tara, 15.0
3rd Alex, 19.0
Overall a fantastic weekend with a turnout on the water that many clubs would be proud to have. Also a great atmosphere and unbelievable party on the Saturday night to make a very successful weekend.
Big thanks to all who supported the weekend to make it such a success. It was great to have The Elegance condominium (www.elegancepattaya .com) as out title sponsors and to welcome their team at the club over the weekend!
 

Fortt clinches SB-2 Thailand Superbike Championship

 

Ben Fortt pulls a wheelie in celebration as he crosses the finish line to win round 9 of the SB-2 Superbike championship.

 

Pattaya’s 18-year old talented superbike rider Ben Fortt secured an unassailable lead in the SB-2 Superbike championship following his back to back wins over the last 2 weekends of racing.
On October 28, Fortt pulled off a spectacular win at the Bira Circuit in Pattaya, beating challengers from all over the country and the Malaysian champion as well. He followed that up a week later on November 4 by triumphing in round 9 at the very technical track of Thailand circuit.
Ben has a particular liking for this track, having won the previous 3 rounds here earlier in the season, and he wasn’t about to do his competitors any favours on this occasion as he stormed to his fourth win and the outright title with one round of the championship remaining.
The young rider said later that he was ‘over the moon’ with his success this year and gave a great deal of credit to the support and expertise of the Panadda racing team who had his Honda CBR 1000 prepared in top shape at each and every event. Ben also said a big thanks to sponsors CEA Cranes and Equipment Asia who have supported him throughout his fledgling career.
Ben was asked what he aims to do next in racing and he replied that he hopes to keep progressing and get to the level where he can represent Thailand and race all over Asia.
 

Winners all round at Women With a Mission Charity Golf Day

Ladies in Red celebrate a par.

Friday 19th of October heralded the fourth annual Women With a Mission Charity Golf Tournament, this year held at the Phoenix Golf Club. WWM teamed with AustCham Thailand to stage this event that grows in popularity every year.
This year 124 players, grouped into teams of four, teed-off on the immaculately prepared course under azure blue skies. The format was the popular “Texas Scramble” of 4-ball best-ball, and it was a strongly fought contest. Golfers included local teams, teams from Bangkok and far afield including visiting golfers from Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
The emphasis was a fun day out for all. The strong sponsor support for WWM meant that there were lots of prizes as well as a free post-match function, meaning every player received great value for their tournament entry fee. The function, held at the Holiday Inn Pattaya, was hosted by AustCham Thailand, and combined both a networking event along with the prize giving.
The teams were categorized by their combined handicaps into three flights, and the podium place-getters were as follows:
A Flight
1st The Renegades
2nd Natural Ville 2
3rd Farang Hookers
B Flight
1st Mixed I
2nd JVK Movers
3rd The Strokers
Flight C
1st Pattaya Realty
2nd Dana Spicer
3rd Indo China Health
Special thanks goes to Dana Spicer and GAC Thailand as Premium Sponsors; Titan-VNS, Albatross Logistics, and Indochina Healthcare as Gold Sponsors; Hemerj Land and Development, Inergy Automotive, C R Asia, Mazars, and Pattaya Sports Club as Silver Sponsors; Pattaya Realty, CEA Projects and CES as Hole Sponsors.

Team Dana, Premium sponsors.

A big thank you also goes out to all the prize donors, namely: 20 Nails Studio; Amari Orchid Pattaya; Anantara Golden Triangle; Anantara Si Kao; Asian Tigers Mobility; Bangkok Hospital Pattaya; Birds & Bees Resort, Pattaya; Botany Beach Resort; Bruno’s Restaurant and Bar; Captain’s Corner; Casa De On; Casa Pascal’s; Club Wax, Pattaya; Dicey Reilly’s Pub and Eatery; Fenix Apparel; Fitting Golf Pattaya; Gian’s Italian Restaurant, Pattaya; Hard Rock Hotel Pattaya; Harmony Massage; Hilton Pattaya; Holiday Inn, Pattaya; Indian By Nature; Jameson’s; Jelly Belly Candy Company (Thailand) Ltd; Jomtien Boathouse; JW Marriott, Khao Lak; Kizwa - OK Company Ltd; La Ferme Restaurant, Pattaya; Lihn’s Golf Guide; Linda’s Restaurant; Mantra Restaurant and Bar; Mike’s Mexican Restaurant, Pattaya; Minor Food Group; Neville Hammond; Novotel Suvarnabhumi Airport; Ocean Marina Yacht Club; Pan Pacific Serviced Apartments; Pathumwan Princess Hotel; Pattaya City Golf; Pinnacle Hotels, Resorts & Spas; Purple Space Monkey Bar & Grill; Rabbit Resort Pattaya; Radisson Suites Bangkok Sukhumvit; Raja’s Fashions; Royal Varuna Yacht Club; S2 Embroidery; Shenanigans Irish Pub, Jomtien; Siam @ Siam Design Hotel and Spa; Sofitel SO Bangok; Total Access Communication PLC; Woodlands Suites Serviced Residences.
This golf tournament is the major fund-raising event each year for Women With a Mission’s charity projects in Thailand. The money will be well spent by WWM on supporting disabled and handicapped children in the Pattaya area, plus continue their work to educate and feed seriously disadvantaged children on the Thai-Myanmar border. WWM would like to thank all the tournament sponsors, and all the participants, and look forward to seeing you all again at the next annual charity tournament.

Dutch Delight team.

Anxious! - awaiting a successful putt.

Bronwyn and Rosy of WWM with the winner of the silent auction.

Kylie of WWM with a pair of prize winners.

Pattaya Sports Club Bowling League

Monday Quiz League

Vets get one over on national squad stars

Pattaya 9-Ball Pool League

Crumpton Oaks Cider Monday Pool League

Pattaya 8-Ball Monday Pool League

Wednesday Quiz League

Kelly’s 66 takes medal win at Green Valley

Scribe scores successive wins

Women on top for second outing in a row

Allidi stars at Eastern Star

No mistakes for Dave this Sunday

Marion secures maiden win at Greenwood

Yasuo and Shuichi claim the Medals

‘Roachie’ takes Monthly Medal

Armstrong cooks up a winning score

Erik shows his class

Vanderwegon makes winning return

Clive the best at Khao Kheow

Kingdom Property unveils new project at Golf Life event

High-scoring week with TRGG

For the record - Tananusorn & Purdie

Oduya leads Farangs to victory in Bangkok tourney

Local windsurfers set sights on Youth Olympics

Elegance condo onboard at Commodore’s Cup

Fortt clinches SB-2 Thailand Superbike Championship

Winners all round at Women With a Mission Charity Golf Day