John Keppler Cider Pool League

Results & Standings March 28 (week 17)

Team	Pts.	For	Against	Diff.
Brasshouse	42	136	85	51
Outback	33	124	97	27
Panitas	30	118	103	15
Rendezvous	27	112	109	3
Smarty’s	27	107	114	-7
Barking Frog	24	107	101	6
Mulligans	21	108	113	-5
Pats Bar	21	105	116	-11
Lucky Bar	21	98	123	-25
Neena/Sweet	6	77	131	-54
Results:  Panitas 10 v 3 Lucky, Outback 8 v 5 Barking, Brasshouse 8 v 5 Neena/Sweet, Pats 9 v 4 Mulligans, Smarties 7 v 6 Rendezvous

Pattaya 8-Ball Monday Pool League

Results & Standings March 25 (week 7)

Division 1
Team	Played	Won	Lost	For	Agst	Diff.	Pts.
Phimai Geordie	7	7	0	82	23	59	21
San Snack Bar	7	5	2	61	44	17	17
Joy’s Paradise	7	5	2	52	53	-1	17
Biggy’z Rest	7	4	3	59	46	13	15
Shoot Pool	6	4	2	52	38	14	14
Crazy Eddie’s	7	3	4	53	52	1	13
Connections	7	3	4	44	61	-17	13
Parrot Inn	7	3	4	42	63	-21	13
Mee Chew	7	2	5	50	55	-5	11
KiK Bar	7	2	5	48	57	-9	11
Buffalo Jack’s	6	2	4	42	48	-6	10
Rising Sun	7	1	6	30	75	-45	9
Results:  Connections 1 v 14 Shoot Pool, Crazy Eddie’s 12 v 3 Parrot Inn, Joy’s Paradise 3 v 12 San Snack Bar, Biggy’z Rest 4 v 11 Phimai Geordie, KiK Bar 7 v 8 Mee Chew, Buffalo Jack’s 10 v 5 Rising Sun

Pattaya 9-Ball Pool League

Results & Standings March 28 (week 14)

Team	Played	Won	Lost	Draw	Pts.
Party Girls	14	12	2	0	24
Cheers	13	11	1	1	23
Buddy’s Bar	14	8	5	1	17
George n Dragon	13	8	5	0	16
Wet Bar	14	7	6	1	15
Legends Pool	12	6	4	2	14
FCUK	13	4	7	2	10
The Ranch	12	4	7	1	9
Queen Vic	14	4	9	1	9
Simple Simon	11	2	7	2	6
Irish Rover	12	3	9	0	6
Rioja	12	2	11	0	4
Results:  Buddy’s Bar 7 v 13 Wet Bar, The Ranch 18 v 2 FCUK, Irish Rover 8 v 12 Queen Vic., Simple Simon 9 v 11 Party Girls, Cheers 9 v 11 Rioja, George n Dragon 9 v 11 Legends Pool

PSC Fishing Report

This past week five members had a trial run on Captain Langsan’s boat out of Bang Saray. It was a bright day, March 28, with a fair breeze to keep us reasonably cool, and with the sea just a bit lumpy occasionally.

Dene shows off his 2.4kilo gray.

The boat went all the way out south of Ko Khram, and then commenced a long drift eastwards past the island. After a slow start, we had some excellent hauls of yellowtail, with some snapper and several grays. Dene had the best fish of the day, a 2.4kilo gray and a total bag of 10 kilos, but once again it was Adrian, who seems to be on a hot streak this month, who had the biggest haul, approaching 15 kilos.
We have booked Captain Langsan for a couple more trips during April. Our programme for April is now as follows (all boats out of Bang Saray): Tuesday April 9 – Khram Marine, Tuesday April 16 – Captain Langsan, Saturday April 27 – Captain Langsan.
Bookings can be made via www.pattayasports.org/ or phone John O’Neill on 085 391 7045.

Sea Fishing with KPK Food Services

Steve Rooke shows off his KPK Food Services Ltd. voucher, awarded for the best catch of the day.

Mike Gerrard
As I drove along the beach road in Jomtien on Saturday, March 23, to collect a couple of passengers, I noticed the sea was very calm - a sure sign of, hopefully, another great day on the ocean. When we arrived at Bangsaray a slight breeze had picked and this made the temperatures absolutely perfect. The sea was still quite calm.
The previous night I had watched a BBC nature programme made by the guy who starred in Riverside Cottage. This was another nature conservation programme but with cooking special meals included, basically to show that some wildlife can be used for food but not to obliterate the stocks. However, the presenter of this programme had come to (of all places) Thailand.
In the programme it showed how the fishing industry here is killing the eco-system by trawling huge nets with very small mesh size holes. It appears the main reason they are doing this is to catch all the fish that are not edible (and I mean as little as 2 inches in size), which are then transported to the biggest food processing plant in the world (yes here in Thailand) where they are dried and ground down to powder to feed the king prawn farms (here in Thailand) who in turn export to everywhere in the world.
Not only is the fishing fleet catching all the big fish in these nets but they are also emptying the ocean of the small fry before they can grow.
I have printed the story above to explain why the pleasure fishing trips such as we and the PSC do, are now failing to find large 10 to 20 kilo fish which were guaranteed up to about 2 to 3 years ago. Even the smaller varieties are now getting smaller in terms of quantity caught.
It is true to say that some of the recent poor catches are due to the warmer weather increasing the temperature of the water near the islands, which in turn drives the larger varieties further out to deeper, cooler waters.
Please do not think I am trying to deter you from attending the trips. On the contrary the day out and the amount of fish we catch is still acceptable. There is nothing like a great day out on the ocean in the kind of weather we experience here in Pattaya. The company is great and the whole day so relaxing that after a couple of amber nectars at the end of the day, a good night’s sleep is guaranteed.
So onto our latest trip and it was Steve Rooke who was awarded the KPK Food Services Ltd. voucher for the best catch of the day. Not huge but nevertheless it will be very tasty indeed.
With most of our crew today staying in hotels, the whole catch was divided between the rest of us so that our freezers could be replenished. And even with the doom and gloom as depicted above, everyone agreed it had been a great day out on the ocean.
Our next trip is on Saturday April 6 and at this time of writing there are a couple of spaces available. No doubt by the time you read this article they will probably have been filled. However, do not let that deter you from giving me a call on 087 091 7565 for further information.
All bait and tackle is provided on our trips (if you have your own tackle, then bring it along). Our Captain will help you to rig it up for the best results. Transport can be arranged from Jomtien beach road area only.
Happy hooking!

Results & Standings March 29 (week 7)

Division 1
Team	P	W	L	+/-	BP	Pts
Shoot Pool	5	5	0	21	0	15
Pook’s Bar	6	3	3	1	0	9
Sweethearts Bar	4	2	2	2	1	7
Links Bar	3	2	1	2	0	6
The Butchers Arms	3	2	1	0	0	6
Mata Bar	5	2	3	-5	0	6
Nicky’s Bar	6	2	4	-6	0	6
Biggyz Rest ‘A’	6	2	4	-10	0	6
Legends Pool	4	1	3	-5	1	4
Results:  Links Bar P v P Legends, Shoot Pool 10 v 3 Pooks, Nicky’s 3 v 10 Mata Bar, Sweethearts P v P Biggyz ‘A’
Division 2
Team	P	W	L	+/-	BP	Pts
Easy R-Con Bar	6	4	2	9	1	13
Old Thai Angle	6	4	2	16	0	12
Offshore Bar	6	4	2	5	0	12
The Irish Rovers	6	3	3	-8	1	10
FCUK Inn	5	3	2	1	0	9
Tie’s R Us	6	3	3	0	0	9
Crazy Eddie’s	6	2	4	-7	1	7
Mai’s Bar	6	1	5	-4	3	6
Dean’s Bar	5	2	3	-12	0	6
Results:  Mai’s Bar 8 v 10 FCUK Inn, Old Thai 10 v 5 Dean’s Bar, Offshore Bar 10 v 9 Easy R-Con, Irish Rovers 10 v 9 Crazy Eddie’s
Division 3
Team	P	W	L	+/-	BP	Pts
Smile Bar	7	7	0	29	0	21
Biggy’z Rest ‘B’	6	4	2	14	1	13
The Stag’s Head	5	3	2	-1	1	10
Buffalo Jacks	6	3	3	1	0	9
The Queen Vic	6	3	3	-2	0	9
Wet Bar	6	2	4	-1	2	8
Rabbi’s Elephant	6	2	4	-7	0	6
The Ranch	4	1	3	-12	0	3
Connections	6	1	5	-21	0	3
Results:  Biggy’z ‘B’ 10 v 5 Rabbi’s, The Ranch 6 v 10 Buffalo Jacks, Queen Vic 10 v 7 Connections, Stag’s Head 9 v 10 Smile Bar

Stanley seals victory with eagle on the last

PSC golf from the Bunker Boys @ The Ranch

Golfer of the Month for March and ace putter Colin Greig (left) with KPK Voucher winner, Mark Stanley.

Monday, March 25, Phoenix (Lakes & Ocean) – Stableford
This was our first visit to the Phoenix course for several months, marking the end of the high season, and the beginning of the low season when prices are more reasonable and bookings are easier to make at our normal time. The course was still quite busy, but eventually we were able to tee off only a few minutes later than our scheduled time.
The fairways were in reasonable condition, although appearing a little the worse for wear, and the greens ran true despite their somewhat shabby appearance, all in all Phoenix has the appearance of a course that has been overused and perhaps a little neglected over the past few months, but at least now provides reasonable value for money.
The pace of play was slower than we would like on the outward nine, but picked up a little on the inward nine, and we eventually completed the round in a little under 5 hours.
Colin Greig produced another impressive performance, easily taking the honours in the A Flight, and collecting the least putts prize in the process, with a new record low total of 25 putts. Colin almost had a near pin prize to add to the haul, when he hit a great tee shot to the 5th green on the Ocean nine, only to be beaten by a low skimmer from Mike Grasser, which trundled up the hill and ended two feet from the pin!
Mashi Kaneta made a welcome return to the podium, winning the B Flight with 39 points, one point ahead of Lee Butler. These two players were formerly firmly entrenched as A Flight regulars, so their newly acquired “high” handicaps should not last too much longer.
A Flight
1st Colin Greig (11) 41pts
2nd Wanta Dacha (9) 38pts
3rd Mike Grasser (12) 35pts
B Flight
1st Mashi Kaneta (15) 39pts
2nd Lee Butler (17) 38pts
3rd Gordon Melia (19) 34pts
Near Pins: Lee Butler, Mike Grasser, Mark West and Jimmy Standefer.
Least Putts: Colin Greig (25)
Wednesday, March 27, Pleasant Valley – Stableford
There’s always a few dissenting voices when we decide to play the Pleasant Valley course, and it’s true that the course has it’s quirks, but at the moment the it’s in good condition and offers great value for money. Those of us that elected to play today, found the fairways in excellent condition, although the greens were slow, and the lack of hazard markers creates some unnecessary problems.
Mark Stanley continued his recently re-discovered good form to win the A Flight, one point ahead of Keith Smithson, who was playing his final game before returning to the snow in U.K. The finish couldn’t have been tighter with Keith birdying the par 5 eighteenth hole, only to be pipped at the post by Mark, who went one better carding a superb eagle three.
Newcomer Drake Mooser, scored his second win in his first three games to win the B Flight ahead of old timers Reg Smart and Dave Keats. Colin Greig won the putting competition for the second game in a row, once again equaling the record with 25 putts.
The prize presentation back at The Ranch was a lively affair, with Mark Stanley being presented with a KPK voucher, and Colin Greig duly rang the bell, having wrapped up the March Golfer of the Month trophy with a game to spare.
A Flight
1st Mark Stanley (11) 39pts
2nd Keith Smithson (2) 38pts
3rd Tony Robbins (11) 37pts
B Flight
1st Drake Mooser (24) 36pts
2nd Reg Smart (29) 31pts
3rd Dave Keats (32) 30pts
Near Pins: Keith Smithson, Mark Stanley, Mark West, and Mike Lloyd.
Least Putts: Colin Greig (25)
Friday, March 29, Green Valley – Medal
There was a good turnout of golfers for our first visit to Green Valley since October, and to take part in our second medal competition of the month.
It’s regrettable that the management here do little to accommodate the local societies who would play here year round, and instead prefer to accommodate the tourists during the high season, but this is Thailand, and fortunately there are still plenty of other local courses to play, with better high season pricing and booking policies.
On arrival at the course, there were several minibuses in the car park, but we were able to get away without delay, and the pace of play throughout the round was good. The fairways showed signs of wear from the high season, but the greens were excellent and most golfers expressed their pleasure at returning to play here again.
Peter (“I hate medal competitions”) Habgood, not for the first time, produced an impressive round to win the overall competition by four clear shots. Mike Grasser was the only player in the A Flight to better his handicap, and Colin Greig had his worst round for some time, but still managed to win the putting competition with another 25 putt total – his third in the last three games.
A Flight
1st Mike Grasser (12) net 71
2nd Geoff Parker (13) net 73
3rd Keiichi Kasami (8) net 74
B Flight
1st Peter Habgood (22) net 67
2nd Gordon Melia (19) net 73
3rd Thomas Nyborg (19) net 76
Near Pins: Jerry Waselenkoff, Gordon Melia, Lee Butler, and Thomas Nyborg .
Least Putts: Colin Greig (25)
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. 

Chan the champ cans Monthly Medal

PSC golf from The Golf Club

Mike Newbert, Brett Chan, Peter Rogers and Captain Phil Smedley.

Steve Ellison
Monday, March 25, Green Valley (white tees) – Stableford
1st Mike Newbert (13) 41pts
2nd Jim Dundon (17) 38pts
3rd John Emmerson (14) 37pts
3rd Brett Chan (16) 37pts
If it’s Monday, it must be Green Valley! With a full clipboard of golfers, Captain Phil guided us up the ol’ highway 36 to the fine fairways and greens of our most popular golfing venue. The course has held up very well to practically no rain in the last month, and the guys were happy with the lovely condition of the course.
Today’s result sheet had only one golfer achieve that magical 40 point barrier and only 4 golfers shot better than their handicap. Congratulations for that 41 must go to the Montauk Mauler once again, Mr. Mike Newbert. Mike seems to have turned his game around of late, and you know he is always going to be a threat in our comps. Now playing off his P.S.C. handicap of 13, Mike is shooting the best and most consistent rounds of his life. Way to go buddy!
The best anyone else could do was 3 shots back, and that was our pal Jimmy Dundon, who shot a very respectable 38 Stableford points. Emmerson is playing off a shameful 14 and ended up tied for third with Brett Chan, who you will read about much more for his Friday golfing victory. You would think that the Palio diet would get Johnny down to a 9 at least! Obviously there are no game-enhancing properties to the rehash of the Atkins Diet, eh?

Ken Aihara, Peter Rogers, and a forgetful Alan Rothwell.

Wednesday, March 27, Khao Kheow A & B (white tees) - Stableford
1st Peter Rogers (24) 39pts
2nd Ken Aihara (5) 36pts
3rd Alan Rothwell (7) 34pts
Peter Rogers has been playing with us for a month or so now, and today he came good and took the gold with a great score of 39 points. Peter has had several second and third places and it was his turn now to top the board at the tricky Khao Kheow. This course does not allow many high scores, and a 39 here is like a 42 on other tracks.
You know, for a moment there I thought we may not see Steady Kenny on the podium this week, but I was wrong. “Up and Down” Ken Aihara shot to his 5 handicap today with a steady 36, and 2 shots behind was Alan Rothwell playing off 7. Alan had a senior moment this week when he thought his motorbike had been stolen, only to find the registration number had eluded his memory banks. The bike was discovered where it had been parked, for another kind of happy ending in Pattaya!
Friday, March 29, Phoenix (white tees) – Monthly Medal
1st Brett Chan (16) net 60
2nd Mike Newbert (13) net 71
3rd Peter Rogers (24) net 73
Wow! What can you say about a 60? For one thing, it is a new Club Record for The Golf Club! Brett Chan had the round of his golfing life when he started off on the Ocean course at Phoenix, which he neatly handled at level par off the stick! Seven pars, a birdie and a bogey on the 9th filled the slots on his absolutely brilliant front nine scorecard.
The back nine was played on the Mountain course and started with a birdie. After that, the usual bogeys, 2 double bogeys and 4 pars overshadowed another birdie on the 5th, but Brett still hung in there and kept his cool to tally a 40 on the back…76 gross, 60 net for a remarkable round of golf. Obviously the best round of his life, Brett showed up on the first tee with low expectations and a wee bit of a hangover. It just goes to show you how unpredictable this game is! Great going Brett!
Mike Newbert was once again in fine form with a 71 and Peter Rogers hung tough with a 73 on the day. Thanks to all who joined us and we hope to see you for the next Monthly Medal on Friday the 26th of April at Crystal Bay.
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: [email protected] and see updates at www.facebook.com/golfclubpattaya,  (all handicaps welcome!)
NB: Sorry, but the Songkran Road Trip to Khao Yai is now full.

Kevin ‘you know who’ strikes again

PSC golf from Lewiinski’s Golf Society

Sunday, March 24, Green Valley - Stableford
A Flight
1st Paul Hack (13) 39pts
2nd Paul Shaw (9) 38pts
3rd Terry Mangan (14) 37pts
B Flight
1st Dave Driscoll (16) 39pts
2nd Terry Dutson (16) 39pts
3rd Pierre Bietry (15) 37pts
Near Pins: No 2 Mark Riley, No 9 Ian Ashenden, No 12 Paul Hack, No 16 Terry Mangan
In a day of big scores on the Sunday-shortened Green Valley set up, the men of the match were A Flight’s Paul Hack and B Flight’s Dave Driscoll and Terry Dutson, each with 39 points. Paul Shaw followed Paul Hack up the podium steps in the premier flight, but it could easily have been the other way round as Paul (Shaw that is) hit 2 tee shots out of bounds, resulting in a no-scoring hole.
Kevin McEntee.

A triumvirate of players vied for the third spot as Co. Wicklow man Terry ‘pork chop; Mangan filled the spot in the resulting count back as he sidelined Ian Ashenden, Peter ‘the right honorable’ LeNoury and Mike Riley.
Terry Dutson’s carded an excellent 39 points in B Flight but given the mathematics of Dave Driscoll’s back nine, it meant Terry’s score was only good for the silver.
Pierre the ‘magician’ Bietry needed all his luck to take the remaining podium place as he and David Foulk and Ireland’s John Heaney all tied on 37 points.
Terry Mangan, Mark Ripley, Gary Blackburne. Thierry Petrement, Dave Boran, Yui Bietry and Peter Henshaw divvied up the 2’s pot.
Monday, March 11, Pattana B&C - Stableford
1st Kevin McEntee (7) 36pts
2nd Peter Hynard (13) 35pts
3rd Ian Ashenden (0) 35pts
With the balance of the week fearing Songkran was a coming and thinking about golf tours a planning, it was a small but spirited field that took to Pattana. The bad news was that Co. Offaly Gang leader Kevin ‘you know who’ snuck off with the heaviest bag of loot as he was the only man to equal par. (The good news is Matt ‘Dillon’ Doyle, Kevin’s right hand man, has returned to the Emerald Isle).
Old friend Ian Ashenden, the senior teaching pro at the KLGCC Malaysia, was on a brief visit to his friends at Lewiinski’s and for the second time in as many games he went to a count back with Peter ‘the right honorable’ Hynard, both a stroke in arrears of the winner. Peter was not intimidated as he took the silver
No 2’s so rollover on Wednesday.
Wednesday, March 27, Bangpra - Stableford
A Flight
1st Mikko Mutanen (14) 37pts
2nd Kevin McEntee (7) 35pts
3rd Mark Butler (11) 33pts
B Flight
1st Peter Henshaw (18) 36pts
2nd Colin Davis (16) 35pts
3rd John Heaney (20) 32pts
Watch out for those guys playing their last round of a vacation. Mikko Mutanen won the day, as so many before him have on get away day, as he was the only player to better his handicap with 37 points. He also made off with the rollover 2’s pot.
Kevin ‘you know who’ played with great success as he made it two pay window visits on the trot to take second and this left Mark Butler to tidy up the flight on 33 points
In B Flight, ‘the donkey’ was well and truly in the shafts with 35 points as he was sandwiched between Peter ‘Don O’corleone’ Henshaw’s solid par round and fellow Irishman John Heaney on 32 points.
Friday, March 29, Greenwood C&B - Stableford
A Flight
1st Kevin McEntee (7) 40pts
2nd Steve Gibson (11) 37pts
3rd Gordon Kerr (13) 35pts
B Flight
1st Freddy Starbeck (18) 35pts
2nd Mike Jeffreys (19) 32pts
3rd Colin Davis (16) 31pts
Kevin ‘you know who’ McEntee, one of the finest players to come from Co. Offaly Ireland, and certainly one of the most consistent golfers in Pattaya over the many years he has played here, was his usual quite self as he led the field with a flawless 40 points. Kevin was nonplussed by the Greenwood layout as he left second and third place to Steve Gibson’s 37 points and Gordon ‘K-O’ Kerr on 35 points.
Kevin, never one to do things by halves, also picked up the 2’s pot.
Last week’s title boy Freddy Starbeck started were A Flight finished with 35 points but it was good for a three point victory over Mike ‘the welsh Wizard’ Jeffreys. The third flight place was sorted by count back between ‘the donkey’ and Liverpool’s Ray Fortis, ‘the donkey’ filled the last spot but drove his van back to Lewiinski’s minus his hubcaps.
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.

Young Toddy wins his first Monthly Mug

PSC Golf from The Growling Swan

Peter Blackburn
Monday, March 25, Eastern Star - Stableford
After a few absentees due to sickness and no shows, we were left with a field of 26 who were ready to tackle the tough Eastern Star layout having not played there for a few months. We assembled at The Growling Swan and welcomed back Rita Zoebelli, Brad Todd from Perth, Australia and PSC President Tony Oakes, who seems to love this particular golf course.
Brad Todd (left) receives the Monthly Mug from Peter Grey.

Departing the GS right on time at 8.30 a.m. we headed south and surprisingly made our way through the Pattaya Monday morning traffic quite easily and arrived at the course 45 minutes later. There was not a great deal of activity there and no-one was in any hurry so we relaxed for a half hour or so and then sent our first group, a three-ball, away five minutes ahead of schedule at 9.55 am.
The weather was very hot with not much breeze and we proceeded at a very good pace with much water consumed to help cool us down.
The course was in very good condition and after reading several adverse reports regarding some of the greens we were pleasantly surprised to find that although a couple of them were a touch “tardy”, they were nothing like what had been reported. Obviously some people much prefer to “bag” courses than to praise them and I really think we should be thankful for what we have got in the region.
We completed the front nine in just under two hours and as usual slowed down on the back nine due to the heat but managed to complete the round in three hours & fifty five minutes after enjoying the course and the company, but not so much our own group’s golfing achievements on the day.

Monday winner Duangjai Tusagad (left) with Niall Stuart.

We were able to have 2 grades with five podium spots in each: A Grade was for handicaps 0 to 20 and B Grade for 21 and over. We had nearest the pins on all the par threes and longest first putts on the 9th & 18th greens.
As mentioned earlier, PSC President Tony Oakes (who unfortunately could not stay for the presentation) loves this course and once again was the winner of A Grade with a fine 38 points, 2 points ahead of Takeshi Hakozaki in second spot. Martin Todd came third with 30 points while Canadian Bill McGarvie (15 point back nine) and Peter Bye (14 point back nine) were both tied on 29 points and the count back saw Bill take fourth spot from Peter in fifth place.
Continuing her run of good results despite her rapidly reducing handicap it was once more Duangjai “Kae” Tusagad who finished on top in B Grade with an excellent 40 points, 6 points clear of second placegetter Wendy Bernek, with Max “Corsets” Bracegirdle 3 points behind Wendy in third spot. Sandy “Leiperfrog” Leiper finished fourth on 27 points and with 2 golfers on 26 points it was Roy “Plums” Dayton (6 points on the last 3 holes) who took the last podium spot from Dick “Reverend” Braimbridge.
It was a tough day for most but not so for a couple of the group who managed to handle this challenging course quite nicely.
A Flight (0-20)
1st Tony Oakes (13) 38pts
2nd Takeshi Hakozaki (12) 36pts
3rd Martin Todd (9) 30pts
4th Bill McGarvie (9) 29pts
5th Peter Bye (16) 29pts
B Flight (21+)
1st Duangjai Tusagad (23) 40pts
2nd Wendy Bernek (30) 34pts
3rd Max Bracegirdle (26) 31pts
4th Sandy Leiper (34) 27pts
5th Roy Dayton (23) 26pts
Near Pins: 3rd – Takeshi Hakozaki, 6th – Peter Bye, 13th – Martin Todd, 17th – Tony Oakes
Long Putts: 9th – Peter Grey, 18th – Max Bracegirdle
The Growling Swan NAGA Award, (awarded to the golfer who has the worst score on the day and discreetly their score is not made public) was well won again by Niall Stuart (two in a row) but of course accepted the cap in very good spirit as usual. Martin Todd took Deefa for the usual walk and collected many donations for the needy in Pattaya from our ever generous Growling Swan golfers.
Back at the Bar afterwards there were many who stayed for quite some time and thoughts conversations were turned to our next event, the tenth Growling Swan Monthly Mug at Bangpra for which there was a huge contingent signed up already.

Thursday, March 28, Bangpra - Monthly Mug/Stroke
We had a Growling Swan record attendance of 37 on the previous Thursday which was well and truly “smashed” on this day with 47 golfers showing up for a stroke round to compete for the tenth Monthly Mug at the ever popular Bangpra Golf Course.
We handed out hearty welcomes to my very good friend Dr Brian Vale and Wayne Harman, both from my old Golf Club, Gosnells in Perth, Western Australia. Also Tony Campbell, Mick Wilks, Beau Roberts, Jim Smyth & Peter Long from Melbourne and Fred Dineley returning after 5 weeks in Perth. We also said farewell to Aaron Shorten who will shortly be returning to Brisbane.
With the big turnout four mini vans were necessary in addition to several cars and we departed the GS a couple of minutes ahead of schedule at 8.27 am and headed off on No. 7 on a beautiful Pattaya morning. In just 43 minutes we were at the golf course and as it was not busy we had time for a putt or two and still managed to send our first four-ball away 10 minutes ahead of schedule at 9.50 a.m.
After reminding everyone that it was a stroke round (many groans were heard from the Growling Swan Delinquents) we proceeded at a very good pace whilst enjoying the fine condition of the course and as usual tentatively putting on the notoriously slick Bangpra greens. There was a certain amount of inconsistency in speed from green to green which did make for several three putts (poor Anna) but it did not detract from the pleasure of playing this golf course once again after several months absence.
Two hours was all it took to play the front nine even though it was very hot and this good pace was maintained on the back nine, enabling us to complete the round in four hours and five minutes which is excellent for a stroke round on this course.
In addition to the Monthly Mug winner we were able to have 3 Grades for the very first time, with six podium spots in each. A Grade was for handicaps 0 to 14, B Grade for 15 to 23 and C Grade for 24 and over. We had nearest the pins on all the par threes and longest first putts on the 9th & 18th greens.
After deciding to get some practice on the course the previous day there was an improvement of 15 shots by Brad “Bad” Todd as he won his first Growling Swan Monthly Mug with a fine net 70.
In A Grade the winner on a count back was Takeshi Hakozaki (net 36 back nine) with Wanta Dacha (net 38 back nine) in second place, both having net 71’s. Another count back saw Mike “Hunter” Gosden (net 37 back nine & net 23 on the last 6 holes) take third spot from Mike Allidi (net 37 back nine & net 26 on the last 6 holes) in fourth place with both having net 75. In fifth place came Martin Todd with a net 76 and your writer, Peter Blackburn rounded off the podium with a net 79.
The consistent Ebrahim won the B Grade with a net 73 with Thientong Charoenrung finishing second with net 77. With 3 golfers on net 79 another count back was required which resulted in Rita Zoebelli (net 37 back nine) finishing third from Jayson Schembri (net 39 back nine) in fourth place and Walter “Mr Colours” Baechli (net 40 back nine) was fifth. Peter Bye finished in sixth place with a net 80.
C Grade was easily won by Patrick Poussier with a fine net 70, with Andrew “Turtle” Allen finishing second on net 80. Dave Neal was third with net 81, Ken Cornwall fourth with net 82, Max “Corsets” Bracegirdle fifth on net 84 and Fred Dineley sixth with a net 86.
Monthly Mug
1st Brad Todd (18) net 70
A Flight (0-14)
1st Takeshi Hakozaki (12) net 71
2nd Wanta Dacha (9) net 71
3rd Mike Gosden (12) net 75
4th Mike Allidi (2) net 75
5th Martin Todd (9) net 76
6th Peter Blackburn (11) net 79
B Flight (15-23)
1st Ebrahim (16) net 73
2nd Thientong Charoenrung (20) net 77
3rd Rita Zoebelli (23) net 79
4th Jayson Schembri (18) net 79
5th Walter Baechli (18) net 79
6th Peter Bye (16) net 80
C Grade (24+)
1st Patrick Poussier (30) net 70
2nd Andrew Allen (36) net 80
3rd Dave Neal (24) net 81
4th Ken Cornwall (36) net 82
5th Max Bracegirdle (26) net 84
6th Fred Dineley (27) net 86
Near Pins: 2nd – Paul Hack, 8th – Mike Allidi, 12th – Mike Gosden, 17th – Rita Zoebelli
Long Putts: 9th – Mick Wilks, 18th – Shane Young
As is always the case on Monthly Mug day we headed back to the bar for presentations and whilst addressing the very big crowd assembled there proceedings commenced, with many thanks to Mine Host Peter Grey for sponsoring this monthly event and also providing the delicious chicken supper which was as ever appreciated by all.
The Growling Swan NAGA Award was won by the man himself, Peter Grey, who humbly accepted the honour and wore the cap “gleefully” and I promised not to mention that some “cheeky” person, recently arrived from Melbourne did suggest that we change the colour of the cap to grey! Most unkind I thought so it won’t be mentioned.
Martin Todd took Deefa for the usual walk and collected many donations for the needy in Pattaya from our ever generous Growling Swan golfers. Our golf days are just getting bigger and better and I thanked all for their support and a quick look at the starting sheets for the following week indicated more great days ahead.
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 a.m. For bookings or more information please contact Peter on 0806 351 386 or email to [email protected].

Markku Tynell has best of the week

IPGC golf from The Haven

Monday, March 25, Greenwood - Stableford
CSS 72
1st Markku Tynell (25) 37pts
2nd Hal Hart (23) 37pts
3rd Neil Sanderson (7) 36pts
4th Peter McGarry (20) 32pts
5th Vinesh Naidoo (12) 32pts
Following the high stableford scoring of the previous week many of the hopefuls, who were thinking that their handicaps would continue to drop, were to be disappointed as the week’s scores were at the other end of the scale. The best of these was returned at the start of the week at Greenwood where the B and C nines were in operation and playing their full length at 6,599 yards on the card.
Markku Tynell.

As always the course was found to be in tip top condition but a steady wind and the very oppressive heat at almost 40 degrees made scoring difficult, with some of the contestants losing the will to live whilst playing the tenth hole and heading away from the clubhouse’s promise of air conditioning and a cool shower.
Markku Tynell and Hal Hart have both been playing well of late and both again showed that they will soon be playing from lower handicaps, with solid rounds of one under handicap and needing to be separated by a count back, which Markku won with a better 21 to 19 to finish with 11 points on the last four holes, which was no mean feat on the harder C nine.

Allan Raaen.

New member Neil Sanderson took third place with a solid level handicap return following a very good start that saw him taking 18 points from the first seven holes. However, the heat started to get to him on the inward half and his challenge to the leaders dropped away over the next nine holes, scoring just 12 points, but he then finished well with a couple of three-pointers.
Peter McGarry had his best result of the trip, finishing fourth after he had won a count back over Vinesh Naidoo on the last six having scored a better 14 to 11 after they had tied the back nine at 17 apiece. Peter could have been much higher placed if he had not had a small disaster on the 11th to 13th holes, scoring just the one point and killing off any chance of the hoped for maiden win.

Paul Ruhl.

Neil Sanderson had the sole 2 in the first division and Mike Hill cleaned out the rollover pot with the only one in the second division.
Prior to the presentations there were welcomes for new members Neil Sanderson, Peter McGarry, Michael Jones, Vinesh Naidoo and Kavi Budhram, together with welcome backs for Tony Rose and Paul Ruhl.

Wednesday, March 27, Khao Kheow (yellow tees) - Stableford
CSS 75 NC
1st Paul Ruhl (18) 33pts
2nd Jens Gunnarsson (15) 31pts
3rd Hal Hart (23) 29pts
4th Markku Tynell (25) 28pts
5th Brian Randall (36) 26pts
As always, whichever two nines are in play, Khao Kheow promises a tough but fair test of golf and the day’s aspirants were not disappointed in the conditions they found. With a strong wind gusting in seemingly all directions at once, and with the heat once again proving to be a deciding factor as the thermometer hovered around the 40 mark, the scoring was to be at a premium and the best of the day was a three over handicap return that left the CSS for the day at 75 and made the results non-counting for upward review.

Seppo Sadeharju.

It is interesting to note that Golf Australian have recently announced that their handicap system will soon be revised to take into account a Daily Scratch Rating (DSR), although they still do not appear to be utilising a non-counting aspect, following some teething problems that were encountered after the introduction of the new handicap system.
Golf Australia have produced a very informative and insightful publication which can be found on their website www.golfaustralia.org.au under Handicaps and Rules, which has a 30 points Q and A that covers almost every aspect of the proposed handicap system for the future.
Paul Ruhl headed the rather exhausted and bewildered groups of golfers and took his first win out of The Haven with a three-over return that was good enough by two to beat the inform Jens Gunnarsson, who was to score 41 points on the following day at Laem Chabang with the Tara Court Group.
Hal Hart was once again to be found amongst the winners, as he continues to take heed of his recent mental golf lesson. Hal battled for a hard earned round which just turned the tables on Markku Tynell on this occasion, taking third place by a single point to leave Markku in fourth and Brian Randall in fifth after Brian had also once again made it onto the day’s podium.
Unsurprisingly there were no 2’s in both divisions, and underlining the difficulty of the course on the day, only one three from among the whole of the day’s entries.
Before the presentations were made there was a welcome for new member Jo Eng from Switzerland together with welcome backs for Shane and Allan Heavey and Ron Kerslake.

Friday, March 29, Phoenix Mountain & Lakes - Monthly Medals
Division 1 (0–15)
Blue tees
CSS 76
1st Allan Raaen (10) net 74
2nd Rodney Hayes (14) net 79
3rd Brian Beaupre (5) net 80
Division 2 (16+)
White Tees
CSS 75 NC
1st Seppo Sadeharju (25) net 74
2nd Markku Tynell (25) net 77
3rd Trevor Schirmer (17) net 79
If the players thought that the day was going to be any easier than on the two previous outings they were to be disillusioned once again as the Mountain and Ocean courses turned out to be just as difficult a proposition. The greens especially proved problematical, needing only the lightest of touches from anywhere above the hole to give any chance of a two-putt.
Most of the contestants struggled to get anywhere near to 36 putts for the round and although the course was once again found to be in A-one condition from tee to green, the heat was again a major factor.
As usual for the Monthly Medals, the field was split into two divisions at 15 and below for the first division playing from the blue tees against a SS of 74, which after the cards were marked and accounted for moved out to 76 on the day.
Allan Raaen led them in at two over par as, after having started out slowly, he covered the inward half at one under handicap to take his first Medal and book his place in the finals for the Gold and Silvers in December. Rodney Hayes played exceptionally well to take second place in his last outing before returning to Sydney, even though the numbers did not reflect the quality of his golf. Brian Beaupre slipped into third spot with a hard earned eight-over round that was still way ahead of many others in the division.
The second division, playing from the white tees, was led in by Seppo Sadeharju whose two-over return was good enough by three to take his first Monthly Medal and secure his entry into the end of year finals. Markku Tynell claimed his third podium position of the week, taking second place ahead by two from Trevor Schirmer in third.
Once again, with the course playing so hard it was not surprising that there were no 2’s in either of the divisions.
Back at The Haven there were welcome backs for Marty Rock, Keith Wooley, Jon Batty, Brian Beaupre and Jim Lloyd.
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 that you wish to play. A schedule of courses to be played can be found on our web site at www.thehaven-hotel.com.

George & Jim to the fore

PSC golf from Rendezvous Restaurant & Bar

Thursday golfing out of the Rendezvous.

Tuesday, March 26, Greenwood - Stableford
This week was our first week operating out of Rendezvous Restaurant & Bar, and all who participated are looking forward to a long and successful association.
Our first game was a return trip to Greenwood, with C & B our allocated loops. The course was in good condition, although it was a hot one, with little breeze to give any relief. Scores were mediocre at best, with George Gamble (23) getting the best of Owen Walkley (11) on count back to the last 6 holes 10/8, after both signed for 33 points.

Thursday, March 28, Pleasant Valley - Stableford
Thursday saw us visit the sometimes maligned Pleasant Valley, paying off the blue tees at around 6,300 yards. It was another hot day, but a bit more breeze this time to give some assistance in relieving the humidity. The course’s fairways were in good condition, while the greens were a little on the slow side, could have used a cut.
Scores were a marked improvement from Tuesday, with Jim Federspiel (17) scoring a nice 40 points, while the recently out of form Jeff Wylie (7) found something to record 39 points.
Near pins were shared around between Ian, Tom, Jeff & Dave.
Note: Rendezvous Restaurant & Bar plays golf generally on Tuesday & Thursday, with the bar hosting prompt presentations on both days. As a PSC affiliated venue we welcome ALL golfers, including ladies & 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!

Ottaway signs off on a winning note

Jomtien Golf with the IPGC

Jomtien golfers relax at Le Saigon restaurant.

Monday, March 25, Phoenix - Stableford
It was an extremely hot day here with temperatures reaching the 40 degree scale and hardly any breeze whatsoever. As the 7 groups came in after 18 holes the majority were washed out.
There were also many remarks regarding the speed of the greens and the pin positions today and this was reflected in the scores with 35 points being the best of the day.
We had an equal cut in the flights today of 5-16 and 17 plus and playing off 5, the happy new father Kari Kuparinen won division 1 with 35 points. Living on the Lakes course, Ian Speirs was second one point behind Kari and in third place with 31 points was the London taxi boy Mike Chatt who beat Ted Morris on a 19/16 back nine count back.
Sid Ottaway, in his last game with us before his return to ‘Burilam’to get married, topped division 2 with 33 points. After his house warming party the previous day, Gordon Everingham was on the ball to come in second with 30 points, beating Walter Webber on a 16/11 back nine count back.
Near pins were won by Sid Crawley, Ted Morris, Jim Connelly and Eiichi Matsumoto (2).
No ‘2’s today so a rollover in both divisions to the Emerald on Wednesday.
The figures are dwindling now and it was Bon Voyage today to Jim Connelley and Harry Vincenzi.

Wednesday, March 27, The Emerald - Stablefor

This was our first visit here for a couple of months, due to the refurbishment of the course, and after the round all groups were happy with the condition of the layout and we are now booked in for the first week of May before the annual Hua Hin trip.
The London boy John Walsh, playing off 20, recorded his best ever score with us to win division 2 with 42 points. There were no count backs today for Burnie Sinclair, who was in second place on 38 points, while one point behind in third was Jeff Van Uffelen.
Tony Kay, now back with us on an 11 handicap, won division 1 with 40 points and Wichai Tanunsorn was second with 38 after beating Iain Usher and Jerry Sweetnam on a 23/17/16 back nine count back.
After his return, Tony Kay was in form and birdied the 5th to win the rollover ‘2’s pot in division 1 and there are two now to the Sunrise Lagoon next Monday in division 2.
Near pins went to Tony Kay, Ian Speirs, Jerry Sweetnam, Iain Usher, and Kari Aarnio (2).

Friday, March 29, Eastern Star - Stableford

Upon arrival here today the management told us there would be no closure from the first of April here for one week as the condition of the 13th and 18th greens had improved and everyone agreed with this after the round today. There will be a slight upgrading to the other greens over this week but this should not be a problem so we are told. So Greenwood next Friday has been cancelled and moved to May.
Another very hot day here with no breeze coming off the coast and the cut in the two divisions was 8-16 and 17 plus and the best score returned was 37 points by Frank Kelly who won division 2. Iain Walsh came in second three points behind Frank and Darryl Blair was third with 32.
Wilf Latham was the winner in division 1 with 35 points, Bill Bertram took second two points behind, and Paul Hartley, in his last game with us for four weeks, came in third with 31.

Kubicki’s do the double (twice)

PSC golf from Café Kronborg

Monday, March 25, Bangpra - Stableford
Bangpra was our challenge for the first time in 6 months due to the high season pricing. We had a swift check-in and went off the first tee 5 minutes early under very hot conditions, with a wind just short of a gale coming up at the turn to make it even hotter. The course was in fine shape with hard and fast greens and the monkeys were only sighted behind the 9th tee.
The course was fully booked which made for a very slow round of 4 hours and 50 minutes and along with the heat it made it not too pleasant of a day.
Welcomes went out to Ernst Hansen, Leif Claussen and Alex from Denmark and we said goodbye to Torben Sorensen, back to Canada, and Eddie Glinsek, back to America.
Two flights today with the cut at handicap 17 and Richard Kubicki topped the A Flight with 35 points ahead of Arne Max Pedersen in second, Torben Sorensen third and Doug Maiko in fourth. It was a double win for the Kubickis as Carole won the B Flight with 34 points to finish five clear of Henrik Aagaard and Eddie Glinsek in second and third respectively, while Jan Lovgreen completed the podium in fourth on a count back from Dave Richardson.
A Flight (0-17)
1st Richard Kubicki (13) 35pts
2nd Arne Max Pedersen (13) 34pts
3rd Torben Sorensen (17) 29pts
4th Doug Maiko (13) 28pts

B Flight (18+)
1st Carole Kubicki (25) 34pts
2nd Henrik Aagaard (19) 29pts
3rd Eddie Glinsek (33) 29pts
4th Jan Lovgreen (19) 27pts

Thursday, March 28, Treasure Hill - Stableford
Thursday saw a small, but elite, band of golfers head off to a steamy Treasure Hill, where we were met by a virtually empty course. We tee’d off half an hour early and most groups played millionaire’s golf, having no-one in front or behind them. As a result the round was a spritely 4 hours and 15 minutes.
The course, as always this year, was in superb condition with the greens demanding respect at a stimp reading of 10.
Back at the club house, announcements started with the very sad news that Boon, the Cafe Kronborg’s long time mini bus driver, had passed away on Monday night. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family and friends. Most of us have fond memories of Boon’s ingenious driving skills, making extra traffic lanes where there weren’t any and making straight-on arrows bend into right turns. He will be sadly missed.
Farewells were said to people leaving Pattaya to escape the craziness of Songkran, including The Kubicki’s, Arne Max Pedersen, Lotte Boskov, Leif Kirkegaard and Elias Magnusson.
There were two flights, 0 to 17, and 18 and above with 3 places in each.
A flight was won by Richard Kubicki with the score of the day, 40 points. In second place was Arne Max Pedersen with 31 points and in third was Lotte Boskov with 29 points, beating Niels Hansen on count back.
B flight was topped by Carole Kubicki with 33 points. In second place was Elias Magnusson with 31 points and third was Mike Winfield with 30 points.
So the Kubicki’s managed to do the A & B flight double win for the second time this week. Those that know them are not surprised, because they know this kind of form always comes at the end of their trip.
A Flight (0-17)
1st Richard Kubicki (13) 40pts
2nd Arne-Max Pedersen (13) 31pts
3rd Lotte Boskov (17) 29pts
B Flight (18+)
1st Carole Kubicki (25) 33pts
2nd Elias Magnusson (19) 31pts
3rd Mike Winfield (22) 30pts
Note: Due to the Songkran Holidays the next golf from the Cafe Kronborg will be on Monday 22nd April, where we head off to Bangpra.

McArdle makes it 5 in a row

IPGC golf from The Tara Court

Sunday, March 24,
Mountain Shadow – Stableford
An extremely hot day today at Mountain Shadow and I think the heat got to our golfers as the scoring was very poor. Everyone finished badly and some of them even gave up before the end.
Joe McArdle.

Joe McArdle won again today with 32pts, even with three blanks on the last holes. Joe won our three outings the previous week at Mountain Shadow, Green Valley and Laem Chabang and this made it four in a row.
Frank McGowan was second today with 30 points and he also blanked the last holes.
Back in O’Garas Bar and Restaurant we said goodbye to Andy Galvin who was returning home to Ireland after having spent the winter here. Good Luck Andy, I hope you don’t die from the cold over there!
1st Joe McArdle (15) 32pts
2nd Frank McGowan (15) 30pts

Tuesday, March 26,Khao Kheow - Stableford

If you are going to win five in a row then do it in style and today at Khao Kheow Joe McArdle did exactly that with an excellent 43pts on what is probably the most difficult course of them all. That was Joe’s fifth win in as many days but after that he would get a sharp reduction in his handicap and he won’t find it as easy to win again.
Frank McGowan was second again today, seven points behind with 36.
It was extremely hot once more but neither Joe nor Frank let the heat get to them. Again today there were no 2’s.
1st Joe McArdle (15) 43pts
2nd Frank McGowan (15) 36pts

Thursday, March 28,Laem Chabang - Stableford

We were back at Laem Chabang today where for a change from the past few weeks we played A and B courses. Another very hot day but the heat didn’t stop Jens Gunnarsson bringing in an excellent score of 41pts and winning by a clear 6. In second place in his first game with us was Neil Skilton with 35pts. Neil relegated Joe Peters into third place on a count back as Joe also had 35.
Sadly, back in O’Garas Bar and Restaurant in The Tara Court, we had to say goodbye to Ted Murphy who I think has played in almost every game with us since we started. Safe journey Ted to both yourself and Kay and see you at the end of the year.
1st Jens Gunnarsson (15) 41pts
2nd Neil Skilton (6) 35pts
3rd Joe Peters (21) 35pts
Note: The Tara Court Golf Group plays 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 George on 087 540 0844 and he will book you in.

‘Bomber’ Harris still flying high

Phoenix Members Golf Society

Tuesday’s winners pose with staff at The Relax Bar.

Mike Gerrard
Funny how fortunes change in this crazy game we all love and yet hate at the same time. One minute you are up and then all of a sudden something gets up and kicks you in the teeth to remind you that you just cannot beat this game.
However, after a bad spell about three months ago, Peter (Bomber) Harris is enjoying his term of good golf. (I am told with quite a lot of luck and I am also fed up taking his photo every week). Peter duly claimed the first prize today, Tuesday, March 26, which included the Trattoria Italiana restaurant voucher after returning a gross score of 88 to finish with a net 70 and was the only person to break handicap.
In second place was Sergio Poggi with a net 72, third place was John Bartley with net 73 and in fourth was Jim Neilson with a net 74. The rest of the field were the ones who could not come to grips with the greens of Phoenix. They are so fast and tricky at the moment and coupled with that, some of the pin placements left a little to be desired. Never mind, same for all.
Our near pin winners today were Tim Mason (2) & Sergio Poggi. One of them was not won and so the fund went into the lucky draw, which came out with Patrick Browne’s name on it. (We all felt a little suspicious due to the fact that Patrick pulled out his own name!) Other lucky prizes (donated by our hosts The Relax Bar) were won by Stuart Gordon, Mike Gerrard & newcomer Randy Choi.
The course condition is getting very dry at present but only off the intended playing areas. If you stray (as most of us did) then there are a lot of patchy dry lies which are difficult to play off. Coupled to this are the trees at Phoenix, now really well matured and they are becoming a major hazard to the players who do not keep on the fairways. However, the tees, fairways and greens are superb.
As of next week we will be well and truly into the low season and Tuesday & Thursday will be Sports Day rates at 800 baht green fee, with Monday, Wednesday & Friday at 1,000 baht green fee. There may be some special offers at the weekends but I cannot tell what.
We play every Tuesday and Friday at about 11.30 a.m. and members & guests are welcome, with the proviso that they have an official handicap of no more than 28 and they are of the male gender. Anyone interested in either golf or sea fishing, please contact me (Mike) on 087 091 7565.

Roll out the Barrell

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

On Monday, 25th March, the Pattaya Golf Society travelled to Bangpakong Riverside to play its monthly medal competition on the sumptuously prepared course. The fairways were like carpets and the greens were of a very high standard indeed, thus giving golfers who were striking the ball cleanly every opportunity of scoring well.
Sharing second place were Alan Maxwell and Dave Lehane with net 71 but they were overshadowed by the doyen of the group’s higher handicappers, Bryan Barrell, who put into practice all he had gained from regularly playing the short course at the Asia Hotel to record his best ever score of net 70. It was a fine performance by a golfer always inclined to hide his light under a bushel.
There were no birdie ‘2’s and Rabbi’s free beer went to John Chelo whilst the Booby Bevy went to Masashi Iizumi for his low score of the day. It is always an enjoyable day at the Riverside and inevitably scores are good.
More bricks
in the wall
On Wednesday, 27th March the Pattaya Golf Society visited Emerald to play a pairs combined stableford event which served as the group’s charity fund raiser for this month. The course conditions were excellent and the greens as good as they have been in a few months. The day was extremely hot and the breeze was cooling if a little impudent.
From the start the pre-tournament favourites were making their mark and at the turn the lead was shared by the Aussie pairing of Robbie Taylor and Ken Grimes and Masashi Iizumi and Mr Len, both pairs on 35 points. Three holes later the scores were still level until the golf gods decided to intervene and hide Mr Len’s drive in the farthest reaches of the dark locker-room in the sky. From that point on there was only one winner as Robbie and Ken finished on 69 points to take the win from Dave Lehane and Larry Ang (67) and Greg Gawron and Peter Ditz (69).
Near-pins were sponsored by Mr Len, Alan Flynn and PJ Mitchell and they were won by Ken Grimes, Dave Lehane and Greg Gawron, with the fifth green avoiding pitch marks entirely!
Additional sponsorship from Masashi Iizumi and Jesper Hansen helped the fund pass its target and once again the big beneficiary of the day was the Fr Ray Foundation as it strives to fund a security wall around the Streetkids Outreach Center on Soi Thepprasit. Well done everyone and here’s to the next one at Phoenix at the end of April.
A Good Friday at Khao Kheow
Khao Kheow Country Club is in top condition at the moment and the Pattaya Golf Society visited there on Friday, 29th March, to play a stableford competition from the yellow tees on the A and B nines. The day was one of the hottest of the year so far and it was to be a long Good Friday for many in the field.
As a result of the weather conditions, the scores generally were low and it was left to the longer hitters in the field to sweep up the places. Recording 33 points Alan Flynn took third place, just one behind Dave Edwards’ 34 point card. The winner was Wichai Tananusorn, making a welcome return, and his best gross of 79 gave him 36 points for an excellent performance in the heat.
Dave Lehane, Gubbi Innvaer and Walter Pachini shared the ‘2’s pot with birdies on A5 and B8. Bent Saeverud won Rabbi’s free beer draw and low finisher Mr Len took his own Booby Bevy for a nil return. Khao Kheow as always provided a tough challenge for the PGS.

Battah cans an ‘Ace’ at Green Valley

Travellers Rest Golf Group

Andy Rich
Well this turned out to be a week to remember for Mr Phil Battah, not only did he take the runners-up spot at Pattana on Monday, and again at Phoenix on Thursday, but he also shot a hole in one at Green Valley on Tuesday. He told me it was his fifth ace in his golf career but this one got him really excited as it landed just past the pin and the backspin took it back into the hole. Well played Phil and thanks for the beer.

‘Ace-man’ Phil Battah.

Monday, March 25,
Pattana C & A - Stableford
Pattana C and A must have been playing difficult on Monday as none of the field came close to playing to their handicap. Tony Gliddon (11) tried the hardest and finished in first place with 34 points, followed in by two players on 33. As stated, Phil Battah (11) took second place on count back from John Goudge (6) who had to settle for third.
Tuesday, March 26,Green Valley - Stableford
Green Valley on Tuesday was my first outing since returning from England and it was a pleasure to be on the golf course after a two month lay-off. It was also a pleasure to play with the eventual winner on the day. The ‘Big Man’ from the Emerald Isle, Seamus Farrell (H/cap 30), now well into his seventies, showed all the youngsters in the field the way home by returning with 39pts. I can vouch for the fact that this was no fluke and some of the shots he played would not have looked out of place from a single figure handicapper.

Alan Evans (left), winner at Phoenix, and Seamus Farrell (right), winner at Green Valley.

Mod Chaviraksa (12) took second place on count back from John Goudge (6) on 35 pts. John obviously seems to like coming in third as it is the fourth time in a fortnight.

Thursday, March 28,Phoenix - Stableford

On Thursday it was off on our weekly trip to Phoenix (Mountain and Lakes) and another septuagenarian decided to turn back the clock and snatch first place. Alan Evans (H/cap 25), recently relieved of his journalistic duties with the TRGG, beat the ‘Ace-man’ Phill Battah (11) into second place on count back, both returning 38pts. Young whippersnapper Jim Cleaver (13) took third place on 37pts.

Friday, March 29, The Emerald - Stableford

Friday saw the largest TRGG field of the week headed off to play Emerald. So many turned up it required two divisions.
Div. 1 (up to 12 handicap) was headed by our top performing lady Mod Chaviraksa (12) who won on count back from our serial shanker Fergus Brennan (12), both finishing with 39pts. Obviously Fergus managed to have a day off from his shanking nightmare. Dave Palmer (4) took third place with 37pts.
Div. 2 (13 handicap and above) saw the overall winner of the day Jim McNeill (17) take top spot with 40pts, followed home by Gary Minchin (13) on 39 and Jim Cleaver (13) on 35.
Good luck to all you golfers for the coming week!

Andre takes the win, bags monthly award

PSC golf from Tropical Bert’s

Derek Brook
Tuesday, March 26, Royal Lakeside – Stableford
This is a long way to go for a game of golf, but every now and then we slip it in to the schedule. There are one or two ‘elderly’ drivers who do not like going to this course; the drive there is fine, but driving back after a game of golf can be very tiring. So we ‘Goldies’ went in the mini bus.

Dick Warberg (right) congratulates Andre Van Dyk, the winner of The MBMG Golfer Of The Month award.

A quick book in saw us in the fine changing room and onto the first tee, where we were surprised to see we were off to an early start, and underway into a strong wind. The course has been worked on of late and several holes have been modified. The changes to the layout have made it a bit more difficult, but they were needed and they make this into a tough course to play.
The fairways were in good condition today, if a bit dry, and the greens were fast and also very tricky in places. All in all, the course was in good condition, but on this day with a strong wind it proved to be a very tough test. The rough was also dry and at times also hard to get out of.
The changing room is a good place to relax and here it is a top class one. Soon it was into the restaurant where the food was good and reasonably priced. Then into the transport, and being in the mini bus it has to be said that a really quiet trip back took place. I think it so, as I was practicing closing my eyes. Best way to travel.

Tuesday winner Doug Maiko.

Back at Bert’s it was soon time for the presentation, and as this was the day for the ‘MBMG Group Golfer of the Month’ the results would determine the winner.
In the A Flight, 0 to 14, the winner was Doug Maiko with 39 points ahead of Landis Brooks with 38 points in second and Steve Hamstad in third with 37. In the B Flight we had some really good scores. The winner was Andre Van Dyk with 41 points ahead of a count back on 40 points that saw Dick Warberg in second and Steve Compton in third.
When the points for the month were added up we found that the winner of the ‘MBMG Golfer of the Month’ was Andre Van Dyk. His win was the final nail in the coffin for the other players in the running. Well done Andre!
Near Pins: Bob Watson, Mark West, Derek Brook (2)
Long Putt: Landis Brooks, Jim Ferris

Friday, March 29, Pleasant Valley – Stableford
Friday is normally the day we go to one of the ‘lesser’ courses, to try to balance the week out. However on this day we elected to go to this place because not only is it close to Pattaya, but it is also reasonably priced and is a good course. Naturally opinion varies as it does with all courses, but we usually get a good turnout.

Friday winner Dick Warberg.

Today we had a decent turnout, and the group were soon booked in and on the first tee. The weather was hot but a breeze and a bit of cloud cover made the day quite comfortable. The course was in good condition but the greens were a bit slower than others we have played on of late.
Play was a bit on the slow side as our 4-ball groups followed other 5-balls and the round took all of 4 hours and 45 minutes, then we were into the changing room and then out into the restaurant. A quick bite to eat and then back into transport saw us back at Bert’s in good time.
The winner on the day was Dick Warberg with 42 points ahead of Andre Van Dyk with 39 points. We then had a count back on 36 points that saw Brian Parish in third and Landis Brooks in fourth. Then it was time for a couple of cold ones. T.T.F.N.
Near Pins: Alan Sullivan, Landis Brooks, Mike Gaussa, Brian Gabe

Grimoldby gets the gold

The Pattaya Amateur Golf Series (March)

Martin Grimoldby (right) was the low gross and A Flight winner at Crystal Bay.

We went to Crystal Bay for this month’s Pattaya Amateur Golf Series which seemed to be a popular venue. The course was in great condition, weather it was fantastic but very, very hot and some players were even hotter.
We gained a couple of extra sponsors for this tournament which meant more prizes for the players. They were Punch & Judy Pub and Roman Golf Shop on 3rd Road. A total of 32 prizes were giving out to winning golfers and for those who didn’t win, a lucky draw back at Shenanigans awaited them. One notable winner here was Mark Ward who was over the moon at winning a one hour VIP massage from My Girl Massage.
On the golf course Martin Grimoldby stole the day with a birdie 3 on the last to post a great round of 73 Gross and took both Low Gross and A Flight honours. The colorful Pierre Bietry took B Flight with the most points of the day, a massive 41, and C Flight saw a past Order of Merit winner return to the winning circle in the form of Jan Johansson, with 35 points.

C Flight winner Jan Johansson (left) receives his prize golf bag.

Low Gross
1st Martin Grimoldby (5) Gross73
A Flight (0-13)
1st Martin Grimoldby (5) 40pts
2nd Bob Watson (4) 39pts
3rd Alan Griffiths (11) 38pts
B Flight (14-19)
1st Pierre Bietry (15) 41pts
2nd Andre Fortis (18) 39pts
3rd Eric Reginiussen (16) 38pts
C Flight (20-29)
1st Jan Johansson (20) 35pts
2nd Nick Creasey (28) 34pts
3rd Roger Ellis (24) 32pts
Near Pins: Andy Robinson, Paul Brooks, Steve Truelove, Terry Hutchinson, Craig Hitchens, Bob Watson (2), Nick the Pizza, Yasu, Martin Grimoldby, Gunnar Lund (2), Jack Grindvold, Bob Rasmussen, Postis, Max Scott

Pierre Bietry (left) won the B Flight with 41pts.

Long Putt: Jim Federspiel, Frank Riley
Longest Drive: David Done, Max Scott, Jack Grindvold, Steve Truelove
Note: The next event is at Emerald Golf Course on the 24th April. To sign up please contact Shane on 085 945 9689

Paul Smets prevails at Emerald

PSC golf from The Beaver Bar & Grill

Beaver golfers take on Soi Dao Highlands.

Monday, March 25 - Soi Dao Highlands
Monday saw a group of Beaver Bar & Grill golfers depart Ban Chang for Soi Dao Highland Golf Club for a few days of golf and relaxation from the normal grind. The weather was warm, but with a nice breeze to offset the heat.
The course was in good shape with firm fairways to assist driving distances and the greens were fast and sloping. Best round was carded by Dennis Willett with an 86, which included his drive at the #9 in the drink and carding his second birdie of the day at the par 5 eighteenth hole.
Later, all met on the veranda outside the restaurant to enjoy cocktails and dinner under a full moon and gentle breezes.
Friday, March 29, The Emerald - Stableford
Friday we had 15 golfers set off for Emerald Golf Club for the weekly Beaver Bar & Grill golf outing. The weather was hot and the Emerald Golf course was in good shape.
Paul Smets came home with 36 points to take weekly honors, while Jessie Hernandez won the closest to the pin award at the par-3 thirteenth hole.
After the golf, all players returned to the Beaver Bar & Grill for cold drinks and some delicious food prior to prizes being awarded. Again, a big thanks to all our loyal supporters for their attendance.

Dan the Man crawls in

The Backyard Golf Society

Winner Dan ‘the Man’ poses with the staff at Blue Sky Bar.

A very tough day at Emerald on Friday, March 31 with exceptional heat and slow indifferent greens which made for some fertilizer golf for all the society, with Dan winning on 32pts after juts edging out Don and Mickey.
Dan claimed near the pin and topped the skins list with 6, Martin had 4 skins, Don, Russ and Oz 2 each and Terry and Micky picked up one each.
The ‘Norrrwich’ intelligentsia were out in force today with Gavin claiming he was only leaning on his club whilst waiting for Martin to take his shot, therefore not really grounding it in the hazard they were both in! We were all glad to get off the course and throw a few beers down our necks at Blue Sky where Dan rang the Bell.
Micky, Linda and Gavin are off to snowy England soon so have a safe journey and we look forward to your return.

Scramble format proves popular at Navy

The Billabong Golf Society

From left: JJ Harney, birthday boy Ian Jones and Bob Philp.

Monday, March 25, Royal Lakeside - Stableford
As there were only small group of us that wanted to make the journey up to Royal Lakeside to play millionaire’s golf, we only needed a few cars to get there. We got there in plenty of time and were ushered to the tee and told we could go out half an hour early. Everyone commented on the condition of the course and the club rooms after their upgrades.
JJ Harney started in the last group with Capt. Bob and Liz and Dave Collier, and his round started out really great, coming out of one bunker into the one on the other side of the green straight into a foot print. On finally getting onto the green the caddy gave him a ball which turned out not to be the right one. It was a great start to his day but being the old soldier we know he is he persevered and finished up with 29 points.
There were two ‘2’s today coming from a grand shot from JJ and his playing partner Dave Collier, chipping in on the same green. As it was a small group, the prize went onto the bar for drinks all around.
Wednesday, March 27, Green Valley - Stableford
There were only 2 players today that broke par or better; the rest were very ordinary scores indeed. The tee block on the first hole was right up the front which made the longer hitters wait for their second to the green, but the greens staff got their own back a bit later on as they put the tees right back on some holes, making it difficult to even get to the green in regulation. But all in all it was a good day out. There was a little breeze but it was extremely hot all day.
Yves Philibert had the best score today with 39 points; he hit the ball like Tiger Woods. Coming second was the Capt. Bob Finley with 36 points and third was JJ Harney on 35 after a count back decision over Owen Walkley, also on 35.
Oddly enough there were four ‘2’s today, coming from Martin Hayes, Frank Swarkey, Willie Dunlop and JJ Harney.
Friday, March 29, Plutaluang - Scramble
Down to Plutauang today for a scramble and some fun, with 40 players and starting early we were all away by 10 o’clock, which was our allotted tee time. There was nobody else on the course and it was in great condition.
Every month we have a scramble here and it getting so much support I have increased the tee times to ten teams. The drinking starts and it carries on for the 18 holes - quite a laugh really to see the antics the caddies get up to.
Worst score today went to the Cotterells with George Barrie and Willie Dunlop with a net score of 64.7 - now that is still not a bad score any time in a scramble. The team of Freddy Gardner, Neil Ballard, Ray Ward and John Fowler were next in line with a net score 64.2.
Up at the top of the leaderboard the winners were into the 50’s as the team of John Coetzee, Frank Riley, Rob Taylor and Mark Ward took the honours with a net score of 58.5, narrowly beating Phil Elliott, Steve Compton, JJ Harney and Max Bracegirdle on 58.9. Coming in third was the team of Owen Walkley, Neil Carter, Dave Lusha and Bob Philp with 60.5, once again beating the Court Yard Cavalier’s by 0.2 of a shot. I’m sorry it was 0.1 of a shot last time. Sad lads but that’s the way it is!
The next scramble will be at the same venue on the 26th April - sign up early.

City lose out in the heat

Bangkok Casuals Football League 2013

Paul Frain
Pattaya City entertained fourth place Bangkok at home last weekend and it was the visitors who started the stronger, with a couple of headers just going over the Pattaya bar. City hit back when Vorontsov received a great ball from Hannigan, took it into his stride and saw his shot thunder against the post before being cleared to safety. Vorontsov was causing problems for Bangkok with his pace, but he was pretty much on his own up front.
City continued to press and only last ditch tackles stopped them from scoring. Bangkok then had a great chance to go ahead when their forward was left alone in front of the goal, but he miss-kicked the ball with only the City keeper to beat.
Just before the break City’s keeper pulled off a great save to tip the ball over as it was heading for the top corner of the net and his acrobatics kept the score at 0-0 going into half time.
Bangkok started the second half in determined mood and they took the lead when Aiden Hamill prodded the ball home after it rebounded off the Pattaya goalpost.
City tried to get back into the match but it was their own keeper who was kept the busiest and he had to make a couple of desperate saves to keep Pattaya in the game. It was all to no avail however as Bangkok pressure eventually told they doubled their lead when striker Fede converted to make the score 2-0.
There was just time for City’s Rakotonirina to be given a great chance to pull a goal back but he pulled his shot wide with only the keeper to beat. The match finished 2-0 to Bangkok, who gained revenge for a defeat to City earlier in the season.
 

Golfnutter :  Rules, Damned Rules, & Caddies

Welcome to Golfnutter’s Blog – a weekly commentary highlighting contemporary golfing issues, in Pattaya and beyond.
Let’s assume you’re playing golf in LOS and your caddie:
- Uses the flag stick, hand or other implement to touch the putting surface to indicate your line of putt.
- Asks another more experienced caddie for advice on club selection, or the break on a tricky green?
- Taps down a pitch-mark on the apron, positioned between your ball and the putting surface.
- Repairs scuff-marks on your line of putt.
- Thinking your two-inch putt will be given, picks up your ball.
- Upon removing her ball-marker, thumbs-down or smooths the putting surface immediately behind your ball.
- Your playing partner’s caddie replaces his ball in front of the marker – in the normal way. Yet you’re sure when she originally marked his ball she positioned the marker to the side. She repeats this action on the next green.
These and other similar examples are everyday occurrences on any course in Thailand. Everyday occurrences? No, make that many times during the course of a single round, especially rounds involving Farang whose golfing experience is limited to Thailand.
Perhaps some have played with a venue or outlet that insists on adhering to the Rules, to the extent that caddie mistakes, as outlined here, always incur the appropriate penalty. I personally can’t recall playing with such a group. And if I did, I doubt whether I would return.
Most of us know that under the Rules of Golf, occurrences as outlined above incur a one or two-shot penalty. More imposing is Rule 1-3 Agreement to Waive Rules, where the penalty for breach is disqualification. Yet agreement to waive rules is what I’m advocating.
What authority am I invoking here? Unfortunately I cannot instance any, and this is the point of the post. The Local Rules of IPGC and PSC make no allowance for these or similar situations involving unwitting rules transgressions by caddies. Yet common sense and equity demands, in my view, golfers not be penalised for the ignorant actions of caddies.
The wiser of Pattaya’s golf venues, when asked, will say that golfers need not be penalised for certain actions of their caddies. A common convention in some golf outlets is to allow caddies one error per event, or one chance per infringement, regardless of how many separate infringements may occur per round. The golfer is then charged with advising her of her mistake, and accepts that a repeat will incur a penalty.
Please note that this involves actions carried out by a caddie about which the golfer had no prior knowledge. It does not include the golfer accepting her advice in error e.g., wrongly claiming an entitlement such as a free drop, or mistaking the extent of a hazard line etc. That’s the golfer’s error, not the caddies.
The problem is that many golfers don’t know that such unwritten concessions exist. Surely a duty of any golfing administration is to ensure all players are playing by the same rules? So why don’t our local administrators provide for “caddie leeway” in their Local Rules?
The answer may have something to do with the likelihood of the R&A approving such a Local Rule being zilch. Yet any reasonably-minded administrator, who has ever played golf in Thailand, would recognise the need for lenience.
It comes down to playing in a country which has its own unique way of doing things, particularly things involving caddies, and to a lesser extent green keepers, six-balls and, well, just being Thai. Here are some mitigating factors:
- It is compulsory to hire the services of a caddie when playing golf in Thailand.
- The golfer, more often than not, doesn’t or can’t choose his/her caddie.
- Very few caddies understand the Rules of Golf.
- Few caddies speak or understand English.
I believe a somewhat liberal interpretation of Rule 1-4 could apply:
Rule 1-4: Points Not Covered by Rules. If any point in dispute is not covered by the Rules, the decision should be made in accordance with equity.
Surely that’s what it’s all about, equity, fairness? Ensuring we are all playing by the same set of rules, singing from the same song sheet? Yet how does equity to all apply here, when many don’t know such conventions exist? Where do they go to find out, and what about the issue of uniformity between venues?
The IPGC and PSC contribute a great deal to Pattaya golf. The enjoyment of thousands of golfers, me included, wouldn’t be the wonderful experience it is without the dedicated work of unselfish golf administrators at both organisations. Notwithstanding, in this instance some well-intentioned golfers, by sticking to the Rules, are being unfairly penalised.
I believe Local Rules is the appropriate forum to address this oversight.
Happy golfing!
Golfnutter

GIS triumphs at Under 13 FOBISSEA Games

The GIS’s girls basketball team finished as overall runners-up.

Mark Beales
Garden International School’s (GIS) team of nine boys and six girls struck gold at the recently held U13 FOBISSEA Games 2013.
On the first day of the Games, hosted by Bangkok Prep International School from March 15-17, the students competed in the swimming competition in the morning. All performed exceptionally well and collected 21 medals in the pool. For the afternoon session the athletes moved over to the athletic stadium for the track and field events. The event was unfortunately cut short by the weather, however, the GIS students claimed eight medals. If it wasn’t for the rain the tally could have been double.
On the second day the girls took to the football field and the boys to the basketball court. With only six girls in the squad, GIS joined forces with Kinabalu International School (as the competition was seven-a-side and subs were needed) to make the GKIS football team. Losing only one game in the pool section took GKIS into the final to play St Andrews in what was a classic game. Taking a 1-0 lead into the second half, the girls played their hearts and took the gold medal.

GIS swimming stars earned 21 medals in the pool.

The boys at the basketball tournament played very well and finished a creditable fourth. With the students tired from the second day, the girls then moved to the basketball court and the boys to the football field. Again the girls joined forces with KIS, combining to become GKIS. Throughout the tournament the girls played great basketball and finished in second place.
The boys were superb throughout the tournament and scored 24 goals in the pool games without conceding any goals. In the final they met KIS and won 6-1 to take the gold medal.
A number of coaches commented on the boys standard of play, which was fantastic, and also about how they conducted themselves throughout with their sportsmanship towards the other teams.
The students were exhausted after their great efforts, but were greatly satisfied with their accomplishments over the three days of competition.
GIS Under 13 FOBISSEA Squad
Year 7 Boys: Azim, Oliver, Karan, Aakheel, Yury.
Year 8 Boys: Prem, Charlie, Jackson, Teddy.
Year 8 Girls: Anna, Sabrina F, Seren, Lily, Gee Gee, Jasmine.
Note: GIS is based in Ban Chang near Pattaya. For more, visit www.gardenrayong.com.

Champions! The GIS boys football team defeated all comers.

Hong Kong Tigers capture City of Angels tourney

The championship winning Hong Kong Tigers.

Story by Scott Murra/ Photos by Naz Brown
The 9-man Hong Kong Tigers certainly proved their mettle, defeating the host Bangkok Flying Farangs 4-1 to take the tier one title at the City of Angels Oldtimers tournament, held last weekend in Bangkok.
The tournament, for players aged 35 and up, was staged at The Rink, located on the 7th floor of the Central Grand Rama IX shopping mall and the Rink’s management crew did a good job of keeping the ice ready, despite the heavy schedule of morning to late-night matches and Bangkok’s torrid heat, which hovered around 40 degrees Celsius at times.
The 19-team tourney was s divided into two conferences (International and Recreational) with the International, or Elite, conference featuring six teams in two divisions (Southwest and Northwest), and the Recreational conference featuring thirteen teams spread over four divisions (North, South, East & West).

Hong Kong Tiger Greg Smyth takes up residence in Flying Farang’s goalmouth.

The Open Southwest Division saw the Kuala Lumpur Cobras and the Hong Kong Tigers play against the Singapore Manimals while the Open Southeast Division featured the Flying Farangs, the Dubai Mighty Camels and the Oz Grizzlys.
Recreational play saw the Flying Farang B team square off against the New Delhi Sacred Cows, the Singapore Hawkers and the Hong Kong Coors Light team in the South Division, while the East division pitted the Tokyo Canadians against the Moscow Ruby Stars and the North of 60-Niners. The North Division was made up of the Jakarta Dragons, the Jellonas Finland squad and the Singapore Rusty Blades. Recreational West saw the Dhahran Saad Falcons face off against the Beijing Capitalists and the Swiss Select 70.
After the initial round-robin play, all the teams were re-seeded and did battle for four trophies, named tier one through four. The tier four championship saw the Swiss squad defeat the New Delhi Sacred Bulls 2-0 in a close match-up, while Dhahran took down Tokyo 5-2 in the tier three contest.
The most exciting final was the tier two championship between the Moscow Ruby Stars and the Singapore Hawkers. Down 1-0, Singapore tied the game with 34 seconds left on the clock to send the match into overtime (four minutes long with teams skating four on four). Then halfway through the overtime the Russians scored on a beautiful slapshot from the high-slot earning the victory.
The Farangs, who were undefeated heading into the tier one final, just didn’t have any jump even though they had six more skaters than Hong Kong. Aside from a brief flurry in the third period when captain Geoff McIntyre scored on a nice goal for Bangkok, the Tigers controlled the play and long time Tiger player Greg Smyth (whose brother Brad played in the NHL) led the way for Hong Kong with a hat trick, while Tiger keeper Grant Phillips was very steady between the pipes when called upon. The Farangs, who lost to the Finnish team Ukkometsot, in the final last year, had to settle for second overall once again.
The oldest player in the tourney was Swiss player Roland Schaer who celebrated his 70th birthday in Bangkok while the tourney was on.
Tournament organizer Scott Whitcomb and his team at Jogsports did a good job of running the event and the Amari Boulevard staged the closing party, which included a live band.
For more info on ice hockey in Thailand, go to www.jogsports.com.

Dolphins gunned down by late Army strike

Pattaya United take on Army United in their Thai Premier League encounter at the Nongprue Stadium in Pattaya, Sunday, March 31. (Photo courtesy Pattaya United – Offside)

A deflected second half free kick from Army United captain Tatree Sing-Ha condemned Pattaya United to their second league defeat in the space of four days last week and left the Dolphins nine points adrift of early league pace-setters Muang Thong United.
Following on from Pattaya’s 3-1 defeat at the hands of BEC Tero Sasana on Wednesday, March 27, the Dolphins entertained Army United at the Nongprue Stadium last Sunday. The visitors set the pattern of play for most of the first half as they dominated possession and created the majority of the opening chances. It therefore came as little surprise when Army took the lead in the 33rd minute through a soft scrambled goal by Matthew Mbuta.
On the stroke of half-time Pattaya suddenly found themselves right back in the game however as their Russian forward Rodion Dyachenko received the ball on the edge of the Army penalty area and twisted and turned past two defenders before firing the ball into the far corner of the net.
The goal seemed to galvanize the Dolphins as in the second half they took the game to their opponents and were unlucky not to score on several occasions, with the Army goalkeeper called into action to keep the scores level.
Then, in the 67th minute, with Pattaya looking the more likely to go on and win the game, Army were awarded a free-kick on the edge of the Dolphins penalty area and up stepped Sing-Ha to fire the ball home with the aid of a wicked deflection off the back of a Pattaya defender that sent keeper Kung Bong-Jun the wrong way.
The defeat leaves Pattaya United with just three points from their opening four fixtures and they will be desperate to get back on winning track when they travel to Chonburi for the local derby match this Saturday, April 6, with kick-off scheduled for 6.30 p.m.

Thai Premier League Results& Standings March 31
Team	P	W	D	L	+/-	Pts
Muang Thong United	4	4	0	0	7	12
BEC Tero Sasana	4	3	1	0	4	10
Suphanburi	4	3	1	0	4	10
TOT	4	2	2	0	3	8
Buriram United	3	2	1	0	3	7
Osotspa	4	2	1	1	2	7
Police United	4	2	1	1	0	7
Army United	4	2	0	2	0	6
Songkhla United	4	2	0	2	-1	6
Chainat	4	1	2	1	1	5
Chonburi	4	1	2	1	-1	5
Pattaya United	4	1	0	3	-2	3
Ratchaburi	4	0	2	2	-2	2
Chiangrai United	4	0	2	2	-3	2
Samut Songkhram	4	0	2	2	-3	2
Bangkok United	4	0	1	3	-4	1
Bangkok Glass	4	0	1	3	-4	1
Sisaket	3	0	1	2	-4	1
Results:  Sisaket P - P Buriram United, TOT 1 - 0 Osotspa, Bangkok United 2 - 3 BEC Tero Sasana, Muang Thong United 3 - 0 Songkhla United, Pattaya United 1 - 2 Army United, Suphanburi 1 - 0 Samut Songkhram, Chainat 0 - 0 Chiangrai United, Ratchaburi 1 - 1 Chonburi, Bangkok Glass 0 - 1 Police United.

OK Dinghy Worlds provides a marvellous spectacle

Superb sailing conditions greeted the international field of sailors at the OK Dinghy World Championship, being held at Royal Varuna Yacht Club from March 31 – April 5. (Photo courtesty OKDIA)

Robert Deaves & Peter Cummins
According to Robert Deaves, publicity officer of the ongoing Singha OK Dinghy World Championship, currently being sailed off the Royal Varuna Yacht Club in Pattaya, “There could never be a more perfect venue for a world championship.”
Some 80 OK dinghy sailors, coming from nine countries, entered in the world event, simply can’t believe their good fortune. The fabulous beachside club overlooking the Gulf of Thailand was the setting for last Friday night’s opening ceremony, in the blaze of a spectacular – and, typical – Pattaya sunset over Koh Larn island on the western Gulf.
For each day over the last week the sun has shone uninterrupted on the sailors training, acclimatizing and racing, with temperatures in the low 30s and winds rising to 16-18 knots every day. A water temperature in the mid-20s has delighted the many sailors escaping from sub-zero European temperatures. No wonder they are all smiling; rather, grinning broadly and wolfing down great drafts of Singha.
New Zealander Mike Wilde, Vice-President of OK Dinghy International Association, summed it up nicely when he began his welcome speech with, “Are we in for a treat or not?”
“So many of us regretted missing the warm sailing off Goa in 2003 that an opportune crossing of paths with Thailand’s Rut Subniran during his time on the jury at the Wellington worlds, and reflecting on the historical interest and involvement of the King of Thailand and OK Dinghy sailing in Thailand, led us to this point. For this thanks must go to Rut and Andre Blasse, President of the OK Association, for providing the impetus in getting us to what seems to me can only be described as a sailor’s Nirvana.
“You have a fabulous facility here at the Royal Varuna Yacht Club and as a class we are grateful for the opportunity to share it and for the kindness and support you have shown us thus far. No good event is complete without the support of a great sponsor. It would seem to me, and, by now, I say this with some authority, that we have in Singha an outstanding sponsor,” concluded Mike.
The championship was officially opened by Dave Littlejohn, Commodore of the Royal Varuna Yacht Club. He welcomed the fleet saying, “Sailing is a relatively small sport in Thailand but those that participate are passionate about it and this club plays a large part in encouraging sailing. The club dates back to 1957 and later received its royal charter from the HM the King of Thailand, who was a keen OK Dinghy sailor himself. Thank you all for coming and please make the most of this beautiful club.”
To the accompaniment of the melodious Royal Thai Navy Band, the flags of all nine countries competing were hoisted on the club veranda facing the racing area and then with the ringing of the club bell the regatta was declared open and the sailors enjoyed a sumptuous buffet served on the club lawn as darkness fell.
The Pattaya Mail special correspondent Peter Cummins pointed out that, “It is most appropriate that the OK Dinghy worlds comes to Thailand, for the first time, because it is almost a half century since our Thai King won a gold medal, helming his own-built OK Dinghy in the then South East Asian Peninsular Games – now the SEA Games.
“Prior to that, in April 1966, the King established another sailing record, when he helmed his OK ‘The Vega’ across the Gulf – west to east, from the palace in Hua Hin, to the Royal Thai Navy base in Dongtan Bay, Sattahip. It was recorded at the time that the 16-hour voyage was the longest transit in an open dinghy out of sight of land anywhere. The King donated the rudder of the OK as a permanent trophy competed for each year, as part of a Royal Thai Navy-sponsored regatta long-distance race sailed out of Hua Hin every July.”
The Royal Thai Navy has been happy to join with the Royal Varuna Yacht Club, as well as other associations, in promoting yacht racing, sailing and, particularly, the training of junior in optimists, both here and at the Thai Navy base in Jomtien. Several decades ago the Yacht Racing Association of Thailand (YRAT) established the junior sailing squadron, with intensive training programmes, managing and financing successive Thai teams to compete in Optimist world championships at various locations world-wide. Two world champions and several Olympic sailors have been the end-result of this dedication.
The OK Dinghy championships will continue through to Friday, April 5, with Thursday the 4th being dedicated to the 16th sailing of the Pattaya Mail PC Classic, as an integral event in the worlds.

World’s best chess players heading to Pattaya

Chatchawal Supachayanont (center), general manager of Dusit Thani Pattaya, gestures as he welcomes the chess players, officials and sponsors of the Thailand Open Chess Championships during the press conference in Bangkok to launch the 13th Bangkok Chess Club Open.

The 13th Bangkok Chess Club Open will be held from 14th to 21st of April at the 5-star Dusit Thani Pattaya Resort. More than 300 players from 40 countries, including nineteen Grandmasters, are expected to take part in the tournament this year, making it the biggest and strongest ever held in Thailand.
The competition will be divided into 2 categories, Open category for all players, and Challenger category for players rated below 2100 or unrated. Both groups will be played using the Swiss System, with 9 rounds for the Open, and 7 rounds for the Challenger series. A first prize of 100,000 Baht will be awarded to the Open winner, with the Challenger champion receiving 15,000 Baht.
For more information, go to http://bangkokchess.com.

John Keppler Cider Pool League

Pattaya 8-Ball Monday Pool League

Pattaya 9-Ball Pool League

PSC Fishing Report

Sea Fishing with KPK Food Services

Pattaya Sports Club Bowling League

Steve, Jimmy & Bob hit roaring 40’s

British Bar Snacks Friday Pool League

Stanley seals victory with eagle on the last

Chan the champ cans Monthly Medal

Kevin ‘you know who’ strikes again

Young Toddy wins his first Monthly Mug

Markku Tynell has best of the week

George & Jim to the fore

Ottaway signs off on a winning note

Kubicki’s do the double (twice)

McArdle makes it 5 in a row

‘Bomber’ Harris still flying high

Roll out the Barrell

Battah cans an ‘Ace’ at Green Valley

Andre takes the win, bags monthly award

Grimoldby gets the gold

Paul Smets prevails at Emerald

Dan the Man crawls in

Scramble format proves popular at Navy

City lose out in the heat

Golfnutter :  Rules, Damned Rules, & Caddies

GIS triumphs at Under 13 FOBISSEA Games

Hong Kong Tigers capture City of Angels tourney

Dolphins gunned down by late Army strike

OK Dinghy Worlds provides a marvellous spectacle

World’s best chess players heading to Pattaya