Features

Asavahame shines at supercar showdown

Chonsawat Asavahame (right), in his Lamborghini Gallardo, leads the chasing pack down the back straight in a Super Car Class 1-GT3 race at the Bira International Circuit in Pattaya, Saturday, July 5.

In potentially its final visit to Pattaya, the Thailand Super Series rolled into town for four days of spectacular motor racing action from July 3-6 for the event’s only scheduled visit to the city’s Bira racetrack this season. Following on from the series opener, held at the Sepang Circuit in Malaysia in May, the event at Bira marked the 2014 homecoming for the kingdom’s supercar racing elite.
After dominating the Super Car Class 1-GT3 races at Sepang, it was expected that Thailand’s Vutthikorn Inthraphuvasak and Czech star Tomáš Enge would once again go toe to toe in the battle for top spot on the podium here in Pattaya, however Vutthikorn’s Porsche failed to make it to the start line at the weekend and Enge’s black Chevrolet Camaro, the most talked about car in the lead-up to the event, departed Pattaya on Sunday night with just a couple of second places to its name.
The real star of the show in Class 1 turned out to be Vattana Motorsport team owner Chonsawat Asavahame, who steered his white Lamborghini Gallardo, flown in at the last minute from Germany, to the chequered flag on both Saturday and Sunday.
Chonsawat’s victory on Saturday would lead to a lockout on the podium for the Reiter Vattana RPM Motorsport team as Tomáš Enge followed him across the line just seven tenths of a second in arrears, and Sanchai Engtrakul in the team’s second Gallardo came in a close third.

The Bira International Circuit was host to Rounds 3 & 4 of the 2014 Thailand Super Series.

Sunday’s race followed a similar path to the previous day, with Chonsawat flying past the pole-sitting Camaro at the start and maintaining a narrow advantage over Enge through the 28 laps. Third place this time went to the fast finishing ‘Kiki’ Sak Nana in the Porsche 997 GT3-R.
“It’s a short circuit so it’s not easy to overtake here, it was also hot and I have to say without putting massive risk I couldn’t overtake him (Chonsawat) easily,” said Enge post race. “We’re going for the Teams’ championship, that’s our main priority rather than Drivers’ championship, so rather than putting both cars out, there wasn’t a chance of me to get into a position to make an easy move. He didn’t make any mistakes and give me any chances.”
It was business as usual over the weekend for 2013 champion Nattavude Charoensukhawatana in the Super Car Class 2 series. The factory Toyota 86 driver claimed victory in both races as he got his title defence back on track and closed the gap on Ferrari driver and current points leader Voravud Bhirombhakdi.

Close racing in the Super 2000 class at Bira.

Other race categories held during the meeting included Super Eco, Super Production, Super 1500, Super 2000, Super Car Class 3-GT3, Super Pickup and the Lotus Cup, with over 100 drivers taking part in total. An additional attraction for spectators was a drift demonstration by ‘Kiki’ Sak Nana, with a couple of fortunate onlookers even getting the chance to ride shotgun with ‘Kiki’ as he showed off his car handling skills down the Bira home straight.
The next round of the Thailand Super Series will be held at the Buriram International Circuit on November 1-2, before the season ending finale takes place in Bang Saen from December 10-14.
(Source: Racing Spirit)

Nattavude Charoensukhawatana (right) drove his factory Toyota to two Super Car Class 2 wins at Bira.

Manat Kulapalanont of the Toyota Team Thailand waits on the start grid for the Super 2000 race 3.

A touch of glamour always accompanies the supercars.

Tomáš Enge’s black Chevrolet Camaro drew many admiring glances.

Aekarat Discharoen’s Singha A Motorsport Porsche sits on starting the grid.

A hat-trick for ‘Deadly’ Smedley

PSC golf from The Golf Club

Phil Smedley, John Emmerson & David Ferris.

Steve Ellison
Monday, July 7, Green Valley (white tees) – Stableford
1st Phil Smedley (9) 37pts
2nd John Emmerson (11) 34pts
3rd Dan Willets (11) 34pts
Back to good ‘ol Green Valley again and our regular Monday venue was in fine form as usual. This was going to be the last round for our mate Danny Willets before heading back to Sydney, so it was good to see him on the podium for joint second place. Thanks Danny, see you soon mate, and have a good trip back. The ladies on Soi L.K. Metro are going to miss you! TGC Partner John Emmerson was in the tie with Dan and the two 11 handicappers shot the same 34 stableford points to share the booty.
The TGC Golf Captain Phil Smedley ended up on top as his 37 points was enough to beat the field of 20 of Pattaya’s finest golfers. Phil is playing well and consistently these days so will be hard to beat… keep your money in your pocket is what I’m trying to say!
Wednesday, July 9, Bangpra (white tees) – Stableford
1st Phil Smedley (9) 31pts
2nd Andy Makara 28pts
It was a small field today at Bangpra, which is such a shame as this is a lovely golf course right on our doorstep. The monkey course is one of the best golf courses in Pattaya, but it certainly is not one of the easiest.
It is now 2 in a row for Captain Smedley. There are certain benefits to being the Golf Captain and playing golf 3 times per week! Well played mate and don’t worry, we never have high stableford point winners at Bangpra! Like I said, keep your money in your pocket.
Friday, July 11, Pattaya C.C. (white tees) – Stableford
1st Phil Smedley (9) 34pts
2nd David Ferris (24) 31pts
3rd John Emmerson (11) 29pts
For a brief moment, it all seemed like we were all transported back to Scotland. The wind was at a 20 mph clip all day long, the roll on the fairways was giving us an extra 30 yards, and the track was playing like a links course. You can see where they are doing all the right things now at Pattaya C.C., and even the stunning new clubhouse is well under way. They claim to have it all finished by the end of the year but that may prove to be a bit optimistic.

The new clubhouse at Pattaya Country Club is coming along nicely.

It will surely be worth the wait when it all comes together as this Nick Faldo designed golf course always had a great layout. The front 9 is in better shape than the back 9, but in a month or so they should both be up to scratch. We took advantage of the voucher books of 10 green fees for 5,000 baht and shared a buggy, so for 1,100 baht for green fee, caddy fee and shared cart this must be one of the best values in town for cart riders.
We teed off at 09:30 and walked off the 18th at 12:30 to complete one of the fastest rounds of golf we have ever played in Pattaya! Granted, we did have the buggy to drive us around, but a 3 hour round of golf combined with a 25 minute drive to the course leaves you with a pretty full day still ahead of you.
You read it right, Phil Smedley claimed his third 1st place finish this week, so well played Mr. Captain Sir! That was the week that was, and thanks to all who joined us in our Pattaya Wonderland, and special congratulations to Phil for having a great week of golf in paradise!
Note: The Golf Club is located on Soi LK Metro. Just call 085 434 3377 or see our website www.golfclub pattaya.com and for more information mail us: [email protected] and see updates at www. facebook.com/golfclubpattaya... all handicaps welcome!

Jon Batty doubles up

IPGC golf from The Haven

Monday, July 7, Mt. Shadow - Stableford
CSS 74
1st Mike Dabanovich (13) 34pts
2nd Mark Armstrong (27) 33pts
3rd Keith Emerson (11) 33pts
4th Paul Ovens (15) 33pts
5th Trevor Schirmer (15) 32pts
Another tough week on the local courses started at the always difficult Mountain Shadow where the greens are about as difficult as any in the area, especially when they have been cut down, as was the case on this occasion.

Jon Batty.
Mike Dabanovich returned to Pattaya after a long stint near the desert and took no time in getting back into the groove to take the win, albeit by the slimmest of margins, and this in spite of a couple of blobs collected on the inward stretch.
Two of his playing partners, Keith Emerson and Paul Ovens, featured in a three-way count back for second place but lost out to Mark Armstrong, as the latter scored 21 after a very poor start to the day. Keith finished in second place with 17 on the back nine with Paul in fourth on 16 points. Paul was quite disappointed that he could not play off his other handicap, which was three strokes more, as he would have would have won the day with a couple of shots to spare.
Trevor Schirmer rounded out the podium another shot back, having had a daytime nightmare on the inward half that included two zeros and four 1-pointers. But some of the rest of the round was to be savoured as it also included three 4-pointers and three 3-pointers, a real helter-skelter of a day.
Once again there were no 2’s in the first division but Alan Leighton slipped in the lone one in the second division to sweep the pool.

Mike Dabanovich.
Before the presentations were made there were welcomes for new members Alan Leighton and John O’Brien together with welcome backs for Don Everett, Paul Ovens and Mike Dabanovich. There were also farewells for Keith Emerson and Mark Armstrong.
Wednesday, July 9, Khao Kheow B & C - Stableford
CSS 72
1st Jon Batty (10) 34pts
2nd Peter Buckley (20) 32pts
3rd Graham Davis (7) 30pts
4th Don Everett (19) 29pts
5th Trevor Schirmer (15) 28pts
Another day of wet fairways and blustery winds kept the scoring low once again on the Pete Dye designed Khao Kheow, where the B and C courses were the two chosen to be played.
For the second time in the week none of the hopefuls could match par where the day’s test was the longest of the combination nines and where the C course proved to be the most difficult to score from, with the very difficult par-three eighth hole playing at an average of 4.5. Even Jon Batty, the day’s winner, failed to score on it while collecting three points from each of the seventh and ninth holes, but he had done just enough on the front nine to keep the rest of the field at bay and hold on for the first of his wins in the week.
Peter Buckley ran him the closest, two shots adrift in second place as he failed to score on both of the last two holes on the C course, but he had started exceptionally well at two under handicap for the front half, so still managed to keep Graham Davis back in third after the latter could garner just two points from the same two holes.
Don Everett had to settle for fourth place after he had too many dropped shots going out, but he recovered well enough to keep Trevor Schirmer back in fifth as he too struggled to get to terms with the conditions of the day.
Very surprisingly once again there were no 2’s in the first division and also none in the second division.
Prior to the presentations there was a welcome back for the ATM, also know as Trevor Edge, who had been sorely missed over the past months but he was in top form paying out once again to all comers.
Friday, July 11, Greenwood A & C - Stableford
CSS 73
1st Jon Batty (10) 37pts
2nd Markku Tynell (23) 33pts
3rd Trevor Schirmer (15) 33pts
4th Graham Davis (7) 30pts
5th John O’Brien (9) 30pts
6th Mike Dabanovich (13) 30pts
The longest journey of the week took the group to Greenwood where once again the wind was a major factor, but the fairways were in very good condition considering the recent amount of rain in the area and allowed a fair amount of roll. As always however the fairway bunkers, which are generally very steeply faced, needed to be avoided as an errant shot into any one of them from the tee was likely to cost a shot on the hole.
Jon Batty played a very tight game from the tee and managed to get it around the whole course without visiting one of the fairway bunkers, which resulted in a card without a zero blemish and a leeway of three shots to take his second win of the week with easily the best score of the week.
Markku Tynell, who had otherwise a very quiet week, won a count back over Trevor Schirmer for second place with a better 5 to 4 score on the last three after they had tied the back nine on 17 and the back six on 10 points each.
Graham Davis was still struggling to play to his handicap after a week’s acclimatisation but he did just enough to take fourth place after winning a three-way count back with a better 17 as John O’Brien placed fifth with 16 points and Mike Dabanovich slipped back to his old form with 15 to end up in sixth spot.
Once again there were no 2’s in the second division but Jon Batty almost unbelievably scored one on the 200 yard third hole on the C course, to take the first division multi rollover pool. This on a day when there was just one three on that hole from the rest of the field with the most popular score being a four in addition to a few fives.
Back at The Haven there were welcomes for new members Matt Loarian and Samson Beard, playing with the group for the first time, but well know to the regular players as members of staff, together with a welcome back for Stephen Beard, recovering from his recent surgery but not quite able to complete the course on this occasion. There was also a farewell for John O’Brien who was returning to County Clare for some quite different Irish west coast golf.
Note: If you would like to play with The Haven group, you can contact mobile 094 567 5726 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.

Thai youngsters win 5 classes at Mercedes golf final in Pattaya

Winners and runners-up pose with their trophies at the conclusion of the 3-day tournament.

The recently held Mercedes-Benz Junior Golf Asian Masters Final, held at Pattaya’s Phoenix Gold Golf & Country Club from June 11-13, saw young Thai golfers take out 5 of the 8 classes in the competition.
With the weather remaining cool throughout the tournament the conditions were perfect, which was reflected in the low scores returned by many of the golfers. The tournament, which is in its 12th year, pitted the top local junior golfers from the Thailand qualifying rounds against some of the best golfers from around the Asian region in 3 days of competition.
In the Boys 12 and under class Phasin Vichitcharoenpaisarn carded a 13 under par 3-round total of 203 to win by 2 strokes from Nattabutara Sornkaew, who finished 11 under par on 205. A further 3 strokes away in 3rd place was Cholnan Nunya with an 8 under par accumulated total of 208.

Phasin Vichitcharoenpaisarn putts on his way to winning the boys 12 and under class.

In the Girls 12 and under class the winner was Malaysia’s Ng Yu Xuen who finished 4 under par on 212. She came home 2 strokes in front of Atthaya Thitikul who carded 214 with Arpichaya Yubol a further 6 strokes behind on 220.
In the Boys 14 and under class Atiruj Winaicharoenchai totally dominated the field from the first day and finished 13 strokes ahead of his nearest rival. He finished on an 11 under par score of 205 while trailing in behind him in 2nd place was Tanapat Pichaikool on 218 and in third spot was Ekpharit Wu on 220.

Atiruj Winaicharoenchai dominated the boys 14 and under class to win by 13 strokes.

The Girls 14 and under class was much more competitive and the winner was only decided on the final 3 holes. In a three-way tussle Tunrada Piddon came out on top after carding 235 over the 3 days, which was 2 strokes ahead of Nicha Vorrasanapisut who took second on count-back from Japan’s Fuka Higashi, both girls finishing on 237.
The Boys 17 and under class was also highly competitive and in another 3-way fight the result went down to the last hole, with Sangchai Kaewcharoen emerging victorious with a 3 under total of 213 to give him the win by one stroke from Japan’s Koichiro Ishika. Ishika took second on a count-back over Nitithorn Thippong after both players carded 2 under par totals of 214.
The Girls 17 and under class did not produce the same level of excitement as the boys class. Pattaraporn Mounchoo ran out a comfortable winner, carding a total of 233, which was 3 strokes ahead of Pirada Svastivat Na Ayuthya, with Nattavadee Khunsri finishing a distant third on 244.

Some of the region’s best junior golfers pose for a group photo at Phoenix Gold Golf & Country Club.

Both the Boys and Girls 23 and under classes went to golfers from Myanmar. In the Boy’s class Kyat Thet Oo, who finished on a 1 under par 215, led his compatriot home Zin Min Thu by a whopping 14 strokes while finishing third on the count-back was Poovadol Leeartharn, after both players finished level on 229.
In the Girls 23 and under class there was a 2-way tussle between Yin May Myo and Tip-arda Manit. In the end Yin May Myo just edged it with a combined total of 230, giving her a 2 stroke margin over Tip-arda who finished on 232. Third place went to Paphada Wongwaikijphaisarn who finished a further 8 strokes away on 240.
The new season for the Mercedes-Benz Junior Golf Championships starts on the 23-24 August with the first of 8 qualifying rounds and finishes with the 2015 Asian Masters Final, which will again be held at the Phoenix Gold Golf & Country Club from 10–12 June 2015.

Andersson back to form at Eastern Star

Jomtien Golf with the IPGC

Monday, July 7, Plutaluang – Stableford
We had a smallish field out today with the two divisional cut made at 10-17 and 18+. We were playing the East and South courses and thirty-three points was enough to win both divisions.
Tony Bless topped the podium in division 1 and was followed in by Chris Voller in second on 32. Gordon Everingham took the honours in division 2 while Curtis Hessler beat Pepo Frick 17/11 on the back nine for second spot after they both returned scores of 31.
Harry Vincenzi Chris Voller, Curtis Hessler and Harry Vincenzi all claimed near pin prizes.
Curtis Hessler also birdied the fourth on the South course record the only ‘2 of the day and take three rollovers in the division 2 pot.
Tuesday, July 8, Green Valley - Stableford
This was our first visit here for some considerable time and we had a good turnout of players with the cut coming at 7-16 and 18+ in the two divisions.
Grenville Hill, with 22 points on the back nine, was the winner in division 1 after beating Chris Voller on a count back, both with 38 points each. Mikael Andersson, almost back in form, took third place with 37.
Two scores of 37 dominated the second division, with Joe Kubon just edging Iain Walsh 21/17 on a back nine count back. Alan Bissell came in third with 35.
Near pins went to Mikael Andersson, Mike Chatt (2), Andy Mills, Bryan Rought and Iain Walsh (3).
In his last game with us for a while, the Sheffield boy Andy Mills birdied the eighth in division 1 to scoop three rollovers and in ‘2’s pot while Joe Kubon and Iain Walsh split the spoils in the second division.
Friday, July 11,
Eastern Star - Stableford
Only one division out today but there were still 22 players in the field. Mikael Andersson was the day’s winner with 42 points and Tom Novak claimed second on 36, while in third place Bill Bertram beat Eiichi Matsumoto 19/18 on the back nine as they both came in with 34 points each.

Cotton collects the win at Navy

PSC golf from Café Kronborg

Tom Cotton (left) with Lawrece Lee.

Monday, July 7, Plutaluang W & N - Stableford
A Flight (0-21)
1st Lawrence Lee (16) 35pts
2nd Daryl Evans (20) 34pts
3rd Andre Vandyk (16) 32pts
B Flight (22+)
1st Tom Cotton (24) 37pts
2nd Hugh O’Donnell (32) 36pts
3rd Steen Habersaat (25) 35pts
The venue today was the West & North course at Plutaluang and after a quick check-in we were off the North 1 half an hour early in sunny conditions with a cooling breeze. The course was in very good shape with some of the greens being especially quick.
We had a speedy round of just 4 hours and back in the clubhouse a welcome went out to Brian Parish who playing with us for the first time.
Two flights today with the cut at 21 and Lawrence Lee took the top division honours with a one over par 35 points. Daryl Evans claimed the runner-up spot just a point back of Lawrence and Andre Vandyk placed third with 32.
Tom Cotton returned the best score of the day (37pts) to win the B Flight and he was followed up the podium steps by Hugh O’Donnell and Steen Habersaat.

Brady scales the heights at Mountain Shadow

PSC golf Bunker Boys @ The Ranch

 

Paul Smith finds form after a 6-week layoff.

Monday, July 7, Bangpra – Stableford
Fifteen golfers today for our competition at the monkey course, which is currently in great condition and offers good value for money.
We were able to tee off a few minutes ahead of schedule, but unfortunately there was another local society ahead of us and the leading group were forced to wait on every shot, in what turned out to be a long round compared to the millionaire’s golf we’ve experienced in the last few weeks.
The greens were a little slower than normal, especially on uphill putts, but downhill putts were as slick as ever, which caught out a few players. Mashi Kaneta has a great short game and coped with the tricky greens better than anyone else, coming home with a creditable 37 points.
Paul Smith re-found his form in his third game back following a six week layoff, taking second place ahead of Geoff Parker who scraped into third, beating the unlucky Tony Robbins on a count back.
1st Mashi Kaneta (12) 37pts
2nd Paul Smith (3) 35pts
3rd Geoff Parker (14) 33pts
Near Pins: Andy Brady, John Graham, Rab McDonald and Mashi Kaneta.
Wednesday, July 9, Royal Lakeside – Stableford
A return to millionaire’s golf today as we arrived at the imposing clubhouse to find that we were the only players there. The weather hadn’t looked too promising when we left Pattaya, but here it was sunny with a strong breeze keeping the temperature down to a near perfect level.
We were able to tee off at our leisure and it was quickly apparent that the breeze was getting stronger, making what is already a long course (6,653 yards from the blue tees) play even longer into the wind. The course was in great condition and the greens were as tricky as ever, having fully recovered from the recent treatment which we’d to contend with on our previous visit.
When we reached the par-five 7th hole the wind was almost gusting to gale force and your scribe can’t remember playing in a stronger wind in over 15 years of golfing experience in Thailand.
Steve Durey coped with the difficult conditions better than anyone and was the only player who managed to play to his handicap, taking first place on the day. The ever consistent Gerry Cooney took second place one point ahead of Paul Smith who had the consolation of taking two of the four near pin prizes.
1st Steve Durey (22) 36pts
2nd Gerry Cooney (13) 34pts
3rd Paul Smith (3) 33pts
Near Pins: Gerry Cooney, Rab McDonald and Paul Smith(2).
Friday, July 11, Mt. Shadow – Stableford
A public holiday today and the rain was falling heavily as your scribe left home for the journey to The Ranch. As we sat in the bar watching the rain pounding on Third Road, the prospects of getting a game looked grim indeed, but eventually enough regular die-hards wandered in, and we were able to raise two groups to set off on the journey to Sri Racha, wondering whether the trip would be in vain.
As we approached Mountain Shadow the sky brightened and the rain stopped. Although the car park was busy there were no golfers waiting to tee off and the leading group set off with no one in sight ahead of them.
The conditions were almost perfect with the overcast sky keeping the temperature cool, the fairways now green but dry, and showing no signs of the recent rain. The greens were also soft and much more receptive than on our previous visit, so all in all, the course was in great condition and excellent value for money at the reduced holiday rate.
The outward nine was completed in double quick time but as we approached the clubhouse there was a large number of golfers waiting to tee off, and the starter in his wisdom, was allowing several groups to start from the 10th hole, causing some problems and delays.
Andy Brady produced by far the best round of his visit so far, coming back to the clubhouse with an impressive total of 42 points, which was a great recovery after recording blobs on the 2nd and 3rd holes. Andy’s playing partner Steve Durey also carded a good score of 38 points (probably normally good enough to win here), taking second place three points clear of Mashi Kaneta in third.
All in all it was a great day’s golf at a very reasonable holiday price, so those fair-weather golfers who were deterred by the early morning rain missed out - and after all, what better way to spend the day when all the bars are closed!
1st Andy Brady (17) 42pts
2nd Steve Durey (22) 38pts
3rd Mashi Kaneta (12) 35pts
Near Pins: Geoff Parker, Mashi Kaneta and Andy Brady (2).
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 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 or check website: www.bunkersociety.com.

Willem steps into the light

PSC golf from SIAM Country Resort

Paul Davies left scratching his head after his count back loss to Willem Lasonder.

Tuesday, July 8, Bangpra - Stableford
Thanks to their hospitality we joined up with Tropical Bert’s group on Tuesday to play Bangpra, from the white tees at between 6,400 to 6,500 yards. The course was in good condition, although the weather let us down with some heavy rain making golf difficult for a few holes.
Between the rain and the course’s usual defense of speedy greens, good scores were thin on the ground, with Jeff Wylie’s 30 points off his handicap of 6 being the best we could muster. One point further back, the fight for second place required a count back and it was Willem Lasonder (H/cap 18) who left Paul Davies (29) scratching his head after losing 16/13.
Near pins went to Jeff, Willem & Neil.
Thursday, July 10, Mt. Shadow - Stableford
Thursday was a visit to Mountain Shadow, where we played from the blue tees, but it must be said that we were playing from a shortened course as several tees were being top dressed. I would say we played the course no longer than 6,100 yards, but it was the same for all so onward & upward.
Willem Lasonder well and truly stepped into the spotlight with a magnificent 42 points, 13 shots better than his Tuesday round. The conditions were not easy, despite the shortness of the course, as a good breeze persisted throughout the round. Best of the rest was Jeff Wylie with a somewhat mediocre 34 points, although Jeff was able to share the near pins with Martin who also had a big improvement from Tuesday’s round.
Note: Siam Country Resort, Restaurant & Bar is located just off Siam Country Club Rd, after going under the arch past the 7/11, turn right after 50 metres, with the venue on the left another 200 metres along. Golf from here is generally played on Tuesday & Thursday, with the Resort hosting prompt presentations on both days.
As a PSC affiliated venue we welcome ALL golfers, including ladies & seniors (>60s) who have opted for the “Silver” tee option. Call 0890941841 for scheduling or enquiries. Hope to see you there, cheers & good golfing!

Hill takes the plaudits at Pattana

PSC golf from The Billabong Golf Bar

Monday, July 7,
Pattana - Stableford
Millionaires’ golf today at Pattana and with three groups playing we were off to an early start in beautiful weather, overcast but no rain and the temperature was perfect.
Playing B and C loops with B first it must be one of the hardest starting holes anywhere. The contrast in the greens from one nine to the other was also quite significant. The greens on the first nine were like putting on a billiard table but the second nine were a lot slower, which made for scores a little less than they should have been.
Sel couldn’t maintain the solid form he showed whilst up in Khao Yai recently and could only manage 24 points today, that earning him the NAGA award for the day and he lost everything to his good mate Hilly and J.P.
Coming in third place was Mal Farquharson with 35 points, second went to Lloyd Shuttleworth with 37 and the winner was Greg Hill with a fine round of 40 points.
There were no ‘2’s today.
Wednesday, July 9,
Green Valley - Stableford
We got away to an early start here at Green Valley and flowed around the course in just over four hours. The layout was in great condition as usual but the greens had been slightly renovated which made putting a little difficult on some of them.
We welcomed Tony Oakes, Jarrod Ritchie, Pin Woollett and Dave Buchanan to the Billabong today and Pin, playing for the first time and trying to get a handicap, posted 112 off the bat, which is not a bad effort.
With seven groups we had a good turnout and there were some good scores also, but not up to the normal at this course where we can usually expect to see a couple of rounds in the forties. Coming in fifth place was Graham Woollett with 36 points, beating Orn on a count back, while fourth went to Bob Finley, edged out by Roger Ison after both sreturned scores of 37 points. In second spot was Bob Philp on 38, once again a victim to the count back as Wayne Cotterell, also 38 points, scored 23 of those on the back nine to claim the win.
Friday, July 11,
Plutaluang - Stableford
Plutaluang was the place to be today, national holiday or not, and it was just a great day out with no rain to spoil the fun despite some threatening clouds hovering around. The course was in grand condition but they need some water as I have never seen the lake there so low; there are islands now sticking out of the middle of it.
With four groups we played the East and South combination, which is the easier of the four loops here off the whites, and the scores were a real mixture with the best being 38 points coming from Brian Maddox. The other two podium places were taken by Bill Marsden and Mal Farquharson, Bill getting the better over Mal on count back after both shot 35 points (Bill’s 24 points on the back nine was hard to beat).
Once again there were no ‘2’s today and the presentation was done at the course as all bars were closed for a couple of days due to the Buddhist holiday.
Note: The Billabong is situated just off Siam Country Club Road looking straight down Lake Mabprachan. Give Bob a call on 082 204 3411 if you are looking for a game.

Bill Peach stars at Green Valley

PSC golf from Lewiinski’s Golf Society

Bill Peach.

Sunday, July 6, Green Valley - Stableford
A Flight
1st Lawrie McBride (14) 37pts
2nd Claude Harder (14) 37pts
B Flight
1st William Peach (17) 42pts
2nd Vic Hester (15) 38pts
Near Pins: No 5 Bill Peach, No 8 Bob StAuban, No 12 Lawrie McBride, No 16 Gerry Roche
William Peach left nothing to chance on this day as he surpassed the entire field by a clear four points. It was an excellent 42-pointer which gave Bill the top step in B Flight and the man of the match honours. Vic ‘the inflictor’ was true to his handle as he closed the flight with a very useful 38 points.
A Flight was contested right to the very end as pay window specialist Lawrie McBride had to rely on a count back to edge Claude Harder, both on 37 points. The outcome could have been very different as all Claude’s points were amassed on only fourteen of the eighteen holes, his round containing ten pars and four no scoring holes.
Pat Regan, Ed Wyckoff, Bob St Aubin and Jim Crook shared the 2’s pot.
Monday, July 7, Pattana - Stableford
A Flight
1st Lawrie McBride (14) 37pts
2nd Rod Brown (15) 34pts
B Flight
1st Aiden Murray (19) 41pts
2nd Phil Davies (22) 35pts
A relatively modest group, which can perhaps be attributed to the low season and back to back playing days, took on the Pattana layout on Monday.
The day belonged to society regular Aiden Murray whose 41 point performance stood him atop the B Flight podium and gave him the man of the match honours. Aiden was six clear of Phil Davies.
In the senior circuit it was Ireland’s man on fire Lawrie McBride who made it two A Flight wins on the bounce with a steady 37 points. A trio of competitors vied for the silver spot; Aussie star Rod Brown, Freddy Starbeck and Co Killkeny’s Tom Gorey, with Rod emerging from the count back in the silver spot but Freddy and Tom did not go quietly.
A couple of Aussie’s shared the ‘2’s pot, Paul Bray and Geoff Bracegirdle.
Wednesday, July 9, Bangpra A & B - Stableford
A Flight
1st Greg Bates (11) 35pts
2nd Paul Bray (6) 34pts
3rd Freddy Starbeck (12) 32pts
B Flight
1st Phil Davies (22) 34pts
2nd William Peach (17) 33pts
3rd Peter Terry (21) 31pts
The field showed great spirit in taking on the lightning fast greens at here in the heat and humidity that was well into the 70’s again. Spirit alone however proved not enough to conquer the Japan promotion designed Bangpra layout.
There were both winners and losers though and the best round of the day was understandably in A Flight in the person of Australia’s Greg Bates who had a modest 35 points, which was relatively awe-inspiring given his cohorts’ efforts. Greg was followed in by Aussie star Paul Bray and Freddy ‘the quite one’ Starbeck with 34 and 32 points respectively.
Phil Davies ruled B Flight with 34 points, with the headline boy one shot adrift and Peter Terry took the flight bronze with 31 points.
Not surprisingly no 2’s were recorded.
Thursday, July 10, Siam Waterside – Stableford
A Flight
1st Chris Doak (12) 34pts
2nd Serge Straeton (17) 34pts
3rd Paul Bray (6) 33pts
B Flight
1st Phil Davies (22) 39pts
2nd Peter Terry (21) 38pts
3rd Barry Elphick (22) 36pts
The rumors that Phil Davies was not winning were quickly dispelled as his 39 points was the top score on the day and gave him gold in B Flight and man of the match honours. This was also Phil’s second win in as many games, coupled with Monday’s second place finish (perhaps his name should be in the bold print?) Peter Terry made it a second pay window visit in the week as he followed Phil into the barn a shot adrift. Barry Elphick tied up the flight with a steady even par return.
The top rung in A Flight was decided by the dreaded count back as both Chris Doak and Serge Straeton carded 34 points each, with Phil getting the gold and Monsieur Straeton the silver. Aussie star Paul Bray made it a profitable week as he took third on 34 points to go with his second place on Wednesday, and it also puts in front for the player of the month comp.
Kevin Rogers, Bruce Anderson, Freddy Starbeck, Peter Terry and Manfred Hanke shared the ‘2’s pot.
Note: Lewiinski’s is situated on Pattaya land Soi 1, Beach Rd Soi13/13 near Walking Street. Anyone wishing to play with us just pop in and add your name to the list or call Colin on 089 826 0764. Transport is provided.

Big winners at Pattavia

PSC golf from Tropical Bert’s

Tuesday top four with one of Bert’s finest.

Tuesday, July 8, Bangpra – Stableford
We had a good turnout for this ‘first’ golf course opened in the area and one of the good things about Bangpra is that it has matured really well over the years and is a great course to play, notwithstanding the masses of monkeys that swarm here at times.
After a quick check-in we were allowed to tee-off ahead of our allocated time but as we made our way around it started to rain, which made the rough very difficult indeed. It also brought out the ‘Big Daddy’ of the lizards who confidently swam across the water ahead of us and treated the balls we put in the water with disdain. One thing the rain did not affect were the greens, which remained lightning quick and gave all the players a tough time.

Thursday winners: Ted Morris, Joe Vanderwegon, Mick Coghlan and Lasse Pettersson with one of the lovely staff at Pattavia.

Back at Bert’s nice and early it was soon time for the results. The winner with a good round of 38 points was Tom Herrington ahead of Max Scott in second with 36 and Bob Watson third on 35. Then we had a first as John Anderson managed to have a good day and come fourth with 34 points.
Near Pins: Tom Herrington (2), Max Scott, Bob Watson
Thursday, July 10, Pattavia Century – Stableford
Due to the Friday holiday the golfers at Tropical Bert’s met a day early this week for the long drive out to Pattavia. Cafe Kronborg were also playing the same course and since both groups had low season numbers it was agreed to combine the competition. This proved highly successful, making the outing more enjoyable for everyone, and some new friends were made. Look for additional days of cooperation in the future.
We hadn’t visited Pattavia in a while, and most forgot what a challenging course this is. Position off the tee is critical, as the greens remain fast and contoured, and three putts+ were a common occurrence today.
The condition of the Pattavia layout can be described as excellent, and this also goes for the clubhouse as well as the golf course. Has any new clubhouse been more anticipated – and needed? The course is in great condition with excellent fairway coverage and greens that seriously test the best flat stick players. That said, several golfers took advantage of the good weather and course condition to turn in some fantastic scores.
The combined groups allowed for two flights. In the A Flight (0-20), Joe Vanderwegon (H/cap 20) took the honors with an excellent 40 points. Ted Morris (13) placed second, followed by Daryl Evans (20) with 36 points, and Henry Wong (20) with 35.
The B Flight (21+) displayed the best score of the day, with Lasse Pettersson (24) earning 41 points on this tough course. Mick Coghlan (23) followed with a very respectable 39 points, trailed by Kenny Chung (24) with 36, and Dave Richardson (25) with 35. Great scores!
Near pins went to Daryl Evans, Hugh O’Donnell, Dave Richardson and Tom Herrington.
Special thanks to the organizers Dave Richardson and Dick Warburg for seamlessly combining the groups this day. It took extra effort and cooperation from both, and the result was a good day of golf for everyone.

Danboise & Mann top score for the week

PSC golf from The Outback Golf Bar

The Bermuda lads: Heinz, Dave, Alistair and Mike.

Monday, July 7, Burapha - Stableford
Five groups of Outbackers played at Burapha on the A & B nines from the longer blue tees; the weather remained overcast for much of the day with a cooling breeze. There were some very quick rounds, from the front three-balls (about three hours) and the four-balls were not that far behind.
For the high handicappers who think that the longer course is to their disadvantage, today’s top scores will prove them wrong, as the two best scores came from the second division. Ivan Plunkett had the day’s best score with a great 38pts to win Div B, well played mate, from second best score of the day, Bob Mattes with 36. John O’Keefe, who is slowly on the way back after recent knee surgery took third with 31.
Bob Finley had the best top division score of 33 to win on count back from Kim Danboise, with Pete Stonebridge third on 32pts.
Bob Mattes had the day’s only ‘2’.
Note: Burapha on Monday 21st July will be another better ball event (2-person pairs) and caddies will be welcome to play.
Div A (0-17)
1st Bob Finley (13) 33pts
2nd Kim Danboise (17) 33pts
3rd Pete Stonebridge (16) 32pts
Div B (18+)
1st Ivan Plunkett (22) 38pts
2nd Bob Mattes (22) 36pts
3rd John O’Keefe (19) 31pts
Tuesday, July 8, Laem Chabang - Stableford
We were left with an awkward number of nine players at Laem Chabang after a couple of last minute withdrawals and upon arrival at the first tee (C), it became abundantly clear that the round would not be particularly fast. After a quick discussion with the field, General Jack decided a play a five and a four-ball rather than the three 3-balls, which would have spent a long time on each hole waiting around.
The scoring was not brilliant, bringing to mind as to who exactly rated this course at 69.3 – maybe it is taken on pure length but the contributory difficulty factors of each hole, especially on the C loop, seem to have been completely forgotten.
Its slope rating isn’t much better at 121, meaning a bogey golfer (a 20 handicapper in the USGA handicapping system’s eye) would have to shoot 38pts before playing to handicap! I think it’s a case for the PSC’s new handicap committee to look at.
The winner today was one of our Bermuda visitors with 33pts playing off 10, followed home by regular Laem Chabang players, Steve Durey (31) and Tony Garnett (30).
There were no ‘2’s.
1st Mike Pringle (10) 33pts
2nd Steve Durey (20) 31pts
3rd Tony Garnett (14) 30pts
Wednesday, July 9, Mt. Shadow – Stableford
This is a distinct rarity, the Outback playing at Mountain Shadow; the last time we came here was in January 2013. There’s nothing wrong with the course but the clubhouse looks forlorn and forsaken and is in real need of some TLC, even the entrance is difficult to see from the road as it is extremely overgrown. To their credit, they are improving the showers and toilets but you have to watch your footing as the new floor is very slippery and the contrasting band of black tiles, where there happens to be a step, make the step almost impossible to see!
However, it’s great value for money and if you want a good day out and get beaten up by 20,000 trees and slippery greens, then this is the place to come. Absolutely nobody here in the morning but as we were coming in the course was filling up very quickly, mostly with locals.
Kim Danboise, continuing his fine recent form, tore the course apart with an excellent 43pts to win by nine from another man playing well at the moment, Kerry Beck on 34. Visitor Ali Smith was third with 33, with fourth place going to his mate, Dave Ramrattan on 31. Welcome back to John Scarlett and to John Magivan
There were two ‘2’s from Mike Pringle and Suzi.
1st Kim Danboise (17) 43pts
2nd Kerry Beck (12) 34pts
3rd Alistair Smith (12) 33pts
4th Dave Ramrattan (13) 31pts
Friday, July 11, Green Valley - Stableford
Waking up to an overcast sky, the temperature low compared to recent weeks, surely we were due for some rain but no, apart from a quick shower the day remained dry making it perfect for a game of golf. 29 Outbackers turned out to play in three divisions and Plan A was in action.
We teed off at 9:30 but everyone was chomping at the bit waiting to start early as has been the norm in recent weeks. The course once again was in excellent condition although the greens had been cored and dressed, making them slower than usual.
Some fine scores in all divisions, the best coming from Steve Mann who we welcomed back after his recent migration to the Siam courses. Steve shot a faultless 76 off the stick to amass 43pts and win by four from the improving Sel Wegner with 39 and another Steve in third, also welcome back aboard, New York Steve who shot 36.
John Player took the second division honours with his 39 from Pete Stonebridge (38) and Yves Moutier (35) whilst the third division went to Andy Makara, who beat Barney on count back, both with 37pts, and John O’Keefe back in third with 34.
There were only two ‘2’s from Kerry Beck (8th) and Peter Nixon (12th).
Div A (0-15)
1st Stephen Mann (11) 43pts
2nd Sel Wegner (12) 39pts
3rd Steve Poznanski (10) 36pts
Div B (16-18)
1st John Player (18) 39pts
2nd Pete Stonebridge (16) 38pts
3rd Yves Moutier (17) 35pts
Div C (19+)
1st Andy Makara (23) 37pts
2nd Barney Clarkson (24) 37pts
3rd John O’Keefe (19) 34pts
Note: The Outback Golf Bar is situated about 6km from Sukhumvit Road along Soi Siam Country. Call Jack on 081 578 1956.

Dolly Dalton Jomtien 8-Ball Pool League

Final Standings - July 10 (week 22)

(Above) League champions: Aussie Alleys.

League runners-up: Country Road.

Team	P	W	L	Bonus	Pts.
Aussie Alleys	22	19	3	4	60
Country Road	22	18	4	3	58
Winners Bar	21	17	4	3	55
Rack Um Up	22	14	8	8	50
Rioja	22	12	10	9	45
Woaw’s Bar	22	12	10	9	45
Simple Simon	21	10	11	8	38
Windmill	22	7	15	12	33
Jimmy’s Den	22	8	14	9	33
Take Care Bar	21	7	14	10	31
Shenanigans	19	5	14	8	25
Lion Pub	19	3	16	9	20
Results:  Rack Um Up 7 v 8 Simple Simon, Woaw’s Bar 8 v 7 Lion Pub, Windmill 6 v 9 Shenanigans, Jimmy’s Den L v W Take Care Bar, Aussie Allys10 v 5 Winners Bar, Country Road 12 v 3 Rioja

 

Crumpton Oaks Cider Monday Pool League

Results & Standings July 7 (week 19)

Division 1
Team	P	W	L	+/-	BP	Pts.
Shoot Pool	15	13	2	52	1	40
The Butchers Arms	17	12	5	35	2	38
Legends Pool	16	11	5	19	2	35
Links Bar	17	9	8	2	2	29
Nicky’s Bar	15	9	6	-6	1	28
Shoot Pool ‘B’	17	9	8	-29	0	27
Pook’s Bar	16	8	8	-11	1	25
Sweethearts Bar	15	6	9	-19	4	22
Offshore Bar	16	4	12	-43	2	14
Acorn Pub	18	0	18	0	0	0
Results:  Offshore Bar 5 v 10 The Butchers Arms, Pook’s Bar 8 v 10 Nicky’s Bar, Shoot Pool 10 v 8 Links Bar, Shoot Pool ‘B’ 10 v 9 Legends Pool, Sweethearts Bar H-W Acorn Pub
Division 2
Team	P	W	L	+/-	BP	Pts.
Rest Stop	17	15	2	58	0	45
The Caddyshack	16	13	3	50	1	40
Cheers Bar	17	13	4	29	1	40
The Ranch	15	11	4	-3	0	33
ANZAC Sports Bar	18	9	9	-7	2	29
Dean’s Bar	17	8	9	-10	1	25
Classroom	17	7	10	-27	2	23
Buffalo Jacks	18	5	13	-42	0	15
i-Rovers	15	3	12	-48	2	11
Team Pulled Out	18	0	18	0	0	0
Results:  Dean’s Bar 7 v 10 The Ranch, I-Rovers 9 v 10 Buffalo Jacks, Rest Stop 10 v 8 Classroom, Team Pulled Out A-W Cheers Bar, The Caddyshack 10 v 4 ANZAC Sports Bar

 

Links Bar Wednesday 9-Ball Pool League

Results & Standings July 9 (week 5)

Team	P	W	D	L	+/-	Pts.
Easy R-Con Bar	4	3	1	0	32	10
Mates Bar	5	3	1	1	0	10
George & Dragon	4	3	0	1	8	9
Links Bar	4	2	1	1	8	7
Pook’s Bar	5	2	1	2	-6	7
Connections	4	2	0	2	-10	6
FCUK Inn	3	1	1	1	0	4
Legends Pool	3	1	1	1	0	4
Crazy Eddie’s	5	1	1	3	-2	4
Queen Vic	3	1	1	1	-4	4
The Ranch	5	1	1	3	-10	4
Classroom	5	0	1	4	-16	1
Results:  Classroom 9 v 11 Queen Vic, Crazy Eddie’s 9 v 11 Connections, Easy R-Con Bar 10 v 10 Links Bar, FCUK Inn 11 v 9 Pook’s Bar, George & Dragon 8 v 12 Legends Pool, Mates Bar 11 v 9 The Ranch

Crumpton Cider Tuesday Darts League

Results & Standings July 8 (week 2)

Team	P	W	L	B/legs	+/-	Pts.
Londoner	2	2	0	2	14	4
Yates’ Bar	2	2	0	2	8	4
Mai’s Bar	2	2	0	2	7	4
Legends	1	1	0	0	4	2
i-Rovers	2	1	1	1	3	2
Nervous Wreck	1	1	0	0	3	2
The Swan	2	1	1	2	0	2
W. Tankies	2	1	1	1	0	2
Buffalo Jack’s	2	1	1	0	-4	2
Crazy Eddie’s	2	1	1	1	-5	2
Scandalic	2	0	2	0	-3	0
Jantha Coffee	2	0	2	1	-4	0
Shoot Pool	2	0	2	1	-9	0
Bye	2	0	2	0	-14	0
Results:  Buffalo Jack’s (9-0)-(3-1) v Crazy Eddie’s, Jantha Coffee (5-0)-(6-1) v Yates’ Bar, Londoner (8-1)-(4-0) v i-Rovers, Mai’s Bar (6-1)-(1-0) v Shoot Pool, The Swan (5-1)-(4-0) v Scandalic, W. Tankies (7-1)-(0-0) v Bye

Pattaya 8-Ball Monday Pool League

Results & Standings July 7 (week 19)

Team	Played	Won	Lost	For	Agst	Diff.	Pts.
Phimai Geordie	19	17	2	196	89	107	53
Smile Bar	18	16	2	174	96	78	50
San Snack Bar	19	15	4	186	94	92	49
Crazy Eddie’s	19	11	8	144	141	3	41
Ta Bar	19	11	8	128	157	-29	41
Pom Bar	19	8	11	135	150	-15	35
Funny Girls 4	17	9	8	123	127	-4	34
Connections	18	6	12	114	156	-42	30
Parrot Inn	19	5	14	111	174	-63	29
Doggy Style	19	4	15	122	163	-41	27
Asian Nomads	18	4	14	120	150	-30	26
Mates Bar	16	4	12	92	148	-56	24
Results:  Connections 10 v 5 Funny Girls 4, Crazy Eddie’s 3 v 12 Phimai Geordie, San Snack Bar 11 v 4 Asian Nomads, Smile Bar 9 v 6 Mates Bar, Ta Bar 8 v 7 Parrot Inn, Pom Bar 6 v 9 Doggy Style

Asia Back Packer’s Monday Darts Super League

Standings July 7 (week 1)

Team	P	W	L	F	A	B/L	Pts.
DoubleTop	1	1	0	5	0	1	2
Buffalo Jack’s	1	1	0	5	4	1	2
Load Out	1	1	0	5	4	1	2
Mai’s Bar	1	0	1	4	5	0	0
i-Rovers ‘A’	1	0	1	4	5	0	0
Jantha Coffee	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Legends	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
W. Tankies	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
i-Rovers ‘B’	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Bye	1	0	1	0	5	0	0
Results:  Double Top (5-1)-(0-0) v Bye, Mai’s Bar (4-0)-(5-1) v Load Out, i-Rovers ‘A’ (4-0)-(5-1) v Buffalo Jack’s

Gerd & Bob hang tough at the monkey course

PSC golf from The Growling Swan

Bob Akapita, Geri Crilly & Gerd Riedler.

Peter Blackburn
Monday, July 7, Bangpra – Stableford
It was another fine & sunny Monday morning as we made our way to The Growling Swan and were all looking forward to re-visiting the popular but challenging “Monkey Course”, Bangpra.
There were several new arrivals so welcomes were handed out to Len Hardingham from Perth, Western Australia who I had not seen for about 20 years, John Pierrel from Houston, Texas back with us for another 4 months, John Davis back after a few weeks in the UK, veteran Ken Hole returning after a holiday in Bali and Bent Agerbo who is back from Denmark for his bi-annual visit to Pattaya.
We departed the GS right on time at 8.45 am and headed off through the Monday morning traffic up number 7. Our 2 mini vans made very good time and we arrived at the golf course after just a 40 minute drive and as is the norm just lately at most courses the car park was almost empty.

John Davis, Russell Calcutt & Ken Hole.

Our scheduled tee time was 10.30 am (their idea, not mine) but as there was hardly anyone there we were invited to start at our leisure so after a practice putt or two we headed down to the first tee. As there were 22 in the field it meant 2 three-balls so to speed things up we sent them off first and the first one got away 35 minutes ahead of our booked time at 9.55 am.
There were no groups to be seen ahead so these 2 groups left the following four-balls for dead and in sunny and hot weather we commenced our round, finding the golf course in terrific condition with most of the greens up to their usual “Bangpra” tricks, so it was crucial to stay below the hole!
For a change we did not spot one monkey and it was suggested that perhaps it was too hot for them and indeed we found it necessary to keep up the water intake, even stopping for a rest just before the 16th tee. We did slow down a bit due to the heat and our round was completed in four hours & twenty five minutes.
We had 2 Divisions – Division A for handicaps 0 to 13 and Division B for golfers on handicaps of 14 and over with three places in each Division. There were also rewards for nearest the pin on all the par threes and longest first putts on the 9th & 18th greens.
For the third game in a row it was that man again, Gerd Riedler, who stole the show and despite losing a shot off his handicap he scored 35 points and won Division A. With two on 34 points a count back was needed which saw Martin “Toddy” Todd (19 point back nine) finish second and John Pierrel (17 point back nine) was third.
For his second win in a row it was Bob Akapita who finished on top of Division B with 33 points, 1 point ahead of Ken Hole in second place and John Andersom finished third with 31. It was interesting to see that no-one was able to play to their handicap or better on the day.
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 won by Geri Crilly.
Division A (0-13)
1st Gerd Riedler (7) 35pts
2nd Martin Todd (8) 34pts
3rd John Pierrel (12) 34pts
Division B (14+)
1st Bob Akapita (16) 33pts
2nd Ken Hole (18) 32pts
3rd John Anderson (26) 31pts
Near Pins: 2nd – Ebrahim, 8th – Ken Hole, 12th – Kevin Waycott, 17th – Martin Todd
Long Putts: 9th – Kevin Waycott, 18th – Mike Allidi
Thursday, July 10, Khao Kheow - Stableford
We had a good field of 25 signed up after a couple of late inclusions and with the help of “Papa”, who took a couple of passengers in his car we were able to use just 2 mini vans.
After gathering at The Growling Swan we welcomed back Alan “Colonel” Sanders from the Gold Coast in Australia and said farewell to Geoff Bracegirdle who will shortly be returning to Perth in Western Australia. Everyone was on time so we were able to depart 5 minutes ahead of our 8.30 am scheduled time and we headed off up number 7, arriving at the course just 37 minutes later.
After checking in we found that it was to be C & B nines in that order and when arriving at the tee on C1 it was unusual to see many people there waiting to tee off, the result of a 40 person competition. Our allocated tee time was 10.06 am and we feared that we would be teeing off considerable later than that but in actual fact our first group was able to get away just 4 minutes behind schedule. The down side was that many of the groups ahead were five-balls, some with carts and some walking so we knew it was going to be a slow round but “what the heck” – we were out there playing, the sun was shining and the golf course was in excellent shape although the greens were considerably slower than usual but firm and true.
As expected it was a very slow round but the weather was not too hot and we completed our full round in four hours & fifty five minutes. We had 2 Divisions – Division A for handicaps 0 to 15 and Division B for golfers on handicaps of 16 and over with four places in each Division. There were also rewards for nearest the pin on all the par threes and longest first putts on the B9 & C9 greens.
The golf course was playing quite tough as no-one played better than their handicap and in Division A there were 2 golfers tied with 36 points and after a count back we saw the win awarded to John Davis (18 point back nine) with Martin “Toddy” Todd (15 point back nine) coming in second. There were 2 golfers on 35 points which meant another count back which resulted in “Big” Bill Steinman (18 point back nine) finishing third from John Pierrel (15 point back nine) in fourth spot.
More count backs in B Division with 2 on 36 points which enabled Ken Hole (19 point back nine) to be declared the winner from last start NAGA winner Geri Crilly (17 point back nine) in second place. Yet another count back was needed to determine third & fourth places and Bent Agerbo (14 point back nine) won that little contest, with Eric “Judge” Black (13 point back nine) finishing in fourth place.
The Growling Swan NAGA Awardwas won by Russell Calcutt.
Division A (0-15)
1st John Davis (15) 36pts
2nd Martin Todd (8) 36pts
3rd Bill Steinman (9) 35pts
4th John Pierrel (12) 35pts
Division B (16+)
1st Ken Hole (18) 36pts
2nd Geri Crilly (26) 36pts
3rd Bent Agerbo (19) 32pts
4th Eric Black (16) 32pts
Near Pins: B3 – Mike Gosden, B8 – Dick Braimbridge, C3 – Ebrahim, C8 – Gerd Riedler
Long Putts: B9 – Andrew Allen, C9 – Bob Akapita
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 in Soi Chaiyapoon at 8.00 am with transport departing at 8.30 am. For bookings or more information please contact Peter on 0806 351 386 or email to petermalcolmblackburn @gmail.com.
We also play bowls out of the Growling Swan every Wednesday and Sunday. Sunday is Lawn Bowls and Wednesday is Indoor Bowls. All are welcome and for anyone that is interested the transport leaves The Growling Swan at 10.00am on each of those mornings. For more information please contact Paul Rennison on 0843 454 005.

Darkside Thursday Darts League

Standings July 10 (week 13)

Team	P	W	L	F	A	T/G	Pts.
Chill Bar	12	12	0	85	19	12	24
Oscar’s Sports Bar	13	8	5	69	44	6	16
Moonies	11	8	3	67	28	9	16
Load Out	12	8	4	52	52	7	16
PJ’s Bar	13	6	7	65	48	6	12
CS Coffee	12	3	9	37	67	5	6
Double Top Bar	13	3	10	29	84	4	6
Moonie Blues	12	1	11	9	71	1	2
Results:  Oscar’s Sports Bar (9-1)-(0-0) v Double Top Bar, PJ’s Bar (3-0)-(6-1) v Chill Bar

Oscar’s Sports Bar Wednesday Darts League

Results & Standings July 9 (week 11)

Team	P	W	L	Bonus	Diff.	Pts.
Buffalo Jack’s	11	10	1	73	26	20
Oscar’s MC Sports Bar	11	10	1	69	30	20
Legends Sports Bar	10	9	1	66	24	18
i-Rovers ‘A’	11	6	5	56	43	12
W. Tankies	11	6	5	55	44	12
Mai’s Bar	10	4	6	34	56	8
The Clinic	11	3	8	27	72	6
Jantha Coffee	11	2	9	35	64	4
i-Rovers ‘B’	10	2	8	30	60	4
Yates’ Bar	10	1	9	32	58	2
Results:  Mai’s Bar (5-1)-(4-0) v Jantha Coffee, Oscar’s MC Sports Bar (6-1)-(3-0) v i-Rovers ‘B’, W. Tankies (7-1)-(2-0) v The Clinic, i-Rovers ‘A’ (2-0)-(7-1) v Buffalo Jack’s

Darkside Tuesday Darts League

Standings July 8 (week 28)

Team	P	W	L	F	A	T/G	Pts.
Oscars Bar	27	24	3	161	58	20	48
Chill Bar	25	20	5	152	61	20	40
Load Out	26	17	9	147	71	16	34
Double Top	25	12	13	97	107	13	24
Double Dutch	24	9	15	76	116	12	18
Sidahla	27	9	18	58	117	5	18
Cockerooney’s	27	8	19	81	122	8	16
BB Bar	25	4	21	34	154	7	8
Results:  Double Dutch (0-0)-(9-1) v Load Out, Double Top (7-1)-(2-0) v BB Bar, Oscars Bar (5-0)-(4-1) v Chill Bar

Asavahame shines at supercar showdown

A hat-trick for ‘Deadly’ Smedley

Jon Batty doubles up

Thai youngsters win 5 classes at Mercedes golf final in Pattaya

Andersson back to form at Eastern Star

Edwards’ final fling

Pattaya Sports Club Bowling League

Swan heads the field at Silky Oak

Cotton collects the win at Navy

Brady scales the heights at Mountain Shadow

Willem steps into the light

Hill takes the plaudits at Pattana

Bill Peach stars at Green Valley

Big winners at Pattavia

Danboise & Mann top score for the week

Dolly Dalton Jomtien 8-Ball Pool League

Crumpton Oaks Cider Monday Pool League

Links Bar Wednesday 9-Ball Pool League

Crumpton Cider Tuesday Darts League

Pattaya 8-Ball Monday Pool League

Asia Back Packer’s Monday Darts Super League

Gerd & Bob hang tough at the monkey course

Darkside Thursday Darts League

Oscar’s Sports Bar Wednesday Darts League

Darkside Tuesday Darts League