King’s Cup Jet-ski World Cup this weekend

Spectacular jet-ski action this weekend at Jomtien beach.

The world’s best jet-ski racers will face off in the annual King’s Cup Jet-Ski World Cup Grand Prix event this weekend, being held at Jomtien beach in Pattaya from December 3-7.
The fleet of high performance tuned-up jet-ski boats, some capable of accelerating from 0-100km/h in 6 seconds, will be piloted by a relative who’s who of the jet ski world including past champions Kevin Reiterer of Austria, Chris Macclugage of the USA and Britain’s James Bushell. Home supporters will be hanging their hopes on local favourites Chokuthit Molee and Chaowalit Kuajaroon of the Flamingo Jet Ski Team amongst others.
Registration and free practice were due to take place on Wednesday and Thursday with qualifying on Friday. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 6-7 are reserved for the main race days when the categories that will be contested include Pro Ski Open, Pro Sport GP, Pro R/A 800 Open, Pro Freestyle and Pro R/A Open.
The champions will once again be presented with the most coveted trophies in jet-ski racing, graciously donated by HM the King of Thailand. Entrance is free for all spectators who are encouraged to come along to Jomtien beach and witness this one of a kind event in Thailand.
For more information, go to www.jetski-worldcup.com.

Ladies rule at 9th John Preddy & Memorial Golf Tournament

PSC Golf Bunker Boys @ The Ranch

Jim Preddy presents the Memorial Trophy to the winning team - Duang’s Girls.

Monday, Nov. 24, The Emerald - Stableford
The John Preddy memorial golf tournament has been held for the last 8 years, but this year the event was expanded to remember those local golfing friends who have passed away recently. The format was an individual Stableford competition for the John Preddy trophy with a simultaneous team competition for the newly purchased Memorial trophy, which is inscribed with the names of recently departed local golfers. The team event was an inter-society tournament including teams from six local golf societies and a total of 144 players assembled at the Emerald golf course on a bright, sunny, but humid morning.

Duang Butpanya (left) receives the Ladies/Seniors trophy.

The first groups teed off on schedule at 8am, and although we had the complete course to ourselves a holdup began to develop on the par-three 5th hole after the first half dozen groups had passed through, and this slowed down the pace of play for all the following groups for the remainder of the round.
Technical prizes (in two flights) were available on every hole, provided by our generous sponsors, and this kept everyone’s interest, even when falling out of contention for the main competition prizes. The novelty technical prize for nearest to the tree (in the middle of the fairway) on the par 5, 14th hole produced a great shot from Marlene Prudden which finished just a couple of inches from the tree and left an almost unplayable second shot!
It proved to be a long day with the competition organisers, playing in the final group, only just managing to complete their round as darkness set in at 6pm.

Geoff Parker (right) presents the men’s individual trophy to Sugar Ray Handford.

The free buffet and prize giving was held at Lewinski’s bar, and the staff there put on an excellent spread to satiate the hungry golfers.
This was the first year that lady golfers had participated in the event and they certainly made their presence felt by winning the inaugural Memorial trophy for the team event, and Duang Butpanya also took the Ladies/Seniors trophy. The John Preddy men’s individual trophy was won by Sugar Ray Handford with 41 points, two points clear of a cluster of five players on 39 who had to be separated on count backs.
Special mention is due for one player who attempted to break the course record for the number of beers consumed during a round, managing to drink 10 prior to teeing off and 14 during the round (yes - the caddies were counting!), and he still came home with 36 points!
The tournament was a charity event organized in conjunction with the PSC to raise money for local children’s charities, and the spirit of the day was embodied by Shane Ruddle who won the special par three jackpot prize, and generously donated half of his winnings back to charity.
Grateful thanks are due to Emerald Golf Club, together with all our corporate and individual sponsors, as well as all the players who contributed to a successful tournament.
John Preddy Trophy
1st Sugar Ray Handford (17) 41pts
2nd Brian Beaupre (5) 39pts
3rd Brian Prudden (20) 39pts
4th Tony Berry (13) 39pts
5th Michael Stafford (21) 39pts
6th Max Scott (5) 39pts
Ladies/Seniors
1st Duang Butpanya (15) 41pts
Team Comp
1st Duang’s Girls 131pts
2nd Team Brian 123pts
3rd Team Mike 122pts
Near Pins: (A Flight) Mark West, Orn Kuangsangsee, Max Scott, Wichai Tananusorn, (B Flight) Michael Stafford, Stu Rifkin, Brian Prudden, PJ Redmond.
Wednesday, Nov. 19, Plutaluang E & S – Stableford
Back to manageable numbers today as twenty five golfers set off from The Ranch for our competition at the Navy course on another bright, sunny morning.
We teed off on schedule on the East nine and it soon became clear that it was going to be a question of the survival of the fittest, as the temperature was stifling over the outward nine holes. The course was in good condition and the greens were running at a reasonable speed and we progressed at a steady pace throughout the round.
Thomas Nyborg was playing his first game with the new driver that he’d won in the raffle at the Memorial Tournament on Monday, and it seemed to cure the slice that he normally struggles with, as he came home with the best score of the day on 38 points.
Mike Lloyd recorded the first victory of his current visit, winning the A flight with 34 points, two points clear of Tony Berry and Alan Harris who had to be separated on a count back.
Ken Davidson narrowly missed out on a podium position in the B flight, but he recorded back to back birdies on the inward nine – surely a rare feat for a player playing off a 22 handicap!
A Flight
1st Mike Lloyd (14) 34pts
2nd Tony Berry (12) 32pts
3rd Alan Harris (9) 32pts
B Flight
1st Thomas Nyborg (19) 38pts
2nd Mike Corner (19) 32pts
3rd Tore Eliassen (20) 31pts
Near Pins: Keith Norman, Mike Lloyd, Mike Staunton and Alan Harris.
Friday, Nov. 28, Greenwood C & B - Medal
Today was the final decider for the November ‘golfer of the month’ title with three contenders, Alan Harris, Geoff Parker, and Gordon Melia all still in with a chance of taking the coveted trophy. Contrary to tradition the three title contenders went off in the first group rather than the last, in nearly ideal weather conditions, and with a clear course ahead of them.
The course was in good condition and the greens were running fast and true, so everything was in place for a fine contest. Unfortunately it soon turned into a one horse race as Geoff Parker blew his handicap on the outward nine and Gordon Melia was also dropping careless shots, whilst Alan Harris was playing some great golf and completed the front nine three shots under his handicap and only two over par. Gordon continued dropping unnecessary shots on the inward nine whilst Alan was as steady as rock, and eventually came home with the best score of the day on net 69 – a worthy champion.
Gerry Cooney took second place in the A flight ahead of Tony Scambler who edged out Colin Greig on a count back. Ross Schiffke won the B flight, also on a count back, ahead of Geoff Williams, with Tom Jones making a welcome return to the podium in third place.
The day was spoilt when after completing the outward nine at a good pace, the leading group arrived on the 10th tee to find that an invasion of Korean golfers had taken over the back nine, with three groups waiting on the tee and other groups spread all over the remaining holes. With all their golfers in buggies they were charging around like madmen looking for any vacant tee box, in no particular order, and it’s a sad reflection on the management of the course that they allow such anti-social behavior.
A Flight
1st Alan Harris (9) net 69
2nd Gerry Cooney (14) net 71
3rd Tony Scambler (9) net 72
B Flight
1st Ross Schiffke (19) net 73
2nd Geoff Williams (20) net 73
3rd Tom Jones (26) net 74
Near Pins: Mike Lloyd, Richard Baldotto, Tony Scambler and Tom Jones.
Note: The Bunker Boys are a PSC affiliated golf society, who 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, and meet at The Ranch at 9 a.m. for breakfast and transportation. New players are always welcome. Contact “Buff” on 086 046 5091 or 080 605 5663 or check website: www.bunkersociety.com.

Thai racing champ Stuvik tests GP2 car

Thailand’s EuroFormula Open Formula 3 champion, Sandy Stuvik.

Following the Formula 1 race at Yas Marina in Abu Dhabi two weeks ago, the Formula 1, GP2 and GP3 series arranged a multiple day end of season test for up and coming drivers to test the larger machinery. From 27-29 November, Thailand’s Sandy Stuvik tested in the GP2 Series, the first day with Italian Team Rapax and the last two days with the French ART Team.
The Thai driver, being one of the youngest in this field, learnt much from driving the 4 liter V8 powered 620 HP GP2 car, and harvested a large amount of information from the onboard telemetric systems, to allow him to work more on his personal preparation to handle these very powerful cars.
Last month Stuvik also tested the slightly less powered World Series by Renault 3.5 liter cars for 2 days at Motorland Circuit in Spain with Pons Racing. The WSR and GP2 are the two main recruiting levels for drivers moving to Formula 1. Inherently difficult to drive competitively, the drivers usually need several years of preparation and testing to be able to fight for the top in these cars.
Stuvik himself said after completing three gruelling days of testing,”This was 3 very tough days and although I have trained non-stop for this, I struggled a bit on the last day. The cars are extremely physical to drive, with loads up towards 4G in almost every corner and huge acceleration and deceleration capabilities. It is a lot of fun to drive, but our focus both for the WSR and this GP2 test has been to learn where and how we must improve to be competitive in the series next season. The objective is to win and to do this we need to learn.”
The Thai driving protégé continued, “Considering that almost all the other drivers here are regular drivers from WSR and GP2, I do feel very much the rookie, but I will come back stronger. I want to thank my sponsors Singha, the Pizza Company and Dacon Inspection Services for giving a Thai kid a chance to reach this level, it is their enormous support that makes it possible for us to fly the Thai flag high and hear the Thai National Anthem at racing circuits around the world. Thank you”.
Having recently won the EuroFormula Open Formula 3 Championship, Stuvik is actively looking for his next step up the ladder towards becoming Thailand’s first Formula 1 driver in modern times.

Stuvik tackles the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi.

FC Planet take home local bragging rights

FC Planet players pose for a photo after their Bangkok Casuals 1st Division encounter with Brass Monkey FC at Horseshoe Point.

The much anticipated local derby clash between Brass Monkey FC and FC Planet took place on November 22 at Horseshoe Point as both sides went into the fixture unbeaten.
The opening stages were tight with both sides matching each other with quick intensity play and only a few half chances created at either end. Planet then began to settle on the ball and were looking the more likelier team to open the scoring as Daouda and Raoul were making surging runs in behind the opposition back line.
The deadlock was broken midway through the first half as the energetic Raoul showed great work down the right flank to find Gibbons who finished from close range to give the champions a 1-0 lead. This was a platform for Planet to build on and with the deadlock broken the game became more open, with Brass Monkey pressing forward for an equalizer.
Brass were made to pay the price of leaving gaps at the back after Perez picked out Gibbons who stayed onside to finish clinically with his left foot into the bottom right corner to make it 2-0 to Planet.
Brass Monkey kicked off the second half knowing that a lot of hard work was required if they were to get anything from a well organized Planet side. Injured player-manager Homer made a couple of changes to his back line, bringing on Rawding and new signing Crush to give Planet more height and strength.
It was a similar second period for Brass Monkey who were missing a cutting edge up front, with most efforts at goal smothered comfortably by Planet stopper Hughes. The contest was taken out of reach for the home team after the menacing McKeown found Ainscough with an inch perfect pass across the face of the Brass Monkey goal for the midfielder to finish coolly first time to make it 3-0.
A well earned victory was on the way for Planet who were looking dangerous on the break and looking for another as their wide men were constantly finding space in the final third. Ainscough attacked the left line well and spotted the oncoming Gibbons in a dangerous position with an exquisite pass for the frontman to take one touch before blasting a right footer low into the left corner for his fourth hat-trick in five outings.
Credit to Brass Monkey who nicked a late consolation with a neat finish low past the Planet keeper to make the final score 4-1. FC Planet though had who shown what champions are made of and this well controlled performance against tough opposition helped maintain their blistering form in the Bangkok Casuals league’s top division.
(Next up for FC Planet is a repeat fixture against Brass Monkey FC in a cup group match on Tuesday 9th December at Laem Chabang. Kick-off 7:30 p.m.

St. Andrews students star at U15 FOBISIA Friendly Games

St. Andrews took 2nd place in the pool after a hotly contested swimming gala.

St. Andrews Green Valley hosted the FOBISIA (Federation of British International Schools in Asia) Games for B2 schools from the 14th – 16th November. The attending schools were; Kolej Tuanku Ja’afar, Malaysia, British International School of Beijing, China, British International School of Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok International Preparatory and Secondary School, and British School of Guangzhou, China,

On the track the St. Andrews students continued to give the other 5 competing schools a run for their money.

The event kicked off on Friday, Nov. 14, with an extremely busy day that saw a swimming gala in the morning and a track and field meet during the afternoon. During the swimming contest there were many standout performances, with Green Valley picking up 7 golds, 8 silvers and 8 bronzes. In a fantastic team effort (very much the theme of the Games for Green Valley) the school picked up 2nd place overall in the pool.
The afternoon was a full track and field schedule which followed the trend of the morning for Green Valley. Great individual performances culminated in a 2nd place overall result. The total medal tally was; 12 golds, 8 silvers and 9 bronzes.

The St. Andrews girls team completely dominated the basketball.

Boys football was a round robin tournament which got underway on the Saturday and the St. Andrews boys had a mixed bag of results, winning 2 matches, drawing 1 and losing 2. They gained the 3rd place trophy in what was a competitive tournament.
The St. Andrews girls basketball team meantime went through undefeated and totally deserved the tag of champions. Every match was one-way-traffic and the girls dominated the offensive and defensive statistics, scoring 238 points and conceding only 23 in 5 matches.

St. Andrews boys finished 3rd in the football competition.

The boys and girls switched sports on Sunday and the St. Andrews boys enjoyed a good set of basketball results, winning 4 of their 5 games and only losing to the eventual champions.
The girls football was a continuation of their domination in the basketball the previous day – Green Valley won all of their matches convincingly and were crowned champions again.
It was a fantastic 3 days of competition and was enjoyed by all who took part.

Rain saves British Club after Bobby’s five wicket haul

Pattaya Cricket Club and British Club of Bangkok line up for a team photo at the Thai Polo Ground in Pattaya, Sunday, November 30.

Pattaya Cricket Club, affiliated with Pattaya Sports Club, hosted the British Club of Bangkok on Sunday, November 30 at the majestic Thai Polo Ground in a 25 over pre-season friendly.
Both teams wore black armbands as a mark of respect and in memory of the recent tragic passing of Aussie cricketer Phil Hughes.
Hot and humid conditions prevailed as the captains, Simon Philbrook and Dale Lamb, tossed the coin. BC called correctly and elected to bat first. Thomas Manoj and Andy Emery opened the bowling and the ball moved in the air considerably, much to the delight of the expectant slip cordon. Thomas (2/5) produced two superb away swinging deliveries to remove both openers within the first three overs and soon BC were 11 for 3 when Manesh was brilliantly run out by Shaun.
Disco Dave Scott soon clean bowled a hapless Nick White with a quicker arm ball but it was the wily old left arm spin of Bobby Young that caused havoc in the middle order. Dale (28), who was in belligerent mood, ran past a well-flighted ball to be stumped, Dilip (5) and Adrian (8) could not cope with the bounce of the ‘floater’ and Haroon (2) was bamboozled by the ‘sinker’.
Steve (5) became Bobby’s career first fifth wicket when he carved a viciously turning delivery to backward point. That brought an end to the innings (94 all out) and prompted Bobby to acknowledge the wild crowd celebrations for his 5 for 26 with a customary raising of the ball in his left hand and nodding knowingly to all four corners of the ground.

Players engage in some impromptu post-match fielding practice.

PCC batsmen Venky and Dan Nicholson set about the modest run chase but the heavens opened with PCC on 2 for 0 after only one over. It soon became apparent as the ground disappeared under a sea of rainwater that no further play was possible so both teams sat under the tent and reminisced of playing days gone by whilst drinking iced cold beer.
PCC have an internal friendly game this coming Sunday for anyone wishing to come along. Everyone will get a game and all are welcome. Please refer to the club website www.pattayacricket club.com or club Facebook page for more details.

Vietnam’s Bluffs Ho Tram Strip joins Golf Citizen network

The Greg Norman designed Bluffs Ho Tram Strip G.C. in Vietnam.

The Bluffs Ho Tram Strip, a stunning new links-style layout designed by the legendary Greg Norman, has become the latest club from Vietnam to join a diverse array of golf courses on the ever-growing Golf Citizen network.
Located 80km southeast of Ho Chi Minh City in the coastal province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau, the just-opened Bluffs Ho Tram Strip has already become a favorite with local golfing enthusiasts and a course widely regarded as a ‘must play’ when visiting Vietnam thanks in large part to its spectacular setting.
“As a golf course designer, you only get the opportunity to work with sites as good as this maybe a few times in your career,” said Norman, a two-time major champion who has now conceived 87 courses worldwide. “As you walk down the fairways here and you look at all the undulations - most of those were exactly the way the original form (of the land) was. So it’s almost the least disturbance approach you can possibly do.”
Routed over and around towering seaside sand dunes, The Bluffs Ho Tram Strip takes advantage of the landscape in a way that provides golfers one spectacular view after another.
One of the most breathtaking vantage points is at the par-3 4th hole, whose green is perched precariously on a bluff back-dropped by miles of dense national forest, the East Sea and the 20-story Grand Ho Tram Strip, Vietnam’s first international luxury casino resort.
The Bluffs Ho Tram Strip is the second golf club in Vietnam after Montgomerie Links to join Golf Citizen, taking the overall tally of golf courses in the tee-time booking platform’s portfolio to 26.
Launched in 2011 by ‘golf in Dubai,’ Golf Citizen aims at realizing golf tourism potential by collectively promoting richly diverse golf courses on its network. For more information, go to website: https://golfcitizen.com.

Jon & John take the Medals

IPGC golf from The Haven

John Carlin & Jon Yarrow.

Monday, Nov 24, Mt. Shadow - Stableford
CSS 73
1st Markku Tynell (23) 37pts
2nd Peter Skinner (12) 36pts
3rd Rodney Nabbe (11) 34pts
4th Phillip Cass (18) 33pts
5th Vincent Gras (17) 33pts
6th Don Everett (18) 32pts
Another good week for golf started off at the always testing Mountain Shadow course set amongst the old mango farm laid out on the right side of the tracks near the Baan Saen beach resort. With the high season well and truly begun it was pleasant to find the course fairly free of players as the competition teed off under a cloud cover that eased the heat.

Markku Tynell & Phil Groves.

Markku Tynell achieved what he had been threatening since taking over the organisational duties, by winning, although only by the slimmest of margins after he returned a fairly tidy card that showed just the one zero-pointer.
Peter Skinner is beginning to demonstrate the benefits of playing at least five times a week as his scores continue to tumble and the points increase, as he also showed when he won elsewhere later in the week, but on this occasion he had to be content with the second step of the podium after a solid round.
Following a slow start and a very good first seven holes on the inward nine, Rodney Nabbe was in contention until the last hole when a zero-pointer ruined his chances of a much better finish than his final third placement.
Fourth spot went to Phillip Cass after he won a count back over Vincent Gras with a better 20 to 18, which left Don Everett to nab the last podium step one shot behind them.
Once again there were no 2’s in the second division but the first division was shared by Garry Barling, Jon Yarrow and David Grist.
Before the presentations were made there were welcome backs for Phillip Cass, Paul Hubbard, Daryl Burkett and Garry Barling.
Wednesday, Nov. 26, Greenwood - Stableford
CSS 72
1st Phil Groves (8) 40pts
2nd David Grist (8) 37pts
3rd Phillip Cass (18) 36pts
4th Peter Skinner (12) 36pts
5th Garry Barling (8) 35pts
6th Daryl Burkett (11) 35pts
The furthest distance to travel to the local Pattaya area courses is always worth the effort as Greenwood is always in great condition and offers prices that are at the levels of most other courses in the low season. Again on this occasion the course was very quiet so the group enjoyed a very pleasant day’s golf without a hint of the rain that affected some other local areas.
Phil Groves showed once again that he certainly likes the B course as he returned a level par score for 23 points to add to the fairly modest 17 on the C nine and again his total of four under par off his newer and lower handicap proved to be easily enough for another win on what is fast becoming his favourite course.
David Grist was the nearest challenger in second place on his own after he finished strongly, taking 20 points from the back nine.
Phillip Cass won another count back, this time for third spot, with a better 20 to 18, consigning the ever-improving Peter Skinner into fourth place.
Garry Barling also won a count back for fifth over playing partner Daryl Burkett with a steady 17 to 14 as Daryl slumped over the inward half, having looked very good on the outward nine.
Peter Skinner and Daryl Burkett shared the 2’s pool in the first division but again there were none in the second division.
Prior to the prize giving there were welcome backs for Alan Griffiths, Rick Schramm, a big one for Trevor Schirmer and an extra big one for Stephen Beard who was at last returning home to the Haven as a resident following a court ruling that had determined that he and his wife Lamyai had previously been the subjects of some “inappropriate legal actions.”
Friday, Nov. 28, Khao Kheow B & C - Monthly Medals
CSS 72
Division 1 (0-15)
1st Jon Yarrow (14) net 67
2nd Rick Schramm (10) net 72
3rd Peter Skinner (12) net 73
4th Russell Exley (9) net 74
Division 2 (16+)
1st John Carling (18) net 79
2nd Russell Gilroy (17) net 80
2nd Don Everett (18) net 81
4th Phillip Cass (18) net 82
Medal play at Khao Kheow off the yellow tees is usually a fairly tough ask and so it proved on this occasion, apart that is for the first division winner Jon Yarrow whose five under return left the rest of the division floundering in his wake.
Starting on the B course, Jon opened his round quietly with little indication of the fireworks to come on the back nine, making the turn in one over handicap, but after taking a double on the tenth he then produced some stunning golf to complete the next eight holes in thirty strokes for a one over back nine to finish five clear of his nearest competitor and earn his way onto the list for the December Gold and Silver Medals.
Rick Schramm would normally have been in much closer contention but had to settle for second place just one ahead of Peter Skinner, who missed his chance to take the top spot as he fell by the wayside on the homeward stretch, racking up a quadruple, a triple, and a couple of doubles to follow a very nice four under opening half. His outstanding memories were on the par threes where he returned a birdie, par, trip, and a quad.
Russell Exley had the better of the three-way count back over Garry Barling and Phil Groves to snatch fourth place.
The second division saw a completely different picture emerge, with John Carlin “doing the impossible” and winning a Medal, albeit some way above the par rating but by a single stroke from Russell Gilroy.
Don Everett placed third ahead of Phillip Cass as the curtain was brought down quietly on the second division results for the day.
Rick Schramm and Peter Skinner shared the 2’s pool in the first division as incredibly there were again none in the second division.
Back at The Haven there were welcome backs for Mike Hill and Russell Exley together with a farewell for David Grist.
Note: If you would like to play with The Haven group, you can contact 038 710 988 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 a 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.

Barrie wins count-back battle for monthly title

PSC Golf from The Billabong Golf Bar

George Barrie (left) receives the deVere trophy for November from Brian Chapman.

Wednesday, Nov. 26, Green Valley - Stableford
Green Valley today for our monthly deVere trophy, proudly sponsored by Brian Chapman, and we had 9 groups playing. We also had some near pin prizes donated by the birthday boys, John Player and Cottee.
The course was in great condition with the greens fast and great lies on the fairways, but we are still getting grumbles from players about the way the course is laid out, with all the golfers saying it should be put back to the old 15th to the 18th as before, however we can only hope.
The scores were all pretty good with count backs separating the top three and also 4th and 5th. Thip occupied 5th spot on 37 points while 4th went to birthday boy Wayne Cotterell. In third place was Peter Henderson with 38 points and on the same score in second was Gerry Roche. But coming in at the top of the pile was the man playing with brand new clubs, George Barrie, also on 38 points.

Pottsy (centre) had a hole in one earlier in November at Pattaya Country Club. Here he receives a commemorative trophy from Rosco (left) and Capt. Bob.

There were six ‘2’s recorded by Jim Grieve, Eng Cotterell, John Langley, Bill Trainer, Sa and John Player. The near pins went to Jim Grieve, John Player, Keith Allen and Gerry Roche.
Once again thank you to Brian Chapman for his continuing generous support.
Friday, Nov. 28, Plutaluang - Stableford
The Navy course’s of East and South were the venue for our monthly scramble and what a day out it was to be. We got away a little early in very hot conditions, not as it should be for this time of the year, and with 14 groups a few got started on the South course and the rest of us went on East. The course was in grand condition and the greens were fast as normal. It was quite busy and when a storm hit we were all crammed up in the drinks stops until the rain and lightening went away.

Friday scramble winners: Kevin, Saeng, Mal and Gerry.

The scores were very good with only ten shots separating first to last. Coming in fourth place were the Team Courtyard Cavaliers on 58.9. Third place went to the Billabong Boys with 58.8, while second went to Greig Ritchie, Graham Beaumont, Arch Armstrong and Richard Steadman with 58.3. But the clear winners on the day, with a great score of 56, were Kevin St Ledger, Saeng Ryves, Mal Farquharson and Gerry Roche. A great score indeed.
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.

Golf – a confidence game

Travellers Rest Golf Group

Nick Thomas, Noel Pittard & Niall Cronin.

Andy Rich
Golf is an amazing game but it does have the unfortunate habit of draining us of our self-confidence and leaving us gibbering wrecks and beaten to a pulp. Of course there are those who take the downs in their stride and who just march on regardless, also known as conceited bigheads, but there are many others who take it too much to heart and can feel terrible for days. So when confidence returns it is a very welcome relief and golf becomes good fun once again because one’s game has invariably improved.
Some of the Pro’s think that a regular visit to their shrink, sorry I mean sports psychoanalyst, is as important as a few hours practice on the range. Anyway, I could name at least half a dozen of the TRGG faithful who were feeling on top of the world this past week and that includes yours truly.
One look at the winning scores shows that a number of golfers played out of their skins and every competition was won by golfers far exceeding their handicap.
Monday, Nov. 24, Plutalunag - Stableford
The proceedings got underway on Monday at Plutaluang, the Navy Course (West/North). Nick Thomas, who has been back in Thailand for a couple of weeks now, has obviously re-acclimatized himself and romped home in first place with 41 points.
Noel Pittard, who is famed for his outrageous golfing attire, normally favouring a shocking pink, finished second while Phil Corbett, a man who only a week ago was suicidal with his game of golf, took third place. Phil has more moving parts in his golf swing than a steam engine but he managed to tone it down a bit and played some half decent golf.
1st Nick Thomas (13) 41pts
2nd Noel Pittard (8) 37pts
3rd Phil Corbett (29) 35pts
Tuesday, Nov. 25, Khao Kheow - Stableford
On Tuesday it was off to Khao Kheow (B and C courses) and it is patently obvious it is a course that the ladies seem to like. In Division 1 they completely dominated the day with two of them neck and neck at the top of the leaderboard. Tewin Poopay Lamthong, who is another golfer who has recently got her game back on track, beat her old adversary Mod Chaviraksa on count back, both racking up 39 points each. Paul Stanton stood up for the men by taking third place on 37.
In Division 2, wily old John Baxter also shot 39 points to take the honours ahead of Chris Lightfoot and Joan Murphy.
Div. 1 (0-13)
1st Tewin Poopay Lamthong (12) 39pts
2nd Mod Chavaraksa (12) 39pts
3rd Paul Stanton (13) 37pts
Div. 2 (14+)
1st John Baxter (17) 39pts
2nd Chris Lightfoot (20) 35pts
3rd Joan Murphy (18) 33pts
Thursday meant it was time for our weekly visit to Green Valley, and for once only one division was necessary. My old quiz team mate Roger Wilkinson got his game together and like those on Tuesday found that 39 points was enough to take first place. Roger was followed home by Michael McCluskey and Fergus Brennan.
1st Roger Wilkinson (13) 39pts
2nd Michael McCluskey (18) 38pts
3rd Fergus Brennan (13) 36pts
Friday, Nov. 28, Bangpakong - Stableford
On Friday it was a welcome return to Bangpakong, one of my favourite courses. In Division 1 Noel Pittard did the business by not only winning the competition but also walking off with a bottle of Jameson’s, which went to the person shooting a birdie on the Par 5, 18th stroke index 1 hole. Noel just managed to pip Jeff Bunn and Ed Brubaker, who both finished on 38 points.
Best score of the day went to the winner of Division 2, who just happened to be me, your scribe as the newspaper like to call it. 41 points was my best score for at least a year.
Div.1 (0-14)
1st Noel Pittard (8) 39pts
2nd Jeff Bunn (6) 38pts
3rd Ed Brubaker (12) 38pts
Div.2 (15+)
1st Andy Rich (20) 41pts
2nd Ged Blairs (30) 32pts
3rd Paddy Murphy (16) 31pts
Saturday, Nov. 29, Crystal Bay - Stableford
It was the turn of Crystal Bay (C and A courses) to play host to the TRGG on Saturday. The favourite winning score of the week once again prevailed. The top two both ran up 39 points but this time Noel Pittard was out of luck and had to settle for second place after losing out on count back to the eventual winner Niall Cronin. Paul Stanton, who for the second time this week bettered his handicap, could only take third place. Better luck next week Paul.
1st Niall Cronin (14) 39pts
2nd Noel Pittard (7) 39pts
3rd Paul Stanton (13) 38pts
Good luck to all you golfers for the coming week and if you would like to play a round of golf with the TRGG, please phone Fergus Brennan on 086 056 7019 or pop into the Ned Kelly Bar in Soi Lengkee and add your name to the weekly lists which are posted on the notice board.

Rock shows sublime form at Eastern Star

Jomtien Golf with the IPGC

From left: Andy Galvin & Marty Rock.

Monday, Nov. 24, Greenwood - Stableford
There are still a few players who think this course is too far to travel, but with the fist group each time we play here coming in around 1.30 p.m. what is the answer?
The A course was shut today so we started off on the C with the B to follow and the two divisional cut came at 7-16 and 17+. It was a very pleasant day weather-wise and the greens were very slick.
Scoring 40 points, Chris Slota won division 2 ahead of Cliff Elliott in second who beat Tim Hake 23/15 on the back nine as they both came in with 37 points each. In division 1, Teddy Bourne finished first with 36 points, two up on second placed Horst Starchl who edged Nik Evans and Reijo Heiskanen 19/17/14 on count back.
In the nearest the pins, Mike Chatt had one and Pete Sumner two, while in division 2 Cliff Elliott was the only winner. There were no ‘2’s in either division so a rollover to Plutaluang on Wednesday.
Wednesday, Nov. 26, Plutaluang – Stableford
We teed off 25 minutes ahead of schedule on the North and West courses at Navy and in division 1 (7-16) Mike Chatt came out on top with 36 points. Chris Voller had to battle for second spot, beating Andy Crabb on a 18/13 back nine count back after both scored 33 points each.
Tim Hake was the winner in division 2 (17-20) with 35 points, four ahead of second placed Alan Bissell and in third with 29 came Paul Hartley.
Cliff Elliott also scored 35 to win division 3 (21+), while Pepo Frick was second, beating Andy Oz 17/15 on the back nine after both finished tied on 31.
Near pins went to (Div 1) Mike Chatt, Alan Hansen, Horst Starchl, Pete Sumner, and (Div 2) Pepo Frick, Magne Gunnarson, Tim Hake and Rudi Schaefer.
Alan Hansen birdied the lighthouse hole and Andy Crabb W8 to split the rollover ‘2’s pot in division 1 while Andy Galvin was the only winner in division 2.
Friday, Nov. 28, Eastern Star - Stableford
Today we have 10 groups out with the cut in division 1 set at 6-14, 15-18 in division 2, and 19+ in division 3.
Marty Rock, playing off 9, recorded the best score of the day to win division 1 with 40 points. Just returned from ‘down under’ and still playing off 6, Mark Prytz came in second after beating Dennis Scougall 21/19 on the back nine, both scoring 37 points overall.
Iain Walsh’s 39 points won the plaudits in division 2 while Alan Hansen took second place on 36 and Khalifa Nasser came third with 35.
Lars Svensson topped division 3 standings with 37 points and Andy Galvin claimed second after beating Rod Howett 19/17 on the back nine, both scoring 36 points.
The fairways here today were in immaculate condition and the greens are still improving.
Near pins went to: (Div 1) John Batty, Marty Rock, Dennis Scougall, Chris Voller, and (Div 2) Tim Hake, Matty Swire, Chris Reed and Max Wilson.
Jerry McCarthy birdied the 6th and Khalifa Nasser and Marty Rock the 17th to split the rollover ‘2’s pot in division 1 while in division 2 Lars Svensson was the only winner with a birdie on the signature 13th hole.

Ladies lead the way at PAGS monthly golf tourney

B Flight winner Werner (centre) receives his golf bag prize.

In a huge variance from the past couple of tournaments, the 109 players, which included 8 ladies, for last month’s Pattaya Amateur Golf Society (PAGS) tournament at Eastern Star on November 27, were greeted by clear skies and a light breeze, close to perfect golfing conditions.
The course did its part also, with fairways firm and providing some run, while the greens were in good condition, enabling some long putts to be holed over the course of the day. None better than our good mate Stefan Lyrestram who sunk a bomb on the 12th, snaring the prize on that hole.

Choojai Sawatdee (centre) fired an amazing 46 points to win the Ladies flight.

There were some other individual shots that netted technical prizes which also deserve mention: Bryan Neal’s eagle on the par five, 8th and, not to be outdone, Werner’s first ever eagle on the par five, 4th hole, which gave him 5 points and assisted in him finally signing for 40 points and a clear win in B flight. Also in the technicals, it would be remiss not to give a shout out to Jonny Lindberg who picked up both 55– 64 age group long drives.
Once again there were some spectacular scores amongst the Ladies, with Choojai Sawatdee (30) posting 46 points, while Somnuk Triprom (20) also showed great form to post 44 points, to go with her near pin on the par three, 17th.
Mike Allidi maintained his consistent good form to shoot a level par 72, to win the Low Gross comp, and once again prove he is the man to beat for that prize.
The C flight (18+) was a more hotly contested affair, with John Fenwick (22) leading the way on 35 points, while several count backs were required to eventually declare the minor placings. October’s C flight winner Dave Mateer (22) got second on 34 points with a clear 20 on the back 9, while Jan Johansson (23) with a back 6 of 11 got the nod over Tommy Persson after both had recorded 16 on the back 9. Postis had been eliminated earlier with his 15 on the homeward 9.
B flight (13–17) saw Werner (14) well clear on 40 points, while there were multiple contenders on 34 points vying for the minor prizes. Christer Silvandersson (14) and Butch Porter (14) with inward 9s of 19 and 18 respectively, got the places, with Arthur Hancock and Jon Yarrow eliminated on 16 and 14.
A Flight (0–12) was another hotly contested division, with Jeff Wylie (7) edging Pierre Cere (12) for top spot, 21/20, after both signed for 39 points. In the bronze medal position Max Scott (5) with 20 points on the back slipped past low gross winner Mike Allidi (2) with 17, after both recorded 38 points.
Shenanigan’s was packed with golfers and their supporters as Dave and his team from The Sportsman did a tip-top job with the tucker. Although the line was long, it flowed along steadily, as all were well fed with a good selection of fare. Go home hungry and you have only 1 person to blame!
We look forward to another culmination of the year’s tournaments with this month’s event at Greenwood on 17 December. Note the date, and contact Shane on 085 945 9689 to ensure your preferred tee time.

Andy edges Chris in 40-point showdown

PSC Golf from The Outback Golf Bar

Andy Makara & Chris Thompson.

Monday, Nov. 24, Burapha - Stableford
1st Chris Thompson (25) 41pts
2nd Jim Black (12) 41pts
3rd Dennis Pelly (12) 39pts
4th Angus Neilson (08) 36pts
We welcomed back Wally Brown and Ken Ottaway who joined our four groups playing A and B from the white tees. There were quite a few coaches and mini vans in the car park when we arrived and it appeared the course would be busy but the visitors must have been on C & D as we, as usual, got away early and had an under four hour round.
Chris Thompson was once again the star of the show with another 40+ pointer which is making a bit of a mockery of the USGA handicap system as it seems unable to catch him. Today’s 41pts was a great score to win on count back from Jim Black, with Dennis Pelly in third on 39 (24 of which were on the front nine!) and Angus Neilson in fourth with 36pts.
For the third week in a row there was only one ‘2’, this time from Dennis Pelly.
Outback opinion: Weather - Sunny and hot; Check in - Friendly and efficient as usual; Tee time - 20 mins early; Fairways – good; Rough – moderate; Greens - Fast and true; Value for money – acceptable; Pace of play - under 4 hours; Drink stations open - 4 (all).
Wednesday, Nov. 26, Bangpra - Stableford
1st Andy Makara (29) 40pts
2nd Don Lehmer (22) 35pts
3rd Kim Danboise (15) 33pts
4th Peter LeNoury (10) 33pts
Another beautiful morning here at Bangpra and what a fantastic time to tee-off (about 8.15am). The tee was there waiting for our four groups and although a little slow due to a leisurely four-ball, we went through the turn with no delays as all the groups waiting there had to wait for us to come through. Well done Bangpra!
We later all went through the slow four-ball on the 7th (our 16th) as they decided sit down to have a feed; better late than never I guess!
A rejuvenated Andy Makara, absent from this course for some time but today armed with a good caddie came out guns a-blazing as he raced to 24pts in just eight holes. He faltered slightly on the back nine but still finished with an excellent 40pts as he cruised home with ease. Brilliant Andy and thanks for the bell-ring back at the bar.
Trailing by five points to take second was Don Lehmer followed in by three players all tied up on 33; once sorted on count back – third went to Kim Danboise, fourth to Peter LeNoury and Jim Black just missed out.
Also playing with us today and welcome was Toshi and his friend Yasu from Japan, who scored a very creditable 26pts off scratch as he didn’t have a handicap, what a gentleman.
Don Lehmer got the only ‘2’.
Outback opinion: Weather - Sunny with a slight breeze later; Check in – easy; Tee time - on time from 10th; Fairways – good; Rough – average; Greens – fast; Bunkers - sand too soft & light, not raked well; Value for money – good; Pace of play - 4½ hrs, course busy; Drink stations open - 5 (all).
Friday, Nov. 28, Green Valley - Stableford
Div A (0-13)
1st Peter Nixon (12) 40pts
2nd Peter LeNoury (10) 38pts
3rd Stephen Mann (10) 37pts
T4th Dennis Pelly (11) 36pts
T4th A Yasu (06) 36pts
Div B (14-22)
1st Stephen Blazsanyik (22) 42pts
2nd Mark Allen (17) 37pts
3rd John Stafford (18) 37pts
4th Sugar Ray Handford (17) 35pts
Div C (23+)
1st Andy Makara (28) 44pts
2nd Chris Thompson (24) 43pts
3rd David Davies (24) 35pts
4th Brendan Cope (26) 34pts
Well there was no stopping two players this week as they came up head to head here at Green Valley, with a good sized field of 37 players. Both Andy Makara and Chris Thompson had posted 40+ scores earlier in the week; Andy at Khao Kheow on Wednesday and Chris at Burapha on Monday. Their mindsets must have been just to go out and do it again, don’t change anything.
They were both clipped one shot off their handicaps, not that it made any difference as they wrapped up Div C and took it home – Andy with 44pts off 28 and Chris with 43pts off 24; a mile clear of the rest of the field led by David Davies on 35.
Not to be outdone, Div A & Div B were also won with 40 pointers; Div A by Peter Nixon (40pts), with course specialist Peter LeNoury two back on 38, Steve Mann third with 37 and Japanese visitor Yasu, playing off 6, in a dead heat with Dennis Pelly for fourth, both on 36.
Div B went to Waldo (42pts), with playing partner Mark Allen five adrift on 37. Previous winner here John Stafford was third, losing out to Mark on count back and Sugar climbed into fourth with 35.
Finally, welcome to Brendan’s mates; Bill Bockstahler, Charlie Barclay and Colin Paterson and also to Alfie Eagleson, who was just out for a hit.
The real surprise … John Lawton got the only ‘2’.
Outback opinion: Weather - Fine, wet underfoot from overnight rain; Check in – good; Tee time - 20 mins early; Fairways - good, some wet patches; Rough – average; Greens – sluggish; Bunkers - not brilliant; Value for money – good; Pace of play - varied, average about 4hrs; Drink stations open - 4 (all).
Note: The Outback Golf Bar is situated about 6km from Sukhumvit Road along Soi Siam Country. Call Jack on 081 578 1956.

Bill Peach bags a brace

PSC Golf from Lewiinski’s Golf Society

Bill Peach.

Sunday, Nov. 23, Green Valley – Stableford
A Flight
1st Michael Prideaoux (13) 38pts
2nd Freddy Starbeck (13) 37pts
3rd JP Gasser (11) 34pts
B Flight
1st William Peach (21) 41pts
2nd Gerry Roche (19) 38pts
3rd Eddy Beilby (19) 36pts
Near Pins: No 5 Bruce Walters, No 8 Neville Meyers, No 12 Christian Boysen, No 16 Freddy Starbeck
Somebody woke Bill Peach up! Bill, who previously only managed a lower podium finish in several efforts, went off like a bomb at the Klaus Schacht designed Green Valley with a man of the match and B Flight winning 41 points. History suggests that the consistency of the fairway lie can help the higher handicapper find the “grove” and Bill certainly did this day. He was three clear of B Flight friend Gerry ‘the Irish rover’ Roche while Eddy the Eagle’ Beilby felt the account was getting a bit low so he threw an even par round at it for the third place prize.
Graham Porteous, who has shown well whenever he plays with Lewiinski’s, did so again as his excellent 40 points would have took the A Flight top slot if he had been a member. That honour instead went to Michael Prideaux with 38 points. Freddy ‘the quite one’ Starbeck was the benefactor of the silver, with JP Gasser closing the flight with a just as spendable 34 points.
Graham Porteous, Freddy Starbeck, William Peach, Gerry Roche and Jorn Finnerup shared the ‘2’s pot.
Tuesday, Nov. 25, Burapha A & B - Stableford
A Flight
1st Neil Jones (16) 43pts
2nd Pierre Zbinden (19) 37pts
3rd Barry Copestake (10) 37pts
B Flight
1st Trevor Gough (23) 43pts
2nd William Geoff (20) 41pts
3rd Merle Humphreys (19) 38pts
The co-man of the match was A Flight’s Neil Jones, who is showing signs of coming into form with an excellent 43 points that was six shots clear of the inform man himself, Pierre Zbinden, and Barry Copestake. Pierre took the silver with a more favourably distributed inward nine.
That other co-man of the match to which I eluded was Trevor Gough who was the top man in B Flight with his own excellent 43 points. Trevor was two strokes clear of William Geoff while the remaining bronze slot went to a count back between Merle Humphreys and Peter Moon, and Peter was not over the moon as he was edged off the podium steps.
Thierry Petrement, Reg McKay, Trevor Gough and Ken Davidson shared the ‘2’s pot.
Wednesday, Nov. 26, St. Andrews - Stableford
A Flight
1st Thierry Petrement (11) 38pts
2nd Lawrie McBride (14) 38pts
3rd Andrew Byrne (10) 35pts
B Flight
1st Jorn Finnerup (21) 43pts
2nd Brian Prudden (21) 35pts
3rd Marlene Prudden (24) 36pts
The intrepid golfers who took up the challenge of St Andrews, where the advice is that players with an handicap of more than eighteen should practice elsewhere, started off in awe but generally finished the course at or near their handicaps and a slightly springier step into the showers.
Jorn Finnerup took the course apart off his 21 handicap with a magnificent 43 points to belie the management admonishment and clear the field by five shots. The Prudden family, Brian and the lovely Marlene, filled the minor flight places but Marlene did have to win a count back over Merle Humphreys for the bronze, both on 33 points.
Three players posted 38 points in A Flight but again for the second week running the winner was not a member so it was bad luck to John Ryan. This left Thierry Petrement to battle it out for the flight gold with Irishman Lawrie McBride, with Thierry just edging it. Co. Offaly man Andy Byrne was left to tidy up the flight with35 points.
Roger Emery notched the only ‘2’ of the day.
Thursday, Nov. 27, Bangpra - Stableford
A Flight
1st Ian Pickles (14) 33pts
2nd JP Gasser (11) 32pts
3rd Dave Garood (8) 31pts
B Flight
1st Monos Volikaisk (18) 37pts
2nd Jim Proctor (22) 33pts
3rd Colin Davis 31pts
The winners of both A Flight, Reto Steifell on 34 points, and B Flight, Trevor Gough with a fantastic 46 points, are not members of the Pattaya Sports Club and therefore did not qualify for the flight prizes, but Trevor was allowed to keep his ‘2’s prize.
The benefactor in B Flight was Monos Volikaisk - his 37 points was four clear of Jim Proctor and a further two clear two of the society regulars Colin ‘the Donkey’ Davis and Mike ‘the Welsh Wizard’ Jeffreys. The Donkey nipped the Wizard on the homeward nine to claim the bronze.
Old friend Ian Pickles struck gold in A Flight with 33 points as JP Gasser and Dave Garood were strung out in one stroke increments and in that order.
Monos Volikaisk, Pierre Zbinden and Gebi Gough shared the ‘2’s pot with Trevor.
Friday, Nov. 28, Pattavia - Stableford
A Flight
1st William Peach (17) 40pts
2nd Ed Wyckoff (13) 38pts
3rd Laurie McBride (14) 35pts
B Flight
1st Thierry Temime (23) 40pts
2nd Peter Wallace (18) 34pts
3rd Manos Volikaisk (18) 33pts
The man in the bold print, William Peach, and Thierry Temime were co-men of the match as they posted joint best scores of the day of 40 points in A Flight and B Flight respectively. Thierry was followed in the junior flight by Peter Wallace with 34 points while a trio of players tied on 33 points for the bronze as the man on form, Manos Volikaisk, edged both Merle Humphreys and Don ‘the ladies man’ Lehmer.
In the senior flight, William was two clear of Ed ‘our man in the White House’ Wyckoff while Jim Doran would have taken the silver had he been a member, but that went and the opportunity to move up the leaderboard was very much appreciated by Irishman Lawrie McBride.
William Peach, Alan White, Thierry Temime Peter Wallace and Sean Hughes 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 provide.

O’Brien makes his mark to win monthly award

PSC Golf from Tropical Golf Group

Dick Warberg (right) presents the MBMG Group Golfer of the Month award to Mike O’Brien.

Tuesday, Nov. 25, Mt. Shadow – Stableford
Mountain Shadow these days is a pleasure to play, and on this day the course was in fine condition so we played off the blue tees hoping for a little bit of run. The fairways were firm but the rough was really difficult to get out of when you strayed offline. The greens played nice and fast a good day out was had by all, even the weather played its part.
This being the last Tuesday of the month meant it was time for the MBMG Group Golfer of the Month award and this would be the first one at our new venue, BJ’s Holiday Lodge.
In the A Flight, 0 to 17, the winner was Tom Herrington with a rather tasty 42 points, ahead of Robbie Taylor with a very good 40. We then had a count back on 37 points that saw Brian Parish in third and AVD in fourth.

Thanksgiving Day winners, Andre Van Dyk (left) and Dick Warberg (right) with one of BJ’s helpers.

In the B Flight the scores were not quite as impressive but Mike O’Brien still won with a good 37 points ahead of a 3-way count back on 35 that saw Ken Grimes in second, Tom McDowell take third and ‘Buckers’ in fourth.
With his win in the B Flight, Mike O’Brien stormed home for his first win ever MBMG Golfer of the Month title and became the first ever to win the award at BJ’s. Well done Mike!
Near Pins: Robbie Taylor, Steve Hamstad, Dick Warberg, Tom Herrington
Long Putts: Mike O’Brien, Tom Herrington
Thursday, Nov. 27, Crystal Bay – Stableford
Tropical Golf hasn’t played Crystal Bay in a while and everyone was eager to give it a try. Today we were assigned the C and A courses (in that order). The “B” nine is dormant for the time being, but all agreed the course was in excellent condition. Fairways and greens are in great shape, and work continues on the clubhouse, though slowly it seems. Still, the facilities are quite acceptable. Playing off the white tees the good grass yielded many impressive scores!
In the A-Flight (0-17) the winner, a best score of the day, was Andre Van Dyk (17) with a stunning 43 points! Wow, well played Andre! Next was Bob Watson (3) with 39 points, shooting even par off his microscopic handicap and chalking up six birdies in the process. Peter Blackburn (14) followed by edging a multi-count back at 36 points for third.
In the B-Flight, Dick Warberg (18) showed Yanks can do more than eat and watch football on Thanksgiving by racking up an impressive 41 points. Tom Cotton (24) was next with 35, followed closely by Don Carmody (25) with 34. Good scores all around!
Near Pins: John Hackett, Andre Van Dyk, Bob Watson, Graham Buckingham.
Long Putt: Mashi Kaneta

Bested by Bangpra

IPGC Pattaya Golf Society at the Elephant Bar

Garry Hookey, Larry Gibb, Dave Lehane & Brian Beaupre, runners-up (121 points) in the John Preddy Memorial team tournament on Monday, Nov. 24 at Emerald.

Wednesday 26 November saw the Pattaya Golf Society take five groups to one of our favourite courses, Bangpra. The weather was near perfect, the fairways offered run and good lies, the bunkers were in their usual well-presented state, and the greens were slightly harder than normal. Despite all these plusses, only one player got close to handicap in our monthly medal competition. Yes, Bangpra beat us today.
With just the one division, we paid out on the top four positions, which due to ties involved five players. This, along with two players scoring ‘2’s, meant a very modest payout to those sharing fourth place. The ‘2’s were recorded on the 2nd by Alan Walker and the 12th by Alan Flynn.
The monthly medal usually throws up a few scores that make the podium even though they are somewhat over par, that’s what medal rounds do. In this all-shots-count format there is no respite. Those who hang on in there will be rewarded. And this was certainly the case for our joint 4th place-getters, Mr. Len and Pete Sumner. The former is starting to make this format his own through consistently good performances in medal rounds.
In joint second were arguably the PGS’s two most consistent performers of recent weeks, Jon Batty and Murray Edwards, but the winner by a comfortable margin of four shots was the ultra-keen Kiwi, Alan Flynn. Well done Alan, an excellent round of golf on a tough track.
Given the oft-repeated claim that one-division golf is dominated by lower markers, it is interesting to note the spread of handicaps amongst those on the podium. Seems to indicate our system is running how it should, especially when taking into account that two five-markers, along with two six-markers came nowhere.
1st: Alan Flynn (12) net 73
T2nd Jon Batty (8) net 77
T2nd Murray Edwards (22) net 77
T4th Peter Sumner (8) net 78
T4th Len Jones (27) net 78
Crystal Bay
sparkles again
The Pattaya Golf Society visited Crystal Bay on Friday 28th November for the first time in more than a few months to play a stableford competition in two flights with the cut coming at seventeen and under.
When last there the course was not in good condition with scruffy and unkempt fairways leading to patched and inconsistent greens, hence our absence thereafter but the club has certainly made an effort since in an attempt to attract golfers again to the friendly course. The good news is that Crystal Bay is wearing a smile again with good fairways offering more than a modicum of run and much more consistent greens, although of medium pace only. Therefore the course was well set up to receive the group.
In the second flight, Mr. Len, Larry Gibb and Peter Reidy shared third place with 33 points, the latter producing his best card so far with IPGC. In second with 37 points was Aussie golfer Leigh Abbey whilst Pat Murphy took the main prize for his round of 38 points.
In the top flight, third place was shared by Simon Hirst and the returning Swede Anders Haglund, both marking 35 points. One point ahead was runner-up Jesper Hansen whilst the best round of the day took the flight, Gary Bolger’s 39 points.
John Chelo won the ‘2’s pot for his off green birdie on A8 and the nearest the pin on the same hole, generously sponsored by Simon Hirst, was won by Jesper Hansen.
At the presentation later, the PGS received the magnificent runner-up trophy for the annual John Preddy Memorial Tournament, donated by a very proud Brian Beaupre.
Finally the Booby Bevy went to John Burdett on his first round with the group, ostensibly playing to confirm his handicap, a man who only plays “society” golf eight or nine times a year in England. But friendly Crystal Bay may have been an ideal introduction to Pattaya golf for John. It has certainly come on since the last PGS visit.

Magnusson makes it a double

PSC Golf from Café Kronborg

Elias Magnusson (left) with Dave Richardson.

Monday, Nov. 24, Crystal Bay A & C - Stableford
A Flight (0-19)
1st Elias Magnusson (19) 35pts
2nd Art Sohlin (16) 34pts
3rd Lotte Bskov (18) 33pts
4th Kennith Madsen (17) 31pts
B Flight (20+)
1st Mick O’Connor (21) 35pts
2nd Richard Snellen (23) 34pts
3rd Mogens Jensen (36) 31pts
4th Daryl Evans (20) 31pts
Long Putts: A9 Peter Bygballe; C9 Brian Gabe
Near Pins: A5 Richard Snellen; A8 Art Sohlin; C4 Art Sohlin; C7 Kaj Aabling
Crystal Bay was the game on Monday and we teed off 15 minutes early in sunny conditions with a nice cooling breeze. The course was ok, with bumpy, slow greens and lots of overgrowth noticed on the whole complex.
Back in the clubhouse welcomes went out to Art Sohlin, Kennith Madsen, Torben Lindgaard and Freddie Townhill. We also bid farewell to Lotte and Arne Max, both heading back to Denmark.
Two flights today with the cut at handicap 19 and a full bag of pins. Elias Magnusson won the A Flight with 35 points, one up on Art Sohlin in second while Lotte Boskov came third with 33 and Kennith Madsen took fourth on 31.
Mick O’Connor was the top man in B Flight with 35 points, again just one point better than second placed Richard Snellen, while Mogens Jensen (third) and Daryl Evans (fourth) fought out a count back duel for the minor places after both finished on 31.
Thursday, Nov. 27, Pleasant Valley – Stableford
A Flight (0-22)
1st Elias Magnusson (19) 36pts
2nd John Davis (15) 34pts
3rd Mike Winfield (22) 33pts
4th Jan Lovgreen (19) 32pts
B Flight (23+)
1st Dave Richardson (26) 38pts
2nd Ernst Hansen (23) 36pts
3rd Steen Habersaat (26) 31pts
4th Kurt Sandgaard (28) 26pts
The course at Pleasant Valley was found to be in good condition today, although the bunkers were still a mess and most lacked rakes. We had a good run of 4 hours and 15minutes for the round, not catching any group in front.
Back in the clubhouse welcomes went out to Dan Rogaard, Franco Moretti and Silvio Bizzotti.
Two flights again today with the cut at handicap 22. Elias Magnussn took the A Flight with 36 points ahead of John Davis in second with 34, Mike Winfield third with 33 and Jan Lovgreen taking fourth on 32.
Dave Richardson took the B Flight with 38 points, two up on Ernst Hansen in second while Steen Habersaat claimed third spot with 31 and Kurt Sandgaard completed the podium in fourth on 26.

Makara’s magnificent medal

PSC Golf from The Golf Club

Capt. Phil (rear) congratulates medal winner Andy Makara.

Steve Ellison
Monday, Nov. 24, Green Valley (white tees) – Monthly Medal –.
1st Andy Makara (29) net 64
2nd Dave Delira (19) net 68
3rd Micky Beresford (18) net 69
4th Ray Powell (15) net 69
Green Valley was the venue again for our Monthly Medal for November. Lots of those handsome man vouchers in Phil’s pocket were up for grabs and they usually go to the man making the least mistakes on this medal competition morning.
Andy Makara was truly splendid as he separated himself from the field and had the round of his life, shooting a net 64. Andy has had a good run lately and with this win we find him cut from a 29 all the way down to a 25 - just like that. Well played Andy, and thanks also for coming in and ringing the bell!
Andy is a Darksider and meets up with us at the course, so remember, we are happy to include you Eastenders in our comps and you are not required to make that slog back into town. We have the same booking every Monday and start off at 09:28, so just email, text or phone us to get signed up and we will see you on the first tee!
Micky and Ray had a duel to the death with a pair of 69’s and can keep their heads held high. On another given day that could have been a winning score!
The XXL Antigua shirt is to be all Andy’s with a win like that. By the way, The Golf Club golf comps will now be offering a monogrammed Antigua shirt for anyone who has had a hole in one. If you haven’t got yours yet you just aren’t teeing up the ball in the right place.
Wednesday, Nov. 26, Khao Kheow C & A (white tees) – Stableford
1st Ian Brimble (6) 37pts
2nd Ken Aihara (4) 31pts
3rd Freddie Graham (20) 31pts
Khao Kheow is one of our favourite courses in the area and the sign-up sheet is usually full well in advance. Condition of the course was very good today and even the rough was manageable. We were off the C and A tracks and that first hole on C, the long par-5 that bends left along the water, is a challenging start.
There were some new faces up on the podium today, as well as our regular buddy Kenny Aihara, who was surprised to find himself up there with just a 31 point round!
Annual regular Ian Brimble is the Englishman living in Dallas and destroyed the field today with a 6 stroke lead to stand on top of the heap with 37. Ian is already back home but it was good to see him get that last well deserved win.
Friday, Nov. 28, Pattana (yellow tees0 - Stableford
1st Ross Nicholson (14) 36pts
2nd Ken Aihara (4) 33pts
3rd Nick Thomas (11) 29pts
Our task today was the B & C courses at Pattana and we were all anxious to get out there. Except for the traffic jams at Amata, this is a straightforward run that should not take that long…but it does. It’s well worth it when you finally get here though, as this is a truly professional complex. Not many golf courses sport a 30,000 seat football stadium!
Visiting Scotsman Ross Nicholson handily won the day, being the only bloke to shoot his handicap. “Way to go Kenny!” was heard at the presentation as Ken Aihara was once again in the frame.
Note: The Golf Club is located on Soi LK Metro. 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!

Henkel comes up trumps

PSC Golf from the Growling Swan

Marc Henkel (left) with Niall Stuart.

The Drut
Monday, Nov. 24, Eastern Star – Stableford
An intrepid band of golfers headed off on Monday, eager to test their skills at our scheduled game, Eastern Star GC. Everything ran smoothly, which always makes life easy for an organiser.
Welcomes were handed out to Pattaya residents Niall Stuart and Phil Taylor while Colm Mullen indicated he was keen to improve on the last start effort as he’d spotted spors not even the tree huggers or environmentalists were aware existed.
Hitting off under cloudy skies from the yellow tees the course was found to be in good condition. The greens, despite looking as lumpy as a pensioner’s gravy, still putted ok.
1st Marc Henkel (29) 43pts
2nd Ebrahim (14) 42pts
3rd Phil Taylor (15) 38pts
4th J.C. Lhoste (26) 37pts
Near Pins: Mike Gosden #3, Phil Taylor #6, Kae #13, Ebrahim #17.
Long Putts: Roy Dayton #9, Kae #18.
The Compass Cap went to Niall Stuart who was of the opinion he’d have more chance of dropping a ping pong ball into an egg cup from the top of the Empire State Building during a hurricane than rolling in a two foot putt.
Deefa the dog again received donations from the golfers for the needy children of Pattaya.
Note: The GS is a friendly golf outlet and caters for and encourages all golfers male or female to have a hit at any of our weekly outings. We generally play Mondays and Thursdays at one of the many fine golf courses in and around Pattaya. Contact Peter Grey if you are interested on 0861 503086.
The Growling Swan also caters to the bowls enthusiasts. Bus transport departs the GS on Wednesdays at 10 AM to play at Cocos on undercover synthetic greens and on Sundays at the same time for open grass bowling at The Retreat. Please contact Paul Rennison on 0843 454005 if you wish to partake. The cost including return bus transport, bowling fees and a hot lunch is less than 400 baht so great value for a day out.

Pattaya Sports Club Bowling League

200 Bowlers: Peter, Ooy, Tao & David.

Canada won all four points from ARDEO and is now in first place in the second round of this league. Lek Reaper bowled a 535 series and Jang Shaw rolled a 534 to lead Canada. Tue Pettae had a 511 for ARDEO.
Café Kronborg won three points from Brother D and remains in second place. Tao led Kronborg with a 214 game, 537 series and Kran Nielsen had a 529.
Green Tree moved into third place after taking all four points from Bavaria. David Shaw bowled a 579 series with games of 181, 200 and 198 for Green Tree.
Balloon moved up to fourth place after winning all four points from Price Waterhouse Cooper (PWC). Aht Johansson provided the spark for Balloon with a 520 series.
Pacer Bowlers did very well this week led by Peter who had a 210 game, 543 series, Ahti had a 540, Mai 537 and Markku 509.

Results & Standings Nov. 28 (week 2)
Pos.	Team	Score	Standings
1	Canada	4 – 0	7-1
2	Café Kronborg	3 – 1	6-2
7	Green Tree	4 – 0	5-3
6	Balloon	4 – 0	5-3
1	Bavaria	0 - 4	4-4
3	PWC	0 – 4	3-5
5	ARDEO	0 – 4	1-7
8	Brother D	1 – 3	1-7

 

Shoot Pool Thursday Darts League

Results & Standings Nov. 27 (week 7)

Team	P	W	D	L	+/-	BL	Pts.
Ben’s Tattoo Bar	7	7	0	0	31	0	14
Nervous Wreck	6	4	0	2	0	0	8
Shoot Pool	6	4	0	2	-2	0	8
Scandalic	5	2	0	3	-9	0	4
Connections Bar	6	1	0	5	-20	0	2
Results:  Ben’s Tattoo Bar 7-1 Shoot Pool, Bye A-W Connections Bar

Darkside Thursday Darts League

Standings Nov. 27 (week 2)

Team	P	W	L	F	A	T/G	Pts.
Moonies	2	2	0	10	4	1	4
Moonie Blues	2	1	1	9	9	2	2
Load Out	1	1	0	6	3	1	2
Chill Bar	1	1	0	5	0	1	2
Oscar’s Sports Bar	2	0	2	7	11	0	0
Results:  Moonies H-W A Bye, Oscar’s Sports Bar (4-0)-(5-1) v Moonie Blues

Darkside Tuesday Darts League

Standings Nov. 25 (week 13)

Team	P	W	L	F	A	T/G	Pts.
PJ Pub	12	10	2	66	42	8	20
Chill Bar	13	10	3	81	36	10	20
Oscars Bar	13	8	5	71	46	9	16
Load Out	13	7	6	69	48	4	14
Double Dutch	12	3	9	38	70	3	6
Moonies	13	0	13	17	100	3	0
Results:  Double Dutch (3-0)-(6-1) v Load Out, Oscars Bar (5-1)-(4-0) v Chill Bar, PJ Pub & Restaurant (9-1)-(0-0) v Moonies

King Factory Friday Night Pool League

Results & Standings Nov. 28 (week 6)

Team	P	W	L	D	+/-	Pts
Shoot Pool	6	5	0	1	14	15
The Butchers Arms	6	5	0	1	14	15
The Rest Stop	6	4	0	2	4	12
Legends Pool	5	3	0	2	12	9
Sweethearts Bar	6	3	0	3	-14	9
Pook’s Bar	5	1	0	4	-14	3
Links Bar	4	1	0	3	-16	3
Results:  Pook’s Bar 9-11 Legends Pool, Shoot Pool 13-7 Links Bar, Sweethearts Bar 9-11 The Rest Stop, The Butchers Arms H-W Bye

Asia Back Packer’s Monday Darts Super League

Standings Nov. 24 (week 2)

Team	P	W	L	F	A	B/L	Pts.
Legends	2	2	0	14	4	2	4
i-Rovers ‘A’	2	2	0	11	7	1	4
Moonies	2	2	0	10	8	1	4
W. Tankies	2	1	1	10	8	1	2
Load Out	2	1	1	9	9	1	2
Don’t Tell MaMa’s	2	0	2	8	10	2	0
Oscar’s Sport Bar	2	0	2	6	12	0	0
i-Rovers ‘B’	2	0	2	4	14	0	0
Results:  Don’t Tell MaMa’s (4-1)-(5-0) v Moonies, Legends (8-1)-(1-0) v i-Rovers ‘B’, W. Tankies (6-1)-(3-0) v Load Out, i-Rovers ‘A’ (6-1)-(3-0) v Oscar’s Sport Bar

Crumpton Oaks Cider Monday Pool League

Standings Nov. 24 (week 14)

Team	P	W	L	+/-	BP	Pts.
Links Bar	14	11	3	36	1	34
Legends	14	11	3	30	0	33
Sweethearts Bar	14	10	4	17	1	31
Rest Stop	14	10	4	30	0	30
Nicky’s Bar	13	9	4	15	0	27
Shoot Pool	14	7	7	3	2	23
Cheers Bar	14	7	7	-9	2	23
Dean’s Bar	14	6	8	-9	3	21
Classroom	14	5	9	-14	2	17
Offshore Bar	12	5	7	-7	1	16
Wok ‘n’ Rok	14	5	9	-25	1	16
Two Dogs	14	2	12	-51	1	7
Mates Bar	13	1	12	-16	0	3
Results:  Legends 10 v 9 Sweethearts Bar, Mates Bar 10 v 7 Cheers Bar, Rest Stop 10 v 4 Nicky’s Bar, Shoot Pool 8 v 10 Links Bar, Two Dogs 10 v 7 Dean’s Bar, Wok ‘N’ Rok 10 v 6 Classroom

Tuesday Darts League

Results & Standings Nov. 25 (week 21)

Team	P	W	L	F	A	B/legs	Pts.
Londoner	21	19	2	188	66	15	38
Legends	21	15	6	126	82	10	30
Ken& Jim’s Bar	21	14	7	132	89	12	28
The Swan	21	13	8	122	73	18	26
Naughty Kangaroo	21	13	7	116	102	15	26
Yates’ Bar	21	13	8	106	93	13	26
Crazy Eddie’s	21	12	9	119	93	10	24
Nervous Wreck	21	12	9	117	103	9	24
Shoot Pool	21	9	12	97	109	12	18
i-Rovers	21	8	13	108	110	10	16
Scandalic	21	8	13	93	132	8	16
Bye	21	5	14	36	103	5	10
W. Tankies	21	4	17	63	128	6	8
Bye	21	0	20	0	140	0	0
Results:  Bye (0-0)-(7-1) v Crazy Eddie’s, Naughty Kangaroo (9-1)-(7-0) v Londoner, Nervous Wreck (7-1)-(0-0) v Bye, Scandalic (7-1)-(6-0) v i-Rovers, The Swan (7-1)-(0-0) v Ken & Jim’s Bar, W. Tankies (2-1)-(7-0) v Legends, Yates’ Bar (6-0)-(4-1) v Shoot Pool

Pattaya 8-Ball Pool League

Results & Standings Nov. 24 (week 14)

Team	Played	Won	Lost	For	Agst	Diff	Points
Phimai Geordie	14	14	0	154	51	103	42
Smile Bar	14	13	1	145	65	80	40
San Snack Bar	13	8	5	110	85	25	29
Asian Nomads	13	7	6	91	104	-13	27
Funny Girl	14	6	8	104	101	3	26
Crazy Eddie’s	14	6	8	90	120	-30	26
Pom Bar	13	6	7	88	107	-19	25
Ta Bar	14	5	9	101	109	-8	24
Doggy Style	14	4	10	85	125	-40	22
Naughty Kangaroo	13	3	10	65	120	-55	17
Connections	12	2	10	67	113	-46	16
Results:  Phimai Geordie 10 v 5 Crazy Eddie’s, Ta Bar 11 v 4 Naughty Kangaroo, Asian Nomads 0 v 0 Bye, Connections 9 v 6 Funny Girl, Pom Bar 5 v 10 Doggy Style, San Snack Bar 5 v 10 Smile Bar

King’s Cup Jet-ski World Cup this weekend

Ladies rule at 9th John Preddy & Memorial Golf Tournament

Thai racing champ Stuvik tests GP2 car

FC Planet take home local bragging rights

St. Andrews students star at U15 FOBISIA Friendly Games

Thai-Polo team performs well on the world stage

Regents U15 team shines at FOBISIA in Bangkok

‘Pattaya Color Run’ to raise funds for Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya

Rain saves British Club after Bobby’s five wicket haul

Vietnam’s Bluffs Ho Tram Strip joins Golf Citizen network

Jon & John take the Medals

Barrie wins count-back battle for monthly title

Golf – a confidence game

Rock shows sublime form at Eastern Star

Ladies lead the way at PAGS monthly golf tourney

Andy edges Chris in 40-point showdown

Bill Peach bags a brace

O’Brien makes his mark to win monthly award

Bested by Bangpra

Magnusson makes it a double

Makara’s magnificent medal

Henkel comes up trumps

Pattaya Sports Club Bowling League

Shoot Pool Thursday Darts League

Darkside Thursday Darts League

Darkside Tuesday Darts League

King Factory Friday Night Pool League

Asia Back Packer’s Monday Darts Super League

Crumpton Oaks Cider Monday Pool League

Tuesday Darts League

Pattaya 8-Ball Pool League