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Pattaya Sports Club Golf
PSC Golf Rules
The PSC Golf Handicap & Rules Committee has standardised Local Rules for
member groups in order to avoid any confusion, or misunderstanding, when
groups are playing in matches against each other, or when members of
different member groups are playing together.
1. The Rules of Golf will apply at all times, supplemented by the following
Local Rules.
2. Local Course Rules: Course rules as laid down by the course and posted in
the clubhouse or on the scorecard, except drop zones. (See Rule 3 below).
3. Drop zones Will Not be used. The rules of golf will apply.
4. Relief must be taken from Staked trees without penalty, one club length
no nearer hole.
5. If an “either, or” situation occurs during a tournament, both options
should be played and clarification, and/or ruling, sought after the round.
(Play 2 balls to finish the hole).
6. Call Holes: There shall be no calling up of players or groups during a
PSC tournament except at such time as local players (not participating in
the tournament) or golf course members (not participating in the tournament)
request this courtesy. It will, then, be allowed to them.
7. Slow Play: If a group fails to maintain its pace on the course and loses
more than one clear hole on the players in front, they must allow the
following group to play through!
8. Dress Code: Attire should be neat and tidy at all times. Shirts must have
sleeves, either long or short, and an attached collar.
* Provisional Ball: If in doubt, you must play a provisional ball under USGA
Rule 27/2.
Rules effective 21/7/97.
August Fixtures
August is here next week, so here is a combined fixture schedule for PSC
Golf from the Kronborg, TAGGS from the Hare House, and the Splinter Golf
Group (SGG) from the Green Bottle. Tournament dates, course venues and
playing formats are featured on the August schedule which offers 23
tournaments covering 11 different courses.
Hopefully this will be of value to PSC golfers who wish to play with more
than one member group, enjoy a variety of formats and like to plan their
golfing diaries early for the month.
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Pattaya Sports Club Membership
Anyone wishing to join the Pattaya Sports Club and play
golf with PSC member groups may obtain a membership application form from
any of the member group venues. When completed, forms should be taken to the
PSC office at the Cafe Kronborg, Soi Diana off No. 2 Road, for processing.
Ask for Bjarne, the Pattaya Sports Club registrar.
PSC membership cards can also be used to participate in all PSC sports
sections, including bowling, darts, softball, fishing, the computer section,
and of course golf. The Pattaya Sports Club Association is a non-profit
organization promoting all types of sports in the greater Pattaya area, as
well as contributing generously to charitable organizations in the Eastern
Seaboard region.
Pattaya Sports Club Golf
from Cafe Kronborg
Bang Pra, 14 July
Once again this very popular section attracted a strong low season turnout
from the “senior” society in the region. Golfers were presented with
fairways still being well watered and greens judged by some to be faster
than Augusta. However, some of the masters reveled in these conditions, most
notably Neil Hurst visiting from the Philippines with a certified handicap
of 25 who amassed an incredible 45 points to take first place, and his score
card to return to his home club!
Jim Montgomery, playing some of his best golf at present, was second on a
well put together 39 points. Ever improving Chris Gaines placed third with
38 points and Daryl White, not easily outdone, finished fourth with 34
points.
Nearest to the pin on par threes went to Sven Vistung, Joe Smiley, Daryl
White, and Mark Albon.
Alan Stevens, it must be said, carded an eagle 2 on the third hole for 5
points, which probably equaled half his total score, but alas he was a no
return.
Phoenix G.C., 17 July
Having had little or no rain for three months, the elements took over giving
golfers torrential conditions. Some fair weather golfers decided to stay in
bed. Nevertheless, 18 stalwarts reached the course and waited for the
downpour to subside.
After a 30 minute delay, golfers set off only to be drenched after 3 holes
played. Not to be daunted, the round was completed, with no rain over the
second half.
Anders Karlsson, who, it must be said, is not unused to these conditions in
his native Sweden, put together 38 Stableford points to win. Arthur Watkins
was once again pipped at the post with 36 points, but took his old pal
Ebrahim’s money, who came third with 33 points.
Pete Galle and Ray Woodruff won nearest pins and took the new PSC golf
shirts as prizes.
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Splinter Golf Group
at the Green Bottle
Splinters Elect New Officers
At an extraordinary meeting held at the Phoenix Golf and Country Club on 16
July, Splinter Golf Group members elected new officers. Given the raucous
nature of most Splinter get-togethers, the meeting went surprisingly
smoothly and the following were elected:
Chairman: Mike Riley. Vice-Chairman: Roger Smith. Secretary: Martin Furzer
Handicaps: Bill Thompson. Starter: Steve Ross. (Vice-Starter: Jerry Quinn).
Media and Charities: Bill Collis. Without Portfolio: Stan Fry, Mike
Phillips. Fixtures: Harry Riley
Golf Results: 14-18 July, 1997
14 July, Monday - Sriracha Country Club
Stroke Competition
1st Bill Thompson Net 67
2nd Andy Wellington Net 68
3rd Steve Ross Net 71
4th Mike Riley Net 71 (lost on count back)
Sriracha is known as one of the easiest courses on the PSC rota and on
Monday, in spite of un-mowed fairways, it was in a most forgiving mood. The
winner on the day shooting the best round of his life was the formerly lithe
Bill Thompson shooting a net 67 (gross 80), five strokes under his normal
handicap of 13. Some would question the handicap of anyone shooting that
much under par but Bill, who also happens to be the Splinter handicapper,
claimed “everyone is entitled to a good round once in a while”. In second
was Bill’s close friend, the suspiciously handicapped Andy Wellington on net
68. In third, beating out the ‘Wild Thing’ on count back was Mr.
Consistency, the always appropriately handicapped Steve Ross who after a
gross 50 on the front shot a 40 (which could have been a 36 and should have
been a 38) off the back. The average Splinter score on the day was a
spectacular net 73, only 1 stroke over par.
15 July, Wednesday - Phoenix Golf and Country Club
Stableford Competition
1st Banjob Franklin 43 pts.
2nd Sven Vistung 36 pts.
3rd Roger Smith 35 pts.
4th Stan Fry 35 pts. (lost on count back)
Playing in her first Splinter golf tournament in quite some time, the
expectant Mrs. Banjob Franklin humbled a lackluster bunch of Splinters by
shooting 7 strokes under her handicap. After watching Banjob power the ball
around the short Phoenix links, beer drinkers should take heart, given that
the location of Banjob’s extra weight is approximately where all the extra
beer goes, there is hope yet. The always steady Swede Sven and the new
Splinter Vice-Chairman Roger Smith were forced to appear on the podium to
claim second and third respectively. Average scores on the day were a better
than average 32 points. In a special awards ceremony Splinter Secretary
Martin Furzer presented, on behalf of all Splinters, a plaque to Starter
Steve Ross - commemorating his 12 July performance as Starter - Steve
actually appeared on the tee at the same time as the other golfers. A well
deserved award.
18 July, Friday - Pattaya Country Club
Stableford Competition
“A” Flight
1st Bill Thompson 38 pts.
2nd Stan Fry 35 pts.
3rd Dennis Willet 35 pts. (lost on count back)
“B” Flight
1st Banjob Franklin 38 pts.
2nd Jerry Quinn 37 pts.
3rd Arthur Bailey 36 pts.
Two times in one week for the handicapper and Banjob! New handicaps, due out
on 20 July, will be watched closely by all Splinter golfers. In the case of
Banjob, having witnessed her attack on the course one can only hope that she
can hold this form after the baby arrives. Bill Thompson, emulating Banjob
by carrying a few extra kilos (in his case Carlsberg in the almost-permanent
front storage container), has also been rapidly improving his golf and one
hopes lowering his handicap. Steadfast Stan Fry seems to be making a habit
of always just finishing well enough to make the podium without doing
permanent damage to his handicap (it is reluctantly noted that Stan took a
self imposed handicap cut recently). The amicable Jerry, relatively new to
golf, made his first venture to the Splinter podium - beating his handicap
for only the second time. Well done Jerry and don’t make it a habit. Closest
to the pin prizes, kindly provided by the Pattaya Country Club, were awarded
to: #5 Dennis Willet; #7 John Hurst; #12 Bill Thompson and on #16 to no one
- as not a single SGG golfer managed to hit the green. Average score on the
day was another above average 32 Stableford points.
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Booze brings changes to Wednesday Quiz
By what method did Van Gogh commit suicide? Which one word describes a
mixture of Scotch whisky and heather honey?
The hard fought matches on July 16 shuffled the order of the bars. Out
of a maximum 120 marks, both Cheers and Fawlty Towers squeezed past
Rising Sun and Bob’s by the narrowest of margins, 92 to 90. Palmer’s had
the bye. Britannia defeated Sixties by 76 to 66.
A special subject round on beers, cocktails and wines found well oiled
quizzers dissecting the ingredients of a Tequila whilst reliable reports
flooded in that stocks of this cactus based brew were exhausted all over
South Pattaya. However, this was to little avail as Tequila does not
taste of anything special after six bottles of Singha beer.
The Sunday quiz was canceled on July 20 because of the Buddha holiday.
These matches will be played on October 19 at the end of the current
season. The published schedule resumes as normal on July 27.
Answers to the above questions are “shooting himself” and “Drambuie.”
The cream of Sin City’s intelligentsia can be found any Wednesday or
Sunday at all of the listed bars. Every single one would welcome your
support, especially if you have an expert insight into obscure fields
such as the distant relatives of the cuttlefish or the lost sources of
the Hittite empire.
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Improve your Bridge
by Barrie Kenyon
S J 8
H K Q 7 2
D A K 10 6
C K 7 4
Playing the strong no trump, you would presumably open this hand one NT
which shows 16-18 points and a balanced distribution. But what if you
have agreed with partner to use that bid weak, 12-14 points? It is
really a matter of system and style. Playing the five card major
American system, you would probably open one diamond which is your
“better” minor. Playing the British Acol system, your correct opening
bid is one heart. This is because you have two bid-able and adjacent
four card suits, diamonds and hearts, and should choose the higher
ranking one first. The reasoning behind this rule of thumb is that you
can, if necessary, bid diamonds on the second round at a lower level.
It’s all a question of planning your re-bid before opening your mouth in
the first place.
What, then, are the advantages and disadvantages of the strong versus
the weak no trump as an opening bid? The 16-18 points range has always
been popular because it shows a good all-round hand which has the
potential to make a game, provided of course that your partner does not
have a bust. But you should never use the bid if you have a singleton or
a void, if you have five hearts or spades or if you have more than one
doubleton. Upon hearing you say one trump, partner must conjure a mental
image of the sort of distribution you have. Therefore, it is your job
not to give him any unpleasant surprises when the hand is played. The
less even your hand is, the more unsuitable your call of one no trump
will be. There are not any significant disadvantages to the strong no
trump, although it is immediately obvious to the opposition where most
of the high card points are likely to be. That is sometimes an important
consideration if the auction is contested by the enemy side.
What, then, if you have chosen with your partner the weak no trump
instead? Opening this bid with 12-14 points has a slight pre-emptive
edge, that is that it makes life a bit harder for the opponents if they
want to enter the auction after hearing your one no trump on a modest
collection. The disadvantage is precisely that your hand is so modest.
Good opponents may double you for penalties and, if partner has a bust,
he will not be able to save you by escaping into a side suit. This is
essentially why the Taiwanese mini no trump, 10-12 points, went out of
favor years ago. The penalties could be enormous. One way out of the
problem of the 12-14 points, weak no trump is to agree with partner that
you will only use it in a non vulnerable position and stick to the
strong 16-18 pointer when in a vulnerable seat. This is a sound
strategy, provided that you can remember the added complexity throughout
the whole afternoon or evening. And you must inform your opponents at
the start of the session that you are playing what is called the
“variable” no trump.
Like most things in bridge, the choice of strong or weak no trump, or
variable, comes down to what you feel comfortable with and whom you are
partnering. The strong bid is well tested, solid and conservative. Its
weak brother is more of a gambler’s bid which may wrong-foot the
opponents but which may also land you in the quagmire if a penalty
double against you is passed out. Some players prefer strong when they
are playing competitive, duplicate bridge against a roomful of players
and elect weak when indulging in the more adventurous rubber bridge.
Interestingly, 90% of bridge players in Pattaya appear to use the strong
no trump in all situations and whatever the type of game. Now, who said
that people love living dangerously in Sin City?
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Russell makes it two straight
 Just
a week after he notched his first ever tournament victory, Billy Russell
made it two in a row when he won the Tuesday, July 15 round of the
Pattaya Golf Society Rainy Season series of tournaments at Pattaya
Country Club.
Billy was the only PGS golfer to equal par on the day, shooting a net
even par 72 from his 20 handicap. The rest of the PGS golfers were
forced into submission by the strong winds that dominated the front
nine.
Ken Carr returned to form, finishing second with a scratch 98, net 3
over par 75. Roy “Tiger” Mitchell, still playing with his old clubs,
managed to snatch away the final prize of the day by finishing third
with a scratch 96, net 4 over par 76.
William Rice finished fourth on the day, carding a net 6 over par 78.
Peter Johansson rounded out the top five finishers with a net 7 over par
79.
Nearest the pin honors went to Billy Russell on #5, Les Winch on #7,
Peter Johansson on #16, and alas, once again, no-one on #12.
Las Vegas Open coming August 1
Time is running out, but organizers are still accepting entries for the
inaugural Las Vegas Open, scheduled for Friday, August 1, 1997, at
Pattaya Country Club. Tee off times for this much anticipated event will
begin at 8:00 a.m. onwards, with organizers planning to be accommodating
to golfers less likely to crawl out of bed at that early hour.
The 1000 baht entry fee will include T-shirt, food, technical prizes,
“lots of fun” prizes, green and caddie fees. The tournament will be
divided into two divisions, with awards for best front nine, best back
nine, long drive, nearest
the pins and best gross. Organizers have also stated that everyone will
win a prize.
The awards presentation party will follow the event at Las Vegas Bar,
and will include special happy hours and a roast pig with all the
fixings.
Sign-ups can be done through Richard or Peter at Las Vegas. Enter now,
this event will be too much fun to miss!
Moni gains hat trick in another photo finish
After 42 kilometers of setting the pace,
Timothy Moni and Daniel Shungea were able to sprint to the finish line,
officially just one second apart.
Some were fast, others a bit slower. Some were young, others a bit
older. Some were sleek, others not so svelte. Some were highly trained
athletes, others were physically challenged, although no less highly
trained, and still others were highly trained elbow benders. They were
men, women and children, many of whom were Thai, many more of whom came
to represent their countries, countries spanning the globe. When it was
all said and done, they formed a family 1000 strong. They made up the
family of those who competed in Pattaya’s 5th International Marathon,
Half Marathon and Quarter Marathon in the wee hours of Sunday morning,
July 20, 1997.
Cynics cry that “those Kenyans” Daniel and Timothy win it every year.
But those who voice this cry the loudest are missing the point, for
everyone who crosses the finish line is a winner. Those who cry the
loudest have never stood on the starting line before sunrise, anxiously
awaiting the starter’s gun at 5:00 a.m. Those who cry the loudest have
never endured the grueling test of inner strength necessary to complete
over 42 kilometers of pure athletic achievement. Those who cry the
loudest have never felt the agony, the exhaustion, and the absolute
exhilaration that accompanies the final painful strides that takes one
across the finish line, the top few gaining applause, the rest
in silence.
And yes, Timothy Naonye Moni and Daniel Shungea from Kenya once again
finished one-two, in yet another photo finish. Last year, Daniel edged
out Tim by just one second, this year it was Timothy’s turn.
With less than 50 meters to the finish line, both Kenyans began their
final kick. It was amazing to watch. After 42 kilometers of constant
running, both athletes had enough energy left to turn the final 50
meters into an all out sprint.
After the race, Timothy explained to Pattaya Mail how he was able to
dredge up all that energy at the end, “We train every day except
Sunday,” he said with the big smile that he always wears. “One day we
train for maybe an hour 30, the next maybe an hour 40, the next we train
on hill climbs. When you train like that every day, you aren’t tired at
the end of the race.”
Tired or not, neither Timothy nor Daniel showed any signs of fatigue
when crossing the finish line. Just as Daniel did last year, Timothy
reached slightly behind him to grab Daniel’s hand as the two friends
finished together, officially one second apart, and officially just 7
seconds slower than last year. Timothy’s official winning time was 2
hours, 25 minutes, 49 seconds, over 8 and 1/2 minutes slower than the
Pattaya record of 2 hours 17 minutes 19 seconds set by Nicodemus Ongeri
from Kenya in the very first running of the Pattaya International
Marathon back in July 1993, but good enough to earn him the trophy and
150,00 baht first prize.
“Daniel and I are good friends,” Timothy explained. “We train together
and travel together to compete in other marathons.”
The two last competed in the Phuket marathon on May 4th, a race that
Timothy won. “Pattaya (marathon) is much better than Phuket,” Timothy
proclaimed with a sly grin. At the mere mention of Phuket, Timothy made
a slight grimace and reached his hand toward the sky, indicating his
disdain for the monster hills there.
“We had to train for 3 months for Phuket,” he said. “We trained for one
month for Pattaya.”
The duo arrived in Pattaya 3 days before the race and trained for 30-40
minutes each day leading up to the marathon. “The weather conditions
(this year) were very nice,” Timothy said, much cooler than before.
The 1997 Pattaya Marathon title was Timothy’s third in the past four
years. His record here is exemplary, having won in 1994 and 1995,
finishing second in 1996, and winning again this year. One could say he
practically “owns” the Pattaya Marathon. “I’ll be back next year,” he
said with yet another sly grin. No doubt Daniel will return with him.
At the other end of the spectrum, although no less of an achievement,
were those who didn’t finish with podium positions. Dave from Pleasure
Dome, exhausted after completing the 10 K mini-marathon, expressed his
resignation. “Never again,” he said, which may or may not be true.
Either way, for years to come, he can tip back a brew and honestly tell
anyone who will listen that he made it across the finish line with tons
of time to spare.
Alan Thorne, who has participated in many marathons in Asia and the
U.S., completed the quarter-marathon “in just about 2 hours”, slightly
slower than last year. He made a few helpful observations about the
Pattaya marathon that organizers would be wise to consider. “There were
no electrolyte beverages, no soup, nothing but water offered after the
race,” he observed. “After such a long run, your body needs more than
just water. Most other marathons offer electrolytes and food, at least
some soup,” he said. A valid observation. Maybe next year...
At press time, all the results of the three different events, with all
their different age group categories, were still being compiled. Pattaya
Mail will attempt to garner this information from TAT, and hopes to
publish it in a future edition.
Top seven finishers of the International Open division
of the 1997 Pattaya Marathon:
1. Timothy Moni Kenya 2:25:49 150,000 baht
2. Daniel Shungea Kenya 2:25:50 80,000 baht
3. Herman Suezo Philippines 2:31:47 50,000 baht
4. Jirata Tikul Thai 2:32:30 30,000 baht
5. Salachai Chooskul Thai 2:36:58 20,000 baht
6. Ivan Selichtcher Russia 2:44:07 10,000 baht
7. Kittisak Nookaew
Thailand 2:45:23
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