Independents take ID trophies, wishing Happy B-day to Richard

The Pattaya Sports Club, in cooperation with TAGGS, held the annual American Independence Day Golf Tournament on Monday, July 5, at the Phoenix Golf and Country Club. The format was Stableford, with the field being divided into three divisions for men (handicaps 0-15, 16-22, 23-36) and one Ladies Division. In stark contrast to last year, the tournament was played in beautiful weather and the course was in great condition.

It is all together fitting and proper that the winner of the First Division was a gentleman who comes from as deep in the American Heartland as it is possible to go. If you drew a diagonal line across a map of the United States from the conifer forests of Washington State in the far northwest, to the palm beaches of Florida. And then drew another line from the rocky coast of Maine to the desert southwest, the intersection of these two lines would come very close to a small town in the Ozark foothills of Missouri. Thayer, Missouri. That is the hometown of Bill Thompson, who shot a 78 off his eleven handicap and won the first place trophy in his division with 41 points.

Taking the second place trophy in Division I was Canadian Gary Baxter, who shot an 83 off his 13 handicap, and pulled in 38 points. Gary was followed by another Canadian, Derek Reaper, who shot an 86 off 15 for 37 points and third place.

First place in Division II went to Canadian Mark Gorda. Perhaps it is appropriate that the Canadians did so well in the American Independence Day tournament, as the two countries have in common 5,500 miles of an incredibly friendly border. Mark shot an 89 off his 22 handicap and finished the day with 41 points. For once, Mr. Gorda was gaining some well-deserved recognition for his golf instead of his somewhat erratic driving of golf carts.

The second spot in Division II went to Paul Ovens who had an 89 off 20, good for 40 points. Third place went to Vic Cross who shot a 91 off 22, and pulled in 39 points.

There never would have been an Independence Day without the English. The winner of Division III was Englishman Mike Franklin. Mike is the Chairman of the Pattaya Sports Club Golf Committee and is no stranger to giving out trophies at the end of the big tournaments. But it was with the greatest pleasure that local PGA pro Richard Livingston presented the Division III trophy to Mike. In fact, two trophies were presented to Mike as he picked up a Near Pin as well. His gross score of 90, off 24, was good for a tournament high of 42 points, but it took a count back to take the top spot on the podium. Fellow Englishman Mick Jones also had 42 points, followed by Sweden’s Roy Kapell with 41 points.

The menu of a typical 4th of July celebration might vary from region to region in the United States, but you can bet your bottom dollar that wherever you go there will be hot dogs and hamburgers. The Hare House was packed with hungry golfers after the tournament and before the trophy presentations there must have been a blue zillion hamburgers and hot dogs eaten. Somehow, they stopped eating long enough for the 24 trophies to be presented. Among the recipients was Jampa Pharaphaen who broke 100 off her 36 handicap and won the Ladies Division with 45 points. Rob Walters picked up the Low Gross prize, shooting a 74.

In addition to celebrating the day that the Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia back in 1776, this golf tournament serves as a birthday celebration for Richard Livingston. Most of the party guests have taken golf lessons from Richard and perhaps it was in tribute to his skills as a teacher that the field did so well. The post tournament festivities were emceed jointly by Richard and Mike Franklin, and it was a toss up as to who had the bigger grin. Mike had a great day on the course and Richard had another great birthday party.

Results of the Independence Day Tournament

Near pins - Lakes #2: 3rd Div Mike Franklin, 2nd Div Roy Kapell, 1st Div Gary Baxter.
Lakes #7: 3rd Div No Winner, 2nd Div Harry Riley, 1st Div Andy Moore.
Mountain #4: 3rd Div Mick Jones, 2nd Div Terry Summers, 1st Div Rob Walters.
Mountain #8: 3rd Div Jerry Quinn, 2nd Div Rudi Huber, 1st Div Joe Mooneyham.

Long drive - Lake #9: Ladies Donna Westendorf, 3rd Div Ernst Hansen, 2nd Div Paul Ovens, 1st Div Gary Parkinson.

Ladies winner: Jampa Pharaphaen, 45 pts. Runner up, Banjob Franklin, 33 pts.

Best gross: Rob Walters, 74

Third place: 3rd Div Roy Kapell, 41 pts., 2nd Div Vic Cross, 39 pts., 1st Div Derek Reaper, 37 pts.

Runner up: 3rd Div Mick Jones, 42 pts., 2nd Div Paul Ovens, 40 pts., 1st Div Gary Baxter, 38 pts.

Winners: 3rd Div Mike Franklin, 42 pts., 2nd Div Mark Gorda, 41 pts., 1st Div Bill Thompson, 41 pts.

Pattaya Marathon this weekend

The Amazing Thailand Amazing Pattaya Marathon 1999 will be hitting the streets this weekend, July 17 & 18.

The Pattaya Fun Run will be held on Saturday, July 17th beginning on Beach Road in front of Sois 4 and 5.

The Marathon (42.195 km), Half Marathon (21.1 km) and Quarter Marathon (10.55 km) will be run on Sunday, July 18. The start and finish for all three runs will be on Beach Road between Sois 4 and 5. The routes for the three races will be the same as last year. Vehicle traffic will be diverted during the three races.

The Marathon will begin at 5:00 a.m., the Half Marathon at 5:30 a.m. and the Quarter Marathon at 6:00 a.m. Official timing for all three races is scheduled to stop at 11:00 a.m.

The first three finishers of the Marathon, Half Marathon and Quarter Marathon of all age groups will be awarded with honorary trophies. 4th through 6th places will receive medals. Runners who finish before 11:00 a.m., 8:30 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. respectively will be eligible for medals, as well as certificates of honor.

Entry fees are now 700 baht for the marathon, 500 baht for the half marathon and 100 baht for the quarter marathon.

Applications can be made in person at TAT Bangkok, TAT Pattaya, the Amateur Athletic Association of Thailand, Central Festival Shopping Center Pattaya, all branches of Robinson’s Department Store, Jog & Joy Magazine, and Running Sport Trophy Co. Ltd. Note: late registration for marathon runners is permitted only 17 July at Soi 4 & 5 on Beach Road.

Contact TAT Pattaya for more details.

Banglamung School Holds 1st Mini-Marathon

Pairat Suthithamrongsawat, Mayor of Pattaya City, fired the pistol releasing the runners gathered at the "1st Banglamung Mini-Marathon Pursuing ISO 14001", at the same time beginning the Banglamung Environmental Preservation Project along ISO 14001 standards. Surat Chaiyachomphu, Banglamung School Director, with the school’s teachers and many honored guests were present for the event as over 1,000 runners participated in the mini-marathon on June 27th.

All the winners gather with Pattaya Mayor Pairat Suthithamrongsawat.

Banglamung School is one of 15 schools in the country piloting the development of the ISO 14001 Environmental Preservation Project from the Chonburi Education Department. Emphasizing the Environmental Standards in the school will become an environmental education example for others, including experts and tourists, from all over the world to come and visit.

On August 5th, environmental experts from the International Standards Organization (ISO) from Geneva, Switzerland will be coming to assess the school’s results and present the ISO Certification.

The Mini-Marathon was a 10.2 kilometer event with three categories: boys/girls under 15 years, men/women open division, and men/women 40 years and over. The runners started the mini-marathon from the Banglamung School at six in the morning.

The first person crossing the finish line was Mr. Chadrachai Bunwimak.

The winner of each category received a cash prize of 3,000 baht and a trophy presented by the Pattaya Mayor, who was a former student at the Banglamung School. In addition, many other prizes were awarded to the first 10 finishers of each category. Competition results were:

Open Division (male)
Winner: Chatrachai Bunwimak
1st runner-up: Lalitorn Bunjit
2nd runner-up: Kiti Wanamali

Open Division (female)
Winner: Rungthiwa Nirandasawad
1st runner-up: Suni Jinonbutorn
2nd runner-up: Bangorn Thongpleum

Age 15 and under (boys)
Winner: Piyaphong Khunthep
1st runner-up: Methi Janthaphakdi
2nd runner-up: Nathi U-suk

Age 15 and under (girls)
Winner: Wilawan Bunsong
1st runner-up: Ariya Khumsa
2nd runner-up: Yaowapha Sakhornyen

Age 40 and over (men)
Winner: Wichai Ratanarak
1st runner-up: Surasit Munlawijit
2nd runner-up: Bunchuay Saenrisuk

Age 40 and over (women)
Winner: Somphorn Panthong

Learn to Dive at Dusit

First Lesson Free!

The Dusit Sports Club is pleased to announce the addition of Scuba Diving to its ever-growing range of activities. To give you the chance to try this exciting sport at no cost - the Dusit Sports Club invites you to Dive Today in the Chaba swimming pool - with the PADI Discover Scuba program.

This program gives non-divers the chance to experience the thrill of scuba diving within the confines of a swimming pool - in as little as an hour!

A little classroom learning...

Our instructor will lead you through a brief orientation to scuba and the equipment you will be using - followed by your first experience of breathing under water. After you have relaxed and feel comfortable with this - you will have the chance to be taught a few useful scuba skills including:

* - Mask clearing
* - Regulator recovery
* - Alternate Airsource

Mask clearing allows you to clear any water which has leaked into your mask, whilst regulator recovery ensures that you’re able to find your regulator and replace it, should for any reason it come out of your mouth. Alternate Airsource use builds your confidence by making sure that if you were ever in the very unlikely situation of running out of air - you will know how to locate and breathe from your buddy’s Alternate Airsource (the extra regulator all divers carry for this exact purpose). After this you will have the chance to explore the depths of the 33m pool with your friends - under the careful guidance of our instructor.

This exciting program is free, and is offered on a regular basis. For this week’s schedule - please contact the Dusit Sports Club on 425 611-6, or e-mail [email protected].

Then it’s into the pool for some personalized instruction and your first experience at the exciting new world below the waves.

To continue your adventure from the pool into the sea is no problem. With no extra training, completion of this program will allow you to make two dives in the ocean with our instructor, at one of Pattaya’s finest dive sites.

To take this one step further and earn your own scuba diving license is easily accomplished with the four day PADI Open Water diver course. This certification course is generally conducted over four days from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The first two days are spent in the classroom and swimming pool, learning the basic knowledge and skills required for diving. The third and fourth days are spent out on the boat, conducting four training dives with your instructor. These days can run concurrently, on weekends, evenings or be tailored to suit your individual schedule. Upon completion of this course you will be qualified to rent equipment and conduct unsupervised dives up to a depth of 18 meters anywhere in the world!

The Dusit Sports Club offers you PADI programs from simple experience programs such as Discover Scuba and certification courses - such as the Open Water course, Rescue Diver, Wreck Diver - all the way up to professional levels. Enriched Air Nitrox courses and tank rental are also available.

So why not give us a call and Dive Today and find out just how easy it really is?

WARNING: Scuba Diving is fun and can lead to extreme excitement.

Pattaya Dart Players Fly High In Thai Airways International

On the weekend of the 3rd and 4th of July, while America was celebrating its birthday as an independent nation by winning both the Men’s and Women’s Singles Championships at Wimbledon, a feat which took them more than 200 years to manage for that day, a small band took off in a small bus to take on about 100 players from all over, in the Thai Airways International Dart Tournament held at Don Muang Airport.

The team in the bus driven by Pattaya dart guru Jack of Jack’s Bar in Naklua, consisting of Alex, Steve, Somsak and Tui, which put up a very creditable performance in the team games, half expected to play all day in an aircraft hangar next to a Jumbo jet. In fact, a guide led them to a building without jumbos or cabin service free drink, which appeared to be a recreation centre for Thai Airway’s employees.

Steve (of Mick’s Place) played magnificently to end up in the Singles Grand Final. Confronted with a 100 peg to win in the best of 3 (!) Final, he missed that peg allowing his opponent, who on the previous shot made 140 to leave a 60 peg, to end up winning the event. Along the way he reports great games from Bangkok players Nok, Yong, Ruang, and especially from a 14 year old boy called Ball who he thinks is likely to be a great player in the future.

Steve Rose of Mick’s Place narrowly missed winning the Singles championship in the Thai Airways International Dart Tournament held at Don Muang Airport.

Other Pattaya players did very well in the tournament, including Somsak and Tui in the Doubles, and Id from Country Road making the quarter-finals in the Singles. Da of Billy and Da made 3rd place in the Women’s Singles. Other players from our dart scene who were there enjoying the event were Ole, Nee, Cha, Egon, Odd and Lek.

Thai Airways International have scheduled another tournament for October and presumably hope to attract overseas visitors to come and have fun playing darts. This of course is something which happens all the time in Pattaya with 5 dart leagues each playing once a week and with schedules and contacts printed in the Pattaya Sports Round-Up section of the Pattaya Mail.

All at sea at Sattahip

PSC Pattaya Golf Society from the Bunker

On Tuesday 6th July the Golf Society traveled to the Sattahip Navy Course for the weekly Stableford competition.

The first nine holes were played over the South course and several high scores were recorded, leaving many in the running for to lead the halfway turn.

However, the West course proved a much bigger challenge and many high scores were soon all at sea, so to speak, and were sunk without trace.

Only three players found no great problems on the difficult terrain and Ger Hakze shared the win with Betty Lill on 36 points. Ger gained top place on count back.

Long hitting Paul Butler was a close third with 35 points.

It has to be said that all aspects of the Sattahip course have considerably improved but as always played very long indeed.

Ger Hakze was runner up in the Player of the Month for June, and has made a really positive start for July.

Next week’s competition, again under Stableford rules, will be held at Sriracha.

Two notable absentees for the next two months or so will be Norman Brooks and Dickey Barbe who have returned home to the UK.

Barnes and Tuppin clear winners at Bangpra

Pattaya Sports Club Golf from the Café Kronborg

Bangpra - Thursday 8th July (Stableford)

Bangpra, always in fine condition, showed its best colours due to the PGA Professional tournament being played at the weekend. Dry sunny conditions on a well watered course provided the ideal conditions for good returns, subject to careful putting on the lightening fast greens. Barry Barnes and Bernie Tuppin produced the best scores of the day each carding 41 Stableford points.

A Flight

Winner: Barry Barnes, 41 points
2nd: Ebrahim, 36 points
3rd: Lou Naftalin, 32 points
C/B Ged Mason, Pete Galle, 32 points

B Flight

Winner: Bernie Tuppin, 41 points
2nd: Arthur Bailey, 39 points C/B
3rd: Roy Kapell, 39 points

Near-pins: #2 Colin Mathers, #8 Arthur Bailey, #12 Ged Mason, #17 Les Philipps.

PSC Golf next week

On Sunday 18th July Lewiinski’s stay local to play stroke at Siam Country Club.

On Monday 19th July PSC Golf from the Café Kronborg goes to Khao Kheow for Stableford, while the Splinter Golf Group from the Green Bottle play stroke at Natural Park Resort.

On Tuesday the 20th there is Stableford at Green Valley with Pattaya Golf Society from the Bunker or at Laem Chabang with Lewiinski’s.

On Wednesday the 21st there is another chance to play challenging Khao Kheow from the Green Bottle, or equally challenging Natural Park Resort from Hare House, both Stableford competitions.

On Thursday 22nd July, PSC Golf Café Kronborg goes to Great Lake for a stroke play competition, and on Friday the 23rd the Splinter Group go to Century Chonburi while Hare House go to Phoenix, both playing Stableford.

The full July and August Schedules can be seen at the PSC Golf venues, at Delaney’s, in Pattaya Mail and at our Web Site at www.pattayasports.org.

Copyright 1998 Pattaya Mail Publishing Co.Ltd.
370/7-8 Pattaya Second Road, Pattaya City, Chonburi 20260, Thailand 
Tel.66-38 411 240-1, 413 240-1, Fax:66-38 427 596; e-mail: [email protected]
Updated by Chinnaporn Sangwanlek.