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PSC Softball to play US Navy
Softball action from the
Pattaya Sports Club ‘big hitters’.
The Pattaya Sports Club Softball team has announced that
on Jan 8th they will be hosting a US Navy team from the USS Abraham Lincoln,
which is a nuclear powered aircraft carrier, with 5,680 personnel onboard.
The team has always had a great time when the US Navy is
in town and they are looking forward once again to showing the young guns
that the guys of Pattaya still have a little pop in their bats and can give
them a spirited game.
On Sunday, Dec. 18, they added their 4th player to the
Big Bats Club, when Ben Reiber earned his membership by using his big stick
to hit the roof of the building in left field. With his big blast he joined
Diego, John Q and Lefty in the exclusive club. Despite his big hit it wasn’t
enough to overcome the consistent batting onslaught of Tyler and John S. of
the other team, who both hit for the cycle, which requires a single, double,
triple and home run. After their team was up 19 to 1 they backed off so as
not to bruise the egos of their opponents.
The Pattaya Sports Club Softball Group plays every Sunday
and is always looking for new players and welcomes everybody regardless of
age, skill level, experience or time away from the game. We play slow pitch
recreational pick-ups games every Sunday at 12 noon and finish about 3 p.m.;
show up a bit early to warm-up, and get your name on the lineup.
There are some spare gloves and all the other equipment
needed to play. A charge of 40 baht is levied to play which covers field
maintenance, bats and balls, ice and all the free water you can drink; other
beverages are available at reasonable prices, spectators always welcome as
well. So come on out and give it a try!
To find the softball field, go south on Sukhumvit, 800
meters past Thepprasit Road (that is the intersection by the Outlet Mall),
turn left off of Sukhumvit onto Soi 87, go 4.3 km, turn left on Soi 15,
after 600 meters the softball field is on the left. There is a map and more
information at www.pattayasports.org.
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Pattaya Sports Club
Bowling League
200 Bowlers: Ooy,
Noodle, Lek and Tue.
Noodle Russell had another great week as she bowled games
of 189,206 and 213 for a 608 series to lead her first place Green Tree team
to a four point sweep over Tea Party. Tukata Thompson was best for Tea Party
with a 504 series. Tea Party dropped from second place to third.
Indiana moved back into second place although they didn’t
bowl very well as they split their match with Brother D with each team
getting two point.
Tue Pettae bowled a 217 game, 565 series and Lek Reaper
had a 200 game and 515 series to lead Canada to a four point win over
Bavaria. Canada moved up one position to sixth place.
VFW Post 9876 won four points from Caf้ Kronborg led by
Ooy Pluemkamon who had games of 188, 173, 235, 596 series and Tui Amphanon
had a 520. Kran Nielsen had a 526 series for Kronborg.
2011 Xmas Fayre Trophy goes to Peter Hammond
PSC Golf from the Café Kronborg
Peter Hammond
(left) receives the 2011 Xmas Fayre Trophy from Dave Richardson.
Peter Blackburn
Monday, Dec. 19, Mountain
Shadow – Stableford
Once more we had a very good field signed up for the
popular but testing Mountain Shadow layout and most of the 31 golfers
assembled at Caf้ Kronborg to complete registration for the day’s
competition. We were very happy to welcome back Volker Buley from Germany
and also Michelle Sancillo from Italy.
As our tee-off time was re-scheduled due to the course
“losing” our booking, we departed the Kronny 6 minutes early at 0809 hrs.
Fortunately The Admiral phoned the course the day before to confirm our
original booking of 1000 hrs thus the new time of 0920 hrs was established,
justifying the necessity to make the phone call to all courses prior to
playing there.
Just a 46 minute journey saw us arrive at the course with
time to spare and in glorious weather conditions our first group got away at
exactly the scheduled time. The course was looking and playing good although
some of the fairways were a little dry in parts, but the greens were in
great shape and as usual quite slick at times.
There were no other groups in front of us so the round
was leisurely but with no delays and after a couple of drink stops the round
was completed in four hours and fifteen minutes.
Candy (Emerald Boss Lady),
Peter Blackburn & Bo Cardwell.
There were 2 flights with A Flight for handicaps 0 to 20
and B Flight for 21 and over. There were rewards for nearest the pin on all
four par threes and longest first putts on the ninth & eighteenth greens.
Yours truly (21 point back nine) finally sank a few putts
and won the A Flight with 37 points on a count back from Peter Hammond (16
point back nine), with the consistent Niels Hansen in third place with 36
points. A very close count back for fourth & fifth spots saw Michelle
Sancillo (5 for 3 on the 14th) beat Ken Bernek (6 for
2 on the 14th) with both golfers having 33 points.
Thirty two points was good enough for Martyn Topham to
take out the B Flight, just 1 point ahead of Susan Gaarde in second place.
There were 4 golfers tied on 30 points for the last three podium finishes
and J C Lhoste (13 points last 6 holes) finished third from Kjeld Ravn (9
points last 6 holes), with Jan Lovgreen (15 point back nine) in fifth spot.
Veteran Hugh O’Donnell was the unlucky one as his 30 points contained a 14
point back nine.
A Flight (0-20)
1st Peter Blackburn (12) 37pts
2nd Peter Hammond (19) 37pts
3rd Niels Hansen (15) 36pts
4th Michelle Sancillo (8) 33pts
5th Ken Bernek (17) 33pts
B Flight (21+)
1st Martyn Topham (31) 32pts
2nd Susan Gaarde (25) 31pts
3rd J C Lhoste (24) 30pts
4th Kjeld Ravn (22) 30pts
5th Jan Lovgreen (24) 30pts
Near Pins: 5th – Niels Hansen; 8th – Mike
Winfield; 15th – Walter Baechli; 17th – Susan Gaarde
Long Putts: 9th – Hugh O’Donnell; 18th – Kenny
Chung
The Compass Cap (worst score on the day) was won by Arne
Fuglholt and Deefa the Dog had a walk around with his master, Hunter and
collected many donations to charity from our generous Caf้ Kronborg group.
Wednesday, Dec. 21, The
Emerald – Stableford
After several cancellations and a couple of last minute
additions, as seems to be the norm just recently for Wednesdays, we ended up
with a field of 16 golfers for the day’s outing at the testing Emerald
layout. We were happy to welcome Tropical Bert’s regular John Marritt who we
hadn’t seen play with us for a while.
Departing the Kronny right on time at 0815 hrs we headed
south down Highway 3 and in 45 minutes we were there. Things seemed to be
fairly quiet and in fact we were called to the first tee just about
immediately and our first group got away 40 minutes ahead of schedule at
0920 hrs.
The weather was fine with overcast skies but no chance of
any rain and a fairly stiff breeze helped to keep the temperature down
somewhat. Once more the course was in fairly good shape and although the
greens were in terrific condition, many of the fairways were dry and hard in
parts. With no-one in front of us it was another leisurely and enjoyable
round of golf which was completed in four hours and twenty five minutes.
There was just the one flight on the day plus rewards for
nearest the pin on all four of the par threes.
Thriving in her advanced stage of pregnancy Bo Cardwell
was the only player to play to handicap or better and easily won the day
with 37 points. A three-way count back to decide the next three spots
resulted in Jan Lovgreen (21 point back nine) finishing second with Walter
Baechli (20 point back nine) third and Mike Allidi (15 point back nine) in
fourth place, all having 33 points. Bjarne Kjaer ended up in fifth spot with
32 points.
1st Bo Cardwell (36) 37pts
2nd Jan Lovgreen (24) 33pts
3rd Walter Baechli (17) 33pts
4th Mike Allidi (1) 33pts
5th Bjarne Kjaer (19) 32pts
Near Pins: 5th – Niels
Hansen; 13th – Bo Cardwell; 15th
– Paul Cardwell
Thursday, Dec. 22,
Bangpakong – Stableford
This was the day of the annual Caf้ Kronborg Xmas Fayre
Trophy and the choice of venue this year was the classy Bangpakong Riverside
Country Club. We had a very good field of thirty participants of which most
assembled at Caf้ Kronborg in preparation for the lengthy journey.
We welcomed Bob Akapita from Gove in the Northern
Territory of Australia, Jerry Dobbs from Western Australia, Stu Rifkin from
a spell, Scott Lobenwein also from Australia, Warren Holland & Alan Reader,
from The Golf Club and Miss Yang from Korea.
We had a really good run out of Pattaya and along Highway
7, arriving at the course just 65 minutes later and it appeared that we
would have plenty of time to prepare as the course was quite busy. It was
Sports Day and excellent value at 1050 baht including Green & Caddy Fee.
We sensibly sent our 2 threesomes off first and the first
group of four teed off just after 1000 hrs, right on schedule. Once more the
weather was great and not too hot with a nice gentle breeze.
The course was as ever in great shape although there
appeared to have been considerable over-watering on some of the fairways. I
must comment on the greens though as we have rarely seen better anywhere –
they were superb!
It was a fairly slow round with a few delays and we
finished in four hours & thirty minutes.
Just one flight today as everyone received a gift as is
the custom on this special day. There were rewards for nearest the pin on
all four par threes and longest first putts on the ninth & eighteenth
greens.
There were some terrific scores on the day and a count
back for the 2011 Xmas Fayre Trophy saw Peter Hammond (26 point back nine)
take out the honours from Mike Gosden (23 point back nine), with both
golfers having a great 43 points. We thank Pattaya Sports Club for kindly
donating the tropy. There was another count back for third & fourth places
with 2 players having 40 points: Alain Taddei (13 point last 6 holes) edged
out Tony Berry (12 points last 6 holes). Dr Paul Cardwell finished in fifth
place with a creditable 39 points.
1st Peter Hammond (19) 43pts
2nd Mike Gosden (11) 43pts
3rd Alain Taddei (18) 40pts
4th Tony Berry (11) 40pts
5th Paul Cardwell (16) 39pts
Near Pins: 4th – Michael
Catillon; 7th – Alain Taddei; 13th
– Rob Brown; 16th – Jerry Dobbs
Long Putts: 9th – Bob Akapita; 18th – Mike Gosden
From ‘The Admiral’ & myself, and the other Kronny
helpers, we would like to wish a very Happy New Year to everyone and hope to
see more of you in the future.
Please note that Caf้ Kronborg Golf encourages all
golfers, beginners, casuals and ladies. The PSC and USGA maximum handicaps
allowed are 36 for men and 40 for ladies and we welcome all newcomers. For
more information please call Peter on 080 635 1386 or Dave on 083 602 2117.
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Russell wins big at Emerald
back to its best
The Backyard Golf Society
Russell celebrates his win outside Kisses Bar.
After a few quiet weeks at the Backyard Golf Society it
was good to see a lot of the old faces returning for our weekly trip to
Emerald Golf Course. We welcomed back Terry C, John Mac, Dannie L, Alan B,
and Russell to make up the numbers to eleven players of which 9 were in all
competitions.
With so many players on only their first or second round
of golf after extended absences, the scores suffered accordingly with
Russell winning on 32 points and JJ second with 28. Nearest the pin went to
Dannie L and the skin results were as follows: Russell (7), Alan B (4),
Terry C (3), Mike (2), and Dan M (2).
After finishing we all proceeded down the road for a lot
of bell ringing with everyone in a festive move and happy to be back in the
Land of Smiles!
Smoked out at Khao Kheow
PSC Golf from the Outback Golf Bar
Owen Walkley (left) and Andy
Makara (right) were the flight winners at Khao Kheow on Monday.
Monday, Dec. 19, Khao
Kheow - Stableford
Twenty-nine Outbackers at this ever popular venue, which
was in absolutely fabulous condition and bathed in sunshine until we got to
around the eighth hole of the A loop, where there was some serious burning
off going on which unfortunately blew across the course for a couple of
holes or so. It was extremely unpleasant to breathe in but I guess it needs
to be done.
The opening four holes on loop A were straight into the
wind, which caused holes 2, 3 and 4 to play very difficult and indeed in one
of the groups three of the four players could muster only three points at
that stage. Generally however, the guys got the better of the course to
return some excellent scores with the best of the day coming from Andy
Makara with 41 points to win Div B. On any other day John Locke and David
Davies would have expected to win with their 40 points each but they had to
be content with second and third respectively.
Neil Lavery (centre right),
Brian Maddox (centre left), Carl Luke (right) and Phil Waite (left) relax at
the Outback after Friday’s golf.
Andy’s mate, Owen Walkley took Div A with 39 points ahead
of Svenn Lund (37pts) and the Capt’ on the same score, playing off a
handicap which nobody could believe (13) and are not likely to see for very
long. He (Capt’ Bob) received a cut of .3 of a stroke which was nothing
compared to Andy & David who were cut a massive 2.5 and 2 shots, whilst John
Locke lost 1.2.
The other bit of news was about the snake found in the
changing rooms which caused a scary moment or two for one of our players as
he was doing the necessary in the loos. Apparently he managed to lift his
feet up out of the way but it does paint an interesting picture as he tried
to avoid the inquisitive intruder! Anyhow, no harm done and the staff caught
it eventually.
There was only one ‘2’ that came from Bobby Driggs on the
Island Green (B8).
Div A (0-16)
1st Owen Walkley (11/Hi9.9) 39pts
2nd Svenn Lund (15/Hi14) 37pts
3rd Bob Philp (13/Hi12) 37pts
Div B (17+)
1st Andy Makara (31/Hi28.5) 41pts
2nd David Davies (31/Hi28.6) 40pts
3rd John Locke (17/Hi15.3) 40pts
Tuesday, Dec. 20, Pattaya
C.C. – Stableford
The General received a bit if flack from some of the
members last week for criticising the state of the greens, complaining that
the greens had not been cut as a result of his comments to the management
about them being unplayably quick! Well today, they were back to that state
and coupled with the ridiculous pin positions it was hardly surprising that
nobody got a ‘2’.
Elsewhere, the fairways are becoming rock hard and are
desperately in need of watering. Furthermore, on a number of holes the white
tee markers had been moved back to the blue tees, all of which has
contributed to a much tougher course than usual.
This was the second day in a row that the course had
played two shots harder than par and on the previous Friday in Chad’s group,
when there were not enough players to calculate the CSA, only two of the
eleven players, broke 30 points.
Unfortunately none of this is reflected in the scores
being returned to the PSC for handicap purposes so we can expect to see our
EGA and the USGA handicap systems get out of step again very quickly for
some players and indicates a clear fault with the USGA method of
handicapping, as there is no mechanics for daily adjustments to any course.
Two Irish lads ran away with it in both Div. A, John
Cogan (38pts) and John White (41pts) in Div. B, both winning by substantial
margins with John C clear by four and John W by a massive eight!
Div A (0-17)
1st John Cogan (16/Hi17.2) 38pts
2nd Lloyd Shuttleworth (4/Hi6.4)
34pts
3rd Svenn Lund (12/Hi13.7) 32pts
Div B (18+)
1st John White (25/Hi25.4) 41pts
2nd David Earthrowl (22/Hi22.6)
33pts
3rd Doug Chalkley (19/Hi20.5) 30pts
Wednesday, Dec. 21,
Burapha – Stableford
Today’s results here on the Burapha A & B nines from the
blues have once again blown wide open the long-running handicap story here
in Pattaya. The blue tees are clearly completely misrated at 73.2/131, which
only becomes visibly apparent when the Handicap Index is applied the way it
was intended (i.e. before you play), using either the EGA or the USGA
systems.
Last week we re-aligned everybody’s handicap who were
showing more than one shot difference between the two systems, an action we
were considering carrying out on a monthly basis, attempting to maintain a
workable balance between our EGA and the PSC’s USGA handicaps, yet
maintaining handicap control of the many visitors who play out of the
Outback.
Quite apart from the fact that we are totally embarrassed
that Capt’ Bob romped home with a massive 41 points off a ridiculous playing
handicap of 15, we did not make it up. We all know that Capt’ Bob is a much
better golfer than that but when entering all his last 20 scores to the USGA
system, his Index is 12; the course rating/slope then gives him 3 more in
addition. However, since he plays most of his golf at Burapha his Index is
probably one or two higher than it would be if he played at Pattaya C.C. a
similar number of times.
Then look at Div. B where the higher handicappers get as
many 4 or 5 additional strokes, hence Greg Hill winning with 44 points from
Steve Giles (43pts) and Pete Stonebridge back in third place, with a very
respectable 40.
Sure, we’re back to the drawing board to consider the
options but the possibility of each course having a ‘Wet Season’ and a ‘Dry
Season’ rating/slope is worth discussion, as is in particular, the re-rating
of Burapha, even though it may override the official rating; but stand up
those who would argue that Burapha is two or three shots harder than Khao
Kheow.
For the record, 21 Outbackers played and there were three
‘2’s from Sel Wegner (hole A3), Steve Duncan (hole B3) and Steve Giles (hole
B8).
Div A (0-17)
1st Bob Philp (15/Hi11.7) 41pts
2nd Kev Watson (14/Hi11.1) 36pts
3rd Ron Dickie (9/Hi7.1) 34pts
Div B (18+)
1st Greg Hill (24/Hi20) 44pts
2nd Steve Giles (29/Hi24.2) 43pts
3rd Pete Stonebridge (22/Hi18.3)
40pts
Friday, Dec. 23, Green
Valley – Stableford
There were twenty-three Outbackers at Green Valley today,
where one stood out from all the rest in a day generally of average scoring.
Whereas 35 points from Neil Lavery and Sel Wegner was
enough to fill the top two places in Div A, the same 35 in Div B from Brian
Maddox and Carl Luke was only good enough for second and third. The
outstanding score of the day, a massive 43 points, came from Phil Waite
eight shots better than anyone else.
There were five ‘2’s from Sel Wegner (hole 4), Joe
Mooneyham (hole 9), Bobby Driggs (hole 12), and Neil Lavery & Steve Mann on
hole 16.
Don’t forget, the New Year will see the start of our new
5 days per week schedule, which will include two 2-day sponsored pairs
competitions a month, featuring better-ball and scramble formats, which kick
off at Emerald on 11th January. Regular single
stableford tournaments, start at Plutaluang on Wednesday 4th
and Eastern Star on Thursday 5th.
Finally, Capt’ Bob & General Jack and all the staff at
the Outback would like to wish all everybody a very Happy Xmas and a
Prosperous New Year.
Div A (0–14)
1st Neil Lavery (12/Hi12.7) 35pts
2nd Sel Wegner (13/Hi13.8) 35pts
3rd Steve Plant (13/Hi13.7) 33pts
Div B (15+)
1st Phil Waite (16/Hi15.8) 43pts
2nd Brian Maddox (21/Hi20.4) 35pts
3rd Carl Luke (18/Hi17.6) 35pts
Note: The Outback Golf Bar is situated about 6km
from Sukhumvit Road along Soi Siam Country. All are welcome to come and join
us for a beer and a hit. Just call in and put your name down on the list or
give Bob a call on 087 941 2474.
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St. Laurent streets ahead at Pattaya Country Club
PSC golf from the Three Sisters Bar
Wednesday winner Joe St.
Laurent (left) with runner-up Jim Hern (right).
At tee-off time the sky was almost completely covered
with non-threatening clouds. The good weather stayed until the 14th hole
when the sun made its appearance.
17 golfers were on hand for the normal early tee-off of
6:30 a.m. at the Pattaya Country Club on Wednesday, Dec. 21. The course was
in good shape and played moved along well.
Back at Caddy Shack II the cards were added up and coming
in first was Joe St. Laurent with 40 points. The closest second was 7
strokes behind as Jim Hern struggled to catch up with 33 points. Paul Kraft
and Janthorn Kuanha were next with 31 points each. Jan was the leader in the
ladies group.
Following the presentation Herbie provided fantastic
Teriyaki BBQ sandwiches that were enjoyed by all.
Teacher Tom gives the boys a lesson
PSC golf from The Golf Club
Marlene Prudden and Kevin
Moraghan – winners on the Kabinburi road trip.
Monday, Dec. 19, Green
Valley (white tees) – Stableford
1st Tom Balch (27) 41pts
2nd Sonny 40pts
3rd Brian Wilkinson (15) 38pts
The day was fresh and cool (by Pattaya standards anyway)
and we set off with 2 van loads of golfers to our regular Monday venue of
Green Valley. The course was in great condition save for 2 temporary tee
boxes, so there were no excuses allowed for not shooting your handicap, but
not many did. The wind played havoc with many of the players.
Tommy Balch was in fine form by any standards and turning
the big 70 a couple of weeks ago may have given him the incentive needed to
grab the top spot this week. The great thing about this game is that we are
all able to compete on a level playing field and with all ages, and only the
game of golf allows this.
Nat, Koi, Raju and Ying wish
you all a Happy New Year!
The story of the day was the driving of Mark Reid. Not on
the course, but behind the wheel! This being the first time in 30 years Mark
has driven a “stick shift” as the Colonials put it, or a “manual”
transmission, there was a trace of apprehension in the air as we drove off
from the club. We were all prepared to bellow out “grind it til ya find it”
but there was no need for our standard lines of abuse as Mark, or “Robbie”
as he is know on the Soi Dao Karaoke circuit, did a perfect job of guiding
our pristine new Toyota Commuter through Pattaya’s worst lanes and down the
old 36 to the course. Fine job mate and thanks again.
Wednesday, Dec. 21,
Treasure Hill (yellow tees) – Stableford
1st Chris Parr (18) 38pts
2nd Warren Holland (25) 32pts
It was par for the course for Chris today as he bettered
the field by 6 strokes. The affable Englishman kept it in the fairway all
day and avoided the trouble that Treasure Hill is famous for.
The crocodile course is a favourite of The Golf Club
these days as the grounds crew have really gotten their act together and
have the course in lovely condition. It has always been a difficult layout
but it is also one of the most interesting in the Pattaya area.
Century Chonburi – a bargain!
Friday, Dec. 23, Century
Chonburi (white tees) – Stableford
1st Steve Ellison (17) 37pts
2nd Dave Shelton 35pts
3rd Marlene Prudden 33pts
Yes, you read it right, Century Chonburi. Now I know that
many avid readers probably have not played here in ages or not even been out
here at all. Just finding the place takes some doing and the roads in are
bumpy and winding. That said, one must remember the high season green fees
here are a jaw dropping 200 baht. Two Hundred Baht, let’s see…that
translates to 6 bucks and sixty cents US or 4 quid Sterling. That is amazing
for a Sir Nick Faldo designed course.
We had a great day out and part of it was the expectation
that it would be a fun day of golf with a ‘lift, clean and place’ proviso
which was the correct policy on this course. Don’t expect too much of this
track as the maintenance crew is doing all they can with the budget they
have. They are doing a great job under difficult conditions. In fact, the
back nine was really good, an extremely enjoyable layout in decent shape
that proved a good finish. All the bunkers were groomed properly and played
fair. The greens were also in very good nick but the saucering made them a
tough read for putts from the outside.
Steve Ellison finally had a good day off the tee and the
driver took him to the top of the podium with 37 points on a course never
played before. Likewise for Dave Shelton who was just off the pace with 35
and a gaggle of golfers on 33 with the count back won by the ageless Marlene
Prudden with 21 points on the back. She beat Vancouverite Courtney Bailey
and hubby Brian Prudden for 3rd place.
Facilities here are very basic with 5 showers (20 baht
for towel & soap) tiny lockers (bring your own lock) no food on the course
etc. but it sure would be interesting to see Century Chonburi with 30
million baht pumped into her! 18 out of 20 of our golfers had a great day
out and would come back, so get out there and see for yourself before you
make any decisions.
Thanks for a great 2011!
The staff and partners of The Golf club would like to
thank you all for your support over the past 12 months and wish you and your
family a happy and healthy year ahead of us in 2012. Happy New Year!
With Bob, Jez, Lee and Lou up at Mt. Everest, we forgot
to get our write-up in on time but would now like to report that our
Kabinburi road trip the previous week was won by Brian & Marlene Prudden on
the first day and Kevin Moraghan & Marlene Prudden on the second day.
Marlene is getting more press time than Paris Hilton these days. Well played
girl! A full report on the Everest expedition will be coming soon so watch
this space!
Note: The Golf Club is located on Soi LK Metro and
we play on Monday, Wednesday and Friday so come join us for a fun day out.
Just call 085 434 3377 or see website www.golfclubpattaya.com and for more
information mail: [email protected].
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Bob Lamond and Evan Millar take Gold
IPGC golf from The Haven
Bob & Evan gold winners.
Sunday, Dec. 18,
Pattaya Country Club - Stableford
CSS 75 NC
1st Mark Armstrong (21) 34pts
2nd Roar Berger (27) 34pts
3rd Michael Healey (15) 32pts
4th Keith Wooley (14) 31pts
With insufficient tee times for the numbers requiring
to play at Green Valley it was becoming extremely difficult to arrange
the Sunday competition at that course and a decision was taken to change
the venue to Pattaya Country Club. Here a special green fee had been
negotiated and with the travel distance halved it is sure to become a
very popular alternative to the now very crowded Green Valley.
Stuart Thompson.
Certainly there were no complaints with either the
condition or the speed of play, which also turned out to be around 60
minutes quicker than the times experienced in the past.
The change of venue did not make the day’s golf any
easier as none of the golfers with handicaps of 20 and below managed to
make the standard of playing to within two of their handicaps, thus
ensuring that the competition became non-counting, with the CSS for the
day moving out three strokes.
Mark Armstrong just got the better of Roar Berger
with a better count back of 19 to 17 as Michael Healey slipped into
third a couple of shots behind them and Keith Wooley in fourth another
point behind him.
Andy Galvin and John Chambers, whilst not figuring in
the place winners, at least went away with something for the day as they
shared the 2’s pool with one each.
Monday, Dec. 19,
Treasure Hill – Stableford
CSS 73
1st Mark Armstrong (21) 35pts
2nd Roar Berger (27) 34pts
3rd Brian Randall (36) 32pts
4th Rodney Hayes (11) 31pts
5th John Squitiero (18) 31pts
Another very tough course with the wind almost
blowing everyone away saw Mark Armstrong, who obviously likes those
conditions, taking his second win on the trot again from Roar Berger,
but this time not requiring a count back.
Al Rolnik.
Brian Randall took his first podium position with a
four over return that on the day was a very creditable result as the
difficulty and length of the course took its toll on the field,
especially the lower handicaps.
Among those was Rodney Hayes who found the distances
from tee to green a little longer than ideal but having stuck with it
after a quiet first half managed to win a count back with John Squitiero
for fourth place.
A fair indication of the difficulty and conditions
was that the CSS for the day went out to 73.
There were no 2’s in the first division but George
Pittam had one in the second division to sweep the multi rollover pot.
Before presenting the prizes Stephen Beard welcomed
back Mick Lowe, Fred Land, Dave Thompson and Brian Randall.
Wednesday, Dec. 21,
Bangpra - Stableford
CSS 73
1st Al Rolnik (18) 34pts
2nd Barry Wellings (5) 32pts
3rd Michael Clifford (28) 28pts
4th Yoshitaka Iketani (18)
28pts
If the players thought that the previous courses
played in the week were difficult to score on, then Bangpra with its
extremely quick greens, and nowadays playing to one of the longest
lengths in the area, proved that things could get even tougher, with the
CSS again moving upwards by a stroke as the windy conditions again
played a large part in the outcome of many of the rounds.
Mike Hill.
Al Rolnik came back to form following a period of
lack luster performances with a solid return of two over handicap that
was a lot better than the end result indicated as all of the other
contestants struggled to come to terms with the course.
Barry Wellings, with his huge driving distances, got
the closest with a two shot gap in second place and then there was a
further four shots distance to third and fourth places that had to be
determined with a count back that Michael Clifford won by 15 to 12 over
Yoshitaka Iketami.
It was no surprise to find after checking the
scorecards that there were no 2’s in either division.
Prior to the presentations Yoshitaka Iketani was
welcomed back. There was also an announcement regarding Shuichi Kodaka
who, while on his way home from Monday’s golf, was run down walking on
the pavement on Second Road by a demented tourist on a runaway motor
bike that was too big for him to handle. Shuichi is currently recovering
at home on crutches following hospital treatment and is not expected to
play again for a couple of months. Thanks go to Danny Greer and his
lawyer, who sorted out the medical bills and substantial damages in cash
for Shuichi’s benefit. We all wish him a speedy recovery.
Friday, Dec. 23,
Phoenix (Blue Tees) - Monthly Medals
CSS 75
Division 1 (0-15)
1st Stuart Thompson (10) net 76
2nd Alan Pilkington (9) net 76
3rd Joe Niisato (15) net 77
Division 2 (16+)
1st Mike Hill (25) net 81
2nd Serge Straeten (17) net 83
3rd Yoshitaka Iketani (18) net
86
Gold & Silver Medals
Division 1
Gold - Bob Lamond
Silver - Russell Exley
Division 2
Gold - Evan Millar
Playing the Monthly Medals off the blue tees is
always a stern challenge to any golfer’s game, but on this day the wind
blew with such ferocity that the scores just spiraled out of sight
leaving most of the hopefuls a long way short of their handicaps,
especially those in the second division, and following some discussion
amongst the regular players it was decide that in future, while the
first division will continue to play from the blue tees, the monthly
medals for the second division will be played from the white tees in the
hopes that it may attract a few more entries into that division.
In the first division Stuart Thompson, after showing
well on the first day in the recent IPGC Club Championship, showed that
it had not been a freak occurrence as he led in the field in the first
of the qualifying rounds for next year’s Gold and Silver finals. Stuart
won a count back over Alan Pilkington with a better inward nine of net
35 to Alan’s 36.5, with Joe Niisato just beating out Bob Lamond for
third, again on count back, finishing with 37.5 against 38.
The second division was won by Mike Hill after he
took a ten on the final hole but still had enough leeway to win by two
from Serge Straeten in second and Yoshitaka Iketami in third another
three behind.
Once again it was of no surprise to find that there
were no 2’s on the day as the wind made the course about as difficult as
it could be with the combination of the courses played.
The finals of the Gold and Silver Medals saw Bob
Lamond victorious in the first division with Russell Exley taking the
Silver Medal while in the second division with only one of the
qualifiers attending, Evan Millar finished to take the Gold.
Note: The Haven group now departs Soi 13 at
the earlier time of 09.00 am until further notice. If you would like to
play with the group you can contact mobile 082 219 0965 or call in to
the Haven Hotel at 185 Soi 13 between Beach Road and 2nd
Road. All transportation to the course is arranged and you do not need
to sign up prior to the day, but you should be there by 8.30 on Mondays,
Wednesday, Fridays and 9.00am on Sundays on the days you wish to play. A
schedule of courses to be played can be found on our web site at
www.thehaven-hotel.com.
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Grindvald in the groove
at Crystal Bay
PSC golf from The Fairways Golf Society
Friday, December 22,
Crystal Bay – Stableford
I would like to start of this week’s write up by wishing
all the golfers that have participated with us over the year plus all our
friends from other society’s a very merry Christmas & a Happy New Year.
It has been a very busy week what with Kilkenny’s Texas
scramble on Tuesday and Christmas shopping all week. Then golf again on
Friday. It was my pleasure to welcome back so many of our old friends for
their winter break, I’m sure they will enjoy their stay in Pattaya.
So we had a very good turnout with two divisions and the
star of the day was John Grindvald with 40 points in the A flight.
Unfortunately he could not make it back to the club house for the
presentation, hence no photo of him. Four other golfers also broke par so
well played to them.
Near pins went to Rick Schramm, Phil Belisle, Roy Dayton
and Alan Griffiths.
A Flight
1st John Grindvald (21) 40pts
2nd Keith Wolley (14) 39pts
3rd Pier Cere (13) 38pts
B Flight
1st Roy Dayton (24) 37pts
2nd Ken Priddy (22) 32pts
3rd Phil Belisle (17) 30pts
Note: The Fairways Golf Society & Driving Range is
located at the top of Pattaya Klang on Sukhumvit Road and plays every Mo/
Wed & Fri. Anyone wishing to play with us can call in to the club house and
put their names down on the lists provided or call Scott on 084 389 2379.
Transport provided if required.
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Priestley pummels the field at Pattaya Country Club
and top spot
Jomtien Golf with the IPGC
Jomtien golfers celebrate
Christmas Day at Jules Restaurant.
Monday, Dec. 19, Treasure
Hills – Stableford
We arrived here 40 minutes before our allocated tee time
of 10.00 a.m. and the course was deserted so we were asked to tee-off
straight away.
There were 10 groups out so we had three divisions today
with the cut at 6-17, 18-21, and 22+ in division three. The new tees are
improving each month we visit here and the greens today were lightning fast
and true.
The French Canadian boy, Paul Chabot, playing off 28, won
division 3 with 40 points, seven ahead of second placed, and another
Canadian, Gordon Everingham, and with 28 points in third and beating Bryan
Priestley on a 15/13 back nine count back was Terry Redding.
Matti Pihlajisto took division 1 honours with 38 points
while the ever-improving John Chambers, playing off 7, was second with 33
and Kari Kuparinen claimed third two points behind John.
The ex grizzle boy Bryan Rought won division 2 with 36
points, Geoff Stubbs was second with 33 and the ‘Frog’, Jean Morel took
third with 31 points.
Near pins went to Kari Kuparinen (2), Matti Pihlajisto,
Ian Hart, Chris Reed and Bryan Rought.
Kari Kuparinen birdied the 2nd and the 16th to take the
‘2’s pot in division 1 with no rollovers but in division 2 a rollover ensued
to Pattaya Country Club on Wednesday.
Wednesday, Dec. 21,
Pattaya C.C. – Stableford
There were nine four-balls out with no ladies in the
field today and this course is becoming more popular as you listen to the
reviews from the players.
21 points on each nine and playing of 23, Bryan Priestley
blazed to victory in division 2 while Mauri Friman beat Jean Morel on a 9/8
back six count back for runner-up spot after they both came in with 31
points.
Charlie Chalambous won division 3 with 36 points, Eugine
Maguire took second on 33, and Willy Van Heetvelde was third with 28.
John Chambers got his first win with us, playing off 7,
with 33 points, beating Howard Stanley on a 19/15 back nine count back and
Mike Missler was third with 32 points.
Near pins were claimed by Heikki Alanko, Jim Connelly
(2), Chris Voller, Charlie Chalambous and Terry Redding.
In the frame again, John Chambers birdied the 12th for
the only ‘2’ of the day in division 1 and there were two rollovers to
Pattana next Monday.
Friday, Dec. 23, Eastern
Star - Stableford
Absolute perfect conditions weather-wise here today with
a cool temperature and a breeze coming off the coast, but this only lasted
for the front nine before it warmed up.
Another two memberships have joined in with us and we had
6 Ladies and 36 men out with the cut in the men’s game at 7-16, 17-20 and
21+ in division 3.
The condition of this course all round is improving each
week and this reflected in the scores today with 38 points winning two
divisions. The Somerset based horse trainer Malcolm Saunders won division 2
with Walter second on 33 and Bob Poole beat Harry Riley on a 19/12 back nine
count back for third as they both came in with 31 points.
The other 38-pointer was in division 3 with John Helm
winning, Pepo Frick in second four points behind, and Rod Howett took third
after beating Tony Holehouse 19/16 on the count back as they both scored 32.
Mike Missler was on the top podium position in division 1
with 34 points, Dennis Scougal was second one point behind and Howard
Stanley beat Chris Voller into third place with a back 2 count back of 4/3
after they both scored 15 on the back nine, 11 on the back 6, and 6 on the
back 3.
Toi Blair is improving each week and took out the ladies
division with 38 points, with Yuza Reginiussen in second with 34.
Near pins went to Jill Howard, Yuza Reginiussen, Darryl
Blair, Larry Immethun, Marty Rock, Paul Chabot, Frank Kelly and Malcolm
Saunders.
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Santa Clause is coming to town
Travellers Rest Golf Group
Derek gets some
last minute tips from Santa before his victory on Saturday.
Tim Dalton
This past week saw a welcome return to Pattaya for Derek
Thoroughgood, who on his last game with TRGG won, and he certainly carried
on with his winning ways on his first outing back with a victory at Crystal
Bay on Christmas Eve.
Monday saw us at Bangpra where Allun Webber was
victorious with a great score of 36 points in fairly tough conditions.
The round of the week was shot by Alan Thomas on Tuesday,
who while playing off six shot a gross 73 (1 over) to return a superb score
of 41 points.
Our regular Thursday venue at Phoenix saw 26 players
compete in 2 divisions with Jon Dean winning Div. 1 with 36 points, and Joe
Kowalczyk scoring a superb 41 to take Div. 2.
Saturday again saw 2 divisions and again Jon Dean took
the Div. 1 spoils with a fantastic 42 points, with the aforementioned Derek
Thoroughgood taking Div. 2 with 39 points.
Monday, Dec. 19,
Bangpra – Stableford
1st Allun Webber (20) 36points
2nd Ross Bunce (13) 35pts
3rd Iko Akitoshi (08) 34pts
Tuesday, Dec. 20,
Khao Kheow – Stableford
1st Alan Thomas (06) 41pts
2nd Barry Wood (09) 37pts
3rd Nigel Ward (15) 35pts
Thursday, Dec. 22, Phoenix
(Lake & Ocean) - Stableford
Div. 1
1st Jon Dean (09) 36pts
2nd Alan Thomas (05) 35pts
3rd Brendan Moore (12) 33pts
Div. 2
1st Joe Kowalczyk (17) 41pts
2nd Alan Evans (30) 40pts
3rd Chris Parr (18) 38pts
Saturday, Dec. 24,
Crystal Bay - Stableford
Div. 1
1st Jon Dean (09) 42pts
2nd Ted Senior (13) 40pts
3rd Brendan Moore (12) 36pts
Div. 2
1st Derek Thorogood (17) 39pts
2nd Andy Rich (19) 36pts
3rd Tim Dalton (23) 34pts
Note: For more information visit our website
www.trgg.biz or call 038422525. You can find us on Moo10 Soi Dianne LK Metro
where a warm welcome will be given to golfers and non-golfers alike.
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Silky Oak not so smooth
for everyone
PSC golf from Tropical Bert’s
The winners and
runners-up in each flight with one of Bert’s finest.
Derek Brook
Tuesday, Dec. 20, Silky
Oak - Stableford
Yes that is correct we played Silky Oak, and for those
who do not know it, the course is at present a nine hole layout you play
twice off different tees with a bit of finagling that makes some holes par
5’s on one nine and par 4’s on the other nine and vice versa. It is also
played out of the normal Green Valley clubhouse and like most of our
players, I had never played the course before, so what did it bring?
Well we were provided with a sheet that told us the line
of shot on each tee, although this instruction at times proved difficult to
visualise as we stood on some tee boxes. However I suspect if we play it
again we will have a better view of the direction of some shots. Most were
easy to find but I have to admit all first timers made some direction
mistakes.
The course itself, as said, is nine holes but
construction can be seen and one day we can expect it will be this ‘Green
Valley complex’s third 18 hole course. And what of the course? Well it is
certainly different. The fairways are in pretty good condition, but having
lost 2 balls off the first tee, I found myself under a bit of pressure as
did many golfers. The rough is penal and some of the tee shots are a long
way over water and many balls ended up in a watery grave. However the greens
must be about the worst we have seen, maybe we got them on a bad day, and I
hope they can be improved.
The general opinion after the round was that it was
‘interesting’, and comments varied, however I suspect if we played it again
in the near future I would have less players than the full house who went
this time. It does have great future promise though. Also it was a very late
start so we were back at Tropical Bert’s very late, in fact the latest I can
remember.
When the results were declared it was found that the
scores were not too bad. In the A Flight, 0 to 19, the winner was Brian Gabe
with 37 points ahead of Daryl Evans with 35 points in second place. We then
had a count back on 31 points that saw Paul Sharples in third and Mike
Gaussa in fourth, with Rob Brown just missing out.
In the B Flight, 20 upwards, we had a count back on 36
points that saw Henry Wong as winner and Barry Elphick in second. We then
had a count back on 35 points that saw Pat Murphy in third and Don Carmody
in fourth.
Despite the late hour we still had time to enjoy Bert’s
‘Happy Hour’, and thanks to Bert and Pu for looking after the golfers so
well. T.T.F.N.
Near Pins: Don Carmody, Henry Wong, Derek Brook,
Brian Gabe.
Long Putts: Graham Buckingham, Barry Elphick.
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Count back is king at Emerald
PSC Golf from Mulligans Lakeside
Allan Cassin and Clive
Hoseason.
Tuesday, Dec. 20, The
Emerald - Stableford
Tuesday heralded another picture perfect day for golf,
today at Emerald, where the course was in good condition, with the greens
certainly slower than last Friday’s PSC tournament.
All 3 place-getters today carded the same 35 points and
were separated by their Back 9 scores. First place went to Allan Cassin (11)
with 21, Jeff Wylie (6) was next best with 19, while K, that’s Kurt Erik
Persson (30) secured third spot with 16.
Technicals were picked up by Brian, Maryke & Allan, while
1 went unclaimed for the Banglamung Boys Home.
Thursday, Dec. 22, Mt.
Shadow - Stableford
Thursday was a change of pace, with a trip to Mountain
Shadow, where we had jointly booked with the lads from PJ Bar, to take
advantage of further discounts for 20+ groups. We played the Blue Tees, no,
not the back silly, at under 6,300 yards, these were commensurate with our
normal yardage tees. The course was in good nick, with the weather looking
after us again, although there was a bit of a breeze to factor in at times.
Clive Hoseason (26) managed best to sign for 33 points,
while Joel Flor (21) scored 32 to secure second place, with Allan Cassin
(11) picking up third with 31.
Near Pins were all won today with Tony & Allan each
getting 1, while Jeff managed 2.
Note: Mulligans Lakeside plays golf on Tuesday &
Thursday, with ML hosting prompt presentations on both days. Call 0890941841
for scheduling or enquiries. Hope to see you there, cheers & good golfing!
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Richard ‘reigns dear’ for Xmas
Phoenix Tuesday/Friday Golf Group
Weekly winners celebrate with
the staff at the Relax Bar.
Mike Gerrard
Three days golf to report on this week: We have now
included Sunday’s within our weekly programme.
We start with Friday 16th December playing Lake and Ocean
course. We welcomed a few of the old Brummie boys back from their summer in
the UK. First place today went to Denis Dixon with 38 points, second went to
Ted Oreton with 36, and Arthur Barrett took third with 35 after just edging
Chris Coffey on count back.
Near pins went to Peter Rawling, Ted Oreton and Bill
Hewitt.
Our hosts the MY donated a large bottle of beer as a
lucky draw prize which was won by Patrick Browne but was soon consumed by
all.
Then onto Sunday, 18th December, with just a select few
drawing swords at a little before noon. With the greens becoming
increasingly more difficult as each week goes by, the scoring is kept to low
figures. The winner was Stuart Gordon with 34 points with a new addition to
our little group, Mukesh Thakker scoring 33 points to claim second place and
Bill Hewitt scoring 32 points to claim third.
And so onto our main day, Tuesday 20th December 2011.
It has to be said that the dry spell of weather we are
now having is making its mark on the course. There are many dry and sandy
areas within the trees and around the greens. However the fairways and
greens are very good and fast running. With the wind in the right direction
and hard fairways any good driver of the ball can reach some of the par
fives in two at present. I hasten to add that does not include me!
Richard Baldwin was the winner today with 36 points.
Richard played his socks off to help me as a pairs team to win the match
against Stuart Gordon and Eamon Murtagh. Problem was that we had won with
three holes to spare and we gave then two other options to win some money
back. It’s amazing how well Stuart Gordon can play when he needs to save 100
baht! One under gross for the last three holes. Great fun was had by all.
In joint second place was Bill Hewitt (again) with 34
points and Sergio Volpi with the same score. Fourth place went to Bob Neylon
with 33 points.
Near pins went to Richard Baldwin, Bob Neylon and Denis
Dixon while one went unclaimed which went into the lucky draw.
Our hosts the Relax Bar donated the lucky draw prizes and
the winners were John Bartley (again and again), Peter Harris, Joris
Goetschalkx (you try saying that) and David Czerniejewski (and that).
If anyone would like to join in our band of gay
caballeros, call me (Mike) on 087 091 7565. Non-members of Phoenix can enjoy
a reduced green fee of 1,000 Baht (mid week) and 1,600 Baht (weekends) as a
guest of the members during the high season.
Sea fishing resumes after the festive break and the next
scheduled trips are 14th and 28th January 2012.
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New faces at the top
The Pattaya Golf Society (IPGC) based at Rabbi’s Elephant Bar
Christmas Week began for the Pattaya Golf Society with a
trip to Ban Chang to play a stableford competition on the Emerald course
which was in fine condition with good pacy greens. The large field was
divided into two flights at 16 and under and a clutch of new members were
joining an IPGC competition for the first time.
In the top flight Ken Page, Helene Lindberg and Ray Banks
all tied for second place with thirty points, leaving Sue Mawhinney to
become the group’s first female top flight winner in a long time. Unused to
tropical golf she showed she has learnt lessons from two tough days at
Pattana in the IPGC annual championships the previous week and a whole day
at the driving range the day before.
In the second flight Larry Ang’s confidence will have
been boosted by a share of second place with a fine return of 34 points,
with Ronnie Ramsay taking the other share. The flight winner was Roy Bassett
who picked up his first honour with the group after just a few weeks of
competitions.
Tony Thorne and Michael Lindberg shared the ‘2’s pot for
their efforts on the short par three fifteenth and the Booby Bevy went to Mr
Len after finding a malfunctioning zip as he teed off caused him to spend
more of his efforts trying to keep his niblick out of the public eye during
his round. IPGC bag towels have their uses after all!
Down under, on top
The Pattaya Golf Society visited Greenwood on Wednesday,
21st December to play a stableford competition on the A and B nines on a
course which currently offers the best value for money deal in the whole
province, or even wider. The course was in excellent condition with very
consistent greens with a pace all could enjoy.
The large field was divided into two flights at sixteen
and under and the second flight saw Michael Sim and Bobby Shirkey emerge
from the shadows to share second place with Masashi Iizumi on 34 points. The
flight winner was New Zealander Evan Millar whose current good form
continues with 36 well deserved points.
In the top flight Rick Schramm tied with Aussie Robbie
Taylor for third place on 34 points, leaving the two best rounds of the day
to the Australian duo of Peter Masters and Stuart Thompson. Thirty seven
points each was an excellent return on the testing course.
Larry Slattery cupped the only birdie ‘2’ of the day on
the par three B5th hole.
Following a delayed start the Rabbi received the Booby
Bevy for taking an hour and a half to find the course, having decided on a
short cut, and engaged in a sharp and testy dialogue with the darling of his
GPS system. Needless to say the lady won! But the day really belonged to the
golfers from the southern hemisphere who certainly knew their way around
Greenwood.
Christmas cheer for the
kids
The Pattaya Golf Society’s pre-Christmas “Golf for Fr.
Ray Day” was held at Eastern Star on Friday, 23rd December when the group
turned out in its final monthly charity golf day of the year. So far this
year the Soi Buakhao based golf group has raised almost 140K for the Fr. Ray
Foundation Outreach Center on Soi Thepprasit and another large turnout took
part in a stableford pairs multiplier at the Ban Chang course.
Whilst the course was generally in good condition the
greens were painfully slow again, adding to the challenge this particular
format brings. Technical prizes had been donated by Larry Slattery, Peter
Duncan, Ronnie Ramsay, Rabbi and Mr Len and the par three near pin winners
were Pat Murphy, Larry Ang and Masashi Iizumi, while Andrew Purdie took the
par four near pin prize.
In the competition proper Pat Murphy and Barry Dunne
combined well to make third place with 51 points but they were a long way
behind the second placed duo of Dave Cadwallader and Larry Ang, with 61
points, the latter being in particular good form with an individual
contribution of 39 points. They were pipped by the narrowest of margins by
the pairing of Helene Lindberg and Mr Len which recorded 62 points, the
“boss” also contributing 39 individual points.
The generosity of the PGS members shows no bounds as all
the winnings were donated to Fr. Ray’s Work, along with other individual
donations making the first year of charity golf an absolute success after a
tentative target of 100k was reached in October.
At the presentation Mr Len placed on record his thanks to
all the members and friends who have contributed on and off the golf course
this year and all are looking forward to a prosperous New Year with the
continuation of the monthly charity day programme. The real winners, as
always, are the kids in the care of the Fr. Ray Foundation Outreach Center.
God bless you all!
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J-P Gasser puts the pedal down
PSC golf from Lewiinski’s Golf Society
J-P
Gasser.
Sunday, December 11, Green
Valley - Stableford
1st J-P Gasser (13) 39pts
2nd Peter Henshaw (17) 38pts
3rd Brian O’ Connor (12) 37pts
4th Eddy Beilby (16) 37pts
Near Pins: No 4 Thierry Petrement No 9 Eddy Beilby
No 12 Brian O’Connor No 16 J-P Gasser
A relatively modest group - mainly attributed to the four
day Asian Tour event at Amata Spring Country Club in Chonburi, members
returning home to be with their family in the festive season, and others
going in search of the Yeti in Nepal - gathered at the first tee to battle
it out this Sunday.
It was J-P Gasser, whose accomplishments have been lauded
in this column numerous times, who made another marked move on his handicap
with a best on the day39 points, which earned him the man of the match
honors. His effort overshadowed the fine showing of Peter ‘Don Corleone’
Henshaw’s 38 points, as Brian O’Conner and Eddy ‘the Eagle’ Beilby were only
separated by count back, the scales tipping in Brian’s favour. Eddy
seemingly had this game in his pocket but the wheels fell of big time as he
no scored the 16th and 18th
holes, coupled with a no score on the 7th.
Paul Bray a brace, J-P Gasser, Brian O’Connor and Terry
Mangan shared the 2’s pot.
It was well into the Christmas spirit back at Lewiinski’s
for the presentation, as first Francis Goyons, who has let his winnings over
the past week or two accumulate, rang the bell, followed by Brian O’Connor.
Lewiinski’s welcomed back the Irish couple Vera and Frank
McNamara, his excellence the Irish Ambassador to Zambia, Antony Cotter, also
to Brian ‘the unbalanced.’ There was a sad farewell to Kevin Mcentee as he
left for the air port in a Securicor van.
Bob the mountaineer’s name was again pulled out of the
Lou-iinski free draw again. And to top the night off in grand style, Peter
Henshaw entered the bar with a birthday cake to celebrate Jum Karagit’s 22nd
birthday, but no one had hinted to Pat or Jum of the surprise, as they had
left for a slap-up meal, so Peter decided to add another candle and save it
in the fridge for next year.
Monday, December 19, Khao
Kheow B&C - Stableford
A Flight
1st Reg McKay (14) 35pts
2nd Tore Eliassen (15) 34pts
B Flight
1st Adam Oyston (17) 34pts
2nd Joe Tynan (30) 32pts
The lads and lasses were off to Khao Kheow, which if my
taxi level Thai serves me well means Green Mountain, the difficulty of which
relates in today’s scores.
You could hear no complaints from Scotland’s Bukie boot
boy Reg McKay as his well earned 35 points was the top score of the day and
earned him the man of the match and A Flight honours, but more importantly
Reg got to stand on the top podium spot. Looking up Reg’s kilt a step below
was Tore Eliassen whose back nine was more favorably distributed than
Francis Goyons.
Adam Oyston claimed the biggest bag of loot in B Flight
with34 points. This left Ireland’s Joseph ‘Sat-nav’ Tynan to complete the
podium places on 32 points.
The happiest player was Clive Mathews as he carded the
only ‘2’ of the day which was a rollover from last Friday.
Wednesday, December 21,
Bangpakong - Stableford
A Flight
1st J-P Gasser (13) 41pts
2nd Paul Bray (5) 38pts
B Flight
1st Jerry McCarthy (17) 35pts
2nd John White (25) 35pts
Our title boy J-P Gasser, who already has a win this week
stepped it up a notch to take a three point victory in A Flight. Paul Bray
was that distant second place winner via a count back win over J-P Maffray.
Brian O’Conner and Patrick +2 Kelly, who by the way played of the blue tees,
were only one stroke off the pace.
In B Flight Irishman Jerry McCarthy held the top spot on
the strength of a count back over John White.
The nearly boys Brian O’Conner, J-P Maffray and Patrick
Kelly split the 2’s pot.
Friday, December 23,
Pleasant Valley - Stableford
A Flight
1st Terry Mangan (14) 41pts
2nd Francis Goyons (9) 39pts
B Flight
1st Vera Naughton (25) 38pts
2nd Tore Eliassen (15) 37pts
Big hitting Terry ‘red card’ Mangan, threw in some
accuracy as he navigated the white tees of Pleasant Valley, in shooting an A
Flight 41 points for the best score of the day. Francis Goyons made his
weekly trip to the cashier’s window with a fine 39 points.
There was no man of the match in B Flight but it was not
for the lack of trying, no it was because the top scorer was Ireland’s very
own Vera Naughton as she was the toast of the bar with a splendid 38 points.
Tore Eliassen filled the silver spot.
The title boy J-P Gasser and the Donkey split the ‘2’s
pot.
Note: Lewiinski’s is situated on Pattaya Land Soi
1, Beach Road Soi 13/3 near to Walking Street. Anyone wishing to play with
us can just pop in and add their name to the list or call Colin on 089 826
0764. Transport is provided.
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Bruce bags a brace
PSC golf from The Caddyshack
Clive Bruce.
Monday, Dec. 19,
Pattaya C.C. – Stableford
Just the one flight on Monday at Pattaya Country Club and
it was headed by Clive Bruce and his even par 36 points, who just edged out
Phonsie McGahan on the count back. Brian Orr took third two points further
back.
1st Clive Bruce (9) 36pts
2nd Phonsie McGahan (7) 36pts
3rd Brian Orr (15) 34pts
Wednesday, Dec. 21,
Green Valley – Stableford
Enough players gathered at Green Valley on Wednesday to
warrant two flights and Phonsie McGaham went one better than Monday to claim
top spot in the A Flight with a best of the day 42 points. Phonsie finished
four clear of Ted Gardner in second while Brian Orr took third a further two
adrift.
Ed Horrocks scored a fine 39 points to claim B Flight
honours on count back from Bernard Channing while Frank Sharkey completed
the podium.
A Flight
1st Phonsie McGaham (7) 42pts
2nd Ted Gardner (6) 38pts
3rd Brian Orr (15) 36pts
B Flight
1st Ed Horrocks (23) 39pts
2nd Bernard Channing (19) 39pts
3rd Frank Sharkey (22) 35pts
2’s: Ted Gardner, Ed Horrocks, Bruce Tollitt
Friday, Dec. 23,
Bangpra – Stableford
Two more flights again on Friday at Bangpra with Clive
Bruce taking out the premier division on 39 ahead of Phonsie McGahan, who
edged Jim McGovern for second on count back
Ian McGovern topped the B Flight with 34 points while
Bernard Channing claimed the runner-up spot on 32.
A Flight
Clive Bruce (9) 39pts
Phonsie McGahan (7) 34pts
B Flight
Ian McGovern (30) 34pts
Bernard Channing (19) 32pts
2’s: Mick O’Meara, Phonsie McGahan
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Dolphins seal victory with last minute goal
Thai Premier League 2011/12 Season
Pattaya United’s O.J. Obatola
(right) carries the ball downfield against Army United at the Nongprue
Stadium, Pattaya, Saturday, Dec. 24. (Photo/Martin Bilsborrow)
Staff Reporters
Pattaya United left it late last Saturday to grab all
three points against a spirited Army United in the Dolphins’ penultimate
match of the current league campaign.
United fans were kept waiting until the final minute of
injury time before Patipon Petwiset nodded the ball past a helpless Army
keeper to consolidate Pattaya’s hold on fifth spot in the table.
Pattaya found it difficult to find any cohesion in the
match and the first half went by without them posing a single serious
attempt on the visitors’ goal, while Army looked good in possession but
lacked a cutting edge up front.
United fans watch the action
from the club’s new main stand at the Nongprue Stadium. (Photo/Martin
Bilsborrow)
The Dolphins rang the changes at half time and introduced
Kritsana Taiwan in place of the ineffective Theerawekin Sihawong. The
pattern of the game was much the same as the first period however and the
home side were made to breathe a mighty sigh of relief when Army’s Kraisorn
Sriyan burst through the Pattaya defence late on but saw his low shot
rebound off the foot of the post into the grateful arms of Pattaya keeper
Narit.
It was a tough blow for the visitors but they were made
to pay for the their missed chances when Pattaya broke forward in the second
minute of injury time and Ludovick fed the ball into the area where Petwiset
was first to react and head the ball through the hands of the goalkeeper to
steal victory at the death.
United can count themselves fortunate to have garnered a
win from what was for them a rather lackluster performance, but the three
points means that they cannot now be overtaken by sixth placed BEC Tero
while Osotspa and Police United need to win both their games in hand to have
any chance of overhauling the Dolphins.
United’s final fixture of the season will take place on
Saturday, January 7 at the Nongprue Stadium in Pattaya against Muang Thong
United. Kick-off at 6 p.m.
Muang Thong lost ground in the chase for second place in the league after
they went down 2-1 at home against league rivals Chonburi FC. At the
opposite end of the table, Sriracha look almost certainly doomed for the
drop while Siam Navy will give themselves a good chance of avoiding
relegation if they can win their final two games of the season.
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Thailand Trail Running
Championship returning to Pattaya
Adventure trail running at
Khao Mai Kheow.
The beautiful setting of Kao Mai Kaew on the outskirts of
Pattaya will once again provide the backdrop for the second edition of the
Thailand Trail Running Championship on Sunday, January 22.
The event will feature a 21.5km off road half marathon, a
10km trail run and 3km fun run/walk that invites participation by all. The
Columbia Trail Masters Championship 2012 offers exciting routes that travel
along scenic trails exploring the mountains, farmlands and greenery of
eastern Thailand.
Age categories for the half marathon are: Men 16-29,
30-39, 40-49, 50 and above, and Women 16-29, 30-39, 40 and above.
The 10km trail run is also subdivided into age groups as
follows: Men 12-15, 16-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50 and above, and Women 12-29,
30-39, 40 and above.
There is no age limit on the 3km Fun Run which is
designed to encourage participation from the local communities and to
promote sports, fair play and camaraderie amongst children.
The event gets underway at 6 a.m. in the morning and a
post race lunch will be served in a friendly and festive atmosphere
following the trophy presentation.
For more information call Active Management Asia Co., Ltd
on 089-890-8727 (Nid) or 087-518-4666 (Golf) or email info@active-asia. com.
More information can also be garnered at the website: www.ama-events.com.
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Fortt sets new personal best at Bira
Ben Fortt (40) takes a left
hand bend at the Bira International Circuit in Pattaya, Sunday, Dec. 25.
(Photo/P Champ)
Due to the devastating flooding in Bangkok, the Thailand
Superbike Championship calendar was disrupted and the last race of the
season was re scheduled to take place on Christmas Day. Superbike rider Ben
Fortt spent the intervening time to good effect as he sharpened up his
racing skills at Bira International circuit in Pattaya and once race day
arrived, Ben said he was more than ready to race and could not wait to get
started.
Ben’s team had spent a lot of hours preparing his Suzuki
GSXR 1000cc and were now happy that both rider and bike were working
together. The qualifying session went well and Ben steered himself to a 1.08
lap to put him 4th on the grid. He said that he seemed to be getting plenty
of grip and remarked, “I think I have a little extra in the bag for the
race.”
Once the red lights went out for the race, Ben got a
perfect start and arrived on the first bend virtually in front, but then got
bogged down and lost a few places. On about lap 6 he had reeled one bike in
and out-braked him on the fast left bend and shot up his inside and then
pulled away from him. He quickly caught the second place rider and pulled
the exact same move on him, but with only a couple of laps remaining he had
to settle for second place, 6 seconds behind the winner.
After the race Ben was delighted to find out that he had
clocked the fastest lap of the race and a new personal best at Bira of 1.06
seconds. Ben remarked after the race that, “This is my best achievement to
date, I can’t believe it and getting the fastest lap time is great. This is
only my second race at this grade and I am on the podium. I am so looking
forward to February when the Bang Saen Festival of Speed street race takes
place and which I am hoping to enter.”
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Honda LPGA Thailand 2012 confirms
increase in prize money to US$1.5 Million
World No. 1 Yani Tseng of
Taiwan will be hoping to defend her Honda LPGA Thailand title in 2012.
(Photo/Martin Bilsborrow)
Organizers have confirmed that the Honda LPGA Thailand
2012 will be held from 16–19 February, 2012 at Pattaya’s Siam Country Club
Old Course. This year will see an increased field of 60 of the world’s
leading women golfers compete over 72-holes for the US$1.5 million prize
purse.
The unique feature of this years’ event is Channel 7 and
Honda joining hands with LPGA players to launch an online charity auction
aimed at raising funds for flood victims through The Rajaprajanigroh
Foundation under Royal Patronage. The auction will continue until 31 January
2012. To date, world class players such as Ai Miyazato, Paula Creamer, Anna
Nordqvist and Pornanong Platlum have all sent personal golf equipment and
apparel items for auction.
Paula Creamer tees off at
Siam Country Club during the 2011 tournament. (Photo/Martin Bilsborrow)
Pitak Pruittisarikorn, Director of Asian Honda Motor Co.,
Ltd., Executive Vice President of Honda Automobile (Thailand) Ltd.,
announced Honda’s continued support of the Honda LPGA Thailand, 2012,
saying, “The Honda LPGA Thailand 2012 is a great opportunity to show the
world that Thailand is ready and able to welcome visitors to the land of
smiles again after the flood crisis. We will fight through the hardship
together. Honda was also one of the victims but we are committed to stand
side by side with the Thai people and retain our production base in
Thailand.”
As the promoter, Surang Prempree, Managing Director of
Channel 7, spoke of the tournament preparation: “Honda LPGA Thailand is both
a unique sports program that aims to encourage our younger generations to
take up sport for health reasons and is also an opportunity for us to let
the world know that Thailand is still a beautiful and safe place for all
visitors.
“The LPGA has selected Thailand as the host venue for
Asia’s biggest ladies golf tournament for the past 6 years which benefits
Thailand for both tourism investment and trust from the world,” she said.
Since its inauguration in 2006, the Honda LPGA Thailand
has become one of the highlights on the LPGA schedule. The tournaments have
been a huge success, with strong fields and the world’s top players
travelling to Thailand over the last 3 years. LPGA officials and players
have welcomed news of the renewal of tournament in Thailand for the next
three years until 2014.
For more information including how to bid for the online
auction items, go to www.hondalpgathailand2012.com.
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