McDowell finds treasure in his game

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PSC Golf from the Tropical Golf Group

Tuesday, Jan. 12, Treasure Hill – Stableford

We had a fine turnout today and arrived at the course in plenty of time.  The first holes here make for a tough start; the opening hole is a par-5 and unless you are a long hitter you need to hit the ball straight.  Then there’s the second hole which is a very long and difficult par-3, indeed this hole is a very low stroke index and usually 200 yards or more.  Always surrounded by trees and vegetation, the walk around this course gives you a sense of peace and quiet but you have to be on your game when it comes to the golf.

Back at BJ’s Holiday Lodge in Pattaya we were soon into the results and they showed that only one player had beaten his handicap, and that by a lot.  This shows how difficult the Treasure Hill course is.

Tom McDowell and John Hackett with one of BJ Lodge’s finest.

In the A Flight, 0 to 18, the winner was John Hackett with 35 points ahead of a count back on 34 points that saw Brian Parish in second and John Davis in third.  In the B Flight the winner was Tom McDowell with 39 points, the best score of the day, with Don Carmody in second on 34 points and Carole Kubicki in third with 33.

Near Pins: John Davis (2), Landis Brooks, Don Carmody.

Long Putts: Tom Cotton, John Anderson.

Friday, Jan. 15, Pleasant Valley – Stableford

A Flight

1st Landis Brooks (10) 41pts

2nd Dick Warberg (21) 32pts

3rd Takeshi Hakozaki (15) 31pts

B Flight

1st Don Carmody (27) 39pts

2nd Dave Cooper (23) 37pts

3rd Barry Elphick (23) 34pts

Near Pins: Landis Brooks (2), Barry Elphick, Jadwiga

Long Putts: Takeshi Hakozaki, Brian Parish

With a group of the regulars off on a trip up north, a good sized group of 23 were on the list for the trip up route 7 to Pleasant Valley.  With an 800 baht green fee coupon still available, the venue, while not a favorite of some, is good value for a challenging layout.

Landis Brooks (left) with Don Carmody.

Check in at the course was quick and with the group booked ahead of us already on the 1st green, we were off a few minutes early.  With carts allowed on fairways no ‘ball in hand’ allowed, but as we have found the last few times we have played this course, it is well watered and it seemed all players at some time during the round were moving out of casual water.  On top of that a couple showers moved through the area which dampened things even more, although with the weather being warm and humid, the showers were actually a relief.

The pace of play was good and soon the cards were all in and the group headed back to Pattaya for a bite of lunch and a thirst quencher at BJ’s while awaiting the results.

Two flights on the day with the break quite high at 21 to even up the flights and we played off the blue tees, as we usually do at this course, but with the wet conditions it would be interesting to see how the group had faired.

No tie-breakers were needed at the top as were required at our last visit to Pleasant Valley as Landis Brooks and Don Carmody clearly took the top step of the podium for their respective flights.  Congrats to both for their fine play on the day.