Here we have all the press reports for the current year. Click on a month to navigate and read the reports.

January 2010

McNally Begins Year in Style

The Pattaya Golf Society began the New Year in style with a visit to the ever-improving Rayong CC on Sunday, 3rd January for a stableford competition with a large field divided into two flights at eighteen and under. The field included returning friends Bruce Ogilvie and Toshihiro Aoki (no relation sadly!) as well as the many colleagues who had shared new year's events in the past. The greens were still a little slow but much work had been done in advance of the Asian Tour Q-School event to be held there this coming week. In the second flight it was good to congratulate Norwegian golfer Gubbi Innvaer after his debut third place finish on 34 points and he was just a little shy of the winning pair of Bobby Shirkey (no Hogmanay hangover for this Scot!) and Richard Hall both sharing the large purse with 36 points each. The top flight had Paul McNally firing the best gross score of the day, 75, and this gave him 37 points for another excellent round despite finishing bogey-doublebogey to close his round. Paul was two points ahead of Peter Ditz and Ray Banks who has returned as a man in form after his summer in England. There were of no birdie twos and thus the flight pots were suitably enhanced for the opening competition of the year. The Booby went to "Rabbi" after his hero-zero act, descending from his first ever place finish the week before to the lonely end of the leaderboard. And to think he had been earlier harbouring thoughts of life amongst the professional ranks! Such are the thoughts of a golfer at the turn of the year, everything will be rosey of course in the months to come What a game this is!

Eastern Star Flexes its Muscles

On Thursday, 7th January, the Pattaya Golf Society revisited Eastern Star for the first time in three months to play a stableford competition and found the course is improving all the time with good flat fairways and fairly even greens but running slower than most courses currently. The ardours of the previous day's IPGC monthly medal at Khao Kheow had taken its toll on the field and the single flight had an average handicap of fourteen. Sharing fourth place were Ray Banks and Kasuo Takimoto and their scores of 33 points reflected the length of the course. Sharing second were Chris Voller and Alan Howell, again low handicappers, with scores of 34 points each. Once again the winner was Thai golfer Wichai Tananusorn who emulated his victory at Pattana a week before with another fine performance, recording 35 points. He manages to play long courses better than most it seems. The sole birdie two was recorded by Mikael Andersson on the third and the Booby Bevy went to Neil Grigg who played with clubs borrowed from Rabbi and who found the secret to the owner's poor putting record, an badly aligned putter head! The day had been a tough one but it was a pleasure to return to Eastern Star so early in the year.

More of Morel

On Sunday, 9th January, the Pattaya Golf Society travelled to Rayong CC to fulfil the next in their series of weekend bookings at the course and found that their stableford event got underway before time on an empty course which showed little after effects from the Asian Tour Q-School event which closed there the day before. The field was divided into two flights at twenty and under. In the second flight Pat Murphy found that his 32 points was good enough for third place, one behind Mr Len's 33 point card whilst Allen Dow took the flight victory with 36 points. In the top flight Paul McNally again shot a gross 76 for a level par stableford total which gave him third place, scant reward for such excellent golf, whilst Ronnie Ramsay's 37 points just edged him into second place. The best score of the day, again, was recorded by Jean Morel and his 38 points belied the fact that his front nine score was twenty three! Jean's short game and putting have improved so much that he is finding sub par rounds on a regular basis these days, and Rayong is a course he always enjoys. The day's only birdie two was achieved by Steve Evans on the eve of his departure for the winter chaos of Wales. The Booby Bevy went to ten handicapper Mark Stubbing after a lacklustre round which saw him playing his first golf for four months, but he thoroughly enjoyed his first experience with the PGS. As did the other golfers at Rayong on such a fine day.

McNally Continues Fine Run

On Tuesday, 12th January, the Pattaya Golf Society revisited Greenwood after an absence of a few months and found the favourite course in excellent condition, long off the back white tees and with fast greens. Conditions were perfect for an excellent stableford competition over the B and C nines. If one had any criticism it was that three of the four par threes were between 170 and 200 yards long and this takes the fun out of the shorter holes. However the two flights, cut at eleven and under made a good fist of things. In the second flight John Holmes made the most of his first round back to score 31 points and take third place whilst Ronnie Ramsay and Masashi Iizumi, both in good form at present, shared the win with 35 points each. In the top flight a returning and now retired Brian Beaupre posted 33 points for third whilst Wichai Tananusorn and Paul McNally shared the win with 36 points each. Paul's last three rounds have seen him play gross 75, 76 and 76 to emphasise the power of his game and it is gratifying to see his golf at this consistent level. Paul and Brian also shared the twos pot for their efforts on C6 whilst Ronnie Ramsay Snr savoured the Booby Bevy after a nondescript eighteen holes which saw him threaten the record low score with the group. But it was all about a fun day out on a beautiful golf course and everyone enjoyed the experience immensely.

Voller Smiles Again

On Thursday, 14th January the Pattaya Golf Society visited Bangpra to play a stableford competition on the always well presented course. On this occasion the greens had been lightly sanded and thus were a little slower than usual but the rest of the course was fine. The two flights were divided at eighteen and under and in the second flight Masashi Iizumi ended his stay this time with a steady 32 points which gave him third place. Doubtless his smiling demeanour and adventurous golf will be missed in the months to come. In second place was Ray Atkinson, newly returned to the Kingdom and his 35 points just fell short of the winning score of Ronnie Ramsay by one point. Ronnie is another PGS golfer in form at the moment. In the top flight Dave Stockman recorded 33 points for third place and Richard Craig managed 36 points for second. The winner was Chris Voller and after a few weeks of experimenting with various replacement drivers he obviously found one to his liking and scored 38 points for the flight win. The only sub par round of the day it also represented the day's best gross of 77 shots. The twos pot was shared by Ray Banks, Dave Stockman, Paul McNally and Peter Duncan whilst Harry Cowling took the Booby Bevy for actually filling in the bizarre "Birthday" section on the scorecard. Maybe he was after a pressie from the recorder! It worked. As did Chris Voller's driver at last.

Eliassen Excels at Rayong

On Sunday, 24th January the Pattaya Golf Society visited Rayong CC to play a stableford competition on the testing Faldo designed course. The day was fine as the field, divided into two flights at sixteen and under, took to the tee but the increasing humidity gave warning of what was later to come. All the Sunday regulars were there except for Jean Morel and in the second flight Jack Robertson registered 31 points for third place, one behind Larry Slattery's second placed 32. For the fifth time in succession Ronnie Ramsay took the flight, this time with 35 points. In the top flight Peter Ditz again showed his consistency with a fine 36 points for third place but Chris Voller went two better on his birthday by recording his best score for a while, 38 points. The flight winner was Norwegian golfer Tore Eliassen who made up for his previous error-strewn round with an excellent 39 points for an overdue win. The twos pot was shared by Chris Voller, Peter Ditz, Sam McLellan and Jack Robertson for their efforts on the seventh hole and the near-pins, sponsored by Chris Voller, were won by Tore, Tony Thorne, Ray Banks and Mike Earley. The Booby Bevy went to Scot Allen Dow who chose to pay his green fee directly to the club instead of purchasing the PGS discount voucher which makes the course such an attractive proposal in high season. The final two groups finished in the rain and the journey home was a storm lashed adventure but the day had been a good one at Rayong CC.

Banks in Credit Again

Australia Day dawned on Tuesday, 26th January and the Pattaya Golf Society, with its strong Aussie connections, celebrated with a stableford competition at Greenwood over the A and B nines. The seasonal large group was divided into two flights with the cut at sixteen and under and the return of more old friends o the golf course was a warming sight. Greenwood was in excellent condition with lush fairways and quick but receptive greens but it was long off the white tees and good scores were in the main hard to come by. In the second flight Jim Ferris posted 30 points for a surprising third place, with joint winners Vic Barton and Rabbi Cohen himself taking the honours. It was fitting that Rabbi should be in the frame on his country's prime day and his tasty post-round sausage barbie was even more palatable later in the day. In the top flight Tony Thorne found some semblance of his game at last and recorded 34 creditable points for third place, one behind David Thomas whose 35 points card disguised the fact that his front nine score of 21 points left him starting the back nine with the handbrake still on! Steady Ray Banks was the only golfer to break par on the day and his 37 point return gave him the honours in the top flight. The twos pots were shared by Kasuo Takimoto, Rick Schramm and Tony Thorne in the top group whilst Dave and Margaret Wilkinson kept it in the family in the lower division. The Booby Bevy should have gone to Ronnie Ramsay for his dismal failure to produce a sixth consecutive flight win and went instead to gaffer Mr Len for a round which was probably confined to the recycle bin after the first three holes but manfully he continued, not letting the course win hands down. The day ended with the inevitable party in Rabbi's Elephant Bar in Soi Buakhao marking another enjoyable Australia day.

Masa Class at Green Valley

Green Valley is always a welcome visit for the Pattaya Golf Society and Thursday, 28th January was no exception as the Soi Buakhao group played a monthly medal competition there. The course was full but the staff have certainly come to grips with the two tee situation and the 55 Korean golfers who are currently here. Progress could not have been better and a fine competition was in prospect for the two flights, cut at sixteen and under. In the second flight Jim Ferris came third with net 77, three behind new member Pritam Merchandani's 74, and a further few behind Allen Dow, making the winners' enclosure for the first time in a long while with an excellent net 71. In the top flight Rick Schramm had a creditable score of 71 for third place, one behind David Thomas whose net 70 represented his best PGS efforts since returning to Pattaya last month. The winner, with net 68, was Japanese golfer Masanori Takano and his golf is capable of throwing up a good score like this on a regular basis. His iron play was effective and his two birdie twos on the front nine helped his cause immensely. Other twos winners were Alan Bridges, Sam McLellan and Ronnie Ramsay. Ronnie also took the Booby Bevy for striking a tee marker during his warm up regime and shattered his driver before even using it. But that was the only bad news from Green Valley on a day when the Pattaya Golf Society enjoyed another excellent competition.

Clear Wins for Jones and Banks

On Sunday, 31st January the Pattaya Golf visited the fast improving course at Rayong CC to play a stableford competition and found an almost empt course waiting for them and indeed the first group got off ten minutes early. The field was divided as usual into two flights, this time at fifteen and under and the slower than usual greens held a lot of challenge for the golfers. In the second flight Ajit Amin again swung impressively on his way to a score of 31 points for third place, just one behind Pritam Merchandani's 32 point second place finish. The flight winner was Mr Len, showing little signs of the bruising week just finished, and his 37 point card brought the joy back to his game. In the top flight Vic Hansen fired 34 points for third whilst Jon Lay and Ray Banks shared the win with 37 points also. Ray is certainly the in-form player at the moment and his game is holding up well. The highlight of Jon Lay's round was his eagle two on the short tenth and he joined Paul Butler in a share of the twos pot. Paul's birdie was achieved in more orthodox fashion on the twelfth. Since his last round two years ago Rob Hill has no doubt been dreaming of a return to the Kingdom's courses and it duly arrived with the Booby Bevy as a bonus for his paltry score. The party went on long at Rabbi's afterwards and everyone agreed it had been the best golf day for a long while - no hassle on the first tee, no complaints, just excellent golf with good friends old and new.

February

A Job Well Don!

On Thursday, 4th February the Pattaya Golf Society visited Eastern Star to play a stableford competition on the course which seems to be becoming more difficult to score well on. At one time forty points was commonplace as a winning score but now things have changed. Maybe it is down to the new greens which are difficult to read or maybe down to the mixture of sand in the bunkers, including some with a texture of talc rather than grit. Good scores were to be at a premium yet again for the largest PGS field of the year so far and with the cut set at sixteen and under the two flights went off on time, with rearranged groups after some drivers failed to arrive at the course in time. In the second flight Larry Slattery, Ajit Amin and Mr Len shared a multinational third place with 31 points each and found themselves chasing the lady as Yvonne Earley went one better for runner-up. The flight was won by canny Vic Barton and his score of 35 points, while not earth shattering, reflected a good round indeed. The top flight saw some sub-par performances with Mike Earley following wife Yvonne's example and turning in a score of 37 points which tied for third with PJ Mitchell. David Thomas hit the heights at last after his return from exile two months ago with a battling gross 77 netting him 38 points for second. The best score of the day was recorded by Don Nellis, the semi-retired oilman, and having refined his swing so the slice has become a mere fade he had no difficulty in amassing a total of 39 points, his best by far in a long while. Paul McNally's birdie two on the thirteenth emulated that achieved earlier by Kasuo Takimoto on the third and finally Rick Schramm got his hands on the Booby Bevy after a dismal round which saw him visit the greenside bunkers on the fifteenth no less than three times and end up in one eighty yards from the green. After having six attempts to find the green from inside 120 yards he finally gave up in embarrassment. Eastern Star can do that to a golfer these days.

A Good Day for Lay

Rayong Country Club was on the agenda again for the Pattaya Golf Society on Sunday, 7th February, .and another large friendly field turned out to test their skills against Sir Nick's excellent design. The cut was at fourteen and under and the group got away on time as always. The second flight saw the inclusion, some may say relegation, of some usually top flight golfers and two of these, Wilf Latham and Tore Eliassen, showed their class by sharing the honours with 36 points each, two ahead of Ronnie Ramsay. In the top flight "Mr Consistency" Ray Banks came third with 35 points, one behind Paul Butler's second place finish. The winner with the best score of the day was new member Jon Lay and the Englishman's 37 points represented the day's best gross as well, 77. The twos were shared by Jon Lay, Mike Earley and Steve Evans in the top flight and Tore Eliassen, Wilf Latham and Ronnie Ramsay elsewhere. The Booby Bevy went to Ed Findlay, still struggling to get to grips with his game after some weeks of inactivity in Scotland. It had been another good Sunday at Rayong with a good "Lay" into the bargain!

"PJ's" Rare Bird

Arguably Khao Kheow is the finest golf challenge in the area and on Tuesday, 9th February the Pattaya Golf Society visited to play a stableford competition over the A and B nines with the large field divided into two flights at fifteen and under. The course was extremely well presented and there were some pin positions which were challenging to say the least especially on A5, the short par three. The group got away on time following a large group of "holiday" golfers from another Pattaya venue and a five hour round was in prospect as the tourists did their best to lengthen the time they would be away from the heat and bustle of the city. Scores were at the customary low level for the majority of the field but in the first flight David Thomas came up with a fine 34 point card to take a share of second place with Brian Beaupre on the eve of his departure for Canada. The flight winner was Pete Sumner, his 35 points representing a good round from the nine-handicapper. Pete, David and Mike Earley all shared the flight twos pot for their efforts on A5, B8 and B3 respectively. In the second flight Vic Barton's 34 points brought him third place, one behind the 35 of Larry Slattery. Amazingly the winner, Phil "PJ" Mitchell amassed the highest PGS winning score there for more than three years, forty points being a rare bird indeed at Khao Kheow, in anyone's book. His round was all about consistency and steady course management and staked an early claim for the round of the year with ten months still to go. In the second flight the twos pot was shared by Jim Ferris and Simon Spinks, both on A5. The Booby Bevy went to returning member two-handicapper Doug Williams who found on the first tee that his golf shoes were starting to disintegrate after a long period without his loving care and by the eighth he was left to play in the uppers only, with the merest hint of leather between him and the hallowed ground at Khao Kheow and his round disintegrated similarly thereafter. The day had been one to remember for "PJ" but all who were there thoroughly enjoyed golf at its best at Khao Kheow.

Wins for Talbot & Bone

Green Valley played the perfect host to the Pattaya Golf Society on Thursday, 11th February when the group played a stableford merit event over the finely prepared course. The Asian golfers are slowly returning to their frozen wastes for the rest of the winter and the course is once again a great venue for high season golf. The PGS group formed two flights divided at sixteen and under and scores were very good with the full field average being 32 points plus. In the competitive second flight Jim Ferris and Jack Robertson shared second place with 36 points each three behind new member Alan Bone debuting on the course on his first visit to the Kingdom. In the tightly contested top flight Tony Thorne found some semblance of his true form with an excellent 38 points for third place whilst Ray Banks, so consistent always, fired 39 points for runner-up place. The flight winner was Brian Talbot and his 40 point card was a fitting way to close his short golfing trip this time, but a score like that always brings you back. The best gross of 75 was achieved by young Czech Republic golfer David Prohazka, playing off plus two, and the round will add to his experience of quality golf courses as he seeks to pursue a career in the higher echelons of the sport. The top flight twos pot was shared by Wichai Tananusorn (2) and Paul McNally (9) whilst sole ownership of the second flight pot went to Yvonne Earley whilst she also picked up a rare Booby Bevy after some locker-room pranks - allegedly - with some Korean teenagers hiding certain articles of clothing. Sartorially correct these PGS members! After the general mayhem caused by the Korean visitors to the clubs routine it was good to get back on track at Green Valley.

Thomas in Control Again

Sunday, 14th February saw the Pattaya Golf Society pursue their one real love on Valentine's Day, a stableford golf competition at Rayong CC. The course was full but the group got some preferential treatment from the starter who saw that they got underway without too much of a delay. The field was divided into two flights at fourteen and under and scores were destined to be better than for a couple of weeks. In a tight second flight Vic Barton took third place with 35 points, just one point behind a consistent Rabbi, firing another level par round of 36 points. The flight winner was Max Tolbert, sporting a very creditable 38 points which had seen him post 24 of those on an excellent front nine. In the top flight Wichai Tananusorn shared third place with Dave Moriarty on 35 points, whilst last week's winner Jon Lay again threatened with 37 points for second. Whisper it...David Thomas is back. Dropping points on two of the four par threes he still managed to come up with the best gross of the day, 75, and posted the best flight score of 40 points into the bargain. Never has he let his frustrations show at being a seven handicapper and his round will have done something for his confidence as he approaches the twilight of his stay here in the LoS this trip. He also scored a birdie two and in the second flight Jean Morel shared the pot with Max Tolbert for a similar feat. The Booby Bevy was rolled over because the two obvious candidates had other things to do on Valentine's Day rather than attend the presentation but their absence was noted by the group in Soi Buakhao after an excellent day at Rayong CC.

Crackerjack at Green Valley

Green Valley, with a significantly improved PR machine, welcomed the Pattaya Golf Society on Tuesday, 16th February, for a stableford competition. Gone are many of the Korean visitors and once again club members and the regular farang visiting groups are being afforded the best of attention. Absence does indeed make the heart grow fonder - temporarily that is! The PGS group was divided into two flights as usual at fourteen and under and the quality field ;left the first tee on time. In a splendidly competitive top flight Dave Moriarty 's 35 points gave him third place, just behind the joint winners Rick Schramm and Dave Stockman, both on 36 points. It was left to the second flight to ruffle the course's feathers as Harry Riley - what's he doing in that company? - and Ronnie Ramsay shared third place with 33 points each and Brian Shaw returned an excellent 38 point score for second. Brian in fact three putted the final hole to achieve his score and two putts would have given him a share of the win with Jack Robertson whose 39 point card bore all the hallmarks of a moderately high handicapper on a good day. His round began with a front nine of 21 points and he managed to hold on despite dropping a few more points than he intended on the return leg. The top flight twos were shared by Dave Stockman who birdied both par threes on the front nine and Ray Banks (9) and Dave Moriarty (12) whilst the second flight twos award went solely to Harry Riley for his effort on hole 9. The Booby Bevy went to the most consistent January golfer, Ronnie Ramsay after a "worm-turning" which saw him post 12 points on the front nine and follow with 21 on the back. Once again a good PGS golf day had seen some newer faces enjoy the spoils after many attempts and Green Valley had done all it could to make the day an enjoyable one.

Final Flourish for Finnish Pair

On Thursday, 18th February the Pattaya Golf Society travelled back in time to May last Year when they last played a team "fun" event and went for a pairs team scramble at Green Valley. The course was in excellent condition and with only remnants of the Korean visitors remaining it was a round played in freedom on the golfers' favourite track. With two teams withdrawing on the morning of the competition there was still enough quality remaining to have fourteen pairs slugging it out in a scramble. Competition was tight as the handicapping system used gave more than a little competitive edge to the proceedings with everyone feeling they had a chance. Of those who took advantage of it were the Aussie-English pairing of Tony Thorne and Jim Ferris and their blend of the quirky and the solid styles was good enough for a gross of 75, giving them third place with net 61.1. In second place was the experienced pairing of Bill Hewitt and Harry Cowling, shooting gross 73 for a net 59.8 which gave them the clubhouse lead for almost an hour until the return of the Finnish duo Erik Anttoinen and Jorma Liila who fired the day's only level par round giving them a score of 57.2 for an emphatic win. The flight one near-pins went to Erik Anttonen, Martin Grimoldby (2) and Tony Lambert whilst the second flight winners were Brian Shaw, Ian Wilson and Harry Cowling. In PGS team events the Booby Bevy is always reserved for the lowest contributor and on this occasion the cool beers were shared by Keith Hector and Ray Atkinson after the true winners failed to show at the presentation. "Som nom na, lads" you missed a good day!

A Shaw Thing at Rayong

On Sunday, 21st February, the Pattaya Golf Society visited Rayong CC to play a stableford competition on the homely course. A couple of late morning drop-outs meant that a single flight would be competing and as usual scores were competitive. Sharing third place were Ray Banks, Tore Eliassen and Harry Langkoff, all with creditable performances of 35 points. In second with the best gross of the day, 76, was Paul McNally and his 36 points could have been better but for dropped points on the front nine par threes. The winner was Aussie Brian Shaw and he followed up a good round at Green Valley last week with another sub-par effort of 38 points. He has found a consistency to his game in the LoS having despaired of ever breaking par only a week ago. There were no birdie twos thus the main prize pot was suitably enlarged and the Booby Bevy went to Erik Anttonen for failing to pass the red tees on the third hole. A week earlier he had measured his drive on the seventeenth at 325 yards but on this occasion had no need of his GPS gadget as he could still read the logo on his ball after it had come to a stop! Once again Rayong CC had contrived to throw up a good tight competition.

Martin & Mitch Glory at Greenwood

A strong Pattaya Golf Society field travelled to Greenwood on Tuesday, 23rd February to play a medal event over the C and B nines which were in fine condition and in the strong breeze there were playing every inch of their 6500 yards from the whites. The divisional cut was at thirteen and under and good scores were at a premium in the conditions. In the second flight Jim Ferris, Ronnie Ramsay and Masaaki Sugaya all shared third place with net 75 whilst Larry Slattery scored a fine 73 for second place. The flight winner was Phil "PJ" Mitchell, whose golf this trip has been excellent, and he registered net 68 for an convincing win. In the top flight Tony Thorne and Richard Bannister did their best to keep the handicapper happy with net 71 which gave them a share of second place but they were usurped by the round of the day, a gross 74 by Martin Grimoldby which gave him victory with a net 68. It was all heady stuff from the amiable Englishman. Martin and Tony Thorne shared the divisional twos pot for their efforts on B2 whilst Rod Stevens and Jim Ferris fared likewise on C6 for some small pocket money also. The Booby Bevy went to Masaaki Sugaya for being part of an accident on B3 when his caddy, a softly spoken and "sensitive" youth, accidentally bundled Masaaki to the floor with his golf trolley and then fell victim to the recoil of the golf bag and ended on top of the mess. As it all happened just inside the OB boundary there was no penalty just the embarrassment of another Booby Bevy! Greenwood, midweek, and approaching low season can really do a golf group proud as the PGS found out.

Green Valley Win for Wichai

The Pattaya Golf Society visited Green Valley on Thursday, 25th February, to play a stableford competition on the well presented course. The return of many old friends had swelled the field to two flights which were divided at fourteen and under and play got underway some ten minutes earlier than planned. In the second flight Larry Slattery and Len Jones shared runner-up spot with 33 points each, two behind winner Harry Langkoff. The top flight saw Ray Banks finish his current visit with 33 points for a share of third place with Alan Bridges whilst "Banjo" Bannister's 35 points gave him second. The day's best gross of eighty was recorded by Wichai Tananusorn and his 37 points held the day as top flight winner. Jimmy Cloy's birdie two on the second gave him a share of the top division's twos pot with David Thomas whose birdie effort on the twelfth was equally welcome. The Booby Bevy went to the day's strong "hero-to-zero" candidate, Richard Dobson whose first round this trip saw him return some seventeen points less than on his last visit. But he took it well knowing there was a lot of good golf to come with the PGS.

Lay Has His Say

On Sunday, 28th February the Pattaya Golf Society travelled to Rayong CC for the latest weekend stableford event and the large field was divided into two flights at eighteen and under. The course was in fair condition but watering was sorely needed. The upside was that there was plenty of run on the fairways making some of the longer holes reachable but again the greens were on the slow side. In the second flight Jeff "Rabbi" Cohen, boss at the Elephant Bar, again started like a house on fire but faded over the back nine to produce 33 points and take third place. The whole of the bar is waiting for him to break par! Ahead of Rabbi was steady Fredy Braun, the unassuming Swiss golfer who once again came good with 34 points for second. The flight winner was visitor Judith Barnes and her 38 points was a fine introduction to golf with the PGS. In the top flight an interesting head-to-head was taking place as Paul McNally and Jon Lay, paired in the same group went shot for shot with both sharing the day's best gross of 78. Paul's eventual points tally was 34 and he shared second place with Dave Moriarty whilst Jon's handicap helped him to 37 points for the flight win. Paul McNally had the consolation of the day's only birdie two, on the seventh. The Booby Bevy went to Brendan Gilsenan for his low score in his first official competition since becoming a member of IPGC and more is certainly to come from the amiable Aussie on future visits. The next weekend will see the PGS sign off from Rayong CC for the low season and a final flourish is certainly expected from some of the "favourites".

March 2010

Any Advance on 34?

On Thursday, 4th March it was Bangpra's turn to host the Pattaya Golf Society for a stableford competition on the course which is high on many people's golfing wishlists. The course was in good condition and the greens were difficult to "pace" as usual and anything above the hole took its toll on the scores and patience of the large field. The cut was at fourteen and under and in the second flight Richard Dobson's 31 points surprised him with a third place finish. In second was Barry McIntosh, recently arrived from Oz after an absence of two years, and he made a welcome return with 32 points. The flight winner was Ronnie Ramsay with 34 points. In the top flight Alan Bridges and Finland's Vesa Turunen shared third place with 31 points each whilst Sunny Khanna returned to share the win with Rick Schramm on 34 points. Barry Wellings took the twos pot for the top flight and Vic Barton took it for the second flight, both their efforts coming belatedly on the long par three seventeenth. Ian Wilson sponsored a special technical prize and Barry McIntosh won it for the best aggregate points score on the par threes with eleven points. The Booby Bevy went to John Lindsay after his low score was presented to the recorder on an unsigned card, probably out of embarrassment, but the visitor had not yet realised that you cannot hide with the PGS! The day had been well marshalled by Tony Thorne in the absence of Mr Len and all players are looking forward to a return to Bangpra later in the month.

Joy For Jimmy Cloy

On Sunday, 7th March, the Pattaya Golf Society made its final weekend visit of the high season to Rayong CC for a stableford competition. Every week improvements are being made and on this occasion it was discovered that the greens had been shaved leaving some brown bare patches but thankfully the greenkeeper had found some grass on which to site the holes. Putting was not therefore the problem it might have been and for the first time in a long while scores were very good, the average being 30 points per player. The two flights were cut at fifteen and under an in the second flight Masaaki Sugaya took third with 32 points whilst the Rabbi again made second place his own with 34, again losing his touch over the final four holes. The Elephant Bar "boss" is desperate to descend the handicap lists but he must first break par to realise his ambition. The flight winner, with his second consecutive sub-par round, was Mr Len whose 37 points saw a consistency hitherto lacking in his game. In the top flight Tore Eliassen and Bob St Aubin shared third pace with 34 points each whilst Peter Masters shook himself free of the sinister golfer's albatross on his back for the last few months and produced a very welcome 36 points for second place. The best round of the day was recorded by Jimmy Cloy and his comments on achieving 41 points were along the lines of "I don't know how I managed that!" The thirteen handicapper certainly has the tools in his locker and made good use of them on the day. There were no birdie twos, making for a healthy prize fund and the Booby Bevy was held in reserve until the certain candidate appeared at the next presentation. High season at Rayong was successful and the PGS would like to go on record and thank the management and staff for doing all in their power to act as the perfect hosts. Occasionally it went awry but all courses are capable of that. On to Eastern Star on Saturdays from this weekend on.

Wellings and Cooper assault Lakeside

After an absence of a few months the Pattaya Golf Society visited Royal Lakeside to play a medal competition on Tuesday, 9th March on the generally forgiving course. After a few weeks labouring on slower greens it was a change to find greens which were not only very consistent and receptive but also deliciously pacey. The fairways were well tended and all round the course was beautifully presented. The large field was divided into two flights at twelve and under, an indication of the quality of the field, and good scores were commonplace by the end of the day. In the second flight there was nothing to choose between Alan Hanlon, Richard Dobson and a returning Tim Lazecki as they all shared top spot with net 68. In the top flight Allan Pilkington fired net 69 for third place whilst Mark Cooper's net 67 could only match the round of Barry Wellings who shot a gross 72, giving him a share of the win after his handicap of five had been deducted. Barry had two birdie twos and joined Mark Cooper, Jimmy Cloy and Steven Lewis in a share of the twos pot. The Booby Bevy went to Masaashi Sugaya after his ten shot attempt to escape a greenside bunker on the fifteenth was followed by three putts. Royal Lakeside Golf Club has certainly taken over the mantle of Phoenix of old where one's game could be revitalised after a round on the forgiving course. The full field average was net 75 on another successful day with the PGS.

Tough Times at Greenwood

The Pattaya Golf Society travelled to Greenwood on Tuesday, 16th March to play a stableford competition over the C and A nines from which the white tees were back to their furthest extent making the course play to its full length of 6600 yards. The track was in good condition but the C greens were a little slower compared to the back nine and this had an effect on the scores. The two flights were divided at 13 and under and in the second flight Richard Dobson, the clear leader at the turn, only managed to share third place with Fredy Braun and Tim Lazecki on 31 points each. A point ahead was Larry Slattery, steady again as usual and the flight winner was Mr Len with 33 hard earned points. In the top flight scores were similar with Paul McNally shooting the day's best gross of 78 to share third place on 34 points with Rick Schramm and Steve Jones. There were joint winners in the flight as Tony Lambert and Jon Haugen went head-to-head from the start to finish level with 35 points. There were no birdie twos and Steve Godfrey picked up the Booby Bevy for his vain efforts at mastering the course using a five iron off the tees, something with which he is comfortable on his home track, a nine hole extended pitch-and-putt course in Australia. Playing with the "big boys" he admitted to finding the task harder than expected. He wasn't the only one of course! Greenwood off the long white tees is a tough nut to crack.

"Mr Consistency" On Top at Khao Kheow

On Thursday, 18th March, the Pattaya Golf Society travelled to the beautiful course at Khao Kheow, which was in excellent condition, to play a stableford competition on the A and B nines. The day was splendidly organised and marshalled and the course currently represents as good a bargain in terms of "vfm" as any on the Eastern Seaboard. The field was divided into two flights at thirteen and under, an indication in itself of the quality of the field challenging the wits of course designer Pete Dye. Larry Slattery, currently in-form and consistent, took the second flight with 37 points, three ahead of runner-up Margaret Wilkinson and a further two ahead of third placed Jack Robertson. In the top flight Tony Thorne battled the headwind on the tough front nine to stand on the ninth tee all square with the card but stuttered on the back nine to finish with a winning score of 37 points also. Alan Hanlon was second with 34 points and the only consolation for the day's best gross winner, Paul McNally, was a share of third place with Rick Schramm on 33 points. Kasuo Takimoto took the twos pot in style with a sandy birdie on B8 and Margaret Wilkinson won the Booby Bevy award for her 21 - 13 split when she really should have consolidated to win her flight. At the presentation back in Soi Buakhao David Thomas received the February "Player of the Month" award for some very steady golf as he draws his current visit to a close, something he has dreamed about in the long days of exile in WA and something he has to look forward to again in th e near future. Never mind pal, Khao Kheow will still be here to offer the ultimate golfing challenge when you rejoin us! Friend of the Pattaya Golf Society may wish to note that the group's website has been renamed to avoid the malicious attentions of a local golf tour operator and we can currently be found at http://www.thepattayagolfsociety.org

Lay's Pay Day

The Pattaya Golf Society travelled to Eastern Star on Saturday, 20th March to contest a stableford competition on the course which was reasonably well presented but with inconsistent greens at the moment. The pace of the four newly laid greens is slower than the others and it will be a while yet before they are fully "bedded down". However the day brought a large field which was divided into two flights at fourteen and under. In the second flight Jack Robertson, Fredy Braun and Max Tolbert all jostled for third with 30 points whilst there was nothing to separate two players very much in form currently, Larry Slattery and Richard Dobson at the top with 32 points each. In the top flight Tony Thorne came good again with 33 points for third place, a few behind Mikael Andersson's level par round, which in itself could have been much better had not the occasional putting lapse let the Swede down. The flight winner, with the best gross of 76 for the day, was Jon Lay, so often a PGS winner at weekends, and his 39 points will go a long way to help him realise his ultimate ambition in terms of his handicap. There were no birdie twos and the Booby Bevy went to Ben Cohen who was playing his first qualification round for a CONGU handicap and in a side bet with father Rabbi, playing off the same notional handicap he took the honours in style. Youngsters today have no respect for their parents! This weekend golf can be good fun.

Surprise Pairs Winners

On Tuesday, 23rd March, the Pattaya Golf Society travelled to Pattana for their monthly Pairs event, a stableford best score competition over the A and B nines. The course as usual was well presented but the white tees on the front nine were well forward and well back on the back nine, making a stern challenge for all in the closing stages. There were eleven teams involved and a fair mixture with random team selection in some cases added a touch of mystery to the competition. Fast greens and a long back nine held scores at a sensible level with Russell Exley and Rodney Hayes joining David Thomas and Brian Ferrigno and the pairing of Peter Duncan and Len Jones in third place on 41 points. For Peter especially it was a feast of fine golf on the back nine which matched any he has played in the Kingdom in a long while. In second place came the redoubtable pairing of Tony Thorne and Rick Schramm and their 42 points represented a fine end to Rick's tour of golf duty for this trip. The winners, completely out of the blue as a hastily put together outfit at the last minute, were Greg Gawron and Alan Duckett and their combined score of 46 points blew the field apart. The twos pot was shared by Russell Exley on A3, Peter Duncan, Greg Gawron and Tony Thorne, all on B7. The presentation back at Rabbi's was an amusing affair as David Thomas did a more than passable impression of Rick Schramm on the putting green and the Canadian took revenge by relating the tale of his playing partner on B4 playing to the wrong green, a worthy Booby Bevy win for Tony Thorne! There is always an element of fun in these pairs events and this day at Pattana was no exception.

Green Valley Turns Up the Heat

The Pattaya Golf Society travelled to Green Valley on Thursday, 25th March, on what turned out to be the hottest day of the year so far, to play a stableford competition on the popular course which was in good condition. Once again the field was large enough to allow two flights and these were divided at sixteen and under. Progress was quick on the almost empty track but by the turn the golfers were starting to feel the effects of the conditions and it was increasingly difficult to maintain the focus needed for a good round. In the second flight Pat Murphy toiled away on his return to record 32 points which took third place, two behind Jack Robertson's 34 points in second place. The flight winner was the consistent Irishman Larry Slattery and his 37 points was one of only two sub-par rounds of the day. In the top flight scores were remarkably similar with David Thomas and Tony Thorne sharing third place on 31 points and Greg Gawron taking second with 34. The winner was Steve Jones and his 37 points matched the score of the winner in the other group. The only birdie two was recorded by Len Jones on the sixteenth and the Booby Bevy went to low scoring Andy Bardill, still acclimatising himself after five golf-free months back in wintry Switzerland. The best gross was David Thomas' 83 and that alone speaks volumes about the difficult conditions at a very hot and humid Green Valley. The cold beers afterwards were never so welcome!

Earley Masters Leaders

A decidedly cool and comfortable Eastern Star welcomed the Pattaya Golf Society on Saturday, 27th March when the Soi Buakhao based group visited to play a weekend stableford event on the Ban Chang course. The day was overcast and there was little evidence of the downpour which had affected the golf there the day before. The field was divided yet again into two flights with the top flight consisting of golfers on handicaps of fourteen and under. The inconsistency of the greens has made Eastern Star a "tough nut" to crack these days and scores were again on the low side. In the second flight Len Jones faltered at the end to finish on 31 points for third place, one shot behind the two golfers battling for the win, Andy Bardill and Larry Slattery. In the top flight Mikael Andersson and Steve Jones shared third place with 34 points each whilst a resurgent Mike Earley joined Peter Masters at the top of the leaderboard with 35 points after Peter had enjoyed a farewell joust with Kiwi David Thomas which saw friendly shots, jibes and ripostes rebound from all corners of the course. The day's only birdie two came from Aussie Steve Godfrey on the thirteenth and the Booby Bevy found its way into the hands of John Robertson at last after he conjured up an asymmetrical card bearing eleven points on the front nine and eighteen points on the return. It was that sort of day at Eastern Star. Bits of "good", bits of "bad" but highly enjoyable nevertheless.

Wichai & Rabbi Strike at Bangpra

On Tuesday, 29th March the Pattaya Golf Society visited Bangpra International Golf Club to play a stableford event on the finely presented course. The only disappointment was the evidence of recent sanding on the greens and as such they were a little inconsistent, and putting at Bangpra is so important. The two flights were cut at sixteen and under. In the second flight Len Jones found himself in the frame yet again with a third placed finish on a meagre 29 points, the greens not to his liking, and the recently returned Swiss golfer John Rehm took second place with 30 points. The flight winner was the Boss himself, Rabbi and his 31 points was good enough, even though his frustrations at not being able to break par were obvious to all. In the top flight Mike Earley and David Thomas, playing his final round this trip, shared second place with 34 points whilst Wichai Tananusorn took the victory with the best score of the day, 35 points. Wichai also recorded a birdie two on the twelfth and shared the twos pot with Vic Barton (8) and Peter Ditz (17). The presentation party at Rabbi's saw the golfers bid farewell to David Thomas in particular, with the "Bye Bye" Bevy and also to Vic Barton and Steve Jones after their annual stays. When they return later in the year Bangpra will still be waiting for them, as will the PGS.

April 2010

Family Fortunes at Lakeside

Royal Lakeside was the chosen venue for the Pattaya Golf Society on Thursday, 1st April and the group found the course in good condition but with the remnants of greens dressing on the front nine. This made the first few greens very inconsistent and this caught out many of the golfers, who thus performed better on the back nine. The field was divided into two flights with the cut coming eighteen and under. In the second flight Len Jones continued his form of late with another third place finish on 35 points, three behind Margaret Wilkinson's 38 points in second. The flight winner was Pat Murphy whose general accuracy and straight hitting was the perfect tactic on the course. In the top flight Garry Hartshorne performed well recording 38 points for third with Aussie compatriot Ray Jackson edging him out of second with 39. The best round of the day was scored by Dave Wilkinson who for the first time in many a year broke forty with a splendid 41 point card. For once he had also out-shone wife Margaret as well. The twos pot was shared by Mike Earley (3), Ray Jackson (12) and Pat Murphy (12) and Mr Len took the Booby Bevy for his 13 - 22 split. Golf had been excellent at the Lakeside and it had been a day that the Wilkinson household would remember for a long time.

Deja Vue at Eastern Star

The Pattaya Golf Society visited Eastern Star for a stableford round on Saturday, 3rd April and found the course in good condition, except for the slow and inconsistent greens. After the usual warm welcome the two flights, cut at sixteen and under, got underway on time and with an empty course ahead of them they returned after no more than four hours in the hot humid conditions. In the second flight Mr Len again finished third, this time with 33 points and Jack Robertson came second with 34 points, his best score with the group for a while. The flight winner was Larry Slattery and his level par round of 36 points again added testimony to his consistency at present. In the top flight Andy Bardill did not let top flight nerves faze him as he finished third on 34 points, one behind Garry Hartshorne who ended a good week with his 35 points. The flight winner was Peter Masters and he repeated his efforts of the previous week but this time he actually broke par on the course where many have struggled in recent weeks. The twos pot was shared by Jon Lay and Ray Jackson for their efforts on the sixth hole and the Booby Bevy also found its way into Jon Lay's hands after an otherwise lacklustre round gave him the lowest score of the day. After the Songkhran break the PGS will be alternating its Saturday venue between Eastern Star and Khao Kheow and a lot of excellent and testing golf is in prospect until the end of low season.

Haugen Running Hot

On Chakri Day, Tuesday 6th April, the Pattaya Golf Society travelled to Rayong CC to play a stableford competition on the course which is rapidly improving, especially the greens which are now smoother and have a little more pace than when the group was last there a month ago. The combination of the public holiday and a very heavy IPGC week saw the field size down to one flight but there was still some fine golf on view, and when Jack Robertson teed off he became the one thousandth golfer to start in a PGS tournament this year. Aussie Trevor Chappell played his first round with the PGS, taking time off from his cricket duties with the "Sixes" tournament currently being played and performed well for a fourth place finish on 34 points. In third was Les Burns, making his first appearance on the PGS leaderboard and his score of 37 points was his best in more than a year with the group. Similarly John Robertson who came second with an excellent 38 points, eclipsing Dad Jack in the process. The winner was Jon Haugen and what a round he played, gross 76 giving him 42 points and everything long and straight, driving to the greens on three par fours. Very much a case of "Norwegian Woods, isn't it good!" It was a splendid performance on a course which can be thoroughly testing. There were no birdie twos and the Booby Bevy went to Alan Walker for his 12 - 21 split. One final statistic - low season is truly here when a PGS field has no English golfers. Even the gaffer is Welsh!

Triple Crown at Khao Kheow

On Thursday, 8th April the PGS travelled initially to Bangpra for a pre-booked competition but were met with a demand for an extra three hundred baht on top of the green fee and thus redirected to the ever welcoming Khao Kheow to play a stableford tournament on the A and B nines. The course was in excellent condition and the greens swift and true throughout. An empty course made the day complete. The single flight saw a three way tussle at the top with Jon Haugen sharing the win with father and son combination Jack and John Robertson on 33 points. The prize fund was boosted by the lack of birdie twos and the Booby Bevy at Rabbi's later was replaced by a "thank you" round from the organiser, Mr Len, for the valuable support the group had shown earlier in the day. The day had lost nothing after the initial re-routing and the PGS will be eager to promote its golf at the course on alternative weekends from the first of May.

Bardill Blasts Back

An empty Eastern Star was the venue for the Pattaya Golf Society's weekend stableford competition on Saturday, 10th April, and the group took the opportunity to seek revenge on a tough course which had hosted the IPGC Monthly Medals only a couple of days before. The single flight was expecting an easy ride as the course was in good condition but the greens are so inconsistent in Ban Chang at present. Sharing runner-up place was a trio of golfers including visitor Bent Saeverud, making his debut with the group and he joined Larry Slattery and JJ Harney on 35 points. In the lead was Andy Bardill whose miserable performance three days before was the downside of his short stay but on this occasion he shook the living daylights out of the course, performing fully thirty-seven shots better in amassing 43 points for a huge win. Within hours he was returning to Switzerland and the tale of this round would surely earn him many a beer in his home club. The twos pot was shared by "JJ" and Trevor Lazowski for their efforts on number six and when Bob St Aubin became the umpteenth golfer to attempt to prove that a seven iron will float he was guaranteed the Booby Bevy. The day was all about Andy Bardill's exploits and shows what a fickle occupation this noble game is. And we queue up for more every week!

A Shaw Thing at Greenwood

The very welcome end of Songkhran saw the Pattaya Golf Society assemble in the dry to take on the challenge of Greenwood's B and A nines in a stableford competition on Tuesday, 20th April. The day was fine and the course was well presented and the bonus was a very good "all-in" deal including free water, a post round snack and a free beer! What could be a better way, then, of shaking off the excesses of the past ten days in town? Holiday absentees had cut the field to a single flight and in third place was visiting PSC golfer Tony Garnett with an excellent 37 points. In second place was regular Peter Ditz who played the front nine in level par, giving him what should have been an unassailable advantage but two nil returns on the back nine brought him back to reality with a total of 39 points for second place. The day's winner was Aussie Brian Shaw who had been clicking his heels and champing at the bit for ten days and when he eventually stepped out on the golf course he vented his frustration with a massive 40 points score which could have been even better had he not "blobbed" the final hole. The day's only birdie two was recorded by Peter Ditz on B5 and the Booby Bevy was very graciously awarded to all the golfers by an exuberant Mr Len in celebration of Newcastle United's Championship title then only fourteen hours old. Following the online progress of his heroes "live" certainly put the damper on his own game but all's well that ends well.

Khao Kheow Broken at Last!

Khao Kheow is a wonderful challenge and extremely good value for money and for those reasons the Pattaya Golf Society chose it as the venue for its stableford event on Thursday, 22nd April, on one of the hottest days of the year so far. The allotted track was the long C nine followed by the tough A nine and with the average handicap at sixteen the day was set for a fine competition. Low season dictated that the field would play in a single flight and Jean Morel joined Dave and Margaret Wilkinson in a share of third place with 31 points each. Ahead of them was Kazuo Takimoto on 33 points, a total which won last time out there a few weeks ago. The winner was Wichai Tananusorn who had the honour of breaking par for the first time in fifteen PGS rounds at Khao Kheow and his best gross of 79 represented 39 stableford points. It was an excellent performance indeed. Wichai shared the twos pot with Tony Thorne, the latter's birdies on C3 and C8 matching the Thai golfer's on A5. In the "Battle of the Sh-----s" Peter Masters easily beat Mr Len by 5 - 2 and the Booby Bevy was awarded to Brian Shaw for his "hero to zero" efforts in recording fully twenty points less than his last winning return two days previously. Sure, Khao Kheow is a tough nut to crack.

Andersson Brightens Up Dull Eastern Star

The clouds were heavy, the crowds were not, on Saturday, 24th April, as the Pattaya Golf Society visited Eastern Star for their regular weekend stableford extravaganza. A reasonably sized low season field turned out surely doubling the others who ventured to the course on a heavily overcast morning. Generally the course was in good condition but there were tight lies on some of the fairways and the greens were slow. By the end of the afternoon Tim Lazecki's accuracy off the tee had helped him to 32 points which took fourth place, a couple behind the ever-consistent Larry Slattery in third with 34. The group's best player currently, Wichai Tananusorn, again came good with a 35 point score for second place whilst Mikael Andersson found his form with 37 points for the victory. There were no birdie twos so the prize pot was suitably enhanced and a tired and jet-lagged Masanori Takano was awarded the Booby Bevy for his low scoring card. Opportunities to "nab" Masa will be few as usual during the next few weeks. For the remainder of the low season the PGS is alternating its weekend venues between Khao Kheow and Eastern Star and some fascinating and demanding golf is in prospect for the Soi Buakhao based group.

May 2010

If it's Lakeside it Must be Forty

The Pattaya Golf Society golfers enjoy the first Tuesday in the month when they travel to play at Royal Lakeside beyond Chonburi. It gives the regular drivers a break as coaches are used and as the new link has opened off Sukhumvit the club is now only 55 minutes from Soi Buakhao. On Tuesday, 4th May stableford at Royal Lakeside was on the agenda and the group turned out in style and teed off on time as usual. The advantages of the course are that it is never crowded, it is a forgiving track in splendid condition and the greens are probably the truest one could ever play. Therefore scores are always excellent here and it is a tremendous boost for the golfer whose game is in the doldrums. The single flight completed their individual rounds in well under four hours and in third place was Dave Lehane, his forty points marking the end of his golf this trip. The joint winners were Ronnie Ramsay and Larry Slattery whose 41 point scores matched the average winning score for the course. Peter Ditz shot the day's best gross of 82 and the twos pot was shared by Brian Talbot (12) and Tony Thorne (15). The Booby Bevy went to Pat Murphy by way of consolation as his 39 point card was destined to win nothing but a cut in handicap. Royal Lakeside had not disappointed and with the average score at nearly 34 points the PGS golfers enjoyed an excellent day.

Wichai Rides Out the Storm

On Thursday, 6th May, Green Valley lay under a blanket of heavy black clouds when the Pattaya Golf Society visited to play a stableford competition, its fifteeth of the year so far. The course was in good condition generally but after an hour greens and fairways had become very wet after steady rain. Having struggled to make an impact most golfers found their lot improved after the storm abated and to his credit Thai golfer Wichai Tananusorn was the only one to post a front nine level par score. He finished with a winning 35 point card, three ahead of nearest rivals Masanori Takano, Larry Slattery and Len Jones, all on 32 points. There were no birdie twos and the Booby Bevy went to recently returned Bill Birkett whose low score bore testimony to his lack of golf whilst hibernating in a UK winter. Green Valley rarely disappoints, even in the rain.

Rookie Brendan Finds His Feet

On Saturday, 8th May, the Pattaya Golf Society teed off at an empty Eastern Star in a stableford competition. The day was fine and very humid and the course was quite well presented with very slow and inconsistent greens. The field was hit by a clutch of late withdrawals and only one flight contested the day. A trio of fresh names found their way to the top of the leaderboard with Pete Sumner, recently returned from UK, suffering in the humidity to record a worthy level par 36 points for third place. The joint winners were Masa Takano, his first PGS victory this trip, and rookie Brendan Gilsenan playing only his second PGS competition. They both managed 37 points for a rare sub-par victory at the course. Pete Sumner was joined in a share of the twos pot by Brian Talbot and Len Jones's day was completed with the honour of buying his playing partners a drink for failing to make the red tee on the fourth as his usually consistent and accurate driving was conspicuously absent. It was good to welcome back old friends Shuichi Kodaka, Pete Sumner and Brendan and for them the day was highlight enough at Eastern Star.

Takano & Sumner Keep Field at Bay

For the first time in almost twelve months the Pattaya Golf Society visited Crystal Bay to play a stableford competition. The group were met with a warm welcome and an immediate increase in the agreed fee, which the manager later acknowledged was a mistake, without refund of course, and the competition got underway under heavily brooding skies and extremely uncomfortable and humid conditions. The B and A nines were in better condition than most had hoped and the greens were running at a fast pace. Again the course was relatively empty. Electric storms skirted the course for much of the round and good scores were at a premium. Having rediscovered his form recently Wichai Tananusorn produced a steady round of 35 points to take third place whilst Masanori Takano emphasised his current excellent form with 39 points to share the win with an almost fully acclimatized Peter Sumner, who also produced the day's best gross of 78. The two birdie twos were achieved by Masa on A8 and Wichai on B4 and a reluctance of the also-rans to attend the presentation meant that the Booby Bevy was held over until the candidates' arrival next time. It was good to get back to Crystal Bay and the course is generally a delightful test for golfers of all levels.

Ramsay Canters Home

On Thursday, 13th May the Pattaya Golf Society left stormy Pattaya for the relative peace of Greenwood to play a stableford competition over the B and A nines. With the exception of a PSC group the course was empty at the start and good progress was made through the B nine where the greens were a beautiful pace. As the lead group, representing a quarter of a millennium of raw and finely honed athleticism, took to the tenth tee they found the marshalls had inserted a Thai fiveball which put the brakes on the charge by Pat Murphy, Len Jones, and Jim McNeill. However the three hour back nine finished before the impending storm arrived and found Pat and Jim sharing second place on 33 points, a few behind the efforts of Ronnie Ramsay which brought the only sub-par round of the day, 37 points. The green fee vouchers donated by Bob St Aubin were won by Ronnie Ramsay for his best total on the par threes and there were no birdie twos. The Booby Bevy was enjoyed by the golfers at the presentation to celebrate exactly five years since the PGS had reorganised under Mr Len and Greenwood had been an ideal course at which to celebrate.

Masa's There Again

On Saturday, 15th May, it was the turn of Khao Kheow to host the Pattaya Golf Society's weekend stableford competition and the B and C nines were at the disposal of the Soi Buakhao based group, but in truth the B nine was not yet ready for play after a while under repair and maintenance, as there was much water damage in evidence. The C nine was in excellent condition however. Beginning on B the group found progress unhindered on the empty track. The course was playing at its longest off the yellow tees (6600 yards) and the humidity and soft conditions guaranteed low scores. But it's a man's game and the gauntlet was down. Who would pick it up? In third place was Peter Sumner with 31 points and his round should have been much better as it contained forty-two putts! The group's player-of-the-week, Masanori Takano took advantage of Tony Thorne's putting current weakness also to share the win with him on 33 points. There were no birdie twos again and the Booby Bevy went to newbie Don Pittendreigh for his low scoring debut round. Things were obviously back to normal at Khao Kheow after a couple of recent sub-par visits.

Thorne Survives the Heat

On Tuesday, 18th May, the Pattaya Golf Society again challenged the current heatwave with a stableford round at Green Valley, on a course which is currently one of the best maintained in the area. The popularity of the course allowed two flights to be played again with the cut at seventeen and under. Conditions throughout were uncomfortable in the nagging heat and scores were unusually low, with one exception. In the second flight Jeff Lawler and Len Jones shared third place with 30 points each and Pat Murphy was second with 35. The flight winner was Mark West with 36. In the top flight Masanori and Wichai Tananusorn shared third with 31 points, three behind runner-up Mikael Andersson with 35. The highlight of the day was a sparkling score of 42 points by flight winner Tony Thorne. Having struggled for a few rounds now with his putting a change of grip and stance has provided the key and his putting was a revelation on Green Valleys consistent greens. It represents his best round for a long while and the best gross of 78 on the day. Tony also nabbed two birdie twos to share the pot with Pete Sumner and the Booby Bevy went to Mark West, newly returned and still suffering from jetlag, as he left the bar without his change bag and had to borrow shoes and socks for his flight winning round. Green Valley was hot but Tony Thorne was hotter!

Aussie Clean Sweep

On Thursday, 20th May, the Pattaya Golf Society tried to escape the chaos currently gripping the Kingdom with a visit to Bangpra for a stableford competition. The course was empty and in excellent condition and the view of the backdrop to the eighth hole reminded everyone of the beauty that still exists in the country, despite events elsewhere. The single flight struggled as usual to get to grips with the racing greens and the absence of any birdie twos indicated the challenges the greens offered. Almost half the field was composed of Aussies and they had an impact on the day with Tony Thorne posting 34 points for third place, a long way behind Darren Norris and his 38 point score. The winner was Brendan Gilsenan and his PGS best return of 39 points did more than merit a fine victory. The lowest scoring Aussie on the day was Sid Brown and he was duly awarded the Booby Bevy, confirmed by his loyal support for the Sunderland club in the EPL. Mr Len, of course follows the principal North East team and the award was inevitable! It had been a relief to escape Pattaya and the restrictive curfew, and Bangpra was the perfect host once again.

Colonial Boys On Top

Saturday, 22nd May saw the Pattaya Golf Society travel to an empty Rayong CC to play a stableford competition. The course was in reasonable condition but the greens still need some tender loving care to bring them up to standard as they are inconsistent and bobbly at present. Do they ever roll greens in Thailand? The rest of the course was quite acceptable however and some good scores were achieved. The single flight saw Aussie Sid Brown and Glyn Jenkins muster 40 points for a share of runner-up place, Glyn's score being his best in five years of trying. Recovering from a hip replacement operation Vancouver based Glyn has discovered that slowing down the swing is the answer to accuracy and it worked well at Rayong. The winner, with the best gross of the day as well, 80, was Darren Norris, currently in-form and his 42 points was a fine return for the Australian golfer. Michael Sim produced a plum on the fifth for a share of the birdie twos pot with Darren's effort on the seventh and the Booby Bevy went to Tony Thorne, who, standing on the final tee with 39 points already on his card, proceeded to struggle to escape from a greenside bunker and blew away his chances of being in the frame with a scratched hole. Golf nat Rayong was relaxed and with the let-up in the humid conditions at last it was a perfect way to end the week.

A Sumner Special

On Tuesday, 25th May, something strange had happened at Phoenix. The car park was empty at ten o'clock in the morning when the Pattaya Golf Society visited to play a monthly medal event and the best of service was guaranteed. The allocated courses were the Mountain and Lakes and the group had the tee whenever they wished. It is a sure sign of the times and the current plight of Thailand when the punters get to call the tune at the popular local course. It was a delight not to have Asian six balls or chastening marshalls pressurising the golfers and within four and a half hours the entire field had returned to the clubhouse having enjoyed an excellent competition. In the single flight the third place was shared by Ronnie Ramsay and Bill Hewitt on 72 net whilst Mark West went a couple of shots better with a fine net 70 for second place. The round of the day, indeed the best round of his life, was recorded by Pete Sumner whose gross 75, net 66, was a reward for some fine iron play and only an extra putt on three holes prevented him from recording his first ever par round off the sticks. His birdie two on M8 only emphasised his accuracy as did the efforts of Mark West on the same hole and Tony Thorne on M4. The Booby Bevy went to Pat Murphy, very much in the frame after nine holes, who then started back with an abominable eleven on the short tenth leaving him lost for words for the first time ever! But the question being asked at the presentation was "Is this truly a sign of the times for Eastern Seaboard golf?" Phoenix...empty?

Sweet Swedish Success

On Thursday, 27th May the Pattaya Golf Society found for the second time in a week that they virtually had the golf course to themselves, this time at Eastern Star, on the occasion of a stableford competition. The golf industry is heading for a tough low season if the signs are to be read and the courses' policy of overcharging for groups of less than eighteen (an ESGA contrived figure no doubt) will do nothing to improve either profits or good humour amongst Pattaya's golfers. The single flight had Tony Thorne, Sid Brown and Pat Murphy sharing third place with 34 points whilst local member Sweden's Mikael Andersson rediscovered his form again with an impressive 40 point score for the day's win. The only two was an eagle, drilled into the eighteenth hole with a nine iron by Wichai Tananusorn, to give him "two for five" for the hole and give his card some semblance of respectability right at the end. The Booby Bevy was replaced by drinks all round to celebrate the birthday of Khun Phen, Mr Len's daughter, and the evening ended in fine style, as always after golf with the Pattaya Golf Society.

Oz Balance of Payments Boosted

The Pattaya Golf Society visited Khao Kheow Country Club on Saturday, 29th May, to play a stableford competition over the A and B nines. The course was not at its best as a result of recent heavy rains, especially the B nine which had two fairways in particular which were very wet and it bodes poorly for the high season when unwise use of B6 and B7 now will lead to problems later. Still, OK for farangs, as the C nine which was also open, was reserved exclusively for locals and visiting Japanese! Always a tough course off the yellow tees, good scores were once again at a premium as Aussie Sid Brown posted 35 points for third, one behind the joint winners, compatriots Darren Norris and Tony Thorne on 36 points. Tony managed to pip Masa Takano for the May Player of the Month title during this round and his golf has kicked back into gear now that his new putting style has taken affect. Sid Brown also took sole possession of the twos pot with a brace on A3 and B8. One small point of interest: the recent review of AGU national handicaps has certainly helped Aussie golf visitors with the PGS and the change to calculations under the USGA system has helped golfers on moderate to high handicaps much more than those in the lower bracket. Food for thought? Maybe, but nevertheless well done lads for another Aussie clean sweep.

June 2010

A Windy Picnic at the Riverside

On Tuesday, 1st June, the Pattaya Golf Society left Rabbi's in Soi Buakhao and travelled to the beautiful Riverside course at Bangpakong, on the outskirts of Chonburi. An excellent deal covering the "full whack", including F&B vouchers, made for an excellent day out on the well maintained course. Usually the course provides a free scoring bonanza but on this occasion a very strong wind blew all day and had a major effect on the back nine. Sharing runner-up place were Bangkok-based member Michael Sim and Scot Peter Duncan, both producing 34 points for their best rounds for a long time. Nudging ahead in first place was Tony Thorne, currently very much the man to beat and the PGS "Player of the Month" for May held on to his one point advantage. There was one birdie two, that going to new member Olivier Tahon on the fourth hole, a long, long downhill putt doing the trick, The Booby Bevy went to Mr Len for losing his way off the sixth tee and losing his way to the highway on the return journey enabling his passengers to savour a delightful tour of the environs of Chonburi at rush hour. Hopefully the next visit to Bangpakong Riverside, in August, will be less hectic.

Andersson's Power Play

Saturday golf with the Pattaya Golf Society continued with a visit to Eastern Star on 5th June and again the group found the course empty and the tee available a full thirty minutes before the official start time. The weather was fine for golf with overcast skies helping to cool the golfers but the humidity was still high. The course was reasonably well turned out but there is still very little pace in the greens. It was good to welcome back Saranya Riley after her serious operation a few months back and her recuperation can only be helped by days such as this on the golf course. The field was all about quality and the scores were destined to be good with an overall field average of 35.5 stableford points. In third place, after an unusually long period of struggle, was Harry Riley and his 37 points was a good reward for his efforts. Second place was occupied by Tony Thorne with his best round for seemingly months. Forty points from a round which saw him score gross 38 for the back nine was an exceptional effort from the current Player of the Month at Rabbi's Elephant Bar. The winner was Swedish powerhouse Mikael Andersson whose round of just 74 shots saw his first ever albatross, a two on the eighth which witnessed a shot of such length and accuracy, 210 yards over water, finish inexorably in the hole. But Mikael's round was not all about power as his delicate chip from the fringe on the thirteenth also found the hole to give him the second two on his card. Your correspondent witnessed his first ever eagle on Mountain One at Phoenix in 2003 and was on hand to congratulate him again. It was quality golf indeed.

Close Call at Greenwood

The Pattaya Golf Society visited Greenwood on Thursday. 10th June to play a stableford merit competition over the C and B nines and found the course in good condition but with very little run off the white tees, placed at their furthest extent. The course was also empty apart from a similar sized PSC group who had started well in advance of the IPGC group. The single flight cast their eyes heavenwards all day but the heavy skies refused to deposit their rain and the competition was played out in the dry with a comfortable cool breeze. In third place was Tony Kitchen, fresh from his success in the IPGC Monthly medal two days earlier, this time recording 33 points. One point ahead was the pair of Tony Thorne and Carl Lovatt who shared the win with 34 points. There were no birdie twos and the Booby Bevy went to Brendan Gilsenan for his uncharacteristic low score. Low season golf has inevitably small fields but quality golf still abounds in Pattaya.

A Hard Day's Night at Khao Kheow

Saturday golf with the Pattaya Golf Society continued at Khao Kheow on 12th June on the C and A nines which showed signs of significant rain damage. The starter had decided in his own inimitable way to insert four Thai five-balls in front of the lead PGS group, indeed taking up more than ten minutes of our time allocation on the tee and for the third straight visit a nigh on six hour round was in prospect. Needless to say the PGS schedule for the next few months is under review even as you read this. The tough nature of the task reflected in the scores and in third place were Bob St Aubin, Koji Yamada, Brad Dippie and Brendan Gilsenan, all on 27 points. The winning score was a mere 31 points, shared by "Whirlwind" John Robertson and a returning Sunny Khanna. There were no twos making the pot substantially more full than expected and the Booby Bevy went to Kevin McBride after an introduction to the finer points of Eastern Seaboard golf had left him bemused with the day's lowest score. And so ended another interesting week with the PGS.

Robertson Wins at Bangpra

On Tuesday, 15th June the Pattaya Golf Society visited Bangpra to play a stableford event on the immaculately presented course. Certainly there is no finer course in the province at present and the fairways are lush, the bunkers and greens manicured and the overall impression is of a quality golf course prepared for a top competition. And then the PGS turned up! The white tees were all back and the course was playing to its full length and those legendary greens were to hold back the scores. Returning to the group Paul McNally entered 29 points for a surprising third place, three behind Wichai Tananusorn who played some worthy golf in his score of 32 points. The winner was John Robertson, with his whirlwind swing, occasionally accurate but always prodigiously long. He managed to bully 33 points out of the course to take his first solo win with the group. There were no birdie twos and the Booby Bevy was held back for a return to Emerald a few days later. The abiding memory of Bangpra was the beauty of the course when so many others are struggling to present a track worthy of a competition. Eastern Star take note.

Masa Goes For it at Emerald

After a break of many months the Pattaya Golf Society returned to the Emerald course at Ban Chang on Tuesday, 17th June, to play a stableford competition on the empty course. The day was very heavily overcast and it was a wonder that the rain held off for all except the final three holes. The course was well presented but the white tees were at their furthest extent and the course, in the still conditions, was exceptionally long. Quite a challenge then as Wichai Tananusorn and Len Jones struggled to the magic thirty mark only to fail leaving them on 29 points to share third place points. Playing well with controlled golf was Tony Thorne and he underlined his current improvement with a steady 34 points which included a monstrous fifty foot putt across the slope on the fifth green for the first birdie two of the day. He was later joined with a share by Masa Takano and his birdie two on the fifteenth. Prior to that the commendable Japanese had played the first ten holes in gross par and was looking at something special but inevitably the wheels came off and he finished with a winning score of 36 points on his return. The Booby Bevy went to Brendan Gilsenan for his 5-19 split and our goodbye wishes. A share also went to John Robertson for making hero-to-zero status look extremely simple after two fine finishes this week. Emerald had been a refreshing change for the group but it had been enjoyable nevertheless.

Arthur Holds Court at Eastern Star

Eastern Star was the host for Sunday golf with the Pattaya Golf Society on 20th June and the Soi Buakhao based group enjoyed golf on an empty course which in general was well prepared except for the ever inconsistent greens. With little breeze good scores were expected but they never quite materialised as putting proved the obstruction to breaking par. In second place was a clutch of golfers with Koji Yamada, Wichai Tananusorn and a revitalised and hungry Mikael Andersson all sharing the place with 34 points each. The winner was Arthur Hancock, returning to the group after a very long absence and his game is so consistent with a fine rhythmic swing and accurate fairway shots giving him a total of 38 points. He also had the honour of the day’s only birdie two, on the seventeenth. The Booby Bevy was reserved for Bob St Aubin whose golf was embarrassing for a twelve handicapper and who had sabotaged the chances of Rabbi entering the fray with an exuberant celebration involving tequila the evening before, leaving mine host in Soi Buakhao nursing a hangover. This is Pattaya and don’t you just love it!

A Grey Day at Green Valley

As a very grey and miserable day dawned on Tuesday, 22nd June, the Pattaya Golf Society visited Green Valley to play a stableford event in place of a cancelled trip to Crystal Bay, who are hell bent on moving the goalposts this low season regarding group numbers and any previous commitments to fees and field sizes. Green Valley was a good move as there were very few on course except for the fellow IPGC group playing under the Donovan’s "umbrella". The day continued to be wintry and a few heavy showers duly arrived to make life a little more uncomfortable for the golfers but a few acquitted themselves well including Len Jones and Mikael Andersson who both managed 34 points for a share of second place. Mikael also secured the day’s only birdie two on the second hole. Virtually unstoppable at the moment is Japanese golfer Masanori Takano and his form continued with an excellent best gross figure of 78 giving him 38 points for the win. Playing golf on a wet course is not everyone’s choice but at Green Valley allowances are made because the course is on all the "must play" list in the Province.

Thorne Turns it on at St Andrews

The Legacy Golf Company imposes a surcharge on groups of less than eighteen - find me one in Pattaya with regularly more! - so the Pattaya Golf Society did what was natural and re-routed to St Andrews on Thursday, 24th June and found a promotion which could not be overlooked. “Goodbye Crystal Bay” but superb value was being offered by the congenial Ban Chang club and a splendid day on a quality golf course was assured. The landscaping and hole layouts make for a very challenging course and the format was stableford and as many in the field had little or no experience of the course it would call to bear all the golfers’ skills. On a fine dry day Masa Takano joined big hitting John Robertson in third with 32 points, just one point behind the more subtle skills of Wichai Tananusorn who came runner-up with 33. The winner was Tony Thorne whose approach play was accurate all day and his putting was superb on the tricky greens. His 39 points belied the fact that he had played the course only twice before and his score was a credit to the form he is in currently. There were no birdie twos and the pot was thus enhanced. The course at St Andrews may be quirky in places but it's a fantastic challenge, and it more than made up for the cancellation further up congested Sukhumvit.

Thai Style at Emerald

On Saturday, 26th June, the Pattaya Golf Society left Soi Buakhao and headed for The Emerald course in Ban Chang for a stableford competition.The low numbers in the field was reflected on the course where there were hardly any golfers and the first group got underway some ten minutes before the scheduled tee time. The course was in fine condition and the weather was dry but excessively humid throughout the day. With many of the white tees back to their furthest extent the day held challenges enough for the field. The returning Sam McLellan used his first round since January to post 31 points for a share of second place with Masa Takano whilst Thai golfer Wichai Tananusorn rounded off a good week with another excellently crafted total of 33 points for the win. Wichai also had the sole birdie two of the day, on the tough par three thirteenth. The Booby Bevy was reserved for John Robertson, struggling with tennis elbow and stiff wrists, which caused him to ditch his woods and try to master the course with irons only, unsuccessfully. Alan Bainbridge of Premier League Golf Tours had generously donated a free round at the floodlit Par three course at the Asia Hotel and this was won by Masa Takano for his best total score on the par threes. The PGS thanks Alan for his generosity and wishes him well in the exciting new venture underway at the Asia Hotel.

Thorne Unbeatable at Rayong

On Tuesday, 29th June, the Pattaya Golf Society went to Rayong CC to play a medal round to conclude the month's fixtures and the race for the Society's "Player of the Month" title. The course was empty and anticipating slow greens on an otherwise good track the field began on an empty course under overcast skies. Before long it became evident that one golfer in particular was going to have a good day as approach shots were unerringly accurate and putts all found the bottom of the cup. Unfazed by a very heavy electric storm for the last hour amongst those making a fist of things in third place was Len Jones, posting net 79 for a round composed of unusually inconsistent tee shots which held his advance back. In second place was Thai golfer Wichai Tananusorn with 78 net. The winner by a country mile was Tony Thorne and his best gross of the day, eighty, represented net 70 as scores were checked. His golf, characterised by a uniquely unconventional swing, has been certainly been effective and consistent and he has managed to record the highest monthly points score since the competition began five years ago. It really has been a month of quality golf and it remains to be seen where he goes from here. Russell Exley took the twos pot with the days only birdie two and he also took the technical for the best net score on the par threes, 12, to win the voucher kindly presented by Alan Bainbridge for a free round at the Asia Hotel Floodlit Par Three course. It had been a good end to the month with the Pattaya Golf Society.

July 2010

Duckett’s Winning Return

On Saturday, 3rd July, the Pattaya Golf Society left Soi Buakhao and travelled to Ban Chang to play a stableford competition at Eastern Star which has proved to be a difficult challenge in recent months because of, in part, the inconsistency of the greens, where the four newly laid greens are quicker than the rest, which also vary in pace. However the field found an empty course again and play got underway on time. The day remained overcast throughout and heavy rains and back tee positions helped the course to play long. In third place Thai lady Nit Watcharaphin continued her golf education with a well crafted 34 points, a result of accurate tee and fairway shots. She has already announced her arrival on the golf scene with three divisional wins earlier in the year in the IPGC Monthly Medals. In second place with a well balanced level par card was Len Jones. At present it’s feast or famine for Mr Len as a few errant tee shots in the middle of his round once again detracted from an excellent performance. He did however pick up the day’s only birdie two on the long par three third. The winner was Alan Duckett, playing with the group for the first time since March and his 38 points was well received. Sadly for him it could have been much better as his 22 point score after nine holes held promise of far better things. Later at the presentation in Rabbi’s Elephant Bar regular Tony Thorne received his prize for winning the "Player of the Month" award for June after a month which saw him play outstanding golf and achieve a total of 54 points, the highest since the award was introduced five years ago. It was to prove a fitting way to end his current stay as family issues drag him back to Oz for a few weeks, leaving the field clear for someone else in July. The final presentation went to Alan Duckett whose two-under total on the par threes picked up the free green fee voucher for the Asia Hotel Floodlit par three course, kindly donated by Alan Bainbridge of Premier League Golf Tours. Well done all.

Lazecki Bites Back

On Tuesday, 6th July, the Pattaya Golf Society once again visited the delightful course at Royal Lakeside between Chonburi and Bang Na. The day was heavily overcast and the predicted thunderstorm arrived to delay the final three holes by almost an hour on an otherwise excellent day for golf. The course was in excellent condition and the greens are the best in the area currently. Good scores are expected here but on this day the mosquitoes posed more problems than the course and the concentration of the golfers was certainly affected by their presence in the excessively humid conditions. Faring better than most was Wichai Tananusorn who posted a stableford score of 34 points for third place, two behind runner-up Masa Takano, once again finding good form as he also recorded the day's best gross of eighty shots. The winner was Canadian Tim Lazecki for whom the course is certainly a favourite, having recorded net 68 there in early March. His 38 points showed the benefits of his recent sessions on the driving range developing more length and accuracy in his long game. There were no birdie twos and the Booby Bevy went to Sam McLellan on a dull day when nothing seemed to go right, except his shot direction! The PGS will certainly be back at Lakeside but not until the dry season arrives!

Sam Slips Back into Gear

In common with many other Pattaya golf groups the Pattaya Golf Society took advantage yet again of Green Valley's foresight in their pricing policy regarding St Andrew's and visited the fine course on Thursday, 8th July to play a stableford competition. The weather was set fair and the course was very well presented with greens at their very best. Off the white tees the course is approximately 6350 yards and a severe test for high handicappers so it was expected the better players would fare best. In third place was Wichai Tananusorn with 33 points but in second was thirty-something handicapper John Robertson with 34 points, on a day when most, but not all, of his herculean drives found the short stuff. A new putter also had the desired effect. The winner was Sam McLellan with 35 points, who only two days previously had shanked his way around Royal Lakeside in the depths of golfing despair. On this day however most of his shots were true and considering it was his first experience of the course his result was something of a surprise. Play it again Sam? He certainly will! Wichai took the twos pot for two very fine efforts on the third and seventeenth holes which saw run-of-the-mill putts follow two exquisite tee shots. The PGS group certainly wishes to thank the Green Valley/St Andrew's management for their perceptive promotion of the two courses and will certainly be back at St Andrew's next month.

Jon Lay's Out a Fine Win

The Pattaya Golf Society visited the Emerald course at Ban Chang on Saturday, 10th July to play a stableford competition on the course which was in fairly good condition considering the amount of rain the area has had recently. Another "plus" was the lack of other golfers on the course and having a track virtually to themselves for the first two hours helped the enjoyment of the day. In fourth place was the ever improving New Zealander Brad Dippie and his 33 points was good value from the fourteen handicapper. Sharing second place were Masa Takano and Sam McLellan on 34 points and for Sam it was his final round this trip and a fitting way to prepare for a flight a few hours later. The winner was Jon Lay, firing a gross 75 for 40 points to post a second successive forty plus score at the course in eight days. His golf on a good day can be so clinical as his eclectic total of gross 68 over the two rounds shows. There were no birdie twos and the Booby Bevy went to Mr Len as consolation for the physical and mental exhaustion he was suffering as a result of six rounds in seven days, finishing with one point on each of the final five holes. But nothing can detract from the quality golf on show at Emerald.

Masters Passes Test at Rayong

On Tuesday, 13th July, the Pattaya Golf Society visited an empty Rayong CC to play a stableford competition on the slowly improving course. It has been a year now since the ownership change and there is evidence that the new owners are getting it right. But there is still much to do to make the greens consistent and even paced and cutting only a few at a time is not the recipe for success, as the group found when holes from 9 to 12 had been cut and then again the fifteenth. Scoring has always been tough on the excellent ans testing track and on this occasion things went very much to handicap with Masa Takano and Wichai Tananusorn sharing third place with 31 points each. In runner-up place was the returning Swiss golfer John Rehm and he continued his habit of being in the frame on his first round each trip with 32 points. There were no birdie twos, unsurprisingly. The winner was Peter Masters whose 33 points represented very good value for the course and his score was a good preparation for the IPGC Championships beginning at Khao Kheow the following day.

Rehm Reigns

A small group of PGS stalwarts gathered at Rayong CC on Saturday, 17th July to play a post-IPGC Championship stableford competition. The golfing excesses of the previous ten days, which included in addition to the usual weekly golf a Monthly Medal, a birthday scramble and two days of intense strokeplay at Khao Kheow, led to some jaded performances on Sir Nick's fine creation and scores were generally low. In third place was Canadian John Robertson with 31 points, his last contribution before leaving for Canada for six weeks, whilst Dad, Jack, undergoes a long awaited knee operation. In second place was Aussie regular visitor Brendan Gilsenan whose 34 points marked the end of a week which saw his golf develop well with new clubs and the experience of Khao Kheow. The winner was John Rehm, always so consistent on his visits, and his 36 point card was the pick of the bunch. There was one birdie two, Bob St Aubin chipping in on the fifth, and he also volunteered for the Booby Bevy for his otherwise poor score. It was the excuse the jaded organiser was looking for! It had indeed been a tough week for the PGS.

Tananusorn on Top Form

On Tuesday, 21st July the Pattaya Golf Society again took advantage of Green Valley's current fine promotion and played at St Andrews in a stableford competition on a course sparsely populated and in excellent condition with greens as fine as any in the province. It was truly a joy to be there. With tourists numbers at an all-time low the field was small but there was quality enough as Tom Lazecki showed firing 32 points for third place. Ahead of Tim was the new IPGC Net Champion, Kasuo Takimoto and he continued his excellent form with a flowing 35 points for second. The winner was Wichai Tananusorn, a Thai golfer with impeccable "farang" etiquette, and his 39 points was more than enough to win the day. On his day Wichai is very good value for his ten handicap with his full flowing swing and accurate approach play. There were no birdie twos and the Booby Bevy went to John Rehm for an unbelievable split of 8 - 21 shots on both nines. The PGS field thoroughly enjoyed the day at St Andrews.

Another Gem from Wichai

On Thursday, 22nd July the Pattaya Golf Society again visited the Green Valley complex to play a medal round over the original course which was in excellent condition and amazingly empty. The day remained fine and the course was set up for some good golf. In the event the day went to form with Masanori Takano and Mr Len sharing third place with net 73, just one shot behind runner-up Peter Masters whose net 72 contained some essential luck and continued to frustrate with the "unmentionables" which are so much an annoying feature of the poor man's game at present. The best round of the day was a net 69 recorded by Wichai Tananusorn, a repeat of his score at St Andrews only two days previously. His round again was all about accuracy and was exemplified by his eagle two on the final hole where he sank his pitching wedge second shot with aplomb to share the twos pot with Mikael Andersson.. This added to his earlier birdie on the fourth hole, the previous second until the recent re-routing, which, incidentally must put the club in the "Guinness Book of Records" for having the most difficult start anywhere on the planet, with SI 1, 3, and 7 being the first three holes. Congratulations and thanks for the day, Green Valley.

Masa Pushed All the Way at Emerald

The Pattaya Golf Society alternates its weekend golf between Eastern Star and The Emerald and it was the latter's turn to host the Soi Buakhao based group on Saturday, 24th July. They found the course in fine condition, the weather fair and the day was set well for some good golf. For Les Burns it was good too find himself in the frame with a well deserved share of third place with John Rehm on 31 points. The third member of their playing group was Don Nellis and he returned from work to the PGS with an excellent 35 points which gave him second place. The winner was Masanori Takano and his front nine of nineteen points held promise of better things but his game tailed off over the closing holes after some clinical golf, to finish on 36 points for the win. There were no birdie twos and the Booby Bevy went to Les Burns for his 19 - 12 split which could so easily have finished better, giving him his best ever PGS round. Nevertheless it had been a very enjoyable day out at the Emerald.

Been There, Done That - Masa

On Tuesday, 27th July the Pattaya Golf Society visited the Emerald club in Ban Chang for the second stableford competition in four days - and why not? The course is in excellent condition and even on this public holiday, it was empty! It was no surprise as the group's largest field for a month or more turned out, augmented by the return of old friends Tony Thorne and John Mason, the latter desperate for some tropicaL golf after a long spell in the UK. The only difference from the previous visit was the weather which was heavily overcast and brooding and the storm arrived inexorably after about seven holes to delay proceedings for an hour. On the restart it became obvious that the man of the moment on the previous visit would dominate this time as Masanori Takano was racking up par after par to turn at one under. On Saturday he fell apart after sixteen holes but held on to his lead and again this day he incredibly played the wrong ball on the seventeenth and, needing only a par for a sub-par round he stumbled again on the final hole. It was "deja vue" with a vengeance. His card of 35 points was still enough to win as his nearest rivals, Tony Thorne, John Rehm and guest Laurie Collins all shared second place with 32 points. There were no official birdie twos but Scott Reilly, playing to establish a handicap, received the Booby Bevy for his birdie on the par-three seventh with the words "You have to be in it to win it" ringing in his ears at the presentation. For the Soi Buakhao based group it had been a fine day's golf at the Emerald but for Masa it was definitely a case of "Been there, done that..."

...and Bangpra Makes it Three

The Masanori Roadshow, aka the Pattaya Golf Society, visited Bangpra on Thursday, 29th July to play a stableford competition on the beautifully appointed course. The fairways had a surprising amount of "run" and the greens were deliciously quick. An absence of other golfers and a warm, breezy day made for some excellent golf. It was appropriate that on this Japanese owned course Japanese would feature prominently in the frame as Kasuo Takimoto took third place with 32 points, just behind Tony Thorne's 34 points in second place. The winner was Masanori Takano again, making it the third consecutive victory and this time he held it all together to finish under par with 37 points. Bob St Aubin woke the many monkeys with his cheer on the second after securing a birdie two and Tony Thorne joined him with another excellent birdie effort on hole twelve. The Booby Bevy went to Peter Masters who chose to practice before hand and get the dreaded "unmentionables" out of his game but only succeeded in sharpening the particular beasts, leading to another tormented round. Bangpra had seen another fine exhibition of accuracy from the talented Japanese golfer and Masa now stands within touching distance of his first "Player of the Month" title with the PGS.

The Boss in Charge at Eastern Star

On Saturday, 31st July, the Pattaya Golf Society visited Eastern Star to play their last stableford competition for the month, on a day which stayed fair throughout. Eastern Star greens are a real worry and many in the group had never seen them as poorly presented as on this occasion. Very dry with bare patches and sprinklings of sand added to their inconsistency and when every approach shot kicks up dust there are huge problems. The club will suffer in the long run as golfers are becoming more selective in their choice of venue during this economic downturn and ESR comes nowhere near offering value for money these days. Having said that the group made a fist of it and Erik Anttonen back after a broken toe shot the best gross of the day (83) in collecting 33 points for third place. Sharing second place were the consistent John Rehm and Mikael Andersson, both collecting 34 points. The winner was Len Jones and his 38 points represented his most solid round for a few months. There were no birdie twos and in an intriguing sub-plot Masanori Takano held his nerve at the death to snatch the Society's "Player of the Month" award from Wichai Tananusorn, by virtue of two wins earlier in the week. The Booby Bevy went to new member Mike Wilsher by way of a welcome to the IPGC and as a reminder of a pleasant but low scoring debut before his hasty departure back to "Nakhon Nowhere" for the next few months. Maybe that's where the ESR ground staff team have been hiding!

August 2010

All Change at Bangpakong

August started well for the Pattaya Golf Society with a trip to the beautiful Bangpakong Riverside course between Chonburi and Chachoensao. The course is always wonderfully presented and the greens are amongst the best and most consistent anywhere. With good lies on the well maintained fairways an enjoyable golf experience is always in store. On this occasion however golfers gasped when they found that the nines had been reversed and the hitherto friendly front nine had now become the back nine and the tougher second half was now the start. The course also has a unique indexing policy and it was a surprise to find the new fourth hole was a 200 yards par three, over water and into the wind to a pin situated behind a large bunker. Stroke eighteen of course! However the golf was very competitive with Tony Thorne joining last week's hero Masanori Takano in third place with 34 points. In second with 35 points was Peter Masters who had rushed to re-route from the other Bangpakong course with just minutes to spare and the winner was the consistent Swiss golfer John Rehm with a level par 36 point return. There were surprisingly no birdie twos on those splendid greens and the Booby Bevy went to Tony Thorne for an attempted backhand shot which cannoned off his shin inflicting a painful penalty. Bangpakong had represented a fine way to start the month. With the memory of the greens one is left with the simple question "If they can do it here, why can they not do it at Eastern Star or Rayong CC?"

Rehm's Farewell Forty

The Pattaya Golf Society visited Green Valley on Thursday, 5th August to play a stableford competition at the popular club. The course was well presented as usual and amazingly, in the depths of this desperate low season, the group managed to provide two flights, cut at fifteen and under. In the top flight Mikael Andersson posted a score of thirty points for third place despite huge problems with his short putts. Wichai Tananusorn went one better with 31 points, stuttering throughout an inconsistent round, and the winner was Swedish visitor Tomas Gustafsson with 37 points. In the second flight visitor Bob Dantini joined Len Jones for a share of second place with 37 points whilst John Rehm chose to sign out in style with an excellent forty points. His golf this trip has indeed been remarkably consistent. The only birdie two the day was recorded by Mikael Andersson and on the same hole Peter Masters almost slam-dunked his seven iron into the hole for an ace but it hit the bottom of the flag and rebounded to the fringe leaving Peter with the Booby Bevy, not only as consolation for what might have been but also in celebration of his birthday. Chin up Peter, things will improve!

High Scores Again at Emerald

On Saturday, 7th August, the Pattaya Golf Society met at Emerald Golf Club in Ban Chang to play a stableford competition on the course which was in fine order under clear skies. Late withdrawals and even later inclusions meant that a relatively youthful (ha!) but strong hitting trio lead off from the first on time and were later to feature highly in the frame. Quality was also there and fourth place was occupied by Masa Takano with a steady 34 points whilst Paul McNally's 35 points gave him third place and best gross figures of 78, hopefully restoring confidence to pull his game back together after a serious of drab performances. Back to the lead group, as New Zealander Brad Dippie again used his strength to bludgeon 41 points out the course with playing partner Craig Morrison going even better with 44. Phew! It was all too much for the third member of the group, Paul Bartlett, whose total of 18 points betrayed his handicap of thirteen. The Booby Bevy was his only reward on a memorable day at Emerald.

Priddy Passes Stern Test

On Tuesday, 10th August the Pattaya Golf Society travelled to Greenwood for the first of its two regular monthly merit events, this time stableford over the A and C nines. With the white tees well back and lightly sanded but uncut greens the course was best described by a senior member of the group as "brutal". Long and with slow greens, just the tonic for the group. The two flights were cut at fifteen and under and in the top division Peter Duncan joined Paul McNally in a share of second place with 32 points each, Paul firing the day's best gross figures of 82, whilst Haven regular Fred Land went one better with a fine 33 points for the win. In the second flight Ronnie Ramsay and Masashi Iizumi shared second place with 30 points whilst Kenny Priddy, again from the Haven, fired the best score of the day, 36 points for the win. There were no birdie twos and the Booby Bevy went to Tim Lazecki for making a poor fist of the round having shot one-under at Plantation on his previous outing. This despite the pressing claim by Paul Bartlett for depositing his scorecard in the locked Caddy Evaluation box after the round. The question on everyone's lips was "Which box did it go into? 'Excellent', 'Good', 'Fair' or 'Poor"?" On days such as this Greenwood is truly a challenge and golfers need a round like that once in a while.

Masashi Takes a Holiday Fling

On Thursday, 12th August the Pattaya Golf Society celebrated the birthday of HM the Queen with a good stableford competition at Rayong CC, with hardly any others golfers there to slow things down. Times are hard when even local gofers miss out on a holiday opportunity such as this. In a very competitive field it was perhaps appropriate that two Thai golfers should be in the frame and in third place was newest IPGC member Mali Upakam, the former Green Valley caddy scoring an impressive 34 points. Ahead of her in second place was Wichai Tananusorn with 35 and the best gross figures of the day. The winner was popular Japanese golfer Masashi Iizumi and his 36 points was a reflection of his accuracy throughout the round. It was helped by an exquisite birdie two on the seventh and he shared the pot with Tony Thorne after another fine effort on sixteen. The Booby Bevy was reserved for Tony Thorne for achieving a "Sorbent" in Aussie parlance, wiping three consecutive holes from four through six. The day stayed fine throughout and the holiday competition was a success at Rayong CC.

Eastern Star is Waning Fast

The very patient golfers of the Pattaya Golf Society visited Eastern Star on Saturday, 14th August, in the vain hope that they could enjoy a stableford competition on the once favourite course. The weather which was miserable was probably the best feature of the day and it is sad to see once pristine greens now scarred and bare. But, as a club member commented, they are now consistent! This was the backdrop to the competition and little wonder scores were no more than moderate with Tony Thorne and Martin Solberg sharing second place with 31 points each. The day's winner was local member Mikael Andersson and his score of 32 points mirrored his winning effort the previous day with the Jomtien group. Eastern Star two days in succession - he must be keen! There were no birdie twos and the Booby Bevy was reserved for Paul Bartlett for leaving his change bag in Rabbi's in the morning and his dirty bag in the winner's car in the evening. At least it gave the golfers some light relief on an otherwise pretty miserable day at Eastern Star.

Iizumi & Tananusorn All Square

The lure of the quality course at St Andrews was too much for the Pattaya Golf Society to ignore and so the group visited there for a stableford competition on Tuesday. 17th August. The course was splendidly presented with good consistent greens with more than a modicum of pace, such a relief after the toils at Eastern Star three days previously. Little wind and high humidity made the course play long and the single flight strove to a man to post good scores. Tim Lazecki stroked 32 points out of the course he loves for third place whilst Masashi Iizumi and Wichai Tananusorn went head-to-head again as they had previously at Rayong CC, but this time there was no daylight between them as they shared the win on 37 points each. Many attempted but no-one managed to achieve a birdie two and John Mason received the Booby Bevy for a round which saw him post a front nine of 20 points only for the wheels to come off, finishing with a mere eleven on the back nine. Or was it the hand of the golfing gods because higher handicappers are not even supposed to play the course, according to the club local rules. Why not, it's an absolute treat to play at any level and wonderful value currently.

Three Out of Four for Masashi

On Thursday, 19th August, the Pattaya Golf Society travelled the short journey from Soi Buakhao to Ban Amphoe to play a stableford competition on the popular course. Usually a forgiving track, this time dressed greens on the Mountain nine were slow whilst those on the Ocean nine were in fine condition and, as a result, some of the low handicappers in the large field struggled to post good points scores. However the full field average for the day was a healthy 33+. Lady golfer Nit Watcharaphin joined the illustrious trio of Paul Taylor, Paul McNally and Erik Anttonen with scores of 35 points for a share of fourth place, a couple behind Alan Duckett in third with 37. Big hitting Jon Lay made second place his own with 38 points but with two double-bogeys it was not quite enough as Masashi Iizumi posted his third winning score out of four events with an excellent 39 point total. His scores this trip have been his best collection on his many visits from Japan, where he is restricted to driving range golf. Practice certainly makes perfect in his case. Senior members in the group were delighted to have the company of Ken Graham in competition after an absence of a few years and his round also indicated that the promise he showed before was still there. There were no birdie twos except for Keith Howlett's effort on the Ocean fifth, but his was a qualifying round and he had to make do with the Booby Bevy for his skill. The whole day was splendidly marshalled by John Mason in the absence of the boss and the group had thoroughly enjoyed the day out at Phoenix.

Masters' Lesson at Emerald

When the Pattaya Golf Society visited Emerald on Saturday, 21st August, they found a course which had been well prepared in the face of some stern weather. Fairways were soft and had little "run" and the greens were slowish but consistent. The sky remained overcast all day but the golf held some exceptional quality. Five players broke par for the day and the full field average was 34 points. In third place were the trio of Erik Anttonen, Tony Thorne and Len Jones, all with 38 points. Ahead in second was Don Nellis, again playing some fine accurate golf with his forty-plus year old persimmon woods, and his 39 points represented his best for a long while. The winner was Peter Masters, his rhythmic swing so often promising fine things on the course but so often plagued with the "unmentionables"! His golf on this day was spot on with a level par back nine adding twenty-five stableford points to a one over front nine. His total of 42 points was also his best for many a long month. Peter shared the twos pot with an excellent effort on hole five but Jesper Hansen set a PGS record with three birdie twos in one round, namely on the fifth, thirteenth and fifteenth. The Booby Bevy went to Bob St Aubin for being the only golfer with a handicap under 25 who failed to reach thirty points on the forgiving course. This day at Emerald will be remembered for Jesper's fine triple crown and the golfing lesson handed down by Peter Masters.

Sure Thing Shui

On Tuesday, 24th August, the Pattaya Golf Society fulfilled a long awaited fixture at Bangpra when they visited to play a medal round on the immaculately presented course. Being just prior to a large annual tournament the course had been toughened up with impenetrable rough bordering the fairways and greens as sweet as ever. Scores were inevitably higher than normal and Wichai Tananusorn and Paul Taylor's net 78 was good enough for a shared third place. Ken Graham made his mark with the group again after four years to post a net 76 for second place whilst Shuichi Kodaka topped the lists with a carefully crafted net 75 for the win. Alan Duckett scored the first birdie two of the day on the eighth hole whilst Tony Thorne emulated the feat with a precise birdie two on the seventeenth. The Booby Bevy was decided before the group had all teed off as Don Nellis' tee shot on the first ricocheted off a cart path border post and ended up behind the tee box having rebounded off a golf cart thus leaving him with a second shot over the trees and the aforementioned cart, minus its passengers. What was it we said last week about the effectiveness of his beloved semi-vintage persimmon woods? Golf is like that in Pattaya - expect the unexpected and you're laughing!

Thorne Back on Top

The beauty of Khao Kheow beckoned for the Pattaya Golf Society on Thursday, 26th August, as the Soi Buakhao based IPGC group visited to play a stableford competition on the course, labelled by some as the best in the area currently. The recent wet spell has "greened up" the track wonderfully and a warm, clear day was all that was needed to set up a feast of challenging golf on the C and A nines. Traditionally, scoring well here has always been a tough call off the yellow tees and this day was no exception with Wichai Tananusorn managing 32 points for third place whilst Don Nellis, taking a break from his hectic globetrotting, posted one better for second place. All credit must go to Tony Thorne after a series of mediocre scores which has seen his last ten scores average nearly net 78. His golf was clinical and even missing five putts from within four feet he still managed a total of 36 points for the win. The twos winners were Sonny Crawford on C8, Alan Duckett and Keith Howlett on A5 and Ronnie Ramsay with a brace on A3 and A5. The Booby Bevy went to the very recently returned PGS mentor David Thomas, for his unusually slovenly and late appearance "on parade" at the presentation, but in his defence it had been only eighteen hours since his long awaited return to the Kingdom from his sheep farm exile in Australia and appointments with his barber and fitness coach had been put on hold. Better days lie ahead for him and his PGS colleagues over the next few weeks.

Member's Day at Eastern Star

The Pattaya Golf Society paid its final low season visit to Eastern Star on Saturday, 28th August, in the vain hope that some improvements had been made to the once proud course. It was gratifying to see that members' funds were being utilized as the course was full of greens staff, but a closer look revealed that they were trimming the ornamental flowerbeds and exercising their topiary skills on bushy displays of dogs and vases! What about the excessive rough bordering the fairways, the patchy fringes, the rain damage done by buggy use, the lack of GUR signs and the dismal, almost terminal condition of the greens? Well, there you have us ESR. The PGS golfers turning up for the stableford competition deserved better. It was perhaps fitting that the winners on the day were all ESR members. Sharing second place were Don Nellis and Alan Duckett on 34 points whilst Mikael Andersson again produced consistency with a fine display of 36 points. Erik Anttonen took the twos pot for his birdie on the seventeenth, no mean feat in the circumstances. ESR will soon find that the only golfers on the course will be members as saner heads will prevail and groups will re-route to other courses where the management still take a pride in course presentation and give a lesser priority to grabbing money.

Ramsay Wreaks Havoc at St Andrews

On Tuesday, 31st August the Pattaya Golf Society visited the deliciously tempting course at St Andrews to end the month in high style with a stableford event off the white tees. The course was empty and the attraction of the current promotion had teased a large group away from Soi Buakhao for the day. It was pleasing for the group to have David Thomas playing with his soulmates again after such a long absence shepherding in WA. And didn't it show in his game! He would later receive the Booby Bevy for his efforts. Just missing out on the places was Mr Len with 33 points but sharing second place with respectable scores of 34 points each were Tony Thorne and Brian Shaw, an Aussie duo of impeccable golf stock. The winner was Ronnie Ramsay, Scottish to the core, and his power game kicked in with 42 points to record the group's best winning score at the course in ten visits. His score included a birdie two on the fifth, sharing the honour with David Thomas and Ronnie Senior took a birdie on the tenth to make it a family double. St Andrews did not disappoint and once again the club did the group proud in the presentation of the course. Anticipation is high for a return visit in a few weeks time.

September 2010

High Time for Lazecki

Emerald Ban Chang has a certain attraction for all Pattaya golfers and the Pattaya Golf Society joined the fun with a visit there on Saturday, 4th September, to play a stableford competition on the well presented course. Fairways were still soft after the recent seasonal rains and this made the course play long with little run but the greens were very receptive and accuracy was amply rewarded. As things turned out two golfers were to show their skills in particular. Sharing third place on 32 points were Tony Thorne and Bob St Aubin, the latter in the frame finally after many months of trying. In second place with the best gross of the day, 77, was Jon Lay and his card was only marred by two double bogeys, ironically on both par threes on the back nine, giving him 36 points. The winner, a rarity this, was Canadian golfer Tim Lazecki who put all the months of practice to good effect to enter a score of 40 points. It represented Tim's best round since a similar score in early March at Royal Lakeside. There were no birdie twos and the Booby Bevy went to Mr Len for breaking the cardinal rule when his car broke down on the way to Ban Chang and not on the return journey, thus causing havoc to the startlist and timings for the rest of the day. Still, there's always next weekend at Ban Chang.

Ramsay & Knapp in Driving Seat

The Pattaya Golf Society returned to Phoenix on Tuesday, 7th September to play a stableford competition on the Mountain and Lakes nines and found the relatively empty course in better condition than on their previous few outings. The return of a few old friends made the day more memorable and Bill Hewitt showed he had lost none of his "nouse" in returning a score of 35 points to share third place with Tony Thorne, the latter sharing the best gross score of the day with Kazuo Takimoto.. Playing together in-form Ronnie Ramsay and Chris Knapp went head-to-head throughout to record the best scores of the day and share the victory with 38 points apiece. Chris also got his hands on the twos pot with a splendid effort on Lakes seven. Les Burns's excellent two-under assault on the back nine gave him a total of 31 points but did nothing to hide a poor front nine and he duly received the Booby Bevy for the largest split score of the day. Phoenix had once again given the PGS golfers a chance to enjoy themselves on a pleasant day in the company of friends.

A Job Well "Don" at Green Valley

The popular Green Valley club welcomed the Pattaya Golf Society on Thursday, 9th September, when the Soi Buakhao based group played a stableford competition on the well presented course. The absence of rain for a few days has dried the course out and there was a surprising amount of run on the fairways and with quick greens the competition would be sharp. Sharing third place, on 31 points each, were Len Jones and Rob Lamond, playing with the group again after a long absence. Rob's gross of 83 was the best of the day. In second place was Thai golfer Wichai Tananusorn and his 34 points came in one of his last tournaments before leaving for UK to watch the "big boys" in action at the Ryder Cup. The day's winner was "southpaw" Don Nellis and again he demon started the consistency his game has adopted with a fine 35 point score on the not too easy course. Mikael Andersson recorded two birdie twos on the back nine par threes and he was joined by John Mason and his birdie on the sixteenth for a share of the twos pot, whilst the returning Steve McGill enjoyed the Booby Bevy for his languid round which contained the day's biggest split of nine and eighteen. Green Valley is well worth playing at the moment and the group will return as soon as possible to enjoy more good golf at the popular venue.

Big Mac's Sizzles at Emerald

On Saturday, 11th September, the Pattaya Golf Society travelled to Ban Chang to play a stableford competition at the Emerald club. The course was well presented, if a little soft, and play began under overcast skies in comfortable cool conditions. The return of more old friends made the day most enjoyable and one of these was to feature highly in the results. Sharing third place were Tony Thorne and Bob St Aubin, the "Quiet Canadian", both collecting an excellent level par 36 points. It was the returning Paul McNally who stole the show however with a fine gross 77, giving him 37 points for a share of the win with Len Jones, similarly connecting well all day. Arguably Paul is one of Pattaya's finest golfers and after seemingly interminable weeks at work he now has the opportunity over the next month to get his handicap back to where it should be. There were three birdie twos and Jon Lay, Tony Thorne and Bob St Aubin all took a share for their efforts on hole number fifteen, whilst the Booby Bevy went to the returning John Robertson after his lacklustre nineteen points. Emerald had been the scene of some splendid golf and it was good to see "Big Mac" sizzling again!

Lazecki Rides Out the Storm

An empty St Andrew's course beckoned for the Pattaya Golf Society on Tuesday, 14th September as the group visited to play a stableford competition on the attractive course. Thunderstorms surrounded the group as they teed off and it soon became clear the round would be punctuated by a break or two at some stage. Indeed after nine holes the heavens duly opened and a cool, almost cold and damp wait ensued. Refusing to accept defeat the group restarted in very soggy conditions where it was difficult to avoid water for the stance, stroke or position of the ball and it all became a bit of a lottery. Lottery winners on the day included Len Jones whose thirty damp points took third place, four behind the soggy 34 point scorecard of Johannes Murgen. Unfazed by the monsoon conditions hardy Canadian golfer Tim Lazecki kept his cool and returned with a fine score of 35 points for the win. There were understandably no birdie twos and the Booby Bevy went to Mr Len after he tumbled from the twelfth tee box, sliding fully ten feet down the slope, only to finish his round with his back covered in mud and his underwear full of water! Still ne'er mind eh, it's all part of wet season golf on the Eastern Seaboard.

Mac's Back!

On Thursday, 16th September, the Pattaya Golf Society visited beautiful Bangpra for some monkey business, aka stableford golf. The course was very soft and damp as a result of recent rains and greens 2 - 9 were cored and dressed, but it did not detract from an excellent day's golf. The sky remained overcast throughout meaning that conditions were extremely comfortable for the farang field. Scores generally were low but Tim Lazecki still managed to get in the frame again with 32 points for a share of third place with Tore Eliassen and Kazuo Takimoto. Mikael Andersson continued his golfing rehab with 33 points for second place. Paul McNally made the impact the group has been waiting for, for so long, with his excellent gross 72 and but for a couple of putting lapses it would have been much better. His 42 points was a startling reminder of the golf of which the Englishman is capable. Norman McKinnon and Taki shared the twos pot for their fine efforts on the eighth and twelfth respectively and the Booby Bevy went to Alan Maxwell for forgetting his golf shoes and playing the course in casual footwear, flip-flopping to a leaderboard low. There were no other surprises on an excellent day at Bangpra.

Zimmerman Runs Hot at Rayong CC

The Pattaya Golf Society visited Rayong CC on Saturday, 18th September, to play a stableford competition. The course was as the group expected with slow greens but the very attractive costs made it a bargain as usual. The group's average winning score at the course is a very healthy 69 and this day was no exception with David Thomas finding a modicum of form just before his departure and recording 33 points to share third place with Alan Maxwell. In second was lean German golfer Johannes Murken and his 38 points was ample reward for some long hitting and accurate golf. The winner was Canadian golfer Martin Zimmerman and his 40 points off a handicap of thirteen was an excellent achievement on a course where putting was such a test. Martin also recorded the day's only birdie two thereby enhancing his pocket money for the day. The Booby Bevy went to the returning Greg Gawron for his low score and fifteen - ten split. Rayong CC? Good value and empty, what more can a Pattaya golf group wish for at a weekend.

Mason Carves a Fine Victory

The Pattaya Golf Society called at Greenwood Golf Club on Tuesday, 21st September, to play a strokeplay round, the group's Monthly Medal event, on the excellent course. The B and A nines were soft and with the white tees back to their furthest extent the challenge was a tough one. Greenwood has the annoying habit of leaving a collar of two inch rough at the approach to every green and with it being damp any attempts at bump-and-run shots are impossible so golfers with a good sense of feel for a wedge will always benefit. Low handicappers stand up and be counted! But at the other end of the table Pat Murphy made a successful return to record net 75 and share third place with John Robertson, a fine return for both players. Paul McNally lost his complete handicap by the fifth hole and had to dig deep for the rest of his round to return gross 79, net 74 for second place. A class act without a doubt. The winner was John Mason, gleefully playing his best golf in many a year. Having returned to his room only hours before at 3:30am after an evening of carousal the signs were not good on the first tee as the rains came down, but he started par-birdie and felt his game, lost for so long, come back effectively throughout the penultimate round this trip. Good stuff John! He also shared the twos pot with a fine effort on B2 matching that of Tony Thorne on A6 and the Booby Bevy went to the bearer of the highest gross score, Mr Len. It had been a memorable day with one of those rare events and in years to come PGS golfers may well be asking "Where were you when Mason won the medal?"

Thomas & Bell Survive the Tempest

The Pattaya Golf Society visited Pattana for the first time in six months to play a stableford competition on the A and B nines on Thursday, 23rd September. It has to be said the course was not in good condition with bare, bumpy and inconsistent front nine greens and tee boxes that were unplayable on the back. Low season is obviously taking its toll on quality courses as well in the current economic climate. Add to that the mix of a heavily overcast sky and the constant roll of thunder and you have a day which would be a severe test of patience and skill. Scores remained low on the front nine and at the turn they improved but after thirteen holes the expected tempest arrived with flashes and thumps the likes of which the more seasoned golfers had not seen before. Power went out across the course and the rush of wind accompanying the thunder was at times awesome. Half the field left to seek refuge in the powered-off clubhouse whilst the rest sat it out for an hour. On the resumption fairways were sodden and the final few holes were scattered with trees which had been blown to the ground. Conditions were well nigh impossible so full marks to Tony Thorne for his 24 point fourth place and Robert Lamond for his 28 point card which took third. On his final appearance this trip David Thomas found his game at last and he tied with Jim Bell for the victory on 32 points. There were no birdie twos and the Booby Bevy went to the perceptive New Zealander for his comment on the fourteenth tee, after driving off, that the storm had passed around his group. Within seconds they were scurrying for shelter. What a day it had been at Pattana!

Mac Leads English Trio at Bangpra

On Tuesday, 28th September, the Pattaya Golf Society travelled to Bangpra to play a stableford competition on the popular course. The track was being set up for a major Thai competition the following day and so the white tees were well back and the greens, though not at their best, were still in better shape than most in the area, and quick. After Pattana the previous week a storm break of thirty minutes three hours into the round gave the golfers chance to assess their chances of finishing well or otherwise. Remaining in with a shout right to the end was fourth placed Tony Thorne with 31 points, just one behind third placed Alan Maxwell who is "getting there", in his own words. In his final round this trip London fireman Mark West racked up 34 points to take second place but Paul McNally was the man to beat at Bangpra again. His last round there had seem him amass 42 points and this time he fired a best gross of 77 to give him victory with 36 points. His frustration led him to recall later that he had three-putted five greens and so the opportunity to collect another forty point card had been lost. Frenchman Olivier Tahon recorded the day's only birdie two, on the seventeenth, and a hapless John Robertson took the Booby Bevy for recording the lowest ever competition score by the group and losing fifteen balls into the bargain! Never mind John, you can buy them back at the Monthly Medal next week! For the PGS Bangpra once again was all about quality, from the moment one enters the clubhouse until the moment one exits the gates, especially with McNally in this form.

No Shows, No Go

Two unexplained no shows" on Thursday, 30th September meant that no competition golf, just a fun five-ball competed at Emerald. The minimum number for a competition with PGS is six golfers. Gee, thanks lads!

October 2010

Lay Shares Morel Victory

On Saturday, 2nd October the Pattaya Golf Society visited Rayong CC to play a weekend stableford competition on a course thankfully softened by the recent heavy rains. On this occasion the course was full but the PGS still made good progress except for a short break for the omnipresent showers. The day was competitive enough with Tony Thorne remaining in the frame with 31 points, sharing third place with Steve McGill who was making his first visit to the podium with PGS. There were joint winners on the day as Jon Lay huffed and puffed his way to the day's best gross of 82 and 32 points for a share of the win with Jean Morel, for whom the course is one of his favourites. There were no birdie twos and the Booby Bevy went to the newest IPGC recruit Aussie Tim Dale, a twelve handicapper who managed just sixteen points with an immaculate eight-eight split. The day had been expertly marshalled by Tony Thorne in the absence of a babysitting Mr Len and it had been yet another fine golfing experience at the regular weekend course. But weekend golf is very much under notice as the popular Soi Buakhao based group prepares for a change of playing days to Monday/Wednesday/Friday from 1st November as it attempts to broaden the choice offered to IPGC golfers.

Welshman Wins in Celtic Manner

Having endured a long weekend of high golfing drama in front of their TV sets the Pattaya Golf Society members visited Green Valley on Tuesday 5th October to play a stableford event on a course which, in truth should not have been open. It had been beaten into submission by tropical storms for a few days and the fairways and rough were all sodden whilst the greens and tee-boxes were saturated. But for golf clubs revenue is essential. So it was that the PGS set out on their round, all on foot. Forget about golf carts! The drizzle mercifully abated for a few hours and in that time a "pedestrianised" Len Jones had accumulated twenty-one points from the front nine, exhibiting hitherto unseen deft touches around the greens. Still two under at the fourteenth the tempest started again leading to a break of forty minutes and when the final group emerged from the teahouse at the fifteenth tee the sight was eerily familiar as steams crossed the fairways and no relief was found anywhere from the "casual" water, except maybe in the clubhouse foyer. Two scratched holes during the final four holes put paid to the leader's aspirations of a sub par round and he eventually finished with 36 points, ahead of Tony Thorne and Rick Smith, both on 34. Earlier Tony Thorne and Ron Matthews had achieved birdie twos on the ninth when the surface was just about playable but newbie Lyn Deakin's card of 21 points served as a suitable Booby Bevy candidate on his introduction to PGS golf. In the memory of many of the group the conditions were as bad as any they had witnessed in many a year on an Eastern Seaboard golf course, but these Celts are made of sturdy stuff!

Australia Day at Crystal Bay

A break in the stormy weather gave the Pattaya Golf Society the opportunity to visit Crystal Bay on Thursday, 7th October, to play a stableford competition on the B and A nines. As with other courses at present the track was very much rain affected and a lack of recent fairway maintenance made it a poor choice. But where does one choose these days when sudden storms can turn good courses into quagmires at short notice? With ten Australians contributing to more than half the field it was clear that an antipodean rout would be the on the cards and so it turned out. With the top six places going "down under" in fourth place was Tony Garnett with 34 points, just one behind joint runners-up Tony Thorne and Ray Jackson on 35. The winner was Rick Smith, powerful and accurate, and his gross 74 netted him 40 stableford points for an emphatic victory. He also recorded a birdie two on B6 to join Tony Garnett in the twos pot after the latter's fine effort on A5. Attempting to break the Aussie grip on the round Frenchman Olivier Tahon scored 19 points on the front nine only to squelch and squander his chances with a meagre 7 on the back and he duly received the Booby Bevy. It had been a trying day at Crystal Bay.

A Lady Winner at last

The Pattaya Golf Society visited the Emerald course at Ban Chang for its Saturday golf on 9th October. Amazingly the course was in very good condition with good fairways and no sign of the rain damage seen elsewhere recently. Green were a little slow but they received the ball well. It was a joy to play golf in dry and sunny weather again and Tim Dale took advantage of it to post a score of 31 points for third place. Swiss golfer John Rehm, consistent as always, recorded a score of 34 points f0rsecond place whilst the only lady golfer in the field, a very accomplished Jodie Espinos, swept all before her with a fine 35 point score for the win. Husband Kim took the twos pot for his excellent effort on the seventh, never an easy hole and Tony Thorne received the Booby Bevy for some erratic driving having had a "coming together" with a wall, a motorcycle and a baht bus in his hired vehicle on the way to the course. Hardly the best preparation for a round at Emerald.

Australian Masters at St Andrews

The Pattaya Golf Society visited St Andrews on Tuesday, 12th October, to play a stableford competition on a course still soft after the recent storms but in otherwise fine condition. The bonus was that at 10:15am there was no-one on the course, the Soi Buakhao based outfit being the first customers of the day. As a result it was plain sailing all the way and the two flights, cut at twelve and under, enjoyed the challenge. In the top flight, returning to the group after a long absence, Phil Knight acquitted himself well as he recorded 36 points to share second place with Rick Smith whose long and accurate hitting was used to good effect in posting the day's best gross figures of 77. Phil's card was also enhanced with the day's only birdie two, on the tenth. The flight winner was Ray Jackson who once again showed consistency with a fine 38 points. In the second flight Canadian Tim Lazecki broke the Australian dominance with 33 points for a share of second place with lady golfer Jodie Espinosa. The flight winner was Peter Masters who again produced an outstanding round of 41 points for the win. Peter had recorded 42 points at Emerald in August and this round emphasised the potential of the Aussie schoolmaster. At the other end of the scale member Ray Reagan, appearing "by invitation", recorded the lowest score of the day to win his first Booby Bevy in two years. In the opinion of all the day at St Andrews had been a fine experience of friendly competition golf with the PGS.

Matthews Makes it a Full Set

On Thursday, 14th October the Pattaya Golf Society left a semi-flooded Soi Buakhao for some peace in the form of a stableford competition at Eastern Star and from the moment the party reached the environs of Bang Saray they found the heavens were clearing and a dry day in Ban Chang was on the cards. Eastern Star at the moment is in fine shape. Forget the slow greens, the fairways are amongst the best the group has played on in the past few weeks and the quality of the course is improving as befits it's reputation. Five early morning withdrawals had reduced the group to a single flight and the empty course served as an encouragement to perform well. Sharing third place were low handicappers Rick Smith, for whom this first trip has been an enjoyable and successful experience, and Pete Sumner, both carding 33 points. Ahead, sharing first place, were Margaret Wilkinson and Ron Matthews, on 35 points. The PGS has had the pleasure of hosting the golf for a small party of very keen and capable Aussies over the past few weeks and it was gratifying to see Ron pick up a "bonus" as he was the only member of his party not to feature in the prizes until this round. Kim Espinosa had the dubious honour of both recording the only birdie two of the day and also receiving the Booby Bevy after his first tee shot failed to make the Ladies' tee, giving the impression he was also going to play for his wife who had withdrawn earlier. The shot of the day was the prodigious tee shot of Mikael Andersson on the par-five fifteenth which landed unceremoniously in the swimming pool of the house halfway down the left side of the fairway leading to a lengthy discussion back in Soi Buakhao regarding a request to the owners to erect red posts around it to speed up play! All of which goes to prove that there is still fun to be had on a golf course, even when streets are awash and the smiles are missing.

Debut Win for McNeill

Braving the elements yet again the Pattaya Golf Society visited Rayong CC to play a stableford competition on Saturday, 16th October. The course was soft in parts and the greens were running at their legendary slow pace but generally the course has stood up very well to the ravages of the current monsoon. Excellent progress was made on the relatively empty course and in the end the Aussie duo of Tony Thorne and Gary Hartshorne returned scores of 31 points to share runner-up place. The winner was a very consistent Jim McNeill, returning nineteen points from the front nine and adding a further eighteen on the back with some steady accurate golf. It marked a good debut win after a dozen or so attempts with the group. There were no birdie twos and the Booby Bevy was reserved for Noel Stevenson who went "awol" in Ban Chang the evening before and never made the course. Weekends are starting to run down for the Soi Buakhao based group as they move towards midweek golf only from 1st November with competitions scheduled for Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays thereafter.

Sumner Opens His Account

A fine, warm day, blue skies, an empty golf course...what more could the friends of the Pattaya Golf Society want on Tuesday, 19th October, as they travelled to Greenwood to play a stableford event over the A and B nines. The course was in excellent conditions despite the ravages of the recent monsoon rains and a fine competition was in prospect. Greenwood management insist on placing the white tees as far back as possible in low season and the course was to play at all of its 6400 yards, and with little run scores would not be earth-shattering. Sharing runner-up place were Phil Knight and fellow Aussie Ray Jackson with 34 points and the winner was Pete Sumner, a competent low handicapper, earning his first win with the group this visit with 35 points. Tony Thorne posted the days only birdie two, on B2. Back at the presentation Bangkok resident Michael Sim rang the bell to celebrate avoiding the Booby Bevy and as a way of thanking all the members for making him so welcome on golf days in Pattaya. The golfers were also reminded of the forthcoming change to Monday-Wednesday-Friday golf from 1st November and the imminent PGS Annual Championship which is being held at Green Valley over two days on 10th and 12th November. Some fine golf is in prospect over the next few weeks.

Joy for Jones...Just!

Bangpra beckoned for the Pattaya Golf Society on Thursday, 21st October, and the group found the course very well prepared despite the intense rains of the past few weeks. The course remained soft in parts but the greens still retained their traditional pace and anything above the hole was a knee-trembling nudge which bore success or despair in equal measure. As always accuracy is the secret to playing this course and it was a surprise to see the better golfers having an off day as first Paul McNally, followed by Pete Sumner and Masa Takano fell by the wayside in their quest for the prize. Instead third place was occupied by Tony Thorne and his 33 points was testament to his tenacity on the day. He was nudged out of second place by Jim McNeill and his 34 points was a fine return for the Englishman. The winner was Len Jones whose game held up well, accurate and consistent off the tees and fairways, and only three putts on the final green denied him the level par round he was seeking. Pete Sumner and Wichai Tananusorn shared the twos pot for their efforts on the second hole and the Booby Bevy went to Aussie Kevin Pross for his low scoring round. What a pleasure it was to be at Bangpra in the company of good friends in excellent golfing surroundings.

Thorne Wins Close Encounter

A trip to Emerald was on the agenda for the Pattaya Golf Society on Saturday, 23rd October, as the Soi Buakhao based IPGC group enjoyed another fine golf day on a quality course. Emerald has survived the seasonal monsoons well and the fairways are lush, the greens very quick and consistent and areas of damage and repair are clearly marked GUR. Having said that it is never easy to rack up a good score at the course because Lady Luck has so much of a say but the challenge is getting the best out of the course on the day. In the stableford competition Len Jones followed his win on Thursday with another consistent round, posting 34 points for third place, just one behind Gary Hartshorne's creditable 35 point total. The winner was Tony Thorne with 36 points, who found the greens to his liking with his effective putting style. The only blemish on his card was an aberration on the fifteenth in an otherwise excellent performance. There were no birdie twos and no-one received the Booby Bevy after a fine day. The welcome was very warm, as were the new showers, and the day at Emerald was as enjoyable as any spent golfing during the last month or so.

Victory for the Formbook

The Pattaya Golf Society celebrated its final Tuesday fixture with a visit to Bangpakong Riverside, only an hour away these days, to play a stableford competition on the immaculately presented course. Recent storms had left the fairways soft and yielding and the greens were a little on the slow side, but it did not detract from the overall enjoyment of the day. The field was swelled by returning friends which hopefully heralds the start of high season but the competition went to form with Peter Duncan heading for a win only to stumble through the final three holes when his hitherto excellent iron play deserted him and left him with 35 points in third place. Runner-up was Phil Knight, in the frame yet again with 36 points. Unspectacular but very consistent, Phil is enjoying some excellent form at present. It was not quite enough however as Tony Thorne again presented his unconventional credentials with a fine 37 points for the win. Tony and Phil were joined by Jim McNeil in a share of the twos pot and Richard "Banjo" Bannister celebrated his return with the Booby Bevy after leaving Rabbi's Elephant Bar without his golf shoes but his sense of humour remains as always. From the 1st November the Soi Buakhao based group is playing its golf on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and more enjoyable days like this one at Bangpakong are certainly in prospect.

Medal Win for Sumner

The Pattaya Golf Society chose Phoenix as the venue for its October monthly medal event and were assigned the Lakes and Ocean nines as the challenge. It was pleasing to see that the course was in much better condition than on the previous visit and a strong field took up the challenge on a fine dry day. Playing from the white tees the golfers found many of the tees were at their furthest extent thus making the course quite long but to balance that fact there were signs that the "run" is coming back as the course dries out. The single flight saw Jim McNeil post net 71 for third place with the runner-up berth going to Tony Thorne, the latter chalking up his second such score in consecutive rounds. The winner was Pete Sumner whose round of net 69 saw him drop only four shots to the course for the whole day. The twos pot was shared by Richard "Banjo" Bannister and Wichai Tananusorn, the latter birdying both Ocean par threes. The choice for Booby Bevy winner was broad with Mr Len blowing away a two-under opportunity after nine holes when he found the powdery sand too much on the tenth and eleventh and Jim Ferris and Emiel van de Wiele struggling on their return to the group. Instead it was presented "in absentia" to the only golfer who failed to make the presentation back in Soi Buakhao. The day ended with a reminder that from 1st November the group will be playing its competition golf on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, thus bringing about a major change in its fifteen year old history and the usual warm welcome is extended to all IPGC golfers.

Scotch and Canada Dry

The Pattaya Golf Society bade farewell to its weekend golf on Saturday, 30th October, when they played a stableford round at Rayong CC on an empty course which is slowly improving all the time. The weather was very comfortable with a strong breeze blowing all day under a cloudless sky and the drying fairways showing signs of "run" at last. The wind was to have a bearing on the proceedings with no-one making par and the tough fourth hole surrendered only fifteen points in total to the field all day! Sharing third place were a clutch of golfers on 31 points with Masa Takano, Tony Thorne, Emiel van de Wiele and Jim McNeil unabashedly accepting the meagre spoils. Sharing the win were two golfers enjoying their first win with the group. Scots golfer Allen Dow and Canadian Gordon Everingham both recorded 32 points giving them both a reason to celebrate, especially as the absence of any twos enhanced their prize pot. The Booby Bevy was reserved for Peter Duncan, late for muster, and his game suffered badly after a front nine of seventeen points as the expected hangover kicked in during the back nine. Weekend golf has certainly been a fine distraction for the PGS over the last five years but times move on and competition golf changes to weekdays from now on.

November 2010

All Saints and No Sinners!

On "All Saints Day", Monday, 1st November, the IPGC Pattaya Golf Society began a new chapter in its fifteen year history by moving to Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for its competition golf and it was fitting that the excellent course at Khao Kheow was chosen as the historic venue. The C and A nines were well presented and the drying wind of the recent few days had quickened the greens considerably and given more run on the fairways. The cool overcast conditions made life comfortable for the golfers and a close competition was in prospect as the round began. So it was with Masa Takano, "Banjo" Bannister and Jim McNeil all sharing third place with 33 points. Greens running at ten are a rarity and this helped to keep scores in check. In second place was a delighted Len Jones with 34 points, always an achievement for a high handicapper on this tough course, demanding both accuracy and control. The winner was Wichai Tananusorn and his game was all about accuracy, nailing fairway after fairway and managing the putts when they were required. The only highlight of Pete Sumner's sad round was his birdie two on A3 following an amazing four hole burst of negative scores and the Booby Bevy went to a returning Roy Mann, as always, after having the temerity to post a back nine score of seventeen points, thus breaking the mould of his normal performance at the club. The day had been a very enjoyable one and everyone at the presentation heralded the move as a success.

No Pennies for the Guys

Following the IPGC Monthly Medal event at St Andrews the Pattaya Golf Society turned out a good field at Bangpra for stableford competition on Friday 5th November. The course was well presented as usual but the greens were out of character being on the slower side and a little inconsistent. This caught out many of the participants. The day was being celebrated in UK as Guy Fawkes Day but there were no fireworks on display at Bangpra as scores were restricted to a few damp squibs with only a couple of crackers. Sharing third place was a quartet of hopefuls on 34 points as Tim Lazecki joined Dave Wilkinson, Peter Ditz and Paul McNally in the frame, Paul recording the day's best gross of 79. In second place a resurgent Masa Takano posted a sub par 37 to bring a little respectability to the proceedings whilst the sole lady, Margaret Wilkinson had her best round for many a day recording 39 points for a fine win. It included the day's only birdie two, an excellent effort on the seventeenth. Her high handicap game was all about simplicity - hit the fairway, put the next in position to reach the green and don't waste the putt. Simple but very effective and there's a lesson there for all of us. At the presentation later in Soi Buakhao Tony Thorne was awarded the October "Player of the Month" award and also received the Booby Bevy for his "hero to zero" performance on a day when he posted his poorest score of the year, his putting touch deserting him completely. At Bangpra the lady had the final word at last.

Wichai Out on his Own at Emerald

On Monday, 8th November the Pattaya Golf Society visited The Emerald club in Ban Chang to play a stableford event with the field divided into two flights for the first time in many months, a sure sign that high season is approaching. The course was not as well presented as on the last visit as the greens were sadly in need of a cut and were thus slow and unreliable. Fairways were good however. With the cut at sixteen and under the field got underway on time and scoring was not easy on those greens. In the second flight Len Jones posted 30 points for third place, one behind Belgian golfer Jos Clerbaut who was runner-up on 31 points. The flight winner was Brian Kelly and his 34 points was good enough to head the list on a course he always enjoys. In the top flight Don Nellis continued his golfing renaissance with another fine round of 36 points to join Phil Knight in second place whilst the only subpar round of the day was recorded by Wichai Tananusorn, his 37 points giving him a second successive Monday victory. He also had the honour of recording, with Phil Knight, the best gross of the day. The twos pot was shared by two second flight golfers, Brian Kelly holing out on the seventh hole and Carl Lovatt chipping up the hill and in on the thirteenth. The Booby Bevy went to the returning Martin Hoblyn for his low score for the day but he has more opportunities to improve with his long awaited months holiday only just starting. And Emerald was certainly the place to start.

PGS Annual Championships 2010

Favourites Recover after Early Hart Attack

The second week in November is traditionally the occasion of the Pattaya Golf Society's Annual Individual Championships and Green Valley was the host for the two day event on Wednesday 10th and Friday 12th November. It proved not to be the wisest choice however as the course was shabbily presented with unfinished dressed greens showing more than a couple of days growth. Members and more experienced golfers in the field could not remember when it was so bad but the absence of a permanent head greenkeeper at the complex and a reliance on contracted "amateurs" will not improve the situation in the foreseeable future. Having said that the competition was keenly contested and turned into one of the best in the history of the event. As usual the format was strictly thirty-six holes strokeplay without the distraction of technical sideshows and a large field had entered both days. At the end of the first day in the search for the Net Champion Len Jones had joined Paul McNally in third place on 68, one shot behind Richard "Banjo" Bannister and the first day leader Murray Hart following his excellent round of 66. The Gross Champion leaderboard showed favourite Paul McNally six shots ahead of rivals Banjo and Mikael Andersson. Two days later the optimism of improved conditions for the final day immediately disappeared when golfers took to the practice green and found it almost unplayable! Giving it their best shots they found that scores were inevitably higher with Murray Hart slipping out of the frame, leaving the top two leaders to fight it out amongst themselves in the final group. Despite the valiant efforts of Wichai Tananusorn and Peter Ditz to force themselves into the picture it was Banjo who took the initiative with another fine four-under par round to take the second day's net competition and finish a with a splendid 36 hole total of net 135. Paul McNally managed to hang on to his gross lead as he stuttered to level par to win the main prize. Honours had been shared with the two best golfers over the two days taking a Champion trophy each as well as a Runner-up prize. The "champagne moments" on the first day were the performance of lady golfer Ya Riley taking on the men off the white tees, the performance of Len Jones in the net event and on the second day the stalwart senior Jack Robertson strolling through his level par round only two months after a knee replacement operation. Well done for your heroic efforts Jack! It's a pity Green Valley could not have put themselves out as much.

Banjo & Boss Continue their Run

The Pattaya Golf Society returned to stableford mode after a heavy two days strokeplay at Green Valley with a visit to Eastern Star on Monday 15th November. The course was in good condition and the problematic greens posed no real concerns as the large field, divided into two flights at twenty and under, took to the tee. Interestingly many of the golfers still had some "annual championship" adrenalin in the veins and those who performed well previously were in the frame again. In the second flight Tim Lazecki embarrassingly accepted third place with 27 points, one behind Jack Robertson and his 28 points. The flight winner was Len Jones with a mere thirty points being good enough. In the top flight Murray Hart collected 30 points and took third place with second placed Wichai Tananusorn again in the frame with 31 points. The best score of the day was recorded by Richard "Banjo" Bannister and the new PGS Net Champion celebrated with 34 points for an easy win. He also capped a fine day with the only birdie two, on the third hole. Kevin McBride celebrated his return with the Booby Bevy after depositing at least two sleeves of balls in the ample Eastern Star water. But for him, and many others, just being on the golf course was a joy itself as the ravages of a European winter set in elsewhere.

Stoke Duo Out on their Own

After almost a year the Pattaya Golf Society revisited the testing course at Mountain Shadow on Wednesday, 17th November for a stableford competition with the substantial field divided into two flights at 16 and under. The course was in excellent condition and it was a treat to find greens with true pace after the trials at Green Valley and Eastern Star during the previous outings. Historically the course rates as one of the toughest the group plays, with an average winning score of a little over 73 net and it was no surprise that the second flight struggled on the track where accuracy counts for more than bravado. The second flight saw a Canadian trio head the lists. In third place was Brian Yeung, making his first visit to the podium, with 24 points. In second was Tim Lazecki on 29 a couple of points behind fellow Canadian Jack Robertson, enjoying a new lease of life with his new knee on 31 points. The top flight had Jens Gunnarsson returning in third place on 32 points with the Stoke-on-Trent duo of Steve Jones and "Banjo" Bannister leading the field with 33 and 35 points respectively. Their home town is world famous for its pottery industry and it was fitting perhaps that Steve and Banjo, who had contributed his fourth successive win, found accurate wedges and woods to match the skill of his town's forefather Josiah Wedgwood. And on the vast Mountain Shadow greens good potters really matter! The day's only birdie two was recorded by Len Jones on the eighth and Bobby Shirkey enjoyed the Booby Bevy for his low score in his short visit. Mountain Shadow is a course which is like good wine. It needs to be tasted only occasionally and treated well to fully enjoy its experience. The PGS will be back there again during high season, but not just yet.

Wichai Throws a Spanner in the Works

On Friday, 19th November the Pattaya Golf Society travelled to Greenwood to play a stableford event over the C and B nines with Banjo Bannister seeking to equal the group's record by recording his fifth consecutive victory. Little wonder then that his playing group was extremely competitive amongst the large field, divided into two flights at nineteen and under. Greenwood was playing very long on the day with damp fairways giving no run and the white tees back at their furthest extent and with the excruciating collar of Peter Thompson rough surrounding each green the day was to be a long one for all except those who could handle a delicate short game. In the second flight scores were unimpressive with Gordon Everingham taking third place with 28 points and Tim Lazecki going one better for second. One of the better high handicapped chippers is Pat Murphy and it was perhaps fitting that he topped the flight with an excellent 33 points. In the top flight Shui Kodaka found himself in illustrious company sharing third place with Paul McNally with Paul firing the day's best gross of eighty on his way to 33 points. The joint winners were Wichai and Banjo, the latter finding the skillful Thai golfer hard to handle on the day as his short game blossomed and he found the fairways with unerring accuracy. Shui shared the twos pot with Roy Mann who recorded his first twos payday in ten years of trying. Fittingly Wichai and Banjo top the "Player of the Month" table as the group enters its final few competitions and no-one would begrudge either winning the close encounter.

Favourites Suffer a Thorne in their Side

On Monday, 22nd November the Pattaya Golf Society visited the pleasant Crystal Bay course in Bangpra to play a strokeplay competition, the final monthly merit event for November. The B and C nines were in fine order and the greens were medium to fast and very consistent. The field was divided into two flights at sixteen and under and play got underway on time on the relatively empty course. The crowded first tee saw a loose limbed Brian Shaw lead off with a power shank the likes of which had never been seen before and playing his second shot down the first from the far extremes of the second fairway gave no indication that he would finish top of the second flight with net 73. The more orthodox Len Jones managed to find thirteen fairways on the way to his second place score of net 75 and Malcolm Schofield trundled in third on 76 with his best effort in Thailand after seven years of trying. The top flight was gripped with tension once again as the main contenders for the monthly prize were again paired together. Thai golfer Wichai Tananusorn (74) trailed in one shot behind Richard "Banjo" Bannister whilst the top spot was occupied by Tony Thorne, sharing the day's best gross of eighty-three with Peter Sumner, giving him net figures of 72. There were no birdie twos and the Booby Bevy went to a dejected Pat Murphy after a round uncharacteristically punctuated with errors, including playing the wrong ball on B6. Crystal Bay can be very forgiving but not when the golfer makes elementary mistakes. It can be a joy to play when things go right.

All Change at the Top

The Pattaya Golf Society visited Bangpakong Riverside club to play a stableford competition on Wednesday, 24th November and despite losing a couple of playing groups to the popular John Preddy Memorial event at Khao Kheow, still managed to put out a strong field to compete on the splendidly prepared course. A golfer at the top of his game will score well here and so it was to prove as Don Nellis and Joe Niisato shared fourth place with 37 points each, a couple behind the third place of lady golfer Mam Morel, consistent as always with 39 points. The joint winners were Phil Knight and new IPGC member John Pegrum who pulled out all the stops to record excellent totals of forty points each for an emphatic win. There were no birdie twos amazingly, with the consistent greens holding all the aces on this occasion. The Booby Bevy went to marshal for the day Tony Thorne after a round he would choose to forget weighed down as he was with the trappings of "work". Elsewhere Tim Lazecki was the best PGS performer at Khao Kheow with 38 points as Jack Robertson received a trophy for the day's low score. Sadly the single flight competition saw Tim's fine efforts go unrewarded as he was usurped by a few forty point returns. Forty-plus at Khao Kheow? Not often, but regularly achieved at Bangpakong Riverside.

West Best at Khao Kheow

The Pattaya Golf Society chose Khao Kheow as its Friday venue on 26th November for a stableford competition over the C and A nines. The course currently is in excellent condition and a warm breezy day made for a comfortable and close competition. The large field was divided into two divisions at seventeen and under and the second flight almost went to form with lady golfer Margaret Wilkinson taking third place with 31 points. One of the flight favourites Shui Kodaka came up with the goods with a well crafted 33 points but he found he was joined at the top of the leaderboard by Roy Mann, playing his final round this year, and his score gave him his first winning place in almost ten years of trying. It truly is a "mann's" game! In the top flight scores were better with Paul McNally firing the days best gross figures of 78, giving him 35 points for third. Ahead of him was Steve Jones with a splendid 36 points which proved to be not quite enough as Mark West took victory on his first golf day this visit with 37 points. There were a myriad of birdie twos with Paul McNally, "Banjo" Bannister, Yasuo Suzuki, Shui Kodaka, Tom Kirkpatrick and Len Jones all sharing the healthy pot. The Booby Bevy went to Jorn Eriksen who had arrived late at Rabbi's and had to enlist the help of a taxi driver to get him to the course on time and the cool beer was a fitting way to draw the curtain on his annual visit. It was a pleasure to enjoy the day at Khao Kheow with fine company.

Lazecki Runs into Form

On Monday, 29th November the Pattaya Golf Society visited Green Valley to play a stableford event on the course which has not been best viewed yet this high season. The greens were still furry and only slightly better than on the last visit a few weeks ago and the club's policy of contracting out its maintenance work works only for general appearance. Quality greens maintenance needs expert care and supervision. The single flight reflected the group's concerns about the course but Peter Ditz gave it his best shot collecting 32 points for fourth place, one behind "Banjo" Bannister, occupying an uncharacteristically lowly spot at third with 33 points. Steve Jones went under par with a fine 37 points for second but Tim Lazecki continued his excellent form after his sub par round at Khao Kheow a week previously with his best PGS score for many a month, a forty point haul giving him top place. Richard Dobson and Wichai Tananusorn secured twos on the ninth and twelfth to share the birdie bonus pot and the Booby Bevy was reserved for the returning Robert Knutsson, had he made the presentation on time. The final November round saw Richard Bannister confirmed as PGS "Player of the Month" after some prodigious efforts on tough courses whilst Wichai was edged out into second place. Well done Banjo!

December 2010

Jones & Knutsson Out of Sight at Silky Oak

Friday, 3rd December saw the Pattaya Golf Society debut at Green Valley's third course, Silky Oak. The course is a new concept in course design with much water in evidence and many holes sharing fairways in the landing zones! Add the mix of Korean groups unsophisticated in etiquette and you have a potential for conflict testing both patience and fleetness of foot. However the course was in good condition with unscarred fairways and large and reasonably consistent greens, thus the prospect of a stableford competition on a completely new track was attractive. All the usual PGS suspects were there with Richard "Banjo" Bannister just edging out the in form Tim Lazecki for third place with 36 points. Two golfers with a ten year association had the rounds of their lives as Len Jones and Robert Knutsson went head-to-head from the start and ended all square with 41 points each to share the win. For both it represented their best performance of the year and the scores would have been even better had concentration and patience on the back nine had not been tested by a Korean fourball playing the front nine with their customary native intrusions and "noises off". There were two birdie twos, both recorded on the fourteenth by Tim Lazecki and Tony Thorne and the former also found himself the recipient of the Booby Bevy for his split of 10 and 23 points. After the round opinions ranged from enthusiasm to indifference whilst one golfer suggesting the course be renamed "Silly Joke" was probably a little too scathing. Playing off the longer yellow tees would also make a sterner test of skill at 6500+ yards. The PGS will be back at Silky Oak but not until quieter times in the low season when hard hats and earplugs will not be essential requirements.

Rod Nabbes a Fine Win

On Monday, 6th December the Pattaya Golf Society spent the public holiday playing a stableford competition at Rayong Country Club and found during their absence the course had improved slowly with greens becoming quicker and more consistent. The bunkers continue to cause concern as caddies continually ignore the golden rule of raking but golfers can play their part in insisting that the job is completed before leaving the green. The course was empty when the group teed off and the field was cut at thirteen and under reflecting the quality of the contestants. In the second flight Sam McLellan and Tim Lazecki acquitted themselves well enough to share third place with 30 points each whilst Don Nellis took second place with 33 points. The flight winner was the popular Swiss golfer Fredy Braun and his 35 points marked his best performance this trip for his first win in a while. In the top flight Yasuo Suzuki, Peter Ditz and Murray Hart all shared the runner-up berth with 33 points whilst Rod Nabbe, returning after a long absence produced the best round of the day recording 39 points with the best gross figures of eighty. He also recorded the days only birdie two to round off a profitable day. The Booby Bevy went to Mark West for his forgetfulness involving a breakfast bill and a full bottle of iced water gracing the seventeenth tee long after the playing group had departed. Rayong CC will continue to be a popular venue as the car park stayed relatively empty all day whilst elsewhere five to six hour rounds were the norm.

Nice One Joe!

As the region's golf clubs drag their heels into the new "high" season they are led by Greenwood, who amongst the others, is way ahead in terms of course presentation and green condition and for this reason the Pattaya Golf Society chose the club for its first monthly merit event on Wednesday, 8th December. A large group turned out to contest the stableford event over the A and B nines on a relatively empty course under warm skies. With the cut at fourteen and under there was some solid "meat" in both flights and surprisingly Martin Grimoldby and Mark West only managed 31 points for a share of third place in the top flight. Ahead of them was Sam McLellan with 32 points but they were all left in the wake of Thai golfer Wichai Tananusorn as he romped away with a winning 37 point score on a course he loves. In the second flight Jean Morel, Allen Dow and Gordon Everingham all shared third place with good scores of 35 points whilst the rising star of Tim Lazecki continued to do well with his third sub-par round in a week, this time his 37 points giving him second place. The best points score of the day was the 38 re corded by Bangkok's Joe Niisato and he added another sub-par round to his IPGC curriculum vitae. His birdie two on B2 joined Denis Quinn, Martin Grimoldby and Wichai in a share of the twos pot whilst Wichai's gross 81 was the best effort of the day. The Booby Bevy went to the recently returned Olivier Tahon, the personable Frenchman obviously keeping his best form for later in his stay, as his score this day left much to be desired. At the presentation later golfers were to reflect on the day when Greenwood had once again come up trumps with a quality track on a good day.

Kelly's Eye in at Emerald

The Pattaya Golf Society rounded off its week with a visit to Emerald on Friday, 10th December to play a stableford competition on the popular course. The second public holiday in five days cut the field down but there was still enough meat in the sandwich to make a healthy meal of the proceedings. The course was in good condition but the placing of most of the white tees at their farthest extent certainly made the course longer than normal and scores were consequently less emphatic than usual. Sharing second place were regulars "Banjo" Bannister, Tony Thorne, Len Jones and visitor Joan Mullins, all on 30 points whilst Brian Kelly showed them all a clean pair of heels with a fine 33 points to win the day. Banjo and Brian shared the twos pot after exploits on the thirteenth and fifteenth holes respectively, the latter hole playing into the wind at 160 yards instead of the more normal 130. The Booby Bevy went to a returning Tony Lambert who had endured a twelve hour overnight 'bus journey from Sakhon Nakhon to arrive at Rabbi's thirty minutes before departure and his efforts, though heroic, resulted in a sixteen-nine split on both nines. Regardless of the outcome the day had been an excellent one at Emerald and we are promised a course in fine order on Thursday, 30th December when the annual PGS Scramble will take place. Entry forms are available at Rabbi's now and an early sign up is recommended.

Wichai Dominates at Green Valley

A large group of Pattaya Golf Society golfers gathered at Green Valley on Monday, 13th December to play a stableford competition in two flights with the cut coming at a very healthy 14 and under. The second flight saw the form players holding sway with Jean Morel posting 35 points for third whilst Ronnie Ramsay and Tim Lazecki shared the win with 37 points each. In the top flight Mark West celebrated his final round this trip with a fine level par effort to share third place with Mikael Andersson on 36 points. Tony Thorne stood on his own in second place with 37 points, his first sub par round in eight events maybe heralding a return to form for the current leader in the group's "Player of the Year" race. The winner produced a round of stunning quality as Wichai Tananusorn posted a gross 77 for 41 points. The personable Thai golfer has promised to be back in single figures for Christmas and this round should certainly do the trick. He also recorded a birdie two on the sixteenth to match Mikael Andersson's effort on the fourth, and share the twos pot. Ignoring one golfer's claims of a lost motorcycle and another's eight lost balls the Booby Bevy was pressed into the hands of Mike Wilsher after achieving a score barely more than his modest handicap. The competition had been enjoyable at Green Valley and for Wichai Tananusorn Christmas certainly came early with his best round of the year.

Cheers for Chadwick

On Wednesday, 15th December, the Pattaya Golf Society visited Bangpra International Golf Club to play a stableford competition on the well presented course which offered the relief of slightly slower greens as a result of recent dressing. The white tees were placed at their furthest extent the shortest par three distance was 175 yards making the course play long. The field was divided into two flights at thirteen and under indicating the quality of the turnout and play got underway thirty minutes earlier than the allotted start time. No problems of course, as the experience of the organiser had anticipated this and all preparations had made with this in mind. In a competitive top flight a returning Mark Cooper joined Jens Gunnarsson and "Banjo" Bannister in a share of second place with 31 points as Murray Hart eased ahead posting 33 points for the win. The second flight saw Pat Murphy huff and puff his way to 29 points into third place with Len Jones taking second with 31 points. Fred Chadwick made a welcome return with the best points total of the day, 34, taking the win in the flight. Not surprisingly there were no birdie twos but the near pin prize on the second, generously sponsored by Ronnie Ramsay, was narrowly won by Mukesh Tarkkha. The Booby Bevy went to Joan Mullins after her "hero-ine to zero-ine" performance which saw her struggle to a low total after a fine opening competition only a few days previously at Emerald. Bangpra continues to be a popular call with the PGS and the way it is presented always pleases golfers looking for an excellent day out.

Ferris in Fine Form

The Pattaya Golf Society began the festive season in good order with a visit to Khao Kheow on Monday, 20th December to play a stableford competition over the A and B nines. The weather was excellent and the course was well presented with good fairways and greens with a lot of pace. The remnants of dressing were seen on the A nine greens but they played fairly consistently. The field was divided into two flights at fifteen and under and the return of many old friends made the day a special one indeed. In the top flight Tony Thorne managed to squeeze into the frame with 34 points for third whilst Ray Banks emphasised his arrival with a level par 36 points for second. Rob Lamond, a fine golfer by any standards, produced an excellent gross of 76 to give him the win on 38 points. In the second flight a relegated Joe Niisato recorded 36 points after his erratic shambles the previous week and he shared the runner-up spot with Pat Murphy. The flight winner was Jim Ferris who produced his best round in many a year, his 39 points giving him the best points haul of the day. A special highlight was recorded by Peter Masters as he eagled the B1 hole, holing out with a well struck eight iron from a sanded divot! He thus shared the twos pot with Rob Lamond and Ray Banks after their creditable efforts on A5. The Booby Bevy claims involved a driver getting lost, a driver head being decapitated on the first tee and an errant course dog who ran away with a new "Bridgestone" after Tony Thorne's first tee shot but Peter Masters was the recipient after his card displayed an amazing split of nine and twenty three. There is no better early Christmas present than a day on the golf course at Khao Kheow.

Premier Teague Show

The Pattaya Golf Society visited Crystal Bay on Wednesday, 22nd December to play a stableford competition on the course currently needing a good spring cleaning! Fairways were best described as untidy with grass clippings and evidence of over-watering and a visit from a "hoover" salesman would surely have done the trick. Having aired that point the greens were in fair condition and were generally consistent. The large seasonal field was divided into two flights at fourteen and under. In the top flight scores were good with Martin Grimoldby and Paul McNally returning scores of 36 points to share second place, the latter recording the day's best gross of 77. The main prize went to the Thai golfer who is fulfilling his ample potential at present, Wichai Tananusorn, and he added yet another fine sub-par round to his end of year CV with 37 points for the win. In the second flight Margaret Wilkinson enjoyed her performance as she returned 35 points for third place, one behind Jim Ferris who repeated his good performance two days previously with another fine 36 point haul. The flight winner was John Teague who scored 41 points on his debut with the PGS. The twos pot was shared by Alan Griffiths and Shuichi Kodaka after their efforts on the exquisitely teasing B5 par three and the Booby Bevy went to Shizuo Satori on his record breaking low scoring debut. Crystal Bay was probably still "vfm" but it falls a long way short of the attractive venue it was before the change of ownership a few years ago.

Jones & Banks in Credit at Phoenix

The start of the festive season saw the Pattaya Golf Society visit Phoenix on Christmas Eve to play a stableford competition on the Mountain and Lakes nines. Phoenix was full with its holiday golfers and a long day was in prospect with the insertion of starting groups on the tenth, instead of the first, and delays were inevitable but it turned out better than expected. The course is still not what it used to be and it has toughened up considerably with the planting of new trees but the down season has left the course untidy. Greens were also slower than any others played recently and some golfers were caught out initially. The single flight was headed by Ray Banks and Len Jones who shared the win with 35 points each, closely followed by local member Chris Knapp on 34. Chris' round had all the potential for an assault on par but two scratched holes put paid to what could have been and excellent effort. There were no birdie twos and the Booby Bevy went to Brendan Gilsenan for his customary low scoring returning round. The Pattaya Golf Society wishes to thank all of its friends for their unstinting support through a bad year and wishes them all the best in golf in 2011.

Ferris Wheels in Another Big Show

The Pattaya Golf Society members played their 150th competition of 2010 at Green Valley on Monday, 27th December and the format was the usual monthly medal one. This time the two divisions, cut at eighteen and under, went off from the old tee as a festive concession and some good golf was in store. In the top flight Jean Morel showed his consistency again as he posted net 71 to share second place with Joe Niisato. The flight winner was Mark Cooper whose net 69 shared the days best gross with Martin Grimoldby and ensured for him the flight win. In the second flight Pat Murphy embarrassingly accepted third place with his score of net 78 whilst Brian Kelly enjoyed his second place finish on net 77. The flight winner was Jim Ferris, again in the frame, and his latest offering of net 68 emphasised the form he has rediscovered over the past few weeks. The twos pot was shared by Mikael Andersson and Ray Banks after two fine efforts on the short fourth hole and the Booby Bevy was withheld after a stress-free day for the boss. Green Valley still disappoints a little as it is not yet up to it usual high season condition but it still offers a great golfing day out.

Maiden Win for Gilsenan

The final club outing of the year for the Pattaya Golf Society was at Emerald on Wednesday, 29th December when the group played a stableford competition in one flight. The course was to offer a real insight into conditions the golfers would face the following day in the PGS Annual Scramble with pacy greens and neat fairways. Off the back of a reasonable round on Monday Brian Kelly posted 34 points for third place, just one behind the solid display of Paul McNally whose best gross figures of 78 gave him a stableford return of 35 points for runner-up. The Winner was Aussie Brendan Gilsenan, still a rookie with the group, and his twenty-four points after nine holes held great promise for the Papua New Guinea based golfer. His previous rounds have never shown his potential but the hiccups on the back nine this time did not prevent him logging his first win with the group as he finished on level par 36 points. Tony Thorne recorded the only birdie two of the day and the Booby Bevy went to low scoring John Chelo making his debut in an IPGC competition. The day had been a pleasant one at the Ban Chang course and Brendan was soon able to forget the shambles in Melbourne in the other big England - Aussie clash.

Birdie Boys Fly High

The Pattaya Golf Society's annual swansong every year is the group's Annual Scramble and this year it was held at the Emerald club in Ban Chang on Thursday, 30th December. For weeks prior to the event its existence had been in doubt with the lack of golfers in Pattaya but in the end the PGS members and friends came up trumps and a quality competition was played on the well presented course. The day remained fine throughout and all the hard work in the run-up paid off in style as a most enjoyable competition played out. As always on these occasions the emphasis is on fun golf with a wonderful friendly atmosphere and all teams contributed their humour and skills in equal measure. Scores were very good again this year and the team of Russell Exley, Bubbles Davies, Mark Campbell and Mike Dabanovich pushed themselves all day to finish on net 57 in third place. The home team favourites, "Fantastic United", with Wichai Tananusorn, Jim Ferris, John Chambers and Pat Murphy chased and harried all day, starting off with five straight birdies, and eventually came home with 56.2 points in second place. The winning team was an amended "Birdie Boys" outfit comprising Roy Thornton, Mikael Andersson, Jeremy Masse and caddy Khun Rung and their gross 60 with a split of 31 - 29 was a superhuman effort which could not be matched. They closed in first place on 54 net to set a record for the event, now in its eleventh year. Near pins were recorded by John Chambers, Jim Ferris and Simon Kendall (two) and the Booby Bevy went to the Anglo/French/Canadian outfit of Simon Kendall, Jean Morel, Jack Robertson and Gordon Everingham. The main focus of the day was to raise money for the group's charity The Fr. Ray Foundation Outreach Centre on Soi Thepprasit and the Centre's Administrator Khun Phennippa was in attendance all day with Registration and Recording duties. The day provided proof, if any were needed, that Pattaya has some wonderfully warm hearts with more than thirty thousand baht being raised through completely voluntary contributions, including Rabbi, the Elephant Bar host, waiving his usual buffet fee, Gordon McComb and friends winning the bidding for the bottle of twenty-one year old Chivas Royal Salute, "Banjo" Bannister donating his Player of the Month prize for November and Ray Banks and all the PGS members contributing to a splendid collection afterwards. It was a very memorable way in which to end the golfing year with the Pattaya Golf Society, 152 weekly competitions ending with the biggest smiles in Pattaya from those kids in Soi Thepprasit. Well done everyone, heroes all, and here's to the new golfing year out of Soi Buakhao.

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