Friday Night Pool League

Results & Standings Feb. 28 (week 2)

Premier Division
Team	P	W	L	+/-	BP	Pts
Easy R-Con Bar	2	2	0	0	12	6
Links Bar	2	1	1	0	2	4
The Booze Lounge	1	1	0	0	8	3
The Rest Stop	1	1	0	0	2	3
The Butchers Arms	2	1	0	1	0	3
Legends Pool	2	0	1	1	-8	1
Shoot Pool	2	0	0	2	-4	0
Sweethearts Bar	2	0	0	2	-12	0
Results:  Links Bar 10-10 Legends Pool, Shoot Pool 9-11 The Butchers Arms, Sweethearts Bar 5-15 Easy R-Con Bar, The Rest Stop P-P The Booze Lounge
Division 1
Team	P	W	L	+/-	BP	Pts
Smile Bar	2	2	0	12	0	6
Legends Pool ‘A’	2	2	0	10	0	6
Pook’s Bar	2	2	0	7	0	6
Tie’s R Us	2	2	0	7	0	6
Offshore Bar	2	1	1	3	0	3
Shoot Pool ‘A’	2	1	1	-4	0	3
Old Thai Angle	2	0	2	-5	1	1
Mai’s Bar	2	0	2	-5	0	0
Dean’s Bar	2	0	2	-11	0	0
Crazy Eddie’s	2	0	2	-14	0	0
Results:  Legends Pool ‘A’ 10-5 Crazy Eddie’s, Pook’s Bar 10-6 Old Thai Angle, Shoot Pool ‘A’ 4-10 Offshore Bar, Smile Bar 10-7 Mai’s Bar, Tie’s R Us 10-4 Dean’s Bar
Division 2
Team	P	W	L	+/-	BP	Pts
I-Rovers	2	2	0	16	0	6
Legends Pool ‘B’	2	2	0	12	0	6
Classroom	1	1	0	3	0	3
Anzac Bar	2	1	1	2	0	3
Buffalo Jacks	2	1	1	0	0	3
FCUK Inn	2	1	1	-3	0	3
The Queen Vic	1	0	1	-4	0	0
The Ranch	1	0	1	-5	0	0
Bobby Too	1	0	1	-6	0	0
Connections	2	0	2	-15	0	0
Results:  Anzac Bar 10-5 Connections, FCUK Inn 10-6 Buffalo Jacks, I-Rovers 10-4 Bobby Too, The Ranch 5-10 Legends Pool ‘B’

Pattaya 8-Ball Monday Pool League

Results & Standings Feb. 24 (week 1)

Team	Played	Won	Lost	For	Agst	Diff.	Pts.
Smile Bar	1	1	0	14	1	13	3
Phimai Geordie	1	1	0	12	3	9	3
San Snack Bar	1	1	0	9	6	3	3
Connections	1	1	0	8	7	1	3
Funny Girls 4	1	1	0	8	7	1	3
Asian Nomads	1	0	1	7	8	-1	1
Parrot Inn	1	0	1	7	8	-1	1
Pom Bar	1	0	1	6	9	-3	1
Buffalo Jack’s	1	0	1	3	12	-9	1
Ta Bar	1	0	1	1	14	-13	1
Crazy Eddie’s	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Doggy Style	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Results:  Asian Nomads 7 v 8 Funny Girls 4, Buffalo Jack’s 3 v 12 Phimai Geordie, Parrot Inn 7 v 8 Connections, Doggy Style p v p Crazy Eddie’s, Pom Bar 6 v 9 San Snack Bar, Ta Bar 1 v 14 Smile Bar

Legends Wednesday 9-Ball Pool League

Results & Standings Feb. 26 (week 8)

Team	P	W	D	L	+/-	Pts.
Easy R-Con Bar	8	6	2	0	42	20
Links Bar	8	5	1	2	28	16
Legends Pool	8	5	1	2	26	16
George & Dragon	8	5	1	2	14	16
Pook’s Bar	7	5	0	2	24	15
Crazy Eddie’s	8	4	0	4	-20	12
Classroom	7	1	2	4	-16	5
Queen Vic	8	1	1	6	-28	4
Buffalo Jacks	6	1	0	5	-28	3
FCUK	8	1	0	7	-42	3
Results:  Classroom 8-12 Links Bar, Easy R-Con Bar 15-5 George & Dragon, Legends Pool 14-6 Crazy Eddie’s, Queen Vic 7-13 FCUK

Pattaya Sports Club Bowling League

200 Bowlers: Jang & Aht.

Café Kronborg won four points from VFW Post 9876 and increased their first place lead to one and one half points with only two weeks remaining in this league. Kran Nielsen bowled a 549 series and Ooy Pluemkamon had a 501 for Kronborg.
Aht Johansson bowled a 213 game and 524 series to lead second place Tea Party to a three point win over Bavaria.
Green Tree took three points from third place Canada with Jang Shaw leading the way for Green Tree with a great 600 series and a 257 game, which should win her a high game trophy.
Brother D and Indiana split their match with each team winning two points. Everyone had a hard time with lanes 19 and 20 and no good scores were recorded.
Franz Stigler bowling as a Pacer had a 505 series. Franz is a long time sponsor of Bavaria.

Results & Standings Feb. 28 (week 28)
Pos.	Team	Score	Standings
1	Café Kronborg	4 - 0	63.0 - 49.0
2	Tea Party	3-1	61.5 - 50.5
3	Canada	1-3	59.0 - 53.0
4	Brother D	2-2	58.0 - 54.0
4	Green Tree	3-1	57.5 - 54.5
6	VFW Post 9876	0 - 4	53.0 - 59.0
7	Indiana	2-2	51.5 - 60.5
8	Bavaria	1-3	44.5 - 67.5

Buffalo Jack’s Wednesday Premier Darts League

Results & Standings Feb. 26 (week 12)

Team	P	W	L	Bonus	Diff.	Pts.
Legends Sports Bar	12	9	3	10	66	18
Yates Bar	12	9	3	7	40	18
Mee Chew Sports Bar	12	9	3	8	34	18
I-Rovers A	12	8	4	7	26	16
W. Tankies	12	8	4	7	20	16
Jantha Coffee House	12	7	5	7	0	14
Mai’s Bar	12	6	6	6	-6	12
Buffalo Jack’s	12	2	10	3	-66	4
Clinic	12	1	11	1	-54	2
I-Rovers B	12	1	11	4	-60	2
Results:  Buffalo Jack’s (6-1)-(3-0) v Mai’s Bar, Clinic (3-0)-(6-1) v W. Tankies, I-Rovers B (1-1)-(8-0) v Yates Bar, Jantha Coffee House (6-1)-(3-0) v I-Rovers A, Mee Chew Sports Bar (2-0)-(7-1) v Legends Pool & Sports Bar

Crumpton Cider Tuesday Darts League

Results & Standings Feb. 25 (week 13)

Team	P	W	L	B/legs	Pts.
Yates Bar	13	10	3	10	20
Mee Chew Sports Bar	13	10	3	6	20
I-Rovers	13	9	4	12	18
Londoner	12	9	3	6	18
Crazy Eddies	13	9	4	6	18
Scandalic	13	7	6	5	14
Nervous Wreck	12	6	6	8	12
Jantha Coffee House	13	6	7	6	12
Legends Sports Bar	13	6	7	6	12
Shoot Pool A	13	5	8	7	10
Shoot Pool B	13	5	8	7	10
Buffalo Jack’s	13	4	9	6	8
Mai’s Bar	13	4	9	3	8
W. Tankies	13	0	13	3	0
Results:  Jantha Coffee House (4-0)-(6-1) v Crazy Eddies, Legends Pool & Sports Bar (7-1)-(6-0) v Londoner, Mai’s Bar (4-0)-(9-1) v Buffalo Jack’s, Nervous Wreck (4-1)-(5-0) v Mee Chew Sports Bar, Scandalic (9-1)-(1-0) v Shoot Pool B, Shoot Pool A (3-0)-(7-1) v I-Rovers, Yates Bar (9-1)-(0-0) v W. Tankies

Gerd wins his first Monthly Mug

PSC golf from The Growling Swan

Patrick Poussier, Gerd Riedler, Cameron Denham & Martin Todd.

Peter Blackburn
Monday, Feb. 24, Greenwood, A & B – Stableford
With our smallest field for quite some time, 16 we assembled at The Growling Swan in readiness for our trip up 331 to Greenwod Golf Course and unlike the previous Thursday the weather was fine and looked like staying that way for the day.
We welcomed back veteran Ted Morris and unfortunately had to say farewell to Alan Sanders, returning to the Gold Coast in Queensland, Max Bracegirdle who is off back to Melbourne for a few weeks and David Fletcher who is returning to work in Western Australia.
Our 2 mini vans departed the GS right on time at 8.30 am and after a good run through the Monday morning Pattaya traffic arrived at the golf course 52 minutes later. It was fairly busy and we had to wait for a couple of groups to tee off but we were able to send our first four ball away 5 minutes behind schedule at 10.05 am.
As mentioned earlier the weather was fine with very little wind and it did get quite hot as the round progressed but the course was in very good condition with the greens quite quick at times. We had some slow groups ahead of us and were held up several times but ended up completing a very enjoyable round of golf in four hours & twenty five minutes.

Sandy Leiper, Duangjai Tusagad & David Fletcher.

The winner of Division A with an outstanding score of 41 points was Duangjai “Kae” Tusagad, just 1 point ahead of Mike “Hunter” Gosden in second place and Ted Morris was third with 37 points.
In B Division Sandy “Cindy Lauper” Leiper took the honours with 35 points and with 2 golfers tied on 33 points a count back was necessary which saw Geri Crilly (17 point back nine) take second spot from Alan “Colonel” Sanders (16 point back nine) in third place.
A Flight (0-19)
1st Duangjai Tusagad (19) 41pts
2nd Mike Gosden (12) 40pts
3rd Ted Morris (12) 37pts
B Flight (20+)
1st Sandy Leiper (34) 35pts
2nd Geri Crilly (28) 33pts
3rd Alan Sanders (26) 33pts
Near Pins: B5 – Max Bracegirdle
Long Putts: A9 – Sandy Leiper, B9 – Mike Gosden
The Growling Swan NAGA Award, (awarded to the golfer who has the worst score on the day and discreetly their score is not made public) was won by David Fletcher who accepted the award like the good sport that he is.
Thursday, Feb. 27, Pattavia – Stroke/Monthly Mug
It was time to compete for the 21st Growling Swan Monthly Mug and there were 27 stalwarts ready to take on the challenge of a stroke round at Pattavia.
As we assembled at The Growling Swan we welcomed long time Pattaya resident Mick O’Connor and old friend Paul Avery from Cairns in Queensland back in Pattaya for about 6 weeks. It was sadly time to say farewell to Robert Allen, his son Chris and Cameron Denham who will shortly be returning to Melbourne.
Everyone was on time so we departed a couple of minutes earlier than our scheduled 8.30 am and the three mini vans set off up number 7 and then 331 before the last twenty minute drive along the bumpy “pineapple road”, arriving at the course 57 minutes later. The clubhouse construction is not yet complete so it was back to the old change-rooms but at least this time there were plenty of lockers available as the venue was very quiet and we went straight on to the first tee and got our first group, a three ball away 10 minutes early at 9.50 am.
The weather was quite hot and there was a bit of wind as we set off with no-one in front of us so there was no excuse for a slow round even though we were playing stroke. The golf course was looking good and the greens having been sanded not too long ago were not quite as slick as last month but still posed problems for golfers facing downhill putts of any length. After stopping for a break before the 14th tee we kept up the very good pace and completed a very enjoyable round of golf in three hours & fifty minutes.
The course was playing tough and we had just one golfer playing to their handicap or better and that was Gerd Riedler who took out his first Monthly Mug with a fine round of net 71.
In Division A it was Martin “Toddy” Todd who took the honours with net 73 and John Davis was second on net 75. In third place came Mike “Hunter” Gosden with a net 76 and your writer, Peter “Blacky” Blackburn scraped into fourth spot with a net 78.
Patrick Poussier was the winner in B Division with net 74 and with 2 golfers on net 75 a count back was necessary which saw Chris Allen (net 34 back nine) take second spot from Geri Crilly (net 37 back nine) in third place and Roy “Plums” Dayton finished fourth with a net 77.
Monthly Mug
1st Gerd Riedler (8) net 71
A Flight (0-20)
1st Martin Todd (8) net 73
2nd John Davis (16) net 75
3rd Mike Gosden (12) net 76
4th Peter Blackburn (13) net 78
B Flight (21+)
1st Patrick Poussier (23) net 74
2nd Chris Allen (22) net 75
3rd Geri Crilly (28) net 75
4th Roy Dayton (24) net 77
Near Pins: 4th – Mike Gosden, 13th – Don Richardson, 17th – Gerd Riedler
Long Putts: 9th – Peter Blackburn, 18th – Vaughan Jackson
The Growling Swan NAGA Award was won by Cameron Denham and back at the bar we all thanked Mine Host Peter Grey for sponsoring the Mug and we also thanked Paul Avery who celebrated his 60th birthday by providing a delicious buffet supper and rang the bell on a couple of occasions.
Note: Growling Swan Golf welcomes golfers of any persuasion – low & high handicappers alike, female golfers and beginners. We generally play Mondays & Thursdays, meeting at The Growling Swan in Soi Chaiyapoon at 8.00 am with transport departing at 8.30 am. For bookings or more information please contact Peter on 0806 351 386 or email to [email protected].
We also play bowls out of the Growling Swan every Wednesday and Sunday. Sunday is Lawn Bowls and Wednesday is Indoor Bowls. All are welcome and for anyone that is interested the transport leaves The Growling Swan at 10.00am on each of those mornings. For more information please contact Paul Rennison on 0843 454 005.

Par enough at Pattavia

The Pattaya Golf Society (IPGC) at Rabbi’s Elephant Bar

On Monday, 24th February The Pattaya Golf Society left Soi Buakhao to travel the 331 to Pattavia to play a medal round on the newly revamped course which was very well presented but with greens which posed many problems, being very “grainy” with slow uphill putts and turbo-charged downhill efforts. However it was refreshing to be on basically a “new” course.
The large field was divided into two flights at seventeen and under and in the second flight Brian Shaw and Tony Browne shared third place with net 74. In second was Leigh Abbey with net 75 whilst the winner was Murray Edwards with a level par 72.
In the top flight the returning Peter Masters shared third with Larry Slattery on net 76 whilst Ian Rowson took second pac with net 74. The winner was Alan Flynn with a well crafted net 72.
Robbie Taylor took the day’s only birdie ‘2’ on the thirteenth and Dave Lehane returned from a break with the Booby Bevy after a cobwebbed high scoring round. Jim Ferris took the non-winners’ beer and the day concluded with the knowledge that another PGS golfing week had begun on a good note.
A very Pleasant Valley
A trip to Pleasant Valley was on the agenda for the Pattaya Golf Society on Wednesday, 26th February and the large group found the course in fine order with greens which were still slower than many others in the province.
The field was divided into two flights at sixteen and under and playing solid golf paid huge dividends with a quarter of the field entering scores of level par or better. In the second flight Leigh Abbey took third place with a very committed 38 point, only to find himself one point off top spot which was occupied by Rod Stevens and Garry Hookey.
In the top flight Mike Earley and Ian Rowson shared third place with 38 points whilst John Chelo repeated a round of a month ago with another 41 points taking second place. The flight winner with the best points round of the year so far was Vic Woolton whose 43 points gave him an emphatic victory.
Garry Hookey, Dave Lehane and Shelagh Sturgeon shared the ‘2’s pot with birdies on the short seventeenth and Peter Masters took Rabbi’s free consolation beer.
The golf at Pleasant Valley had been good and to Victor the spoils, after a round of sublime quality golf.
Tananusorn takes ‘Glorious’ Greenwood
A treat was in store for the Pattaya Golf Society on Friday, 28th February when the group went to Greenwood to play a stableford competition on the A and C nines, which were in excellent condition and at a fee that must be the best ‘vfm’ in the province currently.
The field was divided into two flights at thirteen and under and quality golfers provided quality scores. In the second flight Leigh Abbey drew his trip to an end with a competent 36 points to share second place with an equally proficient John Chelo. The flight winner was Phil “PJ” Mitchell with 37 points.
In the top flight David Thomas recorded his best round since his return with 34 points for third place, a few behind Mike Earley’s 37 points. This capped a fine week for Mike but all eyes were on Wichai Tananusorn as he recorded 39 points and still believed he left a few shots on the course.
Chris Smith shared the ‘2’s pot with Garry Hookey and Larry Slattery and John O’Sullivan suffered another Booby Bevy for his meagre total. Rabbi’s consolation beer went to Yvonne Early and at the presentation all agreed that Greenwood, as it was this day, was as good as any course the group has played in many a month.

Newell takes Low Gross honours at 131st PSC Monthly

February’s winners pose for a group photo.

Nigel Cannon &
William Macey
The choice of Plutaluang (the Navy Course) by Golf Chairman Joe Mooneyham for February’s monthly PSC tournament on Friday 28th was a popular one for all 99 players (including 14 ladies) playing the North and West 9’s on a perfect day for golf. It was not too hot with a slight breeze blowing and the groups got around the excellently presented course in a little over 4 hours.
Joe Mooneyham and Nigel Cannon arrived early to place the necessary markers on the course and to prepare for registration. All players arrived well in time for the 2-tee start at 0930 with speedy booking in by the Plutaluang staff.
Low Gross winner this month was Bob Newell (H/cap 9), coming in with a fine gross of 75 and winning on count-back over Ken Aihara and Ian Heddle.
The A Flight, playing stroke play from the white tees, saw Ken Aihara (4) take top spot with a net 71 while in the B Flight, also playing from the white tees but in stableford format, the ever-consistent Mashi Kaneta (15) placed first with 38 points.

Low Gross champ Bob Newell.

The best stableford score of the day came in ‘C’ Flight off the yellow tees by Mick Beresford (19) with a fine 41 points.
The D Flight winner was John Hartigan (21) with 39 points and leading the Ladies Flight was Duangden Butpanya (15) with 38. The Senior winner from silver tees was Tom Breslin (26) with 37 points.
Dicey Riley’s was the venue for the buffet and presentation with many of the day’s players enjoying the regular buffet with some ‘happy hour’ prices.
At presentation time Nigel welcomed all to this, the 131st monthly PSC tournament, and introduced Golf Chairman Joe Mooneyham who expressed his appreciation to all of the day’s competitors and particularly to Nigel, William, and Noy for their help and the PSC office staff who do the preparatory work for the competitions.
Joe announced details of the next competition which is the PSC major fund raiser of the year – The ‘Charity Classic’ at Burapha on Friday 21st March. It will be a two-person scramble with a shotgun start at 12 noon. There will be prizes for the top 10 teams and technical prizes on all 18 holes for the varying flights. In addition there will be a raffle, a 60/40 lucky draw with a wide selection of great prizes, many donated by major sponsors Singha and the EGA.
Mike of Burapha has kindly agreed that on this special day members may walk the course if they choose. The competition will be followed by the buffet and presentation in the Burapha Clubhouse.
For more information, go to www.pattayasports.org.

Ken Aihara – ‘A’ flight winner.

Mashi Kaneta – ‘B’ flight winner.

Khun Chu (left) – a Near pin winner.

Senior champ Tom Breslin.

Mick Beresford - ‘C’ flight winner.

Dave Boran top at the Valley

Sunday winners: Nick Odnoral, Bruce Anderson and Dave Boran.

Sunday, Feb. 23, Green Valley - Lewiinski’s Open
A Flight
1st Bruce Anderson (10) net 68
2nd Gary Blackburn (10) net 69
3rd Bob Newell (9) net 70
4th Mike Allidi (3) net 70
B Flight
1st Nick Odnoral (15) net 67
2nd Claude Harder (15) net 69
3rd Thierry Petrement (12) net 71
4th Freddy Starbeck (15)
C Flight
1st Dave Boran (16) net 65
2nd Tom Byrne (16) net 68
3rd Mickey Beresford (19) net 72
4th Eddy Beilby (19) net 74
D Flight
1st Nick Shaw (20) net 69
2nd Pizzato Silvano (22) net 73
3rd Alistair Gall (21) net 74
4th John Hartigan (22) net 76
The Lewiinski’s Open is four days of golf on our tacit home Green Valley and continues to grow in popularity. The first two days are stroke play with the top fifty per cent and ties going on to play the third and fourth days of stroke play. Those that do not make the cut line clean their sheet and play a two day stable ford.
The top score of the day on Monday was not competing in the Open as he had prior commitments so Dave Boran was the top man in C Flight and man of the match with a sizzling net 65. The inform Irishman Tom Byrne took the silver with a rock solid net 68 and was four clear of Mickey ‘nine holes’ Beresford, and a further two more of Eddy ‘the Eagle’ Beilby.
In the premier flight Bruce Anderson’s net 68 filled the top spot. Bruce was followed closely by ‘Mr. Nice Guy’ Garry Blackburn (who was also not in the Open comp although he is a current winner). Hooray! ‘Broadmore’ Bob won a count back despite numerous attempts he took the bronze with a net 70 over Mike Allidi.
Nick Odnoral lit up B Flight with splendid net 67. Nick was two clear of Claude Harder’s fine net 69 effort while Monsieur Thierry Petrement lifted the bronze with a net 71. Freddy ‘the quite one’ Starbeck rounded out the flight.
In the junior flight Nick ‘Elvis’ Shaw stood atop the podium with a solid net 69 and the second tier was occupied by Silvano Pizzato with a net 73. Looking up at Silvano on the next step down was Alistair Gall on 74 while standing just above floor level was John ‘the Irish Rover’ Hartigan.
Nick Odnoral showed his dedication to the driving range is paying off as was the first day leader on 67 followed by Tom Byrne and Bruce Anderson with net 68’s. Claude harder and Nick Shaw were in fourth on 69’s as Bob Newell and Mike Allidi were joint fifth with net 70’s
Ten players shared the 2’s pot.
Back at Lewiinski’s and after the presentation Dave Boran rang the bell to celebrate his fine win with all his new friends.
Monday, Feb. 24, Khao Kheow - Stableford
A Flight
1st Chris Barrett (15) 35pts
2nd Max Scott (6) 35pts
3rd Martin Finn (18) 34pts
B Flight
1st Barry Oats (20) 34pts
2nd Brian Cooper (25) 33pts
3rd David Dunne (19) 33pts
A relatively modest group, attributable to the Lewiinski’s Open and back to back playing days, took on the favourite of many - Khao Kheow. The scores on the day reflected the difficulty of the course as no one matched or bettered their handicap.
Chris Barrett and Aussie star Max Scott, were co-men of the match and occupied the top spots in A Flight; Chris got to stand a little higher on the podium after the count back. A count back was also needed to sort out the bronze spot as Martin Finn and Pat both returned 34 points but the luck of the Irish was absent for Pat as he was left out in the cold and pot less.
B Flight belonged to Barry Oats and his 34 points and that left Brian Cooper and David Dunne in mortal combat tied on 33points. Somehow Brian managed to sneak the silver while David wasn’t looking.
Barry Oats slotted home the only 2 of the day.
Tuesday, Feb. 25, Green Valley - Lewiinski’s Open (Day 2)
A Flight
1st Bob Newell (9) net 69
2nd Kevin Roberts (9) net 68
3rd Eric Gobert (5) net 68
4th Mike Allidi (3) net 70
B Flight
1st Dave Driscoll (14) net 69
2nd Freddy Starbeck (15) net 71
3rd Rannay Singh (14) net76
4th Paul Hack (14) net 76
C Flight
1st Barry Tregurtha (19) net 69
2nd Eddy Beilby (19) net 70
3rd Terry Mangan (16) net71
4th John Warren (18) net 72
D Flight
1st Nick Shaw (20) net 72
2nd Seamus Byrne (22) net 72
3rd John Hartigan (22) net 73
4th Colin Davis (20) net 73
The cream began to rise on Day 2 of the Lewiinski’s Open as Bob ‘Broadmore’ Newell followed his net 70 with a man of the match net 69 for a two day total of 137, three clear of Mike Allidi. Nick Shaw followed his opening net 69 with a net 72 for a total of 141along with Eric Gobert and Kevin Rogers. First day leader Aussie Nick Odnoral faltered, albeit slightly, to still be in contention standing on 146. Eddy the Eagle’ Beilby, last year’s contender over three days, was at 144 with a great chance so it really was all to play for.
Nine 2’s were recorded.
The cut was made at 153 so all the players with that figure or less went on to play the third and fourth day of the Open. Those who sadly missed the cut had two days of stableford to look forward to.
Thursday, Feb. 27, Green Valley - Lewiinski’s Open (Day 3)
A Flight
1st Bruce Anderson (10) net 71
2nd Steve Mulberry (11) net72
3rd Mike Allidi (3) net 72
B Flight
1st Paul Hack (14) net 65
2nd Freddy Starbeck (15) net 68
3rd Claude Harder (15) net 73
C Flight
1st Silvano Pizzato (22) net 68
2nd John Warren (18) net 70
3rd Tom Gorey (18) net 70
On Day 3 ‘Broadmore’ Bob Newell led the field by a shot, a lead he shared with Freddy Starbeck and his new found swing. Bob returned a net 74 for a 3 day total of 211 as Freddy fired a net 68 to pick up six shots just like that. Mike Allidi kept the pressure up as he added a net 72 for 212.
The biggest mover of the day and man of the match was Paul Hack with a sparkling net 65. He now stood at 214 over the three days with Kevin Rogers also is tied with Paul.
Steve Mulberry, Nick Odnoral, Dominic Downey and Thierry Petrement shared the 2’s pot.
Update: Every golfer’s worst nightmare fell on Bob Newell as he was DQ as he accidently signed for a wrong score. To say Bob was gutted would be an understatement.
Thursday, Feb. 27, Green Valley – Stableford (Plate)
A Flight
1st Paul Shaw (8) 39pts
2nd Hans Stofel (10) 36pts
3rd Reg McKay (12) 36pts
B Flight
1st Charles Cunningham (17) 35pts
2nd David Dunne (19) 33pts
3rd Brian Catterson (15) 33pts
C Flight
1st Bruce Walters (30) 34pts
2nd Derek Phillips (22) 33pts
3rd Thierry Danzas (26) 33pts
There was plenty of action for those not in the hunt for the big prize. Those who missed the cut, or elected to drop down, battled it out for the Plate.
The first three to break from the pack were all from A Flight and top of the heap and man of the match was Paul Shaw with a rock solid 39 points. Hans Stofel and Buckie boy Reg McKay both returned steady even par rounds to lie in second place.
B Flight’s Charles Cunningham on 35 points was in fourth as four players, David Dunne, Brian Catterson, Derek Phillips and Thierry Danzas occupied fifth place on 33 points.
Robin Peach and Jum Karagit split the 2’s pot.
Friday, Feb. 28,
Silky Oak - Stableford
A Flight
1st Peter Henshaw (17) 37pts
2nd Mike Jeffreys (14) 35pts
B Flight
1st Aiden Murray (20) 36pts
2nd Gerry Roche (21) 31pts
A small but passionate group, due to the bulk of the society taking a rest from Open and Plate comps, turned out at the picturesque and challenging course at Silky Oak. The weather was hot and humid with a slight wind.
Peter ‘the silver surfer’ Henshaw mastered the conditions slightly better than most and just edged ‘Mike the Welsh wizard’ Jefferys in A Flight by two shots. Peter was the only player to better his handicap with his 37 points.
B Flight was not to be outdone as they provided the second best score of the day; Aiden Murray with a solid even par round. This win also gave Aiden the prestigious golfer of the month award. Irishman Gerry Roche took the silver a non-threatening five shots back.
Brian Price was the sole heir to the 2’s pot.
Note: Lewiinski’s is situated on Pattaya land Soi 1, Beach Rd Soi13/13 near Walking Street. Anyone wishing to play with us just pop in and add your name to the list or call Colin on 089 826 0764. Transport is provided.

Kit signs off in style

The Backyard Golf Society

Kit (center) poses with staff from the Blue Sky Bar.

Due to our normal scribe being absent for the next few weeks we apologize in advance for the following report not being as informative as usual.
With ‘Michelle’ going to Bangkok to check on the implants, it was left to JJ and Nev to sort the groups out for Emerald on Friday, Feb. 28, which they handled superbly and left us all to wonder why ‘Michelle’ gets stressed out every week.
Kit won the game with 36 points and a side bet of 500 baht with Jimmy C, which he then proceeded to give to the caddy so it really is about time the tourist went home! The near pin prize went to John and congratulations also go to Micky for being the highest skin winner with 6, followed by Martyn (5), Nev (4), Dan (3) and Tony (1).
Finally we all wish Kit and Jimmy C a good trip back to the UK and look forward to seeing them again next year or sooner.

Shining Knight takes the win at Burapha

PSC golf from The Outback Golf Bar

Monday, Feb. 24, Burapha - Stableford
A moderate field for the time of year of 27 Outbackers played Burapha on a cloudy day with a cool breeze; unusually playing the D loop first followed by C, which I believe was because D was to be closed in the afternoon hopefully for some maintenance as it’s condition wasn’t as good as usual.

Tim Knight with caddy.

The highlight of the day was a great 43pts by Tim Knight to register the day’s top score and win Div B by six from a resurgent Bob Lindborg on 37 in second. Bob was followed home by one of the visiting TEAC group, Ken Holman with 33.
Ken is one of the early arriving participants for the upcoming annual four day TEAC tour which has attracted a field of 38 this year and starts here at Burapha on Monday 10th March. Barney Clarkson recorded his first podium place for some time with his 31pts to take fourth, which should give his confidence a boost as he will also be a starter in the TEAC comp.
Kerry Beck had a good 40pts to win the top division from Peter Nixon (37), with the ever present Bob Finley back in third with 36.
Finally, welcome to Peter Skelcher, a mate of Mick Leighton’s, who also played with us today and both Peter & Mick are members of Harleyford Golf Club near Marlow, which was also General Jack’s former club.
There were three ‘2’s from Bob Finley (C5), Kerry Beck and Jim Brackett (both on C8).
Note: We later found out the the D loop had been closed early to carry out the verticutting of the greens in preparation for the Singha Open in April, which is usually played on the B & D nines and apparently this year will attract some of the big names in Thai golf.
Div A (0-17)
1st Kerry Beck (12) 40pts
2nd Peter Nixon (13) 37pts
3rd Bob Finley (14) 36pts
4th Jim Brackett (9) 35pts
Div B (18+)
1st Tim Knight (23) 43pts
2nd Bob Lindborg (21) 37pts
3rd Ken Holman (19) 33pts
4th Jimmy Little (19) 30pts
Wednesday, Feb. 26, Bangpra - Stableford
Our original Bangpra field of 27 was whittled down to a perfect 24 on the day, with the usual early 8.15 start remaining very popular. The course, which continues to please the eye, was bathed in sunshine upon our arrival and once again the tenth tee was ready and waiting for us to start.

Guy Brennan.

We sent out a three-ball first as Dah, our driver, had been unable to find the hotel where Trevor Turner was staying but he arrived later under his own initiative, so we added him in at the back giving us three more three-balls; never ideal when following four-balls but at this time of the year, when the courses are busy, makes very little difference.
Angus Neilson, over on yet another of his golfing challenges, called in sick on Monday and was not expecting to be fit to play at all after twisting his knee when getting out of bed whilst on holiday with his family in Phi Phi. However, he made a remarkable recovery and it was nice to see him having a hit, even if he could only muster a mere 27pts.
Guy Brennan (37pts), the Div A winner, was the only man to break handicap on a course that played very long as many of the white tees had been pushed back to the blues due to course maintenance and the greens, although somewhat slower than usual, still gave the golfers something to think about.

Stephen “Waldo” Blazsanyik.

That was especially the case for poor old Bob St. Aubin (32) who was completely paranoid about them (the greens), although managing to scramble his way into second place in Div B, talked and worried his way out of many more points on the greens, with his worst effort being five putts on the fifth; from tee to green he hit the ball really well!
There were two ‘2’s from Guy Brennan & Stuart Sinfield.
Div A (0-14)
1st Guy Brennan (10) 37pts
2nd Trevor Turner (10) 33pts
3rd Stephen Mann (9) 30pts
Div B (15+)
1st Andy Makara (27) 34pts
2nd Bob St. Aubin (15) 32pts
3rd Geoff Doody (24) 32pts
Friday, Feb. 28, Green Valley - Stableford
It was noticeably quieter at Green Valley today, with many of the Koreans gone and some of the others away playing with PSC at Plutaluang. We teed off 20 minutes early in a gentle breeze and the course was sparkling in the sunlight waiting to be taken on, and at the end of the day some fairly good scores were returned.
Jim Brackett and Waldo (Steve Blazsanyik) both scored 39’s to win Div A and Div B respectively, with Div C being won by Brendan Cope on 36. Other good scores came from Peter Nixon (38pts), Kerry Beck (36pts), Peter LeNoury and Steve Plant also both on 36 all in Div A, as Bob St. Aubin and Sugar signed for 36’s as well in Div B. In Div C the scoring wasn’t quite as good as Andy took second with 34 and a surprised Tim Knight third with only 31.
There were three ‘2’s from Steve Plant (4th), and Peter Nixon & Kimm Hopewell (both on the 12th).
Div A (0-14)
1st Jim Brackett (9) 39pts
2nd Peter Nixon (13) 38pts
3rd Kerry Beck (11) 36pts
Div B (15-19)
1st Stephen Blazsanyik (19) 39pts
2nd Bob St. Aubin (15) 36pts
3rd Sugar Ray Handford (18) 36pts
Div C (20+)
1st Brendan Cope (29) 36pts
2nd Andy Makara (27) 33pts
3rd Tim Knight (21) 31pts
Note: The Outback Golf Bar is situated about 6km from Sukhumvit Road along Soi Siam Country. Call Jack on 081 578 1956.

Gabe sails to victory at Riverside

PSC golf from The Café Kronborg

(L to R) Brian Gabe, Dave Richardson and Jan Lovgreen.

Monday, Feb. 24, Bangpakong Riverside - Stableford
A Flight (0-20)
1st Brian Gabe (18) 44pts
2nd Henry Wong (19) 40pts
3rd Andre Vandyk (18) 37pts
4th Henning Olsen (18) 36pts
5th Lotte Boskov (18) 36pts
B Flight (21+)
1st Jan Lovgreen (22) 42pts
2nd Graham Buckingham (22) 41pts
3rd Dave Richardson (27) 40pts
4th Peter Hammond (26) 40pts
5th Eddie Glinsek (32) 38pts
Near Pins: #4 Carole Kubicki, #7 Graham Buckingham, #13 Mark West, #16 Eddie Glinsek
Long Putts: #9 Eddie Glinsek, #18 Peter Sindberg
We were off to one of our favorite courses today, Bangpakong, and we teed off 5 minutes ahead of schedule under sunny skies and with a nice cooling breeze which lasted all day.
The course as usual was in impeccable condition with the greens being just a touch slow and even though it (the course) was fully booked, we made it around in 4 hours and 5 minutes.
We had two flights today with the cut at handicap 20 and in the top flight Brian Gabe walked away with the win on 44pts. Henry Wong came in second with 40 points, Andre Vandyk took third with 37 and Henning Olsen was fourth on a count back over Lotte Boskov.
Jan Lovgree won the B Flight with 42 points, one ahead of Graham Buckingham in second while Dave Richardson got the nod in a count back for third over Peter Hammond, both 40 points each. Eddie Glinsek claimed fifth on a count back from kenny chung.
Thursday, Feb. 27, Pleasant Valley - Stableford
A Flight (0-21)
1st Tate Akifumi (16) 43pts
2nd Elias Magnusson (21) 43pts
3rd Brian Gabe (18) 40pts
4th Andre Vandyk (18) 39pts
5th Peter Bygballe (17) 38pts
B Flight (22+)
1st Jan Lovgreen (22) 40pts
2nd Jack Robertson (26) 40pts
3rd Kurt Sandgaard (30) 40pts
4th Mike Winfield (24) 39pts
5th Dave Richardson (27) 39pts
Near Pins: #5 Richard Kubicki, #8 Elias Magnusson, #13 Art Sohlin, #17 Tate Akifumi
Long Putts: #9 Brian Gabe, #18 Steen Habersaat
Pleasant Valley was in good condition today but the course had recently been over-watered making it damp in places. It was busy here but we still made it around in 4 hours and 10 minutes.
We had 2 flights again today, with the cut at handicap 21, and a full lineup of pins.
Tate Akifumi took the A Flight honours on a count back from Elias Magnusson, both with fine scores of 43 points. Brian Gabe came third with 40, one ahead of Andre Vandyk, and Peter Bygeballe completed the podium in fifth with 38.
In the B Flight we had a three-way count back for the top three places, with Jan Lovgreen taking first, Jack Robertson second and Kurt Sandgaard third, all with 40 points each. Mike Winfield meanwhile took fourth on a count back over Dave Richardson, both on 39 points.

Micky and Kenny duet for the double

PSC golf from The Golf Club

Carmen Hurdon après-golf with Ian Brimble.

Steve Ellison
Monday, Feb. 24, Green Valley (white tees) – Stableford
1st Micky Beresford (19) 39pts
T2nd Geoff Doody (24) 38pts
T2nd Greg LeBlanc (24) 38pts
T3rd Bill Eyles (24) 37pts
T3rd Alan Rothwell (6) 37pts
T3rd John McHugh (12) 37pts
Note to self: Soi Dao Highlands is our next Road Trip on March 13th and 14th. This is an overnighter with 2 green fees, hotel with breakfast and a wine and cheese pool party as well for 2,900 baht. It’s great fun so sign up soon as we only have 24 slots.
If you have never been to Soi Dao, it is a breathtaking golf course up in the cool mountain air and just 3 hours down the road. We are about half full so make up your mind! Ladies are welcome, so why not give your new relationship the road trip test to either make it or break it!
Green Valley was in luscious and delicious condition once again and 40 golfers joined us for the Monday test. We had some interesting results, and it was a good day to have a high handicap as the top 3 lads had a combined cap of 67! That’s what this game is all about, so no matter your age or ability, your handicap is the great equalizer that keeps you in the comp and puts everyone off a level playing field. See the results up top for all the gory details!
I hope this reinforces the fact that The Golf Club welcomes golfers of all handicaps, so let’s see some new faces come out and join us for some great golf here in Pattaya.
One notable event I must report was the incident with TGC partner John McHugh who overruled his other 3 playing partners and called himself out-of-bounds. It was the honest thing to do as an unfortunately long stretch between the white posts made the ruling very difficult. It cost Johnny 2 strokes (that would have tied him for the win), but at least he can sleep at night! It makes for a better round of golf when you are playing with a clean Titleist and a clean conscience.
Wednesday, Feb. 26, Khao Kheow (white tees) – Stableford
1st Ken Aihara (4) 36pts
2nd Anders Pedersen (8) 35pts
T3rd Carmen Hurdon (20) 34pts
T3rd Ian Brimble (7) 34pts
Rave reviews all round for the condition of Khao Kheow for this day’s comp. That, combined with yet another day of near perfect weather, gave us a full sheet of golfers for a round of millionaire’s golf.
This is the time of year where it seems like we have a revolving door of the lads heading back home. It was good to see Englishman Ian Brimble get one last appearance on the podium before he heads back to Texas. We also said farewell to Dave Mather who heads back to a chilly London and Bryan Carroll, winging his way back to Scotland.
Kenny Aihara was once again on top of the leaderboard after a bit of a slump the last few weeks. For anyone else that wouldn’t be a slump but it was for a great golfer like Kenny, the man is usually very consistent. Ken probably has the best short game in town and scrambles around the greens like Seve. Good to see you back on top mate!
We finally had a lady get out and join us this week, as Carmen Hurdon (with hubby Graham, so don’t get any ideas!) shot her way to a 3rd with Ian on 34 points.
Thanks to all who joined us this week, and thanks to Captain Phil Smedley for keeping it all running smoothly.
Friday, Feb. 28, Plutaluang - P.S.C. Monthly Medal
Just a quick note of congratulations to Micky Beresford for winning his C flight, and Kenny Aihara for winning the A Flight at last week’s PSC Monthly comp. Coincidentally, both of these guys won with us on Monday and Wednesday to give them a great week of tournament golf. Please see the big article for full results of the P.S.C. Monthly on page 48.
Note: The Golf Club is located on Soi LK Metro. Just call 085 434 3377 or see our website www.golfclubpattaya.com  and for more information mail us: [email protected]  and see updates at www.facebook.com/golfclubpattaya...  all handicaps welcome!

Don and Allen take the Medals

IPGC golf from The Haven

Allen Raaen ,Don Everett  and Dave Howden.

Monday, Feb. 24, The Emerald - Stableford
CSS 72
Division 1 (0-12)
1st Bruce Kusyk (12) 35pts
2nd Danny Miller (8) 34pts
3rd Mark Williams (8) 32pts
4th Peter Skinner (12) 32pts
Division 2 (13-18)
1st Dave Howden (13) 37pts
2nd Hugh Skinner (18) 29pts
3rd Gary Warren (16) 29pts
4th Paul McDonald (15) 29pts
Division 3 (19+)
1st Philip Cass (20) 36pts
2nd Markku Tynell (22) 32pts
3rd Tim Morgan (24) 32pts
4th Andy Pedlar (21) 30pts
Even with three divisions contesting only one player could better par on a day when scoring was at a premium as the course showed it is not the pushover some would claim, and the CSS for the day just stayed at the level of the 72 SS.
Bruce Kusyk slipped in another win in the first division with a solid round although a couple of blobs less would have made it a stellar one. He just edged out Danny Miller who had challenged all the way to the end. Newcomer Mark Williams made his mark after he had won a count back over Peter Skinner with a better 16 to 15 to claim third and leave Peter in fourth.
The second division was led by a street and a half by Dave Howden who carded the best of the day – a one under handicap - leaving a gulf of eight shots between first and second places. Second spot was taken by Hugh Skinner after he had won a three-way count back over Gary Warren and Paul McDonald with a best 13 over the back nine. Gary took third place after he won over the last six by 9 to 8 after he had tied with Paul at 12 apiece for the nine.
The third division was headed by Philip Cass as he cruised in four ahead of a count back between Markku Tynell and Tim Morgan, which the former won by 18 to 16, leaving Andy Pedlar a surprised fourth place two more back.
James Hawley, Dave Howden and Danny Miller shared the roll over 2’s pool in the first division whilst Garry Warren and Philip Cass (of course) shared the second division.
Wednesday, Feb. 26, Greenwood A & B - Stableford
CSS 73
Division 1 (0-16)
1st Allen Raaen (8) 36pts
2nd Walter O’Keefe (16) 34pts
3rd Bob Heath (12) 33pts
4th Kevin Townsend (12) 32pts
Division 2 (17+)
1st Shuichi Kodaka (18) 39pts
2nd Philip Cass (20) 33pts
3rd Don Everett (19) 31pts
4th Patrick Scullion (22) 31pts
Once again Greenwood was found to be in great shape although some wet weather had made the course a more difficult proposition, even though the arguably hardest C nine was out of play for the day.
Allen Raaen warmed up for the monthly medal with a solid performance that was to be a foretaste of what would follow in the next couple of days, as he took the top step of the first division podium with a level handicap par round by two points from the ever dangerous Walter O’Keefe. Bob Heath, known as the original Cap’n Bob, took a well deserved third place just one behind and one in front of Kevin Townsend in fourth place.
The second division was led in by a distance by Shuichi Kodaka, who was also preparing for the medal, as he swept in three under handicap and six ahead of the nearest challenger. That was Philip Cass who took second spot after sadly having back to back zeros on 11 and 12 but then made a great effort over the last five holes, taking 14 points from them. Don Everett slipped into third after winning a count back over Patrick Scullion with a better 20 to 15 after he had returned a very sad 11 points on the outward half.
To add to their day’s haul and underline the quality of their golf on the day, the 2’s were taken by Allen Raaen in the first division and Shuichi Kodaka in the second division.
Friday, Feb. 28, Crystal Bay A & C - Monthly Medals
CSS 72
Division 1 (0-15)
1st Allen Raaen (8) net 68
2nd Peter Skinner (12) net 72
3rd Bruce Kusyk (12) net 72
4th Kevin Townsend (12) net 73
Division 1 (16+)
1st Don Everett (19) net 69
2nd Walter O’Keefe (16) net 70
3rd Shuichi Kodaka (18) net 75
4th Hal Hart (21) net 75
Allen Raaen took his first Monthly Medal of the 2014 season on his way to booking yet another appearance in the Gold and Silvers. Allen strode to the top of the leader board by four clear from Peter Skinner, who in turn had to win a count back for second place which he did with a better 34 to 35 over Bruce Kusyk. That left Kevin Townsend in fourth another stroke behind.
The second division was a very close affair which Don Everett just won by one stroke from the in-form Walter O’Keefe, with Shuichi Kodaka taking third after winning a count back with a better 34.5 to 37.5 over Hal Hart.
Although he has found the scoring hard to come by, James Hawley has been making up some leeway by taking a few 2’s and did so again today to claim the first division pot, while Markku Tynell and John Hayes shared the second division pool.
Note: If you would like to play with The Haven group, you can contact mobile 094 567 5726 or call in to The Haven Hotel, at 185 Soi 13, between Beach Road and 2nd Road. All transportation to the course is arranged and you do not need to sign up prior to the day, but you should be there by 8.15 on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday on the days that you wish to play. A schedule of courses to be played can be found on our web site at www.thehaven-hotel.com.

Mashi takes it in photo finish

PSC golf from Tropical Bert’s

Derek Brook
Tuesday, Feb. 25, Mountain Shadow – Stableford
This was a day out that was over-subscribed from the minute it was put on the board. Later withdrawals brought the number of players down to a manageable number, but it is indicative of the numbers of golfers in Pattaya at the moment. All information I have is that other groups are having the same situation, so it seems that regardless of the demonstrations in Bangkok, Pattaya remains a haven from the rest of the world.

Dick Warberg (right) presents the MBMG Group Golfer of the Month award to Mashi Kaneta.

This course has those who love it and those who hate it. I used to be in the latter camp as I thought it was too difficult, but as Father Time catches up, and the handicap flies out and I have time to smell the roses, I have started to fall into the earlier category, except for the fact that the ceiling is missing above the showers and you never know what is on the hunt.
It was really windy on this particular day and this does make the course so much more difficult. If you hit into the trees you really do have a lot of trouble facing you. We also decided to play from the blue tees, which on a windy day such as this is a real test.
As anticipated it proved a really trying day and no one seemed to be having a good round, indeed most were struggling. The fairways were very hard and the greens were quite fast despite the fact that some were sanded. Still, all in all a good day out despite the conditions and you only have to play good enough to win.
Today we had to determine the recipient of the MBMG Golfer of the Month award, although that mantle had seemingly been decided much earlier in the month when Henry Wong won twice in two weeks. I even noticed that he had had his hair cut, probably for the photo. Surely he could not lose!
In fact the only person who had a slight chance to beat Henry was Mashi Kaneta as he had two second place finishes, but he would need to win on this day and Henry come nowhere. I played with Mashi and he only had 35 points so I was pretty confident Henry would walk it.
Back at Bert’s it was soon time for the results and in the B Flight, 20 up, the winner with 32 points was James Ferris ahead of Dick Warberg in second on 31. We then had a count back on 29 points that saw Jack Robertson third, Don Carmody fourth and Mike O’Brien and Carole Kubicki just losing out.
In the A Flight, 0 to 19, the miracle was completed as nobody could beat Mashi’s card of 35 points, although Steve Hamstad managed to match it but he lost out on count back. In third place was John Hackett with 34 points and in fourth was Mark West with 33.
So, in the final reckoning Mashi won the MBMG Group Golfer of the Month award by one point from Henry ‘The Haircut’ Wong. Well played Mashi and hard luck Henry. T.T.F.N.
Near Pin: Walter Baechli, Richard Kubicki, Paul Brooks, Brian Gabe
Long Putt: Tom Cotton, Giampaolo De Grandis

Greig takes February monthly award

PSC golf Bunker Boys @ The Ranch

Ian Milne.

Monday, Feb. 24, Bangpra – Stableford
Our organiser was a bit shocked to pull up at the front door and see 4 full minibuses unloading. However all was well with our booking and 7 flights started off 20minutes early on the back nine. The course was in excellent condition although as to be expected it was very dry off the fairways.
Everybody found it hard going except for Gerry Cooney, back after a month’s layoff, with a fine 36pts including two no score holes. B grade went to Gordon Melia with a battling 32pts after scoring just 1pt on the first 3 holes.
Back at the Ranch we were subjected to a lengthy exposition from John Hughes on what a brilliant golfer he is (off 17hcp 111) and how he stormed home to record 30pts and pip Mashi to third place in B grade. However nobody took up the challenge of buying him a drink to shut him up.
A Flight
1st Gerry Cooney (13) 36pts
2nd John Graham (10) 33pts
3rd Paul Smith (3) 33pts
B Flight
1st Gordon Melia (16) 32pts
2nd Les Burns (31) 31pts
3rd John Hughes (17) 30pts
Near Pins: Tony Robbins, John Graham, Colin Greig and Mark Stanley
Wednesday, Feb. 26, Pattavia - Stableford
Meandering through the potholes and pineapple fields on our approach to the course, we were dreaming of unashamed luxury in the new clubhouse which was due to open 14th February. Unfortunately, correcting the date to Thai Universal Time meant it was due to open 1st March, so we ended up being shoehorned into the old locker room.
Once on the course however the disappointment dissipated when faced with excellent tees and fairways and true medium paced greens. Although much work still needs to be done, it has come on leaps and bounds since the takeover by Chang Brewery, with a reasonable green fee pleasing on the wallet.
Not sure if the course was busy, as after tee off one rarely sees another golfer due to the layout, but a round in just over 4 hours is always good.
A Flight had the best scores with Ian Milne shooting a tremendous 41 points despite a blob and 43 putts. Geoff Cox was trailing in his wake with a mere 39 points.
B Flight saw Dave Keats play to par and Jack Robertson and Peter Hapgood separated by a count back 2 shots behind.
The if, but and only shot of the day belonged to Tony Robbins whose excellent iron on the first 138 yard par 3 brought him to within 2 inches of the hole. Definitely needs more practice as free beers always go down better.
A Flight
1st Ian Milne (13) 41pts
2nd Geoff Cox (16) 39pts
3rd Tony Robbins (12) 36pts
B Flight
1st Dave Keats (34) 36pts
2nd Jack Robertson (25) 34pts
3rd Peter Hapgood (20) 34pts
Near Pins: Tony Robbins, Dave Ashman and Geoff Cox
Friday, Feb. 28, Pleasant Valley - Stableford
A small turnout of golfers for our visit to one of the less popular venues on our regular schedule, but those that played were almost unanimous in praising the general condition and value for money of the course. The layout here has been improved significantly since the time when the course was opened, and most of the original criticisms are now largely unjustified, although the absence of hazard markers around the course is difficult to understand, and causes some unnecessary problems.
The weather was superb, the fairways were lush (even over-watered in places), the greens were true if a little slow, and the round progressed without any holdups, so all in all it was an excellent day’s golf.
Peter Kelly produced a great performance, scoring 41 points to take the honours and was three points clear of Colin Greig, with Gerry Cooney beating Raleigh Gosney on a count back to take third place.
Following the presentation back at The Ranch, Colin Greig was presented with the February Golfer of the Month trophy, and escaped with a smaller bill than usual when he rang the bell, due to the low turnout.
1st Peter Kelly (12) 41pts
2nd Colin Greig (7) 38pts
3rd Gerry Cooney (13) 36pts
Near Pins: Colin Greig (2) and Peter Kelly
Note: The Bunker Boys is a PSC affiliated golf society which plays out of The Ranch bar on Pattaya 3rd Road (in front of the fire station, and almost opposite the Buffalo Bar). We play on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and meet at The Ranch at 9 a.m. for breakfast and transportation. New players are always welcome.
Contact “Buff” on 086 046 5091 or 080 605 5663 for all enquiries. You can find all the news, schedules and results on our website at www.bunkersociety.com. 

Cuddy beats the Bangpra blues

IPGC golf from Tara Court Golf Group

Sunday, Feb. 23, Green Valley - Stableford
Unfortunately we had a lot of problems here today. Despite having agreed on Saturday to delay our tee time by thirty minutes, when we arrived we had to wait another forty minutes to tee off and then had to endure over five and a half hours on the course as the play in front of us was extremely slow and not a Marshall in sight to do anything about it. Next time here we are transferring over to St Andrews at the Green Valley price so at least they accepted that there was a problem and did something about it.

Brendan Roddy.

We had a very popular winner today; despite the delays and the slow play Brendan Roddy kept his concentration and had thirty eight points to claim the top spot. We had three players on thirty five points with Pat Carty coming second on the count back over Frank McGowan, who also beat Don Byrne in to fourth on the count back. Shaun Merriman was fifth with thirty four and Ted Murphy fifth with thirty three.
Shaun Merriman and Frank McGowan shared the ‘2’s with one each.
1st Brendan Roddy (24) 38pts
2nd Pat Carty (25) 35pts
3rd Frank McGowan (16) 35pts
4th Don Byrne (16) 35pts
5th Ted Murphy (24) 33pts
Tuesday, Feb. 25, Bangpra - Stableford
Tuesday we were in Bangpra and playing a very long course. Again many of the tees were back on the blue tee box and it must have been at least 6,700 yds. As usual the greens were lightning fast and caught out many of our golfers, including myself who despite having an excellent caddy still managed to three-putt too many of the greens.

Ted Murphy.

At least one of our friends found it ok however, as Joe Cuddy still managed to beat his handicap and won with an excellent thirty seven points. He was followed by Don Byrne with thirty six and Joe McArdle in third with thirty three. George Cullen took fourth with thirty one and he beat Ted Murphy on a count back. That was Ted’s second day in the prizes this week and he is coming good just as his holiday is coming to an end.
I believe that there was a far more important match going on within the competition, two of our ladies, Pauline Byrne and Theresa Connolly, took on two of our men and the ladies were victorious. I won’t embarrass the men by mentioning their names!
Frank McGowan and John Fenwick split the ‘2’s pot.
1st Joe Cuddy (23) 37pts
2nd Don Byrne (16) 36pts
3rd Joe McArdle (13) 33pts
4th George Cullen (12) 31pts
5th Ted Murphy (24) 31pts
Thursday, Feb. 27, Mountain Shadow - Stableford
We were back in one of our favorite courses today where as usual we played off the blue tees. One of our players objected to this as he felt it would favour the low handicappers but it turned out to be almost a clean sweep for the higher handicappers, with only one ‘low man’ appearing in the prizes.

Theresa Connolly & Pauline Byrne

Ted Murphy was playing his last game with us for this year and for the third time this week he was on the podium, indeed today at the very top as he won the overall with thirty five points. John Fenwick was second with thirty four points and Tony Pike took third with thirty one, beating John Kelly on the count back. Pauline Byrne placed fifth with thirty.
Frank McGowan and Jon Batty recorded the only ‘2’s of the day.
1st Ted Murphy (24) 35pts
2nd John Fenwick (22) 34pts
3rd Tony Pike (9) 31pts
4th John Kelly (26) 31pts
5th Pauline Byrne (29) 30pts
Note: The Tara Court Golf Group play every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday, leaving O’Gara’s Bar and Restaurant in the Tara Court on Pratamnak Rd. around 10.00 a.m. Sign up either in O’Gara’s or ring Joe on 089 249 1364.

Practice makes perfect?

Travellers Rest Golf Group

Andy Rich and Jim Cooper.

Andy Rich
One of the most well known sayings in golf supposedly came from Gary Player after he holed out from a bunker and was told by a spectator “That was a lucky shot”, to which Player replied, “Yes, the more I practice the luckier I get.”
Last week I proved that saying was complete bunkum. For the last year I have religiously practiced to the point where every driving range owner in Pattaya could probably retire on what I have paid them. Then I go two whole weeks without touching a golf club and proceed to play my best golf for ages. Golf, like life, is just not fair.
Monday, Feb. 24, Greenwood - Stableford
On Monday the TRGG headed back to Greenwood (A and B courses) after a two week absence and I am pleased to report that it must have rained since our last visit because the fairways were looking green again and the whole course looked great.
Although the numbers had dropped off a little from the previous week they were still high enough to require two divisions. In Division 1 it was another guy who practices all the time who finished top of the leader board. Mike Rushant is that guy and he was the only person on the day to shoot to his handicap. Steve Carleton, who once told me that in his youth (I am surprised you can remember back that far, Steve) he would practice until his hands bled, came in second and Larry Simpson, who is too old to practice, came in third.
In Division 2 my best round for a year was good enough to take me into first place but only just. I beat Rajni Patel on count back and my playing partner Noel Larkin came in third only one shot behind.
Div. 1 (0-12)
1st Mike Rushant (12) 36pts
2nd Steve Carleton (8) 34pts
3rd Larry Simpson (11) 34pts
Div. 2 (13+)
1st Andy Rich (21) 34pts
2nd Rajni Patel (17) 34pts
3rd Noel Larkin (18) 33pts
Tuesday, Feb. 25, St. Andrews - Stableford
The TRGG made a second Tuesday visit in succession to St Andrews, a course where only good golfers tend to succeed. This outing was no exception when probably our most in-form golfer, Alan Thomas, a five handicapper, made it look easy by amassing 39 points. That should now read four-handicapper!
Jim Cooper showed he was fully recovered from his sticky patch by shooting 38 points to come second and Graham Hurdon shot his handicap in taking third spot.
1st Alan Thomas (5) 39pts
2nd Jim Cooper (14) 38pts
3rd Graham Hurdon (9) 36pts
Thursday, Feb. 27, The Emerald - Stableford
Thursday saw our February golf draw to a close at Emerald. Once again it was dominated by our most consistent golfers who are all hitting a rich vein of form. Jim Cooper went one better than Tuesday’s outing by taking top spot ahead of Mike Rushant in second and Alan Thomas third.
1st Jim Cooper (14) 36pts
2nd Mike Rushant (12) 33pts
3rd Alan Thomas (5) 33pts
Saturday, March 1, Mountain Shadow - Stableford
On Saturday the TRGG headed off to Mountain Shadow where once again two divisions were required.
In Division 1, Robert Bjorkqvist stepped in to break up the domination of the ‘Mr. Reliables’ as he easily outpointed the opposition to finish the week as number one. Aussie Dave Palmer took a break from pasting myself and partner on the cribbage board to finish second, with Alan Thomas once again on the podium in third.
In Division 2, Rick Mussellam for the second week running showed that Saturday is his favourite day of the week by finishing first, with Billy Allan close behind in second and Koyama Hiro taking third place.
Div.1 (0-16)
Robert Bjorkqvist (12) 35pts
Dave Palmer (6) 31pts
Alan Thomas (4) 30pts
Div.2 (13+)
Rick Mussellam (21) 32pts
Billy Allan (18) 31pts
Koyama Hiro (20) 30pts
Good luck to all you golfers for the coming week and if you would like to play a round of golf with the TRGG, please phone Fergus Brennan on 086 056 7019 or pop into the Ned Kelly Bar in Soi Lengkee and add your name to the weekly lists which are posted on the notice board.

Cavaliers cut down to size at Navy scramble

PSC golf from the Billabong Golf Bar

Scramble winners Wayne Cotterell, John Player and Eng Duangwaw.

Monday, Feb. 24, Greenwood - Stableford
What started out as Pattavia finished as Greenwood due to a late influx of players, and a very special thank you to the management there for taking our six groups at such short notice. The course was in great condition with good fairways and fast greens.
The scores were nothing over the top, with a four-way count back on 31 points for fourth place, with Ivor Smith getting the nod over Willim, Phil and George. Third spot went to John Locke with 33 points, and we then had a tie on 35 points for first and second, with Sugar Man Handford just getting the edge over Mal Farquharson on count back.
There was only one ‘2’ today, coming from John Locke.
Wednesday, Feb. 26, Green Valley - Stableford
Our normal venue of Green Valley today but with near the pins from our birthday boy Neil Carter so there were four vouchers to be redeemed for food and drinks at the Billabong. Thanks very much Neil and we all wish you many happy returns.
There was also a little fun and games beside the 15th green as Jack Piercefield had a passenger join him on the cart, a slippery customer, and when it decided to stay the Caddy decided to vacate in a hurry and there was no way she would get back on board!

The Billabong team at least looked the part.

With nine groups were around in just about bang on four hours with no real hold ups. It is really amazing when you have near pins how close the lads who won them got to the hole. I don’t think there was one outside three feet. The four good golfers who won the were Paul Greenaway, John Locke, Robert Marsh and Sel Wegner.
Fifth place today went to Steve Compton with 35 points, fourth was taken by Orn Tinpranee with a fine 38 and third went to John Locke with 39, but being beaten by Capt Bob on count back. Top of the heap today was Bob Finley with a great 40 points.
There were three ‘2’s coming from John Locke, Robert Marsh and Bob Finley.
Friday, Feb. 28, Plutaluang - Stableford
The monthly scramble at the Navy course was another great successful day out with everyone enjoying themselves. There were some colourful golfers out there and this regular event has now taken on a bit of a festival air.
Playing the East and South loops, which were in great condition, we were off bang on time and all gone in just over an hour and a half. The Courtyard Cavaliers didn’t bring their A Game today and nor did the Billabong as neither team could get a putt to fall. Most of the scores were in the low 60s but there were two stand outs in the 50s.

Wednesday podium placers: Steve Compton, John Locke, Orn and Bob Philp.

It has become a completion over the last eight months to beat the Courtyard lads as they have won this tournament five times so far. Back at the bar the tales of woe and what could have been were hilarious, however it was down to Owen Walkley, Brian Maddox, John Locke and Barney Clarkson to take third place with a fine 61.2, beating Steve Compton’s team by 0.1 of a shot. Second place went to Jack Piercefield, Doug Douglas, Larry Gamble and Bill Gibson with a great score of 57.9, but taking the top spot with an even better 56.8was quartet of Eng Duangwaw, Wayne Cotterell, John Player and Mal (wet the baby’s head) Farquharson.
The next scramble will be at the Navy course on the 28th March.
Note: If you are looking for a game with some friendly golfers, call into the bar at Lake Mabprachan or give Bob a call on 082 204 3411.

New shoes do the talkin’

Jomtien golf with the IPGC

Monday, Feb. 24, Plutaluang – Stableford
We had booked the West and North nines for today’s game and had another reasonable turnout with ten groups making up the field and the cuts coming at 7-16, 17-19 and 20+ in division 3. The weather conditions were quite cool with a breeze blowing intermittently throughout the round.

Mark Jennings.

In his last game before his departure to Paris, Don Head topped division 1 with 38 points, beating Horst Starchl on a 20/16 back nine count back, Miss Nut was smiling all over her face, and Khalifa Nasser took third with 34.
Another 38 in division 2 won it for Harry Vincenzi, with Howard Stanley taking second one point behind and after being cut from 21 to 18 the previous week, Randy Flello wa third with 34.
Magne Gunnarson recorded his best ever score with our group to win division 3 with 33 points, beating Sid Ottaway on a 16/13 back-nine count back and Ray Gott placed third with his highest score ever of 32 points.
There were many low point scores coming in today, especially from Div 1 and Div 2 players, but there were no complaints regarding the condition of the course, it was just one of those days.
Near pins went to Khalifa Nasser (2), Bryan Rought, Chris Voller, Mauri Friman, Ray Gott, Eiichi Matsumoto and Finn Olsen.
John Marsh and Khalifa Nasser both birdied the 3rd hole on the West course while Barry Stirling has a ‘2’ on the lighthouse hole to split the pot in division 1 three ways. In division 2 Mauri Friman was the only ‘2’s winner, on the lighthouse hole as well.
Wednesday, Feb. 26, Treasure Hills - Stableford
At 6,377 yards off the yellow tees the majority of players prefer this than the much longer 6726 off the whites and this decision was happily accepted as we met on the first tee. The course was very quite when we arrived and we were able to tee off 30 minutes ahead of our scheduled time, which pleased everyone.

Magne Gunnarson.

Bryan Rought was the winner in division 1 today, beating Jerry McCarthy 15/13 on the back six after they both came in with 21 points on the back nine and 37 points overall. Pete Sumner was third with 36 points.
Thirty seven was also the winning score in division 2, with Erkki Pohja taking the top podium position ahead of Countback Burnie in second two points behind, and Bryan Priestley took third with 33.
Near pins were claimed by Wichai Tananusorn, Horst Starchl, Pete Sumner, Seppo Toivinen, Tim Hake (2), Jerry McCarthy and Finn Olsen.
Horst Starchl birdied the tough second hole and Barry Stirling the 6th to share the ‘2’s in division 1 while Mark Jennings birdied the 6th for the only 2 in division 2.
Friday, Feb. 28, Eastern Star - Stableford
The management here recently told us last that the Korean tour groups had almost finished their block booking here for the season and it showed today as the first tee was deserted and the group in front were three holes ahead of us.

Glyn Evans.

Bill Bertram, playing off 10, recorded the best score of the day to win division 1 with 40 points and was followed in by Arthur Hancock in second with 36 and Horst Starchl placed third with 33.
Walter Weber was the winner in division 2 with 37 points, beating Paul Hartley by one point and Jerry McCarthy came third on 33.
A brand new pair of designer golf shoes for the organizer from his lovely lady wife seemed to do the trick as he returned an amazing score of 39 points to win division 3. Joe Kubon came second with 33 points after beating Howard Stanley on a 19/17 back nine count back.
Near pins went to Bill Bertram, Gerry Douley, Nik Evans, Bryan Rought, Howard Stanley and Walter Weber.
Peter Newman, Bryan Rought and Pete Sumner all birdied the 3rd to share the ‘2’s pot in division 1 while a rollover ensued to the following week in division 2.

Neil all smiles at Pleasant Valley

PSC golf from Siam Country Resort

Siam Country Resort golfers at the PSC monthly tournament.

Just the 1 game this week as time was spent checking out venues for a trip away for the SCR group.
Thursday rolled around, and normal service was resumed, with a trip to Pleasant Valley under clear skies and a light breeze. The course was in generally good condition, although there were some damp areas following overnight rain combined with some leaky sprinkler heads. These did not deter Neil Harvey (18) who has been in the golfing doldrums recently, from putting some good shots together to eventually sign for 37 points. This was made all the more creditable as he got away to a below average start with 2 wipes.
The consistent Jeff Wylie (7) was a point behind Neil, while Bob Edwards (8) with 33 picked up the final podium spot.
Near pins were again spread around, boosting the prize winners up to 7 different recipients, as Jonathan, Willem, George & Martin hit the targets.
Friday was a PSC monthly tournament and all 4 of our participants got amongst the prizes: Bob got the A Flight Long Drive and a near pin and Jeff came third in A Flight while Willem & Paddy, who both just missed the podium places in their flights, got lucky draw prizes.
Note: Siam Country Resort, Restaurant & Bar is located just off Siam Country Club Rd, after going under the arch past the 7/11, turn right after 50 metres, with the venue on the left another 200 metres along. Golf from here is generally played on Tuesday & Thursday, with the Resort hosting prompt presentations on both days. As a PSC affiliated venue we welcome ALL golfers, including ladies & seniors (>60s) who have opted for the “Silver” tee option. Call 089 094 1841 for scheduling or enquiries. Hope to see you there, cheers & good golfing!

Hester holds the aces at Pattavia

PSC golf from The Caddyshack

Monday 24th Feb at Green Valley enabled us to have 2 flights due to a good turnout of players. Leading the way in ‘A’ flight was Graham Houston (13) with 37 points while Mike Pledger (17) edged out David Lowe (7) on countback with 36 points for second. The winner of ‘B’ flight was Peter Harris (20) with 36 points from Peter Henderson (18) who beat Goort Gelten (18) on countback, both with 34 points.

Dave Hester.

Wednesday 26th saw us make another visit to the constantly improving Pattavia Century course. The new clubhouse was almost complete but not yet ready for use. Our compliments to the management here for making improvements every time we play here and they really have put together one of the best courses around.
Leading the way on scoring was Dave Hester (11) whose delicate putting stroke on these challenging greens allowed him to finish with 41 points. Second place went to Brian Orr (17), beating Ian Dallis (8) on count back with 37 points. We have now arranged for Brian to get a buggy with headlamps since he normally finishes in the dark. Fourth place went to the evergreen Phonsie McGahan (7) with 36 points just ahead of Mark Williams (9) with 35.
A very welcome change in format was introduced on Friday 28th when we had 14 groups taking part in a 2-man scramble. Our starting time was brought forward 30 minutes and for the first time in weeks we had no delays during the round.

Graham Houston.

After the round it was back to the Caddyshack for the delicious cottage pie provided by Koy and Keith. Koy made 2 large pies, one for Keith and another for the 28 players. The presentation followed the meal and victory went to the domestic staff of the Butler and the Gardener.
Jack and Ted took first place with a net 64.4 off of a 4.6 handicap while second place went to the Irish pairing of Brendan McGovern and Vincent Smythe with a score of 67 off a +2 handicap.
In third place we had Dave Gibson and Billy Shepley with a net 67.6 and fourth place went to Phonsie McGahan and Roger Rush with 68.2.
Nearest the pins were claimed by Vincent Smythe, Brendan McGovern, Glen Elsworth and Derek Wilkin.
The plan is now to have a 2 man scramble on the last Friday of every month.
Note: The Caddyshack is located on Soi 17 off 3rd road or soi 8 off Thepprasit Rd. All golfers are welcome and reservations taken at 081 865 3104.

Outstanding Thailand crowned ACC women’s premier champions

Thailand’s women took the ACC Women’s Championship title with a resounding win over China.

Richard Lockwood
Thailand’s women cricketers enhanced their growing reputation in the sport after they recently beat China by seven wickets at the Royal Chiang Mai Golf Course Ground to complete a perfect five wins out of five and be deservedly crowned as the first winners of the ACC Women’s Premier.
This was a new competition played by the six leading teams in ACC women’s cricket over a longer distance and so Thailand have now won competitions in 40-over and 25-over formats, as well as also making a name for themselves on the world stage in the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier in Ireland. More than ever they now deserve to be recognized as one of the major teams in the world of women’s cricket and they will now have another chance to play in an ICC qualifying tournament.

Nattaya Boochatham played 3 masterful innings in the competition.

Thailand and China had both won their first four matches in the ACC Women’s Premier 2014, which had been played on the three idyllic grounds that Chiang Mai is lucky to possess, so the last match of the competition between the best two teams was expected to bring the tournament to a fitting conclusion. In the event Thailand dominated the match even though China’s openers Sun Mengyao and Zhang Mei shared a steady partnership of 39 and their second wicket did not fall until the score had reached 57.
But Thailand bowled with such an impressive level of accuracy that only 18 runs came from the first ten overs without any extras being conceded and the wickets began to fall. Sornnarin Tippoch took two for 16 in her eight overs, Nattakan Chantam and Ratanaporn Padunglerd also claimed two wickets, while Chanida Sutthiruang and Nattaya Boochatham conceded less than two runs an over. China were restricted to only one boundary in their entire innings as they were dismissed for exactly 100 in the 39th over.
Thailand were looking to be positive in their response as Nattakan Chantam was promoted to open the innings and she immediately cut off-spinner Zhou Haijie for four behind point. She then pulled China’s fastest bowler for six on to the nearby golf course and followed with an off-drive for four and hit another boundary off the leg-spinner Han Lili to race to 27.
Although she was then stumped with the total on 33, she had done her job and taken the match away from China. Nattaya Boochatham came to the crease and quietly made an unbeaten 23 to steer Thailand to victory to confirm her reputation as a high quality player in the longer form of the game.
Naremol Chaiwai also made 27, and did a good job in opening the innings without having the power of Nattakan or the finesse of Nattaya. It was appropriate that captain fantastic Sornnarin Tippoch scored the winning runs as Thailand reached 101 for 3 to win by seven wickets.
Nattakan Chantam was named player of the match, Sornnarin Tippoch bowler of the tournament and Chanida Sutthiruang player of the tournament as Thailand dominated the awards ceremony. Hong Kong’s Yip Sze Wan was chosen as batter of the tournament but this could have easily have been given to Nattaya Boochatham as she played three masterful innings in this competition.
Thailand had been surprise winners of the ACC Women’s Championship last year but this time they proved themselves to be the best team in the competition by a considerable margin and they are now ready to move on to even better things.

Tight racing at Tara Court Hyland Challenge Trophy

The Hyland Challenge Trophy, sponsored by Tara Court, was held over the weekend of the 15th and 16th of February at the Royal Varuna Yacht Club. The conditions on Saturday were excellent, providing a variety of wind strengths for the competitors.
In the monohull fleet it was Neil Dunkley who took the first race taking a slight advantage of the stronger wind out to sea. With the wind strengthening, Peter Young used his excellent upwind speed to take the second monohull race with Gareth Owen just unable to close the gap. In the third race of the day, the wind picked up yet again under the cloud that was building. This also led to a big shift to the left just before the start. Gareth picked up on this quickly and scored his first win of the weekend.
First honours in the multihulls went to Jan in his Nacra 16 square who was within touching distance of the faster F18’s ahead at the finish, and easily won when the handicaps were calculated. As conditions changed as the day went on, it was then the turn of Axel to take the second race in his F16.
With the wind at its strongest, the two Nacra 16 squares of Jan Holldorff and Simon Hirst seemed more interested in competing for the ‘most spectacular capsize’ prize with both ending up doing some swimming training. The final verdict was that Simon’s cartwheel just narrowly edged into top spot.
In the racing, Bob and Judy Gardham were enjoying the stronger wind in their Hobie 16, and won the final race. With three different race winners, the overall leaders at the end of the day were Richard Eyre and Dave Littlejohn in their F18 who had consistently finished second in every race!
With the earlier start on Sunday, the wind was expected to be lighter. The first monohull race took some time to get away. Eventually for the third start, the race team used a black flag with Marcel being the only boat to be caught over the line.
Taking full advantage of the stronger wind, Gareth scored a clean sheet with three straight wins. Further back there were a few capsizes and the fleet slimmed down as the conditions took their toll. Peter scored a further two second places to secure second overall with Shin just behind.
The multihulls sailed a long distance race in the testing conditions. The first leg was specified to be up to the regular blue multihull windward mark. However a couple of boats took a shorter route by using the monohull orange mark and were scored DNF. One of these was the boat of overnight leaders Richard and Dave, leaving the door open for the teams behind to take top spot.
Bob and Judy won the race with Axel in second. On counting the scores overall, this left three teams all on the same number of points. On count back, Bob and Judy took first place with Axel Soennichsen second, and Richard and Dave in third.
Many thanks to Tara Court, Ocean Sunglasses and Kingdom Property for their support and for the great prizes they provided.

World Muay Thai Boxing Championship coming to Pattaya

Lt. Gen Akachai Chantosa, President of the World MuayThai Federation, presides over a preparation meeting held at Pattaya City Hall on Feb. 27 for the 2014 World Muay Thai Championship, taking place from March 12-24 at Pattaya No. 8 School.

Jetsada Homklin
The 2014 World Muay Thai Championship will be held on the sports field of the Pattaya No. 8 School (opposite Chaimongkol Temple) in south Pattaya from March 12–24.
Organizers estimate some 500-600 boxer from 47 countries will take part in the 2-week event which will be divided into three distinct segments: Amateur Muay Thai World Championship (14 weight classes for male boxers and 7 weight classes for female boxers); Semi-Professional Muay Thai World Championship (12 weight classes for male boxers and 6 weight classes for female boxers); and Professional Muaythai World Championship, with just 3 weight classes for male boxers.
Pradit Thongchai, Chief of the Sport Development Division, says Thailand will only send boxers to participate in certain weight classes as the competition is more for foreign boxers who love the Thai fighting art and he hopes a larger foreign contingent will add to the popularity of the event and act as a boost to local tourism.

Brass Monkey FC in stalemate with league leaders

Bangkok Casuals League Div 1 & 2

Paul Frain
After a three week layoff, Brass Monkey FC got back to league action last weekend when they entertained league leaders the Sportsman, who were nine points above the Pattaya team but having played three games more.
Both teams started the match cautiously, resorting to shooting from long range, and Dipita came closest to putting Brass in the lead when his fierce shot flew narrowly over the Sportsman crossbar. Slowly the match began to open up and Brass’s Prompong made some incisive runs down the left wing, causing some panic in the Sportsman defence, but chances were spurned in front of goal and Brass had to be content going into halftime with the scores level at 0-0.
After the break the game opened up more as Brass went to look for the opening goal, and it nearly came when the livewire Vorontzov shot just the wrong side of the post. The same player came close again soon after with a diving header but once more it flew just wide of the goal.
With Brass piling on the pressure, Matveen saw his shot slam against the Sportsman goalpost and rebound to safety and it would be closest either team came to breaking the deadlock. The Sportsman came back strongly in the final 10 minutes but they were unable to trouble the resolute Brass Monkey defence and the game ended in a 0-0 stalemate.

Stuvik dominates at Paul Ricard

The Thai flag flies high as Sandy Stuvik stands atop the podium at the Paul Ricard circuit in southern France, Saturday, March 1.

Last month saw intense testing for the EuroFormula Open Winter Series prior to the season’s opening race on March 1. The Formula 3 cars have for 2014 been upgraded with a new and considerably faster engine and many teams struggled with teething problems during the first sessions. Thai racer Sandy Stuvik worked with his Italian team RP Motorsport to overcome the challenges and by race day the team felt well prepared.
The winter series started with a qualifying session at the Paul Ricard circuit in the south of France and although the track saw a clear blue sky, the chilling winds and 10 degree temperatures kept all the spectators well wrapped up.
Stuvik immediately started setting fast times and by the end he brought his time down to 2:00:750, a full 3 seconds faster than last year’s car and likely a new Formula 3 record time for the circuit. His time would well and truly put the Thai racer on pole position.

Stuvik drives his RP Motorsport Formula 3 car to victory in the season opening race.

As the red lights went out for the start of the race, Stuvik had a poor start and immediately lost 2 positions as the Italian, Giovesi and Japan’s Kanamaru shot past him. However, with the cold weather, Stuvik allowed the tires to build temperature before challenging the two front runners.

Sandy Stuvik sits in his car during the race qualifying session.

By the second lap coming out of the first chicane, Stuvik lined up the Japanese driver, got passed and moved up to second place. By this time Giovesi had gained a hundred meter lead and although clearly faster, it would take the Thai racer 7 laps to catch up.
On lap 9 coming out of the second chicane, Stuvik went on the outside of the Italian and managed to get ahead before the fast sweeping corner 10 and immediately stretched his lead. From there on until the checkered flag on lap 14 the Thai driver was unchallenged and took a dominating victory, setting the fastest lap of the race in the process.
Sandy Stuvik is still searching for more sponsor partners to launch a bid towards the top level GP2 series and took the winter series as a chance to gauge his performance and readiness for the 2014 racing season

12 countries vie for 45,000 baht at March 6-9 petanque tourney

Jean Luc Rosticci of the Petanque 9 Rai Club (left) talks with committee members during the planning meeting for the tournament on Feb. 24.

Jetsada Homklin
Teams from 12 countries are expected to take part in the third International Petanque Master tournament, taking place in Pattaya from March 6-9.
Onvara Karapin of the Pattaya Tourism Promotion Bureau met with Jean Luc Rosticci, president of Petanque 9-Rai Club Feb. 24 to begin planning for the 220,000-baht event.
Teams from Belgium, France, Japan, Laos, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, Senegal, Thailand, United States, and Vietnam are slated to compete.
The tournament will be split into two divisions for three-person teams and a target-type match.
The winner of the three-person team division will take home 20,000 baht. Second place gets 10,000 baht, third receives 6,000 baht and fourth gets 4,000 baht.
The top two finishers in the target category receive 10,000 and 5,000 baht, respectively.
Competition begins at 8 p.m. March 6 at the Petanque 9 Rai Club on Soi Kopai off Thepprasit Road, with closing ceremonies at 8 p.m. March 9.
Petanque is a form of boules where the goal is, while standing inside a starting circle with both feet on the ground, to throw hollow metal balls as close as possible to a small wooden ball called a “cochonnet” or jack. The game is normally played on hard dirt or gravel, but can also be played on grass, sand or other surfaces.

Thai MXGP is go for this weekend

Experience some World Championship FIM Motocross action this weekend.

The world’s top motocross stars have come together for the Thai round of the FIM Motocross Grand Prix World Championship, which is being held at Pinthong 3 racetrack in Sri Racha from March 7-9.
This is the second year that Thailand has hosted the MXGP after the resounding success of the inaugural round in 2013. Not only were the track and facilities praised by riders and teams, but the warm weather and Thai hospitality make this one of the most popular Grands Prix on the calendar.
At the centre of attention this weekend will be seven times MXGP world champion, Antonio Cairoli, riding for Red Bull KTM. The popular Italian faces challenges from arch rivals like Kawasaki’s Gautier Paulin, who won the season opener in Qatar, Tommy Searle, Suzuki’s Clement Desalle, Kevin Strijbos and Honda’s German star, Maximilian Nagel.
Extra interest comes from Husqvarna, as the iconic Swedish brand returns to grand prix racing this season with Australia’s Tyla Rattray, who beat Cairoli to the supporting MX2 world championship in 2008. MXGP allows four-stroke engines of up to 450cc, although Cairoli and Rattray prefer the easier to handle 350cc machines.
The stand-out rider in the MX2 support class, for machines with 250cc four-stroke engines, is current world champion Jeffrey Herlings, who has won the last 15 grands prix. At just 19 years old, he is causing as much of a sensation as Marc Marquez in MotoGP. Herlings can be sure of tough battles with fellow KTM stars Jordi Tixier and Jose Butron, as well as Kawasaki’s Dylan Ferrandis, who started the season in scintillating form at the opening round in Qatar, running Herlings close for the win.

Riders will have to negotiate 13 turns and 18 jumps at the Pinthong 3 track in Sri Racha.

The Thai MXGP has plenty of local interest too, with wildcard entries from Thai stars ‘Chaiyan’ Rhompan, ‘Arnon’ Theplib and Thanarat Penjan. The programme will also include rounds of Thailand’s national MXA championship and the new ‘Grasshopper’ class for underbone machines, such as the ubiquitous Honda Wave. This promises close racing and a lot of fun as these converted motorcycle taxis fly over the jumps as they battle for victory.
Explaining the appeal of motocross, media manager, Barry Russell explained, “MXGP is so spectacular that, unlike MotoGP and Formula One, you don’t need to be an expert to enjoy it. Spectators can watch from the edge of the track, so are much closer to the action than you can get in almost any other form of motorsport. There is a friendly atmosphere everywhere – even in the paddock - and it really is a great family day out.”
The Pinthong 3 track is 1,550 metres in length and presents a unique set of challenges, with 13 turns and 18 jumps, including the daunting triple, in which riders are airborne for more than three seconds.
To get there from Pattaya, take Highway 7 towards Bangkok and at the exit for Laem Chabang turn right onto the 331 and keep going for 12km. You will pass Pinthong 3 on the right and continue until you make a U-turn to arrive at the Thai MXGP main entrance on the left.
Tickets can be obtained on site at the MXGP Paddock Entrance. 500 baht paddock pass (3 day pass: Friday 7- Sunday 9 March). Tickets for the grandstands priced at 500, 700, 1000, 1,500 and 5,000 baht are available through www.Thaiticketmajor.com.
For more information visit: www.facebook.com/thaimxgp  or www.thaimxgp.com. 

PCC stay top with convincing league win over Siam CC

Dave Callick hit an unbeaten 83 to guide Pattaya to a total of 182 for 4 against Siam Cricket Club, Sunday, March 2.

Pattaya Cricket Club, affiliated with PSC, maintained their 100% league record with a convincing 98 run victory over Siam CC last Sunday at the Thai Polo Ground in east Pattaya.
A strong PCC side, full of confidence, had no hesitation in batting first against opponents who had done the double over them in the previous season. Debutant, Neil Decker opened with Venky, but the bowlers applied early pressure and soon the pressure told as Venky (6) and Neil (12) perished trying to force the run rate. When Andy Schofield followed next ball, well caught by a diving Brett Taylor at point, PCC were in trouble at 22/3 off 6 overs.

Hamza (right) returned figures of 2/17 during an impressive bowling display by PCC.

John Spiers and Dave Callick consolidated the innings and at drinks (13 overs) the score had progressed to 68/3 and PCC were well placed for a second half onslaught. John (29) almost immediately had to retire hurt with a pulled hamstring to be replaced by the captain Simon Philbrook. However, after a fluent 24 he also had to retire hurt with a pulled calf muscle. But Dave remained in belligerent form and passed his fifty off 49 balls with a six over mid wicket.
Ably supported by Dan Nicholson (9) and a cameo from Andy Emery (8no), Dave continued his aggressive innings and finished 83no as PCC posted an impressive 182/4.
With the captain on the sidelines, John Spiers assumed the on field duties and his bowlers responded magnificently to his game plan with an opening spell that strangled any hopes Siam CC had of winning. Thomas (3/7) and Hamza (2/17) were relentless with their line and length and John himself, Dave C and Andy Emery continued the pressure as wickets fell regularly.
Finally, SCC were all out for 84 in the 21st over. Dave C was named the man of the match after a fine all round performance and PCC remained at the top of the league.
One day earlier at the same venue, the Pattaya Cricket Club Thoroughbreds XI (over 45’s) entertained the British Club of Bangkok in a 25 over game.
With the club captain Simon Philbrook standing down it was Booby Young who marshalled the Thoroughbred XI against an equally ageing BC side. Booby lost the toss and PCC were asked to bat first on a somewhat overcast morning.
The Right Honourable Richard Harvey and Daniel Coogan opened the innings and after two imperious boundaries RH chipped a catch to mid wicket for a glorious 8. Dan Nicholson (24) struggled for fluency early on whilst Dan C slowly found his form as the score lurched to 41 before Dan C (20) was caught in the deep.
Raj added some much needed impetuous to the run rate with a well crafted 30 retired, but it was Simon (33no) and Andy Emery (32no) who changed the innings momentum completely with a dazzling unbeaten 63 partnership off only 28 balls to post an imposing 179/4.
Booby (2/23) craftily opted to open the bowling himself and his wily left arm spin was too much for Nick White as he was caught at cover attempting to cut the ‘floater’. RH, who had been bowling all week at no one in his personal net at home, showed that practice makes perfect as he beat Kumar all ends up with his very first delivery that clipped the top of middle stump. After this remarkable opening delivery it was pointed out by his teammates that his personal net might be 25 yards long as he proceeded to serve up a series of delicious full tosses.
Raj (2/24) swung the ball in both directions and nipped out a couple of mid order wickets. He was well supported by John ‘Anchor’ Spiers (3/17) but Dale Lamb made Booby call on all his 60 plus years of experience as he hit a breezy (30no).
When the ninth wicket fell with the score on 121 Dale returned to the crease to crash a further 17 runs and Booby was seen to suddenly age an extra 10 years (in over 45’s cricket that’s serious). Richard ‘Calamity’ Grunwell ensured standards remained high in the field by displaying a series of unique fielding techniques that at times reduced his own side to what can most accurately be described as jaw dropping stunned silence. But Raj halted Booby’s rapid ageing as he wrapped up the innings by trapping Dale lbw for an entertaining 47 and BC were finally 144 all out.
A 35 run victory capped an enjoyable and memorable day and the golden oldies nursed their creaking bodies, drank ice cold beers and recalled cricketing stories from yesteryear.
Note: The Pattaya Cricket Club first X1 will take on the Thai women’s national team on Saturday, March 8 at the Thai Polo Ground starting at 11.30 a.m. The women recently won the Asian championship (see page 56) so PCC can expect to face a stiff challenge.
Anyone interested in cricket and PCC are encouraged to go to the club website www.pattayacricket club.com or visit the club Facebook page.

Top two sailors re-crowned in National Championships

Top Laser Radial sailors (from L to R): Neil Dunkley, Kamolwan Chanyim, Jevyn Ong and Max Hunt.

In the Laser Radial fleet, which uses the same hull but a slightly smaller sail for sailors of lighter weight, the Kingdom Property sponsored Kamolwan Chanyim, 18, finished second behind visiting Singaporean Jevyn Ong after overcoming the first day’s challenge by current European Grand Master Champion Max Hunt of the UK and taking first place from Jevyn in two of the final day’s races. She had secured her title for the third time on the first day however as the top Thai national in the fleet, finishing the first four races well ahead of Sattahip’s sailing sisters Kanapan and Yanakamin Pachatikapanya.
The event welcomed sailors from the UK, Myanmar, Singapore, Japan, and Sweden, setting the bar high for those after a podium finish.
Wind proved initially elusive on the first day of racing, only just filling in enough to race by the noon start. Sattahip’s Keerati quickly showed he was in top form with his first win of the weekend. The RVYC’s Gareth did his best to keep him in sight and finished second.

Royal Varuna Yacht Club a hive of activity on race weekend.

The second race saw the race committee resort to a black flag start as the tide was pushing the boats over the line. Two boats still fell afoul of being over the line and were duly penalized, as Supakon followed Keerati home.
At the start of the third race it was fun and games at the pin end of the start line with one incident resulting in the only protest of the weekend. Supakon managed to take a win in the third race, but Keerati was close behind. The final race of the day reverted to form with Keerati followed by Supakon, but this time chased home by Don Whitcraft.
In the Radial, Singapore’s Jevyn showed off his masterful boat speed skills to take three firsts and a second on the first day. Just behind, there was a tight battle for second place between Max and Kamolwan. Max starred in the third race, taking a race win. Kamolwan fought back to finish in front of Max in the last race of the day, but both allowed Kanapan to get through to second to follow Jevyn across the line.

Keerati Bualong (left) and Kamolwan Chanyim (right) with the RVYC’s Malee Whitcraft.

The tide was a bit stronger for Sunday’s early start, but there was enough wind to get the racing underway. In the Standard, the domination of the top two continued. They were obviously enjoying the light to medium wind and catching shifts up the first beat, getting across to the right side where a little extra wind and a lift paid off. Behind them, the RVYC’s Chris Dando and Don Whitcraft took third places in the first three races of the day.
For the final race of the championship, both Keerati and Supakon decided they had secured the top spots and went home for an early shower. Again the right of the beat paid and it was Japanese Shin Suenaga who led round the first mark. He was chased by the UK’s Peter Young with the rest of the pack bunched together behind. Eventually Peter managed to run Shin down and take the lead downwind to win the final race of the Championship.
Also on Sunday, the top of the Radial fleet saw a great battle between Jevyn and Kamolwan, the young sailors showing the more experienced mariners chasing them just how to do it. Four races were sailed and both took two wins and two seconds.

Friday Night Pool League

Pattaya 8-Ball Monday Pool League

Legends Wednesday 9-Ball Pool League

Pattaya Sports Club Bowling League

Buffalo Jack’s Wednesday Premier Darts League

Crumpton Cider Tuesday Darts League

Gerd wins his first Monthly Mug

Par enough at Pattavia

Newell takes Low Gross honours at 131st PSC Monthly

Dave Boran top at the Valley

Kit signs off in style

Shining Knight takes the win at Burapha

Gabe sails to victory at Riverside

Micky and Kenny duet for the double

Don and Allen take the Medals

Mashi takes it in photo finish

Greig takes February monthly award

Cuddy beats the Bangpra blues

Practice makes perfect?

Cavaliers cut down to size at Navy scramble

New shoes do the talkin’

Neil all smiles at Pleasant Valley

Hester holds the aces at Pattavia

Outstanding Thailand crowned ACC women’s premier champions

Tight racing at Tara Court Hyland Challenge Trophy

World Muay Thai Boxing Championship coming to Pattaya

Brass Monkey FC in stalemate with league leaders

Stuvik dominates at Paul Ricard

12 countries vie for 45,000 baht at March 6-9 petanque tourney

Thai MXGP is go for this weekend

PCC stay top with convincing league win over Siam CC

Top two sailors re-crowned in National Championships