Navy Club wins big at Pattaya Takraw Tournament

Pattaya Mayor Itthipol Kunplome hands over the champions’ trophy to Navy Club players, winners of the men’s open division.

Jetsada Homklin
The Royal Thai Navy flexed its muscles at the 13th Pattaya Takraw Tournament, taking first place in two of five categories.
The Aug. 15-17 multinational tournament at Pattaya School No. 7 was sponsored by the Pattaya Business and Tourism Association, Takraw Association of Thailand, and Pattaya City Hall to promote the sport and tourism.
Teams were split into four men’s divisions and one women’s group. The men’s group were open, non-national and Thai League athletes, and aged 40-49, and 50 and up. The women’s group was an open category.
The Navy Club won first place trophies in both the men’s open and 40-49 brackets, taking home 25,000 baht and 8,000 baht, respectively.

All the teams and tournament officials pose for a group photo during the closing ceremony.

Second place in the open bracket went to the Chonburi Club for 15,000 baht while Pattaya City and PE’s team tied for third, each getting 8,000 baht.
In the 40-49 category, TOT’s team placed second for 5,000 baht while the Payahong and Lucky teams split the 6,000 baht third place prize.
The non-national bracket was won by the South Korea 1 team for 20,000 baht. Second place was made by Ban Don Phuket for 10,000 baht and third placed tied between the Pitak’s and South Korea 2 teams, winning 6,000 baht each.

Patog Pattaya 1 team takes on Baan Eua Athorn during one of the knockout rounds.

Siam Motors expands golfing profile with Pattaya Waterside

We take a look at the city’s latest offering for golfers, the Siam Country Club Pattaya Waterside 18-hole championship golf course

Pattaya golfers already spoiled for choice with a plethora of top quality golf venues to choose from now have yet another option to consider with the recent opening of Siam Motors Group’s Pattaya Waterside, the company’s latest golf offering in the seaside resort city.
Pattaya Waterside is an 18-hole championship course set on 765 rai of land and designed by IMG Golf Course Design. It is the third golf course falling under the umbrella of Siam Country Club and sits alongside the Siam Old Course and Siam Plantation, all just 20 minutes from the center of town.

A warm welcome awaits golfers of all abilities.

Dr. Phornthep Phornprapha, Chairman of Thongthaworn Pattana Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Siam Motors Group, commented: “In 2004 we could see the rapid changes and growth of Pattaya in terms of both tourism and commercial enterprises and so we came up with the idea to expand our business to include an international standard golf course in order to meet the needs of tourists as well as Thai and international businessmen, while simultaneously serving the growth of golf industry in Thailand. Consequently we renovated Siam Country Club Old Course in 2006 and simultaneously began construction of Siam Plantation which opened two years later.

The luxurious clubhouse was designed by Bangkok based architect Samit Obayawat.

“Siam Motors Group has placed great emphasis on using the golf industry to attract tourists to play more sports,” he continued. “In 2012 we invested an additional amount of 1,315 million THB to acquire land and build the third golf course under the name of Siam Country Club Pattaya Waterside. The idea was to make it different from the Old Course and Plantation and along with the beautiful scenery it incorporates four big lakes which make it more challenging for golfers of all levels.”
The greens at Waterside are topped with a carefully manicured covering of Tif Eagle Bermuda grass which has been chosen for its characteristics to provide both speed and beautiful color, while the lush fairways have been formed using Seashore Paspalum grass. Bunkers have also been aligned in testing locations to provide a mental and playing challenge to even the most astute and capable of golfers.

Dr. Phornthep Phornprapha, Chairman of Thongthaworn Pattana Co., Ltd.

The signature hole at the course is the par-5 eighth, a 618 yard monster, while the sixteenth hole serves up probably the best scenery as you look back down onto the Japanese styled clubhouse. Facilities at the venue include a fully equipped pro-shop, restaurant, spacious locker rooms and parking space for 180 vehicles. In addition, a 3-rai area will soon be converted into the first putting course in Asia and there are future plans for a hotel, academic institute for golf and other sports as well as various forms of real estate development.
“You can rest assured that Pattaya Waterside, along with the Old Course and Plantation, will help further enhance Thailand’s golfing reputation and will rank alongside any other championship course in the Kingdom for many years to come,” concluded Dr. Phornthep.
For more information about Pattaya Waterside or to make a playing reservation, call 038 909 400 or send email to: [email protected].

Siam Country Club Pattaya Waterside covers an area of 765 rai and includes four large lakes.

Trail Running Festival to open in Chiang Rai

Trail runners will be heading north on Sept. 20 for the inaugural Singha Trail Running Festival in Chiang Rai.

AMA events and Singha Corporation have announced that the inaugural Singha Trail Running Festival, scheduled for September 20, will be held in the stunning Singha Park located in Chiang Rai, northern Thailand. The event will be a true ‘catchall’ race, including a comprehensive array of distances – 3km, 10km and 21km half marathon – all tailored for families, running enthusiasts and those who may be new to friendly, competitive trail running.
This new event is set to become one of the most scenic trail run events in South East Asia. The Singha Park Chiang Rai is something of a hidden gem for trail runners and cyclists, immersing runners in beautiful bamboo forests, exotic terraced rice paddies, pristine tea plantations and breathtaking lake views.
Participants have the opportunity of running the full 21km course, consisting of: a mix of scenic single tracks and dirt roads; or the shorter 10km course which skips some of the longer off-road sections. The Family Fun Run (3km) is also very much part of this convivial event and is open to all, free of charge.
The race is scheduled to commence at 2:30 p.m., leaving time for everyone to prepare for the Singha hosted barbecue party and awards ceremony on Saturday evening for all participants, with 2 complimentary bottles of Singha beer included.
“We are very excited in bringing the sport of trail running to northern Thailand,” says Serge Henkens, the race director. “Trail running is booming in popularity in Thailand and athletes are seeking new, well-organized events all around the country. The Singha Park has all the ingredients for great trail running including beautiful single tracks, spectacular sceneries, exotic terrace paddy fields, bamboo forests, tea plantations and last but not least, the legendary Lanna hospitality.”
Runners interested in taking part can register online at www.ama-events.com.

Thai windsurfers rewarded for past, look to future

Pattaya Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome (2nd right) presents a sponsorship award to Aek Bunswad (right). The young Thai windsurfer is currently competing at the Asian Games in Incheon.

Jetsada Homklin
The Thailand Windsurfing Association rewarded athletes for their 2014 performances and prepped for upcoming competitions at a meeting in Pattaya.
Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome, the honorary head of the organization, and Secretary Phattana Bunsawad presented sponsor payments and association stipends to Pattaranai Jeenin, who finished 19th of our 67 surfers at June’s RSX European Championships in Turkey, and Aek Bunswad, who finished 33rd.
Association officials said their Group A finishes were considered a great success for Thai windsurfing and will help the team prepare for the Asian Games in South Korea next month and the Asian Beach Games in October.
Those competitions are only two important matches on the calendar.
Team manager Pannika Mangmeephol took five athletes to the Asian Games, which began Aug. 25 in Incheon: Aek (RSX), Sarocha Pumprai (RSX), Nattaphong Photinopparat (Mistral One), Siriporn Keawduan-ngam (RS One), and Pattaradanai Jeenin (Reserve).
Aek also confirmed he will go to Spain for the first qualifying track for the 2016 Olympics.
In 2015, both Siriporn and Sarocha go head-to-head in Oman to qualify for the Brazil Olympics where the Thai team has just one spot.

Seconds out, United leave it late against Chiangmai

Pattaya United’s Cristiano Lopes (left) fires a shot in on the Chiangmai FC goal during their Thai Division 1 encounter at the Nongprue Stadium in Pattaya, Saturday, August 23. (Photo courtesy Pattaya United FC)

A goal six minutes into injury time by Guinea midfielder Moussa Sylla saw Pattaya United salvage a 2-2 home draw against Chiangmai FC at the Nongprue Stadium in Pattaya last Saturday, August 23.
United came closest to scoring in the opening exchanges of the match when Benpard’s free-kick struck the inside of the Chiangmai goalpost and rebounded out to safety, but it was the visitors who made the initial breakthrough eight minutes before halftime as Pipat Thonkanya latched onto a clever through ball from Nontalee to fire a shot high into the United goal.

United fans celebrate another late comeback.
(Photo courtesy Pattaya United FC)

After the break, the Dolphins didn’t waste any time in leveling up the scores. Barely five minutes after the restart Chatdanai Joompha powered down the United right wing and when his shot was only partially parried by Chiangmai keeper Manop, the ball fell to United’s Brazilian striker Cristiano Lopes who side-footed the ball home.
Parity remained in the game until the final minute of normal time when Chiangmai midfielder Angelo Machuca found himself totally unmarked in the United area and directed a firm header past Sankla for what he and his teammates must surely have thought was the winning goal.
The Dolphins had other ideas however and in the last seconds of injury time United won a free-kick out on the right; when the cross came in from Yoon Si-Ho, Sylla swung a hopeful leg at the ball and sent it into the bottom corner of the Chiangmai goal to send the home players and fans into raptures.
The point sees United maintain their mid-table position in 10th place and eleven points clear of the relegation zone. The Dolphin’s next league game is on August 31, away at Trat FC. Kick-off is scheduled for 6 p.m.
In the Thai Premier League, Chonburi closed to within a point of league leaders Buriram after recording an impressive 2-0 victory over fierce rivals Muang Thong United on Saturday while Buriram, playing a day later, could only garner a point from a 1-1 draw at Army. Chonburi took the lead in their match in the 66th minute through a superb free-kick from Brazilian Thiago Cunha and completed the victory with a goal in stoppage time from club captain Pipob On-Mo.
The Premier League now moves into its mid-season break with the teams returning to action on October 8.

Thai Division 1 Standings – August 24
Team	P	W	D	L	+/-	Pts.
Nakhon Ratchasima	27	16	8	3	26	56
Saraburi	27	12	12	3	14	48
Siam Navy	27	13	8	6	12	47
Bangkok	27	11	12	4	12	45
Chiangmai	27	11	9	7	9	42
Ang Thong	26	10	11	5	16	41
Krabi	27	11	7	9	8	40
BBCU	26	11	7	8	1	40
Ayutthaya	27	11	6	10	1	39
Pattaya United	27	11	4	12	-9	37
TTM Lopburi	26	8	12	6	1	36
Roi Et	27	9	8	10	3	35
Phuket	27	8	8	11	-4	32
Trat	27	8	7	12	5	31
Nakhon Pathom	27	5	14	8	-2	29
Phitsanulok	27	6	8	13	-23	26
Khonkaen	26	4	8	14	-21	20
Sriracha	27	0	3	24	-49	3

Larsen & Novak take team honours at Green Valley

(From left) Tom Novak, Ted Lodge and Miss Nut.

Jomtien Golf with the IPGC
Monday, August 18, Pattaya C.C. – Stableford
There has been a slight change in the condition of the course with the amount of rain here recently and there was hardly any run from the first tee as we drove off today. The two divisional cut was made at 9-19 and 20+ and Tom Novak, playing off 22, scored 25 on the front nine and 14 on the back to win division 2 with 39 points. Burnie Sinclair took second with 36 and Roar Berger beat his arch rival Rod Howett 15/13 on the back nine for third after they both came in with 32 points each.
Ted Lodge was the winner in division 1, beating Barney Sheedy 18/17 on the back nine after they both returned with 36 points apiece and Chris Voller came in a close third with 35.
Rod Howett birdied the 16th for the only ‘2’ of the day and sole possession of the division 2 pot. Near pins meanwhile went to Grenville Hill (2), Lindsay Phillips, Roar Berger, Jimmy Johnson and Burnie Sinclair.
Wednesday, August 20, Green Valley - Stableford
Two divisions again today in the stableford comp plus a 2-person team better-ball with one person from each division per team. We ended up with seven 4-balls and teed off just ahead of schedule.
The best individual returned score of the day came in division 2, with Dannie Larsen winning with 40 points ahead of Frank Kelly in second on 38 and Tom Novak third with 37. Playing off 16, Harry Vincenzi topped division one with 39 points, one up on Wilf Latham in second while a four-way count back saw Chris Voller grab third place ahead of Martin Grimoldby, Terry Madsen and Steve Richardson, all on 32 points.
In the team event, Dannie Larsen & Tom Novak were clear winners with 49 points, five ahead of runner-up Chris Voller & Robert Garrick, while Harry Vincenzi & Bruce Gardner edged third place on count back over Don Head & Miss Nut, both pairings on 43 points.
Harry Vincenzi birdied the 12th to scoop three rollover ‘2’s in division 1 and Dannie Larsen picked up the one rollover pot in division 2 with a birdie on the 5th.
Regular near pins went to Mike Chatt, Martin Grimoldby, Wilf latham, Ken Leadstone, Robert Garrick, Colin Phillips, Bob Poole and Iain Walsh.
Additional technical prizes and near pins were won by Steve Richardson, Bryan Rought, Martin Grimoldby (3), Dannie Larsen (3), Grenville Hill and Bob Poole
Friday, August 22, Eastern Star - Stableford
Our normal crowd out as always and the even cut today was 9-16 and 17+ in the 2 flights. The best score came in division 2 from Joe Kubon with 42 points. Chris Reed took second on 36 after beating the organizer and Rod Howett 21/20/18 on a back-nine count back.
Chris Voller claimed the honours in division 1 with 36 points and Wilf latham pushed him close in second on 35. Alan Hansen completed the podium in third place with 34 points.
There were no ‘2’s in either division today and near pins went to Mikael Andersson, Harry Vincenzi, Chris Voller, Glyn Evans, Paul Hartley and Iain Walsh.

Roberts & Buckingham takes the plaudits

PSC golf from Tropical Bert’s

Tuesday’s winners with two of Bert’s finest.

Derek Brook
Tuesday, August 21, Green Valley – Stableford
This course is one of the best if you just want a good day out at a first class golfing venue, so it was no surprise that we had a full turnout to go there. The only problem with Green Valley is that you have to book well ahead of time to get a start time you want, but just lately we have done well in that regard.
So we were at the start on time and on this day we sent off a 4-ball with Daryl Evans leading it as he had a flight to catch, so we went second. Now I do not think our 4-ball was slow as we got around in 4 hours, give or take a couple of minutes, so Daryl must have been in a hurry to catch his flight, as we did not see his dust. Wow.
This course really is a pleasure to play, it is what I call a clean layout, you know where the fairway is and your line of sight and play is very easy to see. But get off line and it will hurt you. It is also one of the courses that many of us played when we first came here. I remember clumping down the hill in spikes as we did then, and playing the first, downhill with lemon grass on both sides. It was a fine course then and despite changes it is now, although I am not too sure about some of the changes.
As I said, soon around it had been a pleasure to play, as it was in fine condition with the fairways well grassed and the greens fast as usual. The changing rooms here are fine and I do like the showers. What is more, the weighing scales are a pound or two under so fine with me.
I have always collected the cards in in the German Restaurant as I lived in Germany for many years and it is my favourite type of food. However the German food is not up to its previous standard for me, however I must say they have introduced ‘Salads for Golfers’ of various types. I have to say that as I always need to keep my blood sugar low, this is a fine addition, and several of our group had this salad meal and enjoyed it. It has to be said that very few of the courses have meals for diabetics and as most of the expats are not young and more, I do think they should offer this type of food before telling golfers they cannot bring food on the course.
Back at Bert’s it was soon time for the results and in the A Flight, 0 to 18, the scores were good. The winner with 36 points was Maurice Roberts ahead of Max Scott in second on count back, while in third was Dick Warberg with 35 points.
In the B Flight the winner was ‘Buckers’ or Graham Buckingham, take your pick, with 36 points ahead of Daryl Evans in second with 34 and in third was Dave Richardson with 32. T.T.F.N.
Near Pins: Don Carmody, Doug Maiko, Daryl Evans

Allidi shoots sub-par at the Valley

PSC golf from The Growling Swan

Patrick Poussier, Gary Williams & Mike Allidi.

Peter Blackburn
Monday, August 18, Pleasant Valley – Stableford
After a late withdrawal the previous evening we were left with a field of 22 golfers who were ready to take on the scenic Pleasant Valley Golf Course and we assembled at The Growling Swan prior to departure.
We welcomed Gary Williams from Brisbane, local golfer Paul Taylor and Ken Graham from Ireland before departing the GS right on time at 8.30 am. When we arrived at the course it was not busy so our first group, a three-ball, got away 20 minutes ahead of schedule at 9.40 am.
It was hot with very little wind and the golf course was in fine shape although the greens were fairly slow but firm and true. As mentioned earlier it was hot and the humidity was high which did slow us down a bit and we completed the full round in four hours & five minutes.
Playing off the blue tees did toughen the course up and only 2 golfers played to their handicap or better with “gun” golfer Mike Allidi shooting a sub-par round of 71 to win Division A with 40 points. John Davis came second with 36 points and Martin “Toddy” Todd finished third on 35 points.

Niall Stuart, Mike Gosden, Andrew Allen & Ken Graham.

In B Division it was Patrick Poussier who was the victor with 34 points and with two on 32 points a count back was necessary resulting in Alain “Inspector Clouseau” Taddei (14 point back nine) finishing second from Bob Akapita (12 point back nine) in third spot.
The Growling Swan NAGA Award, awarded to the golfer who has the worst score on the day, was won by visitor Gary Williams and he accepted the award like the good sport that he is.
Division A (0-14)
1st Mike Allidi (3) 40pts
2nd John Davis (14) 36pts
3rd Martin Todd (8) 35pts
Division B (15+)
1st Patrick Poussier (21) 34pts
2nd Alain Taddei (16) 32pts
3rd Bob Akapita (16) 32pts
Near Pins: 5th – Paul Jackson, 8th - Ebrahim, 13th – Bob Akapita, 17th – John Anderson
Long Putts: 9th – Ken Hole, 18th – Mark West
Thursday, August 21, Burapha A & B – Stableford
It was time to take advantage of the terrific Sport’s Day rate at the classy Burapha Golf Course and we had 31 golfers signed up to make the short journey.
As we assembled at The Growling Swan prior to departure we handed out hearty welcomes to Dave Neal from Birmingham back with us for a few weeks along with his girlfriend Thientong Charoenrung taking a break from caddy duties at Laem Chabang, Bob Cross from Melbourne, Stephen Newton, here for some R & R from his work in Singapore and Niall Stuart returning for a break from his work in Laos. Sadly it was time to say goodbye to Ernie Picken who will soon be off back to Melbourne and Aaron Shorten who will shortly be returning to Brisbane.
Everyone was on time which enabled our three mini vans to depart the GS a couple of minutes early at 8.28 am and we headed off up number 7 and were at the course just 30 minutes later. It appeared to be not too busy and after checking in we presented ourselves to the Starter who surprisingly offered us the choice of A & B or C & D so having played C & D the last couple of times we opted for the other combination and were able to get our first four ball away off A1 twenty minutes ahead of schedule at 9.40 am.
It was very overcast, in fact looked like threatening rain, but we were optimistic and proceeded to enjoy the golf course which was as usual in terrific shape with lush fairways and beautifully prepared greens. We breezed round the first nine in just on two hours and the skies were starting to look menacing after a couple of holes on B nine and sure enough the heavens opened and for about 10 minutes we had the lot – thunder, lightning, strong wind and very heavy rain but after 10 minutes it was all over and we were able to carry on as if nothing had happened. The course had not been at all affected by the mini storm and we pushed on and completed a very enjoyable round in four hours & five minutes.
The winner in A Division was Mike “Hunter” Gosden who had 41 points and John Davis came second with 39 points. In third place was Martin “Toddy” Todd who scored 37 points and “Buffalo” Bill Steinman was fourth with 35 points.
Ken Graham won the B Division with 39 points, 2 points ahead of Bob Akapita in second place and Alain “Inspector Clouseau” Taddei came third with 35 points with Dave Neal claiming fourth spot with 32 points.
With 2 players on 34 points a count back was required to decide the winner in C Division and it was Andrew “Turtle” Allen (20 point back nine) who got the “chocolates” from Gary Monley (19 point back nine) in second place. Tony Campbell came third with 32 points and Gary Williams was fourth with 31 points.
The Growling Swan NAGA Award, was won by the returning Niall Stuart.
Division A (0-15)
1st Mike Gosden (13) 41pts
2nd John Davis (14) 39pts
3rd Martin Todd (8) 37pts
4th Bill Steinman (10) 35pts
Division B (16-25)
1st Ken Graham (16) 39pts
2nd Bob Akapita (16) 37pts
3rd Alain Taddei (16) 35pts
4th Dave Neal (24) 32pts
Division C (26+)
1st Andrew Allen (33) 34pts
2nd Gary Monley (32) 34pts
3rd Tony Campbell (28) 32pts
4th Gary Williams (28) 31pts
Near Pins: A3 – Bill Steinman, A6 – Gerd Riedler, B3 – Dave Neal, B8 – Andrew Purdie
Long Putts: A9 – Hugh O’Donnell, B9 – Gary Monley
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. For more information please contact Paul Rennison on 0843 454 005.

Hot day at Emerald

The Backyard Golf Society

Irish John celebrates his golfing success with the staff at Blue Sky Bar.

It was a very hot day for the Backyard golfers at Emerald last Friday, August 22. That long par 5, 14th, straight up hill is always a test for the walkers and even for some of our less than slim players in buggies. Once we get past that hole the ‘Quiet Man’ usually relaxes, as he contemplates who he can annoy down the road after the game.
The winner of the stableford competition this week was ‘Irish John’ (35 points), beating ‘The Biss’ by the smallest margin. Near-pin on the 15th went to ‘Jimmy 2 Stone’ and he also took the roll-over from the previous week’s game.
The skins were well spread out with 3 each to ‘The Biss’ (now thankfully allowed out to play golf again after the new wife had him locked away for a while), ‘Jimmy 2 Stone’, Dannie Beaker Larsen and ‘Second-hand Bob’, singles to ‘The Quiet Man’, ‘Dan The Diet Whiskey Man’ and Russell, ‘He’s a Victorian’. 3 holes are rolled over to the next game.
It was a pretty uneventful day as far as strange behavior or unusual incidents amongst our group. We usually have something of note to report but everyone seems to have been on their best behavior, perhaps the heat had us all drained.

Leach leaves the field in his wake

PSC golf from the Beaver Bar & Grill

David Leach.

Friday, August 22, saw a dozen hearty golf souls return to the Emerald, attempting to do their best to overcome the challenge displayed by this golf course. The weather was hot and very humid causing some discomfort and the golfers to try and keep hands and gloves dry.
Nearest to the pin was claimed by our special visitor from Okinawa, Khun Keith. The second best stableford score was also posted by Keith with 34 points and David Leach posted 37 points to claim the high honors for the day.
Beaver Bar continues to express their thanks for the loyal weekly players.

Eastern Star – a genuine test

IPGC Pattaya Golf Society at the Elephant Bar

Birthday Bash winners: Jesper Hansen and Akifumi Tate.

Monday, August 18, saw the Pattaya Golf Society travel to Ban Chang to play a stableford competition at the testing Eastern Star Country Club. The four groups teed-off a little early, playing in conditions that are normal for this course, which means into a stiff breeze when playing 1, 4, 7, 10, 11 and 15. Scoring well on these holes can be the key to a good round.
The course was presented in reasonable condition, with fairways mostly offering good lies, although many closely-mown areas were subject to re-planting, especially in areas near the front of greens and these contained bare patches. They could have done with a lot more white paint indicating GUR. Bunkers were OK as were the greens. Sure, the greens were slow, but they were consistent and offered a reasonably true line. All in all, a tough layout that was in reasonable condition. A score of net-par, as has always been the case, would go close.

Monday podium grabbers: Mr Len, Garry Olliffe, Jon Batty and Toby Glass.

With four groups playing just the one division, and no ‘2’s, this meant the podium extended to the best four. Playing his last round before returning home to Adelaide was Toby Glass. His 36 points earned him enough to help offset some of the cost of his airfare. In second-equal place, with an excellent score indicating he has fully recovered from his recent malaise, was Mr Len, posting his best effort for 2014 and sharing second place with him was Garry Olliffe. The reward for his efforts will probably be spent in duty free, as he was also playing his last round this trip. The winner, doing just enough to top the podium, was Jon Batty and his 38 points was testament to a superb round of golf on a course that played characteristically tough.
Back at the Elephant Bar, the presentation welcomed the return of Shuichi Kodaka, from Japan, and Alan Walker, from Australia who happened to pick up the lucky beer draw. The booby bevy went to Joe Miller who had one of those rounds golfers prefer to forget – quickly.
On a sad note, the group were informed of the recent death of Canadian Jack Robertson. Jack, a stalwart of both the PGS and Bunker Bar golfing groups, tended to split his time evenly between Canada and Pattaya. He will be fondly remembered.
Two pass the test at Khao Kheow
The Pattaya Golf Society travelled to Khao Kheow on Wednesday, August 20, to play a stableford competition on the C and B nines, which were in good condition considering the regular heavy showers that drench the course every day or two at this time of year. As a result the fairways were soft with only a little run and “lift and place” was the order of the day.
Greens were slower than noted on the course advice board (10? No way!) and the bunkers were soft and damp. Other than that the course was a pleasure to play as always and held enough challenges for even the lowest handicapper.
The single flight saw two outstanding rounds only, the rest being a mixture of mistakes and mediocrity. Murray Hart made third place with thirty points despite his excellent long game deserting him on the back nine and his hours on the practice range are obviously paying dividends. The second placed golfer was Masashi Iizumi who came up with his best round of the year, a very fine 39 points, with only three holes on his card not marked as net par or better. The winner was Dave Edwards, recently returned from UK and he matched his best score of the year with 40 points. It was as solid a performance as anyone could wish for and the contrast with his golf of three months ago is so evident.
Garry Hookey snaffled the only ‘2’ of the day on the tricky B third hole. The hosts’ free beer draw was won by Shuichi Kodaka and the Booby Bevy went to Ken Grimes who proudly boasted on his card of his six lost balls. Silly boy!
Khao Kheow is always a treat for serious golfers, wet season or not.
Favourites win at Greenwood
A large group of Pattaya Golf Society members gathered at Greenwood on Friday, August 22, to celebrate Mr Len’s birthday with a pairs stableford best score competition on the A and B nines, which were in excellent condition with lush fairways and consistent greens. Altogether the course condition and the rate offered to the group make a day’s golf at the course one of the best golf opportunities currently on offer.
The field got away on time and only eight points separated the top team from the bottom of the leaderboard. Sharing third place was the Aussie pairing of soulmates Gary Bolger and Phil McClure with forty points and the untried Welsh-Japanese pairing of John O’Sullivan and Shuichi Kodaka on the same score. In second place was the traditional birthday pairing of Wichai Tananusorn and Mr Len and again they gelled well with Mr Len contributing only six points to the team score as an excellent display of iron play by Khun Wichai set the standard for the day as they amassed 41 points. A tight competition was won by the well-fancied pairing of Jesper Hansen and Akifumi Tate and their score of 43 points consisted of two four-pointers on the two short par fours.
Technical prizes were generously sponsored by Garry Hookey, Mr Len and Greenwood Golf Club and the near pins were all won by the inveterate Thai golfer Khun Wichai, as well as the best individual performance award for his excellent 38 points and he walked away with a box Titleist Pro V1x’s after his display on the day. Greg McDonald and Craig Thomas won the losers draw with two golf caps donated by the club and the Booby Bevy went to Dave Allison and Wayne Morrison.
The presentation party ended with the bell being rung (and broken!) and the consumption of birthday cake, accompanied by the usual cold beers and Mr Len, for one, cannot wait for next year to repeat the best golf day imaginable, thanks to the support of many loyal friends.

Pat’s Sunday best

PSC golf from Lewiinski’s Golf Society

Pat Regan.

Sunday, August 17, Green Valley - Stableford
A Flight
1st Pat Regan (14) 42pts
2nd Peter LeNoury (10) 39pts
3rd Eddy Beilby (14) 39pts
B Flight
1st Thierry Temime (24) 39pts
2nd Peter Terry (20) 37pts
3rd Barry Tregurtha (21) 36pts
Near Pins: No 5 Peter Terry, No 8 Barry Tregurtha, No 12 Claude Harder, No 16 Eddy Beilby
The young man from Co. Dublin, Ireland, took a major step towards realizing his golfing potential as he whipped the Sunday configuration of Green Valley with a quality 42 points for the man of the match honours and top spot in A Flight. Pat’s fine card also included two 2’s.
Pat was three clear of a trio of players including Peter ‘the right honourable’ LeNoury, Eddy Beilby and big Jim Brackett. The resulting count back dictated that Peter received the flight silver, Eddy the bronze and Jim a pat on the back.
B Flight continued with the good scoring as the 39 points of Thierry Temime took the top podium spot. Pay window specialist Peter Terry grabbed the silver with 37 points as old friend Barry Tregurtha tided up the flight with a sound even par round.
There were six additional players with 2’s who shared the pot with Pat.
Monday, August 18, Laem Chabang A & C - Stableford
1st Freddy Starbeck (14) 39pts
2nd Colin Davis (16) 33pts
3rd Christian Boysen (18) 33pts
The field is always a bit more modest on the second day of the society’s back to back features and this Monday was no exception. Freddy ‘the quite one’ Starbeck, who has been a little quite recently, roared back to life to win the day with a sizzling 39 points.
Freddy was six strokes clear of the ‘Donkey’ and Christian Boysen. The ‘Donkey’ used all his treachery and guile to wrench the silver spot and leave Christian with the bronze.
No 2’s were recorded so a rollover on Wednesday.
Wednesday, August 20, St Andrews - Stableford
A Flight
1st Kevin Rogers (10) 40pts
2nd Dave Stockman (6) 37pts
3rd Freddy Starbeck (14) 37pts
B Flight
1st Lou Szigligeti (17) 40pts
2nd Christian Boysen (18) 30pts
3rd Mike Jefferys (17) 30pts
I have said it before that this Desmond Muirhead designed monster seems to be either loved or despised by golfers, with very few being ambivalent. So the scribe was pleasantly surprised to see Lou Zig zag’s name on the returning cards. Lou made a statement in Lewiinski’s that he was not playing golf anymore because he could not play to his handicap. Something or someone must have changed his mind because not only did he play to his handicap; he bettered it by four strokes for a co-man of the match 40 points.
Lou’s B Flight score was an amazing 10 shots clear of Demarks Christian Boysen and the Welsh Dragon Mike Jefferys, and a count back dictated that they ascend the podium in that order.
Lou’s Aussie mate Kevin Rogers was the other 40 point man as he took top spot in the senior circuit. Kevin was three clear of Dave Stockton and Freddy ‘the quite one’ Starbeck, and of those two Dave was the happier and Freddy the very quite one.
Ed Wyckoff, Yves Moultier and Colin Darnell shared the rollover 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.

Handford & O’Keefe joint first in Race2Bkk

PSC golf from The Outback Golf Bar

(From left): Sugar Ray, Greg Hirst, John Stafford and John O’Keefe.

Monday, August 18, Burapha - Stableford
After a few grizzles last week about the length of A & B from the blues, the five Outbacker groups had the pleasure of the shorter white tees on one of the hottest August days for years; thankfully some rain came later in the round which cooled us all down a little.
Carts were not allowed on the course so winter rules (lift, clean and place on the fairway) came into effect, however the scoring remained mediocre as only three players matched or bettered their handicap and there were no ‘2’s.

A trio of smiles at Thai Country Club.

A surprise winner in Tony Aslett won Div B with 35pts from Denis Steele in second on 32, who was warming up for the big upcoming Hua Hin tournament as were Kim Danboise and Barney Clarkson who both had 31’s, Kim getting the nod for third on count back.
Bob Finley had the top score of the day with 39 points to beat Jim Brackett (38) in Div A, with Kerry Beck (36) third and Dennis Pelly fourth with 34.
Div A (0–14)
1st Bob Finley (13) 39pts
2nd Jim Brackett (08) 38pts
3rd Kerry Beck (13) 36pts
Div B (15+)
1st Tony Aslett (24) 35 pts
2nd Denis Steele (15) 32 pts
3rd Kim Danboise (15) 31 pts
Wednesday, August 20, Thai Country Club – Stableford
The Race2Bkk 2014 started at Burapha on the 2nd December last year, culminating in the final which was held this week at the beautiful Thai Country Club. Points are awarded for all podium places throughout the year for all of the Outback weekly tournaments, with the Monthly Medal and Tours counting double. The top 24 players throughout the year are invited to play in a one round final for a total purse of 30,000 baht, with 20,000 of that going to the winner.
Thai Country Club kindly gave the Outback some very generous concessions for four visits to the course over the last four months which was much appreciated by many and for which, in particular, I would like to thank John Blanch, their General Manager, for making it possible. The staff there have been impeccable and have looked after us all extremely well on every occasion.
Greg Hirst of DeVere, who sponsors our Monthly Medals has continued to sponsor this event jointly with the Outback but we welcome the inclusion of a new main sponsor in “Providence Life”.
On a hugely hot and humid day for golf with the course presented as always in immaculate condition, we tried a different format to last year’s final, which was stroke-play; but some of the higher handicappers felt that as we played stableford most of the year, i.e. for most of the qualifiers, they were disadvantaged as strokeplay may favour the lower marker. So this year we played a stableford event, which I believe, if played off full handicap in one division, favours the high handicappers; so to level the field a little, everybody received 7/8ths of their handicap as their allowance. We also decided that there would be no count back in the main event due to the amount of prize money up for grabs.
So to the winner of the main event, in fact joint winners, as both Sugar Ray and John O’Keefe scored 37 points each to share a pot of 26,000 baht, followed home by John Stafford with 36, who picked up 4000 baht. Green Fee vouchers were awarded to Kim Danboise (35pts) in 4th, Paul Bourke (34pts) in 5th, Kerry Beck (34pts) in 6th and Andy Makara (33pts) in 7th.
We also must thank the Managers at Siam Plantation, Laem Chabang, Burapha and Green Valley who have once again provided additional support and prizes by way of complimentary Green Fee vouchers.
As for normal daily event, there were two divisions, the top division being won by Kim Danboise (35), with Paul Bourke (34), Kerry Beck (34) and Brad Jordison (33) taking 2nd, 3rd and 4th. Whilst Div B looked a little different as the first three in the Race2Bkk all came from this division and they could not win one of the daily prizes, leaving John Fitzgerald the winner on 33 points and Andy Makara (33), David Davies (32) and Suzi Lawton (31) taking the minor podium places.
There were three ‘2’s from Andy Makara & Steve Mann on the 11th and Sugar Ray on the 16th.
The date for the start of the Race2Bkk 2015 has not yet been set but is likely to be October 1st at Laem Chabang.
Div A (0-13)
1st Kim Danboise (13) 35pts
2nd Paul Bourke (09) 34pts
3rd Kerry Beck (11) 34pts
4th Brad Jordison (07) 33pts
Div B (14+)
1st Sugar Ray Handford (17) 37pts
2nd John O’Keefe (16) 37pts
3rd John Stafford (15) 36pts
4th John Fitzgerald (16) 33pts
Friday, August 22, Green Valley - Stableford
As the PSC decided to stage one of their monthly tournaments here at Green Valley and the Outback were reluctant to move to St. Andrews, we staged our comp in and around the PSC players starting on the eleventh tee.
About half of our field of 22 played in the PSC comp as well as ours and the scoring was fairly keen. Brad Jordison found himself on a new handicap for the Hua Hin tournament, as he scored 39 points to win Div A from Martin Kingswood (36) and Greg Hill (35), and Andy Makara, who also did quite well in the PSC event, won Div B with 41 points and was looking to carry that form with down to Hua Hin.
Sugar Ray (37) followed up his success in the Race2Bkk with another good round here to take second, with John Fitzgerald (36) finishing off a very successful week’s golf, to take third.
Loads of ‘2’s today from Martin Kingswood (5th), Eddy Beilby, Dennis Pelly, John Fitzgerald & Bob Lindborg all on the 8th and Greg Hill on the 16th.
Div A (0-17)
1st Brad Jordison (08) 39pts
2nd Martin Kingswood (13) 36pts
3rd Greg Hill (17) 35pts
Div B (18+)
1st Andy Makara (23) 41pts
2nd Sugar Ray Handford (19) 37pts
3rd John Fitzgerald (18) 36pts
Note: The Outback Golf Bar is situated about 6km from Sukhumvit Road along Soi Siam Country. Call Jack on 081 578 1956.

Thorogood casts off unwanted title

Travellers Rest Golf Group

Bob Cannon - winner at Burapha.

Andy Rich
Oh Happy Days! After weeks of waiting, Derek Thorogood the bridesmaid of the golf world at the TRGG finally won a golf competition and to became a fully fledged bride. Even better, his partner Fergus Brennan returned to Thailand after a trip back to England and the couple were re-united after a long absence and last Monday celebrated Derek’s win by officially tying the knot and becoming lifelong partners.
Monday, August 18, Greenwood - Stableford
Oh yes on Monday at Greenwood (A and B courses) there were celebrations all round as Derek Thorogood stormed into an unassailable lead on 38 points and held on for dear life.

John O’Dohaghue - winner at Pattavia Century.

Not even regular Monday winner Charlie Cox could dislodge him although his partner Rungratree Puangsal put in a fine effort but could only finish third on 37. She in turn was beaten out of second place by John O’Donaghue on count back.
1st Derek Thorogood (13) 38pts
2nd John O’Donaghue (16) 37pts
3rd Rungratree Puangsal (9) 37pts
Wednesday, August 20, Burapha - Stableford
On Wednesday at Burapha (A and B courses) Bob Cannon, having re-stocked with new golf balls after losing a shed load at Laem Chabang the previous Wednesday, played the best round of the day and walked off with first prize. In a closely fought finish he just managed to pip ‘Mr Bananaman’ Tim Dalton who sliced his way into second place after beating German Odermatt on count back.
1st Robert Cannon (20) 33pts
2nd Tim Dalton (19) 32pts
3rd German Odermatt (12) 32pts
Friday, August 22, Pattavia - Stableford
Friday and it was off through the pineapple fields once again to Pattavia Century, which we found to be in excellent condition. Putting is never easy on this course because the greens have more ups and downs than a fiddler’s elbow and once again many of us could be seen chasing our balls from one side of the green to the other and back again.
John O’Donaghue didn’t seem to find it a problem and returned to the clubhouse with a quite remarkable 40 points. Fergus Brennan, freshly returned from Blighty and now enjoying a honeymoon period back in Thailand, showed there is still life in the old dog yet by taking second place. Welsh wizard Alan Webber, who also recently returned to Thailand and definitely NOT on his honeymoon (but still practicing), slotted into third place.
1st John O’Donaghue (16) 40pts
2nd Fergus Brennan (13) 32pts
3rd Alan Webber (20) 31pts
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.

Crumpton Oaks Cider Monday Pool League

Standings August 18 (week 2)

Division 1
Team	P	W	L	+/-	BP	Pts.
Legends	2	2	0	12	0	26
Wok ‘N’ Rok	2	2	0	6	0	26
Nicky’s Bar	2	2	0	5	0	26
Rest Stop	2	1	1	6	0	21
Dean’s Bar	2	1	1	1	0	20
Links Bar	2	1	1	0	0	20
Classroom	2	1	1	-2	0	20
Sweethearts Bar	2	1	1	-3	0	17
Shoot Pool	2	0	2	-6	0	14
Asia Backpackers	1	0	1	-1	1	10
Two Dogs	2	0	2	-10	0	10
Offshore Bar	1	0	1	-8	0	2
Cheers Bar	0	0	0	0	0	0
Results:  Asia Backpackers 9-10 Classroom, Legends 10-4 Two Dogs, Rest Stop 10-2 Offshore Bar, Shoot Pool 7-10 Nicky’s Bar, Sweethearts Bar 10-7 Links Bar, Wok ‘N’ Rok 10-7 Dean’s Bar

King Factory Friday Night Pool League

Results & Standings August 15 (week 23)

Premier Division
Team	P	W	D	L	+/-	Pts
Shoot Pool	20	15	1	4	68	46
Legends Pool	21	11	4	6	-14	37
Easy R-Con Bar	16	12	0	4	24	36
The Rest Stop	21	11	0	10	-26	33
The Butchers Arms	16	10	2	4	34	32
Links Bar	20	8	1	11	-46	25
Sweethearts Bar	17	5	2	10	-40	17
The Booze Lounge	23	0	0	23	0	0
Results:  Easy R-Con Bar P-P Sweethearts Bar, Legends Pool 12-8 Links Bar, The Rest Stop H-W The Booze Lounge
Division 1
Team	P	W	L	+/-	BP	Pts
Tie’s R Us	18	15	3	38	1	46
Smile Bar	18	14	4	58	1	43
Legends Pool ‘A’	18	10	8	22	1	31
Pook’s Bar	18	9	9	4	3	30
Shoot Pool ‘A’	18	9	9	-9	1	28
Offshore Bar	18	8	10	0	2	26
Old Thai Angle	18	7	11	-11	5	26
Dean’s Bar	18	8	10	-12	0	24
Crazy Eddie’s	18	6	12	-41	1	19
Mai’s Bar	18	4	14	-49	1	13
Division 2
Team	P	W	L	+/-	BP	Pts
Legends Pool ‘B’	18	15	3	66	0	45
FCUK Inn	18	14	4	66	1	43
i-Rovers	18	13	5	57	1	40
The Ranch	18	12	6	25	0	36
Buffalo Jacks	16	6	10	-20	0	18
Connections	16	6	10	-27	0	18
Bobby Too	17	6	11	-32	0	18
ANZAC Bar	18	5	13	-44	1	16
The Queen Vic	15	5	10	-34	0	15
Classroom	18	4	14	-57	1	13

Pattaya 8-Ball Monday Pool League

Results & Standings August 18 (week 1)

Team	Played	Won	Lost	For	Agst	Diff.	Pts.
Asian Nomads	1	1	0	10	5	5	3
Phimai Geordie	1	1	0	10	5	5	3
Parrot Inn	1	1	0	9	6	3	3
Crazy Eddie’s	1	1	0	8	7	1	3
Smile Bar	1	1	0	8	7	1	3
Doggy Style	1	0	1	7	8	-1	1
Funny Girl	1	0	1	7	8	-1	1
Pom Bar	1	0	1	6	9	-3	1
Connections	1	0	1	5	10	-5	1
Ta Bar	1	0	1	5	10	-5	1
San Snack Bar	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Bye	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Results:  Doggy Style 7 v 8 Crazy Eddie’s, Smile Bar 8 v 7 Funny Girl, San Snack Bar 0 v 0 Bye, Pom Bar 6 v 9 Parrot Inn, Connections 5 v 10 Phimai Geordie, Asian Nomads 10 v 5 Ta Bar

Pattaya Sports Club Bowling League

200 Bowler: Lek.

First place Indiana lost three points to third place Canada but still are four and one half points ahead of second place Bavaria who also lost three. Lek Reaper led her Canada team with a 201 game and 562 series. Preecha had a 553 series and La Montgomery a 516 for Indiana.
Café Kronborg won three points from Bavaria led by Kran Nielsen who bowled a 521 series.
Fourth place Balloon took three points from VFW Post 9876. David Shaw bowled a 510 series for VFW.
Green Tree won all four points from Brother D led by Tao who had a 535 series.

Results & Standings August 22 (week 20)
Pos.	Team	Score	Standings
1	Indiana	1 – 3	50 – 30
2	Bavaria	1 – 3	45.5 – 34.5
3	Canada	3-1	45 - 35
4	Balloon	3 – 1	42.5 – 37.5
5	VFW Post 9876	1-3	38 - 42
6	Green Tree	4 – 0	37.5 – 42.5
7	Brother D	0 - 4	31 - 49
8	Café Kronborg	3 – 1	30.5 – 49.5

Darkside Thursday Darts League

Standings August 21 (week 19)

Team	P	W	L	F	A	T/G	Pts.
Chill Bar	19	19	0	140	27	19	38
Oscar’s Sports Bar	18	12	6	93	65	8	24
Load Out	17	11	6	80	69	11	22
PJ’s Bar	19	10	9	99	68	10	20
Moonies	18	10	8	92	66	11	20
Double Top Bar	18	5	13	48	110	6	10
CS Coffee	17	4	13	55	94	7	8
Moonie Blues	18	1	17	13	121	1	2
Results:  Chill Bar (8-1)-(1-0) v PJ’s Bar

Darkside Tuesday Darts League

Standings August 19 (week 32)

Team	P	W	L	F	A	T/G	Pts.
Oscars Bar	32	27	5	192	72	24	54
Chill Bar	30	24	6	182	68	24	48
Load Out	31	20	11	168	91	19	40
Double Top	31	17	14	130	128	16	34
Double Dutch	31	11	20	93	150	15	22
Sidahla	27	9	18	58	117	5	18
Cockerooney’s	27	8	19	81	122	8	16
BB Bar	31	4	27	35	191	7	8
Results:  Double Dutch A-W v Chill Bar, Double Top (6-1)-(3-0) v Oscars Bar, Load Out H-W v BB Bar, Sidahla A-W v Oscars Bar

Links Bar Wednesday 9-Ball Pool League

Results & Standings August 20 (week 11)

Team	P	W	D	L	+/-	Pts.
Legends Pool	8	7	1	0	52	22
George &Dragon	9	6	1	2	22	19
Pook’s Bar	10	6	1	3	16	19
Links Bar	8	6	0	2	38	18
Mates Bar	10	5	1	4	-18	16
The Ranch	10	3	2	5	-10	11
FCUK Inn	8	2	4	2	-2	10
Connections	9	3	0	6	-14	9
Crazy Eddie’s	9	2	2	5	-4	8
Queen Vic	9	2	1	6	-36	7
Classroom	10	1	1	8	-44	4
Results:  Classroom 6-14 George & Dragon, Connections 6-14 Links Bar, Crazy Eddie’s 10-10 FCUK Inn, Queen Vic 8-12 Pook’s Bar, The Ranch 7-13 Legends Pool

Navy Club wins big at Pattaya Takraw Tournament

Siam Motors expands golfing profile with Pattaya Waterside

Trail Running Festival to open in Chiang Rai

Thai windsurfers rewarded for past, look to future

Seconds out, United leave it late against Chiangmai

Waite waltzes home at Burapha

Mike Hill goes over the top

Burns back in the winner’s circle

Larsen & Novak take team honours at Green Valley

Roberts & Buckingham takes the plaudits

Allidi shoots sub-par at the Valley

Hot day at Emerald

Leach leaves the field in his wake

Eastern Star – a genuine test

Pat’s Sunday best

Handford & O’Keefe joint first in Race2Bkk

Thorogood casts off unwanted title

Crumpton Oaks Cider Monday Pool League

King Factory Friday Night Pool League

Pattaya 8-Ball Monday Pool League

Pattaya Sports Club Bowling League

Darkside Thursday Darts League

Darkside Tuesday Darts League

Links Bar Wednesday 9-Ball Pool League