Pattaya’s sight impaired showed off their athletic skills on the playing fields December 29th at the annual Pattaya Redemptorist School for the Blind’s athletic day (See Games).

Many spectators turned out to cheer on their favorites in three different color-coded categories. Amongst the events competed in were jump rope and football.

Father Michael Phichan Jaiseri opening the annual See Games assisted by Suranit Acharyt from the Bang Lamung Education Department.

Father Raymond Brennan and Father Michael Phichan Jaiseri opened the games, assisted by Suranit Acharyt from the Bang Lamung Education Department.

Father Raymond Brennan started the Redemptorist School for the Blind on Central Pattaya Road on 18 May 1986. Back then the school had just seven students. The school has continued to grow over time and now has 209 students from all over the country in attendance. In 1991, the school moved to its present day location on Sukhumvit Road just north of Central Pattaya Road.

Children enjoy the fun on athletic day at the Pattaya Redemptorist School for the Blind.

The students attending classes at the school range from grades K-1 to M-3. On 15 January 1999 the school was registered as a private school and now receives annual educational budget allocations the same as other private schools. The school is mainly supported by donated funds from both Thais and foreigners.

The annual athletic day event was first organized in 1987, with the purpose of providing the students the opportunity to participate in organized sports and display their progress and continual development for parents and guardians to see.

With a one game victory over Cafe Kronborg at the end of the third round, Mick’s place gained a four point lead over their arch rivals. Standings were then: Mick’s Place (26), Cafe Kronborg (22), Pleasure Dome (14), Thistle (13), Londoner (10) and Kennel Dogs (5).

The final round of the season commenced on December 13 and saw some very close darts thrown and a lot of fun had. Pleasure Dome won their match against Kronborg on the team game to bring in a 7-6 win. This set up a situation where last season’s winner had to rely on Mick’s to lose matches at a rate they really are not known for, while Kronborg had to end up with no losses and a lot of prayer. Mick’s went ahead to win their match, assisted by a 180 from Chon. The following week saw the giant killers Kennel Dogs squeezing in a win against another giant team in the league, Pleasure Dome. Kronborg, with systematically good pegging, steamrollered Londoner. Mick’s won against Thistle.

The third match of the round put Mick’s Place in first place with an unassailable lead of 6 points with only 2 matches left when they beat Pleasure Dome, helped out by a mighty 157 finish from Alan in the singles. Cafe Kronborg won against The Thistle, despite Nung’s second 180, assuring it of finishing in second place. By a close win against Londoner, Kennel Dogs came to within 1 point of getting out of the bottom spot.

The next set of matches resulted in wins for Mick’s (34), Kronborg (28) and Pleasure Dome (18), guaranteeing they finish the season 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in that order. The Thistle (15) is assured of 4th, the last night of play on January 10 determined whether Londoner (10) or Kennel (9) occupy the tail.

On Monday, January 17, at The Pleasure Dome in Soi Post Office, there will be a Captains’ meeting and registration of teams for the next season.

On Monday, January 24, at The Londoner in Soi Post Office, there will be a Presentation Party to mark the end of the past season and the beginning of the next season of fun and darts.

Intending players should contact one of the captains or the venues or bring their darts along to the Party or enquire from the writer: PSC Darts Chairman Len Banfield, phone 420-432.

The Alternative Golf Gentlemen’s Society began the New Year with a Bogey competition down at Sattahip. Playing the most recent 18 holes on the Royal Thai Navy Course (East and West), the Hare House Gang has widely differing opinions about the two courses with "those damned trees in the fairway". This is one layout where you really have to think about your tee shot. None of those "fire and forget ‘em" missiles with the one-wood on this course. Often times the driver is taken out of your hands and a lot of golfers don’t like that.

That most intellectual of golfers, Jim "The Biz" Aspin was celebrating his birthday with the TAGGS contest. Self-styled as one of the nice guys, Mr. Aspin has a good sense of timing. He won on his birthday. Playing off eighteen, Jim was one of three golfers who finished at one up, and he took home the nice present of a Knotted Putter trophy plus a sweet sweep in a count back.

Back on Soi Post Office the prize giving and the birthday party were celebrated by the large field with a few conspicuous absences. MIA were the other two spots on the podium, Jimmy Little and Marc Jernigan. These two young men came under the evil influence of a certain unnamed septuagenarian who led them astray. They apologize to Jim "The Biz" and wish him many happy returns.

There wasn’t any significant wind. There certainly wasn’t any rain. Some days, golf courses get up on the wrong side of the bed and just play ornery. On Friday, January 7, in the year 2000 (doesn’t that sound weird?) the TAGGS team played a stroke play competition at Great Lake. Great Lake was playing real ornery. The median score was 77. The average score was 79. Standard Scratch went up two strokes and only one player broke par. Englishman Paul Hartley, playing off 28, shot a net 71 and won the competition with a 99.

Second place went to another Englishman. George Jackson, off 13, shot a net even par. This was quite an improvement over the last time George played Great Lake with the Hare House. That was the day when George left his shoes at home and rented out a pair from the Great Lake pro shop. The golf shoes had the number 7 printed on the back like bowling shoes. George joked it was his lucky day, and he was even more convinced when he was given cart #7 as well. It wasn’t his lucky day at all, it was just his day for sevens. He made a seven on the first hole and had seven Stableford points on the front nine.

Stephen Beard took the last place on the podium to make it a clean sweep for the English. Stephen had a net 73 and nudged out Welshman George Meigh in a count back.

With a week to go before the Charity Classic 2000 on January 21, Pattaya Sports Club Golf would like to gratefully acknowledge the generosity of the numerous sponsors. Through their contributions, the Charity Classic 2000 will have available for Hole Prizes and Lucky Draw Prizes a total to date of just under B.450,000, and there is every hope that by tee time that total will be a half million baht. This is a sizeable increase from last year’s total of B.300,000 and is reflective of the effort to give back and thank the members of the Pattaya Sports Club for their support.

When this tournament is over and the golf clubs have been put away, who won what prize will be quickly forgotten. What won’t be forgotten is that through the efforts of one of the world’s largest sports clubs, the Street Kids Center will have clean water. To dig the wells, supply the tank, install filtration, and buy the pumps is a major undertaking. It will happen, and it will happen with the help of Delaney’s, Dusit Fitness Resort, and Royal Garden Resort. It will happen with the donations of Annual Memberships by Great Lake, Eastern Star, Phoenix, and Century Chonburi. It will happen with the generosity of all the golf groups under the PSC umbrella. And it will happen because individuals have made cash donations and said "here, I won this money in a Calcutta and I want to help out".

To all of you who have supported this effort, Pattaya Sports Club Golf says thank you very, very much.

Lead Sponsors: Delaney’s, Dusit Fitness Resort, Great Lake Golf Club, Royal Garden Resort, Phoenix Golf Club, Eastern Star Golf Club, Pattaya Sports Club, Pattaya Sports Club Golf C/Kronborg, Hare House, Splinter Group, Lewiinski’s, The Bunker, Scandic Hotel, Bill Collis, Pattaya Hash House Harriers, Century Golf Club Chonburi.

Hole Sponsors: Diana Group, T.M.S. George Davis, Team Canada, Ray Papasan Rogers, Northern Thai Insurance Services, Swagman Group, Orchid Trading, Jesters, CMI Consultants, Fobé, Classroom, Lewiinski’s, Tahitian Queen, Las Vegas, All The Way Live Productions, Café Kronborg, Kathy Pritchard, Global Silverhawk.

Draw Sponsors: Hare House, Harry Riley, Fobe, Computer Link, Thai Ger Line Golf, Father Ray and His Kids, Delaney’s, Pattaya Mail, Pattaya Sports Supply, Toppoint, Richard Livingston, Kizwak, Jim (the bizz) Aspen, Siam C. C., Carol & Richard Smith, Green Bottle, Café Kronborg, Adidas, Ron Herbert, 3 Sisters, Shakey Pete’s, Mike Franklin.