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2000 Classroom Classic raises a
bundle for charity
Stan Fry had a big week golf-wise. On Friday, February
11, he had a hole-in-one at Green Valley’s 11th hole. This is one of
golf’s great individual milestones and in a ceremony at the Classroom on
Soi Pattayaland 2, Green Valley’s Manager Kuhn Nirand presented Stan a
commemorative plaque. But Stan would be the first to tell you he had
bigger fish to fry than to celebrate an ace. On Friday, February 18, the
2000 Classroom Charity Classic golf tournament, also played at Green
Valley and organized by Stan, had raised over 80,000 baht for the
Banglamung Boys Orphanage.
 2000
Classroom Charity Classic Champion David Blakely (right) accepts his
trophy from tournament organizer and hole-in-one achiever Stan Fry
(center) and PSC Golf Chairman Mike Franklin.
One hundred and fifty-one golfers teed it up in the
Stableford competition. England’s David Blakely had 44 points off 27 and
he will be taking back a nice souvenir when he returns home. David’s
name will be the fifth to be engraved on the Championship Trophy that has
a permanent home in the Classroom.
In second place was another of England’s favorite
sons. “The Snowman” himself, Malcolm Clare, had 42 points and took the
penultimate spot in a count back over Joe Ginnane.
There were only eight scores in the forties and the
average Stableford points per player were 29.32. Iceland’s Ode Einarsson
was one of those who reached the upper echelon. He had forty points, but
it took a scratch 70 to do it. Ode plays off two and he won the Low Gross
for the tournament.
The “Dream Team” made a resplendent appearance at
Green Valley, and Dream Team member Jack Levy admirably won the Booby
Prize for the lowest Stableford score. Kim Fletcher, on the other hand,
had a mind-boggling Near Pin on the 7th hole. In a couple of years the
Dream Team will be battling for the Team Championship. This year, that
honor went to a Scandinavian contingent of Lennart Belander, Magnus
Johansen, Thomas Bergwall, and Sture Brisholm.
The Scandinavians did well in this tournament.
Finland’s Maria Hasila won the trophy for Ladies Champion for the second
straight year. Maria plays off eighteen and garnered 37 points.
With the entry fee set at 1200 baht, including green
fee, caddy fee, golf shirt, and buffet dinner at the Classroom, there
could not have been a whole lot left over for charity. Stan waited until
the stomachs were full and the elbows were well oiled before selling the
raffle tickets that brought in a bundle for the Banglamung Boys Orphanage.
The atmosphere was so cordial, and the golfers were so happy, that selling
the tickets was a breeze. But Stan wasn’t through yet. He brought out
Barry “The Book” Tregurtha to auction off some nice items. Barry did a
great job, but Muffy Kerr and Big Steve Donovan were making it easy for
him. The way these two were bidding, if there had been more to auction,
the Banglamung Boys Orphanage would have made budget for the next year.
Special thanks to Neil Cameron, Mike “the Bert Parks of the golfing
community” Franklin, and of course, the people played in the event and
the people who were very generous after the tournament.
Super Steven lands King Mackerel
10-year-old
Steven Westphal last week landed a 21.6 kg King Mackerel off Koh Larn,
earning “Biggest Fish of the Day” honors in a fishing outing organized
by Horst from the Fisherman’s Club on Soi 6.
Steven, who studies
in Year 5 at the International School of the Regents, showed strength beyond
his years in landing the fish, which was almost as long as he is tall.
Steven’s father, Hans Dieter
Westphal, Managing Director of Riekermann Thai Engineering Company, was
beaming with pride at his son’s achievement.
Royal Garden Run-Sail This Weekend
The tenth “Royal Garden Koh Larn Classic” will take
place this weekend from the Royal Varuna Yacht Club in South Pattaya.
Sponsored since its inception by the Royal Garden Resort, this year, one of
the most ardent and successful runners, John Quarmby will also offer the
support of Schenker International.
by Peter Cummins
Anyone intending to go to Pattaya for “R and R” on
Saturday should be forewarned: it is the occasion of the Royal Garden
Resorts’ Koh Larn Classic. This matches up the Hash House Harriers and
Harriets with the Royal Varuna Yacht Club sailors for the annual sail-run
outing - and the usual Hash-style riotous party afterwards.
 The
rumours are that Classic founder John Stall will be there. Shown here, Dave
Wales listens to Stall’s ‘wails’. Photo Peter Cummins
Race officers Dave Wales and Gilbert Leemann, who can
rack up 130-plus years between them, will conduct a pre-race briefing for
all competitors and race marshals at the Varuna Club-house prior to the
start scheduled for 12.00 mid-day, Saturday, 26 February.
The course will comprise the start from Royal Varuna,
north to round Koh Chun (Lighthouse Island) off Pattaya Bay to port, then
west across the Gulf, leaving Koh Krok to port, to the runner’s drop-off
point at the northern tip of Koh Larn.
Runners will then follow a marked trail to the southern
end of Koh Larn, to rendezvous with their skippers sailing along the western
coast of the island, board and race back to Royal Varuna. It is only the
race across, the run and the sail back which are recorded. The sail along
the west coast of Koh Larn, to the runners’ pick-up point does not count.
Upon return to the finishing line, there will be the
usual Royal Garden hospitality and the expected 40 teams, resplendent in
their Schenker International-sponsored tee shirts, will proceed to enjoy the
traditional evening entertainment, again provided by the Royal Thai Navy.
The evening promises to be as lively as any “hash bash”, with the
hashers’ favourite out-station singer, the “Star Spangled Banger”,
wowing them for yet another year!
For Skip Heinecke, the Royal Garden Resorts Vice
President of Communications - and no mean sailor himself - the Koh Larn
Classic is a most appropriate event for Royal Garden sponsorship. For, of
all sports and human pursuits, one could not really find any endeavour more
environmentally-friendly than running and yacht racing: both rely entirely
on natural momentum, the latter requiring a little help from Nature’s
forces.
In fact, the Royal Garden Resorts have taken their
concept of “eco-tourism” to the stage where they have issued an “Eco
code of conduct”, some parts of which have a direct application to the
“Koh Larn Classic.” For example, the Eco code urges tourists only to
“follow designated trails and paths. Don’t disturb animals, plants and
natural habitats.” Or, again: “Take only pictures; leave only
footprints. No graffiti. Do not litter.” The Hashers, certainly, will only
“follow designated trails and will leave only footprints,” on Koh Larn.
When entrepreneur John Stall designed the Koh Larn
Classic in 1991, it became the third such, joining the exulted company of
“The Four Peaks Race”; a 36-hour endurance test of sailing 76 nautical
miles, 32 km. of overland running and scaling four peaks. It was first
organized by Hong Kong’s Aberdeen Boat Club in 1985.
The other event of the trio is the Tasmanian “Three
Peaks Race”, a most grueling test of man and machine around the island
state of Tasmania which, for the slower yachts - and runners - can be a
four-day marathon. Initiated in 1988, one peak assault alone in last
year’s event took an incredible 18 hours, when a team was lost in the fog
and rain of one of Tasmania’s more formidable mountains.
Fortunately, the Koh Larn Classic is much more
“user-friendly” than either of these, as the runners will learn tomorrow
(Saturday, 26). The many spectators expected to attend will be able to
admire the Varuna sailors’ skills and the HH athlete’s “feats”. I
will wager, however, that for some of the runners, it is going to be,
rather, a matter of going home to nurse an attack of “athlete’s foot”!
But there is another warning signal for the weekend:
beware! It is rumoured that John Stall himself will be lurking around, fresh
out of his lair on Koh Samui!
Meanwhile, this Pattaya Mail correspondent is thriving on life in New
Zealand’s fast lane, now enjoying Auckland and the beautiful North Island,
after covering the finals of the America’s Cup.
Hannu (the Flying Finn) Kemila is “King
of Siam C. C.”
PSC Golf From The Bunker Bar
It is indeed a pleasure to make this report, having
witnessed an astonishing round of golf by our young “Flying Finn” -
Hannu Kemila, who almost beat the course. Hannu’s h/cap of 11 is in
serious danger of going into single figures after carding a gross 78, net 67
at the Siam C.C. layout on Tuesday 15 Feb. with the Bunker Bar boys. Hannu
must have gone to bed early, and alone, on Valentines Day.
Hannu shot 37 on the front nine, continuing with 5
consecutive pars at holes 10 through 14, only to give up 5 strokes on the
last four holes, as Hannu put it, - “I got Bunker Bound.”
Only 3 players shot sub par rounds in flight “A” so
the course was not playing that easy.
In second spot, Peter Renggli had a steady round,
shooting a net 68 off his 20 H/cap while the “old man” of the group -
bill Jones, after shooting 6 under on the last visit to Siam, shot a net 70
off 22 H/cap to take third place.
In flight “B” which was H/cap 24+, “Mighty Mouse”
Mick Jones woke up to show some form (after being in the doldrums of late)
by carding 40 St. pts., - well I mean to say, why shouldn’t he, off his
huge H/cap of 33.
The highlight of Mick’s round was that he amassed a
staggering 15 St. pts. on the par 3 holes. High handicappers please note -
concentrate on the par 3’s - you cannot lose. Mick, however, was the only
player in flight “B” to break par.
Second spot went to Gary (can reach the green in 2 at the
18th) Hammil with a mere 34 St. pts. off 24 H/cap. He must have found a few
trees in the way. In third spot Ray Beardsley held out Dicky Barbe on a
count back with 33 St. pts.
Highlights of near pins, Neil Griffin almost holed his
tee shot on the 8th, whilst on the long 16th, only one player out of the 33
participating in the comp. hit the green.
A Flight (medal)
1st: Hannu Kemila, net 67
2nd: Peter Renggli, 68
3rd: Bill Jones, 70
B Flight B (Stableford)
1st: Mick Jones, 40 pts
2nd: Gary Hammil, 34
3rd: Ray Beardsley, 33
Near pins: #4 Bill Jones, #8 Neil Griffin, #12 Hannu Kemila, #16 Bill
Jones.
Lucky 5s for Campbell
PSC TAGGS... golf from the Hare House
Wednesday, February 16 - Bangpra International Golf
Club (Bogey)
1st: Mark Campbell,3 Up
2nd: Michael Dige, A/S
3rd: Paul Azzopardi, 1 Down
Mark Campbell is not a big fan of Bangpra right now.
The greens look like patchwork quilts and the fairways have more bad lies
than Bill Clinton. But Mark is taking advantage of a lull in employment to
sharpen his game, and even the sorry conditions at Bangpra couldn’t slow
him down. Playing in the TAGGS Bogey competition on Wednesday, February
16, Mr. Campbell finished the day 3 up on the course and took home the
Knotted Putter trophy and a fair sized sweep.
Starting off on the 10th tee, Mark began the
competition with a different score on the first five holes. He went
double, bogey, birdie, triple, and finally par. He must have been looking
for a number he was comfortable with, and found it on the back nine when
he shot a five on every hole but one. This was Mark’s first singles win
out of the Hare House this year, but it doesn’t look like it is going to
be his last.
Another Hare House regular, Michael Dige, came in
second with a score of “all square”. Michael’s name has been all
over the leader board lately and it is just a matter of time before he
wins not only a TAGGS trophy, but a Pattaya Sports Club major as well.
Paul Azzopardi took the last spot on the podium with a score of one
down.
2000 TAGGS AM-AM
Number seven on Alan Rutsky’s Top ten reasons why
PSC golf is so much fun was “playing in major tournaments every three
hours”. It does sometimes seem that way. But you have to give the Pattaya
Sports Club some credit when it comes to a wide and imaginative variety of
tournament formats.
On Wednesday, March 1, the Pattaya Sports Club will hold
the fourth annual TAGGS AM-AM. The format for this tournament is all about
having fun with very little big tournament pressure. It is four-man
team Stableford with the best two Stableford scores on any one hole
counting toward the team total. Two years ago the winning total was 92
points. Last year the winning total was increased to 103 points. Get
yourself a team together and sign up at any of the regular PSC venues. The
entry fee is 1200 baht and includes green fees, caddy fees, golf shirt, and
a buffet dinner at the Hare House after the tournament.
As it is every year, the TAGGS AM-AM will be held at Phoenix on the
Mountain and Ocean courses. There will be three team trophies plus sweep.
There will also be Near Pins and Long Drives in three divisions. If you have
never played this event before, sign up, and if you do not have a team the
organizers will endeavor to place you in one.
Inaugural ‘Thai International Australia
Cup’ Golf Tournament
At Great Lake Golf & Country Club
On Wednesday the 8th of March the first Thai
International Australia Cup golf tournament will take place at Great Lake
Golf and Country Club. The original concept arose from the promotion of
Pattaya 2000 in Australia last year, with Holiday Makers Travel, Perth,
already regular visitors to Pattaya and the Eastern Seaboard golf courses.
Sponsored by Thai International Airways, who are donating
return Bangkok-Perth air tickets as Player Draw prizes, and further
supported by Pattaya Sports Club, the Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya and
Pattaya Mail who are donating trophies. The tournament, organised in
association with Pattaya Sports Club Golf, is a Singles and Team Stableford
format with a 10.00 a.m. shotgun start at Great Lake.
The trophy and prize presentation will take place at the
highly recommended Siriporn Restaurant by the Mabrachan Lake Reservoir with
a buffet and live music.
The field is limited to 128 players who will participate
in the Players Draw for the Thai International airline tickets and other
prizes. The entry fee is B.1300 and includes green and caddy fees, golf
shirt, golf cap, trophies, prizes and buffet with live music.
Entry forms are available at the PSC Office on Soi Diana, all PSC Golf
venues (Caf้ Kronborg, Diana Inn, Hare House, Lewiinski’s, the
Bunker and Scandic Hotel) plus Delaney’s.
Pattaya Sports Club Golf Major Tournaments
in March 2000
This is the last busy tournament month before a quieter
April-June period.
Wed. 1st: PSC Am-Am. Phoenix (2 from 4 man BB). Field
120.
Wed. 8th: Thai International Australia Cup. Great Lake
(Singles and Team Stableford). Field 128 - 90 player places allocated for
PSC. Shotgun Start 10.00 a.m.
Friday 17th: St. Patrick’s Day with Delaney’s. Great
Lake (4 Man Scramble). Field 120.
Friday 24th: Splinter Golf Group Open. Green Valley
(Stroke). Field 120.
Thursday 30th & Friday 31st: PSC Golf Championship.
Eastern Star (36 holes stroke). Field 120
Entry forms and full details are posted at all PSC
Venues: Caf้ Kronborg; Diana Inn; Hare House; Lewiinski’s; The
Bunker; Scandic Hotel and Delaney’s. Or, Sign-up for any of these
tournaments with Mike Franklin direct. Phone/Fax (38) 731144; e-mail [email protected].
Copyright 2000 Pattaya Mail Publishing Co.Ltd.
370/7-8 Pattaya Second Road, Pattaya City, Chonburi 20260, Thailand
Tel.66-38 411 240-1, 413 240-1, Fax:66-38 427 596; e-mail: [email protected]
Updated by Chinnaporn Sangwanlek, assisted by Boonsiri
Suansuk. |
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