New League starts this week

Pattaya Sports Club Friday Bowling League

200 Bowlers: Rich Montana, Nok Kennedy,
Antero Ronkainen, Christian and Tue Amphanon

The new league will start on Friday 27 February at Pattaya Bowl Plus starting at 1330 hours. We still have a few spots available for bowlers so come on down and get on a team.
This past week we had a fun bowling day and some pretty good bowling scores were posted. Rich Montana once again had a good day with games of 229, 181 and 208 for a 618 series. Nok Kennedy bowled games of 204, 181 and 199 for a 584 series. Yeow had a 550 series, Ooy Pluemkamon a 542, Somrak a 542, Antero Ronkainen rolled a 222 game, 554 series, Christian had a 213 game and 532 series, P.K. a 551, Bee a 519, and Doug a 516.
The lanes were a bit better than normal. We also have a need for a few sponsors so contact La Montgomery at 081 838 4225 if you want to sponsor a team.

Pattaya’s disabled archers triumph again

Pattaya’s young disabled archers triumphed yet again in the Thailand National Games for the Disabled, held recently at Phitsanulok, in northern Thailand. The archery team, from Pattaya’s Redemptorist Vocational School for the Disabled, won 9 Gold medals, 8 Silver medals and 8 Bronze medals, exceeding the aspirations of their team manager, Samrit Chapirom.

Salah (Gold), Sine (Silver) and Goi (Bronze), all medal winners for Chonburi, celebrate with their coaches Eric and “Nice” and the Phitsanulok chicken mascot.

Last year these Games were held in Nakorn Si Tammarat, in southern Thailand, and that was the very first time any of the students from the Redemptorist Vocational School had ever competed in an archery competition.
This year there were four members of the original team % who at least had some archery experience to draw on. However there were a further 12 disabled people who, up to three months ago had never picked up an archery bow. For these newcomers to the sport to have achieved that level of achievement in such a short time is a remarkable tribute to their perseverance, enthusiasm and commitment.
Despite their young ages, mainly between 18 and 28 years, they bonded well as a team and helped and encouraged each other. Their spirit and “can-do” attitude helped them overcome the challenges of learning a sport which is not the easiest to master.
They were coached by some members of the Pattaya Archery Club in the Pirates of Pattaya shooting club in Hua Yai. The professional coaching given by the archery club members enabled the disabled archers to strive for Personal Bests in a custom-built archery range, thus preparing them for the competition they faced in Phitsanulok.
Cutting it fine
To illustrate the short timespan of their training, the Redemptorist School had to order an additional 45 sets of arrow components from England, and these were delivered, made into complete arrows, and given to the disabled archery team the day before they got on their coach to travel to Phitsanulok.
So when some of them arrived at the archery competition it was the first time they had shot these new arrows, which of course flew differently to the ones they had used in training, and required the archers to find new positions for the bow’s sights. Even Eric Hearn, Pattaya Archery Club’s President and the disabled team’s head coach, thought that this was cutting it a bit fine, to say the least.
Excellent facilities
There were 17 sports events held at these Games and disabled students from the Redemptorist Vocational School took part in some of these other sports, including running, weight-lifting, swimming, basketball and fencing. The facilities for these sports were equally outstanding and professional managed.
There were plenty of food outlets throughout the games site, and there was even a wheelchair repair facility. Several ambulances were strategically placed to cope with any emergencies. All in all a very impressive National Games and a great credit to the organisers and athletes alike.
The effect of the sun
The weather was very hot, with little wind % ideal archery conditions % and so the standard of archery between the various teams was quite high. The facilities at the games were excellent and the archery competitions were held to international FITA standards. The FITA (archery’s international governing body) regulations included timed “traffic light” and klaxon signals. To someone who has never shot in an archery competition to these standards, this can be quite daunting to start with.
The Redemptorist School’s archers % representing Chonburi province % coped well with all that they faced. As the sun bore down, the wheelchair-bound archers had to just sit out there, unprotected, whilst scores were taken, and the scorers walked back behind the shooting line. These inevitable delays meant that it must have been very uncomfortable for the disabled archers, sitting baking in the sun.
Most of them took this in their stride, although a couple of archers were visibly stressed by the heat and needed constant supplies of cold, wet towels to cool them down.
Eric, the coach, has lived in Thailand for four years but even that experience of Thailand’s weather did not prevent him being taken quite ill and carried to one of the nearby ambulances. He was diagnosed as suffering from dehydration and given appropriate treatment in the ambulance. He was then taken immediately back to his hotel, thus missing the final afternoon’s archery competition.
Pattaya dominates the award ceremonies
At the end of each day’s competitions there were the award-giving ceremonies and it soon became clear that Pattaya/Chonburi were the dominant team. Time after time one or more of the team were on the winner’s podium receiving medals and soft cuddly chickens % the chicken being the emblem of the Phitsanulok region.
Yes, the other teams won a medal or two, but the overall total of medals won by the archers from the Redemptorist Vocational School was an impressive feat.
This was made all the more so by the archery tournament organisers’ decision to add an extra competition into the schedule. This included shooting at the 50 metre range. However, as none of the Pattaya archers had ever shot at this distance, this surprise new competition posed new challenges to the archers and the coaches alike. The position of the bow’s sight for each archer had to be estimated and adjusted “on the hoof” with little allowance by the officials for practice.
Eric was helped by his partner Kotchakorn (“Nice”) and between them they rushed around between archers trying to help them as quickly as they could. Some of the lady members of the archery team had such light-weight bows that to hit a target 50 metres away was a major challenge, requiring very significant changes of bow-sight positions.
This new 50 metre competition was held on the afternoon of the last day, and by then Eric had been taken back to his hotel feeling unwell. So it fell to “Nice” to help the team, on her own. That they did so well is a great compliment to her coaching abilities.
All-in-all a great triumph for Pattaya’s Redemptorist Vocational School and a reflection of the support the school receives from Chonburi province.
Trying archery
in Pattaya
Pattaya Archery Club shoots on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, beginning at 10.00 am and finishing at about noon or thereafter. Anyone % Thai or farang, young or old, man or woman % is welcome to come along to the Pattaya Shooting Club in Hua Yai and find out what it is all about. Coaching and the use of the club’s bows, arrows and other equipment is free for beginners, and so it costs nothing to see if this challenging sport is for you.
For more details visit Pattaya Archery Club’s website at www.pattaya-archery-club .com, or telephone Eric, the President, on 089 535 1193

Toni, Trevor and Bob form a terrific trio

The PSC 86th Members Monthly Golf Tournament

Looking back to the tee on the second hole at beautiful Green Valley.

Golf Chairman Perry with the winning team of Toni Dauth,
Trevor Loerch and Bob Rasmusson

The runners-up, John Lloyd, Ron Birdsall
and Geoff King with the Golf Chairman.

 The third placed team: Marty Allred, Ada Tse and Frank Pilkington.

The fourth placed team of Ari Hargreen, Juhani Fast and Laurence Harding.

Derek Brook
Friday, February 20, Green Valley
The pre work that goes into a PSC monthly tournament has to be seen to be believed. Firstly you have to choose a date, then, with that decided, you have to make a decision on which format to use. This is usually the most discussed aspect, especially this year. Then there’s the paperwork; pins, marshalls, and so on; it is a major operation.
Next month we will have the PSC Charity Classic, and as you can understand the preparations are well underway. This day was to be a trial for the Charity Classic but as I understand it, the format is likely to be based on the best three scores out of a four man team, but as is usual, all is subject to change.
On this day it was decided to try a ‘three man scramble’, with two groups starting on the same tee, and thus cards could be swapped as a check on the other team. Usually with one team out there are always ‘the doubters’, but this format is a good counter check. However, this was to be the first time we have tried it.
Well it must have been an attractive format for the players as we had 186 of them who teed off, and going back to the very first day the new Golf Chairman took over, we were pushing to get 50. Mind the extra players mean more stress on the planning and the ‘volunteer helpers’ and foremost among these are Max and Tim, with this day Keith helping out with the selling of the vouchers. Big thanks to all.
Out on the course things were going much as expected and with the large amount of players out in a scramble, and with a shotgun start, it was not the fastest round on record, however, we all continued to move, and the time for the round varied between 5.5 hours and 6 hours. Certainly not the fastest but with 5 other people to talk to on the way around it passed the time.
While we are in the thank you business, we could not put on such a superb show without the help of our sponsors, so thanks go to, in particular Jameson’s The Irish Pub for feeding all the golfers at the night function and for their total support. Also Moore Bar and Grill, The Green Bottle, Shenanigans Pub, Trattoria Italiana, Blue Parrot, Moon River, Apex Profound Beauty, MBMG Insurance Group, Sunset Cafe, Tequila Reef, Cafe New Orleans, Pattaya City Golf, Tahitian Queen, Dusit Hotel, Pizza Big, Pattaya Driving Range, Baltex Industries, Sinto Trading Co Ltd, Alan Bolton Property Consultants, The Diamond Shop, Seadrill, Taipan, DSC Deborah Services ( Thailand) Ltd, and all the Pattaya newspapers and media.
Special thanks go from the Golf Chairman to the following for their support: Tropical Bert’s, The Golf Club, The Sugar Shack, Diana Golf, Ankana House, The Three Sisters, P.J. Pool Bar, The Caddy Shack, The Bunker Bar, The Cafe Kronborg, The Beaver Bar, and of course Green Valley and all their staff.
Back to the course and it was in fine condition for the day’s outing. Those who have not been here be aware this is a fine layout and in fact was the first golf course I played when I first came here in 1991, and it is still a great venue despite some changes that have been made over the years. So after the long haul it was time to hand the card in and slip under a hot shower.
The team at the desk got underway and soon the results were tabulated. The good thing about a scramble is that the results are easy(ish) to work out, but still need checking, especially as on this day the results were all so close - this format certainly sorts out the strong from the weak.
So, results ready it was time for the Scribe to zoom back to Jameson’s where the food was being devoured and the presentation awaited. The food on this night was excellent, I can attest to this as by the time I got there I could have eaten a horse, but made do with roast beef, chicken and pork. It goes down really well with a few of the ‘cold one’s’ at ‘Happy Hour’ rate.
Mike Gerrard, the Emcee, was chafing at the bit, and just to keep in practice he did half of the ‘Lucky Draws’ which went down well. Then, with most of the people present having eaten, we went into the presentation.
Firstly Emcee Mike introduced the PSC Vice President (yours truly), who said a welcome to all the players, thanked the sponsors, particularly Jameson’s, thanked the Golf Chairman for all his work and also the helpers for their efforts. The microphone was then passed over to Perry who did his ‘Golf Chairman’ bit before handing the microphone back to Mike for the results.
First Mike went through the technical results which can be seen at the end of this report, and then he went on to announce the winners of which there were six groups, and very close they were indeed.
In sixth place was the team of Steve Ellison, John McHugh, and John Emerson with a net 61.6, and it will be seen that all the scoring was very tight. In fifth place, and just the smallest margin ahead, was the team of Matthew McInerney, Andeas Grunenberg, and Grant Montgomery with a 61.5. Fourth place went to the trio of Ari Hargreen, Juhani Fast and Laurence Harding with net 61.1.
Still the scores were tight and the third place continued in the same vein. In third was the team of Marty Allred, Ada Tse and Frank Pilkington with a net 60.9. In second, and for the first time a one shot difference, we had the team of John Lloyd, Ron Birdsall and Geoff King with a fine net 59.9.
So to the winners, and there is always someone, or some team, that comes in and blows the rest away. With a Gross 62, and a net 58.5 the worthy winners on the day was the team of Toni Dauth, Trevor Loerch and Bob Rasmusson. Well done this team.
We then had the second part of the ‘Lucky Draw’, and took on the extension of the ‘Happy Hour.’ T.T.F.N.
Near Pins: Roger Strine, Bruce Tollit, Dan Meder, Keith Hodges, Ron Birdsall (2), Derek Brook, Dick Warberg, James Mair, Hugh Byrne, Richard Kubicki, Peter Whitehead, Jim Fortune, Perry McNeely, Ada Tse, Peter Grofedeff, J.J Wright, Peter Cook, Tony Duthie.
Long Drives: (A Flight) Grant Montgomery; ( B Flight) Ernie McInerney; (C Flight) Chris Ronblatt; (Ladies) Eila Koutuanmcinn.
2’s: Jeff North, Nigel Foodfield, John McHugh, Marty Allred, Norman Isherwood, Tony Byrne, John Lloyd, Colin Cronin, Peter Whitehead, Richard Kubicki, Alistair Robinson, Peter Cook, Jimmy Wolfe, Bob Richardson, Chris Jones.

Opportunity knocks twice for Gavin

IPGC golf from Lewiinski’s

Sunday, February 15, Green Valley - Stableford
A Flight
1st Gary Blackburne (6) 37pts
2nd Ben O’Connor (10) 36pts
3rd Bob Dibben (9) 35pts
B Flight
1st Gavin Knox (13) 41pts
2nd Jez Lees (15) 38pts
3rd Jeremy Masse (12) 36pts
C Flight
1st Alec Hoare (19) 40pts
2nd Sim Davis (32) 36pts
3rd Dave Dunne (18) 35pts
Near Pins: #2 Ian Grout, #9 Des Griffiths, #12 Poh Foong, #16 Alec Hoare.
2’s: Nine
Baan Jing Jai hidden six: 1st Terry Mangan, 2nd Jez Lees, 3rd Sim Davis, 4th Marc Napier.
When opportunity knocks, it’s best to grab it with both hands as it doesn’t come often. That’s just what Gavin “Opportunity” Knox managed to do, amassing 41 points to win Lewiinski’s regular Sunday comp and so secure the top B flight place. “The Principal” ran Gavin close with an impressive 38 point haul but came up three shots short. Filling the flight in third place was Jeremy Masse with an even par round of 36 points.
County Dublin’s Alec Hoare walked away with C flight and second overall with a splendid 40 point return. Four shots adrift of Alec was “The Donkey’s” missus Sim, leaving Dave Dunne to round out the flight on 35 points. “Muscles” was waiting in the wings on 34 points but the ‘Bonner rule’ was not needed on this occasion.
The big boys’ flight was taken care of by “Mr. Nice Guy” Garry Blackburne with a more than useful 37 points. Second place was filled by the big Co. Kerry man, Ben O’Connor a shot back. Bob “The Welsh Wizard” Dibben was a further shot back with 35 points to claim the final podium spot, after a four-way tie with Terry Mangan, “Buckie Boot Boy” Nick Strasshine and Bob “the Chairman Mao.”
Monday, February 16, St Andrews - Stableford
A Flight
1st Gavin Knox (13) 36pts
2nd Ben O’Connor (10) 35pts
3rd Bob Newell (6) 35pts
B Flight
1st Jim Bell (20) 35pts
2nd Jatana Sukh (18) 35pts
3rd Michael Goggin (16) 35pts
When opportunity comes knocking twice in two days of golf, it means either you have had a lucky round, or you are playing some wonderful golf. I think the latter applies to Lewiinski’s man on fire, Mr. Gavin Knox.
Gavin followed Sunday’s victory with a splendid even par round, to take the man of the match and senior flight honors. He did, however, have a scare on the par 4 eighteenth, as his second shot found the water hazard on the left. Gavin drew on all his flying experience to keep his composure and nerve to bogie the hole under penalty. There’s a lesson for us all no doubt.
In a three-way tie for second and third, Big Ben O’Connor won the count back, relegating “Chairman Mao” to third. Ireland’s Pat Hanafin was the unlucky contestant, but did have the consolation of a share of the 2’s pot.
B flight turned into a real nail biter as three competitors all returned 35 points. The resulting count back went in favor of Jim Bell, edging Jatana Sukh into second and Michael Goggin into third.
Ben O’Connor, Pat Hanafin, Pierre Bietry, Jeff Hosfield and Jatana Sukh split the 2’s pot.
Wednesday, February 18, Mountain Shadow – Stableford
A Flight
1st Colm Mullen (15) 36pts
2nd Brian Wilkinson (13) 34pts
3rd Keith McLachlan (15) 33pts
4th Brian Carruthers (12) 33pts
B Flight
1st Jim Elphick (23) 42pts
2nd Gabriel Engright (24) 34pts
3rd Joe Tynan (28) 32pts
4th Jim Bell (20) 31pts
Mountain Shadow is always a tough layout to master, well for most but not for Jim the man of leisure Elphick. While all competitors struggled for points and “Mr. Opportunity” Knox’s was having a nervous breakdown declaring a ‘No Return’ (how the mighty fall), Jim quietly amassed 42 points to crush all opposition and easily win man of the match and B Flight glory. Gabriel Engright was eight points adrift in second spot, third place was filled by the fighting Irishman “Smoking” Joe Tynan and the ever present Jim Bell took fourth on 31 points after a count back over Geoff Kubas.
A Flight was a little tighter with Colm “the title contender” Mullen proving a most popular winner after posting an impressive even par round. In the runner up spot was the stuttering “Wireless” (bad reception to day mate) on 34 points. Keith McLachlan slipped in to third with 33 points after gaining a count back verdict over the luckless Brian Carruthers.
Alfred Mottini and Jeff Hosfield were very happy campers as they shared the 2’s pot.
Friday, February 20, Crystal Bay - Stableford
A Flight
1st Frank McGowan (15) 38pts
2nd Peter Lenoury (10) 38pts
3rd Romao Cerejo (10) 37pts
4th Colin Davis (15) 35pts
B Flight
1st Gabriel Enright (24) 38pts
2nd Sean Murphy (19) 36pts
3rd Jim Elphick (23) 34pts
4th Jum Karagit (23) 33pts
The immaculately manicured Thai Takenaka designed Crystal Bay was the setting for todays stableford competition. The senior flight saw Frank McGowan take full advantage of the fine conditions to take top spot, after a dreaded count back over Peter Lenoury, both carding 38 points. Romao Cerejo filled third place a shot back. “The Donkey” got the count back verdict with 35 points over Gerry Langan to close out the flight.
The junior flight was just as exciting as Gabriel Enright shot 38 points for co-man of the match. Sean Murphy came up two shots short for second. Jim “the mahout” Elphick managed to make the frame again this week with 34 points. Jum Karagit and Jatana Sukh both notched 33 points apiece, the scales tipping in Jum’s favor to round out the flight and the week. Seven 2’s were recorded on the day. Any one spotted “Mr. Opportunity” Gavin?
Note: Lewiinski’s is situated on Pattaya Land Soi 1, Beach Road Soi 13/3 near to Walking Street. Anyone wishing to play with us just pop in and add your name to the list or call Bob on 080 096 8232. Transport is provided.

Benson tops the high scores at Eastern Star

Jomtien Golf with the IPGC

Monday, February 16, The Emerald – Stableford
Arriving at around 9.15, a full 45 minutes before our scheduled time, the starter told the first few groups they could tee off straight away as there was nobody on the course. Not surprising really as Emerald has not offered any discounted green fees compared with all the other courses in the area and beyond.

Russell Benson (left) and Peter Grant (right) who returned a remarkable 44 and 43 points respectively at Eastern Star.

There were some wicked pin placements on the greens today and this really did reflect in the stableford scores in both divisions. Saranya Riley’s 33 points won division 1, beating Tony Duthie 20/17 on a back nine count back. Kari Aarnio finished third with 32 points, also on a 16/15 count back over Srithong Tann.
After scoring 11 points on the front nine, Terry Cowell bounced back with an amazing 23 on the back nine to win division 2, beating Jimmy Johnson by 4 points on the back-nine count back. For once ‘count back’ Burnie Sinclair took third place with 33 points after beating Les Hall on an 18/16 count back.
Jean Bruneau got the only birdie in division 1 on the par-three 7th and Terry Cowell also birdied the 15th in division 2, so no rollovers at Plutaluang on Wednesday.
Near Pins went to Jean Bruneau, The Kermit (2), and Raivo Velsberg in division 1 and to Terry Cowell, Angela Schafer and Rudi Schafer in division 2.
A six-month bon voyage was wished by all of us to Cully and Josie Monks as they return to Ireland to meet the new grandchild. See you back in four weeks Cully.
Wednesday, February 18, Plutaluang – Stableford
A smaller field than normal with only 7 groups of three out today, probably due to the increase in the green fees here and with the exchange rate at an all time low, our players are now selecting two courses a week to play rather than the three before this lull.
The North and West courses were selected today and probably for the first time there were no checks on the scores on the last nine holes as ‘count back’ Burnie Sinclair won division 2 by 3 clear points, coming in with a fine 40 points. In form Tery Cowell was in second place and in third came Peter Grant with 32 points.
Jean Bruneau’s 38 points was enough to win division 1, with Bruce in second place on 35 and Jean Morel in third with 32.
There are no nearest the pins today as we need a minimum of 24 out to cover the prizes, and in the ‘2’s Terry Cowell birdied the 8th on the West course to win his second prize in this competition in three days, and Bruce birdied the same hole to win the only prize in division 1.
Friday, February 20, Eastern Star – Stableford
Back to reality, and our maximum field of 40 players out today on a very hot and humid day with hardly any breeze coming off the coast. Tee off was 7 minutes earlier than normal and at 9.23 precisely the first group went out.
In the stableford competition the cut today was 20 cards in division 1 (8-19) and in division 2 (20+), 20 cards as well.
There were some high score rumours on the front nine filtering back to the clubhouse after all the groups had teed off on the 10th here. Lo and behold, two hours later, 36 points took fourth place in division 2 after Tom Breslin beat Bryan Rought on a back-six count back of 13/11 after they both finished with 18 points on the back nine. Miss Nom lost out as she only returned 17 points on the back nine. Not the happiest of ladies at the presentation was Miss Oam as her 42 points only came in third. Peter Grant’s 43 gave him second place and with a remarkable round of 44 points, Russell Benson took the podium for the first time ever. Well done Russell, the scissors are out now.
Srithong Tann was fourth in division 1 with 35 points, and with his first game out with us, Barry Mc Intosh came in third with 38 points. But also with his first win with Jomtien Golf, Karl Flood beat Jim Connelly on a back-nine count back of 19/18 after they both finished with 39 points.
Amazingly there have been no rollovers in the ‘2’s competition in either division for four weeks, and this continued today. Keep it in the family yet again, Harry Riley birdied the 6th while his other half, Ya, also got a ‘2’ the 13th and Srithong Tann split the pot three-ways after her ‘2’ on the 17th. Russell Benson collected the only prize in division 2 for his two foot putt on the 17th as well.
Near Pins went to Ya Riley and Srithong Tann (3) in division 1 and to Russell Benson (2) and Miss Oam in division 2.

Pattaya Softball gets competitive

Diego Wells
Perhaps it was the pent up aggression from seeing just too many loud bikers invading our hallowed ground? Possibly it was the tenacity from watching the talented tennis ladies perform in Pattaya? Or maybe, just maybe there was something special in that cooler the boys drank on the sunniest of Sunday’s in 2009. Even though the reason is still a mystery, the fact of the matter was that the boys got together and played two of the most hotly contested matches in the history of Pattaya Softball.

The indomitable captains: Perry (left) and Alan (right) share a well earned beverage and a good chuckle at Pattaya Softball.

Game 1: Perry’s Protruding Pythons were pressed hard by Alan’s Andean Anteaters during the first game of the double header. Perrry’s team batted first and jumped out to a 6 run lead thanks to solid extra base hits from Spot, Mark, Diego, Scotty, Norm and John Stockton. Conversely, Alan’s team started slow with only a lone run coming off of Phil’s bat in the first two innings.
Inning 3 saw the makings of a blowout, as the Pythons nearly batted twice around the order and scored 8 runs. Alan’s team got 3 of them back thanks to clutch hits from Mchugh, Rhys, John E. and Shawn, but it was looking rather grim for the Anteaters as they started the 5th inning down 15 – 9.
Those pesky Andeans never gave up though and scored 7 runs in the bottom of the 7th to tie the score at 21 and go into extra innings. In that final frame, Spot doubled and Diego knocked him in on a controversial line drive over 3rd base. John Stockton, usually Mr. Mild Mannered, got into a shouting match with umpire John C.F. and any and all takers on the Anteater team. It turned out to be the deciding run, as Shawn threw out Diego trying to score on a single from Scotty to close out the inning.
The Pythons played powerful defense in the bottom of the extra inning, getting Ernie, Steve and Rhys to fly out to win the match. Final score Pythons 22, Anteaters 21.
Game 2: Game two could aptly be described as the Anteaters revenge. Angry for their comeback loss in Game 1, they started with a fire in their bellies. They only managed to score 2 runs in the first, to go down 4-2, but then scored 5 in the second and 4 in the third to go up 11-7.
Strong offensive performances were seen from Canadians Steve and first timer, Al, Rhys, Phil, and John E and Mchugh. They then got great defense from their infield combination of Rhys, Phil, Shawn and John E, to shut the Pythons down, keeping them scoreless for three straight innings. Alan’s team of Anteaters just wanted the victory more, and won out 12-10 in the end.
Profile of a player
New to Pattaya Softball is the weekly profile of the characters that make up our enjoyable Sunday afternoon sessions. What better way to start to describe this motley crew, then to begin with the two elder statesmen, captains, pitchers and founding fathers of Pattaya Softball. Both have graciously agreed to be roasted (or for you Limeys, to have the **** taken out of). So without further adieu, I give you a nearly, completely, inaccurate description of our two captains.
Alan and Perry are both so far over the hill that they no longer can see its peak, let alone remember when they had reached it. And yet as softballers they continue to be skilled craftsmen, and still have a few tricks left up their respective sleeves. Both are formidable foes on the mound, with Perry at times making the softball hail from the clouds, while Alan can still snatch a line drive with his well worn, golden glove(even as a young lad, he was an eager snatcher). The two are both natural born leaders, but couldn’t be different politically and socially.
The extraverted Perry loves the spotlight and all that goes with it. He is fiercely competitive, with some believing he would sell his mother down the river to gain an advantage in a softball game (completely false, but he has rented a sibling on occasion).
He has also been known to throw the odd temper tantrum, and on one occasion just picked up his ball and left, midway through a game. He is a gamer, always giving a full effort, and running like a gazelle around the base paths. His proud heritage of being an American Southerner, and the ignorance that goes with it, continues to baffle even the simplest of our merry band of softballers (not to mention any names, but Mr. Baseball comes to mind). Yet he continues to be one of our most loved compatriots, and without his leadership, enthusiasm and sportsmanship (or, at times, lack of it), Pattaya softball would suffer a huge loss.
The ugly sting of losing a trusted friend almost happened recently, when Alan took sick. We are happy to see our introverted friend back in action, after recently battling and beating the mightiest of foes, Cancer. He may dress like an aged rock star (who unfortunately, has lost his fortune), but he still plays softball with reckless abandon.
Alan’s New Yorker background guarantees that he instantly dislikes you, but give it a few weeks and he will make fun of your athleticism like you are an old chum. His extremely liberal, borderline communistic dogmatic views have annoyed many ex-military personnel (he is fond of preying upon ex-navy men, known affectionately by him and his following as seamen no more).
Alan may not say it as loudly as Perry, but he too, likes the sweet smell of victory much more than the bitter stench of defeat.
Perry and Alan are both captains, leaders and good natured characters (especially for letting me make fun of them in print). They are a large part of the heritage that makes Pattaya Sunday Softball the wonderful experience that it is. So why not come out and join us this Sunday in Jomtien in Jimmy’s ‘field of dreams’ off of Soi 15, 7kms from Sukhumvit and Soi 85 and be part of our maladjusted family?
Hope to see you on the Diamond soon.

Watering woes for Three Sisters golfers

PSC golf with The Three Sisters Bar & Grill

As usual the majority of the field took off at 06:30, and as usual they faced flooded fairways and saturated greens. It seems that the Pattaya Country Club has programmed their watering computer to run most of the night with the expected results. Moving balls from mud to dry ground was the call of the day. Either move the ball or take an unwelcome mud bath.

Tuesday’s winner Bob Benda (left) with runner-up Sus Ige.

Despite the soaked course, our stalwart players pushed on with some nice scores coming in. Back at Caddy Shack II where Herbie Ishinaga provided his usual fare of spicy and regular hot dogs, the cards were examined and not surprisingly Bob Benda was once again on top trailed by Sus Ige. The remainder of the field fell short of these two but a good day was had by all.
Hopefully something can be done to curtail the on course watering. In a few days Mother Nature will provide her own watering but I suspect the computer watering will continue.

The scribe puts on a short game master class

PSC golf from P J Pool Bar

Neil Duncan
Green Valley - Tuesday 17th February - White tees – Stableford
A full compliment of twenty eight turned out to take on Green Valley which was in its usual excellent condition. We were round the course in good time and after being suitably fed and watered by the vivacious bar staff in the clubhouse the purse was distributed by Good Ol’ David.
In the A Flight Ian Wheeldon came in first with 34 points on count back over David Gardner. Mike Jackson was some way behind in third place on 29 points.
B Flights honours went to Colin Cronin with an even par 36 points, Rich Murphy was second on 32 but only on count back over Willy Nachbur on the same score.
The C Flight didn’t do quite so well with the winning score being the modest 30 points recorded by Keith Hodges. Steve Black was the runner up on 28 points after winning the count back decision over Jimmy Fortune.
Peter Whitehead, Jimmy Fortune, Rusty Archibald and John Robertson had the near pin dividends whilst Colin Cronin sunk the longest first putt on the 18th green. The overall average score for the day was 26.3 points.
The not-for-profit foundation of the group seems to attract new players, which is not surprising considering the shenanigans that are currently reverberating about elsewhere within Pattaya’s ex-pat OAP golfing fraternity as told to us by Aka O’Reilly.
Thursday, February 19,
The Emerald (White tees) - Stableford
Suitably refreshed by the recent rains, the Emerald was selected to test the group’s short game abilities again.
Roger Kidd won the lower handicap division with 31 points followed by El Paco with 30 points plus a gratuitous moony, with Ian Wheeldon and David Gardner taking third and fourth places with a (for them that is) a thoroughly wretched 29 points each, which at 10 points more than scribe’s effort makes my score indescribably useless.
If anyone wants to wreck their pitching and putting game, come and have a lesson from me. Indeed according to several members of our group even watching me chipping and putting is a totally unnerving experience which I cannot disagree with as after all, it is my nerves that start jingling, jangling twitching and jerking whenever I get near a green.
Bev Ewens had the best stableford score for the day, romping home first in the higher handicap division with 32 points followed by Dough Carysforth 31 points, Willy Nachbur 30 points and Peter Fitton 29 points.
Near pins bonuses in course order were won by Frank Fawley, Peter Fitton, Norman Jones (big cheer!) and Roger Kidd who rounded out a good day at the office by also sinking the longest first putt on the 18th green. The average score dragged down by that posted by yours truly was just 25.9 points.
Note: Any golfers seeking to play with our group that wish to know about the format please visit P J Pool Bar & Restaurant on Soi Watboonsamphan (Soi Kanoi) or phone Neil on 089 511 0575.

Kubicki has a week to remember

Blackwell shoots 3-under for A Flight win

PSC golf from the Beaver Bar and Grill

Thirty five golfers arrived at the Emerald Golf Club on February 21 to contend for the day’s prizes and bragging rights later at the Beaver Bar in Ban Chang. The day started with some rain showers which ceased prior to teeing off and left the golf course hot and muggy. The course itself was in good condition and the current works around the water hazards will certainly improve the appearance.
The players were divided into two flights and Eddie Blackwell took the honors in the ‘A’ Flight with 39 points. Tony Oakes followed with 36 points and won the count back against Ron. Eldridge.
‘Coach’ Suggs was first in the ‘B’ Flight with 34 points winning on count back against Geoff Moodie who was forced into second. Knut Tuvstein followed in third place with 33 points.
With the pin placed at the top right of the #9 green, no one sank their first putt so that prize was saved for another day. Doug Lynch took the prize for nearest to the pin on #15.
Most of the golfers returned to the Beaver Bar and Grill to enjoy the good food / cold drinks motto in Ban Chang.

Perry cans an ‘Ace’ at Crystal Bay

PSC golf from Tropical Bert’s

Derek Brook
Tuesday, February 17, Crystal Bay – Stableford
Tuesday morning at Bert’s is always a bit special, with the smell of hot coffee and of his fine breakfasts, it is just like a home from home. On this morning the turnout was quite light, only six full groups, so breakfast over we were soon able to jump into the cars and reach Sukhumwit for the travel to Crystal Bay. The road down there (or up?) is now much better and only the bottleneck of Sri Racha slows down the trip.

Bert (left) helps Perry celebrate his first ever ‘hole in one.’’

This course was my favourite for many years, and of late has not been played as often due to many reasons however, with the new improved green fee rate the players of PSC have started to visit it again. I had heard various reports of its condition so thought this was an ideal opportunity to find out for myself.
Arriving at the course we were soon through the booking-in procedure and into the changing room. Walking through the clubhouse, while not up to it’s high standard of many years ago, it still appeared tidy, as did the changing room and we had hot water. It was obvious that no large amount of money had been spent for some years, but it still looked ‘cosy’ to me.
Out to the course and it was immediately apparent that it was not what it had once been. However, as we went around it was also seen it was better than most and was a good day out and well worth the fine deal worked out by the PSC Golf Chairman. Talking of Perry, as we neared the end he came across to tell us he had just had a ‘hole in one’, his first ever, so well done Perry. He also got 5 points in the competition and a near pin. Still the cry went up as whoever gets a ‘hole in one’ gets the drinks in. It is not all bad in this game.
Back to the competition and we played the A & B Nines and as said they were not bad, but the greens were slow. All in all most of the players had a fine day out.
Back at Bert’s the results were announced: The winner of the A Flight (0 to 15) was Steve Hamstad with 37 points. We then had a 4-way count back on 36 points that saw Richard Kubicki in second, Perry McNeely in third and Scott Dobbins and Mashi Kenata just losing out.
In the B Flight, Frank Pilkington won with 38 points ahead of Carole Kubicki in second with 34 points and Charlie Sykes in third with 33 points on count back over Gordon Clegg.
One of the highlights of the night, without doubt, was Bert’s ‘golfers special’ of fish & chips, which went down a treat with Perry’s drink. T.T.F.N.
Near Pins: Kevin Dunne, Perry McNeely (including a ‘hole in one’), Mashi Kenata
Long Putt: Alex Kazazis, Gordon Clegg.

Bunker claim victory over German Swiss

The 2009 MBMG Matchplay League

Wednesday, February 18, Green Valley - German Swiss Golf Club 4 v 6 The Bunker
Three of the first four matches went comfortably to The Bunker although John MacDonald made every effort to make a game of his match after being 7 up after nine, then allowing Mo Sadiq to get back in, to only win 4 and 2. PJ Redmond’s putter was cold all day going down to Werner Reinhard and Ralf Neumann played well to record another win for the home side despite stiff resistance from Colin Greig.
William Macey returned to lead the Bunker’s matchplay team and recorded a comfortable win over Thomas Kassemeier, contributing to the Bunker’s win overall.
Individual Results (German Swiss first): Harry Schuster lost 7 & 6 v Jack Robertson; Werner Reinhart won 5 & 4 v P J Redmond; Bernhard Archer lost 7 & 5 v Tony Robbins; Mo Sadiq lost 4 & 3 v John MacDonald; Ralf Neumann won 3 & 1 v Colin Greig; Thomas Kassemeier lost 4 & 2 v William Macey; Werner Eikmeier won 3 & 2 v Allan Sullivan; Uwe Wegner halved with v Gerry Cooney; Zion Asaban halved with v Mashi Kaneta; Bernhard Maidi lost 5 & 3 v John Hughes.

Brian & Bob fire 40-pointers at shortened Laem Chabang

PSC golf from The Outback Golf Bar

Joey’s column
Monday, February 16, Burapha - Stableford
A relatively small field of 31 Outbackers played on the C & D nines, unusually now, everybody going off the white tees. It was a much better pace today, after the torturous time last Monday, most guys completing in around four hours.

A high scoring 40 points each from Brian Maddox (left) & Capt’ Bob (right) at Laem Chabang.

Ian Heddle found his way to the top of Div A, playing his last game before flying back to Brazil to work, scoring an excellent 38 stableford points (gross 74); from Steve Plant in second with 35.
Rosco won Div B in similar circumstances with the same score (38pts), as he flies off to Perth, but not to work, but to watch the Johnnie Walker golf; can’t be bad! Bruce Milner took second with on 36, just ahead of Colin Oliver (35) & Pottsy & Bob Lindborg both on 33.
There were two more good scores in Div C, Roger Newton getting the better on count back of David Davies on 37 points each; five clear of the rest of the pack.
There were six ‘2’s coming from Andy Baber, Ian Heddle, Joe Mooneyham, Bob Lindborg and Chris Davisson had two.
Div A (0-13)
1st Ian Heddle (4) 38pts
2nd Steve Plant (13) 37pts
3rd Chris Davisson (11) 35pts
Div B (14-18)
1st Rosco Langoulant (15) 38pts
2nd Bruce Milner (14) 36pts
3rd Colin Oliver (16) 35pts
Div C (19+)
1st Roger Newton (22) 37pts
2nd David Davies (25) 37pts
3rd Tony Hill (24) 32pts
Tuesday, February 17, Pattaya C.C. - Stableford
There were 18 Outbackers who made the short journey to Pattaya Country Club for the regular Tuesday competition, including two Australians joining us for their last full day in Pattaya before going home to ‘work’! Come back soon Colin and Kev.
The course was not busy so all groups were away on time or earlier and back in the Clubhouse in 4 hours or less and is was pleasing to see evidence as we went round that the management had started some much needed work around the course, particularly the bunkers and tee boxes.
One three-ball had some problems all of their own – organizer our ‘Chad’ had a groin strain as he hit his tee shot on the 7th and played the remainder of the round keeping legs together! Geoff Moodie’s right shoe came apart and he played 9 holes with one shoe. Nigel also had a shoe problem – lost a heel on the 10th then the sole of the other shoe on the 12th!!
It was almost a repeat of last weeks results with Suzi Lawton winning ‘B’ Flight and husband John coming third with our ‘Chad’ in the middle.
It was one our departing Australians Colin who was top of ‘A’ Flight with regular Pattaya ‘man-about town’, Alan Pearce just a point behind.
There were three ‘2’s, Kev Waycott had two and Suzi; who after a few words from ‘the old man’ rang the bell for those still there – thanks Suzi.
Div A (0-19)
1st Colin Oliver (16) 37pts
2nd Alan Pearce (17) 36pts
3rd Jan Slotten (14) 33pts
Div B (20+)
1st Suzi Lawton (20) 36pts
2nd Barry Chadbourn (21) 34pts
3rd John Lawton (21) 33pts
Wednesday, February 18, The Emerald -Stableford
It was fitting that the 35 Outbackers who signed up to play today at The Emerald included a party of Pat Regan’s friends who hail from ‘The Emerald Isle’. It was also ‘Two Captains Day’ as our own ‘Capt Bob’ was joined by ‘Capt Eddie’ aka Eddie Beilby – Captain of Lewiinski’s.
Most found their way early and had time for a coffee or beer and some banter before we were off – on time.
The course had benefited from some early rain and as usual played true. It certainly did for the ever smiling ‘Jocchi’ or more formally, Joachim Oestreicher who led the entire field with 41 points –and winning ‘C’ Flight by 6, from Jim Brown, and earned himself an immediate handicap cut of 2 shots under the PSC adjustment rules that most PSC bars subscribe to.
It was pleasing to see two of our new Irish friends in the winner’s enclosure.
In ‘A’ Flight Jim Brackett came in with a excellent 38 points off his 6 handicap – 4 points clear of Tony Gleeson. ‘B’ Flight was a little closer with Michael Whelan edging out fellow Irishman by just a point.
There were just two ‘2’s by Michael Whelan and Cavin
Div A (0-13)
1st James Brackett (6) 38pts
2nd Tony Gleeson (7) 34pts
3rd Bob Philp (8) 33pts
4th Joe Mooneyham (11) 30pts
Div B (14-17)
1st Michael Whelan (14) 35pts
2nd John O’Leary (17) 34pts
3rd Bruce Milner (14) 28pts
4th Bob Lindborg (16) 28pts
Div C (18+)
1st Joachim Oestreicher (24) 41pts
2nd Jim Brown (22) 35pts
3rd Nigel Cannon (24) 34pts
4th Henry O’Brien (20) 31pts
Thursday, February 19, Green Valley - Stableford
In an intense 3 or 4 days of golf, Angus Neilson & John Goddard play every year for their very own trophy, which although does involve an undisclosed wager, is much more about bragging rights. Battle commenced today at Green Valley and continues tomorrow (Fri) with 36 holes at Laem Chabang, probably from the tips; but although they finished all square in their trophy hunt, John edged out Angus on count back to win Div A, both on a very average 32 points. One point back was regular Outbacker, Bob Pearce with 31.
The fact that there were no ‘2’s, thus swelling the prize fund, enabled the 15 Outbackers to be split into two divisions and it is pleasing to report that Div B fared considerably better than Div A, being won by Harry Cowling with an excellent 37 points from the day’s Capt’, Barry Chadbourn, on 34.
Div A (0-19)
1st John Goddard (7) 32pts
2nd Angus Neilson (7) 32pts
3rd Bob Pearce (12) 31pts
Div B (20+)
1st Harry Cowling (20) 37pts
2nd Barry Chadbourn (21) 34pts
3rd Bill Davis (21) 33pts
Friday, February 20, Laem Chabang - Stableford
Thirty-two Outbackers came to Laem Chabang today to play the Mountain & Lake nines of this internationally renowned Nicklaus course. There was a brief interruption for rain as a storm rumbled through, which continued to be heard for most of the afternoon but it didn’t unduly dampen the delights of playing here.
It is a very special course and it was in very good nick but why does the management always play around with the tee markers making it virtually impossible to get a decently rated layout? The course was ridiculously short with the white tee markers being on the ladies tees on more than one occasion resulting in one hole, a par five, being only 424 yards.
The result was clear, much higher than average scores across the board with Brian Maddox & Capt’ Bob both hitting the magic 40 points to win their respective divisions. Joe Mooneyham missed his prediction of 38 points by one, scoring 37 to take second, with Ken Bailey just edging out Jack, first game for 10 days, both on 36.
There were five ‘2’s coming from Capt’ Bob, Pierre Bietry, Andre Fortis & Eddie Smith had two.
Div A (0-13)
1st Bob Philp (8) 40pts
2nd Joe Mooneyham (11) 37pts
3rd Ken Bailey (12) 36pts
Div B (14-17)
1st Pierre Bietry (14) 36pts
2nd Kevin Moraghan (15) 35pts
3rd Jan Van Spellen (16) 33pts
Div C (18+)
1st Brian Maddox (22) 40pts
2nd Raleigh Gosney (20) 39pts
3rd Chris Dopp (19) 36pts
Friday, February 20, Plutaluang - Stableford
South & East were the designated nines for the 14 Outbackers who came here today, but some of them probably wish they hadn’t bothered. Reports of a five and a half hour round deter many from playing and indeed the three NRs showing at the bottom of the result sheet reflect that it was just too much for some to bear.
Quite the opposite for Capt’ Chad, who normally can’t stand slow play, but driven by the desire of two more ladder points, he must have thought he’d done enough to win the day, with his 38 points. However, Harvey Samuel had other ideas, firing an excellent 43 points to win by five; a score that would normally earn him an instant handicap reduction but he is saved by the fact that tomorrow, Saturday (21st Feb) is new handicap day; and the computer will now decide.
Just to round off the day, Harvey also got the only ‘2’ - Well played Harvey!
1st Harvey Samuel (16) 43pts
2nd Barry Chadbourn (21) 38pts
3rd Ted Gardner (11) 34pts
4th Alan Bishop (17) 32pts
5th Peter Gibson (25) 32pts
That’s all for now, if you have any thoughts, scandalous stories or suggestions, why not drop me a line at [email protected].
The Outback Golf Bar is situated about 6km from Sukhumvit Road along Soi Siam Country. All are welcome to come and join us for a beer and a hit. Just call in and put your name down on the list or give Bob a call on 087 941 2474. More information can be found on our website www. outbackgolfbar.com.

Pattaya United finish third at this year Queen’s Cup

Pattaya United line up before the Queen’s Cup
semi-final against BEC Tero Sasana.

PM Reporters
Pattaya United went out of the Queens Cup last week after running into a strong BEC Tero Sasana team at the semi-final stage - United ending up on the wrong end of a 3-0 scoreline.

The team’s official merchandise can now be purchased at the club shop on Pattaya 3rd Road.
The match, played at the Sirindhorn Stadium Assumption College ground in Sriracha last Wednesday was a good tester for the Pattaya outfit on the eve of the new Thai Premier League. United were short of two of there most influential players in this match, Kignelman Aothanese from the Ivory Coast and Paulo Roberto from Brazil both missed the game due to injury.
In the other semi-final, Chonburi FC and Hallelujah FC played out a closely contested match with the Korean team eventually going through to the final on a 6-5 penalty shoot out after a 1-1 draw during normal time.
The final was played on Sunday evening with Hallelujah beating BEC Tero by a goal to nil and thus lifting the Queen’s Cup trophy.
The Thailand Premier League will kick off next weekend with Pattaya United’s first match being a home game against Sriracha FC on Sunday, March 8 at the Nongprue Municipality Stadium. Kick off is at 18.00 hrs.
Pattaya United T-shirts are now on sale at the Official Pattaya United Shop on Pattaya 3rd Road near Central Pattaya (old office of Mayor Itthipol). Open everyday 9.00-18.00. Tel: 038 425 077, 038 414 453 or check out the official website at www.pattayautd.com

Koh Sri Chang Annual Regatta delivers tans and smiles

Kipsan Beck
The annual weekend race to Koh Sri Chang saw more than 20 Ocean Marina yachts enjoying light winds and cloudless skies on the 20 nautical mile course from Jomtien to the island off Sri Racha, with an overnight party for all to enjoy.

A beautiful sunset on the outward leg to Koh Sri Chang
A light northerly on Saturday’s trip up made tactics critical early in the race. The scribe’s “Pornstar” and David Bell’s “Magic Roundabout” both hugged the shore, which paid off as they finished first and second respectively on handicap in IRC 1. “Pornstar” also pulled off the overall line honours win with Ray Waldren’s new larger Phuket 8 sportboat “Gulf Charters” managing 2nd on line and 3rd once handicaps were applied.
In the smaller IRC 2 division, Ian Day helmed the Simpson Marine Beneteau 750 to first, with “Fun Wes” finishing second, other boats were unable to finish their courses in the allotted time.
Sunday’s race back to the marina saw a wind shift to the south, meaning a sail into the prevailing breeze without being able to use the larger downwind spinnakers. Brad Kirk showed how quick Farr boats are upwind, earning first place on handicap on “Patience” and winning the weekend overall. In the smaller IRC 2 fleet, “Freewind” took the honours, helmed by George Foose. Bob Garner is the representative of Corsair, and led the fleet on “Bladerunner” back to Jomtien, winning the multihull division.
Next racing for Ocean Marina will be The Platu Open Championship held March 14-15, 2009 which is part of a 4 leg championship held in the one design 25 foot Platu class. 2008 winners The Lofts Southshore will defend their trophy against sailors from around the region, while keelers and multis will race around the islands.
OMYC Sailing is a non profit organization formed to promote keelboat sailing at Ocean Marina, Jomtien. Racing is held usually on the 2nd weekend each month, and is supported through sponsorship from Raimon Land, Ocean Marina Yacht Club, Gulf Charters, Bluewave Water Sports and Simpson Marine. Beginners and experienced sailors are welcome to join racing, training and cruising, with places usually available. For further information contact Kipsan Beck, kipsanbeck@ hotmail.com

Close in sailing for one of the boats on the run for home.

Lamond lays it on

IPGC Pattaya Golf Society at Rabbi’s Elephant Bar

Bangpakong Riverside golf club is always a fine distraction from the other often played golf courses in the immediate area around Pattaya. Some golfers may claim the course is bland but they overlook the customer-orientated staff, the excellent manicuring, extensive bunkers and the copious amounts of water.
It was there that the Pattaya Golf society visited on Tuesday, February 17, to play a stableford competition in two flights with the split coming at seventeen and under.
Traditionally scores are good here and in the top flight Alan Bridges posted 35 points for third place, just one behind Bill Hewitt’s 36. The flight winner was Aussie Robert Lamond, his low handicap giving him 39 points from his best gross figures of 74. It was an excellent performance and once again shows that on a well prepared track Rob has few peers.
In the second flight Vic Barton and Tim Lazecki tied for third place with 36 points each whilst Sweden’s Larseric Meyner posted another good score, this time 38 points, for second. The best score of the day was recorded by flight winner Christine Pickering with her 40 point card.
Keith Hector, Alan Bridges and Robert Lamond all notched up birdie ‘2’s to share the pot and Albert Craigie was left so speechless by the quality of the golf course and the paucity of his points tally that it took the Booby Bevy to restore his senses.
Bangpakong Riverside at the moment is a little gem of a golf club, especially with its current all-inclusive package.
Tim tops again
A crowded Green Valley found the time to welcome the IPGC Pattaya Golf Society on Thursday, February 19, for a stableford competition and a large field turned out to take advantage of some unseasonal discounts at the popular course.
The large field was divided into two flights at thirteen and under and it was good to have the company of some old friends once again for the event.
In the top flight nothing could be tighter than the trio of winners, Rob Lamond, Harry Riley and, at last, Mikael Andersson, all producing excellent rounds of 37 points and leaving some very accomplished golfers in their wake.
The second flight saw Ronnie Ramsay in third place with a steady round of 36 points, one behind Larseric Meyner’s 37. The winner, with the day’s best points total was Canadian Tim Lazecki, his 41 points embarrassing the tough course, and he immediately volunteered a substantial handicap reduction as a result.
Rob Lamond headed the ‘2’s list with a birdie on the second and he was joined by Andy Robinson, Wilf Latham and Alan Maxwell on the twelfth, the latter having his first real taste of the limelight after a long time in the golfing wilderness.
Candidates for the Booby Bevy included Chris Voller who inadvertently booked a novice caddy and Evan Millar whose round folded dramatically yet again on the back nine after a sub-par start, but for Jim Ferris and Len Jones, the five hours they both spent redefining the term “golfing mediocrity” rewarded them with a couple of cool beers.
Full marks to Green Valley and to Tim Lazecki for his efforts and his golfing honesty as a result of a fine win.
Double for Wichai
The Pattaya Golf Society visited the popular course at The Emerald on Saturday, February 21, to play a stableford competition and found the empty course dry and patchy, even after the showers which have occurred this week. The small field found the greens a little difficult to come to terms with after the pace and consistency of Bangpakong and Green Valley and good scores were at a premium.
Chris Voller’s steady iron play rewarded him with 31 points for third place but he was competing against the current form of Thai golfer Wichai Tananusorn who once again posted the best Saturday score of 33 points. Jack Robertson’s game held up well and he managed to record the same score as Wichai for a deserved share of the win.
There were no birdie ‘2’s this weekend and Banjo Bannister’s decision to sport a new pair of golf shoes backfired as he claimed they affected his putting stroke because they were the wrong colour! For this he received the Booby Bevy, as well as Rabbi’s Sabbatical Slammer for an earlier indiscretion whilst having a post round massage at the Elephant Bar base.
Chris Voller “emceed” his new sweepstake in which Chief Frank Baker almost exactly estimated the number of lost balls in the round and the good humour and camaraderie over a couple of cool beers ended the Pattaya Golf Society’s week in fine style.

The Doc & the club champ shine

IPGC golf from The Haven

Monday, February 16, Mountain Shadow - 2 Person Scramble
1st Barry Winton & Stephen Beard (10) 49pts
2nd Mark Rossiter & Mike Quill (13) 46pts
3rd Moe Deverdenne & Malcolm Clare (14) 46pts
4th Jason Moylan & Luke Anderson (13) 45pts
5th Alan Hanlon & Mike Sanders (11) 43pts
6th Danny Miller & Yasuo Suzuki (9) 43pts
7th Rick Holmes & Trevor Schirmer (9) 43pts
A fine day with and a great challenge awaited the hopefuls from The Haven as they teed up off the blues to take on one of the most demanding of courses in the area, and with the green speeds getting somewhere back to the usual it needed some careful approaches and competent putting to put together a good score on the day.
The format was, as usual, with at least seven tee shots required from each team member and a handicap based on 40% of the combined playing handicaps of the players. The teams handicaps ranged between 9 at the lowest to 18 at the highest.
Barry Winton and Stephen Beard at last put together a winning game in pairs competitions, as they swept round in thirteen under, three under gross, to take the top spot by three clear. It should be mentioned that although Barry was a little off his game with the tee shots, Stephen more than made up for that shortcoming and with Barry finally getting one or two to find the green with his second shot, the score was built by some excellent ham and egg play.
Mark Rossiter and Mike Quill combined well in their first pairing to secure second place by virtue of a strong back nine that gleaned 26 against Moe Deverdenne’s and Malcolm Clare’s 23 after the latter had gone out in five under.
Jason Moylan and Luke Anderson took fourth place a further shot back as they were unable to keep up the pace over the closing holes.
Alan Hanlon and mike Sanders took fifth ahead of Danny Miller and Yasuo Suzuki with a better inward half of 22 against 21 with Rick Holmes and Trevor Schirmer back in seventh after a disappointing 20 coming home.
Due to the format of the day the 2’s pools were held over.
Wednesday, February 18, Khao Kheow - Stableford
Division 1
1st Barry Winton 40pts
2nd Masanori Takano 39pts
3rd Dave Stockman 35pts
4th Yasuo Suzuki 34pts
5th Mark Rossiter 34pts
Division 2
1st Ole Stamnes 40pts
2nd Serge Straeten 39pts
3rd Paul Taylor 36pts
4th John Murphy 35pts
5th Graham Moustaka 34pts
With storms rumbling all round the course, it was amazing that not a drop of rain fell, as seemingly all the other courses on the day received a double ration. For us though it stayed clear and added to the pleasure of playing a course that had just finished hosting the Thailand Junior ladies challenge and a section of the Ladies PGA qualifying the previous few days and was set up for a great round of golf.
With well over 50 players there were enough to make two divisions with the cut coming at 15 and below for the first division. This was lead in by Barry Winton, who was a completely different player from the previous outing as he stroked it round in level par off his 4 handicap to ensure top spot and a chance to go for three in the week.
Masanori Tanaka made it a happy first outing with The Haven as he took second with a very tidy three under handicap round. Dave Stockman also had a round under eighty with a one over 35 points that left Yasuo Suzuki in fourth ahead of Mark Rossiter by a count back of 12 on the back six to Marks 9 after they had both had 16 on the back nine.
Ole Stamnes at last put together a winning round after several months in the doldrums, with a very pleasing four under handicap to deny Serge Straeten, who surely must have thought his 39 points would be good enough for the second division. Paul Taylor had a solid round of level par to take third spot ahead of John Murphy in fourth and Graham Moustaka in fifth place.
The first division ‘2’s pool was shared between Dave Stockman, Yasuo Suzuki and Barry Winton with two, while having just gone up into the second division handicap range, Paul Taylor slipped in the only one in the second division to sweep the pool which included a roll over from the previous week.
Friday, February 20, The Emerald - Stableford
1st Frank Hughes 34pts
2nd Vance Millar 34pts
3rd Barry Winton 34pts
4th Alan Griffiths 32pts
5th Yasuo Suzuki 32pts
After two days of large fields earlier in the week, the trip to Emerald was attended by a considerable lower number, as players voted with their feet against what is now a very uncompetitive price for one of the lower grade courses in the area and for the first time in a while two divisions were not required.
The day was made even more difficult with the pin placings that in some case were as little as just two meters from the front edge or side of the green.
Frank Hughes took his first win for a little while with a solid two over but the round included a good back nine that ensured that he won the count back with 18 points.
Vance Millar was again in the frame with the same score but only 16 on the inward half and a better back six of 11 to edge Barry Winton into third place as he could only muster 10 over the same six. Alan Griffiths took fourth place with a better back nine of 15 to Yasuo Suzuki’s 14.
Unsurprisingly, with a small field and the pins placed in extremely difficult positions by a head green keeper who had obviously had a very bad day in the shed prior to placing them, there were no ‘2’s in either division.