The Haven Golf Society
Monday, Sept. 4, Pattavia – Stableford
CSS 72
1st Andrew Purdie (6) 34pts
2nd Shuichi Kodaka (18) 33pts
3rd Mark Armstrong (25) 32pts
4th Murray Edwards (19) 32pts
5th Markku Tynell (22) 31pts
6th Peter Skinner (10) 30pts
A fairly tough week of golf when scoring was at a premium started out at Pattavia where the recent weather had prevented the groundskeepers from cutting the greens down to their usual length and thus making the day slightly easier in that part of the game. Unfortunately the weather had also prevented them from cutting the rough down to its normal length, hence the difficulties for the players that did not manage to keep the ball on the short parts from the tees.
Andrew Purdie made the most of his prodigious length off the tee so that when he was encumbered by the rough he was able to reach the greens with a lofted club and have some sort of chance of scoring. This ability enabled him to take his first win of a pair in the week by the slimmest of margins.
Shuichi Kodaka played very steadily to hold on to second place ahead of a count back for third and fourth, which Mark Armstrong won over Murray Edwards with a better 5 points to 4 from the last three holes.
Markku Tynell took fifth another shot behind them and one ahead of Peter Skinner in sixth.
There were no 2s in the first division but Mark Armstrong cleaned out the rollover pool in the second division when he stroked in a nice one on the 139 yard 13th.
Wednesday, Sept. 6, Bangpra – Stableford
CSS 74
1st Masanori Takano (7) 35pts
2nd Peter Skinner (10) 30pts
3rd Andrew Purdie (7) 27pts
4th Mike Dabanovich (11) 27pts
5th Allan Pilkington (7) 25pts
6th John Carlin (16) 25pts
An even harder day was awaiting at the always difficult Bangpra where the greens were also a lot slower than their normal speed but still a challenge from anywhere abreast or above the hole.
Masanori Takano returned to the group in great form and easily won the day, leading home a very good field by five clear strokes on a day that saw the CSS move out two to 74.
Peter Skinner was the best of the rest in second place with a three stroke margin between him and the count back for third and fourth, which Andrew Purdie won over Mike Dabanovich after carding a better 13 to 11 over the inward half.
There then followed another count back for fifth and sixth, which Allan Pilkington won by 14 to 13 to leave John Carlin the last step of the placements.
There were no ‘2’s in the second division but Masanori Takano added to his day’s haul and reputation as he slipped in a very good three-footer on the difficult 151-yard 8th with a very delicate touch from above the hole.
Friday, Sept. 8, Pattaya C.C. – Stableford
CSS 72
1st Andrew Purdie (6) 37pts
2nd Hal Hart (19) 36pts
3rd Markku Tynell (22) 32pts
4th Murray Edwards (19) 32pts
5th Chris Ross (21) 30pts
6th Mike Hill (21) 29pts
Pattaya Country Club continues to improve as the redesigned greens and changes to the course grow in and the scoring also continues to improve.
Andrew Purdie took his second win in 5 days after returning the best result for the week against handicap at one under. The course again proved to be longer than the length shown on the card with very little run on the fairways and a day that was heavy and hot.
Hal Hart had his best round for a few weeks at level handicap to take second place ahead of a count back between Markku Tynell and Murray Edwards, which the former won with a better 20 to 14 after Murray started to lose the will to live through the heat of the closing holes.
They were followed in by Chris Ross in fifth and Mike Hill in sixth as they were both making their returns to the group.
There were no 2s in the first division but Markku Tynell cleaned out the second division rollover pool with a cracker on the 177-yard 7th hole as he stroked one in from about twelve feet with the utmost ease.
