Jomtien Golf with the IPGC
Monday, April 11, Crystal Bay – Stableford
This was our first visit here for a few months and the majority of the players were impressed with the overall condition of the course, with the greens not quite as fast and lethal as it’s neighbour Mountain Shadow but at this time of the year as everyone knows, anything could change overnight.
The equal cut in the divisions was 6-17 in division 1 and 18 plus in division 2.
Kari Kuparinen, playing off 6, recorded a gross 73 and won division 1 with 40 points. Chris Voller, also playing off 6, birdied the two par threes on the front nine C course and came in with a gross 35 that equated to 22 points but only took second overall with 36. In his last game before his return to the golf courses in Estonia, Raivo Velsberg was third with 35 points.
Marseille air traffic controller Yves Bosset and his wife Pranee have returned from France for their fifth year with the Jomtien Golf Society.
Lee Casey topped division 2 with 37 points, 23 on the front nine, and Willy Van Heetvelde was second with 36 while John Williams was third after beating Kari Aarnio and Yves Bosset on a 20/19/16 count-back after they all scored 35 points.
There was a rollover in the ‘2’s in division 2 and this was forwarded to Emerald the following week, while Chris Voller birdied the 4th and 7th and Kari Kuparinen the 4th as well to split the pot in division 1.
Friday, April 15, Eastern Star – Stableford
There were seven regular member cancellations throughout the week due to the Songkran festivities and four more overnight, and with two no-shows at Siam Cats (without any communication whatsoever) we were left fielding two ladies plus 30 guys in the men’s competition.
The cut today was 6-16 in division 1 and 17 plus in the second.
Most players found the greens very sluggish today and hard to comprehend but this could change next month when work commences to improve them all. The scores were reflected in this today with Paul Hartley recording the highest points of the day, winning division 2 with 33 points. Cully Monks was second one point behind and James Ferris took third on 31.
Mikael Andersson, back in the frame now after a short relapse, won division 1 with 32 points, Alan Pilkington was second with 31 and the new boy Geoff Dickinson, playing off 12, scored 20 points on the back nine to beat John Lay and Brad Dippie on a back nine count-back for third after they all came in with 30 points.
Cully’s other half, Josie, won the ladies comp with 25 points and it’s a few more in the purse before their trip to their home in the land of the leprechauns.
After a birdie on the 6th last week, Harry Riley repeated this on the 3rd today to record the only ‘2’ in the second division yet again, and there were rollovers ensuing to Eastern Star next Friday in division 1.
Near pins went to Geoff Dickinson, Michael Dige (2), Brad Dippie, Lee Casy (2), Cully Monks and Harry Riley.
