PSC golf from The Outback Golf Bar
Monday, Oct. 14, Burapha – Stableford
21 golfers today at Burapha today and not a bad turnout as many of the Outback regulars and tourists were in Chang Mai for their annual October trip.
There were two flights today and the B flight did much better than the A flight, either as there was not much roll for the long hitters or they found too much of the rough.
First in B Flight and winning on count back with 37 points was Mark Kembrey (Hcp 18) with Graham Gibson (Hcp 20) in second. Ivan Plunkett (Hcp 24) was third with 34pts.
Overall Chiang Mai tour winner Bruce Milner (center) with joint runners-up Jack Moseley (left) and Greg Hill (right).
A Flight was won by Steve Blazsanyik (Hcp 17) with 35pts, with second place going to John Stafford (Hcp 15) on c/b with 32pts from Ron Dickie.
There were three ‘2’s coming from Mark Kembrey hole D8, and John Stafford & John Scarlett, both on hole D2.
Friday, Oct. 18, Green Valley – Stableford
A special welcome from the Outback goes out to John Scarlett and his group who played with us on Monday at Burapha and of the 18 who played today, his boys dominated the show as Graeme Gibson cleaned up with a resounding 40pts to win from Andy Hancock, one of three players all on 37pts including course specialist Paul Bourke and tour mate John Walsh.
There were three ‘2’s today; Paul Bourke (4th) and Jamie Ross & John Walsh (12th).
1st Graeme Gibson (20) 40pts
2nd Andy Hancock (19) 37pts
3rd Paul Bourke (9) 37pts
4th John Walsh (9) 37pts
Chiang Mai (Day 1), Monday, Oct. 14 – Maejo
The nineteen of the twenty players in Chiang Rai, who travelled here on Saturday, were joined by another fourteen here on Sunday, congregating as usual at the friendly Porn Ping bar for a few bevvies and to auction off the players, with Rosco and Wayne ending pretty much joint favourites for the 9th Chiang Mai Challenge.
Our first day marked the return to the much favoured Maejo course, where we hadn’t played since March 2011 when the management planned to replace all the grass on the greens. That seems to be just about complete and one or two of the greens have been re-shaped making them a little less sloped but generally they (the greens) are a lot faster and putt much truer. So, all in all a success for Maejo and for sure we will return here next year.
John Scarlett (far right) with the rest of the boys on the Outback’s Swilken Bridge.
Originally, the plan was to split the players into three divisions but because of the closeness of some of the handicaps, (e.g. four off 11, four off 12 and four off 13) it would have been a poor split, so it was changed to just two divs (0–15) and (16+), with five podium places in each.
Bruce Milner is a big fan of this course and it’s easy to see why as he cruised to the top score of the day (42pts) to win Div B by two from again the surprise name of Jack Moseley with 40 and Greg Hill back in third on 36.
Muzza headed Div A on 38pts from Bob Maloney and Steve Mann both on 36 and the ante-post favourites were nowhere to be seen.
Seven ‘2’s were recorded by; George Cousins (2nd), Al Bryce, Rod Crosswell, John Greenhalgh & Jack Moseley (7th) and Al Bryce & Tim Knight (14th).
Div A (0-15)
1st Murray Hart (13) 38pts
2nd Bob Maloney (12) 36pts
3rd Stephen Mann (11) 36pts
4th Erik Antonnen (12) 34pts
5th John Greenhalgh (13) 31pts
Div B (16+)
1st Bruce Milner (16) 42pts
2nd Jack Moseley (20) 40pts
3rd Greg Hill (20) 36pts
4th George Cousins (20) 34pts
5th John O’Connor (17) 33pts
Chiang Mai (Day 2), Tuesday, Oct. 15 – Alpine Resort
Another course that we haven’t played since March 2011, when you couldn’t see the fairways for the heavy smoke as a result of the rice field burning; which prompted the Outback to cease coming to Chiang Mai in March in favour instead of Hua Hin.
Upon our arrival at the clubhouse it was clear to see that the course was busy and we had nearly an hour to spare before our designated start time. Check in at the Pro-shop went quite smoothly but 700 baht for a single cart which has to be kept on the cart path is getting just a little bit steep, in my opinion. Coupled with the fact that the management is quite happy to shove about five 5-balls out in front of us, give this course a big thumbs down. The speed of play was abysmal and although the marshalls managed to speed up the play on the back nine, many of the Outback players already had had their rounds spoilt.
The fairways were fine but if you missed them you were in trouble; the rough was penal, so much so that missing a fairway by as little as two foot would make one’s ball difficult to find, let alone hit! The greens were quick enough and tricky to read and where one or two had been sanded, they were even quicker.
However, one man rose above all this, thoroughly thrashing the course of everything it could throw at him. Sel Wegner shot a faultless 41pts, six clear of the next best score and winning Div A by six from Al Bryce (35). Erik Antonnen was in third with 34pts, the same score being achieved by Steve Mann, who didn’t play his best and not trusting his driver, decided to leave it in his bag, preferring to hit a three wood off the tee.
B division went to John O’Connor, who beat his travelling companion and good friend, Tony Pieroni on c/b, both with 35 and playing partner, Greg Hill was in third place with 33. Jack, who was about to pack it in with only 9 points after 7 holes, hung in there somehow to finish on 31pts for fourth place, to beat Kim Stokes and Keith Miller also on c/b.
Six more ‘2’s were recorded today, bringing the total to 13; Al Bryce (8th), John Greenhalgh & Bob St. Aubin (12th) and Erik Antonnen, Sel Wegner & Suzi Lawton (15th).
Finally, we say goodbye to George Cousins and Steve Bowyer, who only joined for the first two rounds, leaving 31 to go through to the final day at Chiang Mai Highlands on Thursday.
Div A (0-15)
1st Sel Wegner (11) 41pts
2nd Al Bryce (9) 35pts
3rd Erik Antonnen (12) 34pts
4th Stephen Mann (11) 34pts
5th Murray Hart (13) 33pts
Div B (16+)
1st John O’Connor (17) 35pts
2nd Tony Pieroni (17) 35pts
3rd Greg Hill (20) 33pts
4th Jack Moseley (20) 31pts
5th Kim Stokes (16) 31pts
Chiang Mai (Day 3), Thursday, Oct. 17, Chiang Mai Highlands
Our last round of the 9th Chiang Mai Challenge was held, as it always is, at the wonderful Chiang Mai Highlands course, nestled in the hills about 45 minutes drive out of town.
Overnight, the fantastic weather we had enjoyed for the past eight days had deteriorated to light rain in the morning, nevertheless everybody was raring to go as we departed from the hotel at around 8.15am. By the time we reached the course, to be greeted by the now customary line of caddies, the rain had got quite a bit heavier, with low cloud shrouding the hills and we were kind of resigned that it (the rain) was not going to go away.
Going out in reverse order, the three-ball of Norm Cheetham, Johannes Murken and Ron Meldrum led the way, with the final group being Steve Mann, Bruce Milner, Jack Moseley and Murray Hart but the two-day total of the top nine players was only separated by three shots, so it was anybody’s to win on the day.
Carts were not allowed on the course, so the usual winter rules applied (lift, clean and place on the fairways) and apart from about an hour and half when it stopped altogether, the rain persisted, but the course and greens stood up well, remaining very playable.
Muzza (Murray Hart) started strongly, parring the first two holes to bag six points but B1 (Bruce Milner) made his intentions very clear after dropping a shot on the first by parring the next two, before finishing the front nine with 22pts. Muzza finished with only 15 on the front as a row of five bogeys and double bogeys ruined any chance he may have had.
Steve Mann was totally off his game and Jack couldn’t hole a putt all day. B1 continued to play well on the back to finish with 43 for the round and it was then only matter of what the preceding group had done.
Pat Quinlivan posted his best score of the tour (41pts) to win the A division by six from Sel Wegner, followed home Rod Crosswell and Bob Maloney both on 34, with the resurgent Muzza picking his game up on the back to finish in fifth place on the day with 33.
B1 of course won Div B with his 43pts, five clear of Greg Hill’s 38 who beat three players all tied on 36; B2 (Bruce McAdam), Kim Stokes and Jack.
The Champion and clear winner overall was Bruce Milner on 113pts, with Greg Hill and Jack Moseley tied for second place on 107pts, while fourth equal were Sel Wegner & Murray Hart (104pts).
Prizes were awarded down to tenth place and the auction/calcutta was a great success, especially for Rosco who again picked the winner.
Six more ‘2’s today bringing the total for Chiang Mai to 19; recorded by Bob Maloney & Stephen Mann (2nd), Rosco Langoulant & Norm Cheetham (7th), Bob Maloney & Wayne Waywood (14th).
Div A (0-15)
1st Pat Quinlivan (15) 41pts
2nd Sel Wegner (11) 35pts
3rd Rod Crosswell (13) 34pts
4th Bob Maloney (12) 34pts
5th Murray Hart (13) 33pts
Div B (16+)
1st Bruce Milner (16) 43pts
2nd Greg Hill (20) 38pts
3rd Bruce McAdam (27) 36pts
4th Kim Stokes (16) 36pts
5th Jack Moseley (20) 36pts
Overall Results
1st Bruce Milner 113pts
T2nd Greg Hill 107pts
T2nd Jack Moseley 107pts
T4th Sel Wegner 104pts
T4th Murray Hart 104pts
6th Tony Pieroni 100pts
T7th Kim Stokes 98pts
T7th Erik Antonnen 98pts
T7th Stephen Mann 98pts
10th Bob Maloney 96pts
Note: The Outback Golf Bar is situated about 6km from Sukhumvit Road along Soi Siam Country. Call Jack on 081 578 1956.
