Pattaya Sports Club Links Golf Society
Friday, April 30
Khao Kheow Golf Course A+C
S/ford
We now know that it was our last breakfast at Links Bar for, we don’t know how long.
Thirteen players out today, after a very late arrival asking to play. Ten of those players travelling in two buses were keeping social distancing.
We were allocated the A and C combination. The starter gave us the go ahead and our first three ball teed off 25 minutes early, and then had a clear run through the first nine holes.
At the half way, one player in the first group looked skywards and worried about the possibility of getting wet. We assured him that he would not.
That first group finished the round in three and a half hours and, as they walked from the last hole, a light drizzle started. The sky was growing darker and there was the sound of thunder and flashes of lightning.
As the next group finished that hole the drizzle became a bit more than that, and then became heavier again as the third group, having decided to keep going in the hope of beating the worst, putted out and headed for the clubhouse, wet but happy to complete the round.
The final group, a four ball, stayed in the shelter of a kiosk until things eased and, eventually, finished about an hour later.
The fairways, although in good condition, were soft underfoot following some heavy overnight rain, which meant carts on path only.
The greens, considering that rain, played truly and with pace. The last group found their final three greens quite a bit slower after the afternoon rain.
Playing to handicap under the conditions should be considered a good score and here we had four players scoring 36 points apiece, causing a few countbacks.
Thierry Petrement had an unimpressive 13 points on the first nine, but then the gears kicked in for 23 points inbound, and an easy countback for first place.
Martin Patch and Mike Tottenham are buddies, played in the same group, both 18 handicap and each scored 36 points, but Martin just snuck in to take second spot from Mike.
Newcomer, Nigel Henson, playing his first game with Links also played to handicap and lost all the countbacks to finish in fourth place.
Winners at Khao Kheow
1st Place – Thierry Petrement (12) – 36 pts c/back
2nd Place – Martin Patch (18) – 36 pts c/back
3rd Place – Mike Tottenham (18) – 36 pts c/back
4th Place – Nigel Henson (18) – 36 pts
Best Front Nine (non winners) – Dave Arataki – 19 pts x 3 way
Best Back Nine (non winners) – Michael Blumhagen – 18 pts c/back
With a lot of lightning in the vicinity, one golfer, for personal reasons, and rightly so, did not complete his round.
Khao Kheow has kept the special price of 1100 baht all-in for another month and presents great value for such a well presented course.
At the time of writing, with new restrictions coming into place, golf in Chonburi area is still up and running although one of those restrictions now is needing a permit to leave the province, so our scheduled game for Monday May 3 is in doubt. It’s just day by day.
