IPGC Pattaya Golf Society at the Elephant Bar
Plutaluang – A great day’s golf
1st David Thomas (9) 38pts
2nd Garry Olliffe (12) 36pts
T3rd Akifumi Tate (15) 35pts
T3rd Toby Glass (23) 35pts
The Pattaya Golf Society travelled south on Monday 11 August, making its second visit to the Navy Course in the space of five weeks. As was the case previously, we were allocated the East and South nines, the conditions of which were much improved. The fairways offered both run and good lies, the bunkers were well-presented, and the greens, particularly, were far better, offering good, consistent putting surfaces.
Wednesday joint runners-up Toby Glass (left) and Tom Murphy flank winner Wichai Tananusorn.
The four groups enjoyed superb weather, hot but not excessively humid. The starter got us off on time on a course surprisingly uncrowded given the day was a public holiday. We were also grateful and impressed with the green-fee-caddie-fee cost of 950B – great VFM, but on a public holiday, especially so.
Many noted at our last visit that the attitude of the women caddies had been poor. The opposite summed up our experience on this occasion. Their willingness to make the day’s experience a pleasant one was clearly evident, and much appreciated.
Scoring was close, with just three stableford points separating the top four and David Thomas getting the win with a two point margin over Garry Olliffe.
There were two ‘2’s coming from the same two players; Garry Olliffe on S4 and David Thomas on the “drop-down” E5.
Back at the Elephant Bar, the presentation welcomed back the returning Garry Olliffe from NSW, and Jeff Hunt from Northern Territory, Australia. Welcomed for the first time was guest Steve Banbury, from Arizona, USA. Also today saw the last round from David Wang this trip. He received the day’s booby bevy to help him on his way home, to Shanghai, China.
Post presentation the group tucked into its meal – complimentary to all golfers post their round – and reflected on a wonderful public holiday spent on a lovely golf course: thank you Plutaluang.
Burapha
on Sports Day
1st Wichai Tananusorn (7) 36pts
T2nd Toby Glass (23) 33pts
T2nd Tom Murphy (18) 33pts
Wednesday 13 August saw the Pattaya Golf Society make the short trip to Burapha and take advantage of the sports-day green-fee price of 700B.
Our four groups were allocated the C and D nines for our stableford competition. Even allowing that the A and B nines were hosting a Thai tournament, the course still appeared far from busy. Burapha can do that – host a large number yet still function as if only half full. Our first three-ball got away on time and proceeded without being held up, until the last two holes where a small bottleneck occurred at the par-three D8 – our 17th.
The course has suffered through a marked lack of rain recently. Notwithstanding, the fairways offered good lies and the greens were evenly paced. On many holes the rough has been allowed to grow such that any errant shot runs the distinct risk of being lost – a tough penalty for a shot only marginally off-line.
Even though many scores were recorded in the low thirties, there was enough of a wind to suggest such scores would be competitive. And that indeed proved to be the case, as both Toby Glass and Tom Murphy, who both managed 33 stableford points, shared second place. The winner, Wichai Tananusorn, was a clear three shots ahead with a commendable net-par round giving him 36 points.
Wichai also achieved to only ‘2’ of the day; at the tricky D8 – tricky because it was playing into a stiff breeze at the time.
Back at the Elephant Bar the presentation welcomed back Michael Sim, from Bangkok, and bar co-owner, Peter Reidy playing just his second round with the PGS. American Joe Miller was awarded the sponsors free beer, whilst Aussie Jeff Hunt’s efforts to pick up the booby bevvy, by allowing himself to be floored by a wayward duck-hook, from Peter Reidy, were also recognised.
Crystal Bay –
A bad joke
1st Jesper Hansen (16) 37pts
2nd Larry Slattery (18) 34pts
3rd Tom Murphy (18) 33pts
T4th David Thomas (9) 31pts
T4th Dave Allison (12) 31pts
T4th Garry Olliffe (12) 31pts
The Pattaya Golf Society took five groups to Crystal Bay on Friday 15 August, to play a stableford competition, and after being allocated the A and C nines, the first group got underway on time.
The PGS played here recently, on 21 July, and reported our dissatisfaction with the standard of greens, back then. We thought that they may be improving, however, so made the decision to return. It would be a decision we would come to regret.
The fairways are reasonable, and the general layout is good. The bunkers, however, are often cut with a small vertical face around the edges, meaning the ball, when landing, will often stop against a four-inch face leaving the golfer with no shot. Apart from links-type pot-bunkers, nearly every other green-side bunker is presented such that the ball will roll back away from the edge, leaving some sort of shot to the green. Not at Crystal bay, where the use of vertical-face finishing on many bunkers defies common standards of bunker presentation. But it is on the putting surfaces where most golfers will experience significant frustration.
For some time now, Crystal Bay has had trouble with their greens. Greens have as much as four different grass-types, resulting in different green-speeds depending upon which type of grass the ball passes over on its way to the cup. In some cases there appears no grass at all, but here the slightest imperfection will see the ball deviate sharply off line. The result is three-putts become the norm.
There were two ‘2’s recorded today, but interestingly both were achieved from off the green, at C7.
It was not surprising that on a course where historically scores in the high 30s and low 40s have been needed to win, today a score in the low 30s made the podium. Dane, Jesper Hansen’s effort of breaking net-par was, under the circumstances, a superb round of golf and deserving of first place.
Back at the Elephant Bar we said farewell to Irishman Larry Slattery and Aussies Tom and Dianne Murphy.
A good day marred by sub-standard greens. We will not be returning any time soon.
