IPGC Golf from The Haven
Monday, May 25, Bangpra – Stableford
CSS 73
1st Shane Heavey (19) 35pts
2nd Markku Tynell (24) 34pts
3rd Hal Hart (20) 32pts
4th John Wood (24) 30pts
5th Vincent Gras (19) 29pts
6th John Carlin (20) 29pts
Bangpra is always in very good condition but due to the double tee times during the high season it is not until after April that the group gets to play it – but when they do it is always a well attended event.
Markku Tynell & Rod Crosswell.
For a change the course did not quite get the better of the field as the CSS for the day only went out to 73 after just one counting contender made the standard of two over handicap.
Shane Heavey appears determined to play every day during this visit and the practice seems to be bearing fruit, as he won his first comp since January 2013, but he needed to finish strongly to do it, scoring 20 points on the back nine after a slow opening half.
Markku Tynell was right in there contending until the last few holes when Shane’s strong finish really counted, so he had to settle for a very close second place.
Hal Hart also started very well but faded badly over the closing holes, managing to squeeze just two points from the last four holes for third place.
John Wood took a lonely fourth spot one ahead of a count back for fifth between Vincent Gras, who won with a better 14 to 13, and John Carlin in sixth, even though John had a four-pointer for a rare 2 on the difficult par three 17th.
There were no 2’s in the first division but John Carlin jabbed in the sole one in the second division, on perhaps one of the toughest holes on the course, to sweep the rollover pot clean.
Wednesday, May 25, Treasure Hill – Stableford
Yellow tees
CSS 75 NC
1st David Ross (9) 31pts
2nd Don Everett (20) 30pts
3rd Rod Crosswell (15) 29pts
4th John Wood (24) 28pts
What is arguably the toughest competition course that the group play turned into a monster on a day when the heat was at its most oppressive. Add to this there was also some wind to contend with, which strangely always seemed to be against on every hole where it mattered.
The difficulty of the course and conditions were underlined by the CSS for the day going out to 75 and it became non-counting for upward review of handicaps.
David Ross & Shane Heavey.
David Ross at last took a win out of The Haven, but it will not be one that he will rush home to regale his drinking buddies with at his local hostelry in Ipswich. For David it was a grind of a round from start to finish, but he had done enough over the opening half to ensure that elusive top step of the podium and was rewarded with a ringing round of applause from the massed throng at the prize presentations in recognition of the feat.
Don Everett almost caught the winner over the last two holes but had slipped in one or two too many zeros and ones to succeed and had to be content with a hard earned second place. Rod Crosswell came in third, making a strong late run with 18 points on the back nine. That left John Wood another point behind in fourth place as he struggled on both the front and the back nines.
Unsurprisingly there were no 2’s in either of the divisions and in fact just five ‘3’s between all of the players on the day.
Friday, May 29, Pattaya C.C. – Monthly Medals
CSS 71
Division 1 (0-15)
1st Rod Crosswell (15) net 79
2nd David Ross (9) net 83
Division 2 (16+)
1st Markku Tynell (24) net 66
2nd Don Everett (20) net 67
3rd Serge Straeten (16) net 73
After serious renovations to the back nine this course is still a long way from its best condition, although the sparkling new clubhouse and changing facilities make the day’s experience enjoyable when considering the green fee, which is currently amongst the most competitive available in the area at almost 50% less than other popular courses.
The conditions of the greens generally, and especially on the back nine, made scoring a lottery for the low handicappers in the first division and saw only two finishers for what is the group’s premier event on the month.
Rod Crosswell took his first monthly medal with a score that was by far the highest of this year’s series after he had struggled to get to terms with the course over the opening holes. Rod was six over par after three holes but managed to steady the round before crashing to another six over for the last three holes.
David Ross clawed his way round and managed to finish, which was a feat in itself, to take second place and earn a spot in the end of year gold and silvers, if he is back in sunny Thailand in December.
The second division contenders had a bit more of a chance as they could chip their way to nearer the pins and therefore scored much better than their usually more illustrious chums in the first division.
Markku Tynell won his first medal of the series with an excellent five-under handicap return ahead of Don Everett, whose score of four under would have been good enough the win in four of the previous five medals this year.
Serge Straeten won a count back for third over Vincent Gras, finishing with a better 35 to 35.5.
In line with the difficulty with which the course was playing on the greens there were no 2’s in either of the divisions.
Note: If you would like to play with The Haven group, you can contact 038 710 988 or call in to The Haven Hotel, 185 Soi 13, situated between Beach Road and 2nd Road. All transportation to the course is arranged and you do not need to sign up prior to the day, but you should be there by 8.15 on a Monday, Wednesday, and Friday on the days that you wish to play. If you would like to leave your golf clubs at The Haven, there are usually lockers available at a nominal charge. A schedule of courses to be played can be found on our web site at www.thehaven-hotel.com.
