PATTAYA, Thailand – Saturday 26 Oct saw a repeat of last year’s highly successful fund-raising day at the Kwan 9-hole course. The event had been organised by Trevor Moolman and Reds Liddel, with on-course assistance from Clive Rogerson, and John T and other support in the form of raffle prizes provided by the players and donors. The top prize was a weekend in a bungalow at the Serenity Hotel, Koh Chang, donated by Gavin Perfect and won by Abhay of the Lucy Lions (Leo has been having some gender issues).
There had been a huge amount of rain in the last few weeks and the course was very damp and soft underfoot. The greens were indeed very green but also very slow and some were even visited by the local Asian Water Monitor. 36 players were organized into 4-ball matches with two rounds on the 9-hole course with nearest the pin competitions at the 5th, 7th and 9th holes. Unfortunately, the Challenge the Pro Competition had to be cancelled as the Pro was unable to attend.
The event started 1030 with a putt-off on the 9th hole which was won by Suzanne Beals from the A4 team and she was presented with a bottle of Scottish gigglywater for her efforts. Thereafter, the players shot-gunned to their starting tees and began to tackle the notoriously difficult course, aided by several beers and shots at the 5th and 7th holes. Most of the pins are 80 to 200 yards in length, but it was narrow with plenty of trees and grass filled bunkers, so players had to be on their metal. There were refreshments available at the 5th and 7th holes to ensure proper hydration of the players. The weather cleared by mid-morning and the temperature/humidity rose significantly with the back 9 taking its toll on the larger mammals.
After the two rounds there was lunch in the form of an excellent chicken curry & rice at the clubhouse, a prize giving, a raffle and a vote of thanks for the assistance provided by Kwan Golf and the organisers. The prize that was awarded first was the Bradman Award for the worst score which went to Pete Gangur, Andre Human (retired early due to a tummy problem) Salman Rahman and Richard. Last year’s winners, The Chairman’s 4, namely Simon Philbrook, Gavin Perfect, John and Bob were still in good form and victorious for the second time. They finished 10 under with 2 eagles and 6 birdies. The runners up, also with 10 under, but only 1 eagle and 8 birdies, were Jainish Parikah, Bryan, Abhay and Dexter of the Lucy Lions. Nearest the pin awards went to Reds Liddell of OGG (Original Golf Guys) on the 5th, Andy Emery of Animal Magic on the 7th which had a 4-person playoff and Richard on the 9th.
It was decided to forgo the fines session as last year there were some gyroscopic repercussions which led to the loss of bodily hydraulic fluid and a few stitches. It was a great day of golf and the generosity of the attendees provided much needed financial assistance to the Pattaya CC. The work done by the organisers, the helpers and the staff at Kwan was very much appreciated. Rest assured, everyone is looking forward to the next event.
