IPGC Pattaya Golf Society from Rabbi’s Elephant Bar
The Pattaya Golf Society returned to normal after a hectic and thoroughly successful Annual Championship week with the relief of a stableford competition at the well presented course at Crystal Bay on Monday, 16th January.
Playing the A and B nines the large field was divided into two flights at seventeen and under and excellent progress was made on a full course thanks to the full cooperation of the staff and the golfers in the group.
The B flight saw the Rabbi overcome his recent “yips” with a battling 32 points for his biggest result yet, third on this occasion, a couple of points behind Denis Quinn who produced a steady round of 34 points. The flight winner was Mr Len, continuing his recent improvements with a return of 35 points. How he must rue that 3 putt-3 putt-4 putt run in the middle of the back nine!
In the top flight new PGS Net Champion, Dave Cadwallader showed his credentials yet again with 35 points for third place whilst the main joust of the day was the head-to-head of the two strongest players in the field, Rick Schramm and Wichai Tananusorn. The former was battling his way out of a bout of bronchitis and pushed Wichai all the way with a score of 37 points but the Thai golfer was a little too strong for the Canadian and took the win with two excellent birdies on the back nine.
Birdie ‘2’s were recorded by Mike Earley, Jack Behan, Ray Banks and Wichai with Helene Lindberg also striking a blow for the ladies with a fine effort into the wind on B4.
The Booby Bevy went to new member Stephen Rowley who managed to play a fourth shot from behind the ladies tee, having gone OB with his first and topped his next, leaving himself a shot of three hundred yards plus into the wind for par. Life gets tough for low handicappers when that happens. But it was all part of a very good day at Crystal Bay and the organisers are grateful the club could find room for three extra groups at very short notice. We’ll be back you bet!
Nice place – shame about the greens
The Pattaya Golf Society visited Eastern Star on Wednesday, 18th January to play a stableford competition with the large field divided into two flights at sixteen and under. Eastern Star was reasonably presented but the greens led one member to search for a thesaurus to find another way of saying “atrocious”. Not only were they slow and generally uncut but where efforts had been made to cut them the mower had left swathes of green and brown of uneven height. So the nightmare began.
In the second flight Don Nellis and new member Vincent Sammon managed to scrape 31 points together each for a share of second place whilst Larry Slattery took the flight with a very creditable 33 points.
In the top division Dave Moriarty played well recording 31 points for third, just one behind the second placed man Ray Banks, who was playing his penultimate round this trip. The winner was Tony Thorne and his 38 points were due in part to his knowledge of the course and some accurate shot making.
A birdie ‘2’ on hole six also helped and he was joined in a share of the ‘2’s pot by Pat Murphy and Booby Shirkey. The latter also received the Booby Bevy as the four points on hole three made up almost a quarter of his total for the day. One suspects it may be some time before the group will schedule a visit to Eastern Star again this high season. Sad, but…
Banks signs out with win
The Pattaya Golf Society ended the week in “cheap and cheerful” fashion with a trip to Century Chonburi on Friday, 20th January, to play a stableford competition on the course which is slowly shedding its dowdy image. Attempts have been made to water the fairways and tidy up the bunkers but the absence of rakes anywhere on the course is still noted.
The large field was divided into two flights at seventeen and under and a cloudy day made the golfers comfortable from the off.
In the second flight Dave Wilkinson and Booby Shirkey shared third place with 27 points each, a couple behind second placed Mr Len. The flight winner was Brian Shaw with 31 points on yet another of his flying visits from Australia.
In the top flight Steve Jones, Joe Niisato, Dave Cadwallader and Don Nellis all shared the third place pot with 29 points. Tony Thorne again played solid golf recording 32 points for second place whilst Ray Banks ended his trip in style with a win, recording 35 points.
There were no birdie ‘2’s and Swedish lady golfer Helene Lindberg volunteered to play off the white tees and promised herself a beer after she passed on five holes. “Murphy’s Law” kicked in and when she got to the sixteenth tee the hut was empty. What better consolation than the Booby Bevy.
Cheap and cheerful Chonburi may be, but it is well worth a visit during high season.
