Pattaya Sports Club Bunker Boys Golf
Monday, May 4th Pleasant Valley Stableford
1st Alan Sullivan (11) 36 points
2nd Peter Kelly (13) 36 points
3rd Donald McGuiggan (17) 35 points
Near pins Jimmy Carr, Tony Robbins, & Peter Kelly.
“It was the Best of Times, it was the Worst of Times,” thus wrote Charles Dickens in his novel “A Tale of Two Cities”. He could equally have been writing about the current pandemic we are enduring and it seems will for some time to come. If you were a purveyor of face masks, hand sanitizer, or infrared thermometers or a Grab food delivery driver, then it was a very good time, for the rest of us it was definitely the worst of times, nothing to do but hunker down, self-isolate, and try and get through it as best we could. There were also many who didn’t make it to the other side and we extend our sympathies to those left behind.
After a month-long hiatus golf returned this week with the Bunker Boys first game at Pleasant Valley where a very small group participated. It was Coronation Day holiday so green fees were up to holiday rates, in addition, the course decided to bung on a compulsory cart rule which meant most decided to give it a miss.
Despite the layoff, scores were decent with Alan Sullivan taking the honours with a solid thirty-six points. Peter Kelly also showed no ill effects from the layoff and took second also on thirty-six with Donald McGuiggan rounding out the scoring on thirty-five. Near pins went to Peter Kelly, Tony Robbins, and Jimmy Carr.
Wednesday, May 6th Pattaya Country Club Stableford
1st Michael Brett (15) 31 points
2nd Tony Robbins (19) 27 points
3rd Dave Ashman (21) 26 points
Near pins Michael Brett X 2
Yet another holiday today, the third in six days meant that once again we were hit with holiday rates. Fortunately, this time no compulsory cart. The lush, green, and well grassed course was in the best condition we have seen it probably ever. Last week’s rain on four days certainly made a huge difference. The day was oppressively hot and humid and with very little breeze to cool things down, so lots of water and shade were the order of the day.
Monday’s scores may have been a bit of a false dawn as all the rust was on display Wednesday with very poor scores returned. It was so bad for some that one of our members who shall remain nameless decided to retire after nine holes.
Wednesday’s winner was ok tee to green but the area of the game that counts most, chipping and putting were not there so a poor score of thirty-one was the result.
Tony Robbins took second on twenty-seven points and Dave Ashman came third a stroke adrift. Only two near pins were taken, both by Michael Brett.
Friday, May 8th Greenwood C & B Stableford
1st Michael Brett (15) 34 points
2nd Les Cobban (8) 32 points
3rd Jimmy Carr (17) 29 points
Near pins Michael Brett X 1.
Our first week back to golf ended with a round at Greenwood on a very hot steamy day. The course was in superb condition and obviously had been well maintained during the month-long closure. As with all courses now covid-19 policies were in place; i.e., a temperature check and recording of contact details and identification, as well as wearing of facemasks in the clubhouse and use of hand sanitiser prior to entry. This is a small price people willingly pay to get back playing again. Using PSC vouchers also made the cost very reasonable, so all in all a good day was had by everybody.
The rusty play of Wednesday carried over to Friday’s round, although there was a bit of an improvement from everybody. With a very shabby first nine and trailing at least three others by a margin, Michael Brett got it together on the back nine with twenty points to take first place.
Les Cobban, playing his first game in five weeks, took second with thirty-two points. The layoff didn’t help Les as he got lazy during the break and was the only one to take a cart. Third place went to Jimmy Carr who is gradually getting better each game and carded twenty-nine points.
It’s been a bad week for near pins and Friday only one was taken. It wasn’t a particularly good one either, being some distance from the pin. But it was the only one on four par threes to hit a green. We look for an all-round better performance next week now that we should have blown the cobwebs away.
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