PSC Bunker Boys Golf
Monday, January 27 Pattavia, Blue Tees Stableford
1st Robby Watts (9) 36 points
2nd Geoff Cox (16) 36 points
3rd Patrick Kelly (2) 35 points
4th Gordon Melia (22) 33 points
5th Les Cobban (8) 33 points
Near pins Roland Davison X 4.
The Pattavia Course was extremely dry for Monday’s game and in desperate need of soaking rain. The fairways were brown and hard with a huge amount of run so anything even slightly off line ran off the fairways into the rough or worse, into the bushes. A strong blustery wind made conditions even more difficult, although many like the cooling effect it brought. Greens were very fast with several almost impossible pin placements, so many struggled with putting. Despite all that Pattavia remains a favorite course for many and overall scoring was good.
The ever consistent Robby Watts took first place on countback from Geoff Cox. Off a low handicap of two, Patrick Kelly had a solid round of thirty-five in third place. Gordon Melia, who particularly likes this course, took fourth on countback from Les Cobban.
In a very rare event, Roland Davison joined the “All Four” club by taking all the near pins, something for which there is no specific prize, just the honour of achieving a rare feat, well done Roland.
Wednesday, January 29 Pattaya Country Club, White Tees Stableford
1st Daryl Vernon (19) 42 points
2nd Patrick Kelly (2) 38 points
3rd Nigel Harrison (20) 35 points
Near pins Nigel Harrison, Stuart Tinkler, & Patrick Kelly X 2.
For some reason, Pattaya Country Club is not popular with many of the Bunker Boys so a smaller than expected group for Wednesday’s round. The course was in decent condition all things considered but a strong fluky wind proved a real challenge for several golfers, curiously more often than not it appeared to be blowing in our faces.
As we are becoming accustomed to, Daryl Vernon throws up a remarkable score at regular intervals and Wednesday he did it again with an astonishing forty-two points highlighted by a birdie on the index two seventeenth hole. We had several replays of that hole back at Woody’s, but as Daryl kept reminding us, there were seventeen other holes to replay.
Daryl’s score overshadowed what also an excellent round by Patrick Kelly shooting thirty-eight off a handicap of two. Once again, Patrick’s round included five birdies, something that happens on a regular basis. Nigel Harrison in his first game with us also had a very respectable round of thirty-five. Nigel also had his name on three near pin flags but only managed to keep one, the others going to Stuart Tinkler, and two to Patrick Kelly.
Friday, January 31 Royal Lakeside Blue Tees Stableford
1st Alan Sullivan (12) 36 points
2nd Craig Dows (7) 35 points
3rd Michael Brett (16) 35 points
4th Jimmy Carr (17) 34 points
5th Tony Plumer (17) 34 points
Near pins Les Cobban, Alan Sullivan, Nick Toon, & Michael Brett.
On Brexit Day the Bunker Boys made their way up Chonburi Highway for the last game of the month at the beautiful Royal Lakeside Course. As always the course was in excellent condition with only the odd brown patch here and there, mostly the fairways were lush and well grassed. The wind blew strongly at times as it usually does at this course being so close to the coast.
Just when we thought we were back to low season numbers we had an excellent turnout, just shows how a good course will get people back playing again.
Alan Sullivan took the honours with a solid round of thirty-six which was a good score off the blue tees in strong wind. Despite a horror day with the putter, Craig Dows did enough to take second place pushing Michael Brett into third on countback. Jimmy Carr showed a return to form with a score of thirty-four in fourth place edging out Tony Plumer on countback.
Near pins went to Les Cobban, Alan Sullivan, Nick Toon, & Michael Brett.
Shot of the day went to Eddie Kelly on the 11th where he hit his approach to the green across the water into the wall from where it bounced upwards and back onto the fairway.
The contest for golfer of the month took many twists and turns with Andy Gray setting a cracking pace but returning to the UK before completing enough rounds to be in the final mix. Tony Berry, Patrick Kelly, and Tony Robbins all looked threatening at different times but in the end, it came down to a shootout between Ken Elmore and Michael Brett. Ken looked like he was going to run away with it after two holes with six points, but a combination of some bad luck and indifferent course management decisions saw him wipe a couple of holes leaving the way open for Michael Brett to play steady golf and in the end win by a comfortable margin.
