Travellers Rest Golf Group
Christmas week started off with a very rare sight in Pattaya – even rarer than seeing snow in Thailand. On Monday 24th December, which just happened to be Christmas Eve, there was a blue moon in Pattaya – well at Bangpakong actually – as yours truly came top of the pile, the cream of the crop and won a second golf competition of the year, a very rare sight indeed.
There was a very large turnout for the early return trip to Bangpakong and the large field required two divisions. Div. 1 was up to 14 handicap and Div. 2 was 15 handicap and above.
Andy Rich – winner at Bangpakong.
Tristan Gilbert (11) stormed off with first place with the favourite winning score of the day, 42 pts. Captain Fergus Brennan (10) just made it into second place winning on count back from Jeff Bunn (6) both finishing on 38 pts.
Yours truly, Andy Rich, also just took the number one slot in Division 2 by pipping Derek Thorogood on count back, both scoring 42pts. Donald Pearson (35) made it into third place, again winning on count back with 33 pts.
Christmas Day, 25th December, saw the TRGG faithful head off looking for the first tree in the Greenwood and it definitely wasn’t the Holly. Yes Greenwood was the destination (C and A courses) and that consistent winner Jeff Bunn (6), not happy with third place the day before, returned to the Christmas number one slot with 39pts. Tristan Gilbert (10) slipped to number two with 38pts and steady Teddy Senior (15) jumped into third with 34.
Thursday 27th December, with the Christmas turkey just a distant memory the lads and lassies of the TRGG paid the weekly excursion to Phoenix (Ocean and Mountain courses). Tasutu Nakajima (15) from the land of the rising sun and on his first outing with the TRGG, proved too good for all the rest by just winning on count back from Paul Sharples (10) from the land of the setting sun, the UK, on 37pts. Hugh Byrne (12) from the land of very little sun, Ireland, finished a very close third on 36pts.
Friday 28th December was Emerald’s turn to play host and it was a game of musical chairs for all the winners this week. Tristan Gilbert (10) leapt back into first place with 37pts while Derek Thorogood (15) could only take second place for the second time this week, with 36, and Christmas number one Jeff Bunn (5) went a little off the boil by only taking third place on 34pts.
Good luck to all you golfers for the coming week and I am praying for the next blue moon.
