IPGC Golf from The Haven
Monday, Feb. 1, Mt. Shadow – Stableford
CSS 75 NC
1st Hal Hart (20) 38pts
2nd Trevor Schirmer (13) 30pts
3rd John Carlin (19) 30pts
4th Mike Hill (21) 30pts
5th Walter O’Keefe (13) 29pts
6th Toni Nichols (21) 28pts
Alan Griffiths.
It had promised, on paper, to be a counting event but the computer had the winner at 21 and so therefore no counting players, those with handicaps of 20 and below, made the standard of “within two of handicap”, which then saw the CSS for the day go out three and become non-counting for upward review of handicaps.
Hal Hart was that winner and is looking like a man determined to get back down to less than 20, at least by the end of the Club Championships. His two under return was eight better than his nearest rivals which saw a three way count back for second place.
Trevor Schirmer won that with 15 on the back nine, with John Carling taking third after scoring 5 over the last three while Mike Hill claimed fourth, taking just 3 after they had tied the nine at 14 apiece.
Walter O’Keefe slipped into fifth another shot back and Toni Nichols sixth, also a shot behind him.
There were no 2s in the first division but Vincent Gras polished off the second division with a tap in to clear out the second division pool.
Wednesday, Feb. 3, Pattana B & C (white tees) – Stableford
CSS 74
Div. 1 (0–17)
1st Gabe Dakwa (17) 36pts
2nd Lyle Blaw (10) 32pts
3rd Bruce Hilde (17) 32pts
Div. 2 (18+)
1st Toni Nichols (21) 31pts
2nd Brendan Dunne (30) 30pts
3rd Phil Stevenson (26) 30pts
Gabe Dakwa.
The organiser, presumably in his non-wisdom mode, decided that the day’s test would be from the white tees at 6,700 yards with almost zero run from the tees and fairly heavy conditions underfoot. That definitely had a major impact on the results, with just one player making the standard in the two divisions. He very graciously apologised to preface the prize giving and offered to buy the whole field a drink, which was universally not taken up, no doubt as it was included in his notes for the speech but then forgotten to be mentioned.
Gabe Dakwa took his first win with the Haven group with a strong level handicap round that saw off the next best by four.
Lyle Blaw won a count back with Bruce Hilde after scoring a better 18 to 15 to take second place.
Toni Nichols was also a first time winner as she led in the second division by the narrowest of margins, to be followed in by Brendan Dunne in second place after he had won the count back over Phil Stevenson, carding 13 points on the back six to Phil’s 9, when they had tied the back nine on 17 each.
Hal Hart.
Lyle Blaw cleaned up the first division ‘2’s pot with his solo effort on C2, whilst Steven Howard and Terry Hodgkiss shared the second division pool.
Friday, Feb. 5, Khao Kheow A & B – Stableford
CSS 73
Div. 1 (0–12)
1st Pete Seil (6) 33pts
2nd Mike Dabanovich (12) 32pts
3rd Allan Hanlon (12) 31pts
Div. 2 (13–18)
1st Allan Griffiths (13) 35pts
2nd Phil Cass (16) 35pts
3rd Shuichi Kodaka (18) 34pts
Div. 3 (19+)
1st Mark Armstrong (25) 30pts
2nd Ting Yang (21) 28pts
3rd John Wood (24) 28pts
Mark Armstrong.
The second division saved this practice round for the IPGC Championships, due to be held the following week over the same course, from being a total massacre of the field, as the wind roared across the tees and fairways making it a very hard slog for even the best of the players. In the event it was surprising that the CSS for the day rose by just one, while another two competitions held on other courses with an established CSS, saw it rise by two and three, with the latter non-counting, as the whole East Coast region suffered from the severe weather conditions.
Pete Seil would have been hoping for a better result than the one that won the first division but it was good enough to put Mike Dabanovich down to second and Allan Hanlon to third after the latter had won a count back over Rick Schramm with a 17 to 15 result, as the conditions took their toll of all the players in the group.
Allan Griffiths returned the best of the day, in the second division, at one over handicap and took the top step after winning a count back over Phil Cass by the slim margin of 18 to 17, leaving Shuichi Kodaka in third just one back.
Mark Armstrong did just enough to take the third division’s top spot as new member Ting Yang placed second after winning her first ever count back with a better 14 to 13 over veteran counter John Wood as he settled for third place with his usual broad smile.
Allan Hanlon, Barry Wellings Pete Seil and Rick Schramm received a pittance each, after they had all recorded a ‘2’ in the first division while the second division was an all Asian affair as Ting Yang and Shuichi Kodaka shared the spoils with one each. Ting’s was the most memorable of the day after she hit her five-wood to three feet on the island green at B8 after many had failed to get over the water before her, into the howling gale.
Toni Nichols.
Note: If you would like to play with The Haven group, you can contact 038 710 989 or call in to The Haven Hotel, 185 Soi 13, situated between Beach Road and 2nd Road. All transportation to the course is arranged and you do not need to sign up prior to the day, but you should be there by 8.15 on a Monday, Wednesday, and Friday on the days that you wish to play. If you would like to leave your golf clubs at The Haven, there are usually lockers available at a nominal charge. A schedule of courses to be played can be found on our web site at www.thehaven-hotel.com.
