The Pattaya Golf Society (IPGC) at Rabbi’s Elephant Bar
The Pattaya Golf Society played its one hundredth competition of the year on Monday, 27th August when the group visited Phoenix to play its monthly medal round on the Ocean and Lakes nines. The course is currently in excellent condition and an empty track made for fine progress.
After nine holes it became clear that two of the field were continuing their good form from the previous event and for one of them, Mr Len, it was his best nine hole total in years. Inevitably the gremlins got into his drive and he was held back in his charge.
Finishing in third place was a consistent Alan Walker with a steady net 74 and in second was Wichai Tananusorn who is slowly recovering his form after his annual visit to UK. The touch is back and his net 71 was a fine effort on the day. The winner, on net 69, was Mr Len despite losing five shots to his handicap on the final three holes.
There were no birdie ‘2’s and the free beer draw went to Bobby Shirkey, who was pipped to the Booby Bevy by Peter Allen after a mediocre debut round on the course.
It had been a good golf day at Phoenix for the Pattaya Golf Society.
Triple triumph
at St Andrew’s
The Pattaya Golf Society made a rare trip to the Green Valley complex to play a stableford competition on the St Andrew’s course on Wednesday, 29th August. The course was wonderfully turned out with well grassed fairways and excellent greens.
As always the course demands accuracy and good management skills and those able to apply both found themselves in the frame. Unsurprisingly it was the lower handicappers who filled all the places with Mikael Andersson and Robbie Taylor sharing top place with 34 points, but Booby Shirkey and Johnny Larsson made good fists of it for the rest of the field with their 32 point returns.
There were no birdie ‘2’s, perhaps because of some tough pin locations on the par threes, seventeen especially being at the base of the slope which adds notoriety to the green.
The Booby went deservedly to the organiser whose promising front nine became no more than a memory after the turn when his legendary “power fade” contrived to go “awol” and dispatched him thrice into OB. Another little job for his hammer … when he has time!
Purdie returns
with victory
The Pattaya Golf Society ended August with a first visit of the year to Silky Oak, to play a stableford competition. The course is in fine condition but the greens are slow and a little bobbly, indicating the total under-use of the course. Why close the tees for a few hours every day from 9:30, when there’s revenue out there to be had? However, that didn’t stop a Thai group teeing off at 10:40, in full sight of the PGS group, forced to tee off an hour earlier.
The golf was good, indicated by an average return of 33 points, with Joe Niisato and Mr Len both going one better on 34 points for a share of second place, just one ahead of Wichai Tananusorn. The winner was Andrew Purdie, very recently returned from Australia, with 37 very competent points.
There were no birdie ‘2’s and Brian Shaw received the Booby Bevy for the low return of the day.
Silky Oak does not please everybody, opinions vary from “too contrived” to “too easy”, but at the end of the day successful golfers still have to manage the course, make the right shots, and nail the putts. Ask Andrew Purdie.
