IPGC Pattaya Golf Society at the Links Bar
The long awaited Birthday Bash for the PGS organiser, Mr Len, took place at Pattana on Monday 22nd August. The course was in splendid condition as befits such an event and the A and B nines were the assigned route for the day off the yellow tees.
The format was pairs stableford BB and a dozen teams had entered to celebrate the day. Old and new friends had returned for the day and a very convivial atmosphere spread from the first tee. In breezy conditions and on quality fairways the day was set fair for a tight competition and so it worked out.
Many technical prizes had been donated by Garry Hookey, Toby Glass, Mike Firkin, Kevin Timbrell and Mr Len and these were won by Mark Lang, Murray Edwards, Masa Takano, Jesper Hansen, Kevin Timbrell, Chris Smith, Ken Page and John O’Sullivan.
Special mention must be made of Wichai Tananusorn’s exquisite eagle on the 590 yard par six (A5), his fourth shot chipped in from just off the fringe. A rare bird indeed!
In the main event four pairs shared the winning score of 43 points and a lengthy count back was needed to find the ultimate winners. Losing out with 21 points on the back nine were Wichai Tananusorn and PGS Champion Chris Smith, leaving Jon Batty and Mark Lang to challenge John O’Sullivan and Jesper Hansen and Mike Firkin and Bryan Barrell. Dropping to third after a final six-hole calculation was the Welsh/Danish pairing of O’Sullivan and Hansen. After a further comparison of final three hole scores the winners were declared as Mike Firkin and Bryan Barrell (7 points), leaving Jon Batty and Mark Lang (6 points) unluckily in runner up place.
What an excellent competition it had been and the excitement continued at The Links Bar in Soi Buakhao when the presentation party saw an excellent buffet provided by Russell and his hard working staff.
The Boss had certainly had a day to remember on his “milestone” birthday and is already considering his options for next year!
Timbrell back to the table
On Wednesday, 24th August the Pattaya Golf Society visited Khao Kheow to play a stableford event on the B and C nines from the yellow tees. The day was fine, the course in good condition and the return of old friends was to make the day a little bit more special.
Competition at Khao Kheow is always tight and this day was no different as Toby Glass returned to form with 37 points to take fourth place, just nudged off the podium by Garry Hookey and Masa Takano who shared second place with 38 points.
For more than a month now Kevin Timbrell’s game has been in the mire, offering no consolation or confidence to Kevin but this day his form kicked in again with the best PGS round at Khao Kheow for three years, 41 points. Impressive stuff and a substantial handicap cut is very much in order at the weekend.
Garry Hookey took the ‘2’s pot with a fine brace on B8 and C3 and Gary Bolger enjoyed the consolation beer as his card was draw out by the cashier at the Links Bar.
Once again Khao Kheow had come up trumps and the deal on offer gave very good “vfm” and helped the golfers to enjoy another fine day on the golf course.
Fitting finale for glass
On Friday, 26th August the Pattaya Golf Society visited the tough course at Treasure Hill to play a stableford event on the well prepared course. Currently offering the best deal in the province it drew the largest field for a month or two and was proof if it were needed that courses can do well, even in the lowest of low seasons, if an emphasis is placed on customer service not profit.
Scores generally were quite good for the course with a whole field average approaching 30 points and a tight leaderboard saw Mike Firkin, Andrew Purdie and Masa Takano share second place with 36 points each. The best gross figures of the day were recorded by Mark Lang, his 78 gross rewarding his accuracy and consistency on the day. The winner was Aussie Toby Glass who drew the curtain on his annual stay with an excellent 38 points. The group will miss him and his golf over the next few months and it is to be hoped he can find time to hit some balls during a heavy work schedule which lies ahead of him.
Toby and Mark Lang shared the ‘2’s pot with birdies on the seventeenth and John O’Sullivan was the winner of the consolation beer draw back at The Links.
Thus another busy week for the PGS drew to a close at the Links and an even busier week lies ahead with the change of management heralding golf as normal. We shall see and it will certainly be an exciting week.
