PSC Golf from The Golf Club
Monday, July 20, Green Valley (white tees) – Stableford
1st Dave Ferris (22) 34pts
T2nd Andy Makara (25) 33pts
T2nd Chicka Smith (18) 33pts
T2nd Masao Ishikawa (16) 33pts
T2nd Phil Smedley (10) 33pts
First off, some good news, the new shirts are here! We have 9 colours and most sizes right now so this would be a good time to stock up and replenish your Antigua golf wardrobe. As requested, we have changed to a stiffer collar and made some new styling updates so drop by and have a look.
(L-R) Ben Denham, Ishi Ishikawa and TGC’s Capt. Phil Smedley après-golf.
Green Valley is not in the best shape ever, but once the bits of crabgrass are under control the fairways will be pristine. Some greens have large collections of sand on the fringe, which needs to be addressed soon as it is a simple and cheap fix. I guess they are concentrating on Silky Oaks now, but don’t neglect RGV please! There are many courses now offering better value than a 1,150 baht green fee these slow low season days and for that money we want to play a golf course that is in great shape. I hope you are listening as I am usually singing the praises of our regular Monday venue.
We only had a 5 group turnout today but it seemed everyone was stuck on 33. There was a 4-way tie with Ishi, Andy, Chicka and Phil all at that magic “double three” so the Christmas cards were a bit thin with that split pot.
It was another day for The Tooth Fairy, as our missionary to the Caddy Smile program took top spot with the only card that had 34 points on it. Dave Ferris came out on top with a great win today, and I am sure that put a smile on his face!
Wednesday, July 22, Bangpra (white tees) – Stableford
1st Ben Denham (3) 32pts
2nd Masao Ishikawa (15) 29pts
3rd Phil Smedley (10) 28pts
They don’t call this the monkey course for nothing and today the troublesome little simians were everywhere. Still, we can put up with that sort of mischief to play a course of such quality. The course was in good condition today and as usual the superfast greens here were the talking point. The food in the beautiful clubhouse was also superb.
This is one of the best layouts in Pattaya and is always a popular choice on the signup sheets. We had a small turnout today as low season takes its toll and low scores (the bad kind… Stableford) were the order of the day as 32 points was the best card on the bar!
Our fearless Captain Smedley was chocks away with 28 for third for his second podium appearance of the week. “Ishi” Ishikawa-san had just enough to squeeze in second place with 29 hard earned points as those 3-putts took their toll. Ben Denham was our winner with 32 points playing off just a 3 handicap. That should tell you how tricky the greens were here today.
Friday, July 24, Parichat Links (blue tees) – Stableford
T1st Mike Allidi (2) 34pts
T1st Karl (8) 28pts
3rd Ben Denham (3) 26pts
It was a tough day at the office as the blue tees were chosen for today’s comp. This would have made things difficult enough, but to make matters worse they positioned the blue blocks way back as well, to make some carries just impossible. Oh well, live and learn, at least we had no fatalities out there today!
I would strongly advise all of you not to play this track from the blues. It is a deceiving 6,200 yards, but the carries on some holes are a joke. Also, they forgot to put in any bailout areas for those unfortunate mid-handicappers who cannot clear 230 into the wind.
Today was the third time we booked Parichat Links and a 1,400 baht price all in was great. This course has beautiful fairways and tee boxes, but the greens were a bit bumpy and the bunkers were just plain shoddy. Having the caddies rake them would be a fine start. They need to concentrate on the condition of the course itself as many groups are coming out here for the first time and a good first impression is vital. Most of our caddies did not speak English and had little training, so be warned, it is what it is. Did I mention you should stick to the whites?
Note: The Golf Club is located on Soi LK Metro. Just call 085 434 3377 or see our website www.golfclubpattaya .com and for more information mail us: [email protected] and see updates at www.facebook.com/golfclubpattaya… all handicaps welcome!
