PSC Golf from the Pattaya Links Golf Society
Monday, April 9, Royal Lakeside – Stableford
A Flight
1st Martin Patch (18) 42pts
2nd Phil Davies (14) 41pts
3rd Steve Truelove (11) 37pts
B Flight
1st Brendan Gilsenan (24) 44pts
2nd Paul Chesney (22) 42pts
3rd Tip Briney (22) 40pts
Golf at Royal Lakeside can be a wonderful experience with the finely manicured course on the banks of the Bangpakong River attracting constant cooling breezes. The quality of course maintenance is unrivalled and a field of two dozen golfers from the Links Golf Society visited there on Monday to play a stableford competition. The field was divided into two flights at eighteen and under.
Scores are generally good here and this day it was no exception with five golfers attaining forty points or more and the whole field averaging 34 points.
In the top flight third place went to Steve Truelove with 37 points, helped in part by two-putting seventeen holes, a single putt sufficing on the other. Runner-up was a rejuvenated Phil Davies with another fine round, this time recording 41 points. Then flight winner was Martin Patch with 42 points and his golf, though not spectacular, was a steady mix of length, accuracy and some shrewd course management.
In the second flight Tip Briney emerged from the shadows of his previous few rounds to record 40 points for third place. In second was Paul Chesney experiencing his first round at the course and he recorded a debut 42 points in style. The flight winner and the green jacket recipient was Brendan Gilsenan who put together a sumptuous round of 44 points, again on his first visit to the course.
Near-pins went to Andy Lawlor (3), John Mason (6), John Chelo (12) and Tip Briney (15)
Consolation best nines came from Wayne Morrison (21pts) and Stan Stewart (20pts).
Wednesday, April 11, Greenwood – Stableford
1st Bryan Dore (3) 38pts
2nd Bill Copeland (13) 37pts
3rd Maurice Roberts (13) 35pts
Seventeen players had an excellent day out on a Greenwood course that is always in tip top condition with well grassed fairways and greens that are still some of the best around.
Only the one flight today and this was won by Irishman, Bryan Dore, with a great score of 38 points, even more meritorious when you see that he played off a #3 handicap. Great effort!
One point behind was the much improved Bill Copeland, another “wig” wearer determined to not do that again.
Then came Maurice Roberts with a creditable 35 points, just in front of his team mate, Phil.
Near pins went to Paul Smith (twice), Bill Copeland and Bryan Dore.
Best nines by non-winners came from Phil Davies (17pts) and Wayne Morrison (18pts).
Friday, April 13, Pattavia – Stableford
1st Maurice Roberts (13) 39pts
2nd Stuart Thompson (18) 36pts
3rd Gerd Riedler (10) 36pts
Not so long ago, a writer for another group suggested they may cancel a booking here as the greens were so slick as to be almost unplayable. Today the exact opposite was the case. I thought that I was the only one not able to get the ball uphill to the hole. But in conversations later, realized I was not alone with that problem. One plus was that if a downhill putt missed the hole, you were not punished as previously.
Perhaps the clue to slow greens lies with a sign at check-in, offering reduced green fees for the duration of the course maintenance. It has to be done sometime.
In-form Maurice Roberts admitted to the problems of the slower greens, but managed to find a way to beat them, and therefore took out first place with a hard earned 39 points. Stuart Thompson is on a roll lately and did very well to score 36 points, and with a superior back nine, won a count-back from a rare, but always welcome visitor in Gerd Riedler, both with 36 points
We only had a small number of players but still had 4 near pins out and the winners were Maurice Roberts, Stuart Thompson, Bill Copeland and Peter Wilson.
Consolation nines were won by Tip Briney (19pts) and Steve Truelove (20pts).
