PSC Golf from The Billabong Golf Bar
Monday, August 10, Lam Lukka – Stableford
We left the bar at 7 o’clock sharp for our monthly tournament at Lam Lukka G.C. Arriving in plenty of time we were away by 9.15 a.m. and had to play the West course as there was a tournament on the East side.
This place is one of the best courses the scribe has played, with water on every hole, some very subtle and some in your face, but it’s always a pleasure to play. We had a few first timers playing today, the two John’s as in Lawton, and Fitzgerald, and both commented on how beautiful the course really was. The greens were very fast as usual but hitting them was the trouble for some of us.
Maurice Chopan (left) and Capt. Bob (right) with the big boss, Fon.
The scores were a real mix, from as little as 17 up to the winner with 41 points. Coming in fourth today was Mark Kembrey with 31 points on a count back while third went to John Fitzgerald with 33. Both players were first-timers here. Capt Bob also had 33 points but a better count back to take second place but the standout performance came from Rosco Langoulant and 41 points carried the day by some margin.
There were three ‘2’s, coming from George Barrie, Rosco Langoulant and Don Walding.
We will be back here at Lam Lukka next month for another match.
Wednesday, August 12, Green Valley – Stableford
There is always a potential problem at golf courses when there is a holiday. Today was the birthday of Her Majesty the Queen and sure enough there were more cars than usual in the car park, but Green Valley has three courses and we teed off on time with no problems.
This venue has few critics when it comes to the condition of the course and thanks to recent rainfalls it is in great shape; the fairways are recovering from a very dry period with little rain but one area that is not up to the standard that we expect from Green Valley are the tees, for many are tired and badly worn with the 6th being particularly out of sorts. Much time and effort was put in recently to returf some of the tees but this has not been an outstanding success. With better tees, Green Valley would compare favourably with any golf course in the area.
As has been the case recently, there was no threat of rain today, just a few puffy clouds and a cooling breeze, all of which brought the best out of many of the Billabong regulars.
Sa, Eng and Nu – top three in Wednesday’s ladies flight.
The ladies were in good form with Billabong stalwart Eng coming in with 38 points while Sa was hitting her stride with 39 points. But Nu, as has been the case recently, found her ‘A’ game and came in with a great 40 points.
In the men’s division Gareth Gill, the previous week’s medal winner, came in with 35 points for fourth place, Tom Hand went one better and posted 36 for third, and David Brien took second with 40 points. But all three were left trailing in the wake of the day’s winner, Greig Ritchie, who recorded an outrageous 43 points. We will certainly be looking at his handicap at the weekend.
Friday, August 14, Phoenix – Stableford
Playing Phoenix for the first time this month with just three groups, we got away right on time on a beautiful day with just a little cloud cover and a nice breeze to keep the temperatures down to a comfortable level.
Wednesday podium placers, David Brien, Greig Ritchie & Tom Hand.
The course was in great condition with greens that were fast and true and you couldn’t get a bad lie no matter where you hit the ball. The Lakes course is getting ready and should be open in November by all accounts and it is going to be a great test of golf.
We had a stand out winner today in the shape of Maurice Chopan who garnered a staggering 43 points off his 14 handicap, a great score and a well-deserved win. Coming in second was Capt Bob a distant 7 shots behind but still having his best score in months with 36 points. Third place went to Willie Dunlop with 35 points, him beating Gentry Harrington on a count back, but Gentry didn’t miss out as he had the only ‘2’ of the day.
Note: The Billabong is situated just off Siam Country Club Road looking out over Lake Mabprachan. Give Bob a call on 082 204 3411 if you are looking for a game.
