PSC golf from The Outback Golf Bar
Monday, Dec. 16, Burapha – Stableford
Back on the A and B loops at Burapha today but this time from the blues. The course was in its usual great condition for the 27 Outbackers who played and the weather was warm & sunny with a light breeze.
Unusually the winning scores in both divisions were the same, decided on a count back and both winners also won last week; Andy Makara, who had 39pts at Green Valley on Friday and Geoff Stimpson here at Burapha last Monday, with exactly the same 34pts.
(From left) Steve Mann, Jon Kittilsen, Tim Knight & Jarod Braithwaite.
Andy won Div B on count back from Kerry Rothman (Chopper) both on 34pts, with Ivan Plunkett, who always says he doesn’t like the blue tees but statistically plays them better than the whites, beating playing partner Pete Stonebridge also on c/b with 31pts for third.
In Div A, Geoff Stimpson beat Steve Mann on c/b with 34pts, as Svenn Ole Lund took third place on 33 to beat Tony Pike on yet another c/b.
Welcome to American, Bob Mattes having his first game with us and venturing to get himself a handicap, having been placed provisionally on 28, and was cut following a 69 at Pattaya Country Club a few days earlier, and also hello again to Johannes back for a game, see you in Hua Hin in March.
There were two ‘2’s from Steve Mann (A3) and Chopper (B8).
Div A (0-15)
1st Geoff Stimpson (8) 34pts
2nd Stephen Mann (11) 34pts
3rd Svenn Ole Lund (13) 33pts
4th Tony Pike (8) 33pts
Div B (16+)
1st Andy Makara (24) 34pts
2nd Kerry Rothman (17) 34pts
3rd Ivan Plunkett (24) 31pts
4th Pete Stonebridge (16) 31pts
Wednesday, Dec. 18, Pattana – Stableford
This is not a course we visit very often but due to a tournament at the Emerald, where they had forgotten about our booking, we switched to Pattana just a few days before. 16 of us, so easy for the starter or so one would think; but not when three of the players, who were being shown a short cut to the course, arrived some 45 minutes late, hanging poor old Steve out to dry and kicking his heels. Not really good enough fellas and it did cost me a beer or two to make it up to him.
We started on the formidable first hole of the B nine, on which I can report there were no pars, two bogeys, four doubles, five triples and the rest NR’s; what a nasty opening hole! And that was just from the yellow tee.
B8 is another “B” of a hole, measuring well over 400 yards and very uphill at the end. Although index 1 on the card, is probably more worthy of a par 5 for most (again there were no pars, 6 bogeys, 1 double, four triples and the rest NR’s).
Our other nine was the easier C loop and it has to be said that the course has come on a long way since it opening a few years back when the greens were very ordinary. All in all, with the later than usual start, a very pleasant day out and the traffic around the Amata Industrial Estate was not too bad.
In the Aussies versus the Brits match, the Brits were stuffed (so no change there from the Ashes) mainly at the hands of that man ‘Chopper’ who pulled out all the stops with some excellent driving to score 40pts, a great effort here. Second went to Bob Mattes, who beat John O’Keefe on c/b both five back on 35.
There was just the one ‘2’ from John White
1st, Kerry Rothman (17) 40pts
2nd Bob Mattes (27) 35pts
3rd John O’Keefe (15) 35pts
4th Stephen Mann (11) 33pts
Friday, Dec. 20, Green Valley – Stableford
Winter is here with the winds coming from China making it a little bit chilly for us, necessitating woollies and the like for breakfast at the Outback. The girls are wearing anoraks every morning and evening, as they are finding it very cold and even the fans are rarely switched on just now.
37 people turned up at Green Valley today with two cancellations, so it was a very good turnout, particularly as there was a PSC event at Mountain Shadow as well and before a few were due to go up-country or back to their homelands over the holiday period.
By the time we teed off, some 15 minutes early, the sun had warmed and there was a gentle wind blowing but, and there is always a ‘but’, the speed of play was a bit slow; nothing to do with the our guys I’m pleased to report – just some of the groups ahead who just seemed to amble around.
The course once again was in great condition with many players commenting that the greens were glorious and probably the fastest that they have been for some time, which may have put a dampener on the scores that tended to be generally on the low side.
Playing with us for the first time today was Jeff Barnes and long time no see, Pat and Jum so welcome to you all and also Kevin Welch, an old golfing mate of Jack’s back in the Reading area, as well as Steve Reece and Jarod Braithwaite.
Winners of their respective Divisions were Steve Mann (Div A) with 38pts, Jarod Braithwaite (Div B) with 35pts and Tim Knight (Div C) also with 38pts. Other notable scores came from Tony Pike (37), Barry Copestake (36) and Pete Stonebridge (35).
There were seven ‘2’s from Jon Kittilsen & Steve Plant (4th), Pat Regan (9th), Murray Hart & John Cunningham (12th) and Jon Kittilsen (again) & Paul Sharples (16th).
Div A (0-13)
1st Stephen Mann (11) 38pts
2nd Tony Pike (8) 37pts
3rd Barry Copestake (13) 36pts
Div B (14-19)
1st Jarod Braithwaite (16) 35pts
2nd Pete Stonebridge (16) 35pts
3rd Pat Regan (14) 34pts
Div C (20+)
1st Tim Knight (23) 38pts
2nd Kim Danboise (20) 33pts
3rd Greg LeBlanc (26) 31pts
Note: The Outback Golf Bar is situated about 6km from Sukhumvit Road along Soi Siam Country. Call Jack on 081 578 1956.
