PSC Bunker Boys @ The Ranch
Monday, Oct. 1, Royal Lakeside – Stableford
A smaller group of golfers today due to several players staying up to watch the heroic exploits of the European team in the Ryder Cup until the early hours of the morning. We had no American players today, so maybe they’re keeping a low profile – for a change! Those that made it to golf (including at least 3 who had watched the whole match until 5.30 a.m.) made the trip to Royal Lakeside in good time.
The course was in good shape, if a little soggy after recent heavy rain and we elected to play ‘pick, clean and place’, playing off the white tees. There was little or no run on the fairways, so the course was playing long, but the greens were in their normal superb condition.
Neil Griffin won a rare near pin on his first game back.
There was no stopping Al Collinge (Canadian, and definitely not American) from taking his second win in a row; fortunately he’s departing to Canada later this week, so somebody else will get a chance!
1st Al Collinge (hcp. 15) 39pts
2nd Tony Robbins (12) 35pts
3rd Gordon Melia (16) 33pts
Near Pins: Geoff Parker, Tony Robbins and Al Collinge (2).
Wednesday, Oct. 3, Burapha – Stableford
A bright sunny day as our three groups set out to play the unusual combination of A and D nines at Burapha. Once again the fairways were soggy and the buggies were confined to cart paths only, so we elected to play pick, clean and place, which turned out to be a wise decision as there was mud on the ball after virtually every shot. The course was in generally good shape though, with difficult rough and subtly sloping greens. Alan Freeman produced the best round of the day to claim the winners spot, one point ahead of Geoff Parker. The walk from buggy to ball proved too much for Roger Mitchell’s dodgy knees and he forced to retire – hard luck Roger – hope to see you back soon.
1st Alan Freeman (3) 35pts
2nd Geoff Parker (13) 34pts
3rd Lee Butler (14) 33pts
Near Pins: Alan Freeman, Geoff Parker and P.J. Redmond.
Friday, Oct. 5, Green Valley – Stableford
Despite the impending arrival of tropical storm Gaemi later in the day, the sky was bright and clear as we set off to tackle the popular Green Valley course. The course was surprisingly quiet and once again was a little soggy in places after the recent heavy rain.
We welcomed back Neil Griffin (the only Derby County supporter in Pattaya) for his annual visit, and he made a good start by claiming one of only two near pins hit on the day.
The course was playing long because there was very little run on the fairways, but that didn’t really account for the surprisingly poor scores. Normally someone will at least play to their handicap here, but today the best score was recorded by Mikito Homma, also playing his first game back, with a modest 33 points.
The round was completed in good time, leaving ample time for a few cold beers before returning for the presentation at The Ranch.
1st Mikito Homma (15) 33pts
2nd Geoff Hart (20) 32pts
3rd Mashi Kaneta (13) 32pts
Near Pins: Geoff Hart and Neil Griffin.
Red Ants Rule
Some time ago the Bunker Boys had the rule that there was no relief allowed from red ants. The PSC then adopted a local rule that relief could be granted if the player was attacked by red ants whilst addressing the ball. We decided to follow this PSC rule, but unfortunately this has led to several controversies recently.
The crux of the problem is that if you are blocked behind a tree, how many red ants constitute an attack, thereby allowing you to a free drop away from the obstruction? Rumour has it that certain people have been observed desperately searching for ants, and even observed whistling and stamping their feet to attract them! (But surely this is as likely to scare them away?) Anyway, we’ve now decided to revert to the old rule – so make sure you pack some balm in the golf bag.
Note: The Bunker Boys are a PSC affiliated golf society, who now play out of The Ranch bar on Pattaya 3rd Road (in front of the fire station, and almost opposite the Buffalo Bar). We play three times per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, so if you enjoy a fun day out, and a friendly but competitive golf competition why not come and join us.
We meet at The Ranch at 9 a.m. for breakfast and transportation, and new players are always welcome. Contact Buff on 086 046 5091 or 080 605 5663 for all enquiries. You can find all the news, schedules and results on our website at www.bunkersociety.com.
