PSC golf Bunker Boys @ The Ranch
Monday, July 14, Crystal Bay – Stableford
Today we made a return to the Crystal Bay course, which used to be a regular favourite but we haven’t played here since February, due mainly to the poor condition of the greens at that time.
We were allocated to play the C and A nines and teed off on schedule in cool, overcast conditions with no golfers in sight ahead of us. It was soon obvious that quite a lot of work is being done on the bunkers which have been neglected for a very long time, and the fairways were fine, but unfortunately the greens were little improved and still resemble a patchwork quilt of different grasses.
Buff (left) with “Mr. Consistency”, a.k.a. Gerry Cooney.
Gerry Cooney wasn’t bothered by the variable speed of the putts and romped home three points clear of Thomas Nyborg in second place.
After the game it was a pleasure to take a shower in the newly refurbished shower room, and it has to be said that things are starting to look up here after several years of neglect.
1st Gerry Cooney (14) 40pts
2nd Thomas Nyborg (20) 37pts
3rd Nguyen Le Dung (18) 36pts
4th Alan Sullivan (11) 34pts
Near Pins: Alan Sullivan, Niall Glover, Steve Durey and Nguyen Le Dung.
Wednesday, July 16, Pattaya C.C. – Stableford
A late change to our schedule took us back to Pattaya C.C., which we last played in January when the course wasn’t in good shape, having been opened too soon following extensive renovation work. However, the change of venue proved popular and nineteen golfers turned up at The Ranch, meaning we were able to have two flights for the first time since mid-April.
The course wasn’t busy and our groups teed off on schedule from the blue tees, in bright sunny conditions with a gentle breeze keeping the temperature at an acceptable level.
The front nine was in reasonable condition although it’s fair to say the fairways need a few more weeks (and some rain) in order to grow in fully, and the greens were slow and tricky to read. The back nine however hasn’t matured quite so well, and the fairways were bare in places with several large areas still heavily sanded, which we decided to play as GUR.
Steve Durey and Andy Brady were the only two players in the competition who had played this course over the last few months, and their experience proved invaluable with them recording the best two scores of the day, taking first and second places respectively in the B Flight.
“Mr Reliable”, Gerry Cooney continued his winning run to take first place in the A Flight ahead of Paul Smith, with John Graham coming home in third place.
The general consensus in post-match discussions was that the visit had been well worthwhile, especially with the 500 baht green fee rate, and your scribe for one would have no qualms about restoring the course to our regular schedule as it is sure to continue improving over the coming months.
A Flight
1st Gerry Cooney (13) 35pts
2nd Paul Smith (3) 33pts
3rd John Graham (10) 33pts
B Flight
1st Steve Durey (22) 37pts
2nd Andy Brady (17) 36pts
3rd Thomas Nyborg (20) 35pts
Near Pins: Gerry Cooney, Steve Durey and Paul Smith (2).
Friday, July 18, Pattavia – Stableford
A smaller group of golfers today for our competition at the Pattavia course, which is now part of our regular schedule and offers good value for money. The sky was overcast and the temperature pleasantly cool as we teed off slightly ahead of our scheduled time, with an apparently empty course ahead of us.
We were informed by the caddies that the greens had been allowed to grow a little in order to slow them down, but it was soon obvious that they were only slower on uphill putts, and anything downhill was still treacherous. The course was in good shape and work is still going on to repair some of the bare areas off the fairways, so the course is well worth visiting despite the tortuous drive down the entrance road.
Colin Greig rediscovered some of his previous good form and produced the best performance on the day, coming home one point clear of Tony Robbins and Paul Smith who had to be separated on a count back.
The new clubhouse is stylish and comfortable but your scribe made his first visit to the air-conditioned restaurant and I’ve never seen so many flies in a single enclosed area, certainly not conducive to enjoying a meal, and surely it can’t be too difficult for the management to solve that problem.
1st Colin Greig (7) 35pts
2nd Tony Robbins (13) 34pts
3rd Paul Smith (3) 34pts
Near Pins: Paul Smith, Dave Anon, and Colin Greig (2).
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 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 or go to website: www.bunkersociety.com.
