Travellers Rest Golf Group
Monday, April 3, Phoenix Gold – Stableford
1st Nathan Sheridan (22) 38pts
2nd Ken Hopkins (12) 37pts
3rd Roger Wilkinson (14) 35pts
Monday started the week with a visit to Phoenix. Recently players have been scoring well on the most local of courses, as turbulent weather has seen the spite being taken out of many of the greens.
There is not a player at the TRGG who has greater knowledge of this course than Roger Wilkinson and armed with his personal caddie they are a formidable team. After a blistering start Roger could not quite maintain the momentum and although he would have been happy with his 3rd position I am sure he would have felt that he could have scored more than his 35 points.
Also on 35 points but with a better back-9 came Ken Hopkins. Ken has a stellar rugby playing and coaching CV. Having played for Oxford University, Maesteg and London Welsh, Ken then coached Wellington College’s 1st XV from 1997-2004, in which he achieved 88 victories from 101 games played. All impressive stuff and it could be quite awe inspiring to be in the same company as this legend. Luckily there is a god after all and Ken has this strange habit of walking aimlessly around humming silly Welsh melodies. Does every Welshman think they are related to Tom Jones?
The winner of the day rose like a phoenix (cheap I know!) from the Sheridan clan with Nathan scoring an impressive 38 points to record his fifth victory in his last 9 outings.
Tuesday, April 4, Burapha – Stableford
1st Garry Barker (05) 37pts
2nd Dave Palmer (09) 37pts
3rd Daniel Willits (12) 35pts
Burapha was the stage for Tuesday’s golf at the TRGG. Daniel Willits is a quiet unassuming fellow but does lay claim to one of the greatest fits of piques ever seen on a golf course. Two weeks previously he had been playing with the hack and had an important putt. With the wind blowing hard his cap kept blowing off so eventually he threw it behind him. Sadly he missed the putt but frustration got the better of him and in true Basil Fawlty style (tree branch on car), he kicked the living daylights out of the cap, giving it the telling off of its life. Great stuff! Nothing quite so spectacular happened to Daniel on this occasion except for scoring 35 points and winning 3rd place.
Dave Palmer’s round of 37 points was good enough for second place but he was just beaten to top spot by Garry Barker whose first round with the TRGG saw him take the gold. Congratulations to our newest member and if this form continues I am sure future stories will unfold.
Wednesday, April 5, Khao Kheow – Stableford
1st Richard Talbot (17) 34pts
2nd Daniel Willits (12) 34pts
3rd Alan Gibb (09) 31pts
On Wednesday the group set off for Khao Keow knowing they were tackling one of the toughest courses in the area at the current time.
Alan Gibb, playing his last round before returning home to Scotland, hit 31 points and this was just enough to secure third place. Daniel Willits consistent form continued but his score of 34 was not quite enough for first place and he was pipped at the post by my good self by virtue of a better back 9. If you are going to win a game of golf in Pattaya just make sure you do it on the toughest courses.
Thursday, April 6, Silky Oak – Stableford
Daniel Willits (12) 40pts
Freddy Starbeck (15) 39pts
Roger Wilkinson (14) 39pts
Thursday’s visit to Silky Oak saw a combination of events taking place. This was Daniel Willits’ last round before a return home to visit his cap kicking psychologist. Happily he left his best until last as his 14th round saw him at last winning with a great score of 40 points.
Trailing in second and third places were Freddy Starbeck and Roger Wilkinson, with Freddy closely taking 2nd place. As well as being part of the normal stableford competition Roger and Freddy were also playing off to see who would be the winner of the inaugural gentlemen’s club comp. This involved 10 players with everyone playing each other twice.
With Roger and Freddy far ahead of the field Freddy had taken the play-off so seriously that he had prepared by spending 3 weeks in Denmark on a diet of 7 meals a day. Returning to Pattaya 8kgs heavier, Freddie clearly found new distances with his driver showing what can be achieved on a diet of bacon sandwiches.
Friday, April 7, Greenwood – Stableford
1st Ted Senior (17) 37pts
2nd Ally Walker (12) 34pts
3rd Dave Palmer (09) 32pts
On Friday the TRGG visited Greenwood and with the course already soaked from overnight rain the usually long layout was playing very long indeed.
Dave Palmer was playing slower than usual but he was concentrating so much in getting every metre from every shot. His tactic worked in 2 ways – firstly he infuriated the bosses Derek and Billy in the group behind him who were waiting on every shot, and secondly his careful preparation resulted in 32 points and 3rd place.
Playing with Dave was the even slower Ally Walker who was even more careful and succeeded in picking up 34 points and 2nd place. However, the winner of the day came from the same group and no one in their right mind would call Ted Senior slow. If you have seen Ted break into locks, bank vaults, houses then slow would be the last thing you would call him. Slippery Ted’s 37 points were good enough to win the day and take away the top prize.
