PSC Golf from The Growling Swan
Monday, March 2, Pleasant Valley – Stableford
Twenty four golfers gathered in Soi Chaiyapoon looking forward to the day’s challenge. Pre game change room chatter included one gent claiming his game was as useful as a chocolate teapot.
Under overcast conditions it was decided to hit from the white markers so as to introduce some sanity into the game. The fairways were quite heavy under foot and the greens as slow as a sloth doing backstroke through a sea of custard.
(L-R) Mark Stapleton, Tommy Ostergren and Jerry Dobbs.
Gathering black clouds loomed on the horizon and as the first group hit off the eighth tee it bucketed down. They and two other groups sought sanctuary in a nearby drinks hut however the intermission was of only twenty minutes duration.
In the A grade there was a three-way tie at the top on thirty nine points, with Mark Stapleton winning from Ebrahim and Alan Taddei. The B grade saw a bolter in Jerry Dobbs hand in forty-two points whilst Jim Carlson and Alan Colonel Sanders, both on thirty-eight, rounded out the podium.
At the corner Tommy Ostergren’s score was so crook it belonged on the Grim Reaper’s Xmas card list. It didn’t improve on the flipside and he was delighted to collect the Coveted Compass Cap.
A Flight (0–19)
1st Mark Stapleton (19) 39pts
2nd Ebrahim (16) 39pts
3rd Alan Taddei (17) 39pts
B Flight (19+)
1st Jerry Dobbs (21) 42pts
2nd Jim Carlson (20) 38pts
3rd Alan Sanders (25) 38pts
Near Pins: Mike Gosden #5, Jim Groves #8, Takeshi Hakozaki #13, Peter Longworth #17.
Long Putts: Jim Carlson #9, Peter Grey #18.
Thursday, March 5, Mt. Shadow – Stableford
On a whim and a prayer 28 golfers rocked up for the Growling Swan’s sojourn to Mountain Shadow. Normally golfing in Pattaya is generally a challenging and enjoyable experience on any given day, however today we hand out a bouquet and, regretfully, a brickbat: This well-designed, popular course was presented in generally good condition, however, the consensus of concern from our group is for its future. Many caddies at Mountain Shadow appear to have had little training, resulting in bunkers that are left un-raked, divots that aren’t replaced and some caddies’ general demeanor is also poor. We wonder if any other golf outlet has noticed the same!
On the day we had another fine performance in A Grade from Sal Brizzi. Off his 6 handicap, Sal shot 76 off the bat for a ‘hands and heals’ win. Mark Stapleton snuck onto the podium in fourth to glean a few shekels to pay for his new motorbike.
Gary Monley is clearly enjoying his 27 handicap and he blitzed his B Grade rivals. One wonders when the PSC will get around to upgrading the handicaps as they are outstanding as far back as mid-February. Newcomer Su Wan and the ‘French Connection’ filled out the placings.
A Flight
1st Sal Brizzi (6) 38pts
2nd Bill Steinman (13) 34pts
3rd Peter Bass (11) 32pts
4th Mark Stapleton (19) 30pts
B Flight
1st Gary Monley (27) 38pts
2nd Su Wan (22) 34pts
3rd JC Lhoste (29) 31pts
4th Patrick Poussier (23) 30pts
Near Pins: Stu Rifkin #5, Peter Longworth #8, Mashi Kaneta #15, Stu Rifkin #17.
Long Putts: Gary Monley #9, JC Lhoste #18.
The GS is a friendly golf outlet and welcomes golfers of all persuasions. We generally play on Mondays and Thursdays at any one of the fine courses around Pattaya. For some serious golf with a dash of fun, please contact Peter Grey for bookings or any information on 0861 503086.
