IPGC Pattaya Golf Society at Rabbi’s Elephant Bar
On Monday 31st October the Pattaya Golf Society visited Rayong C.C. and found a course in fair condition with medium paced greens waiting for them and the use of two tees made life easy for the two flights cut at sixteen and under. The format was stableford and all eyes were on Jim Ferris to see whether his rapid improvement could give him a third successive victory since his recent return from UK.
In the top flight Masanori Takano took third place with 32 points, a few behind the joint winners Peter Seward and Richard “Banjo” Bannister, on 35.
In the second flight a birdie ‘2’ on the seventh helped Alan Duckett take third with 38 points whilst Ian Hogg made an instant impression on his return with a scintillating 41 points for second. The winner was inevitably Jim Ferris with 43 points. The quality of his short game is so much improved after a summer in England that his renaissance has not yet reached its peak. Add to his short game the accuracy many courses demand and you have a recipe for success.
For good measure Jim also came up with a birdie ‘2’ on the sixteenth to share the pot with Alan Duckett. Elsewhere Garry Hookey struggled on his return and received the Booby Bevy for his efforts.
And so the final month of the low season ended in style for the PGS at Rayong C.C.
Too close to call at Bangpra
The Pattaya Golf Society travelled to Bangpra on Friday, 4th November in an attempt to lay the ghost of their last visit a few weeks ago when the course, though beautifully presented, had some of the toughest superfast greens ever seen there. The course was still in the same condition but the greens, thankfully, were slightly slower making grown men wince, not weep.
The course was well populated and the usual late morning high season start led to a long day for the two flights, cut at nineteen and under.
In the second flight Len Jones blew away an excellent twelve hole start with dropped shots on the back six holes to finish in third with 30 points, two behind Switzerland’s diminutive Fredy Braun whose tee and fairway shots show a vast improvement on his recent visit. Alpine air is obviously good for practice. The flight winner was again Margaret Wilkinson, this time recording 35 points on a course she usually performs well on.
The top flight saw Gary Bolger make his debut podium finish with 32 points whilst there was nothing between the joint winners Larry Slattery and Joe Niisato both on 36 points.
The ‘2’s pot was shared by Margaret Wilkinson (hole 2) and Jim Connolly (hole 17) and the Booby Bevy went to the day’s hero-to-zero, Mr Len after his six shot loss on the back nine.
Honour had been restored at Bangpra and the group eagerly looks forward to the next visit there, next month.
