Jomtien golf with the IPGC
Monday, March 18, Pleasant Valley – Stableford
It was our first visit here for some considerable time but they were offering a reduced green fee for groups of over 32 players so we gave it a try. There were no complaints afterwards regarding the condition of the course and the majority enjoyed the round and will look forward to a further visit here over the next five weeks.
Randy Flello, playing off 21, came in with 39 points to win division 2 ahead of his playing partner Don Head who was six points behind in second. Ernst Baumann took third place after beating Jim Connelly on a 12/11 back-nine count back after they both came in with 31 points each.
Lindsay Phillips, Jim Connelly, Harry Vincenzi and Gerry Cooke.
Sid Crawley, back with us for a few weeks before the marriage up north, won division 1 with 35 points and there were three scores of 34 next in: a back-nine count back saw Chris Voller take second, Wichai Tanunsorn third and Billy Fitzgerald just miss out.
Near pins went to Sid Crawley, Gerry Cooke, Don Head (2), Charlie Charalambous and Randy Flello (2).
In the ‘2’s competition, Ernst Baumann birdied the eighth to take a rollover in division 2 and Sid Ottaway did the same on the 13th for the only ‘2’ in division 1 today.
Wednesday, March 20, Pattana – Stableford
There were 6 cancellations on the start sheet since Monday and four more overnight and we were down to seven four-balls, but this caused no problems with the organisation here today. As we arrived for our 10 a.m. tee-off time we saw that the course was empty so we teed off 25 minutes ahead of schedule, starting on the B course with the C to follow.
As we stood on the first tee it was very hot for this time of the day and the caddies told us there had been torrential rain here the day before. Our first group reached the fourth tee and found the fairways to be sodden, with mud on the ball after every shot, so we employed the ‘pick ,clean and place’ ruling on the fairways and fringes from the fourth hole onwards.
Playing off the white tees and a 16 handicap, and with his best round for a long time, the telephone box boy Dennis Scougal won division 1 with 38 points. Lindsay Phillips came home in second place one point behind and there were huge cheers at the presentation at Siam Cats as Chris Voller beat ‘Speedy Gonzalez’, alias Bryan Rought on an 18/17 back nine count back after they both came in with 35 points.
In his last game before returning home, Randy Flello won division 2 with 34 points after edging Glenn Martin on a 20/18 back-nine count back. Eiichi Matsumoto beat John Walsh 18/17 on another count back to claim third spot after they both returned scores of 31.
The Irish racehorse entrepreneur, Gerry Cooke, birdied C7 and Chris Voller B3 to split the ‘2’s pot in division 1 while Kari Aarnio’s ten foot putt on C2 was the only birdie ‘2’ in division 2.
Near pins were won by Tony Kay, Jerry Sweetnam, Harry Vincenzi, Randy Flello, Eiichi Matsumoto (2) and Jeff Van Uffelen. On C2 in division 1, Jerry Sweetnam and Bryan Rought were exactly the same distance from the pin so they shared the pot on this hole.
Friday, March 22, Eastern Star – Stableford
It was an extremely hot day here, without any breeze at all, and these conditions prevailed for most of the round. The Korean tourists have disappeared now and with only one group out in front of us, our first four-ball went round in just under four hours.
There were a few comments after the round that there is still work needed to be done on the 13th and 18th greens. Our last game will be Friday March 29 and then a weeks closure here where we will be playing Greenwood on April 5, and then back to Eastern Star on Monday 8th as it is a holiday with a 36 hole competition, including Friday 12th – all extra prizes for these two games come courtesy of the rollover kitty.
The cut today was 8-16 in division 1 and Bill Bertram, scoring 22 points on the back nine, won the division with 40 points. Chris Voller was second, beating Karl Flood on a 17/16 back nine count back after they both scored 33 points.
John Walsh topped the division 2 standings with 35 points ahead of Frank Kelly in second one point behind and Sid Ottaway took third on 32.
There were no ‘2’’s today so two rollovers in division 1 and one in division 1 to Eastern Star next Friday.
Finally, we said Bon Voyage this week to Jerry McCarthy.
