The Pattaya Golf Society (IPGC) at Rabbi’s Elephant Bar
The Pattaya Golf Society began the week on Makha Bucha Day, Monday 25th February, with a visit to Rayong CC to play a stableford competition on the enigmatic course. The golfers were met with no caddies, an increased fee and a scruffy course which now has a cart restriction. “Grin and bear it” was the advice and few were grinning by the end of a long day.
For the record the best scores were posted by Mike Earley (31), Toshihiro Aoki (32) and Dave Moriarty (33). There were no birdie ‘2’s and the Booby Bevy went to Alan Walker for his 21-9 point split. It was altogether a day best forgotten.
Vic puts on a show
Eastern Star had its turn to host the Pattaya Golf Society on Wednesday, 27th February, for a medal round on another enigmatic track. The course was not in good condition with fairways in need of some “TLC” and greens sporting newly turfed areas making accurate putts a challenge.
Scores inevitably reflected course conditions with Larry Slattery and Dave Moriarty sharing third place with net 78. For Larry it could have been much better had it not been for the adventurous embarrassments on the par five hole number eleven. One shot better was Peter Ditz on 77.
The winner with his best performance with the group in more than six years was Vic Barton whose game plan was simple. Long gone was the power and exuberance of youth, to be replaced by canny accuracy off the tee and unnerving precision onto the greens giving him the advantage. He finished with a score of net 67 to become the only PGS golfer to break par on the course in seven visits!
Such is the challenge at Ban Chang’s alternate course these days. There were no birdie ‘2’s and the Booby Bevy went to Tim Davies for his hero-to-zero efforts after a fine performance a few days earlier. Times are tough at Eastern Star with the greens the way they are at present and sadly there is no miracle cure for the once proud course.
Big win for Kiwi Flynn
After playing courses recently which have disappointed in their conditions, the Pattaya Golf Society put all the frustration behind them as the group visited Bangpra on Friday, 1st March, to play a stableford competition. The course was in magnificent condition with wickedly fast greens and a slight discount and an early start gave the golfers in the two flights a great boost.
The cut was set at seventeen and under and in the second flight Pat Murphy, sporting his very “new” knee, showed he is ready to take to the course again with 29 very well crafted points which gave him third place. In second place with his best individual finish in two months was Mr Len with 30 points, another sign, if one were needed, that he is overcoming his physical problems at last. The flight winner, fit and full of it, was Vic Barton who has enjoyed a fine week ending on level par 36 points.
In the top flight third place went to Robbie Taylor with 32 points and second went to Rick Schramm on 35 points with the best gross figures of the day also. The winner, with the best PGS score at Bangpra for a few visits, was Kiwi golfer Alan Flynn, currently sweeping all before him, with a fine 41 points. He also shared the ‘2’s pot with Jim Ferris, birdying the second whilst Jim’s came on the seventeenth.
Rabbi’s free beer draw was won by Dave Plaiter and the Booby Bevy went to Jimmy Cloy after his 15-7 split. Beautiful Bangpra, good golf, and the luxury of Khun Peung’s birthday party back at Rabbi’s ensured the week ended on a high for the PGS.
