IPGC golf from The Haven
Monday, July 7, Mt. Shadow – Stableford
CSS 74
1st Mike Dabanovich (13) 34pts
2nd Mark Armstrong (27) 33pts
3rd Keith Emerson (11) 33pts
4th Paul Ovens (15) 33pts
5th Trevor Schirmer (15) 32pts
Another tough week on the local courses started at the always difficult Mountain Shadow where the greens are about as difficult as any in the area, especially when they have been cut down, as was the case on this occasion.
Mike Dabanovich returned to Pattaya after a long stint near the desert and took no time in getting back into the groove to take the win, albeit by the slimmest of margins, and this in spite of a couple of blobs collected on the inward stretch.
Jon Batty.
Two of his playing partners, Keith Emerson and Paul Ovens, featured in a three-way count back for second place but lost out to Mark Armstrong, as the latter scored 21 after a very poor start to the day. Keith finished in second place with 17 on the back nine with Paul in fourth on 16 points. Paul was quite disappointed that he could not play off his other handicap, which was three strokes more, as he would have would have won the day with a couple of shots to spare.
Trevor Schirmer rounded out the podium another shot back, having had a daytime nightmare on the inward half that included two zeros and four 1-pointers. But some of the rest of the round was to be savoured as it also included three 4-pointers and three 3-pointers, a real helter-skelter of a day.
Once again there were no 2’s in the first division but Alan Leighton slipped in the lone one in the second division to sweep the pool.
Before the presentations were made there were welcomes for new members Alan Leighton and John O’Brien together with welcome backs for Don Everett, Paul Ovens and Mike Dabanovich. There were also farewells for Keith Emerson and Mark Armstrong.
Wednesday, July 9, Khao Kheow B & C – Stableford
CSS 72
1st Jon Batty (10) 34pts
2nd Peter Buckley (20) 32pts
3rd Graham Davis (7) 30pts
4th Don Everett (19) 29pts
5th Trevor Schirmer (15) 28pts
Another day of wet fairways and blustery winds kept the scoring low once again on the Pete Dye designed Khao Kheow, where the B and C courses were the two chosen to be played.
Mike Dabanovich.
For the second time in the week none of the hopefuls could match par where the day’s test was the longest of the combination nines and where the C course proved to be the most difficult to score from, with the very difficult par-three eighth hole playing at an average of 4.5. Even Jon Batty, the day’s winner, failed to score on it while collecting three points from each of the seventh and ninth holes, but he had done just enough on the front nine to keep the rest of the field at bay and hold on for the first of his wins in the week.
Peter Buckley ran him the closest, two shots adrift in second place as he failed to score on both of the last two holes on the C course, but he had started exceptionally well at two under handicap for the front half, so still managed to keep Graham Davis back in third after the latter could garner just two points from the same two holes.
Don Everett had to settle for fourth place after he had too many dropped shots going out, but he recovered well enough to keep Trevor Schirmer back in fifth as he too struggled to get to terms with the conditions of the day.
Very surprisingly once again there were no 2’s in the first division and also none in the second division.
Prior to the presentations there was a welcome back for the ATM, also know as Trevor Edge, who had been sorely missed over the past months but he was in top form paying out once again to all comers.
Friday, July 11, Greenwood A & C – Stableford
CSS 73
1st Jon Batty (10) 37pts
2nd Markku Tynell (23) 33pts
3rd Trevor Schirmer (15) 33pts
4th Graham Davis (7) 30pts
5th John O’Brien (9) 30pts
6th Mike Dabanovich (13) 30pts
The longest journey of the week took the group to Greenwood where once again the wind was a major factor, but the fairways were in very good condition considering the recent amount of rain in the area and allowed a fair amount of roll. As always however the fairway bunkers, which are generally very steeply faced, needed to be avoided as an errant shot into any one of them from the tee was likely to cost a shot on the hole.
Jon Batty played a very tight game from the tee and managed to get it around the whole course without visiting one of the fairway bunkers, which resulted in a card without a zero blemish and a leeway of three shots to take his second win of the week with easily the best score of the week.
Markku Tynell, who had otherwise a very quiet week, won a count back over Trevor Schirmer for second place with a better 5 to 4 score on the last three after they had tied the back nine on 17 and the back six on 10 points each.
Graham Davis was still struggling to play to his handicap after a week’s acclimatisation but he did just enough to take fourth place after winning a three-way count back with a better 17 as John O’Brien placed fifth with 16 points and Mike Dabanovich slipped back to his old form with 15 to end up in sixth spot.
Once again there were no 2’s in the second division but Jon Batty almost unbelievably scored one on the 200 yard third hole on the C course, to take the first division multi rollover pool. This on a day when there was just one three on that hole from the rest of the field with the most popular score being a four in addition to a few fives.
Back at The Haven there were welcomes for new members Matt Loarian and Samson Beard, playing with the group for the first time, but well know to the regular players as members of staff, together with a welcome back for Stephen Beard, recovering from his recent surgery but not quite able to complete the course on this occasion. There was also a farewell for John O’Brien who was returning to County Clare for some quite different Irish west coast golf.
Note: If you would like to play with The Haven group, you can contact mobile 094 567 5726 or call in to The Haven Hotel, at 185 Soi 13, between Beach Road and 2nd Road. All transportation to the course is arranged and you do not need to sign up prior to the day, but you should be there by 8.15 on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday on the days that you wish to play. A schedule of courses to be played can be found on our web site at www.thehaven-hotel.com.
