IPGC Pattaya Golf Society at the Links Bar
On Monday, 22nd February, whilst the rest of the country celebrated Makka Buccha Day, the Pattaya Golf Society visited Rayong CC to play a stableford event from the white tees. The course was as good as it gets there with full fairways and slow greens but the bunkers were in need of a little tender loving care. Starting at the tenth the group, restricted to a single flight, made good progress.
Sharing third place were Masa Takano and Peter Wilson with 31 points and low scores were in prospect until Canadian Kevin McConnell returned a score of 37 points for a rare winning card under par at the course. Masa also scooped the ‘2’s pot for his efforts on the par three fifth.
At the low key presentation at The Links he organiser, Mr Len, recovering currently from an infected leg, selected Paul Greaves for the Booby Bevy low score and also thanked members Murray Edwards and Masa Takano for their efforts on the day.
It gets no better than this
The Pattaya Golf Society’s visit to Silky Oak on Wednesday, 24th February, was to prove to be a special day for one golfer in particular, but it is clear that the course has more appeal than it formerly had before the redesign at the end of last year and for the others in the field the day was enjoyable, if not especially “memorable”.
The single flight started normally enough and the lush fairways gave good lies almost everywhere. Greens were a little slow but there were few other complaints.
Scores here are traditionally good and three birdie ‘2’s on the somewhat “quirky” par threes gave Richard Dobson, Bryan Dore and John Chelo something to cheer. In the stableford event proper, Bryan Dore and Mike Firkin shared third place with solid 38 point returns whilst Canadian golfer John Chelo played his best round for a long while returning 39 points for second place. The Booby Bevy went to Tony Browne as a cure for his hydrophobia!
The winning round was something else however. Bearing 45 points, closer inspection showed a gross level par round by Russell Exley – his first ever level gross and it contained five birdies with only a couple of single or double bogeys. The quality of his golf was special and was a treat for his playing partners as well. Russell had not played for three weeks and was sceptical about the course but after today’s memorable round he may well revise his opinion before the group’s next visit. Quality stuff Russell and congratulations from all the lads.
Masa’s day at Emerald
A visit to Emerald on Friday, 26th February saw the golf week conclude for the Pattaya Golf Society. The course was in good condition and for the second successive visit an overbooked local group delayed the start by almost an hour. There’s a lesson there to be learnt by management and starters regarding being late on the tee and honouring bookings agreed six months in advance.
The group consisted of two flights with the cut at sixteen and in the second flight Dave Lehane took third place with 31 points, with Alan Walker making second with another steady 33 point return. The flight winner was Mike Firkin on his final round this trip, with 35 points. Mike’s golf has been excellent this holiday and he also generously sponsored some technicals for the day. Two were unused but Tony Browne was nearest the pin on hole number 7 whilst Dave Lehane took the honours on the thirteenth.
In the top flight Bryan Dore and Russell Exley shared second place with 34 points each whilst Masa Takano shot the day’s only sub-par round to take the flight with 37 points.
There were two birdie ‘2’s, with James Smith and Chris Norman sharing the spoils for their efforts on hole seven and the Booby Bevy low scoring winner was Keith Greaves who had been studying the ladies at Siam CC the day before. It had obviously affected his golf!
