IPGC Golf from The Haven
Monday, August 17, Bangpra – Stableford
CSS 75
1st Mike Hill (19) 32pts
2nd Lyle Blaw (10) 31pts
3RD Phil Cass (16) 30pts
4th Mike Dabanovich (12) 30pts
5th Stephen Beard (24) 28pts
A very entertaining but tough week of golf started out at the always difficult to score at Bangpra, where the ability to put the ball below the hole and close throughout the day determines the results for the round. As usual the scoring was well over par and but for another competition’s results on the same day, the CSS for the day would have not only gone out three strokes but would have also been non-counting for handicap review.
Shuichi Kodaka & Mike Hill.
The poor scoring could not be attributed to the condition of the course which was, as usual, in first class shape in all areas from tee to green.
Mike Hill had the best return in the Haven’s competition to take another win by the slimmest of margins ahead of Lyle Blaw, after the latter had started well but struggled over the inward half where the pin positions were particularly difficult to get at.
Phil Cass won a count back for third place with a better 15 to 14 to leave Mike Dabanovich in fourth as he also dropped too many over the last four holes. Stephen Beard rounded out the podium in fifth another couple behind after a very slow start to his round.
Once again there were no 2’s in either division.
Wednesday, August 19, Pattana A & C – Stableford
CSS 75
1st Jens Gunnarsson (13) 38pts
2nd Rod Crosswell (16) 33pts
3rd Barry Winton (7) 32pts
4th Mike Dabanovich (12) 31pts
T6th Shuichi Kodaka (16) 29pts
T6th Phil Cass (16) 29pts
After the trials of the previous outing, Pattana promised to be a much easier day for the hopefuls but once again the greens-keeping staff had managed to find some quite inaccessible places to position the holes, which made for another day when the CSS would go up, but on this occasion by just a couple against the par of 73.
Treasure Hill’s narrow tree-lined fairways.
Again the scoring could not be put down to the course as it was found to be in excellent condition with the greens particularly fast and flat and the fairways well tended, which together with the rough being cut to a uniform height made for another fair and good test of golfing ability.
Jens Gunnarsson took another win by two clear, after coming close a couple of times the previous week, to underline his recent good form and just ahead of his imminent departure to return to the sea. Having started well on the C course with a one under handicap he followed that up with another one under to take a very good win by five clear, even slipping in a couple of zero-pointers but ten pars and a birdie were the holes that counted and were best remembered in the post game wind down in the club’s excellent restaurant facility.
Rod Crosswell returned to some glory with a solid second place after he had started well but faded a little over the closing holes.
Barry Winton did well over the opening C course but a couple of wayward tee shots on the tenth and eleventh holes cost him his chance for the day and then the last three holes played havoc with his card, so a third place was as good as he could do but there were signs that the old game is returning after a long rest period.
Mike Dabanovich took fourth another shot back and two ahead of a count back between Shuichi Kodaka and Phil Cass, which Shuichi won with a better 14 to 12 to claim fifth spot.
Again there were no 2’s in either of the divisions
Friday, August 21, Treasure Hill – Stableford
CSS 73
1st Shuichi Kodaka (16) 35pts
2nd Phil Cass (15) 32pts
3rd Don Everett (19) 30pts
4th Jens Gunnarsson (13) 29pts
5th Stephen Beard (24) 28pts
Once away from the first hole at the scenic Treasure Hill course the player is confronted with nothing but a beautiful golf course surround by low hills and almost every hole is a picture, especially the par 3s. It is only marred too many times by trees in the middle of or hiding the fairways. With a bit a selective lumberjacking it would probably rate as the best looking course in the area.
For all its beauty however, Treasure Hill is not very well patronized, no doubt because it has always been an unrewarding course for scoring, being a little on the long side with some quite difficult small greens when faced with a long iron or even a wood into them. The management is doing its best by offering the best deal by far in the area but it would seem to be taking some time for the word to get around the golfing groups.
Shuichi Kodaka had an outstanding day today, even allowing for a couple of blobs on the front nine but he still managed to garner 16 points from the nine and followed up with an excellent 19 on the back to win by three clear. Once again the scores were not affected by the condition of the course, which again was found to be very good with special mention to be made of the fairways which were tip top.
Phil Cass took second place to add to his great return of the day in the 2’s as he finished the tricky last three holes with 8 points. Don Everett took third a couple of shots behind after he had started well but tired over the closing nine.
Jens Gunnarsson showed some of his form from earlier in the week but had too many not so good ones to be in contention and Stephen Beard took another fifth place after beginning with a very poor opening half and then scoring five three-pointers on the inward half.
Once again there were no 2’s in the first division but Phil Cass was successful in the second division, when he hit his seven-iron to four feet and stroked in the putt to clean out the overflowing rollover pot that had last been won over three weeks previously. On the same hole Terry Hodgkiss went very close in the same group, as did Shuichi Kodaka, who missed by a couple of inches to the left, and Stephen Beard who left a twelve-footer tantalizingly three inches short. Phil did the gentlemanly thing, by ringing the bell for the rest of the group following the presentations.
Note: If you would like to play with The Haven group, you can contact 038 710 988 or call in to The Haven Hotel, 185 Soi 13, situated 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 a Monday, Wednesday, and Friday on the days that you wish to play. If you would like to leave your golf clubs at The Haven, there are usually lockers available at a nominal charge. A schedule of courses to be played can be found on our web site at www.thehaven-hotel.com.
