Outback Golf Bar 3rd Syd LeBron Memorial Putter Tournament
Monday, August 26, Imperial Lake View Resort & G.C. – Day 1
Reports came in from the early arriving participants for the 3rd Syd LeBron Memorial Putter in Hua Hin spoke of poor weather conditions. However, when the main body of the 35 players arrived here during the course of Sunday afternoon, there was no sign of rain and General Jack predicted that the Outback will have good weather for golf during the week ahead as they always do.
The first round of the three day tournament was on the C & D nines of the Imperial Lake View Resort & Golf Club near Cha-Am, about 25 minutes drive North of Hua Hin; an impressive entrance off highway 4 opening up to many acres of grounds featuring extensive hotel facilities as well as two 18 hole golf courses. The greeting from the staff was warm and courteous and the Manager, K Worawuth was clearly very happy to see us.
Pottsy enjoys his NAGA reward.
We had the course to ourselves with nobody in front of us, resulting in a good pace of play for everyone. The front nine was tight with well bunkered small greens whilst the back nine in contrast was more open with massive greens and some long holes, particularly the last, a par 4, at 429yds and playing every bit of it.
Murray Hart led the way in Div A with a joint top score of the day 38pts, beating Andree Coetzee (36) and Aussie visitor Colin Hoole, playing off 2, with 34pts, and Gavin Perfect taking fourth spot with 33.
Denis Steele, the winner of Div B, matched the same 38pts with Steve Mann (36) in second followed home by Rosco, also on 36 and Kissy with 35.
Div C didn’t do quite so well with the scoring but the winner, Andy Makara (35pts) is quite accustomed to winning and he beat David Davies (34), John Player (34) and a name you rarely see, Jack Moseley with 33.
Suzi’s chances were scuppered the minute she looked at the card, if you guys think the ladies have an advantage on the Pattaya courses, they certainly don’t here; the red tees were set at 5939 yards!
John Lawton.
Finally, there were five ‘2’s which would be added to the overall ‘2’s pool on Thursday. Barry Copestake (3rd), John Player (7th) from off the green and Colin Hoole got three 3rd, 7th and 16th.
Div A (0-13)
1st Murray Hart (13) 38pts
2nd Andre Coetzee (6) 36pts
3rd Colin Hoole (2) 34pts
4th Gavin Perfect (12) 33pts
Div B (14-17)
1st Denis Steele (15) 38pts
2nd Stephen Mann (14) 36pts
3rd Rosco Langoulant (15) 36pts
4th Keith Buchanan (15) 35pts
Div C (19+)
1st Andy Makara (25) 35pts
2nd David Davies (25) 34pts
3rd John Player (18) 34pts
4th Jack Moseley (20) 33pts
Tuesday, August 27, Black Mountain G.C. – Day 2
So after the excellent day at Imperial Lake View, everybody was looking forward to Black Mountain today, a truly great course and not to be missed but it is getting very pricey but you can’t come to Hua Hin and not play it. In the high season, when we return here in March 2014, we will try to include it in the schedule, even if it’s the “day off” option.
Barry Copestake.
The weather was great again and as we drove up the approach road to the main course, the check in was swift and efficient with another new lady (Pookie) looking after the tour groups; she was keen to tell me the new booking rules and assures me that it will be the same price for everybody, not one price for us and another for Thais; Hmmmm, we shall see!
We teed off, about 20 minutes ahead of schedule from the “61” tee markers rated at 70.4/131 measuring only about 6100 yards (hence “61” marker). There were one or two murmurs of it (the course being short) but to move up to the “65” markers is a whole new ball game as the rating shoots up to 72.2/135; which would be a stern test for our average 19 handicapper.
Two fantastic scores today both 43’s; one from Steve Mann winning Div B by nine points over three players tied on 34, namely Bernie Stafford, Martin Kingswood and Rosco. The other 43pts came as a bit of a surprise from John Lawton playing in the last group with Jack, Dennis and Jim. John played really well even with the copious amounts of amber nectar, never missing a fairway and some great approach shots but he did leave a few putts out there. John’s best ever stableford points round. Well done mate!
The minor places in Div C were filled by Andy Makara, who won Monday, with 38, Dave Bowers with 37 and Barney on 35.
More excellent scores in Div A from Barry Copestake who won with 42pts from tournament favourite Andre Coetzee (41pts), Nigel Flanagan (37) and Muzza (35).
There were eight more ‘2’s today from: Martin Kingswood (3rd), Stephen Mann & David Trantham-Fryer (8th), Paul Bourke, Sugar Ray Handford & Keith Buchanan (11th) and Dennis Hills & Eddy Beilby on the 14th.
Div A (0-13)
1st Barry Copestake (12) 42pts
2nd Andre Coetzee (6) 41pts
3rd Nigel Flanagan (12) 37pts
4th Murray Hart (13) 35pts
Div B (14-17)
1st Stephen Mann (14) 43pts
2nd Bernie Stafford (14) 34pts
3rd Martin Kingswood (15) 34pts
4th Rosco Langoulant (15) 34pts
Div C (18+)
1st John Lawton (19) 43pts
2nd Andy Makara (25) 38pts
3rd Dave Bowers (19) 37pts
4th Barney Clarkson (23) 35pts
Thursday, August 29, Banyan G.C. – Day 2
As is usual with our Hua Hin tours, the last round is at the stunning Banyan course, perhaps not quite so efficient as in the past and with the change in policy which came into effect in May this year, you can now walk here with the cart a very expensive add-on! So the prices here are going up as well and are getting up towards the heady heights of Black Mountain; we’ll just have to wait and see what the high season will bring.
Hua Hin top three, from left: Andre Coetzee, Steve Mann and Barney Clarkson.
The weather was once again fantastic and the first tee was scheduled at 9.20 with the field going out in reverse order (leaders last) after two days. In the first group, a three-ball, was Suzi, Martin & Pottsy and guess what, John Lawton bought all three of them in the pre-tournament auction! At the other end of the field, the last group out was Steve Mann, Andre Coetzee, Andy Makara & John Lawton.
Jeff Calrow battled well for his 41pts to win Div A from Andre Coetzee (40pts) who had to step up his game to try to hang on to the shirt tails of Steve Mann (41pts), who won Div B, as the two of them went head to head for the overall win. Barry Copestake did well again for 37pts with three more on 36; Paul Bourke, Fidge Button and Gavin Perfect.
Rosco featured again in Div B for second place with 37, beating Denis Steele on count back and Micky Leighton claimed his first podium finish for fourth place on 35. Barney Clarkson, who had 25pts on the front nine, piled on another 17 on the back to register the day’s top score of 42 to easily win Div C by three from Nigel Cannon (39), Jim Payne and John Player both with 38.
General Jack, showed some signs of returning to the game after recording his best score of the week, 37pts after only scoring 3pts in the last four holes. He claimed he was nobbled by NY Steve!
So how did it all end up? Steve Mann got the overall win with the massive total of 120 points, just one off Ian Heddle’s record 121pts also in Hua Hin back in Aug 2010, and it was Steve’s third tour win, having won previously at Siem Reap and Chiang Mai.
Second was Andre on 117 and these two were a long way clear of the third place man, Barney who finished on 109 after shooting up from tenth place after the first two days.
The NAGA was awarded to Pottsy, who downed the beer in record time and Pottsy also won a very special prize, a pewter tankard for a near pin on the 11th hole at Black Mountain, presented by Nigel Cannon in memory of our good mate, Chad.
There were five more ‘2’s – Andre Coetzee had two on holes 4 & 5, Martin Kingswood had two on holes 4 & 15 and John Lawton on the 4th, making the total for the week, 18.
Div A (0-13)
1st Jeff Calrow (13) 41pts
2nd Andre Coetzee (6) 40pts
3rd Barry Copestake (12) 37pts
4th Paul Bourke (8) 36pts
Div B (14-17)
1st Stephen Mann (14) 41pts
2nd Rosco Langoulant (15) 37pts
3rd Denis Steele (15) 37pts
4th Mick Leighton (16) 35pts
Div C (18+)
1st Barney Clarkson (23) 42pts
2nd Nigel Cannon (22) 39pts
3rd Jim Payne (26) 38pts
4th John Player (18) 38pts
Overall 3-Day Scores
1st Stephen Mann, 120pts
2nd Andre Coetzee, 117pts
3rd Barney Clarkson, 109pts
4th Andy Makara, 107pts
5th Rosco Langoulant, 107pts
6th Murray Hart, 107pts
7th Barry Copestake, 106pts
8th Jeff Calrow, 106pts
9th Denis Steele, 106pts
Note: The Outback Golf Bar is situated about 6km from Sukhumvit Road along Soi Siam Country. Call Jack on 081 578 1956.
