PSC Golf from The Tropical Golf Group
Tuesday. Jan. 20, Greenwood – Stableford
Once again a full list met at BJ’s for the trip to Greenwood where we found we were to play the B & C nines, not in fact a bad 18 holes. The weather was quite good except for ‘that wind’ that always seems to be around these days.
The fairways on the B Nine were in good condition and the greens were hard and fast. Of course the wind played havoc but we moved along nicely and were around the front nine in good time. Now to the C course, to me this is always the most difficult nine and so it proved on this day. Teeing off on C1 we were straight into the strong wind, which proved a start to a difficult nine holes. Mind, the greens were still in fine condition and the fairways were well defined and in good shape.
Mashi Kaneta (centre left) with his Monthly Mug poses with Tom Cotton (left), Landis Brooks (right) and one of BJ Holiday Lodge’s finest.
Back at BJ’s in Pattaya we got into the results. In the A Flight, 0 to 19, the winner was Richard Kubicki with 36 points just ahead of a count back on 35 points that saw Mashi Kaneta in second and Brian Parish third. We then had a four-way count back on 34 points that saw Dick Warberg in fourth ahead of Mark West, Eddie Kost and Gerd Riedlar.
In the B Flight, the winner was Tom McDowell with the best score of the day, 37 points, ahead of Don Carmody in second with 36. In third was Gordon Clegg with 34 points ahead of a count back on 33 that saw Barry Elphick in fourth and Torsten Bischoff losing out.
Near Pins: John Davis, Simone Meitzel, Eddie Kost, Keiche Kasame
Long Putts: Mashi Kaneta, Torsten Bischoff
Friday, Jan. 23, Pattaya C.C. – Medal
Anticipation was high this Friday as the Tropical Golf Group kicked off the first Monthly Medal Mug competition, which will be held around the last Friday of each month, and every golfer wanted to claim the inaugural prize.
We don’t get a chance to play stroke play often and while some prefer it and others don’t, there is no denying the strategy is a little different. Risk & reward are more carefully considered because without the option of getting a “blob” for a hole it’s important to avoid big numbers to stay in contention.
The course was in fair shape with greens showing less patchwork but the fairways are still on the hard side and all tee areas were heavily sanded. Still the course was quite playable. Caddies say the clubhouse will open “next month” but acknowledged they have been saying that for several of them already.
In the Mug there can only be one first time first place winner, and boy what a win it was! Let’s congratulate Mashi Kaneta (15) for shooting an amazing net 63 to obliterate the field and prevent anyone else even thinking how the Mug might have been theirs. Great golf Mashi! Did anyone check to make sure he played all 18?
There were many fine scores for the day and though they might not be in the same league as Mashi’s, they showed some good golf was played. In A-Flight (0-20), first place went to Landis Brooks (9) with a net 73. Next came count back time with Kei Kasami (7) prevailing over Bob Edwards (10) and then Doug Maiko (15) – all with net 75. Poor Brian Parish had the same net 75 but there are only so many prizes.
B-Flight (21+) revealed Tom Cotton (25) as the winner with a fine net 68, followed by John Merritt (28) who beat Don Carmody (26) on count back, both with net 73’s. Kurt Ebenthever (35) was fourth with a net 74.
Near Pins: Graham Buckingham, Barry Elphick, Kei Kasami, Tom Herrington.
Long Putts: Brian Parish, Maurice Roberts.
