PSC golf from The Bunker Bar
Monday, Jan. 10, Bangpakong – Stableford
One of our infrequent (but always enjoyable) visits to the Bangpakong Riverside course attracted a number of new faces to join the regular golfers.
Although the course was in excellent condition, it turned out to be surprisingly busy, and a significantly longer round than usual was the inevitable result. Since the management decided to switch the playing order of the two nines, they appear to have created a problem on the first par three, where our first group arrived to find five groups waiting on the hole. How this can occur on what is now the fourth hole defies any logic, but is a very real problem.
Rab McDonald – winner at Crystal Bay on Friday.
Despite the slow pace, some great scores were returned, none better than Barry Murnin who ran away with the B Flight on 41 points.
At over 6,800 yards this course is longer than most others we play, and generally favours the longer hitters, but no less than eight golfers returned scores better than their handicap.
Colin Greig, Mike Corner, Rishi and Patrick Kelly picked up the near pin prizes.
A Flight
1st Barry Pussell (6) 39pts
2nd Colin Greig (11) 37pts
3rd Patrick Kelly (3) 37pts
B Flight
1st Barry Murnin (17) 41pts
2nd Richard Baldotto (25) 37pts
3rd Jack Robertson (25) 37pts
Wednesday, Jan. 12, The Emerald – Stableford
We arrived at Emerald to find the course to be busy, although we were able to tee-off just a few minutes after our allocated tee time. As at Banpakong previously, the first par three always creates a hold up and our first group arrived at the tee to find three groups waiting there. After completing another 5 hour plus round, both flights were won with a score of 40 points, with Tony Robbins winning the A Flight and Nile Sheehan taking the honours in the B.
Special mention should be made of Colin Stokes who was having his best round for quite some time, with a score of 28 points after 13 holes, who then went into self-destruct mode, scoring only one more point on the last 5 holes, to disappear down the order in spectacular fashion.
Near Pin winners were Colin Greig, Simon Smith, and Marion Melia (2).
A Flight
1st Tony Robbins (12) 40pts
2nd Tony Berry (10) 37pts
3rd Colin Greig (11) 34pts
B Flight
1st Nile Sheehan (23) 40pts
2nd Ken Elmore (18) 37pts
3rd Eddie Kelly (17) 35pts
Friday, Jan. 14, Crystal Bay A & B – Stableford
Several of our less active golfers attempted to book buggies on the morning of the golf, only to discover that none would be available. Ominous signs indeed and the obvious conclusion was that the Koreans were here. On arrival at the course we discovered that this was indeed the case and that not only were there no buggies, but there weren’t enough caddies available either!
After a slight delay caddies were brought over from the nearby Mountain Shadow course, and the round got underway behind a trio of Korean five-ball groups. Progress wasn’t actually as slow as everyone feared, and eventually the round was completed in about five hours.
Rab McDonald was the only golfer able to beg, borrow or steal a buggy, and took full advantage to come in with the day’s best score of 37 points. No other golfer was able to match or better their handicap on what turned out to be a difficult day, which left most regulars wishing for the return of the low season.
Near pins were claimed by Colin Greig, Hugh O’Donnell, Jerry Waselenkoff and Peter Mace.
A Flight
1st Rab McDonald (13) 37pts
2nd Gordon Melia (14) 33pts
3rd Jerry Waselenkoff (15) 32pts
B Flight
1st Daryl White (18) 34pts
2nd Geoff Parker (17) 33pts
3rd Ken Elmore (18) 33pts
