IPGC golf from The Links
Sunday, May 13, Green Valley – Stableford
On the day the title went to Manchester for the first time in 44 years, 11 players, including the customary Manchester United fan from Droitwich, made the weekly trip to Green Valley. The conditions were hot and windy to start, with the back 9 scores generally better as the wind dropped and the temperature cooled.
We teed off on time, and with a good pace of play throughout and no on course hold-ups, the rounds were completed in around 4 hours. The course is still generally in good condition, but a few bare patches are showing on some fairways.
Cliff North.
Cliff North, now playing more regularly as work commitments allow, continued his recent improvement, to record his first win with the group and his best score yet in Thailand, with 40 points. Haven regular Vincent Gras, joining the Links for the first time, finished second with 34 points, two ahead of Frank McGowan, who capitalized on Jon Battys out of bounds at the last, to claim third on a 19-17 card playoff.
Again there were no ‘2’s, so a triple rollover goes to Pattana on Tuesday.
1st Cliff North (21) 40pts
2nd Vincent Gras (18) 34pts
3rd Frank McGowan (16) 32pts
4th Jon Batty (8) 32pts
Tuesday, May 15, Pattana – Stableford
Only 9 players today, to play the C&B loops on what remains one of the best conditioned courses in the area. Due to the handicap profile of the group, we decided to tackle the tough track off the shorter yellow tees, a decision which proved the right one as conditions remained very windy throughout, making scoring very difficult.
Cliff North was again in the places, scoring 20 points on the tough B9 after only managing 10 points on the front. Fellow suffering Leeds fan, Gary Warren claimed second place with 31 points, three points behind Jon Batty.
Joe Mcardle was perhaps the happiest man in the group, his 2 on the B9 island third scooping the triple rollover pot.
1st Jon Batty (8) 34pts
2nd Gary Warren (16) 31pts
3rd Cliff North (21) 30pts
Thursday, May 17, Crystal Bay – Stableford
Almost the same group as Tuesday travelled to Crystal Bay, to tackle the A&B courses. Conditions were overcast and cool, with sporadic light rain and little wind, which made for almost perfect golfing conditions, reflected in the generally high standard of scoring. The course has benefited from the recent rain, making the fairways and rough quite lush, and the greens excellent with the exception of a couple on the B9.
Victory again went to ‘Mr. Consistency’, Jon Batty, who came back in one over gross for 38 points, beating Ted Morris, who unfortunately had done his good work on the front 9, on count back. Tuesdays ‘2’s beneficiary, Joe McArdle, finished third on 34 points.
The ‘2’s went to Gary Warren, and Geoff Potter, playing his final round with the Links before returning to the UK to watch his son compete in “Britain’s Got Talent” this Saturday.
1st Jon Batty (8) 38pts
2nd Ted Morris (16) 38pts
3rd Joe McArdle (12) 34pts
Note: The Links depart from the hotel on Soi Buakhao at 9.30am on Tuesdays and Thursdays and for Rayong Green Valley every Sunday. Sign up at the hotel or contact Jon on 080 021 1034. A full schedule of courses can be found on the IPGC website www.ipgc.org.
