PSC golf from Tropical Bert’s
Wednesday, Oct. 24, Royal Lakeside – Stableford
This is a good day out, leaving at 0815 and getting back after 1700 hrs. It is a fair drive down there, but generally the days of bad roads are gone and we can now zip down there in about an hour. All in all it is a reasonable drive and the results are to play on a course that we usually do not.
Arriving there, the first thing you notice is the imposing clubhouse; and the booking in is quick and efficient. The route to the first tee is direct and we found we were off on time despite the fact that the course seemed to be reasonably well booked up.
Despite the heavy rain around the area of late, we found that course was in reasonable condition and that carts were allowed on the fairways. The fairways were fairly dry with only the odd soggy area, and the rough was a bit long, but after all, the rough is supposed to be nasty. Being there for most of my round I can confirm that it was rough. The greens varied greatly, from hard and fast to slow and green. Some were really hard, still if that was the worst to be said then the course was very playable.
Barry Oats and Paul Sharples with one of ‘Bert’s finest’.
Round over it was into the very smart and up market changing room, makes you feel comfortable, then into the restaurant where you realise why the clubhouse is so palatial. Mind, to sit there with such a fine view is worth a few baht. Then into cars and back to Pattaya. I remember surfacing a couple of times and seeing the rain coming down and the traffic backed up, but sitting in the back and ‘resting my eyes’, I felt refreshed on getting back to Bert’s.
With a going away party for Reg and Dot coming up, we got into the results. In the A Flight, 0 to 18, the winner was John Hackett with 40 points ahead of Ted Morris with 36 points and Mashi Kaneta with 34 points on count back over Steve Hamstad.
In the B Flight the winner was Graham Buckingham with 34 points ahead of a count back on 33 points that saw Joel Flor in second and Daryl Evans in third.
Near Pins: Brian Parish (2), Ted Morris, Mike Gaussa
Friday, Oct. 26, Crystal Bay – Stableford
This is always amongst my favourite courses; it was also fine to see we had a full turnout for the day. All except our esteemed Friday leader that is, who was not well and we wish him a quick recovery. Mind, as you get older we are all reminded we are all in the ‘Departure Lounge’.
So the course was fine and we were treated to a fine day out, we were even able to play with carts on the course which tells of the condition. Mind, in all honesty there was little run and the greens were either slow and damp or fast and slick. Still the weather was nice and we were able to get around as fast as we wanted.
Round over it was into cars and back to Bert’s, a little later than normal, then into the presentation. In the A Flight, 0 to 18, the winner was Paul Sharples with 38 points ahead of David Nicholson in second with 36 points on count back over Brian Parish in third. In fourth was Mashi Kaneta with 35 points.
In the B Flight the winner was Barry Oats with 43 points ahead of Joel Flor in second with 38 points. In third was Daryl Evans with 37 points and in fourth was Mick Coghlan with 34 points. T.T.F.N.
Near Pins: Brian Parish, Brian Gabe, Derek Brook, Colin Faraday
