PSC golf from Tropical Bert’s
Tuesday, April 1, Khao Kheow – Stableford
The first Tuesday of every month with our group involves a trip to play Khao Kheow. The question may be asked why?… and the answer is because this course is one of the best around and does not make you feel anything but welcome as you play there. This is also a really difficult test of golf so when you finish your round you know that if you played well you deserved your score.
The test for the day was to be the C & A Nines in that order, and seeing as how the players had ‘done good’ in the last couple of Tuesdays, I thought we would play off the yellow tees. This is a real test of golf and I really cannot understand how this layout is considered easier than 18 holes on many courses we play.
Mike O’Brien and Andre Van Dyk pose with hole in one exponent, Doug Maiko.
The C Nine was, I believe, an add-on after the original A & B Nines were finished and to my mind it is a little lesser than the other two. It does not feel quite as polished somehow, but that is not to say it is any easier. In fact for me this is the hardest of the three nines. And I started with two non-returns just to prove it. With the wind blowing fairly strong, the day turned out quite difficult.
The A Nine, stroke index wise, is classed as even more difficult than ‘C’ but it has a certain class. After a gentle start it turns quite difficult and the first par-3 is a real monster when the wind is against you, and as is usual, two from our four-ball went in the water and one in the bunker. Still, Mashi got on the green. Talking of the greens, they were quite good on this day, if a little testing.
Round over, and I have to say this was one of the hottest days I can remember for some time, it was into the welcome shower and up to the restaurant. The restaurant has a fine view and it is a pleasure to sit in it and relax after such a hot day. However it was soon time to return to Pattaya.
Back at Bert’s a little early it was time for the results and the scores were more like we expect from a tough day at Khao Kheow. In the A Flight, 0 to 17, the winner was Mark West with 35 points on count back over Brian Parish in second, while in third place was Maurice Roberts with 34.
In the B Flight, 18 up, the winner was Jim Ferris with 35 points ahead of a count back on 34 points that saw Tom Herrington in second and George King in third.
Near Pins: John Hackett, Max Scott, Dick Warberg, AVD
Long Putt: Walter Baechli, Derek Brook
Friday The 4 April 2014: Wangjuntr (Stableford)
With the long journey up to this course we had a smaller turnout than normal but with the decision to play the Valley Course here we still attracted enough to turn out a reasonable number. We have just reached the time of year when the low season starts and the Sports Days have started to come in. So the regulars who play with us, year in and year out, will still be there every week playing at low season rates.
Mark West and Jim Ferris with one of Bert’s finest.
So today we turned up at Wangjuntr to play the Valley 18 holes, this after playing the Highland 18 the last time we came here, and frankly were not very impressed with it. The Highland course is ‘spectacular’ but overly so.
We are more familiar with the Valley layout having played it a few times before and we remembered as being an enjoyable course. However, we also remember that the last time we played it poured down and the place was swamped. We hoped for better on this day.
Getting to the start here is quite easy and so we were soon underway. As said, the last time we played here the skies opened and we were hit with a deluge and today the skies threatened to do something similar. So it was with some trepidation that we teed off and hoped for a dry round.
Now the good news, there was not one player in our group who didn’t agree that this course was in really excellent condition and all had a very enjoyable round. The one minor hiccup was that the greens have two pins on each one and on the back nine there was some problem which to play to. It was a minor quibble as the greens were really good.
Of course we expected it was going to rain and it did, however it stopped after a short time and we were able to complete the round following a brief delay. The course drained very fast and did not unduly affect play. This is a fine course and well worth a visit.
Back at Bert’s it was soon time to give the results but not before we all realized that Doug Maiko had recorded a hole in one. After congratulating Doug, we announced the day’s winner who was Mike O’Brien with a mammoth 43 points, leaving the rest of the field in the dust. In second place was Andre Van Dyk, off his new ‘golfers’ handicap, having played so well of late, with 36 points and he won on count back over Dave Edwards in third. We then had another count back on 35 points that saw Andy Purdie in fourth and Jim Ferris in fifth.
Now believe it or not, Doug Maiko then bought all the golfers a drink. Now there is another first, more surprising even than a hole in one. Well done and thanks Doug! T.T.F.N.
Near Pins: Mike O’Brien, Mark West, AVD, Doug Maiko (hole in one)
