PSC golf Bunker Boys @ The Ranch
Monday, Oct. 21, Pattana C & A – Stableford
The morning was bright and breezy, but there was still only a small turnout of golfers for our visit to Pattana.
We arrived at the course to find it was in excellent condition, and the only visible sign of the recent downpours was that the lake in front of the clubhouse was empty! Our caddies informed us that the lake had been so full that water pressure broken through one of the retaining walls on the C course resulting in all the water draining out, and now major works are underway to repair the damage.
The John Preddy Memorial Trophy will be contested on November 22.
We elected to play from the white tees, which with a course length in excess of 6,700 yards presents a tough test but at least the fairways were dry enough to provide some roll for the ball.
The weather remained fine throughout the round, and although the clouds started to gather on the inward nine no rain came our way, so we were surprised when we returned to Pattaya to find there’d been heavy rain there for most of the day.
Andy Brady and his friend Bernie Ruschmeyer produced the best scores of the day, and a count back was needed to separate them, giving Andy his second win in four games which propelled him into the lead for the Golfer of the Month race.
1st Andy Brady (18) 34pts
2nd Bernd Ruschmeyer (12) 34pts
3rd Neil Hurst (12) 33pts
Near Pins: Andy Brady and Neil Hurst.
Wednesday, Oct. 23, Royal Lakeside – Stableford
Another beautiful morning, but a disappointingly small turnout for the longer trip than normal to the Royal Lakeside course. Despite today being a public holiday we had a reasonable deal for the green fee, but when we arrived at the course we were a little surprised at how busy it was, so maybe there were other deals around as well.
We teed off on schedule from the blue tees and it was immediately evident that the course was in great condition, and although it was busy, the round progressed smoothly. Playing from the blue tees produces a course distance slightly over 6,800 yards but there’s a good variety of holes here, so it doesn’t necessarily favour the longer hitters.
Geoff Parker produced one of his best performances for a while to comfortably take the top podium position despite having two blobs, resulting from bad course management, on the inward nine. Neil Hurst took second place after recovering from a poor front nine by scoring 22 points on the back nine.
Having spent the whole day under cloudless blue skies we drove into heavy rain on the outskirts of Pattaya and discovered that it had been a miserable afternoon there, so the longer trip had certainly been worthwhile.
1st Geoff Parker (14) 35pts
2nd Neil Hurst (12) 33pts
Near Pins: Andy Brady, Bernie Ruschmeyer and Geoff Parker.
Friday, Oct. 25, The Emerald – Stableford
We were forced into a late change of venue today when we arrived at our scheduled venue, the Navy course, to find there were no caddies available and a large queue of players waiting in the clubhouse. A quick phone call to Emerald secured us our required three tee times and we arrived at the course to find it empty, so we were very welcome late arrivals indeed!
The Emerald course is still recovering from major work on the fairways, but the large areas of GUR are now clearly marked and appear to be recovering rapidly. Generally the course was in perfectly playable shape, and we were well pleased to be able to enjoy a good game of golf at such short notice.
The weather was fine throughout, although a large black cloud appeared on the back nine, but fortunately passed by us without affecting the game.
Geoff Parker continued his good form from Wednesday, but a few missed putts on the inward nine allowed Gerry Cooney to take the honours on the count back (18 points on the back nine). Tony Robbins took third place also on a count back (19 points on the back nine) ahead of Neil Hurst.
A good week for Geoff Parker saw him take a narrow lead in the race for the Golfer of the Month title ahead of Neil Hurst, but Tony Robbins was the dark horse appearing on the rails with two games remaining.
1st Gerry Cooney (13) 36pts
2nd Geoff Parker (14) 36pts
3rd Tony Robbins (15) 35pts
Near Pins: Andy Brady, Bernd Ruschmeyer, Geoff Parker, and Gerry Cooney.
Note: The 8th Annual John Preddy Memorial Charity Golf Tournament will be held on the 22nd November 2013 at Crystal Bay Golf Club. Full details to follow in the coming weeks, players and sponsors may contact Buff on the numbers below.
The Bunker Boys is a PSC affiliated golf society, which now plays out of The Ranch bar on Pattaya 3rd Road (in front of the fire station, and almost opposite the Buffalo Bar). We play three times per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, so if you enjoy a fun day out, and a friendly but competitive golf competition why not come and join us.
We meet at The Ranch at 9 a.m. for breakfast and transportation, and new players are always welcome. Contact “Buff” on 086 046 5091 or 080 605 5663 for all enquiries. You can find all the news, schedules and results on our website at www. bunkersociety.com.
