Monday, March 27
Khao Kheow B & A Golf Course
1st Puk Collinge (22) 39 points
2nd Al Collinge (25) 37 points
3rd Kob Glover (14) 36 points
4th Michael Brett (17) 36 points
Near pins Bil Richardson, Les Cobban, Mike Smith, & Mick McMahon.
A pleasant surprise greeted us today at Khao Kheow where we found the all-in fee reduced to fourteen hundred baht, finally sanity is returning to golf course pricing. Another scorcher with temperatures in the high thirties, so carts were very welcome, without them fatigue would have been a major factor.
The B nine was a good starting point as it’s probably the easiest of the three nines. Scoring was of a decent standard with everybody on the winners list acquitting themselves well. A family affair at the top of the list where Puk Collinge with thirty-nine points took first place beating husband Al into second place by two strokes. Kob Glover took third on countback from Michael Brett, both on thirty-six points. All the near pins were taken with one each going to Bil Richardson, Les Cobban, Mike Smith, and Mick McMahon.
Wednesday, March 29
Green Valley Golf Course
1st Mike Smith (18) 36 points
2nd Kob Glover (14) 34 points
3rd Paul Smith (5) 33 points
Near pins Niall Glover, Mike Smith, & Paul Smith.
The third visit to Green Valley this month where we found particularly blustery windy conditions. The course was dry as expected although some serious rain clouds could be seen in the not-too-distant skies, luckily the rain stayed away, although the course would have benefited greatly from a good drenching.
The course was not busy so we were able to tee off ahead of schedule and finish in good time. Today’s winner, Mike Smith never shoots the lights out but adopts a steady-as-she-goes approach which paid dividends with a very respectable score of thirty-six points. Despite her handicap continuing to fall Kob Glover remains very competitive and took second place with thirty-four points with Paul Smith rounding out the scoring in a small field with thirty-three points. Remarkably Green Valley seems to be a course where we never get all the near pins, this time the delinquent hole was the fifth, not as in the previous visits where the thirteenth proved too much for everybody, the holes won went to Mike Smith, Niall Glover, and Paul Smith.
We have two more rounds booked for Green Valley next month before it closes for major renovations, by then we hope that other courses are starting to apply low season pricing, currently, Green Valley at nine hundred baht walking is the best value golf in the district.
Friday, March 31
Emerald Golf Course
1st Bil Richardson (16) 36 points
2nd Paul Smith (5) 34 points
3rd Michael Brett (17) 32 points
Near pins Bil Richardson, & Kob Glover.
It feels like Pattaya has emptied of tourists during March, at least dozens of Bunker Boys have departed. In the coming weeks, we expect another influx of visitors. Being hot as it is now in Pattaya it seems a reasonable idea to seek more temperate climes.
Today was another hot and windy day at Emerald for the last game of March. The course was showing a lot of wear and would benefit greatly from some of the thunderstorms that the weather bureau is promising, we are being told to expect rain over the weekend so hopefully, it will come and freshen up all the courses in the area.
One of the quickest rounds for a very long time, we were back in the clubhouse and showered by 2.15 pm which left a long interval to presentation time. A mixed bag of scores with Bil Richardson taking first place with thirty-six points. Paul Smith took second with thirty-four, and Michael Brett took third with thirty-two. Geoff Parker started his round on fire with nine points on the first three holes but faded out over the remaining holes to finish fourth with thirty-one. Remarkably only two near pins were taken with one each to Kob Glover and Bil Richardson.
