Monday, July 11th
Pattana B & C.
Bill Richardson (13) 35 points
2nd Jay Babin (20) 33 points
3rd Jimmy Carr (18) 32 points
Near pins Bill Richardson, Graeme Mullins, & Craig Dows X 2.
A very soggy Pattana course for the first game of the week where we were allocated the B & C nines. The B nine had been closed for several months so it was a nice change to play again although the first is one of the toughest starting holes of any course with water on both sides of the fairway. After a big outcry following our last visit when we played off the yellow tees, today we played from the whites. With the added distance, a very strong wind, and no run on the fairways this was the perfect cocktail for low scores which most were. It was curious that some played pick, clean, and place, whilst others didn’t, a little clarity before the start of play would have been useful.
Bill Richardson took the honours today with thirty-five points, Jay Babin got second on thirty-three points with Jimmy Carr rounding out the scoring on thirty-two. Craig Dows was in a winning position on the back nine, however, he committed the cardinal sin of taking his phone onto the course, got distracted in pursuit of after-golf entertainment, and subsequently fell away, no doubt Paul Smith would have a few choice words to say about that. He did however grab two near pins with one each going to Graeme Mullins and Bill Richardson.
Wednesday, July 13th
Greenwood A & B. Stroke.
1st Craig Dows (4) Net 70
2nd Niall Glover (12) Net 70
3rd Geoff Atwell (22) Net 75
Near pins Niall Glover X 3.
A dull and dreary day for the medal round of the month at Greenwood where we played the A & B nines. The threat of rain was ever-present and a few drops did fall, but luckily we got in dry, on the way back to Pattaya the rain hit big time with some flooding in places. The course was very wet in places so we played pick, clean, and place from the get-go. Very few people on the course meant a speedy round, with everybody back at the bar in time for “The state of Origin” for the rugby league aficionados.
Craig Dows must have learned his lesson from Monday by not bringing his phone onto the course, consequently was able to give his full attention to his game and top-scored with a very good net seventy beating out Niall Glover on countback. Niall had a sparkling game with puts dropping from all angles, a measure of how good he was today can be seen by the fact he got all three near pins with one unclaimed. Geoff Atwell claimed third place with a net seventy-five.
Friday, July 15th
Eastern Star
1st Gerry Cooney (18) 38 points
2nd Kob Glover (19) 35 points
3rd Michael Brett (14) 34 points
Near pins Niall Glover, Craig Dows, & Geoff Atwell.
Eastern Star was scheduled to be played at the end of the month but with a shortage of caddies at our appointed venue Silky Oak we swopped them around. The course overall was in excellent condition, the greens were very quick today. We had a couple of blow-ins today, Luc Albert from Ottawa and Aaron Hankins from California who seemed to enjoy the day very much and got into the spirit of Thai golf.
Just like a good red wine getting better with age the same could be said of Gerry Cooney who took first place today with an excellent thirty-eight points off an eighteen handicap on a course where anything over thirty-six is a very good score. Gerry is now the oldest Bunker Boy still playing, and clearly doing it in style. Kob Glover took second place with thirty-five points, whilst Michael Brett had a good front nine but the putter went cold on the back finishing with thirty-four in third place. There is a bit of a conspiracy going on in the near pin department where one particular player seems to constantly be edged out despite getting close, today only three near pins were taken going to Craig Dows, Niall Glover, and Geoff Atwell.
The Aussies are lining up for the departure lounge with Mullows (Graeme Mullins) the first to leave this weekend soon to be followed by Craig Dows and a bit later Robby Watts, fortunately, all will be returning before too long, the first will be Craig as soon as he finds a home for his dog, is anybody in Melbourne looking to adopt a dog?.
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