Monday, October 10
Royal Lakeside Blue tees
1st Paul Smith (3) 38 points
2nd Niall Glover (13) 32 points
3rd Jack Best (12) 30 points
Near pins Dave Stockman, Les Cobban, & Jack Best.
After a weekend of torrential rain when Pattaya flooded for the fifth time in a month the prospects for golf looked grim. Rain was falling as we assembled at the Sports Lounge and as we drove to the course it looked to be getting heavier, however, as we neared the course the rain subsided and by the start of play, it had stopped completely. As the game progressed the sky turned blue and it became quite a pleasant day for golf.
The course was sodden in places and once again the search for plugged balls was on, many balls couldn’t be found and just about every ball was a mudball, the constant searching made for another slow round.
Playing off the blue tees at over six thousand six hundred yards proved difficult for all but the longest hitters as there was simply no run on the fairways. Curiously the opposite was true of the greens which were very hard and quick, many found great difficulty getting the ball to hold on the greens
One of the longest hitters Paul Smith didn’t seem to have any problems and returned a remarkable score of thirty-eight points to take first place. Niall Glover took second six strokes adrift with Jack Best rounding out the winner’s circle with thirty points. Jack also managed to bag himself a near-pin with Les Cobban and Dave Stockman also taking one each.
We were pleased to welcome back Ken Davidson for the high season and also newcomer Frazer Davie.
Wednesday, October 12
Burapha A & C Golf Club
1st Neil Griffin (27) 36 points
2nd Michael Brett (14) 35 points
3rd Mike Smith (21) 33 points.
Near pins Mike Smith, Paul Smith, & Michael Brett.
Most Pattaya golfers believe they live in Thailand. If some of the high season green fees being proposed recently are adopted courses will believe they now live in Disneyland. Some of the prices being suggested are simply outrageous, it’s hard to see how they will work for courses and may have the opposite of the desired effect. The Bunker Boys high season roster will look very different from that which we have used all year.
It was nice today to play in bright sunshine on a course that was dry, given recent weather, with only a couple of wet spots on the C-nine. A curious course today with the A and C nines chosen. The greens were a bit quick and bumpy on both nines. In his second game since his return, Niall Griffin added a first place to his second of last week with thirty-six points off a twenty-seven handicap, could be a cut in handicap is coming. Second place went to Michael Brett a stroke back after a poor finish when a good score looked there for the taking. Mike Smith took third two strokes back. Near pins went to Paul & Mike Smith with Michael Brett taking the third with one unclaimed.
Friday, October 14
Eastern Star Golf Club
1st Alan Bertram (14) 33 points
2nd Gary Smith (9) 31 points
3rd Mike Smith (21) 31 points
Near pins John Ryalls, Michael Brett, & Frazer Davie X 2.
Three days in a row when we had very pleasant conditions for golf with bright sunshine, no threat of rain, and a gentle breeze blowing. The Eastern Star course was quite busy today with the consequence we had a slow round of four hours and twenty minutes, not to everybody’s taste. The course was its usual difficult self which was reflected in the scoring.
A breakthrough win today for West Australia Alan Bertram who had a steady round of thirty-three points. Gary Smith beat Mike Smith on countback to take second both on thirty-one points. All the near pins were taken with one each to John Ryalls and Michael Brett with Frazer Davie taking two. Last game of this tour today for Jack Best who returns to work in the North Sea hopefully back again in March of next year.
We have a good number of members around Pattaya at present but for some reason, people are finding things to do other than golf, increasing prices may also be affecting numbers.
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