PSC Golf from the Billabong Golf Bar
Monday, Dec. 7, Phoenix – Stableford
Phoenix was the venue today and what a pleasure it was, the temperature was just perfect as it should be at this time of the year, not too hot and not muggy. The course was in great condition as usual with just one or two greens that were not quite as good as normal, but saying that the traffic on them has been very high as the Lakes side is not open as yet.
It must be said that this course doesn’t give anyone a free go at it. By that I mean you don’t see the scores here in the 40s very often and today was no exception with a count back for 4th, 3rd and 2nd all on 37 points. Fourth place went to J.J. Harney, third to Ivor Smith and second to Charlie Brown, but the top spot was taken by John O’Flynn with 38 points playing off scratch and shooting 70 gross.
The Players Lounge team – winners of the 2015 Absent Friends scramble.
There were four ‘2’s, coming from Lloyd Shuttleworth, Dave Smith, Paul Blackshaw and John O’Flynn who nearly holed out.
Wednesday, Dec. 9, Green Valley – Stableford
The Billabong has been consistent recently in criticizing Green Valley for having the pins in the same positions week after week. But this week we are in the happy position to be able to compliment and thank the management for not only moving the holes, but to have them in different quarters of the green. This makes playing golf so much more enjoyable. Additionally, three or four plastic inserts were marginally below the surface of the green.
What a great day for golf. Not too hot (for Thailand), clear blue skies and the course in excellent condition with 49 Billabong golfers turning up to play. The greens here have recovered well with a full covering of grass and rolling nicely as evidenced by some good scores.
One thing to bring to the reader’s notice at this point is an achievement that we all aspire to: Mal Roberts, 72 years old and playing off a handicap of 3 presented Capt. Bob with a net score of 67, scoring 70 gross to beat his age.
There were some familiar names on the ladies podium but a recent recruit to the Billabong, Miss Karn finished third with 33 points. Miss Eng took second spot with 34 points but the consistent Miss Nu was the best of the day with 36.
Scoring less than 40 points in the men’s competition put you amongst the also-rans today with Bob Newell taking fifth place with 40 points, losing out to Jim Bell on a count back. Jim Grieve had high hopes with his 41 points but Mal Roberts edged him into third on another count back, his 23 points on the back nine equating to 33 off the stick – amazing! Meanwhile, Peter Shuttleworth demolished the field with 45 points to take the win.
Neil Carter returned a 40 point score but had only 16 on the back nine to miss out on a podium place completely.
Putting appeared to be easy today with seven ‘2’s going to Kevin Hamilton, Auke Engelkes, Peter Shuttleworth, John Locke, Mal Roberts, Dave Hutcheson and Miss Eng. But do not mention putting to Sel Wegner whose putter has now been condemned to the graveyard!
Friday, Dec. 11, Plutaluang – 4M Scramble
Once again it was time to remember our mates who have passed away, and what a day it was. We started at 6.30 am for Bloody Mary’s at the Billabong with Graham Beaumont doing the mixing, the more it went on the more vodka he put in and it got more untidy as the day went on, but guys we remembered you with a flash and bang.
Thank you to the management and staff of Plutaluang Golf Club for looking after us and making the day so successful. With 19 groups playing the ease with which we got onto the course was just fantastic.
Thinking that the team to beat was Lumpy, Noodle, Becky and Karen we were all gunning for them, but it wasn’t to be as they were overtaken by the Player’s Lounge guys with an unbelievable score of 54.3, taking the four Billabong golf bags with the Absent Friends 2015 logo on them.
Second place went to George Barrie, the Shuttleworth brothers and Plae Mattawong with a net score of 56.3, third place to Cottee and his wife Eng along with John Player and Sel Wegner with 57.7 and fourth spot went to the Billabong boys with 57.9.
It certainly was a day to remember with so many players having a good time and the banter was fantastic. The boys from the Billabong didn’t really leave anything out there today but there was no way they could have beaten the Players Lounge – that was a majestic effort with a run of seven three’s in a row and they had just one bogie. A great effort lads and deserving of a win!
