PSC Golf from The Billabong Golf Society
Monday, March 21, Phoenix – Stableford
A big thank you goes to George and Gentry for looking after the golfers today at Phoenix and doing a sterling job as well. The course was in great condition and the lads played the Mountain and Lake loops as Ocean is closed for renovation due to the upcoming Kings Cup to be played here on the 21st July.
Jonathon Pratt poses on the green after sinking his first hole-in-one in 50 years of playing the game.
With only a small field playing we got away to a slightly early start and it was just a great day out for golf. There were no ‘2’s recorded so the prizes went to third place, which was taken by Freddy Starbeck with 36 points. His good mate Gerard Lambert came second with 37 points but the organizer for the day, Gentry Harrington, got top prize with a fine 38 points.
Wednesday, March 23, Silky Oak – Stableford
We were welcomed at Green Valley to the sight of tables filled with trophies and prizes all set up for a big day. But this was not for the Billabong but for a charity golf day organized to help the families of the two young caddies who tragically lost their lives at the end of last year.
Thirty-six golfers from the Billabong were playing the sister course Silky Oak, and the layout was in the sort of condition that Green Valley used to be in and should be now but, sadly, not to be. Lots of water and some really good holes make this an interesting course well worth playing, particularly the short par three 14th with a curling path to the summit which resembles a miniature great wall of China, with an almost vertical 102 yards to the middle of the green which cannot be seen from the tee.
The greens were not at their best but there was a strong wind which kept the temperature down to realistic levels so, perhaps this was the reason for some good scores today. The ladies in particular took the course apart, with 40 plus points being needed to stand on the podium. Miss Yen set the early pace with 41 points but finished just behind the 2 most consistent ladies playing at the moment. Miss Eng came in second with 42 points but for the third week running the lady captain, Miss Sa, scooped the pool with an unbelievable 44 points.
The men could not match these scores, with Kevin Wild in his first game since returning from Denmark scoring 35 points for fourth. Peter LeNoury lost out for second place with 39 points to William Macey who had the same score but a better back six. Meanwhile Dion Lane, a visitor from NZ, hit the ball somewhere in the middle of the club (he said) to register 41 points for the top spot.
Freddie Starbeck was the only male to score a ‘2’ but the ladies had five, two of which went to Miss Eng and two to Miss Noodle, who also had an eagle on a par five, that does not happen too often. Miss Phaeng had a ‘2’ to celebrate her birthday and celebrations went on all evening for her husband, Bob Van Mole, had his birthday the day before.
Friday, March 25, Burapha – 4-Man Scramble
Plutaluang, the usual venue for the very popular monthly 4-man scramble out of the Billabong was closed for the day, but Bob was able to book Burapha as an alternative and what a pleasure it turned out to be. The weather was cool, Thai style cool that is, with some cloud cover and a gentle breeze. A & B were the designated nines for us and everyone, without exception, was full of praise for the condition of the course and the excellent greens, surely some of the best in the area.
The winning scramble team of Colin, William, Mitch and Bud.
The quality of the greens did not however concern Jonathon Pratt; well they wouldn’t when your tee shot ends up in the cup for a hole in one – his first ever! Back at the Billabong, everyone congratulated him by raising their glass/bottles which he kindly paid for by ringing the bell.
As you would expect with such an excellent course, the scores were very good with the Billabong team, captained by Bob Philp and accompanied by Bill M, Paul G and John F coming in third with a net 58.6. They might have scored better had Bob not forgotten the soda water which would have been consumed on the way round, just soda water and ice of course.
Bob and Phaeng Van Mole celebrate a birdie ‘2’ and a couple of birthdays.
The score for the team finishing second was certainly helped by the star of the day, Jonathon P and his eagle on B8, with some creditable contributions from Brian M, William L and Phil W with a net score of 58. But the day’s winners, with only 23 putts being needed to complete the round, was the quartet of Colin B, William M, Mitch B and Bud O’Meara with a net score of 56. It was a memorable way to conclude the stay in Thailand for Colin, Mitch and Bud who returned to their home countries soon after the event.
