IPGC Pattaya Golf Society at Rabbi’s Elephant Bar
On Monday, 23rd January, the Pattaya Golf Society left bustling Soi Buakhao for the relative peace of Treasure Hill to play a stableford competition on the testing course, on a fine day with a fresh breeze blowing. The course was in good condition and the two flights were divided at fourteen and under.
Old hands know the best way to play the course is by playing within oneself, forsaking length for accuracy and in the second flight Jean Morel certainly fell within that category, scoring 31 points to share second place with Yvonne Earley. The flight winner was Canadian Brent Nastiuk, playing the course for the first time, and his 35 points was an excellent return.
In the top flight Tony Thorne, playing under the added responsibility of stewarding the group for the day, turned in 34 points for a very respectable third place. Rob Lamond was playing his final round before migrating north and produced a quality card of gross 77 giving him 36 points to tempt him back to Pattaya maybe sooner rather than later but it was a fine way to sign off as one of Pattaya’s quality golfers. The flight winner was Wichai Tananusorn and he recorded the only sub-par round of the day of 37 points. His birdie ‘2’ on the sixth helped and he shared the ‘2’s pot with Mike Earley and Dave Moriarty.
The PGS will remember the day not only for the performance of the winner but also for the quality of the runner-up. ‘Bye Rob, we’re gonna miss your golf.
Jury’s still out at Lakeside
Royal Lakeside has been closed for a year during which time extensive changes have been made to the riverside course between Chonburi and Bang Na. The “White House” is now yellow and blue, water has been extended into the fairways, some trees have been removed, bunkers reset, refilled and bordered with thorny scrub bushes, holes lengthened and all greens raised significantly with none-too subtle slopes built into them. Scorecards remain bizarrely the same with yardages and stroke indices well out of kilter.
The course is much more difficult now and when even the better golfers find difficulty holding the ball on the new greens, with their shaved flanks, the game ceases to be amusing. Why tinker when it ain’t broke? However, unaware of the significance of all these changes the Pattaya Golf Society visited there on Wednesday, 25th January, to play a stableford competition.
With the cut at fourteen and under the two flights set out under clear skies and very little wind. In the second flight Larry Slattery and Chris Walsh shared third place with 32 points each. Playing the course for the first time Gary Bolger took second with 35 points whilst Don Nellis went one better for the victory.
In the top flight Rick Schramm and Joe Niisato shared third place with 32 points each, just one behind Dave Moriarty and his 33 point return. The flight winner was Vic Hansen with 36 points.
Mie Earley recorded the day’s only birdie ‘2’ and a rolled over Booby Bevy went to guests Steve Linnell, Paul Bradbury and Ged Blairs for their efforts to raise some points.
The groups average winning score at the course was five-under and clearly those days have gone but the jury still remains out at Royal Lakeside.
Charity begins again at Rayong
Just a year ago the Pattaya Golf Society started its monthly charity golf day programme with the Fr Ray Foundation Outreach Center on Soi Thepprasit as its main beneficiary. In the first year the Soi Buakhao based golf group funded many initiatives at the centre, including furnishing the “Halfway” House on site, providing a water filtration system, funding the “welcome” coffee house, the main roadside sign, the Garden and Mushroom project and accommodation and food for the street kids, victims of Bangkok’s end of year floods, as well as rice for the Centre generally.
There is still much work to be done and the group has decided to extend its sponsorship for another year with its regular monthly “fun” tournaments. The first of the year was held on Friday, 27th January at Rayong C.C. and took the form of a Pairs Scramble. Ten teams turned out and the course was well prepared and the welcome as warm as always.
The technical prizes were all generously sponsored and the winners were Shane Ruddle (2), John Cowley and Robbie Taylor in the Par three Near Pins, Pete Seward and Gordon Everingham in the extended Near Pins (par four and par five).
In third place was the pairing of Russell Exley and Shane Ruddle, throwing very little away with gross 67 (net 64), in second were Pete Seward and John Cowley, gross 76 (net 60) and the winners were an inspired Gary Bolger and Robbie Taylor with gross 69 giving then 59.3 after the handicap adjustment. It was a fine performance from the Aussie duo, making their first appearance as a pairing.
At the presentation once again Rabbi and Khun Peung conjured up excellent fare and Khun Phennipa, representing the Centre, presented a certificate of thanks to the group and personally thanked the many kind sponsors and contributors to the event and in particular Larry Slattery, Rick Schramm, Tony Thorne, Russell Exley, Shane Ruddle, Brian Shaw, Jean Morel, Keith Melbourne, Steven Rowley and Mr Dave.
The next event is a stableford Hidden Pairs competition at Greenwood on Wednesday 22nd February. All are welcome!
