PSC Bunker Boys Golf
Monday, November 25th Pattana Sport & Country Club A & B
1st Keith Norman (13) 40 points
2nd Stuart Tinkler (17) 39 points
3rd Robby Watts (9) 37 points
Near pins Stuart Tinkler, Peter Kelly, Gary Smith, Michael Brett.
A smaller than expected group for Monday’s round at Pattana where we were allocated A & B nines. It seems many of our members sat out this one preparing for the club championship on Wednesday and Friday. Weather-wise we had a bright sunny day but the wind was strong, sometimes gusting to almost three clubs worth which made scoring tricky. In particular, the A3 hole, a short par three over water proved too much for at least five of our group ending in the water.
All the challenges didn’t seem to affect the winners with some excellent scores returned, none more so than Keith Norman with a magnificent forty points. Any other day Stuart Tinkler would have expected to win with thirty-nine but had to settle for second. Fresh back from Australia Robby Watts made an instant impact taking third with thirty-seven. In his first game with the Bunker Boys, this season Peter Kelly got a near pin, the other three going to Gary Smith, Stuart Tinkler, and Michael Brett.
Going into Monday’s round Keith Norman and Tony Robbins were locked together on equal points in the race for the golfer of the month, with today’s win Keith edged ahead by four, will it be enough to take the prize with only two games remaining?
Wednesday, November 27th Pattavia Club Championship Round 1
1st Daryl Vernon (20) Net 67
2nd Gary Smith (12) Net 70
3rd Michael Brett (16) Net 71
4th Robby Watts (9) Net 71
5th Stuart Tinkler (17) Net 71
Near pins. Stuart Tinkler, Niall Glover, Robby Watts, & Geoff Williams.
Twenty-three golfers assembled at Woody’s Bar for the first round of the club championship to be held at Pattavia. As we drove into the club we found a full carpark and a very busy course with golfers to be seen on every hole visible from our position.
Whilst the course was in ok condition the greens were unusually slow by Pattavia standards not having been mowed for a few days and a few bunkers were bereft of sand. The weather was fine and warm with only a very slight breeze blowing. Despite being very busy the speed of play was ok. One extraordinary event occurred as we were on the closing holes, a group of five in carts appeared on an adjoining fairway complete with a boombox blaring out very loud music for all to hear, most disconcerting and inappropriate.
A few of the favourites coming into the competition had some bad luck, most noticeably Keith Norman who got a bum steer from his caddie who convinced him his drive on the second stayed up a tree so he reloaded only to find his original ball within a wedge of the green. Thereafter he lost his composure and didn’t play to his ability.
Jimmy Carr also had drama in a bunker failing to get out after four attempts he picked up and disqualified himself.
One who had no problems was the winner Daryl Vernon with an exceptional score of sixty-seven net, three clear of second-placed Gary Smith. A host of players were grouped on seventy-one and a few more also seventy-two and seventy-three, close enough to mount a challenge on day two. At this stage, Daryl will take a bit of catching as Greenwood is the type of course that suits his game, but golf is a funny game and who knows what will happen on Friday.
The sartorial splendor award for the day went to Peter Kelly who always cuts a dash on the course. We need Roger Touhy and Keith Hemmings back to offer some competition.
Friday, November 29th Greenwood B & C Club Championship Round 2
1st Robby Watts (9) 39 points
2nd Gary Smith (13) 37 points
3rd Garry Bright (12) 36 points
4th Les Cobban (8) 35 points
5th Geoff Parker (17) 34 points
Near pins Gary Bright, Geoff Cox, Keith Norman, & Gary Smith.
A big day was in store for the Bunker Boys with both the Club Championship and Golfer of the Month to be decided. Twenty-two were on hand to participate under blue skies in nice conditions. As always the course was good, but a few bunkers had too much sand in them resulting in buried balls or at best, fried eggs.
Competition was fierce with the lead changing hands at regular intervals. A few of the leading groups got off to a poor start and quickly faded out of contention, e.g. Daryl Vernon and Stuart Tinkler.
It was cut and thrust all day between Gary Smith and Robby Watts with Tony Robbins at one stage mounting a challenge before having a disastrous ten on C4 to fade away thereafter. In the end, it was Robby who prevailed with a solid score of thirty-nine points, two ahead of Gary. This was Robby’s second Club Champion win in three years.
The disastrous ten on C4 also put paid to Tony’s challenge for the golfer of the month, paving the way for Keith Norman to take the prize. Both played quality golf all month, but there could be only one winner.
Back at Woody’s, there was much celebration with the lady of the house generously cooking up a storm with a surprise banquet of delicious Thai food. There were also various types of pizza available. Drinks flowed freely with the bell getting a good workout having been rung at least four times by Robby, Keith, Niall, and Tony.
Sadly it was also time to bid farewell to Niall Glover, Gordon Melia, and Stuart Tinkler departing for the Christmas break. We look forward to their return in the new year.
