IPGC Pattaya Golf Society at Rabbi’s Elephant Bar, Soi Buakhao
The Pattaya Golf Society spent the public holiday on Monday, 6th December playing a stableford competition at Rayong Country Club and found during their absence the course had improved slowly with greens becoming quicker and more consistent. The bunkers continue to cause concern as caddies continually ignore the golden rule of raking but golfers can play their part in insisting that the job is completed before leaving the green.
The course was empty when the group teed off and the field was cut at thirteen and under reflecting the quality of the contestants.
In the second flight Sam McLellan and Tim Lazecki acquitted themselves well enough to share third place with 30 points each whilst Don Nellis took second place with 33 points. The flight winner was the popular Swiss golfer Fredy Braun and his 35 points marked his best performance this trip for his first win in a while.
In the top flight Yasuo Suzuki, Peter Ditz and Murray Hart all shared the runner-up berth with 33 points whilst Rod Nabbe, returning after a long absence produced the best round of the day recording 39 points with the best gross figures of eighty. He also recorded the day’s only birdie ‘2’ to round off a profitable day.
The Booby Bevy went to Mark West for his forgetfulness involving a breakfast bill and a full bottle of iced water gracing the seventeenth tee long after the playing group had departed.
Rayong CC will continue to be a popular venue as the car park stayed relatively empty all day whilst elsewhere five to six hour rounds were the norm.
Nice one Joe!
As the region’s golf clubs drag their heels into the new “high” season they are led by Greenwood, who amongst the others, is way ahead in terms of course presentation and green condition and for this reason the Pattaya Golf Society chose the club for its first monthly merit event on Wednesday, 8th December.
A large group turned out to contest the stableford event over the A and B nines on a relatively empty course under warm skies. With the cut at fourteen and under there was some solid “meat” in both flights and surprisingly Martin Grimoldby and Mark West only managed 31 points for a share of third place in the top flight. Ahead of them was Sam McLellan with 32 points but they were all left in the wake of Thai golfer Wichai Tananusorn as he romped away with a winning 37 point score on a course he loves.
In the second flight Jean Morel, Allen Dow and Gordon Everingham all shared third place with good scores of 35 points whilst the rising star of Tim Lazecki continued to do well with his third sub-par round in a week, this time his 37 points giving him second place. The best points score of the day was the 38 recorded by Bangkok’s Joe Niisato and he added another sub-par round to his IPGC curriculum vitae. His birdie ‘2’ on B2 joined Denis Quinn, Martin Grimoldby and Wichai in a share of the ‘2’s pot whilst Wichai’s gross 81 was the best effort of the day.
The Booby Bevy went to the recently returned Olivier Tahon, the personable Frenchman obviously keeping his best form for later in his stay, as his score this day left much to be desired.
At the presentation later golfers were to reflect on the day when Greenwood had once again come up trumps with a quality track on a good day.
Kellys’ eye in at Emerald
The Pattaya Golf Society rounded off its week with a visit to Emerald on Friday, 10th December to play a stableford competition on the popular course. The second public holiday in five days cut the field down but there was still enough meat in the sandwich to make a healthy meal of the proceedings.
The course was in good condition but the placing of most of the white tees at their farthest extent certainly made the course longer than normal and scores were consequently less emphatic than usual.
Sharing second place were regulars “Banjo” Bannister, Tony Thorne, Len Jones and visitor Joan Mullins, all on 30 points whilst Brian Kelly showed them all a clean pair of heels with a fine 33 points to win the day.
Banjo and Brian shared the ‘2’s pot after exploits on the thirteenth and fifteenth holes respectively, the latter hole playing into the wind at 160 yards instead of the more normal 130.
The Booby Bevy went to a returning Tony Lambert who had endured a twelve hour overnight ‘bus journey from Sakhon Nakhon to arrive at Rabbi’s thirty minutes before departure and his efforts, though heroic, resulted in a sixteen-nine split on both nines.
Regardless of the outcome the day had been an excellent one at Emerald and we are promised a course in fine order on Thursday, 30th December when the annual PGS Scramble will take place. Entry forms are available at Rabbi’s now and an early sign up is recommended.
