2015 Baan Jing Jai Santa Scramble
Due to the busy holiday golf schedule, this year’s Baan Jing Jai Santa Scramble organized by the Haven was held earlier than usual, taking place on Wednesday, December 2. The festive season has become totally overcrowded with so many other golf competitions, which also had an effect on the total entries this year, with the entries reduced compared to the past events. But at least it was held this year after last year’s hiatus caused by the enforced absence of the organisers, Lamyai and Stephen, which had affected the golfing activity and income.
This year’s event was held with a much reduced start list of entries and with less sales in the 50/50 draw it needed the extra donations to reach the target of 75,000 baht to provide every child with a Christmas present, with any additional money raised earmarked for the new home project.
Division 1 winners: Steve Mascari, David Ross, Mike Dabanovich and Stephen Beard.
The Baan Jing Jai home cares for orphaned and abandoned children between the ages of 1 year and 17 years and has received the official status of a charitable trust under the title of The Baan Jing Jai Foundation. This status does not mean that it receives any monies from either central or local government and therefore has to rely solely on donations from commercial operations, private individuals and fund raising activities such as this day’s events, which are vital to its ongoing survival.
The Santa Scramble has been a major donor from the outset to the New Home project which will house over 100 children and their mentors in a brand new purpose-built facility. This grew out of a project initiated in 2011 and which is just about to be completed and officially opened in January 2016 at a cost of approximately 25 million baht. Full details of all donations and sponsors can be found on the web site at www.baanjingjai.com
Monies raised on the day were as follows: Golf activities 31,200 baht; 50/50 draw 29,000 baht; Auction 3,000 baht; and Donations 17,800 baht, making a total of 81,000 baht.
The winners in the 50/50 draw winners were Norman Cheetham, Joe McArdle and Vincent Gras, in that order.
With the start set for 9.00 a.m., everyone was away under clear skies and although rain threatened later it remained dry. With the course in first class condition but playing quite long from the yellow tees, the scoring was expected to be close in both divisions.
The tournament was designated as a max 5 scramble, for teams of four, with a maximum of five tee shots for each team member and a handicap set at 12.5% of the total of the team’s individual handicaps, with no other restrictions. The system allows all levels to compete in what is designed primarily to be a fun tournament which everyone can join and enjoy with the real winners being the children.
Division 2 winners: Hal Hart, Rodney Nabbe, Darryl Kellett and Chuck Goranson.
The standard of scoring was exceptionally high as the greens were also found to be in almost perfect condition being fast and flat.
The divisions were split at 8.9 and below for the first division and above for the second division.
The first division was led in with a winning gross score of 57.4 by Steve Mascari, David Ross, Mike Dabanovich and Stephen Beard after they had recorded nine birdies and just one bogey to head the team of Brendan Roddy, Paul Pavlov, Donal McGuigan and Michael Williams on 58.9, with the third team of Kalle Karlberg, Stefan Lyrstam, Pelle Pettersson and Frode Brant finishing just 0.5 behind them.
The second division was headed with a score of 59.0 by the quartet of Hal Hart, Rodney Nabbe, Darryl Kellett and Chuck Goranson, with the second place going to Mike King, John Mason, Len Jones and John Moseley on 60.9 and in third on 62.0 was the team of Shuichi Kodaka, Fumiaki Matsuura, John Squitiero and Danny Greer as the division generally struggled with the length of the course, especially on a few of the holes.
Near pin prizes were won by Rodney Nabbe, Ged Foy, Steve Mascari, Mike King, Davis Ross, Arthur Todd, Jon Yarrow and Frank McGowan.
Whilst not wishing to exclude and also not mentioning any individual donors, many who gave very generously, either through the 50/50 draw or directly into the fund with donation, it is right to give credit to those commercial sponsors who helped to make this such a successful day. These were Pattana Golf Club & Resort, The Pattaya Mail, Pattaya Sports Supply, The Haven Hotel, and also thanks are due to the head donation collector Jim Farmer, together with Len Jones, Russell Exley and Joe McArdle, the golf organisers that provided the entries this year and special donors Al Rolnik and Roger Cross.
