IPGC Pattaya Golf Society at The Links Bar
Monday, May 4 was a public holiday here. Pattaya Golf Society’s past experience with Mountain Shadow golf course has shown they don’t ramp the green-fees on such days, and so it proved today. Our five groups were treated to a far from full golf course with good fairways, bunkers and very good greens, all for a green-fee caddie-fee price of 1050 baht; excellent VFM.
We teed off on time and under a hot sun, with high humidity to boot. Around the ninth a thunderstorm rolled on by, the accompanying dark mass of cloud threatening to dump its watery contents all over. As luck would have it, not only did we not get wet, but the cloud cover remained. The back nine was thus played in pleasantly cooler temperatures.
The fine clubhouse at Phoenix.
From the blue tees this course measures around 6300 yards, so it’s not length that will test. Rather, it is the raised and undulating greens with their slick pace that will likely determine who does well and who doesn’t.
Four golfers made the podium and under today’s good conditions scores proved unexceptional. Dave Edwards was very surprised that his modest 31 points earned him fourth place, as was Alan Duckett, who picked up third with 32. Four points the better, Anzacs Craig Thomas and David Thomas (not related), shared first place with net-par rounds of 36 points.
Just the one birdie ‘2’ was given up, to Craig Thomas on the 15th.
Back at the Links, Mr Len drew Sam McLellan’s name in the lucky beer draw, whilst the normally consistent Alan Flynn, having his worst round in some time, picked up the day’s booby bevy.
T1st David Thomas (9) 36pts
T1st Craig Thomas (15) 36pts
3rd Alan Duckett (19) 32pts
4th Dave Edwards (12) 31pts
Phillips wins a close one
On Wednesday, May 6 the Pattaya Golf Society visited the gorgeous course at Bangpakong Riverside to play a stableford competition off the white tees on a hot and humid day. The course was in fine condition with fully grassed fairways, compacted bunkers and good greens, except for one which was lightly sanded.
The single flight got away on time and good scores were in prospect, as always at this course. Special mention has to be made of scratch golfer Chris Smith’s round where he played the track in gross 73, a superb effort.
There were no birdie ‘2’s and therefore the podium was occupied by four golfers, with Mr Len taking the fourth place with a level par 36 points. Canadian John Chelo took third with 38 and David Thomas was runner-up with 39. The winner was Huw Phillips, featuring in his final week this trip, and his 40 points was almost a repeat of his five under round at Pattana a mere ten days previously. The pencil is already being sharpened Huw!
The non-winners beer draw was won by Wichai Tananusorn – his first recognition for this prize – and the Booby Bevy went to Dave Lehane after his 14-21 split left him in fifth place.
Bangpakong Riverside is still a relatively well kept secret in Pattaya golfing circles but it cannot be denied the course provides excellent VFM and is barely ten minutes further from Pattaya than Greenwood.
The boss’s day at Phoenix
The Pattaya Golf Society made the short trip to Phoenix on Friday, May 8 to play a stableford competition on the Mountain and Ocean nines, which were in good condition. OK, there were two greens which were patchy but fairways were well grassed, bunkers were playable and the Phoenix rough was generally “escapable”. The only cloud on the horizon quickly developed into a rumbling storm which gave heavy drizzle that lasted for about three hours.
Golfers did not have it all their own way however and full marks to the fifth of the field who ended the day on level par or better. Sharing third place were Wichai Tananusorn and Mark Lang, the latter posting excellent gross figures of 77. In second place was David Thomas with 37 points but the plaudits for the day went to PGS coordinator Mr Len whose finished on 39 points.
The only birdie ‘2’ of the day was recorded by Pete McClory, on M8 and the non-winners’ beer draw went to Steve Morgan. Sam McLellan, still building his strength again after a lengthy hospitalisation at the end of last year, struggled in the excess humidity and was rewarded with a rare Booby Bevy for his low score of the day.
