IPGC Pattaya Golf Society at Rabbi’s Elephant Bar
The Pattaya Golf Society paid its second ever visit to Silky Oak at the Green Valley complex on Monday, 7th March with many in the large group playing for the first time and curious to see which version of the opinions they would support. The course was in good condition with medium paced but very consistent greens and was empty, thus avoiding the possibility of conflict and delays on the back nine fairways.
The field was divided into two flights at sixteen and under and playing off the white tees the course was the shorter option.
In the top flight Wichai Tananusorn grafted for a level par 36 points for third whilst Larry Bland went one better for second with 37 points. The flight winner was Wilf Latham and his 38 points reflected his accuracy and length off the tee. He also recorded the only flight birdie ‘2’ on the par three fifth.
Silky Oak Golf Course.
In the second flight Larry Ang recorded 36 points for third place whist Jim Ferris raced into second with 41 points on his first visit to the course. Unbelievably he lost out to Mr. Len who scored 42 points to follow his 41 point score on the group’s first visit in December. And this on the eve of his admission to hospital for a minor operation which would keep him off the golf course for maybe up to two months. The secret to the round was his restricted swing in order to keep the offending hernia in check, and it worked.
Fredy Braun almost fired an ace on the short fourteenth but had to make do instead with the only ‘2’ in the second flight. The Booby Bevy went to regular visitor Harry Langkoff for his low key effort.
The jury is still out on Silky Oak but it seems the two camps see a challenge on one hand and an amusing distraction on the other. Maybe, like St Andrew’s, playing it more and off the challenging yellow tees will improve the golf product there and it will become a regular fixture in Pattaya golfers’ schedules.
Other results this week: On Wednesday 9th, the stableford merit event at Eastern Star was won by local member Saranya Riley with 36 points, followed by Jim Ferris with 35 and Richard Bannister with 34. On Friday 11th, the stableford event at Bangpra saw Stan Kure take the top flight victory with 37 points, with Rick Schramm and Chris Smith second on 32, whilst the second flight belonged to Pat Murphy with 41 points, a long way ahead of runners-up Jim Ferris and Glenn Martin, both on 33 points.
