IPGC Pattaya Golf Society, based at Rabbi’s Elephant Bar
The Pattaya Golf Society celebrated its final Tuesday fixture with a visit to Bangpakong Riverside, only an hour away these days, to play a stableford competition on the immaculately presented course.
Recent storms had left the fairways soft and yielding and the greens were a little on the slow side, but it did not detract from the overall enjoyment of the day.
The field was swelled by returning friends which hopefully heralds the start of high season but the competition went to form, with Peter Duncan heading for a win only to stumble through the final three holes when his hitherto excellent iron play deserted him and left him with 35 points in third place. Runner-up was Phil Knight, in the frame yet again with 36 points. Unspectacular but very consistent, Phil is enjoying some excellent form at present. It was not quite enough however as Tony Thorne again presented his unconventional credentials with a fine 37 points for the win.
Tony and Phil were joined by Jim McNeil in a share of the ‘2’s pot and Richard “Banjo” Bannister celebrated his return with the Booby Bevy after leaving Rabbi’s Elephant Bar without his golf shoes but his sense of humour remains as always.
From the 1st November the Soi Buakhao based group is playing its golf on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and more enjoyable days like this one at Bangpakong are certainly in prospect.
Medal win for Sumner
The Pattaya Golf Society chose Phoenix as the venue for its October monthly medal event and were assigned the Lakes and Ocean nines as the challenge. It was pleasing to see that the course was in much better condition than on the previous visit and a strong field took up the challenge on a fine dry day.
Playing from the white tees, the golfers found many of the tees were at their furthest extent thus making the course quite long but to balance that fact there were signs that the “run” is coming back as the course dries out.
The single flight saw Jim McNeil post net 71 for third place with the runner-up berth going to Tony Thorne, the latter chalking up his second such score in consecutive rounds. The winner was Pete Sumner whose round of net 69 saw him drop only four shots to the course for the whole day.
The ‘2’s pot was shared by Richard “Banjo” Bannister and Wichai Tananusorn, the latter birdying both Ocean par threes.
The choice for Booby Bevy winner was broad with Mr. Len blowing away a two-under opportunity after nine holes when he found the powdery sand too much on the tenth and eleventh, and Jim Ferris and Emiel van de Wiele who were struggling on their return to the group. Instead it was presented “in absentia” to the only golfer who failed to make the presentation back in Soi Buakhao.
The day ended with a reminder that from 1st November the group will be playing its competition golf on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, thus bringing about a major change in its fifteen year old history and the usual warm welcome is extended to all IPGC golfers.
Scotch and Canada Dry
The Pattaya Golf Society bade farewell to its weekend golf on Saturday, 30th October, when they played a stableford round at Rayong CC on an empty course which is slowly improving all the time.
The weather was very comfortable with a strong breeze blowing all day under a cloudless sky and the drying fairways showing signs of “run” at last. The wind was to have a bearing on the proceedings with no-one making par and the tough fourth hole surrendered only fifteen points in total to the field all day!
Sharing third place were a clutch of golfers on 31 points with Masa Takano, Tony Thorne, Emiel van de Wiele and Jim McNeil unabashedly accepting the meagre spoils. Sharing the win were two golfers enjoying their first win with the group. Scots golfer Allen Dow and Canadian Gordon Everingham both recorded 32 points giving them both a reason to celebrate, especially as the absence of any twos enhanced their prize pot.
The Booby Bevy was reserved for Peter Duncan, late for muster, and his game suffered badly after a front nine of seventeen points as the expected hangover kicked in during the back nine. Weekend golf has certainly been a fine distraction for the PGS over the last five years but times move on and competition golf changes to weekdays from now on. More details can be found at the group’s informative website at http://thepattayagolfsociety.org
