The Tropical Golf Group
Tuesday, July 4, Crystal Bay B & C– Rainbow Stableford
It was the 4th of July, also known as American Independence Day, and to celebrate Tropical Golf held a red, white, and blue rainbow competition at Crystal Bay.
This annual competition was a little different this time. Each player could choose what color tee he played off on each hole; the only requirement being to have six of each color tee by the end. Some put detailed thought into a strategy, while others just went in RWB order all the way round. Whichever way one decided, it was an interesting day. Some people had it figured out just right as there were some good scores.
A bevy of good golfers brought the A-flight (0-15) level down lower than usual, but even so the skilled Bob Watson (6) showed who was boss with an excellent 39 points off his minuscule handicap. Right behind was the equally talented Landis Brooks (7), earning 38 points. The returning John Pierrel (15) and Selwyn Yates (10) came next, both tied at 37 on count back.
In B-Flight (16+), organizer and All American golfer Dick Warberg (18) had the high score of the day with a bottle rocket high 40 points! Andre Van Dyk (16) put his homework to good use by claiming the next spot with 38 points, followed by Joel Flor (28) with 35 and Barry Oates (26) at 33.
Rainbow Prizes: The best red tee scores were shared by Maurice Roberts and Mick Coghlan. Best white tee score was won by George Bayley, and the best blue tee score went to Phil Davies.
Friday, July 7, Pattavia – Stableford
A lucky thirteen golfers met at BJ’s Lodge for the trip to Pattavia Century. The drive there isn’t as bad as in the past, and some parts even a little scenic.
We found Pattavia in very good to excellent condition. The 950 baht to walk is good value and they gave us a coupon for free beer or a meal after the round. This place knows how to make friends! Several golfers were asking about a return trip even before the round was over, and the Chang Beer staff increased the sentiment for some.
One thing some people didn’t like is the slick, highly sloped, and tricky greens. A typical three-putt was one well past the hole and hopefully just two coming back. To be fair Pattavia is not the hardest setup and needs that to defend the course from overly high scores. Even though many complained about the tricky greens (in good shape by the way), the bevy of high scores made such complaints seem weak.
After just one game of golf without making headlines, Brian Parish (c/h 13) showed he is still “The Man” despite a plummeting handicap. Not only did he make the news again, he did it in style with yet another #1 finish with 40 points! If Brian’s round was an order of eggs they would be scrambled, however it takes discipline to not give up and Brian is the best at that. Look for the BP Golf School to open soon.
Next up the returning John Pierrel (17) and Dick Warberg (21) tied at 37 points, with John Sykes (31) taking the final bow with 36. Notice the results were in handicap order too.
The best half games of golf for non-podium finishers were by Tom Herrington (21 pts) and Gordon Clegg (18 pts).
