IPGC golf from The Haven
Monday, Oct. 22, Greenwood – Stableford
CSS 72
1st Erik Donnestad (4) 35pts
2nd Joe McArdle (14) 34pts
3rd Shuichi Kodaka (16) 34pts
4th Barry Wellings (5) 33pts
5th Eugene Woods (9) 32pts
6th Wayne Waywood (16) 31pts
At last the weather looks as if it has changed for the better and is here to stay except for the odd shower or two and as always the courses are back in great shape (seemingly almost overnight) and the scores are starting to reflect that fact.
Erik Donnestad at last began to show some form after a couple of weeks of hard times with a one over handicap gross 78 which was just enough to slip into first place by a point from a close tussle for second between Joe McArdle and Shuichi Kodaka, which Joe won with a better 11 to 10 over the last six after they had tied the back nine at 16 apiece and Shuichi added in a couple of doubles in the last three holes.
Yasuo Suzuki.
Barry Wellings took fourth spot one further back as new member Eugene Woods started very slowly with a front half that included two triples for zero points on shot holes but just stayed ahead of Wayne Waywood, who was unable to keep the good form that he had shown on a trip away with another group.
Erik Donnestad and Joe McArdle shared the first division 2’s pool while Ole Stamnes and Shuichi Kodaka did the same in the second division.
Before the presentation of the prizes there were welcomes for Todd Pahl and Eugene Woods and welcome backs for Johannes Murken, Barry Wellings and Don Everett.
Wednesday, Oct. 24, The Emerald – Stableford
CSS 72
1st Shuichi Kodaka (16) 41pts
2nd Jim Lloyd (29) 39pts
3rd Yasuo Suzuki (13) 38pts
4th Phillip Cass (20) 32pts
5th Ole Stamnes (26) 32pts
As always the competition at Emerald was played under the local ‘lift and place rule’ in the fairways as the condition and abundance of the broad leaf grass leaves very few fair lies after a drive down the middle.
Shuichi Kodaka.
This no doubt helped some of the players, as the points scoring spiraled to heights not seen for some weeks, with Shuichi Kodaka taking full advantage to record his best score in over two and a half years of playing in Thailand, even although he has been found regularly amongst the winners recently.
Jim Lloyd was a close second as he put in a special round that was his first under 100 in Thailand and was disappointed that Vincent, one of his regular playing partners both here and back home in Oz, had been unable to witness the event but hopes that he will believe it when he reads this report.
Yasuo Suzuki was showing off a bit to the rest of his group as well as taking a few extra yen as he slipped into third place with a two under handicap round that proved to be the last of the good scores for the day.
Phillip Cass had the best of a count back with Ole Stamnes winning fourth with a stronger back nine after Ole had looked like a possible winner after the front nine after carding twenty points but sadly faded badly over the last six holes.
There were no 2’s in the first division but Shuichi Kodaka added to his day’s collection with the only one in the second division.
Prior to the presentations there were welcome backs for Phillip Cass, Mike Hill, and “Yahikayu Tours” made up of Hideo Akiyama, Kaneo Watanabe and Yukio Kikuchi, led as usual by their intrepid leader and guide Yasuo Suzuki.
There was also a fond farewell for Trevor Schirmer who was returning to Oz for remedial work on his knee and is expected to return in full health in around three to four weeks time.
Friday, Oct. 26, Phoenix – Monthly Medals
Division 1 (Blue tees)
CSS 74
1st Yasuo Suzuki (13) net 76
2nd David Lowe (7) net 76
3rd Peter Sumner (7) net 76
Division 2 (White tees)
CSS 72
1st Shuichi Kodaka (16) net 73
2nd Karl Flood (16) net 73
3rd Yukio Kikuchi (19) net 76
Once again Phoenix’s Mountain and Ocean courses were found to be in tip top condition with greens that were both flat and fast and the final scores on the day were affected by the competitions being medal stroke play rather than the courses.
Yasuo Suzuki became the eleventh different player to win a first division medal in the current series to join the other ten hopefuls lined up for the Gold and Silver Medals to be played for in December. His score of four over par and two over the CSS of the day was better than it appeared at first glance; with many single figure handicappers in contention he finished the last six holes in one over gross to ensure that he won the count back by two. This came after an almost disastrous start that saw him accumulate a double, a triple, a quadruple and then a single bogey on the first four holes, he then miraculously pulled it all back together to win his only his second medal in ten years of trying with a back nine of 34.5.
David Lowe took second place after winning the count back over Peter Sumner with a better 23.7 over the last six after they had tied the nine at 36.5 apiece and was disappointed not to have won the medal itself after taking a triple bogey on the par five ninth on Ocean to finish.
In the second division Shuichi Kodaka rounded off a very good week with another win to join the elite group vying for the Gold Medal in that division and now looks forward to the coming weeks competitions following a two shot cut in handicap for the week. He needed to win a count back over Karl Flood, which he did with a better 33 to 39 even taking a double on the last.
Karl was left with second place after he had started very brightly and was well placed at two under after ten but faded a little towards the end and had to settle for just missing out.
Yukio Kikuchi also started very well but finished the back nine seven worse than the front to take third place.
There were no 2’s in the first division but Phillip Cass scored the lone one in the second division to sweep the pool.
Back at the Haven there was a welcome for new member J.C. Gideon and welcome backs for Peter Sumner and Karl Flood together with a farewell for Phillip Cass.
Note: If you would like to play with The Haven group, you can contact mobile 082 219 0965 or call in to The Haven Hotel, at 185 Soi 13, between Beach Road and 2nd Road. All transportation to the course is arranged and you do not need to sign up prior to the day, but you should be there by 8.15 on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday on the days you wish to play. A schedule of courses to be played can be found on our web site at www.thehaven-hotel.com.
