The Pattaya Golf Society began the New Year in style with a visit to the ever-improving Rayong CC on Sunday, 3rd January for a stableford competition with a large field divided into two flights at eighteen and under. The field included returning friends Bruce Ogilvie and Toshihiro Aoki (no relation sadly!) as well as the many colleagues who had shared new year's events in the past. The greens were still a little slow but much work had been done in advance of the Asian Tour Q-School event to be held there this coming week. In the second flight it was good to congratulate Norwegian golfer Gubbi Innvaer after his debut third place finish on 34 points and he was just a little shy of the winning pair of Bobby Shirkey (no Hogmanay hangover for this Scot!) and Richard Hall both sharing the large purse with 36 points each. The top flight had Paul McNally firing the best gross score of the day, 75, and this gave him 37 points for another excellent round despite finishing bogey-doublebogey to close his round. Paul was two points ahead of Peter Ditz and Ray Banks who has returned as a man in form after his summer in England. There were of no birdie twos and thus the flight pots were suitably enhanced for the opening competition of the year. The Booby went to "Rabbi" after his hero-zero act, descending from his first ever place finish the week before to the lonely end of the leaderboard. And to think he had been earlier harbouring thoughts of life amongst the professional ranks! Such are the thoughts of a golfer at the turn of the year, everything will be rosey of course in the months to come What a game this is!

Eastern Star Flexes its Muscles

On Thursday, 7th January, the Pattaya Golf Society revisited Eastern Star for the first time in three months to play a stableford competition and found the course is improving all the time with good flat fairways and fairly even greens but running slower than most courses currently. The ardours of the previous day's IPGC monthly medal at Khao Kheow had taken its toll on the field and the single flight had an average handicap of fourteen. Sharing fourth place were Ray Banks and Kasuo Takimoto and their scores of 33 points reflected the length of the course. Sharing second were Chris Voller and Alan Howell, again low handicappers, with scores of 34 points each. Once again the winner was Thai golfer Wichai Tananusorn who emulated his victory at Pattana a week before with another fine performance, recording 35 points. He manages to play long courses better than most it seems. The sole birdie two was recorded by Mikael Andersson on the third and the Booby Bevy went to Neil Grigg who played with clubs borrowed from Rabbi and who found the secret to the owner's poor putting record, an badly aligned putter head! The day had been a tough one but it was a pleasure to return to Eastern Star so early in the year.

More of Morel

On Sunday, 9th January, the Pattaya Golf Society travelled to Rayong CC to fulfil the next in their series of weekend bookings at the course and found that their stableford event got underway before time on an empty course which showed little after effects from the Asian Tour Q-School event which closed there the day before. The field was divided into two flights at twenty and under. In the second flight Pat Murphy found that his 32 points was good enough for third place, one behind Mr Len's 33 point card whilst Allen Dow took the flight victory with 36 points. In the top flight Paul McNally again shot a gross 76 for a level par stableford total which gave him third place, scant reward for such excellent golf, whilst Ronnie Ramsay's 37 points just edged him into second place. The best score of the day, again, was recorded by Jean Morel and his 38 points belied the fact that his front nine score was twenty three! Jean's short game and putting have improved so much that he is finding sub par rounds on a regular basis these days, and Rayong is a course he always enjoys. The day's only birdie two was achieved by Steve Evans on the eve of his departure for the winter chaos of Wales. The Booby Bevy went to ten handicapper Mark Stubbing after a lacklustre round which saw him playing his first golf for four months, but he thoroughly enjoyed his first experience with the PGS. As did the other golfers at Rayong on such a fine day.

McNally Continues Fine Run

On Tuesday, 12th January, the Pattaya Golf Society revisited Greenwood after an absence of a few months and found the favourite course in excellent condition, long off the back white tees and with fast greens. Conditions were perfect for an excellent stableford competition over the B and C nines. If one had any criticism it was that three of the four par threes were between 170 and 200 yards long and this takes the fun out of the shorter holes. However the two flights, cut at eleven and under made a good fist of things. In the second flight John Holmes made the most of his first round back to score 31 points and take third place whilst Ronnie Ramsay and Masashi Iizumi, both in good form at present, shared the win with 35 points each. In the top flight a returning and now retired Brian Beaupre posted 33 points for third whilst Wichai Tananusorn and Paul McNally shared the win with 36 points each. Paul's last three rounds have seen him play gross 75, 76 and 76 to emphasise the power of his game and it is gratifying to see his golf at this consistent level. Paul and Brian also shared the twos pot for their efforts on C6 whilst Ronnie Ramsay Snr savoured the Booby Bevy after a nondescript eighteen holes which saw him threaten the record low score with the group. But it was all about a fun day out on a beautiful golf course and everyone enjoyed the experience immensely.

Voller Smiles Again

On Thursday, 14th January the Pattaya Golf Society visited Bangpra to play a stableford competition on the always well presented course. On this occasion the greens had been lightly sanded and thus were a little slower than usual but the rest of the course was fine. The two flights were divided at eighteen and under and in the second flight Masashi Iizumi ended his stay this time with a steady 32 points which gave him third place. Doubtless his smiling demeanour and adventurous golf will be missed in the months to come. In second place was Ray Atkinson, newly returned to the Kingdom and his 35 points just fell short of the winning score of Ronnie Ramsay by one point. Ronnie is another PGS golfer in form at the moment. In the top flight Dave Stockman recorded 33 points for third place and Richard Craig managed 36 points for second. The winner was Chris Voller and after a few weeks of experimenting with various replacement drivers he obviously found one to his liking and scored 38 points for the flight win. The only sub par round of the day it also represented the day's best gross of 77 shots. The twos pot was shared by Ray Banks, Dave Stockman, Paul McNally and Peter Duncan whilst Harry Cowling took the Booby Bevy for actually filling in the bizarre "Birthday" section on the scorecard. Maybe he was after a pressie from the recorder! It worked. As did Chris Voller's driver at last.

Eliassen Excels at Rayong

On Sunday, 24th January the Pattaya Golf Society visited Rayong CC to play a stableford competition on the testing Faldo designed course. The day was fine as the field, divided into two flights at sixteen and under, took to the tee but the increasing humidity gave warning of what was later to come. All the Sunday regulars were there except for Jean Morel and in the second flight Jack Robertson registered 31 points for third place, one behind Larry Slattery's second placed 32. For the fifth time in succession Ronnie Ramsay took the flight, this time with 35 points. In the top flight Peter Ditz again showed his consistency with a fine 36 points for third place but Chris Voller went two better on his birthday by recording his best score for a while, 38 points. The flight winner was Norwegian golfer Tore Eliassen who made up for his previous error-strewn round with an excellent 39 points for an overdue win. The twos pot was shared by Chris Voller, Peter Ditz, Sam McLellan and Jack Robertson for their efforts on the seventh hole and the near-pins, sponsored by Chris Voller, were won by Tore, Tony Thorne, Ray Banks and Mike Earley. The Booby Bevy went to Scot Allen Dow who chose to pay his green fee directly to the club instead of purchasing the PGS discount voucher which makes the course such an attractive proposal in high season. The final two groups finished in the rain and the journey home was a storm lashed adventure but the day had been a good one at Rayong CC.

Banks in Credit Again

Australia Day dawned on Tuesday, 26th January and the Pattaya Golf Society, with its strong Aussie connections, celebrated with a stableford competition at Greenwood over the A and B nines. The seasonal large group was divided into two flights with the cut at sixteen and under and the return of more old friends o the golf course was a warming sight. Greenwood was in excellent condition with lush fairways and quick but receptive greens but it was long off the white tees and good scores were in the main hard to come by. In the second flight Jim Ferris posted 30 points for a surprising third place, with joint winners Vic Barton and Rabbi Cohen himself taking the honours. It was fitting that Rabbi should be in the frame on his country's prime day and his tasty post-round sausage barbie was even more palatable later in the day. In the top flight Tony Thorne found some semblance of his game at last and recorded 34 creditable points for third place, one behind David Thomas whose 35 points card disguised the fact that his front nine score of 21 points left him starting the back nine with the handbrake still on! Steady Ray Banks was the only golfer to break par on the day and his 37 point return gave him the honours in the top flight. The twos pots were shared by Kasuo Takimoto, Rick Schramm and Tony Thorne in the top group whilst Dave and Margaret Wilkinson kept it in the family in the lower division. The Booby Bevy should have gone to Ronnie Ramsay for his dismal failure to produce a sixth consecutive flight win and went instead to gaffer Mr Len for a round which was probably confined to the recycle bin after the first three holes but manfully he continued, not letting the course win hands down. The day ended with the inevitable party in Rabbi's Elephant Bar in Soi Buakhao marking another enjoyable Australia day.

Masa Class at Green Valley

Green Valley is always a welcome visit for the Pattaya Golf Society and Thursday, 28th January was no exception as the Soi Buakhao group played a monthly medal competition there. The course was full but the staff have certainly come to grips with the two tee situation and the 55 Korean golfers who are currently here. Progress could not have been better and a fine competition was in prospect for the two flights, cut at sixteen and under. In the second flight Jim Ferris came third with net 77, three behind new member Pritam Merchandani's 74, and a further few behind Allen Dow, making the winners' enclosure for the first time in a long while with an excellent net 71. In the top flight Rick Schramm had a creditable score of 71 for third place, one behind David Thomas whose net 70 represented his best PGS efforts since returning to Pattaya last month. The winner, with net 68, was Japanese golfer Masanori Takano and his golf is capable of throwing up a good score like this on a regular basis. His iron play was effective and his two birdie twos on the front nine helped his cause immensely. Other twos winners were Alan Bridges, Sam McLellan and Ronnie Ramsay. Ronnie also took the Booby Bevy for striking a tee marker during his warm up regime and shattered his driver before even using it. But that was the only bad news from Green Valley on a day when the Pattaya Golf Society enjoyed another excellent competition.

Clear Wins for Jones and Banks

On Sunday, 31st January the Pattaya Golf visited the fast improving course at Rayong CC to play a stableford competition and found an almost empt course waiting for them and indeed the first group got off ten minutes early. The field was divided as usual into two flights, this time at fifteen and under and the slower than usual greens held a lot of challenge for the golfers. In the second flight Ajit Amin again swung impressively on his way to a score of 31 points for third place, just one behind Pritam Merchandani's 32 point second place finish. The flight winner was Mr Len, showing little signs of the bruising week just finished, and his 37 point card brought the joy back to his game. In the top flight Vic Hansen fired 34 points for third whilst Jon Lay and Ray Banks shared the win with 37 points also. Ray is certainly the in-form player at the moment and his game is holding up well. The highlight of Jon Lay's round was his eagle two on the short tenth and he joined Paul Butler in a share of the twos pot. Paul's birdie was achieved in more orthodox fashion on the twelfth. Since his last round two years ago Rob Hill has no doubt been dreaming of a return to the Kingdom's courses and it duly arrived with the Booby Bevy as a bonus for his paltry score. The party went on long at Rabbi's afterwards and everyone agreed it had been the best golf day for a long while - no hassle on the first tee, no complaints, just excellent golf with good friends old and new.

February

A Job Well Don!

On Thursday, 4th February the Pattaya Golf Society visited Eastern Star to play a stableford competition on the course which seems to be becoming more difficult to score well on. At one time forty points was commonplace as a winning score but now things have changed. Maybe it is down to the new greens which are difficult to read or maybe down to the mixture of sand in the bunkers, including some with a texture of talc rather than grit. Good scores were to be at a premium yet again for the largest PGS field of the year so far and with the cut set at sixteen and under the two flights went off on time, with rearranged groups after some drivers failed to arrive at the course in time. In the second flight Larry Slattery, Ajit Amin and Mr Len shared a multinational third place with 31 points each and found themselves chasing the lady as Yvonne Earley went one better for runner-up. The flight was won by canny Vic Barton and his score of 35 points, while not earth shattering, reflected a good round indeed. The top flight saw some sub-par performances with Mike Earley following wife Yvonne's example and turning in a score of 37 points which tied for third with PJ Mitchell. David Thomas hit the heights at last after his return from exile two months ago with a battling gross 77 netting him 38 points for second. The best score of the day was recorded by Don Nellis, the semi-retired oilman, and having refined his swing so the slice has become a mere fade he had no difficulty in amassing a total of 39 points, his best by far in a long while. Paul McNally's birdie two on the thirteenth emulated that achieved earlier by Kasuo Takimoto on the third and finally Rick Schramm got his hands on the Booby Bevy after a dismal round which saw him visit the greenside bunkers on the fifteenth no less than three times and end up in one eighty yards from the green. After having six attempts to find the green from inside 120 yards he finally gave up in embarrassment. Eastern Star can do that to a golfer these days.

A Good Day for Lay

Rayong Country Club was on the agenda again for the Pattaya Golf Society on Sunday, 7th February, .and another large friendly field turned out to test their skills against Sir Nick's excellent design. The cut was at fourteen and under and the group got away on time as always. The second flight saw the inclusion, some may say relegation, of some usually top flight golfers and two of these, Wilf Latham and Tore Eliassen, showed their class by sharing the honours with 36 points each, two ahead of Ronnie Ramsay. In the top flight "Mr Consistency" Ray Banks came third with 35 points, one behind Paul Butler's second place finish. The winner with the best score of the day was new member Jon Lay and the Englishman's 37 points represented the day's best gross as well, 77. The twos were shared by Jon Lay, Mike Earley and Steve Evans in the top flight and Tore Eliassen, Wilf Latham and Ronnie Ramsay elsewhere. The Booby Bevy went to Ed Findlay, still struggling to get to grips with his game after some weeks of inactivity in Scotland. It had been another good Sunday at Rayong with a good "Lay" into the bargain!

"PJ's" Rare Bird

Arguably Khao Kheow is the finest golf challenge in the area and on Tuesday, 9th February the Pattaya Golf Society visited to play a stableford competition over the A and B nines with the large field divided into two flights at fifteen and under. The course was extremely well presented and there were some pin positions which were challenging to say the least especially on A5, the short par three. The group got away on time following a large group of "holiday" golfers from another Pattaya venue and a five hour round was in prospect as the tourists did their best to lengthen the time they would be away from the heat and bustle of the city. Scores were at the customary low level for the majority of the field but in the first flight David Thomas came up with a fine 34 point card to take a share of second place with Brian Beaupre on the eve of his departure for Canada. The flight winner was Pete Sumner, his 35 points representing a good round from the nine-handicapper. Pete, David and Mike Earley all shared the flight twos pot for their efforts on A5, B8 and B3 respectively. In the second flight Vic Barton's 34 points brought him third place, one behind the 35 of Larry Slattery. Amazingly the winner, Phil "PJ" Mitchell amassed the highest PGS winning score there for more than three years, forty points being a rare bird indeed at Khao Kheow, in anyone's book. His round was all about consistency and steady course management and staked an early claim for the round of the year with ten months still to go. In the second flight the twos pot was shared by Jim Ferris and Simon Spinks, both on A5. The Booby Bevy went to returning member two-handicapper Doug Williams who found on the first tee that his golf shoes were starting to disintegrate after a long period without his loving care and by the eighth he was left to play in the uppers only, with the merest hint of leather between him and the hallowed ground at Khao Kheow and his round disintegrated similarly thereafter. The day had been one to remember for "PJ" but all who were there thoroughly enjoyed golf at its best at Khao Kheow.

Wins for Talbot & Bone

Green Valley played the perfect host to the Pattaya Golf Society on Thursday, 11th February when the group played a stableford merit event over the finely prepared course. The Asian golfers are slowly returning to their frozen wastes for the rest of the winter and the course is once again a great venue for high season golf. The PGS group formed two flights divided at sixteen and under and scores were very good with the full field average being 32 points plus. In the competitive second flight Jim Ferris and Jack Robertson shared second place with 36 points each three behind new member Alan Bone debuting on the course on his first visit to the Kingdom. In the tightly contested top flight Tony Thorne found some semblance of his true form with an excellent 38 points for third place whilst Ray Banks, so consistent always, fired 39 points for runner-up place. The flight winner was Brian Talbot and his 40 point card was a fitting way to close his short golfing trip this time, but a score like that always brings you back. The best gross of 75 was achieved by young Czech Republic golfer David Prohazka, playing off plus two, and the round will add to his experience of quality golf courses as he seeks to pursue a career in the higher echelons of the sport. The top flight twos pot was shared by Wichai Tananusorn (2) and Paul McNally (9) whilst sole ownership of the second flight pot went to Yvonne Earley whilst she also picked up a rare Booby Bevy after some locker-room pranks - allegedly - with some Korean teenagers hiding certain articles of clothing. Sartorially correct these PGS members! After the general mayhem caused by the Korean visitors to the clubs routine it was good to get back on track at Green Valley.

Thomas in Control Again

Sunday, 14th February saw the Pattaya Golf Society pursue their one real love on Valentine's Day, a stableford golf competition at Rayong CC. The course was full but the group got some preferential treatment from the starter who saw that they got underway without too much of a delay. The field was divided into two flights at fourteen and under and scores were destined to be better than for a couple of weeks. In a tight second flight Vic Barton took third place with 35 points, just one point behind a consistent Rabbi, firing another level par round of 36 points. The flight winner was Max Tolbert, sporting a very creditable 38 points which had seen him post 24 of those on an excellent front nine. In the top flight Wichai Tananusorn shared third place with Dave Moriarty on 35 points, whilst last week's winner Jon Lay again threatened with 37 points for second. Whisper it...David Thomas is back. Dropping points on two of the four par threes he still managed to come up with the best gross of the day, 75, and posted the best flight score of 40 points into the bargain. Never has he let his frustrations show at being a seven handicapper and his round will have done something for his confidence as he approaches the twilight of his stay here in the LoS this trip. He also scored a birdie two and in the second flight Jean Morel shared the pot with Max Tolbert for a similar feat. The Booby Bevy was rolled over because the two obvious candidates had other things to do on Valentine's Day rather than attend the presentation but their absence was noted by the group in Soi Buakhao after an excellent day at Rayong CC.

Crackerjack at Green Valley

Green Valley, with a significantly improved PR machine, welcomed the Pattaya Golf Society on Tuesday, 16th February, for a stableford competition. Gone are many of the Korean visitors and once again club members and the regular farang visiting groups are being afforded the best of attention. Absence does indeed make the heart grow fonder - temporarily that is! The PGS group was divided into two flights as usual at fourteen and under and the quality field ;left the first tee on time. In a splendidly competitive top flight Dave Moriarty 's 35 points gave him third place, just behind the joint winners Rick Schramm and Dave Stockman, both on 36 points. It was left to the second flight to ruffle the course's feathers as Harry Riley - what's he doing in that company? - and Ronnie Ramsay shared third place with 33 points each and Brian Shaw returned an excellent 38 point score for second. Brian in fact three putted the final hole to achieve his score and two putts would have given him a share of the win with Jack Robertson whose 39 point card bore all the hallmarks of a moderately high handicapper on a good day. His round began with a front nine of 21 points and he managed to hold on despite dropping a few more points than he intended on the return leg. The top flight twos were shared by Dave Stockman who birdied both par threes on the front nine and Ray Banks (9) and Dave Moriarty (12) whilst the second flight twos award went solely to Harry Riley for his effort on hole 9. The Booby Bevy went to the most consistent January golfer, Ronnie Ramsay after a "worm-turning" which saw him post 12 points on the front nine and follow with 21 on the back. Once again a good PGS golf day had seen some newer faces enjoy the spoils after many attempts and Green Valley had done all it could to make the day an enjoyable one.

Final Flourish for Finnish Pair

On Thursday, 18th February the Pattaya Golf Society travelled back in time to May last Year when they last played a team "fun" event and went for a pairs team scramble at Green Valley. The course was in excellent condition and with only remnants of the Korean visitors remaining it was a round played in freedom on the golfers' favourite track. With two teams withdrawing on the morning of the competition there was still enough quality remaining to have fourteen pairs slugging it out in a scramble. Competition was tight as the handicapping system used gave more than a little competitive edge to the proceedings with everyone feeling they had a chance. Of those who took advantage of it were the Aussie-English pairing of Tony Thorne and Jim Ferris and their blend of the quirky and the solid styles was good enough for a gross of 75, giving them third place with net 61.1. In second place was the experienced pairing of Bill Hewitt and Harry Cowling, shooting gross 73 for a net 59.8 which gave them the clubhouse lead for almost an hour until the return of the Finnish duo Erik Anttoinen and Jorma Liila who fired the day's only level par round giving them a score of 57.2 for an emphatic win. The flight one near-pins went to Erik Anttonen, Martin Grimoldby (2) and Tony Lambert whilst the second flight winners were Brian Shaw, Ian Wilson and Harry Cowling. In PGS team events the Booby Bevy is always reserved for the lowest contributor and on this occasion the cool beers were shared by Keith Hector and Ray Atkinson after the true winners failed to show at the presentation. "Som nom na, lads" you missed a good day!

A Shaw Thing at Rayong

On Sunday, 21st February, the Pattaya Golf Society visited Rayong CC to play a stableford competition on the homely course. A couple of late morning drop-outs meant that a single flight would be competing and as usual scores were competitive. Sharing third place were Ray Banks, Tore Eliassen and Harry Langkoff, all with creditable performances of 35 points. In second with the best gross of the day, 76, was Paul McNally and his 36 points could have been better but for dropped points on the front nine par threes. The winner was Aussie Brian Shaw and he followed up a good round at Green Valley last week with another sub-par effort of 38 points. He has found a consistency to his game in the LoS having despaired of ever breaking par only a week ago. There were no birdie twos thus the main prize pot was suitably enlarged and the Booby Bevy went to Erik Anttonen for failing to pass the red tees on the third hole. A week earlier he had measured his drive on the seventeenth at 325 yards but on this occasion had no need of his GPS gadget as he could still read the logo on his ball after it had come to a stop! Once again Rayong CC had contrived to throw up a good tight competition.

Martin & Mitch Glory at Greenwood

A strong Pattaya Golf Society field travelled to Greenwood on Tuesday, 23rd February t o play a medal event over the C and B nines which were in fine condition and in the strong breeze there were playing every inch of their 6500 yards from the whites. The divisional cut was at thirteen and under and good scores were at a premium in the conditions. In the second flight Jim Ferris, Ronnie Ramsay and Masaaki Sugaya all shared third place with net 75 whilst Larry Slattery scored a fine 73 for second place. The flight winner was Phil "PJ" Mitchell, whose golf this trip has been excellent, and he registered net 68 for an convincing win. In the top flight Tony Thorne and Richard Bannister did their best to keep the handicapper happy with net 71 which gave them a share of second place but they were usurped by the round of the day, a gross 74 by Martin Grimoldby which gave him victory with a net 68. It was all heady stuff from the amiable Englishman. Martin and Tony Thorne shared the divisional twos pot for their efforts on B2 whilst Rod Stevens and Jim Ferris fared likewise on C6 for some small pocket money also. The Booby Bevy went to Masaaki Sugaya for being part of an accident on B3 when his caddy, a softly spoken and "sensitive" youth, accidentally bundled Masaaki to the floor with his golf trolley and then fell victim to the recoil of the golf bag and ended on top of the mess. As it all happened just inside the OB boundary there was no penalty just the embarrassment of another Booby Bevy! Greenwood, midweek, and approaching low season can really do a golf group proud as the PGS found out.

Green Valley Win for Wichai

The Pattaya Golf Society visited Green Valley on Thursday, 25th February, to play a stableford competition on the well presented course. The return of many old friends had swelled the field to two flights which were divided at fourteen and under and play got underway some ten minutes earlier than planned. In the second flight Larry Slattery and Len Jones shared runner-up spot with 33 points each, two behind winner Harry Langkoff. The top flight saw Ray Banks finish his current visit with 33 points for a share of third place with Alan Bridges whilst "Banjo" Bannister's 35 points gave him second. The day's best gross of eighty was recorded by Wichai Tananusorn and his 37 points held the day as top flight winner. Jimmy Cloy's birdie two on the second gave him a share of the top division's twos pot with David Thomas whose birdie effort on the twelfth was equally welcome. The Booby Bevy went to the day's strong "hero-to-zero" candidate, Richard Dobson whose first round this trip saw him return some seventeen points less than on his last visit. But he took it well knowing there was a lot of good golf to come with the PGS.

Lay Has His Say

On Sunday, 28th February the Pattaya Golf Society travelled to Rayong CC for the latest weekend stableford event and the large field was divided into two flights at eighteen and under. The course was in fair condition but watering was sorely needed. The upside was that there was plenty of run on the fairways making some of the longer holes reachable but again the greens were on the slow side. In the second flight Jeff "Rabbi" Cohen, boss at the Elephant Bar, again started like a house on fire but faded over the back nine to produce 33 points and take third place. The whole of the bar is waiting for him to break par! Ahead of Rabbi was steady Fredy Braun, the unassuming Swiss golfer who once again came good with 34 points for second. The flight winner was visitor Judith Barnes and her 38 points was a fine introduction to golf with the PGS. In the top flight an interesting head-to-head was taking place as Paul McNally and Jon Lay, paired in the same group went shot for shot with both sharing the day's best gross of 78. Paul's eventual points tally was 34 and he shared second place with Dave Moriarty whilst Jon's handicap helped him to 37 points for the flight win. Paul McNally had the consolation of the day's only birdie two, on the seventh. The Booby Bevy went to Brendan Gilsenan for his low score in his first official competition since becoming a member of IPGC and more is certainly to come from the amiable Aussie on future visits. The next weekend will see the PGS sign off from Rayong CC for the low season and a final flourish is certainly expected from some of the "favourites".

March 2010

Any Advance on 34?

On Thursday, 4th March it was Bangpra's turn to host the Pattaya Golf Society for a stableford competition on the course which is high on many people's golfing wishlists. The course was in good condition and the greens were difficult to "pace" as usual and anything above the hole took its toll on the scores and patience of the large field. The cut was at fourteen and under and in the second flight Richard Dobson's 31 points surprised him with a third place finish. In second was Barry McIntosh, recently arrived from Oz after an absence of two years, and he made a welcome return with 32 points. The flight winner was Ronnie Ramsay with 34 points. In the top flight Alan Bridges and Finland's Vesa Turunen shared third place with 31 points each whilst Sunny Khanna returned to share the win with Rick Schramm on 34 points. Barry Wellings took the twos pot for the top flight and Vic Barton took it for the second flight, both their efforts coming belatedly on the long par three seventeenth. Ian Wilson sponsored a special technical prize and Barry McIntosh won it for the best aggregate points score on the par threes with eleven points. The Booby Bevy went to John Lindsay after his low score was presented to the recorder on an unsigned card, probably out of embarrassment, but the visitor had not yet realised that you cannot hide with the PGS! The day had been well marshalled by Tony Thorne in the absence of Mr Len and all players are looking forward to a return to Bangpra later in the month.

April 2010

May 2010

June 2010

July 2010

August 2010

September 2010

October 2010

November 2010

December 2010

This website is inspired by, and for, all those duffers who love this noble game.
It is dedicated to the memory of a fine golfing friend, John Preddy.

For further information regarding the IPGC Pattaya Golf Society and their activities we can be contacted here
Designed and maintained by Len Jones.

back to Home Page