Press Reports for 2004
A New Year and Josh Makes His Mark
The Bunker Boys' first outing of the New Year was to Century Ban Chang, on Tuesday, 6th January, and a good quality field was gathered for the weekly medal tournament. Gone and forgotten were the excesses of the holiday and the fine hot weather heralded in the new golfing year in fine style. Division two saw the usual suspects duelling it out with the addition of some new faces. The high standard of golf now being played at the Bunker has led to a downward shift in the usual "cut" mark and this has relegated Mr Loy to the second flight. This had an impact on the final results as Bo Ahlgren took third place with his net 78 and the aforementioned Roy Mitchell gained second with a net 77. Patrick Murphy last won at the Bunker in February last year and has struggled on many occasions since, but his frustration was to turn to joy as his net 71 took the day, at last. Division one saw a tighter contest with Steve Nowell, the winner of the first Bunker event in 2003, teasing a net 70 out of the challenging course, joining Jack Spencer in runner-up place. The star of the day, however, was Mark Joshua who shook off the only blemish on his card, a triple bogey on the 14th hole, to post a splendid score of net 69 and take the top place. Mark also took a share of the Bunker Super Sawng award, along with Jack Spencer, Steve Nowell, Uwe Schröder and Paul Houlker. The latter's joy turned to embarrassment later as Mr. Loy presented him with the Bunker Banana Booby for his high net 89. It was a fine start to the new golfing year and the Bunker Boys are anticipating more good days in the months to come.
Knutsson Caps a Fine Week
A small field of Bunker "faithfuls" travelled to Plutaluang on Thursday, 8th January, to play the Bunker's weekly stableford event. Memories are obviously still fresh about the management statements made some time ago in the local media! Those who played were treated to a course in fine condition and the two divisions enjoyed a tense struggle on a long, hot day over the North and West courses. In division two Duncan Lee, Alan Turbill and Patrick Murphy all shared third place with 29 points. lagging somewhat behind Kevin Wilson's 33 points and the eventual winner, Robert Knutsson, and his 34 points. This followed his two previous wins this week at Lewiinski's and the Haven. The amiable Swede has found his true level at last as he generously took a voluntary two shot cut for this event. In division one Harry Cowling hit the leaderboard with his 31 points but found himself outsmarted by both Colin Wilkes and Keith Hector with their 33 point totals. Keith also had a double share of the Bunker Super Sawng award, along with Kevin Wilson, Tom Bray and Gene Scalf. Occasionally the Bunker witnesses a round of stunning golf that remains in the memories of the players for a long time. Occasionally rounds are remembered for other reasons. Des Pearson produced an amazingly inept round to take the Bunker Banana Booby and his grand total of 4 (yes, four) stableford points has set another Bunker record. A period of rehabilitation has been promised and we are shaking in our golf shoes at the thought of what may lie ahead! Ultimately the day belonged to Robert Knutsson and his memories of the last week of his short stay in Pattaya will warm his heart when he returns to Sweden's winter this week.
Ya & Bill Hewitt in Two-day Tie at Green Valley
The Bunker's first two-day event of the year was held at Green Valley on Monday and Tuesday, 12th and 13th January. Twenty hopefuls took to the course on a day which was heavily overcast and threatened rain. The format this time was individual stableford over thirty six holes and by the time the leading group had reached the turn the heavens opened and the course quickly became flooded. It was decided the call it a day after all had completed nine holes and the tournament was reduced to 27 holes. First day winners were Saranya Chaiyanont, Bill Hewitt, Pat Murphy and Paul Houlker, all recording 21 points. The second day dawned with brighter skies and the final group was composed of the first day leaders, so a tense battle was guaranteed. As the day wore on it became clear the the final result would be close as first John Hughes returned a score of 37 points to give him the clubhouse lead on 53, only to be usurped by Gene Scalf's two-day total of 55 points. In the penultimate group scratch golfer Keith Smithson took the course by the scruff of the neck and shot a gross 71 giving him 37 points also. When the final group made it to the clubhouse weary faces broke into smiles as both Saranya and Bill Hewitt signed each others cards with identical scores. They had taken the tournament to a tie. The Bunker does not use a countback system and so both players shared the winning prize. Gene Scalf's six under par back nine had also assured him of third place. During the two days there were five birdie two's and the recipients celebrated their award in much better cheer than Robert Knutsson, for whom the thought of returning to Sweden the next day was too much to bear and his bags would be heavier with the inclusion of the Bunker Banana Booby for his low total of just thirty points. The Bunker's two-day events are always fun days and a stern test of golf and consistency and next month sees a thirty-six hole medal event at the same venue, weather permitting, of course.
Kevin Wilson the Pick at Bangpra
On Thursday, 15th January, the Bunker Boys took to the road again for their weekly medal round, this time at Bangpra International Golf Club, and found the course and its legendary fast greens, expanses of water and mature trees in immaculate condition. A blaze of colour and the antics of the monkeys could not distract the twenty-nine golfers as they set about their task under cloudless skies in two divisions, cut at 15 and under. The course is always a challenge and steady golfers tend to do well and in division two PJ Redmond shot a canny net 76 points, a long way behind Patrick Murphy's net 70. The round of the day was produced by Kevin Wilson whose net 68 was destined to take the second flight. Division one was a tenser affair as first Steve Nowell recorded a net 74, which included a triple bogey on the last, and John Hughes returned a net 73 which included a two shot penalty because another caddy in his group marked a putting line on a green. There were no such tribulations for Mikael Andersson however, and his long hitting helped him to record net 71 and take the top prize. The Bunker Super Sawng award was shared by John Hughes, Keith Smithson, Gene Scalf and Frank Baker, whose thirty-foot putt on the twelfth gave him his first proper prize in three years at the Bunker. Newcomer Bill Pygall was red-faced after his efforts had brought him a net 93 off his ten handicap and remained so when he received the Bunker Banana Booby later in the evening. But all had shared an enjoyable day's golf on a beautiful course.
Tough Times at Khao Kheow
On Tuesday, 20th January, a large group of Bunker Boys took the road to the beautiful Khao Kheow golf course for their weekly medal tournament on a hot and fine day. The group should have included one more player but turning up five minutes before departure, with a plastic bag and four clubs does not signal a serious intent for golf! The cut was made at eighteen and under and the stage for the drama was the B and C nines, apparently the easiest combination! Division two saw the usual high scores as a result of indiscretions at the "island" eighth hole and Sunny Ruthsip showed some return to form with his net 83 taking third place, Dickie Barbe's net 81 taking second, and the returning Bill Cook recording his best ever score in Thailand, winning the flight with a net 77. Division one golfers had a little more success and Harry Cowling managed a net 77 to take third place. One shot better was PJ Redmond and his thoughtful net 76 was the only real challenge to Keith Smithson, whose gross 74 gave him net 73 off his IPGC handicap. It was a fine round of golf in any circumstances. There were three shares of the Bunker Super Sawng award and they went to Keith Smithson, Tom Bray and Uwe Schröder, for whom it was his swansong round before leaving for his native Berlin. The rash of high scores gave Mr. Loy a headache in deciding the recipient of the Bunker Banana Booby prize but John Preddy's net 97 stood out like his beloved Arsenal's lead in the English Premiership. But, at the end of the day, it was the course that had won. Khao Kheow is always a harsh challenge and a good score there remains a lasting memory.
Remy is Top Gun at Eastern Star
Another large group of Bunker Boys gathered at the revamped course at Eastern Star on Thursday, 22nd January, for a stableford round, to be played out under heavy skies, threatening rain and the wrath of Royal Thai Air Force. A crowded course saw them revving their engines for thirty minutes beyond their allocated start time but eventually all got safely underway. The day threw up few surprises and division two played itself out with newcomer Sunny Khanna firing 34 points in his second Bunker tourney to take third place, one shot behind runner-up Alan Turbill. It was left to Patrick Murphy to break par and scoop the flight with a score of 38 points. In the top flight Mikael Andersson, PJ Redmond and local golfer Paul Butler duelled for third place with their 36 points, whilst John Hughes nosed ahead of them with his 37 points. As pairs of F 4's scored the skies it was left to Belgium's "Top Gun", Remy Guy, to soar high over the field with a supersonic score of 41 points, which included two miraculously accurate bunker shots. Belgian chips are very tasty indeed! Keith Smithson managed to emulate this feat with his birdie two to take the Bunker Super Sawng award and Remy's playing partner, Wilf Latham, had to play the role of batman to the ace, bringing up the rear with his score of 19. For him his first Bunker Banana Booby award. Quote of the day came from Mr. Loy at the presentation: "Remy must have played well!" Didn't he just.
New Faces Shine at the Top at Noble Place
It should have been at Treasure Hill but a call 24 hours earlier informed the Bunker that one hundred Thai golfers were about to descend on the course, taking up all the caddies and golf carts! Amazing Thailand! Instead the Bunker Boys re-routed and took off to Noble Place on Tuesday, 27th January, for their weekly medal round. The course was in fine condition and, with the cut at seventeen and under, the two flights opened the exchanges under fine warm skies. Division two saw a refreshing change at the top with perpetual "rabbit", Canadian Frank Baker, showing excellent form and recording a net 76 to take runner-up place. For Frank this was his first ever appearance on the podium and everyone was delighted for him. Newcomer Sunny Khanna kept his head down and delivered a creditable round of net 75 to win the flight by just one shot. In division one Keith Smithson again set the standard with an almost faultless round, firing a gross par 72, giving him net 71, to tie for second place with John Hughes, who, once again was afflicted with an errant caddy. Despite this his net 71 was still a fine performance. At the top of the lists was Harry Cowling, and the only pity of his net 70 round was that his usual playing partners were on a visa run and were unable to witness the event. There was only one birdie two and the prospect of the Bunker Super Sawng award led to Jim Proctor abandoning his round after nine holes with sickness. No such fears for Pat Murphy, however, as his win the previous outing became a distant memory, and his dismal net 86 won for him the Bunker Banana Booby. It should have been Treasure Hill but Noble Place did not disappoint.
Big Win for the "Quiet American"
The Bunker Boys renewed their monthly interest in Siam Country Club on Thursday, 29th January, when they called to play their weekly stableford event. The course was full and elsewhere on the track a large group from PSC were also indulging in their monthly rituals. Not to be outdone the Bunker tackled its task with its usual endeavour and found the course with slightly faster greens more to their liking. Division two, for handicaps of eighteen and over, saw a couple of excellent scores with Kevin Wilson posting a score of 35 points to take third place, three points behind a resurgent Jim Payne, whose first nine tally of 22 held out false promise of better things to come. It was the end of a fine week for Sunny Khanna, however, and his winning score of 41 points means he will return to England soon with a much reduced handicap! Division one had its "stars" as well, as Harry Riley and PJ Redmond both recorded totals of 38 points to take a share of third place, only one behind Bill Hewitt whose recent visa run has renewed his energy for the game. Way ahead of the rest of the group was Gene Scalf, the "Quiet American", who was playing in his last Bunker event for a while, and his score of 43 points will live in his memory, and the ears of his listeners for many a long day. Elsewhere on the course the wheels were coming off Steve Nowell's wagon as his 26 points after ten holes also bore a false dawn but he was able to take comfort with a share of the Bunker Super Sawng award, along with newcomer Brian Close. At the other end of the scale Wilf Latham and playing partner Len Jones were indulging in a nail biting head-to-head battle for the Bunker Banana Booby but Len's three points on hole seventeen proved to be the final nail in Wilf's coffin and for him there was only the consolation of back-to-back bananas for his low score of the day. Alas, Wilf, Siam will be forgotten and better days lie ahead!
Nowell & Bradley Cruise to Wins at Plutaluang
The good ship "Bunker" sailed into the Royal Thai Navy course at Plutaluang on Tuesday, 3rd February, carrying a motley crew of ne'er-do-wells, bent on challenging the South and East nines in the Bunker's weekly medal event. The day was very hot, with little wind to refresh the golfers, and slow progress was made on a crowded course. Before the start rumours of a mutiny had surfaced. The small sailor-suited statuettes, used on the course as tee markers, had all disappeared! In addition, many in division two found the mixture of grasses and slow greens tough to come to terms with, and toiled in the doldrums, but Kevin Wilson fared better than many in recording net 78 to take third place, a long way behind the second mate, Sunny Ruthsip, whose buccaneering style earned him net 73 and runners-up place. Newcomer Gavin Bradley, playing the course for the first time, and carrying a handicap of 36, fired a fine round of net 70, which included three nines on his card, and took the flight's main prize, to friendly taunts of "piracy!" In division one the old hands of Bill Hewitt (72) and Harry Cowling (71) swept the deck to take the minor places as the able-bodied Steve Nowell showed flashes of his undoubted skill in carving out a round of net 70 to win the top flight. Harry Cowling, Mike Allidi and Mr. Loy took shares of the Bunker Super Sawng award for their birdie two's and at the other end of the scale jovial Scot, Ken Duncan, blushed as his score was read out and he was presented with the Bunker Banana Booby for the poorest round of the day.
Houdini's Heroics at Treasure Hill
On Thursday, 5th February, thirty golfing masochists, otherwise known as the Bunker Boys, swallowed the pill and travelled to distant Treasure Hill for their weekly stableford event. The course can be a brute and on this day there was a strong wind blowing, which thankfully kept the threatening rain at bay, but regretfully "lengthened" an already very long course. The course at present is in excellent condition and those who managed to keep the ball on the fairway found that their shots to the green were well-received and their task of putting was consistent. Division two golfers struggled as usual to overcome the length of some of the holes, but those meeting with success included Treasure Hills' favourite son, Mr. Loy, who shot 33 points to come third. One ahead of him was the genial giant, Jim Payne, who snatched second place with a fine 34 points. The hero of the second flight was Aussie Gavin Bradley whose 35 points gave him his second consecutive Bunker victory. Better golf was witnessed in division one as Steve Nowell, Mark Joshua and Mike Allidi all produced rounds of 35 points to share third place. Newcomer Flemming Jorgensen fared one better to take second place but the day's heroic performance was from Paul "Houdini" Butler, whose power shots made a mockery of the windy conditions, winning the prize with a score of 38 points. Keith Smithson chipped in for a birdie two on hole 6 to take a share of the Bunker Super Sawng award, but Flemming's birdie on the notorious second hole more than merited his share of the award. Now, John Hughes is a very consistent golfer, playing off fourteen, and he began the day with a "survival pack" breakfast at the Bunker, threatening to take the course apart. As he stood on the sixth tee having collected only one point, he knew then that later in the day, there would be fruit on the menu for him, back at home base! There was indeed, as his 21 points came back to haunt him, disguised as the Bunker Banana Booby award. However, all talk was about the winner and the tasty round that the Butler served up.
Bill Hewitt takes Bangpra with Par
On Tuesday, 10th February, the Bunker Boys travelled to the showpiece course at Bangpra for their weekly medal event and found the course in good condition and the greens lightning fast. As the course was also crowded a long day lay ahead of them and the latter groups were to face the prospect of a six hour round! With the cut at 16 division two golfers found the going tough and Gavin Bradley survived a ten shot adjustment in his handicap from the previous outing to post a score of net 74, joining Kevin Wilson as runner-up. One shot ahead was George Redgewell who used his canny golf to post a winning score of net 73. Division one also saw a tight struggle and Wilf Latham shed his image of "Bananaman" to record net 75 and take third place, two shots behind John Hughes whose net 73 was good enough only for second. Bill Hewitt had the honour of shooting the only par round of the day and his net 72 took the major prize. Steve Nowell and Harry Cowling shared the Bunker Super Sawng award for their birdie two's and poor Enda Naughton's 16 shots on hole 13, which included five into the water, guaranteed him the Bunker Banana Booby.
John King in Control at Eastern Star
The Bunker's Monthly Two Day Event
Stormin' Norm in a Big Win
The Bunker Boys travelled to Green Valley on two successive days on 16 and 17th February for their monthly 36 hole event. This time the format was straightforward, 36 holes of medal play. Despite a full course the group managed to get off in time and found the course in good condition, even if the greens were pocked and mottled, and showing signs of wear after two months of constant twelve hours of golf every day. Surprisingly, at the end of the first day three of the top five places were occupied by "B" flight golfers. Things had to change on the second day, surely? Heading the list were Keith Hector and Norm Robinson with fine net 69's, closely followed by the senior Frank Sinclair, 70 and Saranya Chaiyanont on 74 with John Hughes only one shot further back. The second day dawned with high hopes in many a breast, but it was left to Paul Quodomine to set the standard for the day with an early net 70, which gave him the clubhouse lead. Then the "big guys" started to return with, first Paul Butler, then Steve Nowell returning better net scores for the two days. John Hughes returned with level par to hold brief thoughts of a victory speech but it was Norm Robinson who held his form and stormed to victory with a career best score of gross 89, net 67. It was a fine victory and he now has realised his ambition to have no more than a one shot allowance on every hole. There were no birdie two's on day one but the situation was redressed in the second round as Bob van Mol, Enda Naughton, Keith Smithson, Steve Nowell, David Lightfoot and a duo from the redoubtable Norm all brought them shares of the Bunker Super Sawng award. The day was also notable for Harry Riley who won the Bunker Strokeplay Championship on the same track in 2002. His net 88 on the first day made pretty grim reading but his second day total of net 95 was the stuff of nightmares. Once again this popular event had turned up trumps and revealed some fine performances. Well done all those who survived!
Payne & Bradley Take Control at the "White House"
Three dozen Bunker Boys took the road to the beautifully manicured course at Royal Lakeside on Thursday, 19th February, for their weekly stableford event. They found the course in excellent condition with lush fairways and consistent greens and a day made for good golf. The field was cut at seventeen and under and the two divisions produced a feast of golf with a third of the field shooting level par or better. In division one a trio of players, Harry Riley, Jens Gunnarsson and Keith Smithson, shot 37 points to share the minor placings with Karl Holm faring one point better to take the runner-up position. All were outgunned by Steve Nowell however, and his score of forty points bore testimony to both his skill and the quality of the golf course. The big action was in division two where George Redgewell optimistically returned a card bearing 42 points which was to be good enough only for third place! Battling it out at the top were Jim Payne and Gavin Bradley and the long hitting of the two regulars led to unbelievable scores of 44 points. The Bunker Super Sawng award was shared by Bill Hewitt, Gavin Bradley, John Stolarczyk and Dougie Landsborough for their birdie two's on the back nine. Now, Des Pearson is a guy who loves the game of golf and always plays it with a smile. He also enjoys the odd Heineken around the course, in fact he racked up more beers than points! Maybe it was this indiscretion which led to him piloting his buggy into a flowerbed and for this alone he deserved the Bunker Banana Booby. He was later reminded of the "Free Drop" local rule for flowerbeds. Once again the Royal Lakeside course had done the Bunker proud, and for their part, the lads had honoured it with a feast of good golf.
Butler Turns Master at Treasure Hill
Three dozen eager Bunker Boys bounced and rattled up route 331 to Treasure Hill on Tuesday, 24th February, for the week's medal competition and found the course in reasonable condition, but thankfully devoid of tourists. The course has a reputation as a "maneater" but perhaps it was the memory of Paul Butler's 38 points three weeks ago which persuaded the groundsman to build a moat around the fringe of two greens, the first and seventeenth, making running shots impossible. The field was cut at seventeen and under and once again the second division stalwarts huffed and puffed to try to blow the fortress down. Needless to say they were unsuccessful and their progress was slowed by an unseasonable heavy shower for four holes. Those who survived included Len Jones, whose short game continued to offer amusement to his playing partners, but whose net 79 took third place. Ahead of him were George Redgewell and the consistent David Johnson who shared the day's first place with net 76. Division one saw the better scores with Takeshi Hakozaki posting net 74 to take third place. Harry Cowling was inspired to score a one-under-par net 71 whilst the awesome power of Paul Butler provided the highlight on sombre day. His net 69 included only three dropped shots on a tough first nine and his triple bogies on holes 12 and 18 were the only blots on an astounding card. The butler had now become master of the fortress at Treasure Hill. The Bunker Super Sawng award was shared by Keith Smithson, Bob Giddings, Gary Wilborn and regular weekly winner Steve Nowell, for their birdie two's. At the other end of the field Sander Ruthsip and Frank Baker hid their eyes as Mr. Loy decided the recipient of the Bunker Banana Booby but Gavin Bradley, whose 35 points took the divisional prize three weeks ago at the same course, suffered a heavy rebuff in the form of a net 90 and thus the bananas were his! Bad news for Treasure Hill - Paul Butler has pledged to make it a hat-trick when the Bunker Boys return next month!
Good "Finnish" at Khao Kheow
The improving Khao Kheow complex drew another large group of Bunker Boys on Thursday, 26th February, for their weekly stableford competition on a fine and breezy day. The A and B courses were in good condition with the yellow tees set well back and racing greens. These were to test the golfers touch and patience. With the field cut at seventeen and under, division two golfers struggled to overcome putting and the runners-up place was shared by Kevin Sheppard and Achim Müller, playing with the Bunker for the first time, and their thirty points total. David Johnson is "Mr. Consistency" at present, having won two days previously, and his good form continued, helping him to take the day with a total of 37 points. Division one, again, saw a tighter contest and Harry Cowling and Wilf Latham, for whom the course is a devil's distraction, went head-to-head with 36 points to share the minor placings. Jovial Finnish giant, Unto Kilvonen, had the final laugh however and ten points on the final four holes boosted his score to a winning total of 39 points. Mike Allidi and Wilf Latham shared the Bunker Super Sawng award with their birdie two's whilst Mr. Loy's dreams came true when he checked Steve Nowell's card and found it was the poorest score in division one. At last he could realise his ambition and present the fine golfer with the Bunker Banana Booby. Poor Steve, one bad day and a place in Bunker folklore!
Welcome Back, Big Ian!
The Bunker Boys took to the road again on Tuesday, 2nd March, to play their weekly medal tournament at Noble Place. The day dawned very hot and the prospects of a four hour toil under a hot sun seemed inevitable. The greens at Noble Place were in excellent conditions but a lack of water on the fairways made them very burnt, dry and dusty. Consequently posting good scores was a problem but in division two PJ Redmond and John Preddy returned to form scoring net 73 each to earn them third place. Brian Close went one better to record a level par 72 and take the runner-up spot, two shots behind Ian Phillips' net 70. Big Ian had only recently returned to the Kingdom and was playing his first round this time out. Division one was equally tight with low handicappers Dale Shier and Per Aschen sharing third place on net 75. David Lightfoot and Remy Guy shared second with net 73 but first time visitor to the Bunker, Edgar Irizarry, took the major prize with a fine level par 72. Keith Smithson, Remy Guy, Tony Potzi and David Lightfoot all had birdie two's thus sharing the award, whilst poor Harry Cowling tried to conceal a poor card and had his knuckles rapped with the Bunker Banana Booby. Once again everyone had survived the longest golf journey the Bunker makes and hopes that Mother Nature, or a sensible groundsman intervenes before they next make the trip.
Rookie Mali Wins First Time Out
The Bunker chose the South and East courses at Plutaluang as the venue for their weekly stableford competition on Thursday, 4th March, on a day when the weather was perfect for golf, being warm and refreshingly breezy. Thirty-one players were divided into two flights at eighteen and under and the consistency of the division one group was displayed in par or better scores. David Lightfoot ended a good week by recording 36 points to take third place, only one shot behind joint runners-up Steve Nowell and Harry Cowling. Way out in front was visitor Martin Zimmerman and his score of forty points led the division, but was not the best of the day! That honour fell to Green Valley caddie, Mali Upakham, playing in her first IPGC competition since becoming a member a few months ago, and recording 41 points for her first official victory. Following her home were David Johnson, playing excellent golf currently, on 39 points, and Big Ian Phillips, a winner two days previously, with 37 points. The Bunker Super Sawng award was shared by Norm Robinson, Len Jones and Ian Phillips, whilst at the other end of the scale Anders Eldebrandt's 24 point haul just pipped Colin Wilkes to the Bunker Banana Booby. Ultimately, after her victory, Khun Mali will be the talk of the Green Valley caddie shack as she recorded her name on the Bunker's list of winners for the first time.
Mueller & Mitchell Masters at Eastern Star
Eastern Star Golf Resort was the venue for the Bunker Boys' weekly medal event on Tuesday, 9th March. The golfers arrived at the course on a fine warm day and found the course suffering a little from the excessive wear found on many courses at this time of year. The greens, especially, were disappointing, having been recently aerated and sanded and certainly not cut for a few days. However, the two divisions, cut at seventeen and under, tackled their task with their customary competitiveness and in division one Steve Nowell and PJ Redmond tied at net 73 to share third place. At the top of the table Mikael Andersson and Mike Allidi could not be separated and their net 70's bore testimony to their dedication to the game. Mike Allidi's gross 75 was indeed the highlight of the day. In division two Pat Murphy took third place with a steady 72 whilst Mr. Loy, Roy Mitchell, returned to form after many months in the doldrums, returning net 69 to secure runners-up place. One shot ahead was new boy, Achim Mueller, and his net 68 was the best round of the day. There were four birdie twos and the Bunker Super Sawng award was thus shared by Remy Guy, Harry Cowling, Mikael Andersson and the usual suspect, Steve Nowell. At the other end of the lists Michael Dige did his best to win the Bunker Banana Booby by using a seven iron instead of a putter, on a "bad hair day" for him, but the award eluded him as Keith Hector and Barry Howden posted drab scores to share the fruit. No doubt the course will be in better condition when the Bunker Boys will return next month.
Another Birdie Bonus for Steve Nowell
At this time of year the course at Bangpra International Golf Club is a fusion of colour with the rich greens of the fairways subtly blending with the myriad hues of the bougainvillea, which abound there. This was the backcloth to the Bunker Boys' weekly stableford competition on Thursday, 11th March. The field was cut at sixteen and under and the two divisions set about their task on lush fairways and the legendary racing greens. In division two Bunker supremo Mick Ramshaw flexed his muscles for the first time in many a month to take third place with a score of 35 points, just one behind Paul Rose, whose level par 36 came tantalisingly close to the winning score of 37, posted by Pat Murphy. It was especially welcome for Pat as he had finished third on his previous outing. In the top flight Bill Hewitt and Steve Nowell underlined their consistency with rounds of 37 points but the returning Dave Smith eclipsed both with his 38 points. It was yet another birdie occasion for Steve Nowell as he scooped the Bunker Super Sawng award for the eighth time since January, and the second successive round, prompting Mr. Loy to call for a handicap cut under Rule 19! There were no such fears for Alan McGrory though, as his paltry 18 points was the saddest round of the day and guaranteed him the Bunker Banana Booby. The day ended with the ringing of the bell in the Bunker as Steve reminded everyone of his accuracy at beautiful Bangpra.
Big Bucks for the Young Bucks!
The highlight of the Bunker's month is always the two-day event at Green Valley and this month's event was no exception. Green Valley put on its best face on Monday and Tuesday, 15th and 16th March for the seven three-ball teams who competed in a stableford event with the best two scorecards per team, per day, counting towards the final result. The two days were very hot with a strong breeze blowing to cool the golfers, if not actually helping their game and the very fast greens and tight pin positions on the second day, in particular, added to the challenge. At the end of the first day the team of golfing young bucks, Steve Nowell, Mark Joshua and David Smith held a firm grip o the tournament with their combined score of 75 points, which equated to a team round of three under par.The nearest challengers were the team of old hands Harry Riley, Doug Campbell and Saranya Chaiyanont with a level par 72 points. Waiting in the wings were Bill Hewitt, Keith Hector and Wilf Latham only a further two points behind. With conditions tougher on the second day the initial impact was made by a team representing a combined 185 years of finely honed athleticism, John Preddy, Pat Murphy and Len Jones, and their 67 points equalled their total for the first day. They were to be the only team which was to hold it's own whilst all the others performed less well. For a long time they were the two-day clubhouse leaders until Bill, Keith and Wilf crawled in exhausted after a round of 66 points. Before they had the time to refresh themselves the final group had returned bearing a score of 70 points. At the end of the day the young bucks had picked up the two daily first prizes and the glory of the overall victory. On day one there was only one birdie two, that of Bill Hewitt, but on the second day a quarter of the field had achieved the same feat with Len Jones, Wilf Latham, David Smith, and Harry Riley all sharing the Bunker Super Sawng award with an elated Ian Phillips whose eagle two on the third hole had stolen the glory for the day. Sadly for Remy Guy, Paul Butler and Dale Shier their ignominious display on the second day had guaranteed them the Bunker Banana Booby prize but they took it in good part as always. Another successful two-day event had closed and all eyes are turning to the third week in April when the next one will be played at Green Valley.
Tough Times at Khao Kheow
On Thursday, 18th March, three dozen Bunker Boys and ladies travelled to Khao Kheow for the weekly stableford event and found he A and B courses in reasonable condition with racing greens on the "A" nine. Khao Kheow is a fine golfing challenge but times would be tough indeed on a hot, still day! In division two, cut at eighteen, nobody came anywhere near par but a resurgent John Preddy, currently in good form, fired 31 points to take third place, one behind Neil Griffin, recently returned from work in Iran. Annual visitor Sharon Burton topped the field with her 33 points. Division one saw the same tight struggle as Keith Smithson and David Smith vied for second place, both scoring 32 points. Keith's gross 76 was a fine achievement on a day when putting was all about touch and feel. David Lightfoot took the main prize with a splendid 33 points and left the course with thoughts of what might have been for his first nine total of 22 points had held such great promise. Brian Watson bagged the day's only birdie two to win the Bunker Super Sawng award and at the other end of the leaderboard Bill Hewitt, Jon Wood and Jim Payne all detected a whiff of fruit until Mr. Loy awarded the Bunker Banana Booby to the latter for his low score of the day. On the day, the course at Khao Kheow had won but the Bunker Boys will be back!
The Bunker Boys are OK
After a hectic few days during which the Bunker Boys transferred their base to the larger and more accommodating OK Corral bar on Soi Skaew Beach, it was with some relief on Tuesday, 23rd March, that the usual large party of golfers travelled up route 331 to the testing Treasure Hill golf club for their weekly medal event. What? Relief at Treasure Hill? The course was in respectable condition and the day was hot and humid as the two divisions set out to tackle the difficult course. Division two golfers found the course in defiant mood and, as usual, no-one broke par. Gerhard Schulze fired net 83 to take third place, two behind Bill Hewitt on 81. The winner was Takeshi Hakozaki whose 78 was quite respectable in the conditions. In division one Keith Smithson's gross 77 was the best score of the day but it only gave him third place, playing off scratch. Dave Smith continued his fine current form taking second place with net 76. Mike Allidi's gross 79 gave him net 74 to win the division. Visitor Phil Burton's birdie two on the short sixth hole secured for him the Super Sawng award whilst the Banana Booby managed the transfer unbruised to be awarded to Steve Nowell for his abominable eighteen shots on hole seven. One shot more and he would have equalled the Bunker Boys' worse ever one hole score! The presentation at the new venue was an outstanding success and Mr. Loy breathed a huge sigh of relief after the seamless transition. The Bunker Boys are still OK.
Siam Success for Nowell and Griffin
The Bunker Boys went sick visiting on Thursday, 25th March, and found the patient, Siam Country Club, in a poor condition. The health of the "Old Lady" of Eastern Seaboard golf is showing cause for concern and the bulletin posted in the foyer warned of poor greens under repair. Curiously no discounts were offered and the course was therefore relatively empty. Putting on pitted and heavily sanded greens is not what golfers enjoy and the two divisions manfully toiled under a hot sun all day to present worthwhile scores. In division one Mike Allidi capped a fine week by recording 34 points to take third place whilst David Smith went one better to post his second successive second place in the top flight. Steve Nowell got over the trauma of his eighteen shots on one hole on the previous outing to post a fine 38 points and take the day in division one. In division two Pat Murphy's daily practice resulted in some excellent golf and his 38 points took third place, one behind Jon Wood on 39. Playing partner Neil Griffin, of whom much has been written here recently, struck gold again with a sparkling 40 points and his skill on the par threes showed his love of putting on a beach! Dave Wilkinson struck gold by recording the only birdie two of the day and the Super Sawng award was duly presented to him at a packed presentation at the OK Corral later in the evening. He also scooped the final prize of the evening as his low score of 24 points also merited the Banana Booby prize, edging out the claims of smiling Des Pearson and Chris Walsh. It remains to be seen whether the course at Siam Country Club wears a similar smile when the Bunker Boys call again in the future.
Bob Pearce Takes Fine Win
Two dozen Bunker Boys left the spacious OK Corral bar for Pattaya Country Club on Tuesday, 30th March, for their weekly medal event and found the course in dry conditions, allowing plenty of run on the fairways and a fast set of greens on the back nine. It was good to welcome older Bunker Boys Les Winch and George Meigh into the fold again after a significant absence and their presence made the day for their friends. The cut was at sixteen and under and in division two Jon Wood emphasized his current form with a consistent net 73 to take third place. Pat Murphy, whose second home is the Diana Driving Range these days, emphasised his improvement with a level par net 72 to take second place, just one behind winner Gerhard Schulze and his net 71. Division one saw some fine golf as, first, Bill Hewitt returned a score of 72, only to be pipped by the best gross of the day, Mike Allidi's 75, giving the latter second place with net 71.The day's best score was the net 68 of Bob Pearce, the product of some characteristic Cumbrian grit on the pacy greens on the back nine. Doug Campbell's accuracy was rewarded with the day's only birdie two and Mr. Loy's prediction that the course was a "piece of cake" almost stuck in his throat when he recorded fifteen shots on the final two holes. He was able to recover himself enough, however, to present the Bunker Boys Banana Booby award to Ciano Glavina after his first round on his latest visit because...well, he is Ciano! All in all it was a fine, enjoyable day for the Bunker Boys at Pattaya Country Club.
Wilf Latham Wins Riverside Rumble
The Riverside course at Bangpakong is one of the most beautiful and well-manicured courses one can imagine. Its greens are splendidly consistent, its fairways are deliciously lush and even the short cut rough sustains good shots as the ball usually sits up nicely. Thus the scene was set on Thursday, 1st April, for a feast of fine golf as the Bunker Boys sped up Route 7 for their weekly stableford event. The day was hot and all the eventual winners were to fire par or better scores. In division two Gerhard Schulze's 36 points was considered merely average as Len Jones surprised himself again by sitting on the podium after an excellent round of 39 points which included a zero return on the easy first hole. Practice makes perfect and the three hours each day hitting practice shots certainly paid off for Pat Murphy, his 42 points being his personal best and the winning round of the day in his flight. In division one Kevin Taylor's low handicap of eight was no obstacle to his game and his accuracy was reflected in a fine score of 39 points to take third place. "Mr Consistency", Steve Nowell showed his talent with a fine round of 40 points but even this was not good enough as the gentle Lancashire giant Wilf Latham took the course by the scruff and thrashed 43 points out of its grasp. His eleven pars and one birdie left his playing partners agog and the smile on the face of the handicap secretary will be as broad as the river around which the course is designed. Wilf shared the Super Sawng award with Lancashire neighbour Harry Riley whose fate was later written to include the Banana Booby for his low score of 28 points, but when the head of your favourite club flies off the shaft on the seventh hole what chance do you have! It was one of those days at Bangpakong which will be long remembered. In April 2002 Bangkok restaurateur Nozaki Zaki fired net 63 to set the Bunker Boys' medal record at the course and on April Fools' Day 2004 Wilf Latham made his mark with a Bunker Boys' stableford record at the Riverside on the eve of his departure for England.
It's That Man Again - Steve Nowell!
The Bunker Boys started their week a day early on Monday, 5th April with a rearranged fixture at Century Ban Chang, as a result of the start of a mass of public holidays when courses are full and expensive. The format was medal and after arriving at the course they found their tee off time had been usurped by an intruding group of players from Lewiinski's. It was not the best start to the day and worse was to follow. The course was well presented and the day was hot as the two flights set out forty minutes late but in division two Andrew "Smiler" Rides, playing his first round this year fired a paltry net 82 to take third place. Mr. Loy approached respectability with a hard earned net 78 but this was a long way behind the score of the winner, Len Jones, whose net 73 hinted at a consistency so long missing from his game. In division one Bill Hewitt closed his stay in style with a steady net 74 to take third place. Mark Joshua's gross 37 for the first nine held out great promise but the brakes were applied with 48 on the back nine but his final score of 72 was good enough for second place. Playing partner Steve Nowell showed what a good golfer he is, yet again, with a scintillating net 65 and this shone through on a troubled day as a score which will guarantee a reduction in his handicap. Gary Matthews shot the only birdie two of the day and the Banana Booby was awarded to Smiler after a caddy had picked up his ball, three inches from the hole, and forgot to mark it! The presentation at the OK Corral was fraught with problems as three Lewiinski's competitors claimed they were also playing in the same Bunker Boys' tournament, and all three claimed their prizes. A hasty call to the R & A in Scotland gave clarification. It is not against the Rules of Golf to play in two tournaments on the same course at the same time, if the format is the same, but as Lewiinski's were playing bogey and the Bunker Boys were playing medal, disqualification was the decision, and the three "intruders" left glum-faced and baht-less. Well done Mr. Loy and the R & A as "fairness" won the day at the OK Corral.
"Smiler" Rides to the Top at Eastern Star
On one of the hottest days of the year, Thursday, 8th April, the Bunker Boys took on the hugely improved course at Eastern Star for their weekly stableford event. Gone are the annual tourists and the course was immaculately presented and almost empty as the two divisions set off. A strong breeze blew all day and the golfers found they had to be masters of their own destiny to produce good scores. In division one Steve Nowell and Mark Joshua fought head-to-head, recording scores of 32 to share second place whilst Keith Hector celebrated his final round before returning to England, with a fine 33 points total, to take the victory. In the second flight Roy Mitchell overcame a course he dislikes to return a score of 29 points, which was good enough for second place. Andy "Smiler" Rides enjoys his golf on his annual visits and he usually wins the Banana Booby at some stage. Indeed he did two days previously, but this time his long hitting was to good effect and, aided by a good caddy, his putting was excellent and he recorded the best score of the day, 38 points, to take the second division. As part of his celebrations he immediately ordered a new haircut, with tints, a manicure and "dressed" fingernails. Anyone else would have settled for ringing the bell! There were no birdie twos but the Bunker Banana Booby was awarded to the week's previous winner, Len Jones, for his meagre return of 21 points on a day when the wind blew his woods to hitherto undiscovered parts of the course. It was all part of a pleasant day at Eastern Star.
Junior Shows Old Hands How
With the arrival of Songkhran many regular Bunker Boys deserted the water sodden streets and antics of Pattaya for more peaceful climes but the hardy few remained to play the weekly medal round at Plutaluang, South and East nines, on Monday, 12th April. It was a very hot day as the single division took to the tee on a well presented course, but golfers and fairways alike were sorely in need of water. It was to be a day to remember as first Pat Murphy emphasized his improvement with a fine net 72, only one behind the unchecked and unpredictable power of Paul "Houdini" Butler whose net 71 gave him second place. Annual visitor, Carl Matthews, a fine fifteen year old prodigy playing off twelve, became the youngest ever Bunker Boy winner with a smooth net 70, firing eight pars and birdying the toughest hole on the course. It was a round he will remember for a long time. Paul Butler scored the day's only birdie two, thus winning the doubled-up Super Sawng award and Mr. Loy's eyes lit up when he noticed the Banana Booby was missing at the presentation at the OK Corral later. Mine host, Dennis, quickly got astride his bicycle and returned, to Mr. Loy's embarrassment, with a fine hand of fruit, and justice was done as Mr. Loy's net 86 was honoured in true Bunker Boys style! It was a fine start to Songkhran and the schoolboy had given the masters a lesson in golf.
Takeshi Takes Phoenix to Task
On Friday, 16th April, the Bunker Boys made a welcome return to Phoenix Golf Club after an absence of more than a year as a result of the club's pricing policy. The course is vastly improved and the fairways are lush and afford excellent lies. The greens have a consistent speed and there is no excuse for a poor card, unless one's game is really "off". The two divisions set out under a blazing sun on the Lakes and Ocean nines and the day continued to be hot and humid as, in division two, Larry Ball carded a score of 32 stableford points, nudging Mr Loy's 30 points out of second place. Jimmy Little played the back nine well and his 36 points took the second flight prize. Division one saw the better scores and Guy "Remy" Bert's 38 points seemed good enough to win but his efforts were shrouded by those of Takeshi Hakozaki, who belied his handicap of 15 to post a startling 42 points, with six pars and two birdies gracing his scorecard. Surprisingly there were no birdie twos but that was probably because the wind played too strong a role in the proceedings. Andrew "Smiler" Rides ended his short stay with an embarrassing fourth hole on the Lakes course, when he took three shots to pass the Ladies' tee box. Caddies were swooning at the prospect of what might have been in store but in the end the Bunker Boys' Banana Booby was the only thing on display! Phoenix is very much part of the monthly golf scene again and Takeshi San will certainly endorse that.
Remy Rides the Storm at Khao Kheow
After a week or more of Songkhran soakings in Pattaya the Bunker Boys took the road to Khao Kheow Country Club, on Tuesday, 20th April for the relief of a medal round on this fine course. The selection was the testing "A" nine and the less hazardous "C" nine and the scene was set for a fine tournament. It was also the birthday of Saranya Chaiyanont and she and Harry Riley had sponsored the par-threes with near-pin and long putt prizes. But, someone forgot to tell the weather gods, and the round was interrupted by one of the worst thunderstorms for a long while. Play was held up for almost two hours towards the end of the first nine and the break, along with the vastly changed course conditions afterwards, made a mockery of many a scorecard. Good players were recording double figures and triple bogeys became the norm for others. Keeping their heads down were the drenched duo of Pat Murphy and Mr. Loy and their net 78's took a share of third place. The previous week's winner, Takeshi Hakozaki, shot a net 74, despite a back nine which was nine sodden shots worse than his outward half, and he took second place. The honours of the day went to Guy "Remy" Bert whose ten pars went some way to soften the blow of his ten shots on the par three "A" 3 and he was the worthy winner indeed. Ya's birthday bonuses were awarded to Paul Butler, Steve Nowell, Remy and the birthday girl herself whilst Steve Nowell also took home the Bunker Boys' Banana Booby for his dismal net 96 on a soaking day, best forgotten.
Easy Win for PJ
On Thursday, 22nd April, the Bunker Boys revisited the scrumptious course at Bangpra for their weekly stableford event and found the course in its usual excellent condition. The day was clear and very hot as the group set out and the very steady Pat Murphy was the first to show with a score of 30 stableford points. Steve Nowell showed he had recovered from his blushes at Khao Kheow two days previously by scoring 34 points to take second position, but this was not good enough for the main prize as a healthy 36 points carded by PJ Redmond was sufficient to win the day. Terry Phur had the honour of scooping the Super Sawng award for his birdie two on the second hole, a testing par three. Mine host at the OK Corral, Denis, chose to continue his golfing education at the Asia par three course and his appalling scorecard outshone the weaker efforts of the real "men" and he was awarded his first ever Bunker Boys prize, the Bananas! Wait until the fun really starts, Denis, on a proper golf course!
Red, White and Blues for Mr. Loy
The Bunker Boys left their OK Corral base on Monday and Tuesday, 26-27th April, for their monthly 36 hole event at their usual venue, the very pleasant Green Valley course. This time the format was to be stableford "Red, White and Blue", with twelve holes off the red tees, twelve off the white and the final twelve off the distant blue tees. On a hot first day the course was well appointed and the greens were their usual slick pace. A steady strong breeze held up all day and this made club choices off the "unknown" ladies' tees paramount. High scores were expected but they really did not materialise except for two fine rounds by Len Jones and Mr. Loy, whose 40 and 42 points respectively led the day, holding off the thirty-sevens of Norm Robinson and PJ Redmond. At the first day presentation both leaders pointed out the secret of success off the red tees - you have to forget the length of your own game and think like a lady! The second day dawned with heavy skies and three of the four leaders found the round a struggle. Perhaps the first day table toppers were still thinking like ladies, forgetting that the blue tees demanded a real man's game! In the event they managed the three lowest scores of the day, with the card of Mr. Loy being the worst, and they were overwhelmed by the canny course management skills of PJ Redmond and Mike Frizzell, their scores of 29 points taking the second day. When the scores were aggregated it left PJ Redmond in first place, with 66 points, and Pat Murphy and Mike Frizzell sharing second place with their 62 points totals. The Bunker Boys' Super Sawng award was shared by Mark Joshua, Norm Robinson and Mr. Loy and the enigmatic Steve Nowell, nothing short of brilliant one day and less so on another, took the Banana Booby with his low score total of 53 points. It was an excellent two day golf tournament and regulars were left to ponder that playing off different tees requires a different strategy, and automatic pilots become redundant.
Steve Nowell Back in the Groove
The Bunker Boys took their monthly trip up route 331 to the severely testing golf course at Treasure Hill on Thursday, 29th April, to play their weekly medal round. They found the course in excellent condition with anthill free fairways and fairly paced greens. The day was very hot however and exhaustion was to play a big factor in the day's events. Rookie Bunker Boy, Max Gard, toiled under the sun to record a net 82 and this held out no chance of success until other cards came in and he found himself propelled into third place. The week's two-day winner, PJ Redmond, continued his fine form to score net 77 and take second place whilst Steve Nowell regained his form and his reputation with a fine net 75, to take the day. Neil Hughes and Roy Mitchell vied for the worst round of the day but in the end the Banana Booby was unanimously awarded to Mr. Loy for losing a belated Songkhran challenge with his caddy and getting the contents of an iced water bottle poured down his shirt! There is never a dull moment with the Bunker Boys at Treasure Hill.
"Mr Consistency" Does it Again
Tuesday, the fourth of May, dawned very overcast and humid, but this did not deter the Bunker Boys from travelling to Century Ban Chang for their weekly medal tournament. They found the course in the finest condition they have ever seen, with properly manicured fairways offering good lies through the green. Gone, hopefully for ever, are the scattered clumps of clinging long grass that were a frustrating feature of the undulating fairways for so long and the only blemish were the slower-than-usual greens, a result of rain delays affecting course maintenance. Mikael Andersson shot a fine first nine gross of 38, only to stutter on holes 13 and 14, but this did not prevent him recording a fine net 70 to take third place. Ban Chang resident, Paul Butler, used all his power and local knowledge to post a score of net 69, prompting dreams of success, but how was he to know that elsewhere on the course the almost imperceptive skill of Steve Nowell, was producing a round of such quality that he finished with twelve straight pars. His round of net 67 easily beat the Bunker Boys' average winning score for the course, by four shots. Surprisingly there was only one birdie two and that honour went to Len Jones for his successful curling downhill putt across twelve feet of viciously sloping green on the fifteenth. There were the usual suspects for the Bunker Boys' Banana Booby but a returning David Johnson's claim that he had played good golf in his sad round of net 89 was sufficient to keep him in bananas for a week! It was good to find the course at Ban Chang in such fine condition and it is well worth a visit, certainly being one of the best value-for-money golf experiences in the province.
King for a Day at Eastern Star
Eastern Star is a course that always attracts a good turnout of golfers when the Bunker Boys play and Thursday, 6th May was no exception as the group played their weekly stableford there. The day was fine with a steady breeze and the course was showing signs of a little wear and tear after the long, busy high season. Fairways are in need of more widespread watering and the greens showed very little sign of turn, surprisingly. However, an empty course more than made up for this small disappointment. Bob Pearce plodded along in his own steady way to record a score of 33 points, to take third place whilst Len Jones turned in his second good round of the week to take runner-up place with a score of 34 points. John King deserted his regular Shenanigan's partner, Mikael Andersson, for the company of the Bunker Boys and his consistent accurate play held all the aces with a score of 36 points taking the day. There were no birdie two's on the slowish greens but the bananas were out for new Bunker Boy, Tony Mullins, whose dismal 14 points made an immediate impact in his first tournament. Things can only get better from now on!
PJ Manages the Wind to Win
On Tuesday, 11th May a large group of Bunker Boys turned out at Phoenix to wish the master of the OK Corral, Denis Smith, a happy birthday, an occasion on which he, himself, played his first proper round of golf! The day was hot and humid and a strong breeze blew throughout the round, on the Lakes and Ocean nines, making it difficult for golfers in both divisions. In division two Pat Murphy toiled off the tee, promising himself extra lessons, but still managed to secure second place with his net 77, whilst Mr Loy had a round of such quality that he had sixteen opportunities for birdies. However, his putting at present is such a lottery, and today his numbers did not come up. His net 72 was still good enough for victory. In division one Steve Nowell took yet another podium place with his net 74 but PJ Redmond quietly submitted a card bearing the day's only sub-par round, a net 71. It was a fine effort on a windy day. There were three shares of the Super Sawng award with Steve Nowell, Mark Joshua and Brian Watson all firing birdie two's on the Ocean seventh. Mr Denis celebrated his birthday in style by sponsoring near-pin prizes on the par threes and these were won by Mr. Loy, Bob Pearce and Brian Watson. How else can one honour the guest-of-honour's score that would equal the highest checkout in darts, on a day when the marshalls escorted his group around the empty course, encouraging them to finish before the celebratory pig was well and truly barbequed! The Bunker Boys' Banana Booby of course! Thank you, boss, for making the day's golf so memorable!
Nowell Nails Nine - at last!
On Thursday, 13th May, the Bunker Boys went to Bangpra International Golf Club to play their weekly stableford event and found the course, in the words of one of the regulars, in a "scruffy" condition, with patchy, dusty fairways and slow, yes, slow greens! Everything conspired to make the course a challenge and the results reflected this,. but it was to be a day to remember for Steve Nowell. His ambition has always been to have a single-figure handicap and after his round here this looks to have been realised. On a good day his golf can be sumptuous, and he has more good days than bad ones. Shooting a gross 79, which gave him 39 points, he easily took the victory from Brian Watson, who just edged out PJ Redmond to take second place with 30 points .Putting was a struggle and there were no birdie twos but the Bunker Boys Banana Booby was presented to Brian Bellis after his consistently shabby round which netted him a dozen points. The lasting memory of the day will be the quality of the winner's round and the cut to single figures which will certainly follow. Nine at last for Steve Nowell.
Phur and Per Pushed Close
The Bunker Boys travelled to Green Valley on 17th and 18th May to contest their monthly 36 hole event, this time the format being a Pairs Scramble. The weather stayed fine with a fresh breeze blowing both days and the course was beautifully presented once again with the lightly scarified greens giving the only reason for concern. On day one, with the white tees set well back, the experienced pairing of Bob Pearce and John Healey used their canny knowledge of the course to post a creditable score of 67.4, a feat they were to emulate on the following day. This gave them third place, just a shot behind Harry Riley and Saranya Chaiyanont, whose three birdie twos went a long way to establishing their runners-up score of 66.2. The long hitting of Per Aschan and Terry Phur was good enough to take the first day with a seemingly unassailable score of 63.6. On the second day Harry and Saranya still held out hope of a surprise and their improved score of 65.2 took the second day from the vastly improved pairing of Mark Joshua and Steve Nowell. At the end of the day however the first day places held firm with Phur and Aschan holding a slender 1.2 shot lead over the Family Riley after two engrossing days at Green Valley.
Bob Pearce Wins in the Wind
After a competitive two day event at the start of the week, when twenty-six players took to the links on the second day, it was understandable that there would be a lower turnout at Khao Kheow on Thursday, 20th May, for a stableford event over the A and B nines on an overcast and very windy day. The conditions made the well presented course play very long off the yellow tees, and, had it been a medal round, many spirits would have been broken! Neil Griffin and Pat Murphy tried manfully to post good scores off their higher handicaps but the class of Steve Nowell allowed him to post a score of 30 points to briefly hold the clubhouse lead. Bob Pearce proved the master of the conditions with his score of 31 points and he took the day's main prize. There were no birdie two's for the second successive round but poor Len Jones took the Bunker Boys' Banana Booby for an incredible oversight. Arriving home from the course he went to clean his clubs and realised they were still waiting for collection at the clubhouse! This necessitated a round trip of more than a hundred kilometres, at rush hour, to retrieve them. His stamina and temper were eventually restored with the award of the dreaded fruit! Silly Billy!
Nowell is Top Gun at Plutaluang
On Tuesday, 25th May, a motley crew of Bunker Boys departed the OK Corral to take on the North and West nines at the Royal Thai Navy course at Plutaluang in their weekly medal event. The day was clear with a fresh breeze blowing across good fairways and slow greens. The serenity of the course was broken from the start by the whirling of Cobra Gold helicopters and concentration was essential. From the beginning it was going to be a hard toil for John Hughes and Mr. Loy as their original intention was to take no more than a leisurely stroll in the peaceful surroundings, but the lure of an empty course tempted them into borrowing and hiring equipment to join in the fun. Further down the field higher handicappers found the going tough but at the top playing partners Mark Joshua and Steve Nowell went head-to-head in a titanic dogfight. At the turn Josh held a two shot net advantage but this was to be blown away by Steve's customary back nine surge which saw him post a gross 37 for the tough West nine. Josh's net 70 was good enough for second place but the main honours went to Steve Nowell, again, with his excellent four-under par 68. They both recorded birdie two's to scoop the triple rollover Super Sawng award whilst John Hughes' prior claim that Plutaluang was a mere "walk in the park" came back to haunt him as he was ten shots off the pace at the end and he was nominated the day' custodian of the Bunker Boys' Banana Booby.
Steve Nowell? Ditto!
The Bunker Boys left the OK Corral on Thursday, 27th May, for the splendour of nearby Phoenix Golf Club, for their weekly stableford bash, and found the course in excellent conditions with consistently paced greens. The courses chosen were the Lakes and Ocean nines and the field consisted of three newcomers to the Bunker Boys and the now notorious novice pairing of Angus McParlane and Denis Smith, mine host at the OK Corral, both in search of their first official IPGC handicap. The star of the day was to be Steve Nowell, for whom winning with good scores is now expected, and for the second successive tournament he was to produce a round of stunning quality. A gross score of level par 36 on the Lakes helped him to a halfway score of 23 points. Only a couple of hesitant putts and one OB shot on the Ocean nine held him back, but his round of 42 points was remarkable. Having said that, he was only one point ahead of a resurgent Mr. Loy, whose patience in overcoming his recent putting "yips" has vastly improved his game. In third place, with 36 points, was welcome Aussie newbie, Alan Murdoch, standing on the Bunker Boys podium in his first round with them. The Super Sawng award was held over as no-one managed a birdie two but the Bunker Boys Banana Booby found its way into the hands of a smiling Mr Denis for his customary high gross, equalling the highest checkout in darts, one of his other passions! But the day will be remembered for the golfing quality of Steve Nowell, whose week's total score of ten under par will take some beating.
The Nowell Roadshow Rolls on
On Tuesday, 1st June, the Bunker Boys departed the OK Corral to take on the challenge of an immaculate Green Valley course for their weekly medal event. The day dawned very overcast but was later to blossom into almost cloudless skies and good golf was very evident. Most scores were to pepper par with Mark Joshua's 76 taking third place, one behind David Smith's second placed net 75. The Bunker Boy of the Month, Steve Nowell began the day with an official handicap of eight but chose to sacrifice three shots with a voluntary cut to five. Incredibly, his returned score of 74 (71 officially) took the day . His form is so good at present that very few people would bet against him making an impact in the IPGC Championships later this month. There were no birdie two's but at the other end of the field Angus MacFarlane and Len Jones found the going tougher than most, Mr. Loy struggled with a new set of irons and Bob Pearce frustrated with his putting made them all challengers for the Banana Booby prize but it was scooped by Len Jones for his bravery in attending the presentation at the OK Corral, the other two candidates declining. Once again the hero of the day was Steve Nowell and those who witnessed the quality of his golf were staggered at the progress he is currently making.
Jones & Philp Burst Nowell's Bubble
On Thursday, 3rd June a heavily overcast Century Ban Chang welcomed the Bunker Boys for their weekly stableford event. The course was well presented yet again and as the clouds grew they were to be the overture for a very heavy thunderstorm which delayed the group at the turn for almost an hour. The going got tough but the tough "got going" as Terry Phur found out when his golf cart took a mind of its own, ploughing into a flowerbed, and the wheels similarly came off for Steve Nowell, winner of four of the last six events with the Bunker Boys. A gargantuan struggle was taking place between Bob Philps and Len Jones who were going head-to-head over the back nine as, slowly, Bob's three point lead was being whittled away by a resurgent Len, resolute in his resolve. At the end of the round there was still no daylight between them and they shared the day's honours with 34 points each. Dave Smith had held his game together well to take third place with a score of thirty points. Elsewhere Don Frances pulled out a plum with his birdie two on the thirteenth hole to take the triple-rollover Super Sawng award whilst Mr. Loy incredibly played the wrong ball in the height of the storm and took the Bunker Banana Booby for his error. It was another good golf day, and, at last, the headline writers have found new names to play with!
Six of the Best for Smithie
Regardless of what may be written elsewhere Mr. Loy and the Pattaya Golf Society - the Bunker Boys - are the original group bearing the name in Pattaya. Any similarity between us and our friends at same-same.con merely proves that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and for that we are extremely grateful. That no doubt explains why the Bunker Boys received a gushing welcome, on Tuesday, 8th June, from the manager at Eastern Star, presuming it was the second booking in six days from the group. Sadly they could not enjoy the hospitality for long because the course was waterlogged after a long storm and the players made the short detour to a drier Century Ban Chang. The format was medal and with the cut set at 13, another Bunker record, the two divisions took to the wet fairways. In division one Mark Joshua and Steve Nowell contested the honours with Steve's net 75 easily blowing away the challenge of Josh's 81. The old hands and long handicappers in division two found they had some unusual playmates as the lower handicappers normally associated with the top flight had been relegated because of the "cut". One of them, Dave Smith, played the finest golf of his life in shooting a six-under net 66, and this included a ten and a double bogey on holes eight and nine. His back nine was a prodigious affair of gross 35 and he took the flight in style from Brian Bellis's 82. Dave also shared the Super Sawng award for his birdie two on the fifteenth hole, Mike Lloyd emulating his feat and pocketing a little something as well. Mark Joshua was confident of success in his pre-match conversation with Mr. Loy and his prediction of a sub-80 round hung around his neck, as did the Bunker Boys Banana Booby, after his showing of net 81. The smile was also to disappear off the face of Mr. Loy as he was reminded that the local "lift and drop" rule only applies to fairways and his card was withheld. It had been a long day indeed.
Wilko in Soggy Victory at Khao Kheow
Khao Kheow off the yellow tees is a long course and on Thursday 10th June, when the Bunker Boys went there for their weekly stableford event they found the A & B courses extremely wet after a few hours of heavy rain. There was to be no "run" whatsoever on the fairways, no flight through the air and plugged balls squelched on and off the fairway. Securing par would be a tremendous achievement and try as they might everyone found it an impossible task. This did not deter them however and at the halfway mark the lead was shared by Bob Pearce and playing companion Len Jones. They remained neck and neck right up to he last hole, when Bob put his tee shot into the water, but by that time Brian Wilkinson had made his charge with a fine performance on the back nine, adding twenty points to his first nine tally of nine and he took the day by four shots from Len Jones (25) and Bob Pearce and Ray Handford (24). Unsurprisingly there were no birdie two's but Angus MacFarlane's golfing education continues and his prize as teacher's pet came in the form of the Bunker Boys' Banana Booby which Mr. Loy dutifully presented at the OK Corral whilst the group continued to dry out their shoes and socks! It was all proof that one can have fun even on the gloomiest of days, providing one is on the golf course with friends.
Norm Robinson Wins IPGC Warm-up
On Tuesday, 15th June, a large group of Bunker Boys travelled to nearby Phoenix to play the weekly medal event on the eve of the fourth IPGC Championship, many, no doubt, taking the advantage of the opportunity of playing a practice round on the beautiful course. The day was heavily overcast and a strong wind shook the golfers and made life very difficult on the newly reopened Mountain and Ocean combination. Consequently it was no surprise to find the lower handicappers struggling whilst the better players coped, at least in part, with the difficult conditions. In division one Bob van Mol tried to set the early pace but his card included the rare sight of a brace of sixes on the Mountain nine and his score of net 77 would only be good enough for third place. Mark Joshua's five dreaded sixes on the Ocean nine told a similar tale but the club member's local knowledge helped him to a fine net 75 and second place. Dave Smith was the winner for the second successive outing and his net 70 took the day and was a credit to his concentration. In division two Angus McFarlane took his first podium place with a patient net 85 whilst the old hand, Jim Wilson, called on all his experience to post net 77. At the head of the field however was Norm Robinson and his 69 was the highlight of the day, his consistency showing the mark of a golfer currently in form. The rolled-over Super Sawng award was shared by Dave Smith and Mark Joshua whilst the sad picture of a man lacking confidence led Mr. Loy to present the Banana Booby to Len Jones, for the second time in a couple of weeks. Full marks, then, to the winners and thanks for ringing the bell back at the OK Corral!
Rookie Winners at Siam
A smaller than usual group left the OK Corral on Thursday, 17th June, the rest day in the IPGC annual Championship, and travelled to nearby Siam C.C. for their weekly stableford event. It was the opportunity for a place on the podium for some of the rookie Bunker Boys and the course was well presented with surprisingly medium to fast greens. The event was won by John Healey and Brian Bellis who both shot 35 points and Barry Pethig made his mark for the second week by receiving his first Bunker Boys' Banana Booby for forgetting his membership card and being asked to pay the full "visitor" rate for the green fee. A lesson there for us all. His first round previously with the Bunker Boys saw his golf shoe disintegrate on the third hole and he flapped his way around for the rest of the round and awoke the next day extremely stiff. There were no birdie two's and this news was greeted with delight by those who were "resting" for the IPGC "big one" and they will be back, for sure, for the next outing.
Paul Quodomine Bang On at Bangpra
On Tuesday, 22nd June, more than twenty bleary-eyed golfers took the road to the beautiful Bangpra International Golf Club for their weekly medal event. Many had stayed awake until four in the morning, savouring England's football victory, but the draw of a round of golf was too strong and all thoughts of sleep were postponed. The course was immaculately presented and the greens had lost some of their legendary "zip", a result of the heavy rains of late. Scores were good and with the cut at 13 the two divisions held promise of a tight contest. Division one saw Don Frances post a fine net 73 which was good enough only for third place, as Bob Pearce's level par 72 took second. John Healy's consistency was rewarded with the spoils of victory and his net 70 took the day in the top flight. In division two the returning Bill Hewitt found the going tough and a stuttering back nine reminded him that it takes more than a couple of days to find a rhythm in Thailand. PJ Redmond posted a net 75 to take third place, one behind Brian Bellis's 74. Paul Quodomine's previous round was in the IPGC Championship, and was a catalogue of disasters but this time he managed to take thirty-seven shots off his round and an excellent net 69 brought him the flight victory. Bob Pearce had the temerity to shoot two birdie two's and he shared the Super Sawng award with Ryan Martin but Mr. Loy's confusion with names at the presentation made sure he would be the beneficiary of the Banana Booby. It was a good day but for many the thought of sleep was the perfect ending!
Healy and Pearce Complete Double
Another large group of Bunker Boys travelled to Eastern Star on Thursday, 24th June, for their weekly stableford event and found the course very well presented, with the exception of the greens which had been recently sanded. With the cut at seventeen the two divisions found the strong breeze a constant problem and they struggled to put together good scores. Division two heralded Mr. Loy and Tom McCarthy and their brace of 34 point totals gave them a share of the runner-up place. The old head of PJ Redmond was canny enough to keep his game together and his level par 36 point score proved the best in the flight. Division one golfers could be forgiven if they suffered deja-vu because it was the same pair of golfers at the top of the pile as previously as Bob Pearce's 36 and John Healy's 39 were the best returns of the day. Steve Nowell also turned in a 36 point card but he has generously taken a cut of three in Bunker Boys' competitions, leaving him with a competition score of 33, thus Rick Schramm took the final place on the podium with his 34 point total. There were three birdie two's and Len Jones, Norm Robinson and Bill "Birdie" Hewitt all took a share of the Super Sawng pot. Paul Quodomine's low score of 26 points was ignored as Mark Joshua arrived at the presentation and received the Bunker Banana Booby for a catalogue of misdemeanours, including missing a presentation, forgetting a golf rule and beating Mr. Loy at pool! It seems nobody is safe when the fruit is about to be awarded.
Rookie Barry's First Win
On Tuesday, 29th June it was the turn of the Royal Thai Navy at Plutaluang to pipe aboard the Bunker Boys for their weekly medal event as two flights of golfers took on the challenge of the North and testing West nines.Once again the cut was at 13, an indication of the quality of the golf now being played by the group, and some hitherto top flight golfers found themselves in the uncharted waters of division two on a hot and thankfully dry day. The course was well turned out but excessive watering had made some of the approaches to the greens soggy. In division one last week's double winner, John Healy, found the course his match this time and his net 75 was good enough only for third place, behind Mark Joshua's net 74. It was the turn of John's sparring partner, Bob Pearce, to bask in some glory as his net 72 was the best of the day in the top flight. In division two the competition was more clear with Mr. Loy languishing on 77 in third place, two shots behind "Mr. Inconsistency" Paul Quodomine and his net 75. The hero of the day was rookie Barry Pethig, who, at seventy-one years young, used all his guile to produce an excellent round of golf, firing a two-under net 70 to take the flight. Aussie Bob Wighton and Steve Nowell shared the Super Sawng award for their birdie two, Steve taking the lion's share with his brace of birdies. The returning Basil Foley saw his indiscrete twelve shots on the Lighthouse hole contribute to the day's worst card and it landed him with the Banana Booby, but he was all smiles as he took the dubious honour for the first time.
Good Gosh! It's Josh
Another large group of Bunker Boys left the OK Corral to take the short trip to Phoenix for a pre-Independence Day/Richard's Birthday visit on Thursday, 1st July and found the course in immaculate condition, refreshed by a strong breeze which made the Mountain and Lakes nines a stern challenge. There was a big welcome back for the Bunker Boys' resident PGA member, Keith Smithson and his round of gross 76 was to be just one of the day's many highlights. In a stableford format division one golfers have a lot to do to prove their merit and Steve Nowell's first nine score of 21 points held promise of another memorable round but he stuttered over the final three holes, picking up only two points, leaving him with a share of the runner-up place with 37. John Cunningham matched him with an excellent card which bore nothing more than a five, giving him 37 points also. After a few weeks in the doldrums Mark Joshua came good again, much to the chagrin of Mr. Loy, and his score of 38 points took the victory. In division two George Meigh made a welcome return scoring 29 points to take third place, in the wake of Paul Quodomine's fine 32 points but out in front was Mr. Loy, whose first nine score of 22 points was the best of the day. Sadly he hiccupped in the middle of the back nine, picking up only three points on Lakes 3-6 but his total of 37 points proved enough in the conditions to take the second flight honours. Mark Joshua scored the day's only birdie two and scooped the large Super Sawng pool whilst lacklustre performances by Bill Hewitt and Basil Foley saw them share a banana split, in the absence of Angus MacFarlane who had made an early exit from the presentation! It was a fine prelude to this month's "major" IPGC event on a course which consistently ranks in the top five in the Kingdom. As a footnote a conversation with a guest player showed that the IPGC Bunker Boys continue to provide golf at an excellent price. For an average of 1000 baht one can have a good day's golf, with green/caddy fees and air-conditioned transport to and from the course included. Add to that the special atmosphere of the Bunker Boys and one has an excellent day's golf in comparison with other agencies which charge a minimum of 2000-2500 baht for the same deal. Worth thinking about? You bet!
Old Hands Take Control at Eastern Star
At this time of year Eastern Star Golf Resort can be a peaceful place with very few golfers and a pleasant breeze coming off the sea, not too far away. So it was on Tuesday, 6th July, when many Bunker Boys left the OK Corral to try their hands at the weekly medal tournament. The course disappointed many as remedial work had been done on the greens leaving them sandy and occasionally bare and the expected lush fairways showing signs of distress from the thousands of feet which have pounded them for the past few months. The cut was set at seventeen and under and the strong, ever-present breeze kept the golfers on their toes. Such is the lure of Bunker Boys golf that Dale Shier and Wilf Latham turned out still jet-lagged from their journey from England and Brian Bellis, a victim of some drunken locals on a motorcycle, played with three broken ribs! Heroes all. In division two Paul Quodomine played his annual swansong round and performed reasonably well shooting net 77 to take third place behind the joint winners and old hands, Roy Mitchell, for whom the putting "yips" have returned and Len Jones, for whom his confidence is surging once again. Both shot brave net 75's to share the honours. In division one long-hitting local, Paul Butler, fired a fine net 76 to secure third place behind William Macey's steady 75. It was left to another old hand, Bill Hewitt, to mark his return to Thai golf with a winning round of level par 72. Mr Loy took the day's biggest pot with his birdie two on the sixth hole, putting from off the green and this contrasted with three attempts on an earlier hole from less than eighteen inches! It should have been the Bunker Banana Booby as well, if only for that, but "El Presidente" Dale Shier has returned and it was a foregone conclusion that he would get it, especially after idly boasting, but not fulfilling, on the risky water fringed ninth hole. At the end of the day it was an enjoyable golf experience and the smiles were still there hours later at the OK Corral.
Len Jones Completes a Double
Another large group of Bunker Boys travelled to Century Ban Chang on Thursday, 8th July, for their weekly stableford competition and found the course in good condition with greens which were faster than usual, catching out more than a few. The day was incredibly hot and humid and many of the golfers found the round a challenge in uncomfortable conditions. In both divisions, with the cut at fifteen, the contest was extremely close and in division one there was a three way tie for third place with William Macey, Dale Shier and Mark Joshua all scoring 34 points. One shot ahead were the joint winners Yasu Suzuki and John Cunningham inseparable on 35 points. Division two was equally tight and Bill Hewitt and PJ Redmond won nothing more than a share of third place for their hard fought level par 36's. The best scores of the day were shared by Len Jones and David Johnson and their 37's won the day in the second flight. It was the second successive victory, albeit shared, for Len Jones, the man who a month ago was in the depths of depression with his game. William Macey and an effervescent Dale Shier shared the Bunker Boys' Super Sawng award with their birdie twos and the Banana Booby was presented to Mr. Loy after he had his worst day on the golf course for a long time. He had awoken with a hangover, and vague memories of a wager. He had performed badly and was later reminded of his promise to buy drinks for all the ladies in the OK Corral should he lose to "El Presidente", Dale Shier. And he did! Ain 't golf fun at the OK.
Electric Eclectic Excitement
Green Valley sees the Bunker Boys take on the challenge of a two-day event every month and on Monday and Tuesday, 12th and 13th July a large group visited to play a straightforward medal eclectic event. The first day saw the players "setting out their stalls" and establishing the baseline from which the second day would be played. The course was well turned out and the greens were running at a slick speed of 9. From the start it was obvious that scoring would be difficult as the strong breeze took control of many a drive and the tees were well set back. The heroes of the day were to be three players from the same group, Harry Riley, Bob van Mol and Dale Shier who all posted scores of level par or better and they were matched by those of Bill Hewitt and Saranya Chaiyanont. Harry held the advantage of a two shot lead by virtue of his fine first day score of net 69. Not to be outdone Bob van Mol and Dale Shier also had the honours of birdie two's so all was set up for a tense final day. Tuesday saw the artistry of Bob van Mol enable him to make some improvement whilst Dale Shier held on to his coat-tails and went head-to-head with Harry and Saranya. After his birdie two on the sixteenth Harry was three shots behind Bob on the final tee. His drive was thunderously powerful and his approach was laser guided, leaving him an eighteen inch putt for a birdie. Having shot a seven there the day before his knee-knocker of a putt held more drama than many could handle but little Harry has a huge heart and he summoned up his nerves for the final effort. He caressed the putt with ease and a staggered Bob van Mol could only shake his hand and declare that no-one could have played the hole more perfectly. Harry's eclectic net 62 held the day from Bob and Bill Hewitt's superb net 63, with Khun Ya nosed out of the frame into fourth with a net 64. Other birdie two's were posted by the new IPGC Champion, Alan McGrory, and Terry Phur. At the other end of the field Wilf Latham found the after-effects of being hit by a ball on the first day too much to bear and Robert Knutsson's hangover kept him in the shadows of his hotel room, no doubt comforted by his award recognising him being the Bunker Boys' 20,000th website visitor just one week before. Angus MacFarlane pulled twelve shots back on the second day but it was not enough to prevent him receiving the Bunker Boys' Banana Booby for his overall performance but he is made of stern stuff and his general level of improvement is noted by all his playing companions. Two days at Green Valley proved to be most enjoyable once again, especially for an in-form Harry Riley.
High Scores at Siam
Siam Country Club threw its arms out in welcome for the Bunker Boys from the OK Corral on the occasion of their weekly stableford competition on Thursday, 15th July, under hot and clear skies. The course was quite well presented and the greens were surprisingly quicker than usual. More than half the field returned good scores of level par or better and the average score was 33 points, an excellent performance. At the top Aussie Bob Philp and John Healy enjoyed a tense battle and it ended all square on 38 points to ensure them of a share of third place on the podium. Ahead was Scot John Cunningham, playing his final round before returning to the land of mountains, mists and moors, and his 40 point scorecard will serve as a fine souvenir of his second place finish. As with more than a few others, Bill Hewitt dislikes Siam, but he put his prejudice behind him on this occasion to fire an excellent score of 41 and he took the top prize of he day. There were no birdie two's but the bananas went to John Cunningham for making the common mistake of boasting that he had managed to avoid them during his first taste of golf with the Bunker Boys.
Big Week for Barry Pethig
The latest Bunker Boys' golf week began on Tuesday, 20th July, when a large group of golfers travelled the short road to the gorgeous Phoenix Golf Club for their weekly medal event. It was the start of a week to remember for Barry Pethig as the two divisions cut at seventeen and under fought it out over the Lakes and Ocean nines. In division one Terry Lockhart produced some good golf to record a net score of 75, trailing one behind Harry Riley and his consistent net 74. The day belonged to visiting IPGC member Delafield "Duffy" Kribben and his net 71 was too good for the rest of the flight and he took the honours in style. In the second flight Tony Duthie managed a net 76 for third place and the two winners were Hank de Bock and Barry Pethig who both shot a steady net 74. There was more to come for Barry before the week was out. Harry Riley fired the day's only birdie two and took the rolled-over king's ransom whilst Wilf Latham and Dale Shier, soon to be sharing business class on the flight home, took possession of the Banana Booby and had nothing to declare, politely that is!!
On Thursday, 22nd July, the same group of players took the journey to the David Graham designed Burapha Golf Club for the Bunker Boys' first taste of the sumptuous course. They played the "easier" A and B nines whilst the Volvo event took place on the other two nines. The day was overcast when the first group teed off but thankfully the clouds kept moving throughout the day. In the stableford event the division one players were headed by the third placed pairing of Wilf Latham and Dale Shier, both of whom had departed the OK Corral the evening before for the airport but as Wilf had forgotten his tickets, passport and money their last evening was spent travelling a five hour round trip in Harry Riley's taxi! Not the best preparation for a day's golf. More of the intrepid travellers later. Aussie Bob Philp held control in the flight with a finely honed 40 points using his long hitting to excellent effect. In division two the winner two days previously, Barry Pethig, continued his fine form to post the year's best result with the Bunker Boys, a mind-boggling 45 points. His joy was to be restrained later when he heard a large handicap cut would be his certain reward. It was, nevertheless, a round of undoubted excellence and everyone was delighted at his achievement. There were six players sharing the Super Sawng award for their birdie two's, namely Bob Wighton, William Macey, Ken Graham, Terry Phur, Steve Nowell and Bob Philp and the loudest applause of the presentation accompanied the award of the feared bananas to the well-travelled pairing of Wilf "Phileas" Latham and his sidekick Dale "Passepartout" Shier whose journey later that evening, seated in the "bubble", would be made all the more enjoyable by a banana split. It was a memorable day for many reasons but for Barry Pethig it was a certainly a week to remember.
Smithson's Masterclass at Plutaluang
On Tuesday, 27th July, the Bunker Boys left the OK Corral and headed for the peace and serenity of the Royal Thai Navy course at Plutaluang for their weekly medal event and found the course in need of some attention. The North nines had patchy and worn fairways and the newer West nine had greens which needed a cut, thus leaving them very slow indeed. It would take some masterful golf to produce a good result in those circumstances, and this was to be forthcoming in the top flight. The division two golfers all struggled on the greens and Duncan Lee's return to the OK Corral was marked by his net 77 which netted him third place. One shot ahead was the consistent David Johnson and his net 76 was just a shot behind the flight winner, Ken Graham, who took his first victory with the Bunker Boys. In division one John Hughes, Bill Hewitt and Steve Nowell all fired high scores of 78, which, nevertheless assured them of a share of third place. A country mile ahead was Mark Joshua whose level par net 72 was a good performance by any standards. The class act of the day was the round by English PGA member, Keith Smithson, and his gross 71, net 68 off the blue tees was an exhibition in playing the course on the day. Club selection off the tee was masterful and shots were hit with power and accuracy. The tough West nine posed no threats to him and his three birdies helped him to an "in-nine" of 35 shots. It was a lesson to all by the teaching pro. Norm Robinson fired the day's only birdie two and was awarded the Super Sawng prize for his effort but he also had a nightmare at the par-three Lighthouse hole and his ten there meant an otherwise excellent round was rewarded with the Banana Booby. But, for Keith Smithson, smiles all round.
Tight at the Top at Bangpra
Thursday, 29th July dawned hot and clear as the Bunker Boys left the OK Corral for the final time, bound for Bangpra International Golf Club for their weekly stableford tournament. Two dozen golfers were divided into two flights, cut at eighteen, and set about the course from the white tees, except for PGA member Keith Smithson, who took on the monster challenge of playing off the back championship tees. Phew! In division two players found the slow, sanded and pitted greens on the front nine frustrating and the lack of putting rhythm affected many scores. Brian Bellis, Norm Robinson and Duncan Lee managed to amass 32 points each and take a share of third place, whilst PJ Redford and Andy Spence went five better with their 37's to take the flight. Scores were similar in division one as long hitting Aussie, Bob Philp produced creditable golf to take third place with 35 points, just one behind runner-up Mark Joshua and two behind the eventual winner, the new IPGC Champion Alan McGrory. The highlight of the day was the gross 78 which Keith Smithson fired off the championship tees and the monkeys even ceased their chattering as Keith breezed through the first nine, dropping only two shots. Incredibly, his reward was the Banana Booby because he had promised Mr. Loy a par round! Flight winner PJ Redmond fired the day's only birdie two, on the short second hole and was amply rewarded back at the presentation in the Bunker Boy' new home, the new OK Corral bar in Soi Rungland. It had been a fine day, shame about the greens.
From Hero to Zero in Eight Months
On Tuesday, 3rd August, the Bunker Boys left the OK Corral anticipating a fine day's golf at the Eastern Star Golf Resort at Ban Chang, on the occasion of their weekly medal outing. The day was overcast as the golfers drove off the first tee and they were dumbfounded to find bare, patchy fairways and greens which were unkempt and sanded with coarse grit. Only eight months before the course had been in pristine condition and was high on the list of everyone's favourites, but now it had plunged from hero to zero in spectacular fashion. Undeterred, the group battled with the conditions, showing grit of their own, and later had to contend with occasional showers and an increasingly obstinate strong breeze. Continuing on they found good scores hard to make. Such was the challenge that one group comprising of more than 250 years of finely honed athleticism, Bill Hewitt, George Meigh, Len Jones and Barry Pethig, all found water at the par three thirteenth, as did two of the following group as well. Elsewhere on the course Roy Mitchell was overcoming his dislike of the course to attain third place with a fine net 75. Ahead of him was the astute PJ Redmond and his level par net 72 was beaten only narrowly by the score of his marker, Richard Wardell, who has returned to the Bunker Boys' fold after many months of golfing tuition. His net 71 was the day's only sub-par round and was a fine reward for his tenacity. Unsurprisingly there were no birdie two's but Bill Hewitt played the worst round of his life in the Kingdom and his net 90 earned him the Banana Booby. Maybe it should have been awarded to the ground maintenance supervisor at Eastern Star?
Double for Richard Wardell
The Bunker Boys visited the almost local favourite course, Century Ban Chang, on Thursday, 5th August, to play their weekly stableford event, under clear skies and with the prospects of a good day ahead of them. The two divisions were cut at seventeen and under and the course was well presented with slightly slower than expected greens. Division one saw an epic struggle for the minor places with a host of players on 34 points. Bob Philp, playing his final round for a while before flying off, jousted with Aussie mate Bob Wighton and Englishman, William Macey, and they were joined by Keith Smithson, who obviously was feeling the after-effects of his gross 76 off the back tees at Treasure Hill, only the day before, dropping three points on the final four holes. Leading the group was the ever dependable Steve Nowell, firing 36 points. In division two visitor Wayne Muras equipped himself well to take third place with 30 points, a long way behind second placed Brian Bellis, whose level par 36 was one of his best rounds for a while. Tuesday's winner Richard Wardell completed a fine double with a tremendous score of 40 points, three-putting a host of greens, and he will not have the luxury of a thirty-plus handicap to help him on his next outing. Bob Philp celebrated the day's only birdie two by ringing the bell at the OK Corral and personable Scot, Angus MacFarlane, ended his current stay with the Bunker Boys with the Banana Booby. It was a fine reward for his rookie golfing exploits which saw him, during his stay, spend 6000 baht on lessons, and three times that on clubs and repairs. His smile will be missed, and he will be welcomed back any time he returns to Pattaya. It was a fine end to a fine day.
Tight Finish at Phoenix
The Bunker Boys chose Phoenix as the venue for their weekly medal tournament on Tuesday, 10th August, and found the Mountain and Ocean nines in fine condition with very fast greens, powdery bunkers and some decidedly "dodgy" pin placements, an art in which Phoenix certainly specializes. Many of the holes were set on slopes, contrary to the advice given to greenkeepers by the R and A, and it made putting something of a lottery. This had an effect on the scores in both divisions with the second flight golfers suffering more. In division two Barry Pethig hid the embarrassment of his net 81 to pick up the third place prize whilst Brian Bellis played steady golf to take the runner-up award with net 75. PJ Redmond once again took the main honours with a fine sub par round of net 70. In division one Bob Wighton shouldered his way into third place with a consistent performance, his 72 being just two shots off the top place. This was shared by Harry Riley and Steve Nowell and their 70's bore testimony to their concentration on and around the greens. Steve Nowell's excellent 78 was the day's best gross whilst at the other end of the scale playing partner Len Jones dropped fourteen (yes, fourteen!) shots on the par threes to throw his hat in the ring for the bananas. There were a brace of birdie twos and Bob Wighton and Terry Lockhart scooped the pool for their accuracy on the Mountain eighth. Former Club Captain at his home course in England, William Macey, fired his first birdie of the day on the twelfth hole and proceeded to ruin his card on the next by playing the wrong ball. The thirteenth was certainly unlucky for William and this gave Mr. Loy the excuse to present him with his first Banana Booby, much to the amusement of the girls back at the OK Corral.
Two Longs Make it Right at Green Valley
Seven teams took on the challenge of a thirty-six hole pairs scramble at Green Valley on Monday and Tuesday, 16-17th August. They found the course in its customary fine condition. The greens on Monday, however, were uncut and slow but back to their slick best the following day which made for an exciting conclusion to the competition. The first day threw up few surprises with Terry Phur and Richard Wardell setting a good third place finish with net 70.2, two whole shots behind Bob Wighton and William Macey and a further three shots behind the half way leaders, long hitting Steve Nowell and long handicapper Brian Bellis, proving that two "longs" can make a right. On the second day all teams improved their scores, a tribute to the improved putting conditions, and the team of Harry Riley and Saranya Chaiyanont improved by four shots to take the day's second place behind the consistency of the first day leaders. In the absence of the usual recorder, Len Jones, a shoeless Mr. Loy had the task of doing the mathematics and accurately announced that Steve Nowell and Brian Bellis had held their lead with a 36 hole total of 130.8, incredibly almost fourteen shots below par. Five shots adrift were Aussie Bob Wighton and William Macey on 135.4 whilst Harry and Saranya had forced their way into third place with a total of 136.8. There were five birdie twos, the winners being Steve and Brian (two), PJ Redmond and David Lightfoot (two), and Terry and Richard. Mr. Loy declined the opportunity to award himself the Banana Booby for forgetting his golf shoes and instead presented them to Bob Wighton for the constant ringing of his cellphone, an irritating feature on many golf courses these days. Essentially, winning a team event is all about playing the course according to the strengths of the individual team players and the combination of a long hitter and high handicapper is perfect for a scramble format. Full marks to Steve and Brian for getting it right.
Blackwell Best at Bangpra
On a heavily overcast day, Thursday 19th August, the Bunker Boys travelled to Bangpra to play their weekly stableford event and found the course in good condition with the ever-present threat of rain. Disregarding the forecast they set about their task and it proved to be a close thing as Bob Pearce and Alan McGrory carded 37 points each and held hopes of better things. Brian Bellis, in superb form currently, upstaged them with a fine score of 38 points but this was not enough as Eddie Blackwell's twenty point haul on the front nine set him up for a total of 39 points, to take the top prize. Bob Pearce had the consolation of a share of the Super Sawng award by birdying the second hole, as did PJ Redmond, whose birdie on the twelfth was his third in succession. At the other end of the field Denis Smith, mine host at