PGS Press Archive

"Grip it and rip it. It works for John Daly. It never worked for me. All I did was wear out golf gloves."

Here we have all the press reports for the current year. Click on a month to navigate and read the reports.

The new golfing year began in fine style at the OK Corral on Thursday, 3rd January, as the popular Pattaya Golf Society took to Greenwood for its pipe-opener, a pairs stableford event under the "South African" formula, multiplying partners' scores per hole together. Beware the dreaded zero of course! The course was in magnificent shape with greens as fast as anyone could remember and it was in the face of this challenge that the nineteen teams set out. From the outset it became clear that the scores would be far better than in previous events of this nature as four teams raised high standards of forty plus points for the first nine, over the relatively easy "A" track at Greenwood. Could the standard be maintained over the tougher "C" nine? Eventually five teams posted scores of sixty-plus with Ian Wilson and Simon Kendall notching up a New Year podium place with 67 points. First-footing in fine style ahead of them were Len Jones and Andy Parkinson and their 69 points could have been so much better if they had come to grips with the racing greens sooner in their round. Lording it with a tremendous back nine of 48 points was the pairing of Peter Masters and Mark Graham, whose golf at times belied their ranking, and if their 79 points were to be a taste of things to come in the next twelve months, roll on 2008! The first birdie twos of the year went to Peter Duncan on "A" 6, Len Jones on "C" 3 and Helene Lindberg on "C" 6, whilst the hapless newbie pairing of Andy and Lee took the first Booby Bevy of the year with their paltry score punctuated with seven scratched holes. A stuttering start for a first run-out with the PGS. It had been a wonderful and good-humoured start to the new golfing year from the OK Corral.

The Pattaya Golf Society's first Sunday outing of the New Year saw a large field travel to Plutaluang on the sixth to play a stableford event over the North and West nines, which were generally in good condition but with uncut greens making putting a work of art, yet again on the inconsistent surface. Old and new friends were welcomed and the competition was destined to be tight with Andy Parkinson amassing 33 points for third place and slowly finding his Pattaya form. Just one point better were Tony Kitchen and Chris Walsh, the latter having overcome back problems to post his best score this trip. The winner was Thai lady golfer Mam Morel who again impressed with a level-par round of 36 points, much to husband Jean's delight as she kept up a fine family record on the course. Chris Voller, Richard Newman, Paul McNally and Lyndsay Joshua all shared the birdie twos pot and Ian Wilson secured the Booby Bevy for his sartorial challenge, blending as he did, subtle pinks with lavender balls! It takes all sorts, doesn't it.

On Tuesday, 6th January, the Pattaya Golf Society kept it's long-awaited appointment at The Emerald for a strokeplay event on the well turned out course but with some decidedly wicked pin positions, the result, no doubt of an over-exuberant greenkeeper. How else can one explain pins situated within three yards of the fringe or halfway down a slope. Obviously the large group of Scandinavian "tortoises" playing in front of the large field found the same problems. The field was kept as one flight for the Order of Merit event and competition was tense, especially amongst the distinguished low handicappers making up a quarter of the group. In fourth place with net 75 was Emiel van der Wiele and his score emphasized his current consistency. Ahead of him in third was Paul McNally and the Tynesider's best gross of 73 included an eagle on the third, his accurate sandwedge complementing his 320 yard drive. His net 72 was a shot behind Andy Parkinson, one day wed, and his one-under total will be almost as memorable as his honeymoon no doubt! The day's winner was Simon Kendall, an excellent ten-handicapper who fired net 70 for a thoroughly deserved win. Joining Paul McNally with an eagle was David Wilkinson, on the stroke one hole no less, and the more standard twos of David Thomas and Craig Boyd all took a share of the large twos pot. Canny Scot Craig was also involved in a "flutter" with partner Chris Hardy and when the latter five-putted on a par-three hole Craig's banter showed no mercy, until he later five-putted himself, thereby losing his "challenge" by one shot. He picked up the Booby Bevy as a consolation. The Emerald had shown its teeth yet again but its bite had been no more than a nip.

The Pattaya Golf Society's Sunday roadshow continued at Plutaluang on 13th January, when a crowded South and East combination greeted the group and the prompt start-time disguised what was to be a three hour front nine until the annoying Japanese slowcoaches took a meal break after nine holes and the whole process speeded up. The course was quite well prepared but the uncut greens left them inconsistent and very slow. Good scores were therefore at a premium and Alex Sala, in his final round before returning to "Oz", joined Jean and Mam Morel on 32 points for a deserved share of the minor places. The finest performance of the day was that of the genial Japanese giant Kasuo Takimoto and his best gross of 75 gave him a score of 37 points for a fine win. His card also included the day's only birdie two, a prodigious effort on E5. The Booby Bevy went to Werner Lang, not because his score was only average, not because he was soon to return to work in a freezing Europe, but because he had successfully avoided the quizzical glare of the organiser during his month in the Kingdom. All things come to those who wait, Werner!

The Lady Survives the Cut

On Tuesday, 15th January, the Pattaya Golf Society forsook the solace of the OK Corral in Soi Rungland for the bustle of Bangpra on another day when the visiting Japanese were literally "on tour", fleeing from one empty tee, in search of another, to the anguish of marshalls and other more "correct" golfers. The tournament was stableford and playing the course the wrong way around did not help either. The two flights were cut at nineteen and under and in the first flight Werner Pausch pressed a claim for a place with a hard earned 30 points, joining David Thomas as one of the joint runners-up. The flight winner was Stuart Thompson, who put aside his genuine concerns about the validity of clubs and other rulings, to focus on his game with a fine 35 points. In the second flight scores were slightly better with Len Jones taking third place with 32 points, a distant five points off the lead with winners Rob Dolan and Helene Lindberg establishing their credentials with fine 37 point cards. For Rob it was his first win in months and for Helene it was significant because only a week earlier she had undergone an appendectomy. The only two of the day was scored by Ed Findlay, playing his first competition round in Pattaya since the old Bunker days in Soi Chaiyapoon and the Booby Bevy went to a returning Carl Lovatt for his paltry contribution to the scorer's lot. Nevertheless it is lovely to have this quality golfer back in the fold after a few wearying months in UK. As a footnote to the day's events Mr. Denis was later heard muttering something about an "operation" to improve his game. And we all thought he had had it already!

Double Top for Helene

Flu' ridden organizers, Messrs Len and Denis, were shunned by their golfmates on Thursday, 17th January, as David Thomas splendidly marshalled the Pattaya Golf Society for their outing to Mountain Shadow to play a stableford event. The course was in fine condition but a strong breeze blew all day and, coupled with some uncharacteristically slow and inconsistent greens, it made the going tough for the two flights, cut at sixteen and under. Conditions on the testing track suited none but the straightest hitters and in the top flight there is no-one straighter than David Thomas, who took the win with a moderate 32 points, from Erik Antonnen, 31, and Mikael Lindberg on 30, making the frame for the first time this trip. In the second flight lady golfer Helene Lindberg made it a weekly double with a fine 32 points, winking at her husband, Mikael, as she nudged Jorma Liila and Chris Walsh, both on 30 points, into the minor placings. It had been a good week for the reinvigorated Swedish lass, having won also on the previous outing! The day's pair of twos went to Emiel van der Wiele and Erik Antonnen whose efforts on the fifteenth gave them a share of the spoils and Chris Walsh celebrated his swansong this trip with a well-earned Booby Bevy, after one of his finest performances to date. All being well there will be a full turnout next time as the antibiotics take control and the Pattaya Golf Society will be at its competitive best.

Banjo Strikes the Winning Note

On Sunday, 20th January, the Pattaya Golf Society visited Plutaluang to play a stableford event over the North and West Nines, on a very busy golf course. Able-bodied pirates, barnacle scrapers and mermaids were enlisted as caddies and the single flight accepted the challenge. In fourth place was Paul McNally, his gross 78 being by far the best of the day, and his 32 points was only one behind third-placed Peter Masters, enjoying a day off from his teaching duties. In second place came the skilful Scot, Craig Boyd and his 36 points score represented a fine return for the very able golfer. The day's winner was Richard "Banjo" Bannister who fired an impressive 39 points to take a handsome victory. "Banjo" was merely continuing a fine family sporting tradition as his grandfather had won the Grand National and the Isle of Man T.T. races in the same year back in the thirties and for Richard the day was far better than "When I'm Cleaning Windows" or "Leaning on the Lamp-post". The day's two's pot was shared by Craig Boyd, Tony Kitchen and Werner Pausch, and, if for no other reason, the Booby Bevy went to Kasuo Takimoto, the PGS' "Player of the Month" for December, on the eve of his return to Japan. The day had certainly been memorable for "Banjo" and his smiles at the presentation told the story as magically as only grand-dad George could have done!

Erik 's Back at the Top

Eastern Star was the venue for the Pattaya Golf Society on Tuesday, 22nd January, as their monthly schedule continued with a stableford round over the popular course. As usual there was a large field for the second monthly Order of Merit event and a fresh breeze and some awkward greens added some zest to the proceedings. It turned out to be a very tight affair with Jorma Liila finding his game to share fourth place with Mikael Andersson and their 32 point scores were only one behind the joint third placed players, Ian Hart and Magnus Hagesjo, on 33. On 34 points was the runner-up Stuart Thompson, thankfully getting back to his old form after a traumatic few months with a serious shoulder injury. The day's winner was the astute Finn Erik Antonnen whose form has been woeful by his own admission since his return, but he showed the consistency we all expect from the fine golfer to take the major honours this time with 35 points. The best gross of the day was again produced by Paul McNally, an excellent 79, and it included the day's only birdie two, a tap-in no less on the sixth hole. The special prize generously donated by Ian Wilson and Simon Kendall before their recent return to UK was held over to the next outing at The Emerald because of technical problems - the lead group had left without the marker! - and the day's Booby Bevy prize went to "Banjo" Bannister who followed up his excellent effort at Plutaluang the previous event with a dismal round which gave him fully twenty points less. It was not helped by a soaking on the seventh hole when he foolishly tried to play his ball from a submerged lie. It's a pity grand-dad had not won an Olympic gold for diving! The fun days are certainly back at the OK Corral.

Big Bob's Winning Return

On Thursday, 24th January the Pattaya Golf Society visited the Emerald golf club at Ban Chang play its weekly stableford event on the well-turned out course with some teasing pin positions. There was even a dab or two of unseasonal rain to cool the golfers down as the round tookshape.In a tight top flight, divided at sixteen and under, Andy Parkinson found form at last after his recent wedding to post a near-par score of 35 points which took third place, only one behind the excellent round by Mikael Andersson who occupied second with 36 points. The winner of the flight was David Thomas and his 37 points also featured as the lowest gross of the day, 77. In the second flight new member Petri Frisk established his credentials with a steady 32 points for third place, a country mile off the runner-up Emiel van der Wiele whose consistency continued with a fine level par performance. The best score of the day was that recorded by big Bob Martin, returning after a few months in the golfing wilderness and his 39 points registered the best PGS score of the year so far. The only birdie two if the day was scooped by Mikael Andersson on the fifteenth and the special technical prize kindly donated by Ian Wilson and Simon Kendall was won by Len Jones as he eased his wedged second shot to within five feet of the tenth pin. The Booby Bevy went to an anxious Jorma Liila who managed to scratch eleven of the holes, having performed manfully on the previous outing. Full marks to Big Bob then, for his fine score as The Emerald again proved a popular venue.

Old Hands Take Control

On Sunday, 27th January the Pattaya Golf Society found to their delight that the North and West nines at Plutaluang were sparsely populated when they called to play their regular Sunday stableford event. The greens however could have been more consistent but, as they say, "it's the same for everyone". Two players shared fourth place with scores of 31 points and for both Trevor Robins and Shuichi Kodaka it was their first taste of success at the OK Corral. Ahead in third place was Tony Kitchen, no stranger to being on the podium here and his 34 points came on the back of some strong and accurate hitting. There were joint winners and as the PGS does not operate a countback system both David Thomas and Jean Morel shared the prize for their solid 35 point cards. Both are "old hands" at playing the course and they have probably won more often there than any other PGS player. Full marks indeed to them. There were a brace of birdie twos on the day, the lucky golfers being Werner Pausch on W3 and Andre Fortis on the Lighthouse hole, N3. Paul McNally is an accomplished two-handicapper but he struggled all day with the wind - internal not external - and the organiser presented the Booby Bevy to him "in absentia", as his condition had restricted him to twenty-nine very brave points and it one of those days when no relief was to be given. You can't hide at the OK!

Tough Times are Back

The Pattaya Golf Society revisited Treasure Hill on Tuesday, 29th January, to play a stableford round with the "B" flight going off the usual white tees and the "B" flight going off the more relenting yellow tees. The course was in fine condition and of the large field there were those who had never played the course before. What a treat lay in store for them! In the top flight, cut at eighteen and under, the golfers found the day a tough one with only two golfers managed to post scores of thirty-plus. In third place was Chris Voller, making his first podium appearance since relocating before Christmas and he could be forgiven for feeling a little embarrassed returning a score of 29 points. Tony Kitchen, a virtual stranger to the course, allowed nothing to faze him and his thirty points took second, three behind the winner, Andre Fortis, whose skill helped him score 33 points for a deserved victory. In the second flight Kazu Agune and Ray Underwood fired 33 points each for a share of third place whilst Emiel van der Wiele continued his current fine form with 35 points for second. It was left to Ian Hart to post the best score of the day, 36 points and he joined the ranks of the Pattaya Golf Society in winning but not breaking par. There were no birdie twos and the group waited in anticipation of some fun at Green Valley next time out. The recently returned John Mason was heard to say," If this was in England I would have had 37 or 38 points by now" as he studied his meagre ten-over card and the Booby Bevy had found its rightful owner, as it so often does at Treasure Hill.

Andy Caps a Fine Month

Green Valley is a wonderful respite from bustling Pattaya and so it was on Thursday 31st January when the Pattaya Golf Society took a large party to play its final stableford competition of the month. The course was in fine condition and the stiff breeze which held up all day offered some relief to the golfers in the heat. Of course, it also added another dimension to the day's proceedings. The two flights were cut at eighteen and under and in the second flight Len Jones and John Mason posted scores of 34 points for a share of third place, one behind the sole lady golfer Yui Duangkaew whose 35 points showed evidence of yet another skilful Thai lady golfer. The flight was won by the ever popular Finn Jorma Liila who capped a good week with his 37 point winning score. In a competitive top flight Stuart Thompson, Erik Antonnen and Richard "Banjo" Bannister stood in third with 33 points each, three behind runner-up David Thomas and yet another par round. The star of the day, as he was throughout the same month last year, was Andy Parkinson. Playing off thirteen his back nine of 40 "off the sticks" went a long way to establish his winning score of 39 points. It also saw him snatch the Society's "Player of the Month" title from David Thomas who needed only to par the final two holes to take the award. In the end he stuttered with two bogeys. Well done Andy! The biggest winner on the day was Len Jones who recorded the only birdie two of the week to reap a handsome pot, and of course the dour old gaffer did the correct thing and set the bells ringing back at the OK Corral. Paul McNally received the Booby Bevy at last for cocking a snook at the truest saying in golf - "It's not how, it's how many". On the short par five fourteenth he launched a prodigious drive and put the subsequent wedge through the green and ended the hole with a par, losing the hole and a side bet to a conventional birdie from David Thomas. Both had the honour of the best gross of the day, 78, so in a sense things stayed all square at gorgeous Green Valley.

February 2008

On Sunday, 3rd February the Pattaya Golf Society visited Plutaluang to play a stableford event over the North and West nines on a very stormy day. The weather was destined to play an important role in the day's proceedings as the golfers got underway. The course was also full and the sight of a Korean fiveball with five golfcarts did nothing to appease those in the group who were unable to get one. The regular single flight found the going tough but for Andre Fortis it was little more than a Sunday stroll as he lodged 34 points with the recorder for third place to find that he was sharing the place with Richard Bannister. One of Plutaluang's regular players, Jean Morel, used his knowledge of the course to post a score of 37 points, yet again beating par here, but it wasn't quite enough as Shuichi Kodaka went one better with an excellent 38 for a deserved victory. He also had a share of the twos pot with a birdie on W3, the other winners being John Mason for a long chip-in on W8 and Don Nellis for a conventional birdie on the Lighthouse hole, N3. The weather had spoilt the day for a few but poor Keith Rhodes fared worse than the rest as he damaged tendons in his elbow on the first hole and had to sit the rest of the day out. For him there was nothing but the consolation of the Booby Bevy. Hopefully he will make a swift recovery to join us again on the golf course.

The Pattaya Golf Society's monthly team event took the shape of a pairs scramble at The Emerald on Tuesday, 5th February, and twenty teams took part in a very successful competition. Scores were extremely good and the return of old friends made the day very enjoyable. In third place came the surprise new members Mike and Yvonne Earley and their 61.4 points turned heads at the presentation as it was their first competition in the Kingdom. Second place belonged to the inveterate duo of Roy Thornton and Jeremy Masse who could not have played better in recording net 60.8, which included a back nine of 32 gross. The winners were Jeff Johnson and Doug Watkins, freshly returned from the USA, and their score of 58.2 defied jetlag and the humid conditions. There were seven birdie twos on the cards also and the lucky pairs took a share of the large pot. The Booby Bevy was reserved for the laggers of the day, Chris Voller and Rob Dolan whilst Paul Quodomine, currently injured out of the game, turned up at the OK Corral later just to celebrate the Superbowl victory of his favourites, the New York Giants, and duly rang the bell for the huge gathering. Cheers Paul, it doesn't get much better than this.

On Thursday, 7th February, three dozen golfers represented the Pattaya Golf Society out of the OK Corral in Soi Rungland at the ever attractive course at Bangpra for a stableford Order of Merit event on a hot and humid day. The greens were back to their racing best and despite the ongoing construction work the course is still an eagerly awaited monthly fixture. Sharing fourth place were Stuart Thompson, Vic Barton and Pierre Bietry, all on 33 points whilst Andre Fortis maintained his current good form with a fine 34 points for third. Only one over par was Emiel van der Wiele and his 35 points continued a fine record this year. The day's winner was Big Bill Pickersgill and this former rugby league player brutalised the course with some savage hitting to record his short career best score of 38 points and give the handicapper some more work to do this weekend. Three of the four birdie twos came from the same playing group, the accurate putters being Stuart Thompson, David Thomas and Carl Lovatt and the fourth share of the pot went to Don Nellis. The Booby Bevy went to current PGS "Player of the Month", Andy Parkinson, for his failure to emulate the others in his group with a birdie. It also helped to celebrate the granting of a UK visa to his new wife and was a fine way to end an excellent golfing week at the OK Corral.

On Sunday, 10th February, The Royal Thai Navy course at Plutaluang welcomed the Pattaya Golf Society for its weekly single flight stableford event and the North and West nines were again the chosen track. The day stayed humid throughout and those recently returned from Europe found the going difficult. It was to be a day for old hands or old heads. Paul McNally has yet to play to par off his handicap of 2 and on this occasion he managed to fire the best gross yet again but remained on 33 points to share fourth place with David Thomas and Stan Everingham, the steady Canadian golfer. Ahead of them on 35 points was Phil "PJ" MItchell and he found form at last with a well constructed score which gave him third place. Sunny Khanna did what he does best, finding success immediately on his return, and his 37 points came despite three day old knee surgery which saw him take a golf cart for probably the first time in his life. But it needed to be turbo-charged to catch the day's winner, Craig Boyd, whose 39 points has been a long time coming and it was an overdue and welcome win for the amiable Scotsman. Sunny and "PJ: shared the twos pot for their efforts on N3 and W3 respectively and a wilting Jim Bell found comfort in the shape of the Booby Bevy after his dismal "first day back" display. Perhaps the major shock of the tournament was the demise of perennial Plutaluang prizewinner, Jean Morel, but a glass of red wine encouraged him to comment that he would be back. That he will, and the many others who enjoy their Sunday PGS golf at Plutaluang.

The Pattaya Golf Society's Sunday roadshow continued at Plutaluang on 16th February when the South and East nines were the chosen track, on a fine day and an empty course. As usual the single flight took to the course in eager anticipation of a good day and hopes were high as some of the fancied candidates and usual contenders had returned to UK. Japanese golfer Kazu Agune is still here however and his steady 36 points took a share of third place with newest PGS member Mark Morris who debuted with a similar score. One point ahead was the ubiquitous David Thomas whose consistency was rewarded with 37 points for second place. The day's best gross once again was achieved by Paul McNally, a fine 76, but the main honours were reserved for the performance of Richard "Banjo" Bannister whose fine 39 points were the epitome of a man in form. He currently leads the group's "Player of the Month" standings and he will take some beating over the next few rounds. An example of the honesty of golfers was the case of Jim Bell's putt on the first when, unknown to him at address, his caddy had placed the wrong ball down and only after he had holed out did Jim realise his mistake, and called his infringement. That's what golf is all about. That's what brings us back. The day's birdie twos pot was shared by Bob Boyle, Syd Harrison, Vic Barton and Mikael Lindberg and for Syd there was also the Booby Bevy as he had chosen to return to the UK after this round. He'll be back for more golf with the OK Corral later in the year.

The most important competition in the month for the Pattaya Golf Society at the OK Corral is the strokeplay medal event and this month Greenwood was the chosen course on Macha Buccha Day, Thursday, 21st February. Needless to say the course was full but the quality of the course is such that a large field turned out to play. Greenwood didn't disappoint and the course was finely set up with some very fast greens and Thompson's passion for reading every green carefully was to pose problems for those golfers with "temporary" caddies. Scores were destined to be tight on the C and A nines and David Thomas, Stuart Thompson and Vic Barton did well to come in with net 71's for a share of second place. The best golf of the day was exhibited by Peter Masters and his net 68 celebrated his week's break from teaching chores. It was quality all round and two under at the turn only strengthened his resolve to build on it and his similar back nine emphasized his consistency. The three birdie twos gave shares of the pot to "Banjo" Bannister. Mike Earley and John Mason and Len Jones's day was complete when he was awarded the Booby Bevy after a trying day coping with some reluctant reception staff, telephonic interruptions and his own inability to focus one hundred percent. But golf was to be the winner on a day when Peter Masters' performance helped to set up a tight race for the Society's "Player of the Month" trophy with only three events to go.

The Pattaya Golf Society's final Sunday outing at Plutaluang before moving to Saturdays, came on 24th February and the North and West nines were the choice for the single-flight stableford event. The course was relatively empty and well prepared and a good day was in prospect. A multinational field saw Aussies Peter Masters and Jim Bell secure a share of third place with steadily worked scores of 35 points, only one point behind the ultimate winners Mark Morris and Swiss golfer Freddy Braun on 36 points. For Freddy it was particularly memorable being his first PGS win and his first round since his recent return only twenty-four hours earlier. After twelve holes he was sitting on thirty points and a major score looked in prospect but jetlag and the heat took its toll on the golfer more used to freezing temperatures, winter greens and preferred lies currently en vogue in Zurich. The day's only birdie two went to Alan Taylor, the steward of Newton Stuart Golf Club in Scotland, an IPGC member to boot, and he will have an occasion to ring the bell on his return no doubt. Colleague Jimmy Clay received the Booby Bevy for his lacklustre 21 points but it was his first round in the Kingdom after all, and what are Booby Bevvies for! Next week the party continues at Plutaluang but potential players are reminded that Saturday is the day for the fun for now on.

The Pattaya Golf Society visited a slightly jaded Mountain Shadow golf club on Tuesday, 26th February, to play a stableford event off the blue tees. The fairways were showing signs of the constant pounding of high season feet and the greens, legendary for their challenge, were inconsistent and on the slow side. Nevertheless the two flights, cut at sixteen and under, set about their task manfully. In the second flight Jim Bell and John Mason tied for third with meagre scores of 30 points and Len Jones went two better for the runner-up spot. The flight winner was Scot Ronnie Ramsay whose 33 points was a steadily crafted affair. In the top flight Steve Weller and Steve Mulberry took a share of second place with 34 points whilst it was left to Mike Earley to post the day's best score of 35 points on his last outing this trip. It was a fitting way for him to end his first visit to the Kingdom and he has promised to be back soon with more of the same. Mike also had a share of the twos pot with David Wilkinson and John Warren and the sight of Vic Barton drying his golf gear with a locker-room hairdrier was too much for Mr Len to resist in considering the Booby Bevy. It was, after all, the second time that Vic had forgotten his change of clothing for a golf outing. Thus the day ended in fine style back at the OK Corral as thoughts turned to Ban Chang two days later.

On Thursday, 28th February, the Pattaya Golf Society made a welcome return to friendly Ban Chang to play a stableford event over the testing Emerald course. Typically at the end of the high season the course is showing signs of fatigue and the greens maybe had lost a little of their consistency but it was still enough of a challenge to frustrate all but one of the large field in their efforts to break par. The cut was at twenty and under and in the second flight Len Jones concluded a reasonable week by sharing third place with Jim Bell, their 34 points reflecting the occasions when they three-putted. Pat Murphy emerged from the pack to post a creditable 35 points for the runner-up slot whilst Helene Lindberg made a happy return from a niggling wrist injury to take her first victory in a while. It's always nice to see a lady on top in Ban Chang! In the top flight Helene's husband Mikael enjoyed a level par round for a share of runner-up place with David Thomas, for whom the best gross honours beckoned again after a canny round of 78. It was also good enough to give him the Society's "Player of the Month" title for the first time in a while. The day's best round was achieved by John Fitzgerald whose 37 points followed a frustrating previous week with the Lewiinski's four-day event. The twos pot was shared by David Thomas, Jim Bell, Pat Murphy and John Fitzgerald whilst the saga of the Jim Bell-Mark Morris "flutter sideshow" concluded with the award of the Booby Bevy to Mark, minutes before his return to UK. Needless to say his first taste of golf in the Kingdom has whetted his appetite for more, especially at Ban Chang.

Saturday, 1st March, saw the Pattaya Golf Society's switch to Saturday golf with a visit to Plutaluang to play a stableford event over the South and East nines and the immediate impression was that of a more relaxed and less phrenetic round on a virtually empty course. The field got under way on time, carts were available for those who needed them and a good day was in prospect from the start. Golf and good scoring is never easy at the venue and so it was that Chris Voller's 30 points was good enough for third place, two behind the old warhorse John Mason whose 32 was restricted by an inability to score on South two and three. The best score of the day came from Freddy Braun whose 37 points reflected his final Sunday score last week. The Swiss golfer is not long but invariably straight and this is the recipe for success on this course. There were no birdie twos and the pot was rolled over until next weekend. On the eve of his departure for UK Denis Smith must have had "check-in" on his mind as he failed to check out of a bunker on East 7 and the excess baggage of his unsuccessful attempts gave him the unwanted upgrade to Booby Bevy class! The transition to Saturday golf had been seamless and the group from the OK Corral is looking forward to more of the same as the year progresses.

On Tuesday, 4th March, a large group represented the Pattaya Golf Society in a pairs better ball tournament at Eastern Star on a warm humid day. The course has stood up reasonably well to the rigours of the recently departed high season but the greens were on the slow side and quite inconsistent. Fifteen teams took part and with the strokeplay format the scene was set for the lower handicappers to make their mark. Scores were indeed good with the average for the field standing at a very healthy 69 but a glance at the finishing leaderboard showed that the first single figure handicapper was only in fourth place and that honour went to the redoubtable duo of Paul McNally and David Thomas, with net 68. They had been usurped by Len Jones and Freddy Braun whose net 67 was a reward for some fine golf by the Swiss maestro Freddy who has found a rich vein of form of late. They were joined as runners-up by the Swedish husband and wife pairing of Mikael and Helene Lindberg whose game was in obvious harmony. The winners on the day were another matrimonial duo Dave and Margaret Wilkinson and their net 64 was due in no small part to Margaret's fine birdie on number three which also paid her handsomely. The absent pairing of Keith Stanbury and Bill Whiter at the presentation meant promotion to the Booby Bevy berth for Jim Proctor and Evan Millar whose game may have been in desperate shape but it was played with some fine good humour, as befits the noble game. It had been a day to savour for the golfers and rest assured there will be more like that to come.

In the whole of the province the golf club at Bangpra is currently in the finest condition of any course and it's all the more surprising because in parts the course resembles a construction site with heavy digging machines and countless excavations as the new management attempts to upgrade the course with cart-paths, some new tees and some subtle rerouting of holes. The greens and fairways are in excellent condition and the club was the perfect host on Thursday, 6th March, for the Pattaya Golf Society's stableford event. The large field, cut at twenty and under, took to the first tee well before time and the joy of playing on an empty course was apparent to all. There were to be some excellent performances and in a competitive top flight Stuart Thompson fired 35 points for third place, just one point behind runner-up Phil Mitchell, his 36 points giving him his best performance this trip. The flight winner was Paul McNally and his best gross of level par 72 gave the accomplished golfer a points tally of 39 for his finest round since arriving in the Kingdom four months ago. In the second flight the consistent Freddy Braun ended a fine week with a share of second place, matching his 33 points with that of Ronnie Ramsay. The day's best stableford score was recorded by wily Pat Murphy and he took the flight with 41 points, his best tally for many a month. The large twos pot was shared by Len Jones and Chris Voller, the latter's chip-in on the twelfth matching the subtle long putt of the former on the eighth. The Booby Bevy went to Jim Proctor for picking up the wrong golf bag on his way back, thus leading to the organiser's extended telephone debate with an anxious Scandinavian all the way down Highway Seven. All's well that ends well and ultimately everyone enjoyed the joke at the end of a fine day at Bangpra.

Saturday's stableford event at Plutaluang over the South and East nines was abandoned after four holes when the heavens opened and left the course flooded. A small group continued after an hour or so and played social golf. They had avoided the worst of the storm as they had reached a watering hole when the rain began. All others were thoroughly soaked of course. The leaders at the time of the abandonment were John Mason, John Schroeder and Len Jones, all three under par. Sod's Law at its infuriating best in Pattaya!

On Tuesday, 11th March, the Pattaya Golf Society took the ever-easing journey up route 331 to glorious Greenwood to play a stableford round over the A and C nines. The day remained hot and humid but the threatened rain never came to spoil the fun for the two flights, cut at 20 and under. Scores were to be excellent with an average of 33 points and in the top flight Emiel van der Wiele took yet another podium place with a steady 35 points for third, a mere point behind runner-up Jesper Hansen. John Mason took the flight and he was disappointed with 37 points because at one stage he threw away points unnecessarily after a caddy had not raked a bunker properly, leaving him an almost impossible shot. In the second flight Len Jones, Peter Marsh and Evan Millar all shared third -place with 35 points whilst Paul; Quodomine went two better with a carefully constructed 37. The day's best score was recorded by Ray Underwood and his 41 points could have been even better had he not squandered points with just six holes to go. It represented his best score since a net 63 on the same course last year. Greenwood is "Dreamwood for" Mr. Underwood! There were no birdie twos and a handsome pot would be rolled over at Eastern Star two days later. Paul Quodomine received the Booby Bevy as a result of a late arrival back at the OK Corral and all the talk of breakdowns, thermostats, gaskets and tow trucks went over the heads of those who listened. It also served as a "thank you tipple" for the man who had spent hours slaving over a hot, and sometimes very testy, computer, putting the finishing touches to an excellent video of the recent visit by our Canadian golfing cousins. Cheers Paul and Cheers Ray, for your excellent performances.

Because of an enforced cancellation at Emerald due to a double booking with a large Thai competition the Pattaya Golf Society had the pleasure of an empty Eastern Star golf course on Thursday, 13th March, when they played the first of their two Order of Merit events for the month. The course was well-turned out with the greens more consistent than usual and the scene was set for some fine golf in a strong breeze. The single flight was not to be disappointed with both Mikael Lindberg and Roy Thornton sharing third place with excellent net scores of 75 as the wind got stronger through the afternoon. Chris Voller loves playing in Ban Chang and amazingly he held his concentration to post a very creditable net 74 for third place but the finest golf the course has seen for a long time was played by the gentle Japanese giant Kasuo Takimoto. His gross 73 included four bogeys and three birdies, giving him a net score of 69. No-one could have performed better in the circumstances and even his fellow single-digit handicappers stood in awe watching his impeccable iron play. There were no birdie twos for the second successive round and a large turnout will be anticipated at Phoenix in a few days time. Old friend Rob Heath was making a very welcome return to the group, enjoying his annual holiday from work in Bangkok, and his lack of practice on all except driving ranges showed in his performance, which had his playing group listening to the word "seven" so many times. It was inevitable that his return would be marked with the Booby Bevy on a day when Eastern Star had succumbed to the skill of Taki-san.

Another large group represented the Pattaya Golf Society at Plutaluang on Saturday, 15th March, playing a stableford event over the testing North and West nines. The day remained hot and humid throughout and for some the round became an ordeal as exhaustion set in. Holding down fourth place were the duo of Kazuo Takimoto and John Schroeder. shortly to return "stateside", their scores of 32 points being sufficient for the minor placing. In third place was Ken Lankshear, one of our Canadian "brothers", and his round of 33 points was an appropriate way of ending his current stay. One point better saw Emiel van der Wiele end a fine week with yet another placing, his 34 points almost doing enough to ruffle the feathers of the eventual winner, Bruce Dreon. His 35 points marked his first round in a long time with the group and it was a fine winning return for the golfer from Arizona. Paul McNally managed the first Saturday birdie two in three outings and took home the large pot whilst the day's organiser, Mr Denis, took a large draught of the Booby Bevy after a round which saw him struggle to get the ball off the tee all day. After all he had just returned from a freezing visit to UK and sitting, huddled in front of a glowing fire is not the best practice for success at Plutaluang.

Ecky Thumps Phoenix

On Tuesday, 18th March, the Pattaya Golf Society returned to Phoenix after an absence of four months to find the course's latest scam in operation, a 100 baht caddy booking fee, to go with the region's most expensive cart rental service ("Yes sir, but we do have air-con..."), and the most expensive F & B in the province. It was therefore no surprise to find an empty Lakes and Ocean course and the day was set for some good golf. The field was divided into two flights at twenty and under and in the second flight Pat Murphy and Helene Lindberg tied for third place with 35 points each. One point ahead as runner-up was Mr Denis, the OK Corral's smiling host, and his level par round dismissed the blushes of his previous encounter with the noble game. The flight winner was none other than the returning Tony Duthie and his 37 points was a fine return for the cheerful chappie. In the top flight Larry Slattery took third place with 37 points on his first game at the "OK" since last summer and Chris Voller's 38 points took second place and was a further sign of his consistency. The day's winner was Keith Hector, playing his first PGS competition this year, and his forty points was more than enough to take the main prize. The day's best gross was returned by Paul McNally who fired a gross 74 playing the course for the first time. For the third consecutive round there were no birdie twos and a healthy field was anticipated at Mountain Shadow two days later. The Booby Bevy was awarded to newest IPGC member Andreas Bardill and his 25 points marked his entry to the club in style. The day had been a good one, with some fine golf on show.

Ton Takes Big Win

The Pattaya Golf Society's second monthly Order of Merit event was staged at Mountain Shadow golf club on Thursday, 20th March, on a steamy day when the wind chose to blow just to make it a little more of a challenge. The large field set out on time and good stableford scores were at a premium. In fourth place was Ian Hart, recording 31 points, closely following David Thomas' 32 point card. Paul McNally showed his class with a gross 76 off the blue tees giving him second place with a score of 34 whilst the straight hitting of Umalai "Ton" Chaysa gained 35 points for the narrowest of wins. The highlight of the day was the firing of the first birdie two in four trips from the OK Corral. Amazingly we had to wait for so long but when Paul McNally hit a six-footer into the hole on the seventeenth it gave him the biggest rollover prize in the Society's history. This followed on the heels of his rolled-over Saturday Stableford two and the week's goodies left him seriously in danger of losing his amateur status, under "The Rules of Golf"! Of those in the frame for the Booby Bevy Chris Walsh had a strong claim having started the round with wet trousers as a result of an accident with a leaking water bottle and finished with some pretty dismal scores, including playing to the wrong green on the seventeenth. But he was usurped by a dose of mediocrity rarely seen as Fiz Kamruddin made a welcome return after a few months of inactivity. It had been a tough day at Mountain Shadow but the thoroughly deserved plaudits went to Umalai Chaysa and Paul McNally.

McNally Masterclass

On Saturday, 22nd March, the Pattaya Golf Society made their weekly excursion to Plutaluang to play a stableford event over an empty South and East combination. The strong field held an average handicap of 15 and it was to be a day of fine golf. Sharing third place wereTerry Burgess and Jean Morel with 33 points each whilst Kazuo Takimoto posted a level par 36 for the runner-up place. For Paul McNally it was all about "class", from his fine two-iron second shot to within three feet of the pin on the par five first to his unfortunate slip on the final hole, his gross 73 giving a score of 38 points. Long hitting is his strength and his return of eagle, birdie, birdie, bogey on the par fives gives an accurate measure of his skill. There were five birtdie twos after a barren couple of weeks with Chris Walsh, Peter Duncan, Jean Morel and Tanaguchi (2) all taking a meagre share of the pot and the breaking news that Peter Duncan was to be a Dad earned him the Booby Bevy by way of celebration on his final round this trip. It had been another fine day's golf out of the popular South Pattaya venue.

Ferris Gets it Right at Crystal Bay

On Tuesday, 25th March, the Pattaya Golf Society visited a jaded Crystal Bay golf club to play a stableford event over the A and B nines. The course is disappointingly showing signs of a heavy high season and resources seem to have been directed at the development of a new accommodation block rather than specific course maintenance and locker-room repairs. The greens were also inconsistent and slow. However a warm welcome greeted the golfers as usual and a fine golf day was in prospect. With two flights cut at nineteen and under Larry Slater, Stuart Thompson and Kazu Sakamoto took a share of second place in the top flight with 35 points each, two behind the winner, David Thomas, who shared the best gross hon ours with Paul Menially and Tai-san. The second flight saw some fine golf with Emiel van deer Wiele and Pat Murphy sharing third place on 35 points, one behind Ian Hart's level par runner-up position. The best score of the day was recorded by Jim Ferris, who has promised much but has been frustratingly inconsistent until today. His card of 42 points represents his best efforts in Thailand and contained a 19 - 23 split of which he will be proud. The birdie twos achieved by Chris Walsh and Helene Lindbergh on A8 gave them a share of the "twos" pot and Larry Slater received the Booby Bevy as compensation for breaking his 3-wood, following through against a tree. He had used it for thirteen years and, like an old friend, it will be hard to replace. But there were better memories for Jim Ferris after an outstanding contribution to the day's golf.

Super Mac Outstanding

Green Valley was the venue for the IPGC Pattaya Golf Society on Thursday, 27th March, when the group played a stableford event in two flights, cut at twenty and under. It has to be said that the course has been in better condition but the recently cored greens will be all but a memory in a week or so. The day was to throw up one of those sublimely memorable performances but firstly, in the second flight, Pat Murphy and Ann Silawong tied for third place with 32 points each, behind runner-up Len Jones and his 36 points. The flight winner was Swiss golfer Andreas Bardill whose 40 points reflected some accurate play from the fairways, something lacking in his game previously. In the top flight Stuart Thompson took third place with 37 points and Kazuo Takimoto again emphasised his skill with an excellent 39 point haul. The hero of the day was Paul McNally who played the best golf of his life in scoring a gross 68 on the challenging course to achieve a stableford score of 42 points off his handicap of two. It included an eagle-eagle-birdie combination on holes seven, eight and nine in a frightening four-under front nine. Surely it was the finest golf performance ever seen with the PGS. It goes without saying that "SuperMac" took three shares of the twos pot, along with minor shares for Stuart Thompson, Taki, Bill Quon and Emiel van de Wiele. As a celebration of his retirement two years ago Paul Quodomine generously sponsored four technical prizes and near-pin vouchers were won by Stuart Thompson (two), Brett Warnock and Paul McNally. The Booby Bevy was awarded to the sartorially challenged Chris Voller as a reminder that standards are high at the OK Corral! But the day will be remembered for the stunning golf produced by Geordie Paul McNally on one of the toughest tracks in the area. It doesn't get much better than that.

Ian Hogg's the Limelight

On Saturday, 29th March, the Pattaya Golf Society visited Plutaluang to play a stableford event over the North and West nines, only to find that a Thai field of eight five/six-balls had occupied their tee-off slot, thus delaying the start of what was to be their regular weekend event. No golf carts were available, leading a number of the competitors no option but to withdraw and the rest of the field were left watching complete novices tee off as a "five" or "six". Later the sight of twenty-two people on the par three N6th, at the same time, almost proved to be the end, but undaunted, the group patiently completed their six hour competition and sensibly then made a conscious decision to transfer their future Sunday golf to Ban Chang instead. On the day John Rehm scored 34 points for third place, with Peter Masters taking second with 35 whilst fellow Aussie Ian Hogg took a debut win with 36 points. No birdie twos were scored on the painfully slow greens and it was with relief that the group took their leave of Thai naval hospitality in favour of a more welcoming administration a few "klicks" further down the road. 'Bye 'bye Plutaluang, enough said.

April 2008

Big Scoring Day at Lakeside

On Tuesday, 1st April the Pattaya Golf Society banished all thoughts of an April Fool and took to the immaculate course at Royal Lakeside to play a stableford competition on a hot and occasionally overcast day. As usual a fine course brings out a large field and this time a ladies' flight complemented the usual two flights, cut at nineteen and under. Scores were destined to be good and the full field average was 33 points. In the second flight Ray Underwood's stuttering back nine held him back but his 37 points was still good enough for third place, one behind John Rehm's 38 point second place finish. The flight winner was "Tuesday Man", Jim Ferris who crafted an excellent 39 points to repeat his win at Crystal Bay the previous week. In the top flight David Thomas, Ray Jackson, Bill Quon and Chris Voller all came good with 39 points for a share of second place whilst Austrian golfer, Peter Ditz, ruled the roost with a fine 40 points. The day's best score was found in the Ladies' flight where the straight hitting of Umalai "Ton" Chaysa took the honours with an astounding 43 points. Her score easily eclipsd those of her rivals even though they all produced good cards in themselves. Surprisingly there were only three birdie twos with Ray Underwood and Bob Boyle (two) sharing the spoils. The Booby Bevy seemed destined for Trevor Lazowski after his catalogue of mistakes, disasters and delays in trying to make the course on time, but it was briefly sidetracked as John Mason provided photographic evidence of a golf ball impaled on a metal fence, but, as it was OB it didn't count, and the award went to Len Jones for his worst-of-the-day scorecard. Occasionally even the Boss gets to enjoy a beer! Royal Lakeside tends to get overlooked as a venue because of its location but the trip is always well worth it and a little over an hour in air-conditioned transport is a small price to pay for the pleasure.

"Urban" Golf at Bangpra

When a new company takes over a golf club it is expected that changes will be made to reflect the new owner's identity. At Greenwood and The Emerald these changes were for the good and were made in an unobtrusive way. At Bangpra however the course is currently a vast building site with huge tracts of bare compressed clay where there was once rough and the lack of any GUR signs makes serious golf there a waste of time. Such was the case on Thursday, 3rd April, when the Pattaya Golf Society called to play a combined stableford pairs event over the parched fairways. Older members cannot remember seeing less water on the course and even the monkeys seemingly stayed away. Eighteen pairs comprised the event there was a three-way split for second place with Chris Hardy and Craig Boyd sharing the spoils with Ian Hogg/ Paul Quodomine and David Thomas/Chris Voller on 67 points. Amazingly there was only one sub-par team and that was the Swiss combination of Andy Bardill and John Rehm, their 73 points being mainly due to the impressive 43 point score of the latter. Craig Boyd managed a brace of birdie twos to share the pot with Jim Ferris and Stuart Thompson. The day had begun badly for Jim Ferris when he missed the 'bus and an expensive baht bus journey from Pattaya led to him receiving the Booby Bevy by way of compensation. Bangpra in transition is no treat and as one member later put it, "Century Chonburi was probably the better option for a day's golf." The highlight of the evening was the award of the Society's March "Player of the Month" award to Paul McNally after a sizzling few week's golf which has set a high standard for others to follow.

Tough Times at Eastern Star

On Sunday, 6th April, the Pattaya Golf Society swapped the crowded fairways of Plutaluang for the solitude and fine welcome at Eastern Star as they played their first Sunday stableford event in Ban Chang. The atmosphere was very humid throughout the day but thankfully the thunder, which was roaring all about, did not pose significant problems and the competition took place on greens which were relatively slow and fairways which were a little softened by the previous day's rain. Twenty golfers made up the usual single flight and Paul Quodomine eclipsed his front nine efforts with a sparkling back nine of 22 to post a score of 34 points for third place. Three golfers shared the win with Helene Lindberg joining David Thomas and Stan Everingham at the top of the list with 35 points. There were no birdie twos for the second successive Sunday and Paul McNally is rueing his decision to return to UK next week, missing a second chance to take the big 'un! The Booby Bevy went to Masaaki Sugaya, an eighteen handicapper, whose round was so inconsistent that he described his irons as "mai sabai". He has booked them in for radical surgery before his next round with the Pattaya Golf Society.

Australia Day at The Emerald

The Emerald at Ban Chang was the venue for the Pattaya Golf Society on Tuesday, 8th April as they played a pre--Songkhran stableford event over the ever challenging course. The only disappointing aspect was the slow speed of the greens and the large field, swollen by the inclusion of many Aussies - friends of friends, etc - was cut into two flights at nineteen and under. In the top flight Chris Hardy struck a blow for the old country by posting 34 points for third place whilst Australia went one and two. Steve March hit a level par 36 points for second. The flight winner was Ray Jackson, his 38 points bearing testimony to his exceptional long game. In the second flight Len Jones and Helene Lindberg tied for third with 36 points whilst Paul Quodomine made it a trio of second place finishes with a well constructed 37 points, his back nine being an excellent 21 points. The day's best score was posted by Aussie Ian Hogg with 39 points for the divisional win. Ray Underwood and Chris Hardy took shares of the twos pot for their efforts on the par-three fifteenth and the Booby Bevy was rolled over because of the lack of suitable candidates on the golf course.

Ms Lindberg Caps a Fine Week

Thursday, 10th April, was a very hot and humid day and was the day the Pattaya Golf Society chose to play its monthly stableford merit event at Phoenix. The Lakes and Ocean nines were well turned out and the greens were quicker than those faced earlier in the week at Emerald and Eastern Star. The course was relatively under-occupied but an unconditioned group in advance of our first group delayed their game so as to make the round last an incredible five and a half hours, in that heat! The single flight found that those willing to suffer the constant breaks in concentration and rhythm found some consistency and Len Jones, Peter Ditz and David Thomas all posted scores of 34 points to share third place. Ahead of them with 35 points was the in-form Swedish lady, Helene Lindberg, and she posted a second place finish to complete a full set of honours for the week. The day's winner was Tim Williams and the American's level par contribution of 36 points represented a round of fine concentration. Len Jones and Peter Masters both managed birdie twos for a share of the substantial pot and a very much "under-par" Masashi Iizumi took the Booby Bevy for a card containing nine ones and three "blobs". Phoenix was a treat as always, shame about the golfing "snails".

Lindberg Flying High

A warm welcome at Eastern Star on Sunday, 13th April, was the prelude to a wonderfully relaxed stableford golf tournament for the Pattaya Golf Society. The day was hot and sultry and the course was in fine condition. Good scores were in prospect and to emphasize the point Eamonn Fahey posted 34 points in his first PGS outing for third place. Scoring 38 points was Chris Voller and his good score was sufficient only for third. Masaaki Sugaya's previous outing at ESR a week ago had brought him the paltry score of twelve points but this week a resurgent Japanese golfer amassed forty points for nothing better than second place. An outstanding round was being played by Swedish lady golfer, Helene Lindberg, and her 46 points represented her best ever round. Every shot was true, every hazard avoided, serious putts were nailed and she enjoyed the course so much, posting her second successive weekly win there. The added irony was that husband Mikael recorded the day's worst score and he was left to prop up the field with a total of 28 points less than his wife. Truly a tasty Swedish smorgasbord! Paul Quodomine and Stan Everingham made sure that the majority of the rolled-over twos pot went trans-Atlantic leaving Chris Voller the sweep up the crumbs, sweet as they were, whilst the aforementioned Mikael Lindberg took the Booby Bevy for his sins. But, secretly, he had enjoyed seeing his wife enjoy the best golf day of her life.

And Greenwood Makes Five!

On Tuesday, 15th April, Greenwood was the venue for the Pattaya Golf Society and their weekly stableford event, which was played over the A and B nines. The latter track has been closed for many months and has seen no water in all that time, it seems, and the overall impression was of playing on two separate courses. Masashi Iizumi and Peter MacKay shared third place with 34 points each, one behind David Thomas, his steady 35 points marking his return to form. For the fifth consecutive event Helene Lindberg found the top three and, whilst eyebrows may be raised elsewhere, those at the OK Corral who have played with her regularly know that the Swedish lady has history. Forty competitive rounds or more in the last six months have seen her form culminate in such success recently that she is starting to regret returning to Sweden in a week or so time. This time her winning score was forty points. There were no twos on a day which saw John Mason very generously sponsor near-pin prizes on the par threes and these were won by Tim Williams, Len Jones and Stuart Thompson. The Booby Bevy went to Pat Clarke for his shabby score but his smile had "winner" written all over it. As did Helene Lindberg's.

Quality From Quon

A warm welcome awaited the Pattaya Golf Society at Eastern Star on Sunday, 20th April, when they called to play a post-Songkhran stableford event in Ban Chang. The course was relatively empty and a three-and-a-half hour round awaited the multi-national field. In fact the first nine players represented nine different nations as they got to grips with the inconsistent greens and the strong breeze. The straight hitters would benefit from the conditions and Len Jones whose driving continues to become longer and straighter with age posted 33 points, scratching the last in an unraked greenside bunker, for third place. Runner-up was oilman Ronnie Ramsay who began this, his latest "break", in fine style with a 35 point card. The winner was Bill Quon whose back nine of twenty points belied some fine golf to give him a subpar 37 points for the win. There were no birdie twos on the slowish greens and Masaaki Sugaya ended his stay in the Kingdom with a well-earned Booby Bevy after yet another round patiently trying to overcome a sickly set of irons. At the end of the day the plaudits were reserved for Canadian Bill Quon and his gesture of celebrating his fine win with golfers' drinks all round back at the OK Corral. Cheers Bill and well done!

Kazu King for a Day

On Tuesday, 22nd April, the Pattaya Golf Society took to the popular course at Green Valley for a stableford event and found the course improving after the tough routines of the high season, with better fairways and much truer greens, if a little slow. This time of year always sees a transition as the seasonal long stay visitors return to their homes and fresher faces return. Thus it was that the group welcomed back many old faces for this event. One of these, Paul Brett, joined Erik Antonnen in third place on 32 points whilst Peter Biggs took second with a steady 33 points. The winner was Kazu Agune who has spent the last month in the golfing doldrums but on this occasion his game picked up to return 34 points for the best of the day. Thai lady golfer Na Srionrod took the rolled over twos prize for a fine birdie on the picturesque short par-three twelfth hole and duly celebrated by ringing the bell back at the OK Corral later in the evening. Chris Voller volunteered for the Booby Bevy award with the lowest nine hole score, the greatest difference in the two nines totals and the overall mediocrity of his card. How can an organiser resist such a request! Regulars may wish to note that Greenwood on 8th May will be the venue for OK Corral's host Mr Denis' annual "Birthday Bash" which will again be in the form of a four person scramble. Entry forms are available from the bar and the day will end with a free buffet party back in Soi Rungland after the event.

Finnish With a Flourish

Thursday, 24th April saw the Pattaya Golf Society take to Eastern Star Resort to play its most important round of the month, the strokeplay order of merit event, under warm skies and on a course which is slowly improving. Underfoot the fairways are fine and the bunkers are tolerable and even the greens on this day were more consistent. The course is always a challenge with the expanses of water and extensive OB areas and accuracy rather than distance is the order of the day. Stuart Thompson, Finnish golfer Niilo Olonen and Thai partner Na Srionrod performed well to take a share of third place with fine scores of net 73, with Stuart once again emphasizing his accuracy. The winner was another Finn, Erik Antonnen who forsook his heavy artillery on the tees to craft his round and his mid-round burst of 3-3-5-3 helped give him a back nine of 39 gross. His winning total was a level par net 72 and reflected the thought he had put into course management. In-so-doing he joined Niilo and Stuart with the best gross of the day, eighty-one. The only birdie two was secured by Chris Voller on the twelfth. Amongst those with strong claims for the Booby Bevy were Mikael Andersson and Ian Hart but eventually its destination was decided by an errant cell phone, some quite awful approach play on the middle six holes and a stuttering presentation by Len Jones. All in a day's work, of course, at the OK Corral.

No Surprise for Na

The Pattaya Golf Society continued its enjoyable Sunday stableford experience at Eastern Star on 24th April when a large field turned out to take on the course under bright skies and with a fresh breeze adding a little more challenge to the event. The fairways were in fine shape but the greens as usual were a little inconsistent. With the single Sunday flight augmented by old friends pickings were rich and the added spice was a large rolled over twos pot. Kazu Agune continued quietly with his consistent game and found himself in more exalted company in third place as his 35 points was matched by the scores of Erik Antonnen and Harry Riley. In second place Ian Hart had the temerity to rub shoulders with David Thomas, his well-deserved 38 point score matching that of the canny Kiwi. One point ahead though was the ubiquitous Thai lady Na Srionrod and her customary straight drives were matched by a good short game to produce a three-under card of 39 points to take the major prize. David Thomas had a double share of the large twos pot for his efforts on the sixth and twelfth holes whilst Ronnie Ramsay took the minor share for his chipped-in birdie on the sixth. The OK Corral's host Mr Denis ignored his own valid claims for the Booby Bevy, presenting it instead to Derrick Jones who was playing his first round with the group and suffered accordingly the usual PGS welcome. The group always welcomes the company of ladies in its competitions and when the feminine contribution is as positive as that of Na Srionrod and the current "Player of the Month", Helene Lindberg, golf's true spirit comes to the fore as the warmth of the plaudits showed.

Chase the Lady at Crystal Bay

Tuesday, 29th April saw the conclusion of the Pattaya Golf Society's golfing adventures for the month with a stableford round at Crystal Bay, over the B and C nines. The large low season field was divided into two flights at sixteen and under and the competition played itself out against a backdrop of a tense "Player of the Month" scenario. Could David Thomas win with a sub par round and head off the leader? Time would tell. The course is still in quite shabby condition and the greens were as slow as the previous month. However in the second flight Evan Millar and Ray Underwood made a fist of it, both scoring 35 points for a share of second place. The flight winner was Len Jones with 37 points. In an open top division Takeshi Hakozaki took third place with 35 points, three behind Erik Antonnen's second placed 38. Finnish golfer Erik is currently enjoying a rich vein of golf and it was no surprise to see him in the frame yet again. The same could be said of the winner, Na Srionrod, whose form continues to amaze as she put together another astonishing round, having volunteered a cut in handicap, posting a score of 40 points to take the honours with ease. It was helped by a birdie two on the C7th hole, joining Helene Lindberg and Paul Quodomine in the race for the twos pot. Helene and Mikael Lindberg were playing the final round of their stay and sponsored prizes for the lowest score of the day, leaving Margaret Wilkinson to enjoy the prospect of a free golf lesson at the Diana Driving Range, whilst Paul McNally took a slightly more tasty prize as the player with the best total on the two easiest and two hardest holes, ten points helping him to pop the particular cork with passion. It was a especially fitting way for the popular Swedish couple to end their stay as Helene had taken the "Player of the Month" award with aplomb, holding David Thomas at bay on the final day. Well done ladies!

On the first day of May the Pattaya Golf Society visited The Emerald golf course to play a pairs event with the intriguing "South African" multiplicator very much in evidence as pairs battled it out over the demanding track. Conditions were tough as the greens were slow, a strong breeze was present all day and at the back of everyone's mind was the fear of scratching a hole. This is the format which really strains golfing friendships. Roy Thornton, playing as well as ever he has at The Emerald, paired with Rick Holmes to produce a score of 57 points for a surprising third place. In second came the pairing of Jean Morel and partner Mam, the latter producing the best individual round of the day, and their score of 62 points seemed unassailable for a long while. It was left to the antipodean pairing of Stuart Thompson and Alex Sala to post the best score, 67 points, and take the win, Alex's game holding up very well. There were no birdie twos and the Booby Bevy went to the two "Blobbies" of the day, Chris Voller and Bill Quon, although in Bill's defence it must be said that he was playing the course for the first time. It was not the best of introductions for him after all. But the rest of the field had been there, done that and still found it just as frustrating as Bill had.

Heavy and ominously thick overcast skies greeted the Pattaya Golf Society at Eastern Star on Sunday, 4th May, as the small field arrived to play a stableford event over the course which is still holding up despite remedial work being done to some of the greens. Wonderfully obedient, however, they held back and only a smattering of rain came towards the end of the round, otherwise the conditions were very comfortable and almost European Spring-like. Regarding the oft-maligned greens, as one experienced golfer said, "At least they are attempting to do something to improve the course". Now, there was a time in the West - it may even still apply - when the golf course on a Sunday was a bastion of male domination. Ladies beware, who's cooking the lunch, eh? Not in Pattaya it seems. For four competitions out the last five ladies have ruled the Sunday roost (roast?) with this one going the way of the others. Kazu Agune pushed himself to a tidy 31 points, one behind Harry Riley's third placed total of 32 but David Thomas could not master the score of Mam Morel, both tying for the top with 36 points each. David had the honour of the best gross figures of the day, 78 shots, but straight hitting Mam off the red tees is a match for any golfer. There were no birdie twos on the slow greens and the Booby Bevy went to Endo Nohiri for playing more shots off the wrong fairways than off the correct ones. With the exception of a US Navy three-ball on the fourteenth tee diving for cover as a thinned bunker shot near the previous green burst into a steel litter bin, reminding them that there was no hiding-place these days, everyone at Eastern Star seemed to enjoy the day. Even the men!

The Pattaya Golf Society was represented at Eastern Star on Sunday, 11th May, by a small but quality field, who played their regular weekend stableford event on the course, now using three temporary greens as the management try to get to grips, yet again, with the malaise which has blighted them for some years now. The course closure a few years ago and subsequent promotion gave cause for joy but the greens have reverted back to their inconsistent and frustrating state. However the rest of the course was in good condition and the competition got underway in a humid atmosphere. There was to be disappointment for Stuart Thompson, so consistent of late, as the third hole gave him his first "blob" in 156 consecutive holes and the favourite finished the day on 31 points. It was not good enough as the Japanese duo of Stan Kure and Kazu Agune shared third place with 34 points each. In second was the PGS stalwart Chris Voller, his 37 points showing his welcome return to form was continuing and his 79 represented the best gross of the day. The winner was old friend Harry Riley who never seems to stray far from the course these days and his local knowledge was invaluable in recording a score of 39 points. Harry's golf is unconventional at times but certainly effective and he enjoys nothing better than "nurdling" out some good scores on a testing course. There were no birdie twos again and the chase will be on next week for a share of the booty. Denis Smith showed his birthday scramble form had left him with a desire for more and he played well in recording 33 points but he decided to award the Booby Bevy to himself as it was his birthday proper and the day ended with cheers all round at the OK Corral.

On Tuesday, 13th May, a very full Khao Kheow golf club entertained the Pattaya Golf Society on a humid and overcast day so they could play the first of their two monthly "merit" events, this time stableford off the yellow tees over the B and C nine. As there were two ladies in the field it was assumed that the 1600 yard shorter course off the reds would be to their advantage but it was not to be. David Thomas fulfilled expectations with a finely crafted 35 points, which included two consecutive bloomers on C5 and C6, and he easily secured third place, a point behind a mystery golfer from Ban Chang, who prefers to be known as "Kermit". The day's winner produced the best golf of his short two-year career, taking the day with 38 points. Kazu Agune is the OK Corral's most improved golfer over the last two years and well does his straight hitting and deadly putting deserve the win. The quiet Japanese does not always get the plaudits for his game but on this occasion there was nothing better on show, especially as he took two shares of the twos pot as well, almost holing out in one on the infamous "Island" hole, B8. Three other golfers shared the birdie bonus as well, namely Dave Wilkinson, Stan Kure and Stuart Thompson. John Schroeder suffered a poor day when nothing had gone right, a reflection no doubt of the time wasted the previous evening in pursuit of pool excellence and the Booby Bevy came as a welcome surprise for him. But the day had been all about Kazu Agune and his memorable win will stay with him a while yet.

A small but quality field of golfers represented the Pattaya Golf Society at Royal Lakeside on Thursday, 15th May, playing a stableford event on the all but empty course. As usual the course was exceptionally well turned out with probably the best greens many have played on. The course itself is famously forgiving and designed with right-handers in mind. The hazards, mainly the wet variety, are all down the left and the copious bunkers were still damp from two days of heavy rain. It was the end of seven days to remember for Denis Smith as he again played himself into the frame with a fine 35 point score for third place. The left-hander managed the course well but stumbled at the final two holes to mar what could have been his best ever round. One point ahead was Evan Millar whose 21 point front nine was the highlight of the day. The winner was John Schroeder, another southpaw, who found his first visit to the course was definitely to his liking with a three hole "purple patch" in the middle where he picked up eleven points to cement his victory. There were no birdie twos and the Booby Bevy went to a count back with Peter Duncan just shading out David Thomas for the amber liquid. With an average score of 33 points, the day had been one of good quality golf at Royal Lakeside.

Sunday, 18th May was a fine and warm day in Ban Chang when the Pattaya Golf Society visited Eastern Star to play a stableford competition over the course currently undergoing extensive green repairs.The temporary greens being used at present are no substitute for the real thing and the society is seriously thinking of relocating its Sunday golf until the repairs are complete. However, on this day, Harry Riley found the podium for the third successive weekend as his 36 points showed the mark of a man returning to the peak of his game after many months of golf exile. Only one point ahead was the group's senior pair of players, Len Jones and David Thomas with 37 points each and both showed an improvement in their current form. The winner shot a tasty 38 points in his own inimitable style, a mixture of quiet enthusiasm and gentle accurate hitting giving Kazu Agune yet another slice of Sunday success. Already points ahead in the race for the "Player of the Month" Kazu is making the best of the few weeks remaining in his current stay. For the third week there were no birdie twos and the competition the next week was sure to be more intense but the Booby Bevy found a fitting recipient in the shape of Shaun Donovan, many months away from the game after a serious accident, but his smiles said he was just happy to be back. Eastern Star? Great course, shame about the greens.

On Tuesday, 20th May, Green Valley welcomed both The Golf Club and the Pattaya Golf Society for their first International Pattaya Matchplay League fixtures of the season and the course was well prepared and it was also a treat to be putting on fast greens after a series of plodding affairs elsewhere. Some golfers claim that the format is the truest form of the game and to pit one's game against an opponent and not the course is the real test of the golfers skill and acumen. So it was that the eight ties were played in a very friendly manner but the rivalries were still there under the surface. Success for the PGS came in the unlikely form of Evan Millar and Len Jones, both winning well after good starts and Tony Kitchen, in only his second round this trip, managed a very creditable "all square" tie with his opponent. Paul Quodomine only lost out at the bitter end and Chris Hardy and Peter Duncan also came very close to causing upsets. Disappointment greeted the result of captain David Thomas' tie but he was up against some classy golf, as was Chris Voller, and the day finished with The Golf Club winning by 51/2 to 21/2. It had been a wonderfully testing competition and everyone is looking forward to the reminder of the eight ties this season.

On Thursday, 22nd May, the Pattaya Golf Society made its second visit of the week to Green Valley, this time to play a strokeplay event over the excellent course which had hosted the society's first matchplay league tie earlier. A large field for the low season turned out and saw some fine golf. Harry Riley just missed out on a share of the spoils with a hard won net 72, level par being a fine day's work on the testing track which suffered a storm mid-round and left the back nine saturated. Tying for second place were David Thomas and Jon Haugen and their returns of net 70 reflected their powers of resilience. The day's winner was the Ban Chang resident otherwise known as "DS" who had taken the event at Khao Kheow earlier in the month. This time an excellent best gross score of 74 left him ahead by just one shot. The rolled over twos pot was shared by David Wilkinson and Mark Wood for their efforts on holes nine and twelve respectively whilst Kazu Agune, currently riding high in the monthly stats, received the Booby Bevy for a nil return which started with three tee shots into the drink at the fifth, effectively ending his day then. Green Valley twice in a week? It doesn't get much better than that!

On Sunday, 25th May, the Pattaya Golf Society visited Eastern Star golf club to play a stableford competition, temporary greens and all, when a large field turned out on a fine hot day. The attraction may have been the triple rolled over twos pot but for the regulars it was good to welcome a few old friends again as Rick Schramm, Brian Beaupre and Bruce Ogilvie joined the ranks. Brian Beaupre indeed fired the day's best gross of 80 to share fourth place with Gilles Akoum, both posting scores of 34 points. Paul Quodomine took third place with a splendid back nine performance helping him to a level par 36 points. Ya Riley played her first round for a while and found she had lost none of her touch as she recorded 37 points for runner-up place but the day belonged to Kazu Agune, ending his current stay with another personal best, this time recording 39 points. In his month long visit he has come down three shots in the handicap lists and is currently by far the most improved player with the group. Hopefully he will not lose too much enthusiasm before his next return in a month's time. The twos pot was shared by David Thomas and Ya Riley for their accuracy on the sixth hole and the rest of the field were treated back at the OK Corral with the ringing of the bell. The Booby Bevy went to Michael Sim for the day's low score. The society is now switching between ESR and The Emerald for its Sunday golf until the greens have been repaired, beginning at The Emerald on 1st June.

On Tuesday, 25th May, an empty Crystal Bay hosted the Pattaya Golf Society for a stableford round over the B & C nines, the latter greens still showing signs of deep coring more than two months ago. The day was fine and the small low season group was to witness some fine golf. Takeshi Hakozaki and an un-named Ban Chang resident tied for third place with 34 points whilst Chris Voller put aside his eight putts on the first two holes to record a fine second placed score of 35 points. After that came the spectacle. Paul Brett is an awesome sight on the golf course. The gentle giant plays left-handed with a right-handed grip and has a limited swing length but his immense strength helps to generate a lot of power. Such was the case on this day when he threw off the shackles of convention to post his best ever score, giving him 42 points for the win. His putting got him out of jail more than once and fourteen points on the par threes indicated a delicate touch for such a large man. His birdie two on C7 took the twos pot and all things considered it had to be his best day on the course. The Booby Bevy went to an embarrassed David Thomas who managed to sink a brand new Pro V1 without ever hitting it, the ball being propelled off the tee by a large sod. "Appropriate" many people said! Good fun at Crystal Bay but the course still needs some remedial repair work to bring it back to its best.

On Thursday, 29th May, the Pattaya Golf Society played a stableford competition at The Emerald on a course which was in the process of having the greens aerated and heavily sanded. Naturally there was no warning of this for fear of withdrawals and the large field suffered greatly under the almost intolerable conditions. For the single-figure handicappers in the field almost half of their total shots were on greens like peanut brittle at best or egg boxes at worst. It was amazing that David Thomas was able to post a score of 38 points to share the victory with Mam Morel. But even David recorded thirty-five putts during his best gross round of 76 shots. round. Chris Voller and Mikael Andersson also came good returning scores of 35 points for a share of the minor spoils. Chris Hardy recorded the day's only birdie two on the thirteenth hole to take the twos pot and Ron Bardel celebrated his birthday a day early with a long overdue Booby Bevy for his 5-14 points split. The Emerald was certainly not the gem it usually is on this occasion.

The Emerald was the venue for the Pattaya Golf Society on Sunday, 1st June, for the group's weekly stableford event. The course was quite full as the group got away on time and the course was in much better condition than a few days previously when the greens were being cored and sanded. Indeed it was to be a day when a fifth of the field broke par and almost half the field managed the elusive birdie twos! Sharing fourth place with 37 points each were Chris Voller and Mod Churaiska, the latter making a welcome return after many months playing with PSC groups. In second place were Rick Schramm and Frenchman Gilles Akoum who both recorded creditable scores of 38 points. The day's winner was another Frenchman, Jean Morel, still smarting from his wife Mam's fine results of late, and his 40 points took the top prize in fine style. As mentioned at the top of this report there were a clutch of birdie twos, making shares of the pot pretty meagre for Sunny Khanna, Peter Masters, Bob Lambert, Chris Voller, David Thomas and Mod. It had been a much better experience at the popular Ban Chang golf course.

The Pattaya Golf Society visited Phoenix on Tuesday, 3rd June to play a stableford event over the Mountain and Lakes nines and found the course in fine condition on a steaming humid day. Uncomfortable as the conditions may have been there was once again some quality golf on display as the field, with its average handicap set at fifteen, made good headway on the busy course. Sharing third place were Brian Beaupre, Chris Voller and the unconventional but steady Paul Brett. All scored respectable level par-rounds of 36 points. The runner-up was Sunny Khanna, so often in the frame on his return to the Kingdom, this time recording a score of 37 points. Kiwi David Thomas was still smarting from a heavy matchplay defeat on the same course twenty-four hours before, when his iron play was so uncoordinated, and he took his revenge on the field with a staggering gross 73, giving him 41 stableford points, which included a back nine of only 35 shots. It was quality with a capital "Kiwi" and no more than the talented golfer deserved. His birdie two on Mountain 4 was matched by David Wilkinson's effort on Lakes 2 and the latter also shared the Booby Bevy with Len Jones for an otherwise lacklustre performance. Twelve pars and three birdies had said it all for the winner, David Thomas.

The Pattaya Golf Society returned to The Emerald for the second time in a week on Thursday, 5th June, to play a stableford competition and were disappointed to find only very slow progress being made on the heavy greens repair work, which detracted from the fun of the day. The single flight welcomed the return of Bill Hewitt and Keith Hector after an absence of three months and indeed Keith was to show that his game had not faded with the absence. A winner on his previous outing he again held all the aces with a fine 39 points, just shading Bill Quon's excellent round of 38 points to take the honours. Old stalwarts David Thomas and Jean Morel continued their fine form with 36 points each to take a share of third place. It was probably fitting that Bill and Keith took the twos pot as well for their efforts on hole fifteen and the Booby Bevy went to Evan Millar for his 8-24 point split. Perhaps playing the course in reverse had an unseen influence on his approach to the round. Clearly at present the course is not up to competition play so full marks to the group as a whole for making such a good fist of it.

On Sunday, 8th June, the Pattaya Golf Society visited Eastern Star to play a pairs better score stableford event on the course where currently there are four temporary greens. Many people may think this odd but the temporary greens are of good quality and the group's philosophy is not to ignore a course when the management are spending money to improve the conditions for all golfers. Seven teams had entered and play got underway on time in good golfing weather. The secret of this format is for the pair to "dovetail" as there will be good holes and bad holes. The winners will be the ones who do not suffer bad holes as a pair. So it was then that Harry Riley and newly returned Don Nellis put together a score of 45 points for a very good third place, only one point behind the fancied duo of Sunny Khanna and Mod Churaiska. The winning team was that of Len Jones and John Schroeder, the latter having an excellent round and holding the pairing together to come up with a winning score of 47 points. John's individual score was forty-two and would have easily won any other event. He also has one of the only two birdie twos, sharing the pot with Mikael Andersson. Traditionally in pairs events the Booby Bevy goes to the back markers and the award was made to Chris Voller and Peter Masters for their 39 point haul. Chris insisted it was a little unjust as he had recorded 35 stableford points himself and he was to be reminded that a partner's contribution, good or poor, was part of the deal. Eastern Star in its current condition is still better than some courses in the area and the usual warm welcome will mean a hasty return to the course for Sunday golf.

A visit to Greenwood is always a "lipsmacking" affair and the course hosted the Pattaya Golf Society on Thursday, 10th June, for a stableford competition. The course was full, a testimony to its excellent condition, but the group still managed to make good progress down the verdant fairways. Not even the interruption by a heavy storm dampened spirits and the result of a very tight contest saw three tied at the top, namely David Thomas, Ronnie Ramsay and Alan Freeman, for whom the round signalled his best with the IPGC. All three posted scores of 38 points. Chris Voller and Margaret Wilkinson joined David Thomas in shares of the twos pot, David even adding a second one just for good measure. Only Carl Lovatt and Len Jones failed to break thirty points and the latter's 7 - 20 split saw the harassed organiser get to enjoy one of his Booby Bevies at last. In the opinion of most of the PGS players Greenwood at present is one of the finest courses in the area and deserves the good custom it is getting.

The Pattaya Golf Society chose Green Valley as the venue for its stableford competition on Thursday, 12th June, and found the course in excellent condition, indeed much better currently than many others in the province. Fairways were lush and the greens were very consistent and running at a slick pace. The scene was set for a fine competition and old adversaries Don Nellis and Harry Riley went head-to-head forcing themselves into third place with 34 points each. One point better in second place was Bill Hewitt. Since relocating to the Kingdom in November 2007 Chris Voller has played in some seventy PGS competitions with greater or lesser success but has recently shown good consistency and it was fitting that he chose this event to take his maiden victory with an excellent best gross score of 78 giving him 39 points. Yasuo Suzuki headed the Japanese contingent in the event and took the twos pot with the only birdie two of the day, on hole twelve. Mr. Denis, the boss at the OK Corral, received the Booby Bevy by way of a welcome back after a short spell in the UK and he later had the pleasant duty of presenting David Thomas with his "Player of the Month" award for May following his record 49 points total. Congratulations all round but especially to Chris Voller on the first of what will surely be many good wins.

A hasty reassignment on Sunday, 15th June, saw the Pattaya Golf Society re-route from The Emerald after it was discovered the club had contrived to replace our booking with that for a huge Thai group occupying the tee for most of the day and the welcome we received at ESR more than made up for the disappointment. The impact of the temporary greens was more than offset with the placing of the white tees immediately in front of the blues on those four holes and the course was as long as it ever had been. The heavy early day rain had abated and the scene was set for some good golf. Returning friends Tony Thorne and Simon Kendall had their say with two fine 33 point scores which shared third place with Ya Riley, whilst husband Harry kept up the family celebration by going neck-and-neck with the current in-form golfer at the OK Corral Chris Voller, to share the victory on 34 points. There were no birdie twos and the Booby Bevy went to Len Jones for the second successive event after submitting a card only "Mr Blobby" could emulate! It may have been a disappointing start to the day but it ended in fine style with some excellent golf.

On Tuesday, 17th June the Pattaya Golf Society visited Khao Kheow to play a stableford round over the C and B nines on a course finely prepared for the purpose. The fairways are lush with the seasonal rains and the greens have good pace and are consistent. Playing from the yellow tees the course was to play long. Leading a small Japanese group of players was Kazuhiko Asada whose 33 points was good enough to take third place but the day's honours went to David Thomas and Len Jones who shared the victory with 35 points each. For both it was a good comeback after ineffective rounds the previous time out. Len also had a close call for an ace on B3, his tee shot finishing within a foot of the hole on the 170 yard par-three but he had to be content with a share of the twos pot as Yusuke Watanabe's effort on C3 also merited a "two". Simon Kendall had performed well on his previous outing, his first this trip, but he showed that we all have the capacity to go from "hero" to "zero" in this fascinating game and he picked up the Booby Bevy for his indifferent round. The day had been thoroughly enjoyed by the group at Khao Kheow.

Highway reconstruction is almost complete now and a trip to Royal Lakeside is even more of a treat for Pattaya's golfers and so it was that on Thursday, 19th June, the Pattaya Golf Society left the OK Corral for the course to play their monthly strokeplay Order of Merit event. The course is always immaculately prepared with splendidly consistent greens and usually offers the opportunity for good scores with the flat riverside layout. The only drawback on a day when it had rained heavily a few hours before were the myriads of mosquitoes but the caddies were well prepared with creams and lotions. Elsewhere it was not just the mosquitoes who were buzzing. As usual the scores were good with "Leftie" Mr. Denis, host of the OK just missing out on the prizes with another fine level par score on the course which basically favours orthodox players. In third place were Mikael Andersson and Harry Riley with net 71 but they were a good way behind the joint winners, Ban Chang's "Kermit" and Bill Hewitt who both recorded the day's best score of net 68, the former posting the day's best gross figures of 73. Bill also had the honour of taking a share of the twos pot with Mikael Andersson and Martin Solberg also being successful.The Booby Bevy was reserved for Bill Pickersgill, recently returned from the UK, and it reflected the welcome he was to receive from his colleagues and the paltry score he managed on his first round back. Once again it had been a pleasure to play on such a fine course.

Eastern Star may not currently be the choice of a great many golf groups with its temporary greens and back tees but it has always been a favourite of the Pattaya Golf Society and they visited there on Sunday, 22nd June to play a stableford competition on the empty course under a bright warm sky. A glance at recent scores from Pattaya's golf groups show that the course is not easy at present and winning scores are generally average and no more, so it was good to see one of the group coming good at last. Tony Thorne and Bill Pickersgill managed only 32 points each for a share of third place whilst Mod Churaiska went one better taking second with 33 points. It was Denis Smith who was the hero of the day, firing 37 points to take his first solo win in nearly four years of trying. And what a good performance it was, with nine net birdies and only one scratched hole. He has finally come to grips with his game, using the clubs he is comfortable with to good effect and hopefully the rhythm will continue. Ya Riley and Ian Hart took the rolled over twos pot with birdies on thirteen and seventeen respectively and everyone had enjoyed the day immensely.

On Tuesday and Thursday, 24th/26th June the Pattaya Golf Society held a rare two-day stableford eclectic event at The Emerald in Ban Chang. The first day took place under cloudy skies but the rain stayed away allowing the field to make good progress on the empty course. Sadly the fairways are currently a little jaded with some bare patches developing and the greens are still showing signs of the very heavy coring of three weeks ago. At the end of the first day Len Jones's seventeen points(!) off the first five holes had been whittled back to an overall level-par 36 points for third place but the target on the second day would be to eliminate the excessive three and four putts he endured on four of the back nine holes. Ahead of the field were the redoubtable Ban Chang duo of Harry Riley and "Kermit" sharing the first day lead on 37 points, the latter's gross of 76 being the highlight of the day. Chris Voller took the twos port with a fine birdie on the par three fifteenth whilst David Thomas failed in his two brave efforts to prove that Pro V1's can float and received the Booby Bevy for his efforts.

There were high hopes at the start of the second round as four players were in contention and the final grouping was to be a taut affair with Harry Riley and "Kermit" going all out to establish bragging rights. It went to the very last hole as the latter took the extra point with a fine par to Harry's bogey. Elsewhere in the field movers and shapers included little fancied Bill Pickergill and Paul Quodomine who both held their game together well. Paul and Harry ended the day in second and third place respectively with Bill joining Harry on 34 points whilst "Kermit's" second sub-par round, an excellent gross 75, gave him absolute control of the destiny of both prizes at stake. He won the day and also the eclectic prize with his 45 points, one ahead of Paul Quodomine and Harry Riley, both on 44. At the other end of the leaderboard David Thomas took back-to-back Booby Bevies for his second failed attempt to defy nature on the same hole he had failed at previously. In his defence it must be said that he is currently reinventing his swing and such accidents will always happen. The Emerald may not have been at its best but the golf with the Pattaya Golf Society certainly was.

On Sunday, 29th June, the Pattaya Golf Society visited The Emerald once again to play a stableford round ion the course which is slowly recovering from the recent excessive zeal of the greenkeepers and getting back to a more normal layout. The weather was fine, bringing out a large crowd and play got underway on a crowded course. Scores were to be better than when the group recently played there with the whole field average this time peaking at 32 points. Some old friends had returned, none the least of them being Erik Antonnen, and his boast that his game had been revitalised appeared true when he returned a score of 37 points on his first round back, just enough to snatch third place from a steadily improving Paul Quodomine. Above Erik on 38 points was the wily New Zealander David Thomas and he once again showed his resilience in bouncing back from two easily forgettable rounds to make the frame again. It also guaranteed him the society's "Player of the Month" title for the second successive month. Lording it over the field was Don Nellis, playing his best golf for many a year in the Kingdom, giving him 42 points for a huge win. Nine pars had given him 34 points after merely thirteen holes and it was a round he will remember for a while to come. There were no birdie twos and the pot was carried over until the next Sunday at Eastern Star. The Booby Bevy went to Azerbaijan lady golfer Nata Alakbarova who was completing her third card for a handicap assessment but methinks Mr Denis had other