IPGC Golf Society at Rabbi’s Elephant Bar, Soi Buakhao

On the final Sunday of the year the Pattaya Golf Society visited Rayong CC to play a stableford competition on a course that had hosted the final day of a national tournament the day before. What a disappointment it was. The greens were bobbly and slow, the course was full despite the staff claiming it was closed for the morning and the yardage markers, upon which many golfers rely, were all missing. High season golf in the Kingdom is still difficult to comprehend. However the large field made a fist of it and the two flights were divided at fourteen and under. In a very competitive top flight Chris Voller, Kasuo Takimoto and Paul McNally all scored 36 points to share the win and for Paul it was another best gross day as he completed the course in 76 shots, having been three under to the card after ten holes. The amiable Englishman seems to have lost the killer instinct - get nasty marra! In the second flight the Boss himself, Rabbi, turned in an excellent performance to take third place with 32 points, two behind Jack Robertson's second placed 34. It was good news for Jack as he continues to recover from serious hip surgery in the summer. The flight winner was Jean Morel, again successful on his favourite course, and his round of 38 points was the sole sub-par performance on the day. The top flight twos pot was shared by Chris Voller, Tony Thorne and Steven Evans whilst Tore Eliassen pocketed the second flight bonuson his own. The Booby Bevy went to Mr Len after a day of toil on the slow greens and the lack of accurate yardage information certainly affected his course management skills as he went from hero to zero after a fine day at Green Valley only two days previously. On reflection the day's events at Rayong CC may have been frustrating but to be on a golf course with friends during a high holiday was justification enough for a good day out.

Tough Final Act
The Pattaya Golf Society played its 153rd and final competition round of the year at Pattana Golf Club on Tuesday, December 29, and found the A and B nines off the white tees a real challenge as the splendid course irrigation system had softened up the fairways, giving very little run. The day remained humid and occasionally overcast and the hard toil brought little reward except for a handful of steady golfers. The field was divided as usual into two flights with the cut at seventeen and under and in the top flight the returning duo of Ray Banks and Yutaka Nakayama shared second place with 33 points each. The flight winner was Thai golfer Wichai Tananusorn and his level par round of 36 points showed what application and course management skills were required to produce a good result. In the second flight new member Taichi Ito made an immediate impression with a third place on 34 points whilst the only two sub-par rounds of the day had the honour of sharing the win. Both Chris Walsh and Bobby Shirkey played the course as it was and not as they perceived it to be and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The only birdie two of the day was recorded by Rod Stevens on B3 and he enjoyed the pot for his debut "two". Chris Voller's "bad hair day" was compounded with the award of the Booby Bevy after a bad start got worse with a broken driver and a later altercation with a motor-cycle taxi driver who objected to his parking in Soi Buakhao. It was an anticlimax to an otherwise excellent year with the PGS and the group wishes to put on record its thanks to all golfers who have helped and supported the group through the sometimes fretful events, and in particular the dedication of Mr Len, Chris Voller, Tony Thorne and "Rabbi" and his staff at the Elephant Bar in Soi Buakhao.