Monday, August 11th
Pleasant Valley
1st Raleigh Gosney (24) 39 points
2nd Anders Nielsen (26) 33 points
3rd Hubert Stiefenhofer (17) 33 points
Near pins Raleigh Gosney, Steve Downes, & Alan Howard.
We begin the week with a correction to last Friday’s result, looking at the Navy scorecard logically the nine on the left side of the card would be the front nine, as it turns out it is the back nine, consequently the win was incorrectly attributed to Gerry Cooney and not Steve Downes. One needs to make the correction lest they be accused of “fake news”, something very common lately.
The focus on holes in one continues with a lady last week getting a hole in one on the same hole on consecutive days, surely one of the most unique records in golf.
As expected the Pleasant Valley course was in good nick today, if there was one complaint it was that some of the pin positions were wicked, the green keeper must have had a bad night.
Having had several placings over the last couple of years but never first, Raleigh Gosney did the business today taking first place with a very good thirty-nine points having left a few more out on the course, well that’s his story at least. After the game he vowed to celebrate the win in the best way he knows how, no prizes for guessing what that might be. Anders Nielsen took second on countback from Hubert Stiefenhofer. Alan Howard announced his arrival at the Bunker Boys with a near pin, Raleigh and Steve Downes also got one with one unclaimed, no prizes for guessing it was hole five.
Whilst Pattaya is enduring one of its worst low seasons ever, we are finally starting to see some of our regular seasonal visitors trickle in, we expect a lot more from next month and beyond.
Wednesday, August 13th
Bangpra
1st Les Cobban (11) 35 points
2nd Hubert Stiefenhofer (17) 32 points
3rd Jon Dean (15) 28 points
Near pins Hubert Stiefenhofer, Anders Nielsen, Gerry Cooney, & Michael Brett
The midweek game was played at Bangpra in very pleasant weather on a course in excellent condition.
We arrived at the course early and were able to tee off immediately. Play was at a decent pace until the eight tee where two groups were waiting. After the first nine was completed normal service resumed with no further delays on the back nine.
Les Cobban was the one to shine today taking first place with thirty-five points, not only did he win the golf he also scored himself a very nice bag for his clubs courtesy of Hubert at a very favourable rate. After starting like a steam train with twenty-two points on the front nine the wheels came off for Hubert with only ten points on the back nine, still enough to take second place, there was much muttering in unintelligible German and the odd shout of anguish, golf will do that to you. Jon Dean took third with a very modest twenty-eight. Near pins were as listed.
Friday, August 15th
Plutaluang S & E
1st Alan Sullivan (14) 32 points
2nd Alan Howard (22) 32 points
3rd Steve Elles (9) 30 points
Near pins Jon Dean, Steve Elles, & Michael Brett.
Unfortunately we end the week’s golf on a very sad note. One of our long-standing members and regular visitor to Pattaya Chris Delamare passed away suddenly this week while on a visit to Hua Hin. Chris was one of the nicest guys you could wish to meet and a quality golfer to boot. This came as a shock to everyone as he appeared to be in robust good health. His passing is a salutary lesson for all of us, live everyday as though it is your last. May he rest in peace.
Today was our second visit of the month to Plutaluang, this time playing the East and South nines. The course was in ok condition apart from the greens on the East nines which were well below standard, poorly cored recently they were very slow and bumpy, the greens on the South nine were ok.
Scoring was very modest at best With Alan Sullivan taking first on countback from Alan Harris. Steve Ellis took third as well as a near pin, the other two went to Jon Dean and Michael Brett with the very difficult South seventh unclaimed.
Raleigh Gosney, Winner at Pleasant Valley
Les Cobban, winner at Bangpra.
Vale Chris Delamare.