Monday January 19th
Bangpra
1st Colin Greig (15) 35 points
2nd Bil Richardson (20) 34 points
3rd Tjark Rischode (11) 33 points
4th Dave Galvin (21) 32 points
5th Walter Baechli (21) 32 points.
Nar points Colin Greig, & Tjark Rischode X 2.
Five and a half hours to complete a round of golf was enough to test most people’s patience. It wasn’t that the pace of play was particularly slow, just a long wait to tee off on the first tee and an even longer wait on the tenth tee where the marshal clearly inserted about six groups ahead of us. The course could not have accommodated any more players. There were about a dozen or more minibuses in the car park, even a full size bus rolled up full of our Northern neighbours. Most were thankful that Indians don’t play golf.
A field of twenty took part with a few new to the Bunker visitors. The course was still in good shape with plenty of green grass, most courses are turning brown now. The greens as always were a real challenge, usually the best putters score well here as was the case today. Continuing his recent good form Colin Greig took first place with thirty-five points, he also came within a whisker of a hole in one on the Gordon Melia twelfth. Bil Richardson is still enjoying a very generous handicap and took second place one back. One of the first timers Tjark Rischode took third as well as a brace of near pins, a fine introduction to the Bunker. Quietly beavering away Dave Galvin took the next spot in the winners circle, Dave quietly goes about his business and sneaks in almost unnoticed into the winners circle. The final spot went to the most colorful man in Pattaya golf Walter Baechli. What a diverse lot the Bunker Boys are with Denmark, Germany, Italy Switzerland, Australia, England, Ireland ,and Scotland all represented today, sadly our Welsh contingent were absent.
Having lost one of the Galvin clan (Davy) last week his replacement today was his older brother Scott on a much lower handicap, with booming drives just like the senior, if he can sort out the putter he will be one to watch in the coming weeks.
Wednesday January 21st
The Vintage
1st Paul Smith (4) 40 points
2nd Scott Galvin (24) 39 points
3rd Dave Galvin (21) 38 points
4th Alan Freeman (2) 37 points
Near pins. Alan Freeman, Phil Mashiter, & Paul Smith X 2.
Nineteen seems to be the most regular number at the Bunker Boys in recent weeks as it was again today, a good number given many don’t like the long drive up to Samut Prakan. The course makes it worth the effort as it was in nice condition today. An early departure from the bar due to the long distance to travel and the earlier tee time.
The Vintage is a high scoring course normally and today was no different. Top score went to Paul Smith with forty points. Scott Galvin in only his second game of this tour and seen as one to look out for on Monday took second place one adrift, beating Galvin senior (Dave) by a stroke, no doubt his handicap may get a snip after this effort. In his second game in a week after years away Alan Freeman took the final spot on the leaderboard, an excellent effort off a two handicap, Alan also managed to snag a near pin as well as Phil Mashiter with Paul Smith taking two.
With a good score today Paul Smith closed the gap on Colin Greig in the race for golfer of the month, Colin finished down the field.
Given his prediction about Scott Galvin on Monday, the scribe in now about to start a new business predicting what is coming next, anyone wishing to see the future can for a small fee be ahead of the game
Friday, January 23rd
Treasure Hill
1st Jimmy Carr (25) 35 points
2nd John Hughes (26) 34 points
3rd Michael Brett (17) 34 points
4th Uwe Jurgensen (27) 34 points
Near pins Scott Galvin, Dave Galvin Uwe Jurgensen, & Paul Smith
For a course that’s normally run so well today Treasure Hill was in total disarray, a delay in checking in, no caddies available and the course covered in leaf litter, not what we have come to expect, normally this course is very well run and maintained. To make matters worse after we arrived at least six minibuses and a full size bus rolled up so the push was on to meet our tee time and get on with our round. As one might expect there was a lot of jostling to get away so pressure was brought to bear on the starter to maintain the order of play. For a course that insists on all using carts to speed up play in high season it goes against the grain to see five balls all over the course, of course none were farangs, only certain groups are allowed in five balls. In total two hundred and fifty six players were booked in to play.
Scoring was pretty much as expected at Treasure Hill with nobody shooting the lights out. The wily old fox Jimmy Carr took first place with a couple of exceptionally long puts to amass thirty-five points. A threeway countback to decide the remaining places with John Hughes taking second. In a position to win the day Michael Brett threw it away wiping the last hole to take third with Uwe Jurensen taking the last place, also on thirty-four points.
A bit of a conspiracy theory is developing in the near pin contest with one particular player who shall remain nameless nearly always in the frame but never taking one. Today it was a family affair with the Galvins Dave and Scott taking the first two, Uwe Jurgensen and Paul Smith also took one each.
Locals are already tired of high season golf with courses nearly always overbooked and slow play the norm. Courses need to be reminded that the locals they rely on for nine months of the year could do with a little more consideration during the high season. Word from many caddies is that some who are perceived as good tippers are usually not , perhaps the tips go to the marshals for preferential treatment with starting times etc.
Colin Greig, winner at Bangpra
Paul Smith, winner at The Vintage.
Jimmy Carr, winner at Treasure Hill.
