Monday, May 19th
Khao Kheow A & B
1st Alan Sullivan (14) 35 points
2nd Rob Folland (14) 33 points
3rd Michael Brett (13) 27 points
Near Pins Les Cobban, Michael Brett X 2, & Alan Sullivan, hole in one.
A day that had just about everything for the first game of the week at Khao Kheow. When we arrived at the course the rain was teeming down so we had to wait it out for about forty-five minutes before we could commence play , fortunately we were able to enjoy the comfort of the club house and coffee while we waited. As we looked out onto the course the fairways were flooded, and the weather radar didn’t look promising so patience paid off in the end. The rain stopped, the fairways drained remarkably and the course became playable.
We set out behind what surely must have been the slowest three-ball in the history of golf and play became a grind, luckily they decided to take a break after nine allowing us the play through. We had some real excitement on the A5 hole where Alan Sullivan got his first ever ace, and remarkably Rob Folland almost followed him in, just missing by a whisker. Both were the only two to post anything like a respectable score.
Despite having one of those runs when nothing seems to work Les Cobban bagged a near pin with Michael Brett getting two also nothing to shout about as neither were that close, the remaining near pin obviously went to Alan who after seventy-two years and being sick of people asking if he ever got a hole in one can now answer in the affirmative. Alan generously rang the bell several times back at the bar, showing what it means to get one.
Wednesday,May 21st
Eastern Star.
1st Rob Folland (14) 33 points
2nd Steve Downes (6) 26 points
3rd Michael Brett (13) 24 points
Near pins Steve Downes.
For the second game in a row we had to sit it out when we arrived at the club as the rain was tumbling down. Eventually after about thirty-minutes we got on to the course which by now was very damp. The air was heavy and with absolutely no run on the fairways the going was tough as evidenced by the scoring which was the lowest we have seen for a long time. Even the winner, Rob Folland had only a mediocre score of thirty three which was seven clear of second placed Steve Downes. Remarkably only one near pin was claimed on a course where the par threes could hardly be called too difficult.
Tony Robbins had enough after nine holes and quit, a few others were of a similar mindset but hung in and toughed it out to the end.
The current bout of wet weather is having a marked effect on our numbers, We are not sure how long this bad weather will last, the sooner it’s over the better.
Friday 23rd May 2025
Mountain Shadow
1st Sunny Khanna (13) 33points
2nd Jimmy Carr (22) 32 points
3rd Les Cobban (12) 32 points
Near pins,Alan Sullivan, Steve Downes, & Sunny Khanna X 2.
Initially scheduled as a medal round it was decided by unanimous consent to change to stableford and play medal next Monday at Pattaya Country Club, a course more suited to that format. Mountain Shadow is a difficult course at the best of times and today it proved to be just the same with a couple of sub-twenty scores and a few more not much better, imagine what they would have been in medal format..
Rain was not a consideration today, the sky was clear and the temperature comfortable. The course was in reasonable shape but with the benefit of hindsight it may have been better to play pick, clean, and place, as there were plenty of mud balls and no run on the fairways.
In his first game for some time Sunny Khanna took first place with a modest thirty-three points as well as two near pins, one almost a hole in one, that would have been something to have two holes in one in the same week after waiting eighteen months for one. Jimmy Carr beat Les Cobban on countback for second, Les was cruising after a run of poor scores only to falter mid back nine, however he recovered well and was satisfied with his day’s work, and the improvement in his game. As is usually the case Alan Sullivan and Steve Downes got near pins.
From next Monday Rob Folland will take over running golf for the foreseeable future as Michael Brett has to attend to a longstanding nagging shoulder complaint which is gradually getting worse so rest is the first step.
Alan Sullivan, winner at Khao Kheow and making his first hole in one.
Rob Folland, winner at Eastern Star.
Sunny Khanna, winner at Mountain Shadow.