Monday, January 1st
Mountain Shadow
1st Keith Norman (16) 36 points
2nd Stuart Tinkler (19) 29 points
3rd Les Cobban (9) 29 points
4th Mick McMahon (14) 29 points
Near pins Alan Howard, Les Cobban, & Kob Glover
The first game of the New Year was played at the Mountain Shadow course, not everybody’s favourite but the price was right so no complaints on that score. Given the day and more especially the night before a field of seventeen wasn’t too shabby.
After Treasure Hill Mountain Shadow is probably the most difficult course on which to score and this was reflected in the numbers returned. Keith Norman had a day with thirty-six points in first place. Three were tied on twenty-nine points and placed as listed. Once again only three near pins were taken with Kob Glover carrying on from where she left off last year taking one, the other two going to Alan Howard, and Les Cobban, is Kob going to sweep all before her again or will someone else step up?
Wednesday, January 3rd
Greenwood C & A.
1st Mark Hayward (18) 43 points
2nd Paul Smith (4) 37 points
3rd Greg Berry (17) 36 points
4th Niall Glover (16) 36 points
5th Keith Norman (17) 35 point
6th Colin Greig (14) 35 points
Near pins Alan Sllivan, Paul Smith, Mick McMahon, & Daryl Vernon.
First game of four this month at Greenwood today which appears on our schedule three more times this month as does Pattavia. An unseasonally windy day today which had less effect than it might have had on a tighter course. All three nines were open today which made for a faster tee-off time and a finish well before the restaurant closed pleasing everyone hanging out for a cold one after a hot day in the sun.
It seems that many courses are seeing the error of their ways putting up high season prices to a ridiculous degree and are now reducing prices and canceling compulsory carts, the one swimming against the tide is Greenwood who have increased prices this month abeit by a minimal one hundred baht, still good value at that price. It feels like the hoards of Korean visitors are not here this year unlike last when there was pent-up demand for travel following years of lockdown.
Mark Hayward set the course alight today with a sizzling twenty-three points on the front nine followed by twenty on the back to take first place by a margin of six points. Paul Smith took second with thirty-seven points. A countback for third and fourth with Greg Berry shading it from Niall Glover. Another countback to settle fifth and sixth places with Keith Norman taking over Colin Greig. All the near pins were taken going to Alan Sullivan, Daryl Vernon, Paul Smith, and Mick McMahon.
Friday, January 5th
Pattavia
1st Niall Glover (16) 40 points.
2nd Stuart Tinkler (19) 37 points
3rd Alan Sullivan (14) 35 points
4th Geoff Parker (23) 33 points
5th Dave Ashmsn (24) 33 points
6th Keith Norman (16) 32 points
Near pins.Rob Folland, Keith Norman, Greg Berry X 2.
A good field for the last game of the week at Pattavia. One of the slowest games on record, over five and a half hours didn’t please anybody with groups waiting on every hole. This is the first time this high season that slow play became a real issue.
Unaffected by the slow play or the difficult greens Niall Glover took first place with a very solid forty points. In good form since his return, Stuart Tinkler took second with thirty-seven. Alan Sullivan was two strokes back in third. Geoff Parker and Dave Ashman were tied on thirty-three and placed in that order with Keith Norman who can’t stop winning lately bringing up the rear with thirty-two points. Rob Folland and Keith Norman took near pins with Greg Berry taking two.
Back at the bar, the group raised a glass in memory of the late Ken Elmore who was cremated today.
Keith Norman, winner at MountainShadow.
Mark Hayward, winner at Greenwood.
Bunker Boys raise a glass in memory of Ken Elmore.