The IPGC Monthly Medals Report July 2012
Chris and Robbie take the Medals

Wednesday 4th July Phoenix CSS 72
1st Division 0 – 12
Stroke Play
1st Chris Voller (8) 72 cb 34
2nd Anders Hansson (9) 72 cb 34.5
3rd Yasuo Suzuki (12) 73
4th Jon Batty (8) 74 cb 37
5th Al Keith (5) 74 cb 38.5
2nd Division
Stableford
1st Robbie Taylor (13) 44
2nd Bruce Gardner (22) 41
3rd Benny Hansen (25) 40
4th Josef Frick (23) 39
5th Shuichi Kodaka (17) 37 cb 21
6th Joe Niisato (13) 37 cb 17
2’s
Anders Hansson, Robbie Taylor
Bruce Gardner, Jon Batty

With many of the competitors signed up for the Baan Jing Jai Summer Scramble to be held over the same courses on the following Friday it was a better than expected turnout as players hoped to get a bit of course knowledge from an extra round was the aim of some of the contestants.

The conditions were ideal for golf with an overcast sky that threatened rain but stayed dry throughout the day and a slight wind from the west helping to cool the worst of the humidity. Play set off at a brisk pace without the usual IPGC starter but the usual Phoenix man did his usual good job and the play over the Mountain and Ocean Courses was at a very good pace with the last group taking just over four hours to complete the eighteen.

The first division was led in by Chris Voller who had to win a count back with Anders Hansson to claim his first IPGC medal, which he did with a better net 34 against 36.5 after covering the inward half on two over gross even with an ugly double bogey on the par 3 Ocean 7 he had done enough as Anders slipped slightly also taking a double on the seventeenth hole when a bogey would have won the day.

Yasuo Suzuki who was preparing to return to Japan for a couple of months may well of been thinking of that when playing the first as he completely lost the plot taking a quintuple bogey and was pleased to see the last of the hole with a nine. Not a very auspicious start to a medal round, but with typical stoical application he played the next seventeen at four under handicap to finish in third place.

The second division was a scoring festival with the top six players all bettering their handicaps with the Medal winner having his best round in Thailand in fact only ever playing under 85 gross on a couple very recently. But on this day a gross 77 proved to be the winning number although the margin of victory was not as great as he may have expected when he signed the card having played the back nine at one under gross.

Bruce Gardner, no doubt having thought he may have well been the winner, had to settle for second place at five under handicap after he had also finished very strongly with a five under handicap closing nine which included a scratch hole in the middle and a one pointer on the last but he had also three four pointers and two three pointers.

Benny Hansen took third place after he had had equaled his lifetime best score but sadly finished with a no score hole which cost him second spot.
Josef Frick was almost in contention but a miscalculation in the points score lowered him into fourth place ahead of a count back for fifth which Shuichi Kodak won with a better 21 to 17 over Joe Niisato.

After the golf the players returned to The Haven, which was the month’s venue for the prize giving, where they were provide with a superb buffet prior to the prize presentations which were made by Emcee Stephen Beard and presented by Russell Exley as the organiser of the day.

Following the presentations Russell Oversaw the now standard luck draw when everyone attending won a prize.

The IPGC Monthly Medals Report March 2012
Jason Cole & Gordon Everingham share the Medals

Monday 5th January Greenwood White Tees
CSS 72
1st Division 0 - 12 Stroke play
1st Jason Cole (7) 70 cb 34.5
2nd Ron Miller (9) 70 cb 35.5
3rd Yasuo Suzuki (11) 70 CB 36.5
2nd Division 13 + Stableford
1st Gordon Everingham (24) 40
2nd Tony Holehouse (23) 39 cb 22
3rd Evan Millar (24) 39 cb 19
Technical Prizes
2’s Glenn Eldershaw, Ron Miller, Alan Pilkington,
John Hayes, Grant Cadell, Peter MacKenzie
Michael Cutmore (two)

This month’s IPGC Medals were held over the very attractive Greenwood course which while being about the furthest of the local Pattaya courses always turns out as a very good venue for a large competition. This may have been the reason that the day attracted the largest number of contestants this year with 25 groups teeing it up at the start. This time was another of those occasions when the course was in top condition with the greens playing flat and fairly quick. A fairly strong breeze welcomed the early starters at around 8.15 am and with the weather staying fine all day good scoring was to be expected, but with the course having been set up with the tees in the backward positions this did not turn out to be the case with only the second division turning in low scores. This may have be explained partly by the two divisions playing under the now familiar two different scoring systems, Stroke Play for the first and Stableford for the second division.

The second division was led in by Gordon Everingham whose 40 points was his best score for nearly a year, during which time he has been more used to seeing his handicap rise steadily than being in contention. He was followed in by Tony Holehouse who had to win a count back with Evan Millar, which he did with a better 22 to 19, leaving Evan in third place. In general the second division scored very well with Peter MacKenzie returning a one under card and another six players on level par.

The first division turned out to be a much closer affair with Jason Cole finally coming out on top to take the medal with a two under handicap round as he finished with a net 34.5 over the inward half leaving Ron Miller in second with a count back of 35.5 and Yasuo Suzuki in third with 36.5 on the back nine.

There were plenty of 2’s around the course.

Every month the presentations are held at one of the IPGC venues in rotation, this month’s being held at Siam Cats, where as usual an open buffet had been laid on for the participants prior to the presentations.

Russell Exley, who acted as the Emcee for the evening, thanked the golf organizers, Stephen Beard, Len Jones, Glyn Evans and Steve Mascari for promoting the day and Glyn for handling the registration and Stephen for handling the scoring with Glyn presenting the Medals and prizes to the winners.

As usual following the prize giving there were over twenty lucky draw prizes supplied from the club funds to be won by members attending the evening festivities, which due to a slight oversight, on the part of the dogsbody designated to bring back the score cards from the course, had to be draw with a new method of lucky numbers.

The IPGC Monthly Medals Report February 2012
Warren Gallop and Tim Knight take the Medals

Wednesday 1st February Crystal Bay
CSS 72
1st Division 0 – 12
1st Warren Gallop (11) 68 cb 32.5
2nd Ted Lodge (11) 68 cb 34.5
3rd Alan Pilkington (9) 70
4th Rainer Helling (8) 71 cb 32
5th Rick Schramm (8) 71 cb 35

2nd Division 13 +
1st Tim Knight (23) 42
2nd Larry Slattery (17) 40
3rd Bryan Priestley (19) 39 cb 20
4th Gordon Everingham (25) 39 cb 18

Ladies
1st Theresa Connolly (25) 36
2nd Toni Nichols (23) 26

2’s
Alan Pilkington, Noel Reynolds, Brian Kelly, William Chang.

A good day started out under clouded skies with the threat of rain that never materialized until everyone was on their way home from what commenced as a full complement of contestants but ended with a few no shows which mean6t that some players disappointedly missed out who could have played but those that did tee off enjoyed a very good days golf over a fairly amenable course which covered the C and A nines.

As usual there were two divisions for the gentlemen cut at 12 and below for the first division and 13 and above for the second and one for the ladies.

The scoring as expected on an open course was good in the first division although just five players managed to better par with the medal eventually going to Warren Gallop after he won a count back with Ted Lodge with a better score of 32.5 to 35 over the C course.

Alan Pilkington took third two shots worse than them with Rainer Helling snaring fourth after a count back which he won with a better 32 to consign Rick Schramm to 5th as he could only garner 35 over the inward nine.

All the count backs for the day were taken as usual from the last nine played on the card, rather than the order in which they might have been played. This saw Rainer sneaking fourth after he had actually had a quadruple 9 on the ninth on A, his last hole, when a par would have earned him the medal for the month following the best outward nine of the day at gross level par.

The second division was a slam bang affair with the top contenders all shooting well below their handicaps with Tim Knight, the Medal winner, coming home in six under around a feat that when other rounds were taken into account, meant a four shot reduction in handicap for the near future.

Larry Slattery was just two behind him after returning his equal best round ever in Thailand to take second spot with Brian Priestly just getting the edge over Gordon Everingham after winning a count back by a margin of 20 to 18.

The ladies division was won by Theresa Connolly with a level handicap round to leave Toni Nichols in second and Brita Metzger in third both some way behind.

Following the golf almost everyone returned to the Rabbi’s Elephant where after a very good buffet laid on by the Pattaya Golf Society and the Rabbi, Len Jones and Jeff Cohen presented the prizes as Russell Exley emceed proceedings. Prior to the presentations Len Jones thanked all those that had made the day such a success starting with the IPGC venue golf organizers for promotion and Glyn Evans for registration, Stephen Beard for scoring, and Russell Exley for setting everything in motion and organisation in general. As usual following the presentations a draw was held for the non prize winners for over 25 items from the IPGC merchandise stock.

The IPGC Monthly Medals Report January 2012
Garry Olliffe and Paul Chabot share the Medals

Wednesday 4th January Mountain Shadow Blue Tees
CSS 73
1st Division 0 - 12 Stroke play
1st Garry Olliffe (12) 70
2nd Barney Sheedy (11) 71 cb 33.5
3rd Adi Mayer (6) 71 cb 38
2nd Division 13 + Stableford
1st Paul Chabot (26) 45
2nd Willy Van Heetvelde (27) 39
3rd Tom Atkins (13) 34
Technical Prizes
2’s - Ron Miller, Fred Land, Tom Atkins, Garry Olliffe, Barney Sheedy, Paul Chabot, Alan Griffiths

This month’s IPGC Medals were held over the always difficult Mountain Shadow course that had been reputedly designed and built for players with 15 handicaps and below and not recommended for those with handicaps higher than that. With a strong breeze blowing for most of the day, it was therefore little surprise that the scores for the day were mostly higher than the participants would have wished for, excepting that two players in the second division outshone all the reputedly better golfers with outstanding rounds of golf that they will surely long remember.

In the second division, which was playing for the Medal under the Stableford system, Paul Chabot had what must have been a dream day, as he went out in 22 points and back in 23 to sweep to the top of the leader board and in the process not only winning the first medal of the year but a four shot reduction in handicap. This reduction exactly matches the number of strokes he lost over the whole of the previous year which had seen his handicap work down steadily from 30 to 26 underlining how well he had performed on the day.

Willy van Heetvelde almost overshadowed the winner’s accomplishments with a stunning 25 points going out but then slipped badly over the closing holes and had to settle for a well deserved second place.

Tom Atkins having only just arrived from a year at work in the UK and not quite managing to match the leading pair still did just enough to claim third place with a round a couple of strokes above his handicap.

The first division was a much closer affair with Garry Olliffe winning by the narrowest of margins by one stroke, after having declared a two shot reduction in his handicap prior to starting off the round, thereby giving a great example of what golf is all about.

Barney Sheedy, another recent arrival but this time from The Emerald Isle, started out very slowly but picked up the pace over the back nine to win a count back with Adi Mayer with a better 33.5 to 38 as Adi had matched Barney’s inward score on the outward half but sadly faded as the pressure mounted over the last three holes and had to be satisfied with third place for the day.

Every month the presentations are held at one of the IPGC venues in rotation, this month’s being held at The Haven, where as usual an open buffet had been laid on for the participants for two hours prior to the presentations.

After thanking the golf organizers, Len Jones, Russell Exley, Glyn Evans and Steve Mascari for promoting the day and then the catering and service staff at The Haven for the magnificent spread, Stephen Beard handed over to Russell who acted as the Emcee for the evening with Stephen presenting the Medals and prizes to the winners.

As usual following the prize giving there were over twenty lucky draw prizes supplied from the club funds to be won by members attending the evening festivities.

The IPGC Monthly Members’ Tournament at Eastern Star, Wednesday, 2nd November
Banjo Strikes all the Right Notes


All smiles from the November Medal winners

On Wednesday, 2nd November, the IPGC members visited Eastern Star for the November Members’ Tournament. Surviving the recent heavy storms better than many members dared hope the course has recently toughened into a challenge for all golfers, and the combination of water, OB and slow greens was a test for all three flights.

Each monthly members’ tournament will provide winners in both divisions who will go forward to the finals to compete for the Gold and Silver Medals later in the season. In addition the tournaments will also be used to determine the IPGC Gentleman Player of the Year, with between 1 and 15 points to be won in each division every month, dependant on final positions, which will then be aggregated for the year to establish the overall winner. As usual the first division contests a stroke play format whilst the second division play Stableford. With the Sweep vouchers standing at a guaranteed 5K for both divisions each month and the splendid “non winners’” draw at the presentation, the event is one of the most attractive competition days on Pattaya’s heavy golfing agenda.

In the first division Haruyuki Kato finished third with net 75, playing solidly off his handicap of eight. In second place, recently returned from UK, was Pete Sumner with net 72. The winner was PGS golfer Richard “Banjo” Bannister who played a rhythmic back nine to finish with a fine net 70 and the second best gross of the day.

The second division played the usual stableford format and things were extremely tight again as six golfers contested third place with Lee Casey successfully edging out Jim Ferris “et al” with a better back six to finish on 33 points. In second place was Aussie golfer Ian Hogg, following 41 points two days previously and recording 35 this time. The flight winner was another PGS stalwart Larry Slattery who came home with a fine 37 point score.

The Ladies’ flight was won by Kung Maliporn with 40 points with Yuza Reginuissen one point behind in second and Noi Emmerson two points further back in third.

For the first time ever there were no birdie twos but the par threes at Eastern Star are some of the toughest anywhere in the area.

After the tournament the golfers enjoyed an excellent presentation buffet at “Siam Cats”, the home of Jomtien Golf, and the lucky draw gave everyone present a share of the fun of the day. The presentation and prizes were generously sponsored as always by the IPGC, and those who had contributed to the success of the day were warmly thanked. The official prize-winners are listed below.

Prize winners
1st Division | Net
1st Richard Bannister 70
2nd Peter Sumner 72
3rd Haruyuki Kato 75

2nd Division | Points | b9 | b6
1st Larry Slattery 37
2nd Ian Hogg 35
3rd Lee Casey 33 19 14
- Jim Ferris 33 19 12

Ladies
1st Kung Maliporn 19 40
Yuza Reginuissen 30 39
Noi Emmerson 19 37

The IPGC Monthly Members’ Tournament at Bangpra, Wednesday, 5th October 2011
Game On at Bangpra

On Wednesday, 5th October, the IPGC members gathered at delightful Bangpra for the October Members’ Tournament. The course is always a challenge to all golfers with the greens running at pace and this day was no exception. The course was in quality condition and the day stayed fine throughout.

Each monthly members’ tournament will provide winners in both divisions who will go forward to the finals to compete for the Gold and Silver Medals later in the season. In addition the tournaments will also be used to determine the IPGC Gentleman Player of the Year, with between 1 and 15 points to be won in each division every month, dependant on final positions, which will then be aggregated for the year to establish the overall winner. As usual the first division contests a stroke play format whilst the second division play Stableford.

In the first division Erik Donnestad finished third with net 74, playing off his handicap of four. In second place, losing out on count back by one shot on the back nine was Fred Brent with net 73. The winner was scratch golfer Game Mallenpoothong with a fine net 73 and the best gross of the day.

The second division played as usual Stableford and things were very tight again as Burnie Sinclair lost out on second place by one point and had to settle for third with 33 points. John Dahlseng therefore took second. The flight winner was Ole Stamnes with 38 well-earned points.

The Ladies’ flight was won by May Mitchell with 40 points with Noi Emmerson one point behind in second having beaten Rotjana Neal on count back for the honour.

In the “twos” competitions there were birdies for Game Mallenpoothong, Yasuo Suzuki, Wichai Tananusorn and Stephen Beard.

After the tournament the golfers enjoyed an excellent presentation buffet at Rabbi’s Elephant bar in Soi Buakhao, and the lucky draw gave everyone present a share of the fun of the day. The presentation and prizes were generously sponsored as always by the IPGC, and those who had contributed to the success of the day were warmly thanked. The official prize-winners are listed below along with the full list of results.

Prize winners

Twos
Game Mallenpoothong
Yasuo Suzuki
Wichai Tanasusorn
Stephen Beard

1st Division (gross | hcp | net | c/b)
1st Game Mallenpoothong 73 0 73 36
2nd Fred Brent 78 5 73 37
3rd Erik Donnestad 78 4 74

2nd Division (gross | hcp | c/b)
1st Ole Stamnes 97 27 38
2nd John Dahlseng 94 19 33 15
3rd Burnie Sinclair 95 20 33 14

Ladies (c/b)
1st May Mitchell 88 20 40
2nd Noi Emmersson 89 20 39 21
3rd Rotjana Neal 84 15 39 17

Full Scores