TROPICAL GOLF GROUP-TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 25, BANGPAKONG RIVERSIDE – Medal
Frank Wins His Second Mug!
Nearing the end of the month and time for the Bill Jones sponsored “BJ Holiday Lodge/Tropical Golf Monthly Mug”. This month we chose the fine track at Bangpakong Riverside Country Club (BRCC) as the site of our only monthly medal competition.
After several days of fairly heavy rainfall in the region and learning of groups getting rained off courses up to the north on Monday, there was more than a little apprehension about getting to play a full round on the day. However, Tuesday morning dawned with cloudy, partially sunny skies and a check of the rainfall records indicated no rain had fallen in the BRCC area since Monday evening. So it was “load ‘em up and head ‘em out” at 08:00 for our 10:00 tee time.
After the easy hour long drive up the toll way, a quick check-in, and a bit of a practice putt our first group was headed down the 1st fairway 15 or so minutes early with no group in sight up ahead. Due to the heavy rains over the previous days and carts not allowed off the paved paths, it was decided to play from the “White Tees” and allow “Lift, Clean & Place thru the Green”. This proved to be a wise decision as the course was wet enough that balls landing with any elevation at all left a divot, had little roll and picked up mud.
Considering the recent weather conditions BRCC was in fine, if damp, condition, the pace of play reasonable, and weather fully, albeit a bit hot and humid, cooperative, so how would the Tropical Golfers fair in their quest to score that low net score and win the coveted Monthly Mug.
Back at our Beach Road, Soi 3 home, “The BJ Holiday Lodge”, with a thirst quencher in hand the results were announced. No Technical’s or Best 9‘s on Medal day so it was on the ‘Runner Up’s” and the Winner, which on this day took meeting or beating your Course Handicap to get a mention.
5th R/U: Graham Buckingham (24), net 72;
4th R/U: John Davis (11), net 71;
3rd R/U: Bob Britton (13), net 70;
2nd R/U: Mick Coghlan (22), net 70 on c/b;
1st R/U: John Pierrel (12), net 66, and,
The Winner: Frank Xin (29), net 64.
Congratulations to Frank on his second successive Monthly Medal win and to all the podium finishers on the day. Very good golf by all and a special nod to John Pierrel for scoring the best gross score on the day, a fine “78”! And so, the Bell was rung and the congratulations and “if only I’d…” continued well into the evening.