TROPICAL GOLF AT KHAO KHEOW

Tuesday the 3rd July 2018: Khao Kheow ( Stableford) We usually visit this Course once a Month, you might say it is the Course we visit most often although some players give it a miss as they say it is too difficult. The reason we visit so often is that it is a great Course at reasonable rates and with a very helpful staff. What more can one want for a day out.

Since the opening of the Tolls on Route 7 we have a bit more difficulty getting to and from the Course but if the roads alongside the motorway are not clogged up with accidents it does not take much longer to complete the journey.

Khao Kheow is a Pete Dye Course and that means quality. This is a Course that usually beats you and every shot has to be played well as recovery is difficult. A very well designed Course that will beat the player more than the player beats it. I once kept a record for several hundred rounds and found that to beat the Course was low chance and to get , say, over 40 points was at least one in a hundred. Maybe it has been made a little easier these days but to beat your handicap here is something to be proud of.

On the day it was still damp from the rains of late, but the carts were allowed on the fairways. We started on the B Nine and then went onto the C Nine and found that the Course was long and the B Nine greens were slower than those on the C Nine which surprised me. However the course was difficult as usual and on B8, the island green, with a wind blowing we, our group, were all in the water. But it was a fine day on a great Course.

One weird thing that I have never seen before on this Course was the appearance of a very large and very attack minded male monkey. Usually on Bangpra, quite close really, the place is teeming with them but usually in large groups with many young around. Over the years I played there, only twice have males made advances on groups I have played in and backed off when you stood up to them. This is the first I have seen at Khao Kheow and was not to be scared off, even with 3 male golfers with golf clubs..  Seemingly one of the Caddies had some bananas and it came in and only a thrown banana saw it retreat, to eat. Not good to feed them but there was no backing down from this male. A bit nasty at times. One of our players thought it may have come from somewhere it was close to humans. Bit nasty for the caddies in particular. Seemingly it had gone when our following groups reached the point.

All in all though it was a fine day out and with the Course very quiet we raced around and were soon showered and on our was back. I find getting on the Route 7 now a bit difficult and not as straight forward as I would wish. However it was a smooth drive back and we arrived nice and early and were soon into the results.

There was a countback for the winner on the day. The winner on 35 points was John Pierrel on countback over Brian Parish. In third place with 34 points was Derek Brook and in fourth was Mashi Kaneta with 33 points. Note as usual, no one shot their handicap and the Course won.  T.T.F.N.

Pic   Winner and Runner up.   John on Left and Brian on Right.