Saturday, February 21st: Curran & Eichelberger are Even (€)!!

Note:  NEW MEMBER:  Les Adams joined us on Tuesday.  Les is a new neighbor of Charlie Johnson and has moved back to Washington from Scottsdale Arizona.  He will become a full member beginning in March.

NOTE:   Closest to the holes for February are #3 & #14.

Individual Winners:  Eichelberger won the front (€).  Curran won the back (+2).  Curran & Eichelberger tied the total (€).

Even/Plus Points Club: Curran & Eichelberger (€).

75 & Below Score Club:  None

Closest to the Hole:  Eichelberger won #3 and Curran took #14.

Quota Increases:  All (+1):  None

Quota Decreases:  All (-1):  Eggert & Hall

Quotas: Adams 24 * Aholt 32 * Baer 29 * Blackwell 31 * Clark 36 * Christiansen 34 * Coleman 30 * Cozzo, Jeff 27 * Crow 33 * Curran 28 * Curtis 31 (White Tees) * Dister 29 * Dunlavy 28 * Eckelkamp 36 * Eggert 30 (Gold Tees) * Eichelberger 31 (White Tees) * Elcan 32 (White Tees) * Fortner 29 (White Tees) * Gildehaus 31 * Hall 30 * Herrick 24 * Johnson 26 * Kavanaugh 28 * Kossmann 27 * Marquart 27 * Miller 22 (Gold Tees) * Moosman 29 * Meyer 27 * Nealis 22 * Purschke 20 * Scheidegger 29 * Sharma, Ray 26 * Sharma, Raymond 21 * Stapp 33 * Voss, Chas 26 * Voss, Dean 34 * Weinhold 28 * Zastrow, Josh 34 * Zastrow, Owen 27

Mike Clark in Thailand: Chapter 20

Today was a perfect example of never judge a book by its cover. I am speaking about Rachakram Golf Club. This is my venue today and since I’d not played here before, I was doing a bit of research on it yesterday evening. From the reviews that I read, it was billed as a second tier course and it’s completely lit up at night, so a great deal of night golf is played here according to my caddie of the day “Nind”. Nind is a big fan of the pasty white Casper the ghost makeup that so many of the Asian women wear that are slightly dark complected. 

I can’t imagine playing night golf here, as I had enough problems in full sunlight. The greens are glassy Bermuda that do not forgive if you miss on the short side. It’s a fair design of some length with no gimme par threes… all were in the 155 to 175 range. I did manage 3 birdies but made 6 bogeys due to being short sided or just poor chipping much to the dismay of Nind. She also let me know that today was her 34 birthday and I made the mistake of asking her politely how she intended to celebrate. She said that she lived alone and would like to celebrate with me in Bangkok…… hard pass. 

Now I’m here to play golf and I’m trying really extra hard to make birdie every hole. Those that know me well can be sure I’ve got zero time for nonsense or being accommodating when I’m racking up bogeys. She was very nice but she took A BUNCH of impromptu pics of me most every hole and it was kind of awkward…… and in between shots, I could see she was texting pics to her friends. Since we are a solid hour from Bangkok I assume they just don’t see too many single guys from the USA. 

None the less, the course was a pleasantly manicured surprise and worth playing again. The beer in the club restaurant is good and cold and the spicy Tilapia dish I had was delicious.

 

Now time for my high speed drive back to the city as “Neung” my driver has the Camry warmed up and the sticks loaded.

"Nind" the birthday girl

Course view

Course view

Snoozing dogs in the wet bunker

Pot of sand on every hole so the caddies always have sand to fill divots from their sand bags

Nind....

Course view

Clubhouse in the background

Course view

I think this is an LPGA player & her coach.... Very solid swing

Spicy tilapia & cold beer to end the day

Mike Clark in Thailand: Chapter 19

Early departure from Hua Hin and I’ve got my original driver from Bangkok picking me up and in no time we are flying north on open road toward the province of Ratchaburi and the Royal Ratchaburi golf club. By flying I mean over 90mph. 

I verified thru google that 147klm per hour is getting it. I’ve got to keep my eyes front so as not to get car sick sitting in the back seat as scenery flys by. In an hour we have arrived. This is an old course and a bit rough around the edges but overall in very good condition with quality holes. 

“Lao” is my caddie today and we hit it off splendidly as her read on the first hole yields a birdie.

 

Three more birdies today against a painful double yields a -2 round. The real entertainment today are the monkeys. To say they are mischievous is an understatement. If the cart is left unattended they are on it and in it looking for food. Caddies carry homemade fashioned slingshots to keep them at bay. Unfortunately I didn’t get pic of “Lao” and her slingshot as her preferred method of determent was wildly swinging around the rake. Of course I didn’t help the situation one bit and got scolded by throwing a banana chip to a lucky primate.

 

I will always make this an interim stop when I’m in Thailand between Hua Hin and Bangkok. The course has teeth and despite some grainy Bermuda greens it’s a pleasure to play. Some places just suit your eye better than others.

 

As I write this I’m all checked into my Hilton room for the last 9 nights in Bangkok with a full agenda of great courses coming up.

"Lao" the caddie of the day and Monkey deterrent

They are everywhere

Lovely par 3

Range, not all that bad!

Lao says "it's the driver"

Course view

Course view

Course view

Course view

Waiting for a banana chip