This month's golf news and features

Kanjanaburi Trip

This was a great success, 42 people including 33 golfers went along, the majority on the bus and a few by their own means.
We all stayed in the Felix Resort hotel just across the river from the town, and played three games of golf twice at Nichigo and once at a new course called Blue Sapphire and as its name suggests it is built on a gems mine.
The overall winner with 111 points was Tomas Ericsson who progressively improved with scores of 33, 36 and 42pts, 2nd was Por Erikkson (no relative) with 102pts. Aso each day we had a separate 2 ball competition and the victorious pairs were Monday 9th April Mick Evans/Claes Bergwall 80pt, Tuesday Tomas Erikkson/Mick Evans 69 pts and on Wednesday Tomas Erikkson/Jim Kennedy 75 pts.
Unusually for an away outing there was 100% attendance at golf on each day.
Smor Spa Village
On 30th April the Spa sponsors our tournament at Springfield and hosted us for an evening barbecue and Piezo giving at their hotel where we were looked after by our member and their GM, Sam Sheriff.
International golf
Two of the Hua Hin residents, i.e. Simon Yates and Greg Hanarahn are having a friendly competition between themselves to see who will be highest on the Asian PGA Order of Merit fr 2004. At 18th May. Greg had won 156.061 US$ and Simon 124.745$ with eleven more tournaments to go.
Recent Results
23rd April at Lake view, 25 players one group 0-36hcp, 1st Robert Baker 41pts 17hcp.
27th April at Palm Hills, 23 players 1st alan rawson 44pts 26hcp, 2nd Peter Harrison 43pts, 25hcp.
30th April at Springfield, 33 players A group 1st Tomas Palsson 66 net 17hcp, 2nd Larry English 70 net 5hcp, B group 19-36hcp 1st Monta 32pts 23hcp, 2nd Bob Kennedy 32pts 30hcp.
4th May at Lake View 30 players one group, 1st Dave Buchan 40pts, 27hcp, 2nd Matthew McClo (guest) 40pts 9hcp, 3rd Mark Finnegan 39pts 12hcp.
7th May at Springfield 30 players A group 1st Peter Brown (guest) 70net 15hcp, 2nd Barry Moore 72 net 8hcp, B group Chuan (guest) 40pts 19hcp, 2nd Lasse Nilsson 36pts 34hcp.
11th May at Palm Hills 30 players one group, 1st Fiona Zimmerman 38pts 10hcp, 2nd Sm Sherriff 36pts 16hcp, 3rd Mick Evans 34pts 10hcp.
14th May at Springfield 40 players A group, 1st Fiona Zimmerman 70 net 8hcp, 2nd Mike Anderson 72 net 15hcp, B group 1st Terry Buree 3pts 24hcp, 2nd Nung 31pts 27hcp.
18th May at Kaeng Keachan 21 players 1st Boom Schroeder 32pts 20hcp, 2nd Fritz Schroeder 34 ts 9hcp.
Forthcoming Events
Sunday 4th July Pattaya Gentleman’s Trip
Monday 5th July Natural Park Hills
Tuesday 6th July Laem Chabang
Wednesday 7th July Burapha
Thursday 8th July Return Hua Hin
List in Berny’s members priority until 20th June when payment is required by. Price 6500 Baht including nearly everything.
Monday 9th August
2 Day trip to the Ratchaburi area, golf at Panuranesi on Day 1 and Royal rathaburi on day 2. Details in the next edition.
Late October
1st Runners of the 2004 match play championship for members only, finals will be early December.
December
2 Round stroke play tournament annual members only.
December 21st Tuesday
Probable date for the Annual Carity Scramble and Christmas Dinner at Palm Hills and Dusit Resort respectively.
June Golf Society Fixtures
Tuesday 1st Lake View
Friday 4th Sawang
Tuesay 8th Palm Hills
Friday 11th Springfield
Tuesday 15th T.B.A.
Friday 18th T.B.A.
Tuesday 22nd Palm Hills
Friday 25th Lake View
Tuesday 25th Springfield

Rule by Rule

Rule 7. Practice

What it’s About: Tells when a player can, and can’t, practice on the course

In most circumstances, the driving range and practice green are the places to practice, while the golf course is strictly for play. But there are a few limited instances where practice is allowed on the course, and these are addressed in Rule 7.

The first of the Rule’s two sections covers practice before or between rounds. This is prohibited in stroke play, but allowed in match play. The reasoning is that in match play, the opponents have an equal opportunity to practice before the round because they start at the same time. In stroke play, a player may not practice nor test the surface of any putting green on the course before a round or a playoff, or between rounds on a course remaining to be played in a competition contested over consecutive days.

The penalty for a breach of Rule 7-1 is severe – disqualification. In the case of a player hitting one ball from a forward tee into an out-of-bounds area before a round, Decision 7-1b/1 allows the Committee in charge of the competition to modify the penalty to two strokes. If he hits two or more balls, there is no alternative to the DQ penalty. Hitting practice putts on one of the course’s greens before a round also results in a DQ.

A note to Rule 7-1 enables a Committee to reverse what is laid down in this Rule. Practice may be prohibited in match play and permitted in stroke play. The ability to permit practice in stroke play can be quite useful at the club level, so that players don’t need to be kept off the course between rounds of a 36-hole competition held over a weekend.

Rule 7-2 severely limits practice during a round in both match play and stroke play. It prohibits playing a practice stroke during play of a hole (a note to the Rule makes clear that a practice swing is not considered a practice stroke). Practice between the play of two holes is permitted, with restrictions. The player may practice only his putting or chipping, and he is allowed to do so only on or near the putting green of the hole last played, any practice putting green, or the teeing ground of the next hole to be played in the round.

The Rule goes on to explain that no practice stroke may be played from a bunker or water hazard, nor may a player practice if he is going to unduly delay play. The penalty for breach of Rule 7-2 is loss of hole in match play or two strokes in stroke play.

The main reason for prohibiting practice is to protect the course from damage, such as large divots or pitch marks. These are not typically made by chip shots and putts, which are permitted between holes. By prohibiting play from hazards, the Rule ensures that bunkers remain properly maintained. And pace of play should continue without pause since no practice is allowed if play would be unduly delayed.

An additional paragraph of Rule 7-2, added in 1996 but previously found in a Decision, clarifies that in match play, strokes played in continuing play of a hole, the result of which has been decided, are not practice strokes.

DECISIONS, DECISIONS

It’s an awfully tempting situation when a golfer sees some balls from an adjacent practice range lying on the fairway. The natural instinct might be to take some full swings and whack the balls back onto the range where they belong, but that would be a clear violation of Rule 7-2 on practice, even if the player’s intention was just to clean up the course. But what if a player casually flicks one ball back to the range, using a club? Decision 7-2/5 rules that the casual flicking of a range ball, apparently only for the purpose of tidying up the course, is allowed. Decision 7-2/5.5 makes an exception to the full-swing guideline. In this case, a player finds the ball of a player who is playing an adjoining hole, but by the time he finds it, the other player has moved out of throwing (or flicking) range. The player is allowed to return the ball by hitting a full shot to the vicinity of the other player, because he is acting out of courtesy.

For the complete Rules of Golf and Decisions on the Rules, visit the USGA’s site.

The Hua Hin Golf Players Club

Here come the latest results from the 16th and 17th tournaments on the new “GPC’s Tour”. The only way to keep your game sharp is to play competitive golf, and it’s also the most fun, rewarding, nervous, exhilarating and frustrating way to play this game. What more can you ask for?!

Lake View: Tuesday the 20 of April.
Place Name Score
1 Kenny Walker 70
2 Mark Monroe 74
3 Jorgen Persson 75
3 Greg Hanrahan (73+2) 75

Royal Hua Hin: Tuesday the 4 of May.
Place Name Score
1 Jaruk Thananuphan 72
2 Tanin Nim-Oat 75
3 Suwit Pahulo 76
4 Jorgen Persson 77
5 Park Sung Chul 78
After 17 events we have now attracted
85 different players to join our tournaments, and more to come. Top 10 on the “Order Of Merit” will receive bonus money after the end of the season
(29th of June final tournament) and with 5 tournaments to go anything can happen.

Remaining schedule: Registration

June 1: Palm Hills 11.00-11.30
June 15: Springfield 08.30-09.00
June 29: Lake View 07.30-08.00

Hope to see you all at our tournaments, all the best.
Jorgen Persson Suwit Pahulo
PGA of Sweden Thai PGA
Phone 01 434 6540 Phone 01 856 4509

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