Taken from the BWGC Handbook written in 2004 by Mark Grygiel. © Mark Grygiel.
The Early Years: 1986 Onward
The Bangkok Wanderers Golf Club (BWGC) was founded in 1986 by a small group of golf-loving expatriates who were constantly coming into and out of Thailand for business and/or R&R. The original founding members (golf-nuts all) were: Doc Bowden (Chairman), Barry Cable, Brian Cousen, Ian Kane, Ian McArthur, Alistair McManus, David Stewart (Captain) and Fred Theobald.
This group of golfing gypsies all used to meet up in what was then, Doc Bowdens' pub, the George and Dragon (now the Ship Inn, owned by Barry Cable) on Sukhumvit Soi 23 to no doubt exchange tall tales over long glasses of cold beer, as well as to agree upon what unsuspecting golf course would be subjected to their dubious skills next. Doc Bowden, who was a former nurse on the offshore drilling rigs in the Gulf of Thailand, is credited with giving the Club it's name Wanderers - based on the transitory nature of the original group's occupation of the Land of Smiles.
The First Games
The Wanderers' original 'home' course was the Thai Country Club - way before 'Tiger-mania' and way before it became the fine facility that it is today. In those days, playing there didn't require any bookings, so they would just turn up after a grueling, two-hour plus journey from the center of town due to the horrific infrastructure (So what's changed you may ask!). By comparison to today's 'expected' situations of big business running golf courses that are relative models of efficiency and service, at that time, the course was owned by a former mama-san from Pat Pong named Khun Ladda, and was a far cry from the manicured fairways and grounds of today's golf, and could only be realistically played on the days when they did actually cut the grass!
Golf for the Wanderers at that time was obviously a real lottery (You mean it isn't today!) because, as retold, in summer, the Thai Country Club had enormous cracks on the course for the balls to fall into as the sun baked the earth, and in winter the balls would plug so deeply into the un-drained land that they were often never to be seen again. One of the first BWGC 'local rules' ever introduced was that of allowing players the option of a standing automatic two-putt once on the green. Or if you opted not to take it, putting out as normal ñ and if you took that second choice it could, it's said, prove to be quite costly as green-keeping was, at best, an inexact science in those days.
After the games - in contrast to the air-conditioned five-star paradise of today - the clubhouse in those days was nothing more than a shack with beer (sometimes) and, in what served as the showers, you could often find yourself bathing with frogs and snakes that would come in through the cracks in the walls - eco-friendly golfing in every sense.
Theses monthly games were played for a trophy that contained the ashes of a man named Don Collins, and it is said that his ashes still supposedly rest at the bottom of the trophy, which can be seen, to this day, in the Ship Inn.
Despite these hardships - or maybe because of them - the course became firmly established as the place to play with the group, and it became the practice to play every third Sunday of the month with tee-offs at 11:00. Green fees were the princely sum of 75 baht, with caddy tips of 30 to 40 baht, and Wanderer match fees were 100 baht. Oh, those were the days! Apparently the standard of caddying left a little to be desired with a famous tale being of when a new caddy, fresh from the paddy field next door, was asked, "How far to the hole from here?" gave the answer, "A two- baht bus ride".
The Middle Years: 1990 Onward
In the early 90's, expat golfing in Thailand took a bit of a downturn with economic re-positioning of many companies meaning relocations and falling numbers of players (Ian McArthur was singularly responsible for keeping the club going - sometimes only four players, so he must be commended for his stamina). This enforced change took its toll not only on the BWGC, but also on another local group operating under the banner of the International Tok Nam Club (ITNC), so much so that the two groups agreed to merge under the BWGC 'flag' to be able to continue meaningful fun and competitions on the courses. This merger gave the BWGC the now famous first Saturday of the month event - currently held at Bangsai [moved to President in 2008 and then to Vintage 2010]- to supplement the established third Sunday game, as the ITNC had always played this first Saturday game and everyone involved was only too willing to continue the tradition ñ and find another excuse for a boozy day on the links no doubt.
Whilst in the early 90's, the numbers involved remained small; the mid-90's resurgence of the economy and international business interest in Thailand, particularly the telecommunications boom, brought in a plethora of fresh, golf-hungry farang to the shores of the Kingdom, all looking for that mythical golfer's paradise - and finding it with the BWGC.
The 90's and the growth of the BWGC saw the introduction of a whole series of 'special events' and 'majors', many of which continue to this day.
The Chiraprawat Cup
The Chiraprawat Cup came about in 1991 at a nine-hole course in Nakhon Sawan, whose most famous claim to fame is probably that, the famous Thai pro, Boonchu Ruangkit, used to play there on occasion. The course was 'discovered' by Doc Bowden who used to work for Nobel Explosives in the area and who, apparently, thought it would be a fantastic idea to have a tournament at the course.
The Captain's Cup
The Captain's Cup was named after Jay Privett, who initiated the event. The Captain was responsible for providing the prizes; hence the name of the event. In the early years, it was played for hand-made silk quilts from the north of Thailand that fetched up to 300 US dollars overseas; the event remains, but the prizes don't.
The Masters Championship
Doc Bowden also initiated the first Masters Championship in 1992 to celebrate the opening of his new bar in Soi 23 named, once again, the George and Dragon. The event was actually called the 'George and Dragon Masters', and the first event was played at a very tight and demanding course: Krungthep Kreetha Sports Club.
The Magpie Putter
The Magpie Putter is an event that has been played against the British Club since 1990. The trophy, which is so keenly contested for even today, is a hickory-shafted putter mounted on a plinth, with the putter taken from a set of clubs owned by Doc Bowden (Boy was this chap influential!). Tradition has it that when it is won by the Wanderers, it is displayed proudly in the Ship Inn for the year, and if it is won by the British Club... Let's face it - who cares!
Today: 2000 and Beyond
From those humble, but great beginnings, the BWGC today has grown in size to well over three hundred members, and continues to grow with an annual influx of new members, as golfing expats locate to Thailand and learn of our existence through word of mouth as THE fun group to play golf with.
The growth has seen the first Saturday's Monthly Tankard (Don Collin's ashes now rest in dignified peace) at our adopted 'home' at Bangsai Country Club [moved to Vintage], now regularly attracting up to 70 hackers - golfers rather, and the third Sunday Stableford events, played at a variety of the many great courses in and around Bangkok, also continue to gain in popularity.
The growth of interest in golf and our membership, together with the growth of the numbers of golf courses available, has also led to the regular playing of 'ad-hoc' events on months when there are five weekends, at which members and their families can get away from the maddening crowds of Bangkok and enjoy some of the more idyllic locations that Thailand has to offer and that it is noted for.
The BWGC Membership's interests and enjoyment are looked after by a formally appointed (at the AGM each year) Committee, which includes task-dedicated individuals, as well as General Committee Members, to ensure that the BWGC ethos of 'Playing for Fun' as well as 'Playing to Win' is preserved and maintained. Committee meetings are held monthly in stern and sober surroundings (okay, in any bar that will have them), where all of the current and future ideas for how the BWGC can be improved are discussed.
To support the BWGC identity, various BWGC merchandise such as shirts, balls, golf caps, towels and umbrellas are sourced and can be purchased with cold, hard cash. (Please contact one of the Committee Members on any event day if you wish to support the Club by purchasing any of these items.) The growth of interest and membership has resulted in more and more events being played with some of them being sponsored by our members' companies, thus giving more and more of the members the opportunity for active involvement in our events.