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Monday 7th.June at Vistabella
A good turnout for this special event, arranged in memory of Malcolm
Greenfield, who passed away recently.Thanks to the generosity of Malcom's
widow, Diane, and four of our members, there were actually more prizes up for
grabs than there were people playing. Loads of Malcolms golf equipment, and
numerous bottles of spirits, cava and wine were a real incentive for all of us to
raise our games, and from the scores that came in, that was certainly the case.
Overall winner with 39 points on c/b was Cliff Rawlinson, who won a golf bag
complete with a set of King Cobra woods and irons,a putter, ball retriever, and
an assortment of gloves, tees and golf balls.
Second with 39 points was Lawrence Leitch,who also won a golf bag with stand,and
a full set of Bay Hill woods, irons and a putter.
Third with 37points was Geoff Branton,who won a driving iron that ironically he
had sold to Malcolm some years earlier.Incredible as it might seem,Geoff and
Cliff were also playing against each other in the first round of the Society's
Annual Knockout Championship.The result might have seemed a foregone conclusion
with Geoff playing off 13 and Cliff playing off 28,but Cliff really proved he
was up to the challenge by beating Geoff 6 and 5.Amazing or what.Well done
Cliff.I hope he is not in my half of the draw!
Best front nine with 20 points was Lawrence Leitch
Best back nine with 22 points was Geoff Branton
Best total stableford score on the par 3's with 7points was Graham Parkes
Best total stableford score on the par 4's with 27 points was Lawrence Leitch
Best total stableford score on the par fives with 9 points was Cliff Rawlinson
Longest drive on the 7th.was Randy Dawson.Thanks a lot Randy!
Longest drive on the 12th.was Lawrence Leitch
Nearest the pin winners were
1st.-no-one
2nd. Bradley,Randy's grandson, apparently playing his first ever round of
golf. Well done Bradley,keep it up!
3rd.John Taylor,Despite hitting a great drive on this par four hole, his second
towards the green appeared to be too long and after spending ages looking for it
decided to scrub the hole. Imagine our surprise when John Tidd our Captain putted
out only to find Johns' ball in the hole for his first ever Eagle.
4th. was Tony McCluskey
5th., 8th and 12th.was Liam,one of our guests
6th. was unclaimed
7th.was Steve Cleaver
9th.,14th.,16th.,17th.,and 18th.,were all won by Geoff Branton.Obviously Geoff
came into his own once he was free of the pressure of playing his knockout
match,having already lost by the time he reached the 14th.tee.
10th.,and 11th.,both won by Lawrence Leitch.
15th. won by yours truly John Saunders. My only claim to fame despite having my
name on one of the longest drive holes and on six of the nearest the pin
holes,only to see them all disappear one by one.As if all that wasn't bad
enough, I was actually winning the overall untill the last two groups came in
and left me bereft and suicidal.
Malcolm's widow Diane very kindly offered to present the prizes and hopefully
was heartened to see the level of support and affection in which Malcolm was
held.
The next time out will be Captain's Day at El Plantio on Monday 21st.June,when
we will be playing 9 holes on the par three course, followed by a bacon sarnie
and then 18 holes on the full course.The event will be rounded off with a 3/4
course meal at El Plantio and then the prizegiving.Once again our thanks to the
Management and Staff at El Plantio for looking after us in the style to which we
have become accustomed.
Monday 10th.May at Bonalba
We had a good turnout for this, one of our rare visits to Bonalba. The
weather conditions were excellent,if a little on the warm side. Overall the
course was also in great condition, though the recently hollow tined and sanded
greens were not the easiest greens to put on, resulting in the balls often
stopping short of the hole or taking some strange & totally unplanned twists &
turns on their way to the holes. Thats my excuse anyway!
Seriously though, whilst we all appreciate that the greens require thi treatment
if they are to remain in good condition, I do believe that (a) Societies should
be told in advance that the greens have just been treated, so that they can make
alternative arrangements should they so wish, and (b) a discount should be
offered for the inconvenience. Any courses which take up either or both of these
courses of action would undoubtedly win friends and influence people.
Before giving the results, I just had to mention the less than impressive
achievement of our treasurer Randy Dawson. Despite scoring 39 points and 40
points on his last two outings, and despite the fact that due to our handicap
secretary being on holiday and not yet getting around to cutting his handicap,
it would seem that Randy's efforts on the 13th hole left a lot to be desired. It
seems that he took 8 shots to reach the ladies tee! yes 8 shots. I don't know
what that represents in terms of numbers of gin & tonics or other forfeits, but
it has to be worth something. The difference a day makes eh!
Overall winner was new member Diane Pierrot, with 37 points. Diane seemed
embarrassed that she chose this occasion to break 36 points for the first time
ever. Now she will have a new mountain to climb once her handicap has been cut.
A warning to all other members. This is now the second time that a lady has won.
Are we guys becoming too complacent I wonder?
The best front nine with 18 points was Brian Davies
The best back nine with 18 points was Tony McCluskey
Nearest the pin was Geoff Branton
Longest drive was Tony McCluskey
Keeping up my own reputation as a consistent winner in the partners stakes, and
being fortunate to be drawn with Brian Davies on this occasion, we won the
partners with a combined score of 37 points. Thats two in a row for me now. The
good news, however is that I will be on holiday next time out so someone else
can have a chance.
Next outing will be El Plantio on Monday 24th.May 9.04 tee off.
Monday 26th.April at El Plantio
We played our first ever yellow ball competition today, but in place of
yellow balls, Randy handed out pink balls.
You can just imagine the looks we were getting from some of the other players on
the course. In my particular case, I was handed the pink ball ready to play the
next hole and somehow managed to drop it by the side of the green we were just
leaving. When the young Spanish couple behind us realised that I was looking for
it, the chap shouted 'is that pink ball the one you are looking for?'-thanks
Randy!
Winning team on the day comprised Randy Dawson, Brian Parton, and new members
Roger & Sheila Martin
Best individual score on the day with an incredible 40 points was Randy Dawson
Best front nine was Graham Parkes with 18 points
Best back nine was Roger Martin with 20 points
Nearest the pin was Roger Halsom
Longest drive was John Saunders
Our next outing will be to Bonalba on Monday 10th May.First tee off at 10.56
Monday 29th March at El Plantio
A nice fresh start to the day, with three of us daring to venture out in our
shorts for the first time this year. El Plantio, as usual was in excellent
condition, so, no excuses!
Overall winner ,on c/b was Tony Simpson with 34 points. Like me, Tony has been to
the depths and back, so there has to be hope for me even now.
Winner on the front nine was Dave Rae with 20 points
Best back nine was Tony McCluskey with 16 points
Nearest the pin on 9th.was Brian Davies
Longest drive was Randy Dawson.
Next outing will be to Alenda Monday 12th.April 10.32 tee off
Monday 15th March - Alicante Golf
It would seem that my failure to check my facts, and pathetic attempt at
humour last week, may have resulted in some embarrassment in the Davies
household.
Whilst our Handicap Secretary's handicap has remained unchanged in the course of
normal play due to his scores not exceeding 36 points, he had , in fact, unknown
to me, reduced his handicap by more than three shots in accordance with clause
23.
To those individuals that went to the trouble of calling Brian and taking him to
task, I can only say 'Get A Life'.
To Brian-sincere apologies.
That said, back to this weeks report, where we played at Alicante Golf on Monday
15th.March.Excellent weather, course in good nick, so no excuses.
Winner on c/b was Iris Cleaver with 36 points. The 6 points that she achieved at
the 17th.hole obviously helped beat the other two 36 point scorers.
Gold Category
Best front nine was Graham Parkes with 16 points
Best back nine was myself John Saunders with 17 points
Silver Category
Best front nine was Steve Cleaver with 18 points
Best back nine was Alan Hendry with 13 points
Nearest the pin was Tony McCluskey
Longest drive was Dave Rae
Our next outing will be to El Plantio 9.04am. tee off
Monday 1st.March at El Plantio
21 turned out for yet another Special Event day, generously sponsored by our
treasurer Randy Dawson & his wife Linda, proprietors of Bar Mediterraneo, which
is where our society is based.
In order to make the day a little bit different,
Randy decided to have a nearest the pin on all holes-in one on par 3's;in two on
par 4's;and in three on par 5's.In addition to that, there was also a longest
drive on all holes except for the par 3's.
Unfortunately, I don't think much thought was given to the skill levels of
most of our members, resulting in the majority of nearest the pins on the par
4's & 5's remaining unchallenged. The format certainly did my head in, which
resulted in my narrowly getting beaten by one point for the dreaded wooden spoon
prize, and that was after my best showing for some months just 4 days earlier on
the same course!
Despite all that, a good time was had by all, and the results were as follows:-
Winner with 34 points was our handicap secretary Brian Davies. He certainly
understands the art of frequently being a winner, without adversely affecting
his handicap.
2nd. with 33 points was Tony McCluskey
Best front nine was Graham Parkes
Best back nine was Stan Canter
Longest drive challenges won by Alan Middle, one of our guests for the day
Nearest the pin winner on the par 3's was Steve Cleaver
Nearest the pin winner on the par 4's was Roger Halsom
Nearest the pin winner on the par 5's was Geoff Branton
Booby prize won by Brian Parton.
Members are reminded that our AGM will take place at the Hotel Meridional In
Guardamar an Saturday 6th.March, and if previous years are anything to go by,
should be another good night out for members & their partners/guests.(7.30 for
8.00pm.)
Next outing will be at Alicante Golf.10.33 Tee off.
Monday 15th.Feb.
Lying awake listening to the rain falling heavily over Quesada, my thoughts
included 'why did we bother leaving the UK ? ;why did I book to play golf
today? should I throw a sickie?
The deciding factor that got me out of bed was the fact that as I had booked, I
would have to pay, but that aside, as Captain of the Society, the least I could do
was show willing. So, dressed as If I was beginning a trip to the Arctic
region, complete with thermals, fleece jacket, hat and ski jacket I set off for
this weeks action at Bonalba Golf.Not for the first time it was apparent as soon
as we exited the long tunnel on the A7 just north of Alicante, the conditions
changed completely. Indeed at first sighting, it seemed that there had been no
rain her whatsoever. The reality was that for the entire duration of our game the
only problem we had was with a minor but consistent drizzle which never really
threatened to either improve or indeed to get any worse. The conditions
deteriorated rapidly as soon as the last fourball came off the 18th.
No-one was more surprised than me to realise that with our game fast reaching
its conclusion, I was still wearing the same glove that I began the game
with. That came to an end, however, on the 17th.when I spotted a golf ball lying
just a few inches from the edge of the lake.Kneeling down to retrieve it, the
stone on which my left arm was balancing, moved,and I then found myself up to
both of my elbows in the water. Had it been any deeper, I would have given a good
impression of Tom Daly, taking off for one of his high dives.
The overall winner on the day with the paltry (but still considerably better
than the rest of us)score of 31 points,was John Taylor.
Best front nine in the gold & silver categories respectively, were Brian Davies &
Rodney Searle
Best back nine in gold & silver categories respectively were John Tidd & Brian
Parton
Longest drive was Graham Parkes
Nearest the pin was Michael Keating
Members are reminded of the AGM to be held at the Hotel Meridional in Guardamar
on Saturday 6th.March.Wives & partners are more than welcome.Reservations and
monies (20 euros per person) are to be with Randy Dawson by Tuesday 23rd.Feb.
Our next outing will be at El Plantio on Monday 1st.March.First tee off will be
11am.
Monday 1st.Feb-El Plantio
Today was the day chosen to play our Annual Championship, which was played
in Medal format, for what I hope is the first and last time! Not only is this
format time consuming and particularly taxing for those that have problems
counting beyond 6 or 7, it is extremely frustrating when one starts one's game
with 9 shots on the first hole, followed by a couple of 7's.
In order to retain some interest in continuing, it was wisely agreed to also
play a Stableford format in conjunction with the Medal game. Not that that did
me any favours either but I can't blame anyone else for playing so badly.
The winner of the Annual Championship Trophy was Roger Halsom with a net score
of 77.Runner up was Brian Davies with 78.
Winner of the Stableford competition was new member Lawrence Leitch with 37
points. As a new member Lawrence did not qualify to enter the Annual
Championship, but I'm sure he will be there or thereabouts in years to come.
Best front nine was Tony McCluskey with 19 points on c/b
Best back nine was Darren Finnucane with 17 points on c/b (Another bandit like
his old man perhaps?
Longest drive on the 4th.was Pat Finnucane
Longest drive on 15th.was Dave Rae
Nearest the pin on 9th.was Graham Parkes
Nearest the pin on 18th was Roger Halsom
Wooden spoon won by Rodney Seale
Our thanks go to Santiago and all the staff at El Plantio -in the office, in the
restaurant and on the course for their contribution to making this a special
event.
Next event will be at Bonalba on Monday 15th.Feb. First tee off at 10.24.
All members are reminded that our AGM will be held at the Hotel Meridional in
Guardamar on Saturday 6th.March.Wives & partners welcome.
Monday 18th.January 2010-Alenda Golf
Excellent weather, good company and a course in great condition set the
scene for an enjoyable few hours of golf. How many of us took time out to
remember what it used to be like in the good old days back in the UK at this
time of the year. In the unlikely event that our local courses were open, the
odds were that either the course was waterlogged, or that the temperatures were
so low that we had to dress as if we were about to embark on a Polar expedition.
Another reason to be grateful for living where we do.
Gold Category
Best front nine with 20 points was myself John Saunders
Best back nine with 17 points was Dave Rae
Overall winner with 35 points was EL 'Andicap Sec Brian Davies, beating me on
countback-There just ain't no justice any more!
Silver Category
Best front nine with 15 points was John Taylor
Best back nine with 18 points was Gary Smith
Nearest the pin on 5th was Alan Hendry
Longest drive on 12th. was Tony McCluskey
Our next outing will be at El Plantio on Monday 25th Jan. Whilst our first tee
off is 10 am. members are reminded that we will be playing a Medal format
competition to decide this years Society Champion, and that bacon sarnies and
coffee will be available beforehand, so everyone should be at the course by 9
am. at the latest.
The competition will be followed by a meal & presentations at the club itself.
Monday 4th Jan
Nineteen members & guests turned out to play at Alicante Golf. Weather
conditions were excellent for this time of year, with most players ending their
rounds having dispensed with the coats & jumpers that were in evidence when they
arrived. Despite adverse weather conditions forecast for the whole of the area,
all of us were able to finish our games without getting wet or cold. In case
anyone needed reminding about why we chose to come to Spain, one only has to
turn on the telly or open a newspaper to remind ourselves of what we have left
behind.
The golf course was in it's usual excellent condition, so no-one had any excuses
for playing poorly.
Gold Category
Best front nine with 18 points was John Tidd
Best back nine with 17 points was Stan Canter
Silver Category
Best front nine with 18 points was Alan Hendry
Best back nine with 17 points was Gary Smith
Overall Winner with 37 points was Iris Cleaver
Nearest the pin in 3 on 9th.was unclaimed.
Our sponsor for the day was Mick the grip, who donated vouchers for nearest the
pins on all 6 par threes. Mick also took the longest drive prize, by a mile.
Having played with him on the day, I knew that the only hope that the rest of us
had to win this prize was if he totally mis hit his drive, but that didn't
happen.
Next outing will be Alenda Golf on Monday 18th.Jan.First tee off 10.32
Monday 21st Dec
Whilst there were fewer members for this, our first visit as a Society to
Vistabella Golf, the level of anticipation was extremely enthusiastic, despite
having been prewarned by those of us that had played the course before, about
the difficulties involved in getting out of the well sanded bunkers. Regardless
of the very cold weather and the aforementioned problematic bunkers, the overall
reaction was quite positive. Undoubtedly, in years to come, and once the other 7
holes have been completed, this course will prove to be a welcome addition to
the local facilities, and will ensure that none of the other courses in the area
become complacent, in respect of what they are offering and at what price.
Overall winner with just 29 points was Geoff Branton. Thank goodness he is soon
to depart from Spain for a prolonged period. Perhaps the rest of us might have
more of an opportunity to win something occasionally.
Gold Category
Best front nine with 15 points was Stan Canter
Best back nine with 14 points was John Tidd
Silver Category
Best front nine with 15 points was Steve Cleaver. Not the best way to win
friends & influence people for a new member
Best back nine with 15 points was Gary Smith
Nearest the pin on 15th was Tony McCluskey
Longest drive on the 5th was yours truly John Saunders
Next outing will be on Monday 4th.Jan at Alicante Golf.10 am. Tee off
Monday 7th Dec Alicante Golf
Almost everyone arrived on time. This is definitely not the easiest golf course
to find. Weather a little on the chilly side, but not enough to prevent one or
two of our hardier souls from wearing shorts, even though the majority of us
were well wrapped up in fleeces, jumpers and jackets. The course was in it's
usual excellent condition, with super fast, immaculate greens .
Gold category
Winner on the front nine with 19 points was Geoff Branton
Winner on the back nine with 17 points was Roger Halson
Silver category
Winner on the front nine with 19 points was Darren Finnucane
Winner on the back nine with 14 points was Gary Smith
Overall winner with 39 points was Lawrence, one of our guests
Nearest the pin was Brian Davies
Longest drive was Lee Farrell
Next outing will be our first visit to Vistabella, on Monday 21st.Dec.First tee
off 9.30 am.
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Monday 9th.November-El Plantio
The day began with gale force winds and rather chilly temperatures,
necessitating the wearing of jumpers or windpoofs by most of our members, with
one or two of the less even favouring trousers rather than their customary
shorts. However, the wind eventually eased off slightly, resulting in a slight
rise in temperature. All in all, reminiscent of the good old days on the golf
courses back in the UK, but then we felt particularly fortunate to be blessed
with such temperate weather in November.
Presumably, the prevailing conditions were the cause of only 4 golfers scoring
30 or more points on the day, despite the excellent condition of the course.
Overall winner with 34 points was John Tidd.
Gold Category
Best front nine with 19 points was John Saunders
Best back nine with 16 points was Stuart, one of two guest players participating
on the day.
Silver Category
Best front nine with 15 points was Klaus Dieter
Best back nine with 17 points was John Taylor. Sorry John, but you've been
winning too often lately, so expect a change in your handicap next time out.
Nearest the pin on 9th. was Tony McCluskey
Longest drive was Brian Davies. Although Brian's handicap was reduced recently
as a result of winning with 40+ points, as our Handocap Secretary, he certainly
knows how to stay under the radar and yet still win prizes.
Our next outing will be back at El Plantio on Monday 23rd.November Tee off at
11.36 am.
Monday 26th of October 2009
Alenda was in excellent condition, and the temperature was extremely pleasant,
which should have been a perfect recipe for a lot of high scores, among the 20
golfers playing. As can be seen below, however, most of the high scores could
only be maintained over just 9 holes of the course.
Winner with 33 points was Stan Canter
Gold Category
Best front nine with 21 points was Tony Simpson
Best back nine with 19 points was Ray (Chalkie) Ricketts
Silver Category
Best front nine with 17 points was Kevin Hookings
Best back nine with 19 points was John Taylor
Nearest the pin was Darren Finnucane
Longest drive was Peter Chaplin
Our next meeting will be back to El Plantio, on Monday 9th.November,tee off at
10.32.
Members are reminded that a date & venue have now been agreed for our Xmas bash-Christophers
Restaurant at Mar Azul Torrevieja on Saturday 5th.December.This is an excellent
restaurant, guaranteed not to disappoint, so the sooner you put your names down
on the sheet at Bar Medierraneo, the better. After all, our wives and partners
put up with an awful lot throughout the year with us disappearing for hours on
end to play golf, so the least that you can do is to give them a treat now &
then, and this will be a treat, make no mistake. Maybe those of you who
sometimes feel guilty when off enjoying yourselves, as I often do, might even
consider treating your lady to a new dress or outfit for the occasion.
Monday 12th October saw us back at Alenda, after being driven off the course
two weeks earlier by some of the heaviest rainfall for a great number of years.
Surprisingly, the course was in really good condition, although it was noticed
that far more balls than usual were seen to be lipping out even when hit at very
slow speeds from inside 12/18 inches. Could it be something to do with the way
in which the holes had been cut, leaving a bevel all the way around the top of
the hole rather than the 90 degree angle to the turf that we are used to seeing?
As usual, however, there is inevitably someone who defies the trend. That
someone on this occasion was none other than our esteemed Handicap Secretary
Brian Davies, who left everyone else in his wake, with an incredible 41 points.
After a few wins recently, though none of this magnitude, it is surely time to
invoke Clause 23.7of the CONGU Unified Handicapping System to over-ride the
usual handicap adjustment as laid down by CONGU, and to cut his own handicap
drastically. We can't wait to see his revised handicap in two weeks time.
Also in the Gold Category
Best front nine was Jeff Ray with 19 points
Best back nine was Brian Harper with 18 points
Silver Category
Winner was Gary Smith with 27 points
Best front nine was Malcolm Greenfield with 13 points
Best back nine was John Taylor with 13 points
Nearest the pin was Dave Rae
Longest drive was John Saunders
We will be returning to Alenda on Monday 26th.October,when hopefully, the gadget
used for cutting the holes will have been sharpened and the problems resolved.
First tee off at 11.10am.
Although poorly supported, this years 5 club competition sponsored by Tudor
Management, proved to be an enjoyable event for all those participating. The
course at El Plantio was in its usual excellent condition. It cannot be a
coincidence that this course was being played by so many golfers, whilst other
courses in the area are suffering from record low attendances.
When John Taylor is not managing someone's property, he can occasionally be
found on the golf course, but this year, he was left in no doubt that it was
considered to be a definite 'no, no', to win ones own prizes, though he came
pretty close to repeating his previous years performance.
Having only 5 clubs in one's bag might have been the only excuse one needed to
justify a poor score, though for me personally with 10 points on my card after
only 4 holes, and even that was only a couple of inches away from 2 of the
holes, which would have given me 12 points, I thought that perhaps in future, I
might leave the other 9 clubs permanently out of my bag. That was not to be,
however, as the wheel then came off my wagon, big time.
At least I could offload some of my duties when we got back to the bar, as the
presentation of prizes was carried out by the lovely Tudor Management duo of
Laura & Selina.
Winner was Pat Finnucane, with 35 points.Pat certainly knows when to give of his
best, having already won the Captain's trophy earlier this year.
Runner up was Brian Davies with 28 points (on countback)
Best front nine with 15 points was new member Graham Parkes with 15 points (on
countback)
Best back nine was Cliff Rawlinson with 14 points
Nearest the pin on 9th. was Rodney Seale
Longest drive was Cliff Rawlinson
Mystery pairs competition was won by Pat Finnucane & Peter Giles
Despite having a nightmare of a round, Ray Ricketts took home a very attractive
trophy for his efforts.
Next game will be back at El Plantio on Monday 17th.September.
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Thursday 27th August - and we are back at our home course at El Plantio,
where we can always be sure of a good reception from courteous staff, and again
we were not disappointed.
As usual, the weather was extremely humid, if perhaps slightly cooler than it
has been in recent weeks. None of this, however, dampened our enthusiasm, as we
teed off in turn to once again take on the challenge of beating this excellent
course, only to find that for most of us, we really didn't need any external
factors to defeat our objectives - we were more than capable of doing that
ourselves, by virtue of our own poor play, judging by the majority of the
scorecards.
However, they do say that cream will always come to the top, and so it was for
the following :-
Gold
Winner was Thomas Otterson with 34 points on countback
Second was Fran Cummins also with 34 points
Third was Bob McShane with 33 points
Best Front 9 was Colin Pepperday with 18 points
Best back 9 was Dave Leete with 17 points
Nearest the pin on 9th.was Fran Cummins
Nearest the pin on 18th. was Alex Duchard, (narrowly beating Fran Cummins!)
Longest drive on 15th was Fran Cummins. The marker was so far down the fairway
that we had to double check with Fran that he was aware of the rule that only
his first shot counted, and not his first 2 shots.
Winner of the 2's competition were Fran Cummins & Thomas Otterson
Silver Spoon won by Pearse MacMurray with 20 points
Silver
Winner was Graham Lawrence with 30 points on countback
Second was Brent Gardner also with 30 points
Third was Mick Ridge with 27 points
Best front 9 was Bill Elrick with 16 points
Best back 9 was Pete Bonser with 14 points on countback
Nearest the pin on 9th. was Bill Elrick
No- one on the green on 18th.
Longest drive was Brent Gardner
Wooden spoon won by Harry Hunter with ....- we really don't need to know that !
Best guest was P. Hodgson with 29 points
Back at El plantio on Thursday 10th.September for an 11 am. tee off.
Tuesday 17th August - saw us back at El Plantio. What a pleasure it is to
play this course. not only are their prices realistic, and the condition of the
course excellent, but all of their staff, at reception & in the bar are
extremely polite & very customer orientated-unlike the course that I played last
week with Fairwayz Golf Society, which shall remain nameless, but to which we
will never return.
Hot as the conditions were, there is no doubt that quality will always triumph
over luck. Maybe we should all take note and spend at least one or two hours on
the driving range before we tee off-or maybe not!!!
Gold category
Winner with 40 points Dave Rae. I look forward to playing him after this next
cut in his handicap
Best front nine was Geoff Branton with 19 points
Best back nine with 19 points was Brian Atkins
Silver category
Winner was Klaus Dieter
Best front nine was Peter Giles on countback
Best back nine was Malcolm Greenfield
Nearest the pin on the ninth wa John Taylor
Longest drive on 15th was Ray Ricketts
Next outing is the 5 club competition sponsored by Tudor Management, to be held
on Monday 31st August, at El Plantio. Tee off at 12.24.
we were due to play Alicante golf, but due to the adverse reports in the local
press about the poor condition of this course at this time, we decided to change
the arrangements. With a bit of luck, perhaps the management of some of our
local courses will actually read some of these reports and take note of the fact
that we Societies do take note of other societies reports, and plan our future
visits accordingly.maybe, eventually, they will then begin to do something. we
can but hope.
Thursday 2nd July - On a day that began with a heavy mist, 28 of us set
out for La Serena in the knowledge that once the mist cleared, the temperature
would rise, and that was exactly what happened. It was certainly a day to forget
that one of the reasons why we play golf is for the exercise. Even the fittest
and healthiest among us chose to have a buggy rather than walk-a decision made
even easier thanks to the excellent reduction offered to us for the hire of
same. It proved to be a decision bettered only by the one that most of us should
have stayed in our beds instead, judging by the scores on the day.
In fairness, high scores were also hard to achieve due to the difficult pin
positions, and surprising slowness of the greens, despite the otherwise good
condition of the course generally.
The only real criticism that could be made was the failure of the catering staff
to turn up on time, thereby losing revenue for the course and depriving most of
us of the English breakfast proudly displayed at the entrance for 4.50 Euros.
The winner with just 31 points was new member Geoff Branton. He obviously was
not too concerned about his popularity!
Second was Steve Hamilton with 30 points
Best guest was Ken Rush also with 30 points.
Best front nine was myself, John Saunders with 15 points
Best back nine was Fran Cummins with 17 points. Never let it be said that we
have any bandits in this Society!
Nearest the pin on 9th.was Pierce McMurray
Nearest the pin on 17th.was Geoff Branton
No-one won the two ball competition.
Next game will be at El Plantio on Thursday 16th.July.First tee off 10.30
Our AGM will take place at Fairwayz bar at 8pm. on Thursday 9th.July.A good
turnout would be appreciated.
Monday 22nd June - My Captains day event was held at El Plantio, and was blessed
with great weather and an excellent turnout. Special thanks go to Santiago for
organising the day & also to the management & catering staff who laid on a
superb 4 course meal for us, particularly Tony & Rosita for waiting on us with
such charm & humour.
When I noticed Tony admiring the trophies, I promised him a trophy for
himself for next year, which brought an immediate smile to the face of this
great character. Perhaps he could make a great deal of money as a consultant to
such Organisations as Carrefour to enlighten their staff about the wonders of
customer service.
With the course in its usual fantastic condition, the only thing that could
spoil the golf was the alcohol that was consumed between playing our 9 holes on
the par 3 course in the morning & the 18 holes in the afternoon. Yes, you
guessed it, that is exactly what was blamed for the subsequent poor performances
in the afternoon, especially by the fourball that I was playing in.
Unlike my three playing partners, however, I at least had an excuse of sorts,
after my playing partner, who shall remain nameless, hit the accelerator instead
of the brake on our buggy on the second hole and proceeded to ram me in the back
& narrowly avoided running me over as well. I always thought he was a mate of
mine, but now I'm not too sure!
The winner on the par 3 course was Tony Simpson.
Runner up was my playing partner Geoff Branton-Remember this was before we had
any alcohol.
The winner on the 18 hole course was Pat Finnucane-AGAIN!
Runner up was John Tidd
Third was Gary Smith
Nearest the pin winners were Stan Canter on the 9th, Tony McClusky on the
17th, and Tony Simpson on 18th.
Longest drive winners were Randy Dawson on 4th, and Tony Simpson on 15th.
Despite there being prizes available for nearest the pin on five other holes,
no-one was able to claim them. That surely says something!
Thanks to all for your support. I believe that everyone attending had a great
day, possibly with the exception of Malcolm who was full of concern about his
lousy driving, and that included his golf club as well as the buggy.
Next outing is at Alicante Golf on Monday 6th July.
Monday 22nd June - despite the fact that it is only July, it would appear
that 'Mad dogs & Englishmen' weather conditions are already with us, which may
have some bearing on the lack of golfers on the courses around the Costa Blanca
at the moment or it might of course be the value of sterling against the Euro.
Whatever the reason, 22 hardy souls ventured out to Alicante Golf to pit their
skills against the elements. Even with buggies being mandatory at Alicante, it
still proved to be extremely hot. Remember the old days back in Blighty when we
golfers yearned for endless summers? It's true that we really are never
satisfied.
Winner in the Gold category was Geoff Branton, fresh from his victory last week
with Fairwayz Golf Society ,with 34 points. Surely such luck cannot continue for
too much longer!!.
Best front nine was our esteemed handicap secretary Brian Davies with 21 points
Best back nine was Stan (the man) Cullen with 16 points.
In the silver category, the winner was Alan Hendry with 27,yes 27 points.
Best front nine went to Cliff Rawlinson and best back nine went to Malcom
(Schumacker) Greenfield.
Longest drive was John Saunders .
No-one won nearest the pin on the 3rd.
Our next outing is at El Plantio on Monday 20th.July.12 noon tee off.
Monday 6th July - saw us back at our home course of El Plantio. Whilst
the weather looked as if we might have some rain, I am pleased to report that not
only did the rain hold off, but a nice breeze kept temperatures down to a very
pleasant level, which together with the excellent condition of the course (as
usual, here at El Plantio) made for some excellent opportunities for high
scores.
Whilst most of the members were playing our normal stableford competition, some
were playing the first round of the society's annual matchplay knockout
competition. I had the pleasure of playing with Dave Rae, who was playing his
individual match in addition to the society's stableford competition. Having
spent probably a couple of hours on the driving range, as is his usual practice,
it was no great surprise that he was in great form, not only winning his
individual match, but also the overall Society game with the magnificent score
of 41 points. I expect Brian Davies will be giving his handicap some attention
before our next outing.
Hopefully before I have to play him, having suffered a knockout at his hands
last year, playing off a Micky Mouse handicap.
Whilst the day was not all about Dave, it has to be said that he was undoubtedly
responsible for raising the game of his playing partners, with two of us coming
2nd. & 3rd. overall.
Other winners on the day, were in the Silver division, Alan Hendry with 17
points on the front nine, and Cliff Rawlinson with 15 points on the back nine.
In the gold division, winner on the front nine was Mike McCluskey with 19
points, and on the back nine was Pat Finnucane with 20 points.
Nearest the pin was yours truly, John Saunders
Longest drive was Tony Simpson.
Members & guests are invited to join me at El Plantio on Monday 22nd for my
Captain's Day. It is hoped that we will be able to loosen up in the morning with
9 holes on the par 3 course, followed by a light lunch, and then 18 holes on the
main course, before returning to the Bar Mediterraneo, for more food & prize
giving.
Operating from the Bar Mediterraneo
at No.8 Plaza Labradores in Guardamar, (one of the best bars in Guardamar, owned
and managed over the past 4 years by Randy and Linda Dawson, and ably assisted
by their daughter Carla), for the past three
years, has been the Guardamar Golf Society, a small, friendly society with 30
members.
The Guardamar Golf society tends to concentrate on playing those courses to the north of Guardamar, up to
and including Villaitana, just outside Benidorm, Alicante Golf, Alenda, Bonalba
and El Plantio, though we have ventured south in the past to play various
Polaris World courses, and others such as Lo Romero, La Serena, Roda Altorreal
and La Finca.
The end of each of the first two years of the Society's existence was marked by
a dinner at the Hotel Meridional, both of which were well attended by members
and their partners.
The current year, saw John Saunders elected as Captain and Secretary of the
Society, with John Tidd as his vice Captain, Brian Davies as Handicap Secretary,
and Randy Dawson as Treasurer and match Secretary. It is planned to hold a
Captain's day during June at a date still to be decided.
Apart from the 'run of the mill' games held every fortnight, the Society also
has a Knockout competition based on matchplay, which was keenly contested last
year before finally being won by Dave Rae. This year should see some tougher
competition.
All members :
Michel Niven (ex Capt) handing the Captains cup to this years winner Malcolm
Greenfield :
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