LEVANTE GOLF SOCIETY - Special Reports Handicaps and Recent Competitions
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Some of us met the Monday evening before the golf on Tuesday,
in the bar at Valle del Este. An early start on the fun with a
few Gin and Tonics, beers and the cocktails. Celia wanted Sex On
The Beach but Keith Price thought the walk too far!
A
Glee of Golfers continued to meet throughout Tuesday morning,
some not having seen each other for a long time. (The correct
collective noun is a Swing of Golfers but I thought that if
anybody heard we were swingers meeting they’d have raised their
eyebrows and sniggered. I am correcting that collective noun to
a Slice of Golfers especially after I witnessed a few disastrous
drives and fairway shots!) Dave Collie arrived fresh faced and
no hangover for a change. Did the three hour drive down south
sober him up or did he really have an early night Monday? We
were on the lookout for Moe F and there was some concern that
he’d miss the exit as his brakes aren’t that good. There was
already a discussion amongst folk who thought that we were
leaving straight after the golf on Thursday as didn’t have
enough underwear packed. President Roger Miller asked if people
actually read their emails and committee meeting minutes!
The first game at Valle del Este, like all games this week,
was a team game, this one being an accumulator with three scores
to count. A fabulous desert style golf course surrounded by
volcanic rock and with stunning elevated tee positions. I think
Moe F wished he’d driven down the night before, or indeed driven
straight past the golf today. Let’s not talk about the golf
drives although I will mention that Hans B found that one only
straight drive on the 18th fairway. He resembled a mountain goat
at times running up and down scrubland and hills looking for
lost balls. Thank you Hans as I’m sure it’s down to you that
dozens of balls were found and played.
Results
1st: Roger Jennings. Penny Barden. Tony Slipper. Les Vine. 106
points (last three holes)
2nd: Paul Sankey. Viv Bacon.
Michael Harding. Robert Bedloe. 106 points
3rd: Anne
Edwards. Ian Mackenzie. Andy Price. Alan Draper. 97 points
4th: Dave Collie. Mike Bacon. David Kerr. Alan Simpson. 91
points.
Day 2. 4 ball Texas Scramble at Aguilon
Aguilon is described as the best desert course in Europe.
Fabulous cowboy mountain views and backdrops to our golf. It was
just like being in Texas and most of us scrambling for our balls
as well. We expected John Wayne to coming racing on his horse
over the headland being chased by a group of Red Indians. I’m
sure most heard the holler from me as I was stung by a wasp.
(thankfully not a scorpion). It crept inside the arm of my dress
and I did a rain dance trying to dislodge it. Colin Grant
refused to lift my dress to help me look for it claiming that
his 30 years as a publican taught him to only touch someone who
was either dead or dead drunk.. he couldn’t risk the publicity.
The wasp managed to escape eventually and the adrenalin rush I’m
sure helped my game. This is Lyn’s first experience of golfing
in the away trip as usually she joins some of the ladies
sightseeing and shopping instead of golfing. Lyn managed combine
the pro shop for goodies as well as being on form with her
putting. The Queen of the putter for our team today. Well done
Lyn. A very close game with not much between the first and the
seventh! Well done everyone.
Results
1st: Colin
Grant. Roger Jennings. Fiona Sankey. Lyn Larner. 71 points net
63.2 hcp
2nd: Dave Collie. Keith Price. Hans Benzler. Eric
Edwards. 71 net 64.3 hcp
3rd: Andy Price. Brian Barden.
Alan Simpson. Moe Farouky. 73 net 65.0 hcp
4th: David Kerr.
Viv Bacon. Penny Barden. Robert Bedloe. 73 net 65.5 hcp ( last 3
holes)
5th: Don Larner. Ian Mackenzie. Celia Cronin. Roger
Miller. 73 net 65.5 hcp
6th: Anne Edwards. Bob Fell. Tony
Slipper. Alan Draper. 72 net 65.6 hcp
7th: Paul Sankey. Les
Vine. Michael Harding. Mike Bacon. 73 net 66.3 hcp
Day
Three- A Waltz at Desert Springs
Desert Springs has its
fairways set amongst massive rocky outcrops, arroyos and dry
stony riverbeds with spectacular cactus, mostly full of holes
either from the cowboy shootout or the wayward golf balls. This
course was demanding and challenging for the best of players
with more prickly lies for balls than you could shake a golf
stick at.
The first par five was a toughie for most of
us with Brian B the first player on the tee striking his drive
straight at a tree and coming back to somewhere in a garden
some 50 ft behind him. A lost ball to start, not a good omen.
Roger J, I have your lost yellow ball that was found embedded in
a cactus near us. Only joking… we found your ball on the green
we were playing up to as you disappeared a long way from us over
the horizon on an adjacent hole. Paul Sankey lost two balls that
were bound to have landed on the fairway. They were seen to drop
and we can only imagine they were gobbled up by snakes or taken
away by the scorpions to nest over!
I think most of us
collectively agreed that Desert Springs was one of the toughest
and least enjoyable courses of our tour, with so much desert
ground and obstacles in the way of a pleasant game. Campbell L
who recommended this course to the Levante society, owes us a
few boxes of balls and if I ever return to Desert Springs it
will be with a JCB to dig it up!
Keith Price missed his
reflection in the glass sliding door in the clubhouse before the
game and smacked his right wrist on the counter behind him as he
bounced back. His bandaged bloody hand must have been painful
and there were some of us thinking that you slashed your wrist
after the game such was the pain of it.
I heard Alan S
promised his team a private(s) viewing if all his team landed
their drives on the green over the water on that tricky par
three. They’re still waiting …..i don’t think he expected that!
A team change so that Moe could set off early after the game
meant that Hans B was swopped with him and Hans was subsequently
on the winning team… when he could have been last in the
original line up. That was lucky for your team Hans although we
sent the Army in undercover (Dave Collie) to report that
Handicap Master wanted to include your scores in the original
line up. Just joking winning team…
RESULTS
1st:
Anne Edwards. Les Vine. David Kerr. Hans Benzler. 71 points
2nd: Don Larner. Robert Bedloe. Dave Collie. Mike Bacon 69
points
3rd: Andy Price. Celia Cronin. Michael harding. Alan
draper. 63 points
4th: Bob Fell. Roger Miller. Roger
Jennings. Eric Edwards. 62 points
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Thank you Viv Bacon for organising all the cards and ploughing
through the results and preparing the subsequent paperwork and
getting them to Captain Don for the results and presentation
each evening even at the cost of a shower such was the close
margin of time… but I won’t tell anyone!
I think we can
conclude that it was a successful tour even though the Los
Alcazares hotel was missed by many. Anne Edwards said that those
of us who hadn’t experienced it missed the great happy hour
there each evening (g and t at only a few euros I believe) and
the great dancing and music.
The buffet style dining was
a treat to many here after nearly two years of not being able to
serve ourselves. The reports of the delicious corn bread and
brown bread rolls at breakfast and the broad beans and sprouts
were a delight for a few if not the many. Cheers again to the
committee for the upgraded fine wine on our last night.
A special thank you to Captain Don and all the organisers and we
look forward to a replay next year…..Just miss out Desert
Springs
I forgot to add Dave Collie’s thanks for all
the fund raising for the British Legion in Spain .. all the
winners money plus
