Trophies and Pictures
1 Valle Del Est (Oct 5)
2 Marina Golf, Mojacar (Oct 6)
3 Aguilon(Oct7)
Les adventures
1 PENNY BARDEN 42 pts (26)
2 BOB FELL 39 pts (23)
3 HANS
BENZLER 39 pts (17)
4 DAVE GEESON 38 pts (32)
5 PETER
KETTERINGHAM 38 pts (24)
1 BARDEN BRIAN
37 pts (22) Overall Winner
2 MILLER ROGER
37 pts (35) Overall Runner-Up
3 JENNINGS ROGER
37 pts (27) Overall 3rd
4 MATHIEU ILONA
35 pts (18) Overall 4th
5 Payne Monika
34 pts (38) Overall 5th
6 COLLIE DAVID
33 pts (20) Overall 6th
Oliva - 29th Sep - Pairs Beter ball Captain Day
1
BRIAN BARDEN 37 pts (23) Overall Winner
2 PENNY BARDEN
36 pts (22) Overall Runner-Up
3 FRED BETTERIDGE 34 pts (41)
Overall 3rd
4 KEVIN WATERLAND 33 pts (14) Overall 4th Last
Nine Holes
5 MOE FAROUKY 33 pts (32) Overall 5th
6
BILL DIAMOND 31 pts (20) Overall 6th
1 DONNA GREEN 93 - 20 =
73 Overall Winner Last Nine Holes
2 DON LARNER
88 - 15 = 73 Overall Runner-Up & Lowest Gross Score
3 DAVID
COLLIE 95 - 21 =
74 Overall 3rd
4 BRIAN BARDEN 102 -
23 = 79 Overall 4th
1 BRIAN BARDEN 33
pts (23) Overall Winner Last Nine Holes
2 MOE FAROUKY
33 pts (32) Overall Runner-Up
3 MICHAEL HARDING 32 pts
(22) Overall 3rd
4 DAVID BLAKELEY 31
pts (21) Overall 4th Last Nine Holes
5 DAVID COLLIE
31 pts (21) Overall 5th
6 PENNY BARDEN
30 pts (22) Overall 6th Last Nine Holes
All those in buggies were waiting on tenderhooks early in the
morning wondering if we were going to be able to play in the
Captain’s Trophy at Oliva Nova but although there had been an
awful lot of rain in the previous few days, the course seemed to
have drained well and we were allowed buggies. The bunkers
however, were not in such good condition and we took a placement
when it was really bad! The greens are improving but
having scarified the fairways and by the smell of things, used
manure, it reminded me of England in a country meadow! Then to
make us feel more at home it rained! We did get quite wet
but the sun did come out and we all carried on regardless (well
almost all). But we still had a great day and some wonderful
scores.
It was great to see Captain Don back and his
jokes today were a little irreligious should we say, but
nonetheless funny. Cakes were on the first tee for
everyone to help themselves, very generous and thank you
Captain!
There was one visitor, Paul Grant a friend of
Celia Cronin’s.
The results were:
Nearest the
pins: 5th hole Dennis McVeigh
16th hole Hans Benzler
The only two was Les Vine who is in
great form at the moment!
The winners were:
1st
Hans Benzler and Les Vine with ……………………. 42
points
2nd
Anne Edwards and Gill Barrett with………………. 40
points
3rd
Dave Collie and Rober Bedloe with………………… 39 points
4th
Andy Price and Ghost (Donna Green) with…….. 39 points
5th
Peter Ketteringham and Brian Child with……….. 38 points
Well done to all and great scoring under the conditions.
Penny
Winners
1 ANNE EDWARDS 83 - 12 = 71 Overall Winner & Lowest Gross
Score
2 KEVIN WATERLAND 86 - 15 = 71 Overall Runner-Up
3
ILONA MATHIEU 92 - 18 = 74 Overall 3rd
4 DEREK LINDLEY 92 -
17 = 75 Overall 4th Last Nine Holes
5 TERRY SAVILLE (S) 99 -
24 = 75 Overall 5th
Winners
1 SUSIE SNELLING 36 pts (22)
Overall Winner
2 VIVIENNE BACON 33 pts (30) Overall Runner-Up
3 HANS BENZLER 32 pts (17) Overall 3rd Last Nine Holes
4
ROBERT BEDLOE (S) 32 pts (47) Overall 4th
5 DAVE GEESON (S)
30 pts (26) Overall 5th Last Nine Holes
6 ANNE EDWARDS 30 pts
(14) Overall 6th
There were 2 Twos recorded:
Robert Bedloe 15
Davis
Collie 15
Susie Snelling 15
Winners
1 MICHAEL HARDING (S) 42 pts (26)
Overall Winner
2 DON LARNER 37 pts (19) Overall Runner-Up
3 MOE FAROUKY (S) 35 pts (35) Overall 3rd Last Nine Holes
4
VIVIENNE BACON 35 pts (26) Overall 4th
5 KEVIN WATERLAND 33
pts (18) Overall 5th
6 ANNE EDWARDS 32 pts (11) Overall 6th
Last Nine Holes
There were 2 Twos recorded:
MICHAEL HARDING (S) 3
HANS
BENZLER 5
WINNERS
1st Fiona Sankey 37 points
2nd Don Larner 35 points
3rd Kevin Waterland 35 points
4th Derek Lindley 34 points
5th Brian Barden 33 points
Senior Winner Celia Cronin 31 points
NTP 5th in 2,
Keith Price. 16th Peter Ketteringham
2’s Dave Collie hole
3. Kevin Waterland hole 16.
Celia’s Birthday Prize. Mike
Harding
22 golfers for this comp today with 21 of these in a buggy.
I’m not sure who the Mad Dog and probably Englishman was… who
was the only one walking in the midday sun! Even The Don was in
a buggy and sharing with me… a man who usually carries his golf
bag over his shoulder, had succumbed to the mad steamy heat of
the August golf course here in Spain. Don was a super golf buddy
and his great chat, usually about everything other than golf,
probably helped my own game immensely as I wasn’t too over
focussed on my shots! Let that be a lesson to me…
Two guests
joined us and it was great to see you both and chat with
afterwards, Mike Bacon and Troy Stanley. We hope to see you
again. Mike Bacon is returning to golf, I believe, after some
time away from it and to see what his wife, Viv Bacon, gets up
to, on away days from him, and who with! Levante Society are a
great bunch of friendly golfers Mike… and look forward to seeing
you on the Levante away trip in October
Interestingly there
weren’t the high scoring points in the game today as there has
been of late and Dave Collie who has been winning and getting
shots cut almost weekly , was heard to say he didn’t want
another cut too soon… he’s just getting his head around the card
and where he doesn’t get shots! Of course Oliva Nova is a little
different to the Benidorm Levante course where the big cuts have
been taking place. Dave C drove his tee shot from the 15th onto
the 12th fairway and his chauffeur, Robert Bedloe took the
scenic route to the green for Dave today..
President
Roger Miller was on a first warning today after it was learnt
that he fancied playing his Driver from the fairway to copy the
Master Brian Barden at this incredible shot. He suspected his
first ball was lost and declared this yellow ball a provisional
I believe…. However the girls, Anne E and Celia in their buggy,
were well ahead and spotted Rogers first ball, sitting nicely on
the fairway and didn’t hear his provisional ball call…. The
yellow ball, hit with his driver, whistled over Celia’s head and
parted her hair down the middle and thankfully Celia still lives
to celebrate her birthday on the 7th August… and to pick up the
Senior prize today. Brian B who watched this all happen, in slow
motion, had no idea that Roger was actually going to play a
driver shot. The team, after Brian was picked up from the
floor in a heap of laughter, carried on… carefully. Roger,
those Bionic eyes of yours weren’t working too well here.
I heard Kevin Waterland had the ‘Revenge Of The Trees’ on
the 13th… with every shot he played coming to land behind or in
the roots of all the trees there .. A spectacular blob and
if you’re going to do one, make it eventful Kevin. 4 blobs from
Derek Lindley today and still a good score here… I only had two
blobs and managed to be the winner today. Derek picked up the
nearest the pin marker on the 5th, inadvertently, forgetting
that some golfers started on the 10th and a buggy race at top
speed of 1kmph saw him replace it.. just in time for more
prize balls for Keith Price on the NP on the 5th, who manages to
lose them balls at just the pace he wins them!
The Don
presented the prizes today but I have no idea what he said… a
giggle of Senioritas’ at a table nearby drowned out any chat and
thankfully the joke he told.. did he tell one!?
Fiona Sankey x ( see you all in late September now )
Winners
1st Dave Collie 40 pts (1.2 hcp
cut)
2nd Keith Price 34 pts (on count back)
3rd Charlie
Miller 34 pts
4th Peter Ketteringham 33 pts
5th Hans
Benzler 31 pts (on count back)
6th Paul Sankey 31 pts
Senior winner: Michael Harding ( again!) 30
pts
NTP: 5th in 2 -Mr No one. 16th –
Anne Edwards, along with her 2 here. Anne hit the pin on the 3rd
with her drive and had a sharp intake of breathe as she imagined
the bar bill afterwards but it safely shot off, to her relief
and she managed a 3 here.
Matchplay The
Frank Carrol Trophy Kevin Waterland beat Penny Barden 2 &
1 in what I heard was a game where neither of them turned up to
play their usual great golf. Penny complained that she hit
almost all the trees on the course including that double tree on
the 13th. There aren’t enough clean expletives for me to cover
the discussion I had with them for comments so I will leave that
to your imagination, but safe to say it included a donkey and a
Mr Hancock. (this name, I decided is the collective descriptive
noun for the word I can’t possibly use here!)
25 other players for the Stableford and how fabulous to see
Eric Edwards returning to golf at Levante, his second only game
in a long while. We said hello to Brian Child who is visiting
briefly to dig his villa out from the undergrowth I expect as he
hasn’t been here for the whole of covid times.
Apart from
Dave Collie who was congratulated on having a fabulous game and
continuing his great form along with Keith Price, who managed to
return to his usual form after a rollercoaster of low points
both here with Levante and Pego society, mostly everyone else
who played had what can only be described as a ’boringly bad
game’ (their words) . My game met new low depths for me, with
only 5 points after the first nine (I don’t think I’ve ever had
that here at ON!) and can only blame those cheeky green
golf goblins who hide behind trees , in barancas and bushes,
they sit in the hole and at the edge of the green and just near
the water and they grab your ball in a flash and throw it into
places you had no idea you were aiming! Keep your eyes peeled as
they are there dancing with the mozzies that were around
yesterday as well. I was hoping I might win the blob competition
with 6 blobs but was beaten to that by Robert Bedloe who had 7…
I did however have the honour of coming last with 18 points and
was just glad I managed 13 on the back nine!
‘The Don’ in
his presentation considered the results of the CBL game on
Tuesday. The pairs combined stableford game saw one couple
in the opposing team achieve 90 points, with one of the pair
playing from a 24 hcp achieve 50 points with 11 pars! His
partner had a measly 45 points. I know these are friendly games
but I think I would have started a war here, bandits need
shooting down….
Captain Don reported that Fred Betteridge
is recovering after his sudden Heart attack and we wish him well
and our thoughts continue to be with Andy Leach who is still
recovering in hospital after being very poorly.
The Don
concluded with a few jokes today and it must have been your time
away Don but like most everyone’s golf they were a bit flat and
fell onto stony ground…. Sorry Don!
Hope everyone is
enjoying THE OPEN. Next week’s game is a Single Stableford Hcp
Qualifier at VILAITANA
I won’t be seeing you all now until
late September so have a great rest of the summer and good
golfing. Penny as usual will be reporting the games.
Fiona
xxxx
Another glorious day today found 18 eager Levante members
ready to play golf. Two of the number Roger Miller and
Charlie Miller were in a Frank Carroll Trophy match play tussle
but the other 16 were there to take on this glorious course in a
single stableford competition.
The weather was perfect with a
few puffy clouds and a lovely breeze and not too hot or muggy.
When asked if there were any stories, Don Larner our able
Captain said that he was so unlucky today, putts not finding the
hole, too many bunkers? Brian Barden had a dodgy back that
was his excuse for not finding the same form as last week and I
played with Colin Grant (who played fabulously and has the best
swing of anyone I can think of), Dave Kerr and Roger Jennings
and can only think that playing with such illustrious company
enabled me to have my best game in a very long time.
Anne
Edwards didn’t feel so great when she arrived, but a quick
breakfast bar and she was back to her almost normal self.
That was great to hear!
We had one guest playing with us today Hilary Frayling who
also managed to get a ‘2’.
The results today were:
Senior Prize -
Peter Ketteringham 33
points
NTP
Hole 3 - Dave Kerr
NTP
Hole 16 - Roger Miller
Twos:
Hilary Frayling and Hans Benzler
1st Place
Penny Barden
41 points
2nd Place
Colin Grant
39 points
3rd Place
Moe Farouky
37 points
4th Place
Hans Benzler
35 points
5th Place
Michael Harding
34 points
The Match Play ended up with Roger Miller
winning against Charlie Miller 5 & 4 – well done Roger!
I
hope we can play Font del Llop again soon, it was in fabulous
condition, the greens perfect!
Penny
Another beautiful day on the Costa Blanca saw 23 of us meet
up at Villaitana this morning to play an individual stableford
competition.
There were a few fourballs out before us and
unfortunately they were a bit slow, so our first members out, a
three ball consisting of Viv Bacon (playing her match play
against Derek Lindley) and Brian Barden were kept waiting on
most every hole.
Again, the greens were quite slow today
especially on the back nine where they were still as bobbly as
last week, the hollow tining doesn’t appear to have been rolled
or improved at all, but saying that there were some incredible
scores today so it didn’t seem to both too many members!
Great to see some old faces back especially Charlie Miller
looking great, but still nervous about hitting the ground before
the ball which hurts his ribs which are still healing! Don
Larner and his son-in-law Chris Rowberry we welcomed back from
the UK and Ilona Mathieu who is still a visitor but will be a
member very soon we hope. We are saying goodbye to some of
our favourites for the summer, Les Vine has now gone until
September and David Blakeley also is off helping out the family.
It was wonderful to welcome Captain Don back with his jokes
and general good humour although a great job had been done in
his absence by Andy Price and Roger Miller.
Today’s results were quite amazing:
Brian Barden
42 points (no longer el bandito)
Kevin Waterland
40 points
Hans Benzler
39 points
Dave Collie
37 points
Terry Saville
37 points
Dave Geeson
36 points
Senior Prize:
Penny Barden 34 points
NTP
Hole 3
Fred Betteridge
Hole 14
Don Larner
2’s
Paul Westerman on Hole 12
Frank Carroll Matchplay
games played today:
Don Larner vs Malcolm Cannon –
Don won 2 & 1
Plate Competition:
Viv
Bacon vs Derek Lindley – Viv won 3 & 2
There were 19 of us who arrived this morning around 10 am at
Villaitaina to play the Levante course. What a glorious
day for golf, it was a bit breezy but that kept us reasonably
cool and there were very few clouds in the sky.
A few
comments that were heard after the game were from Roger Jennings
‘I spent more time in the sand today than on the fairway’ – I
played in his four ball and he wasn’t far from the truth!
Apparently, we heard that Mike Harding started out like Tiger
Woods and had 23 stableford points on the front nine and Dave
Collie also had an amazing front nine with 22 points, it seemed
to be the back nine that messed with us. The greens (in
fairness) had been hollow tined recently and the back nine
hadn’t recovered as well as the front and the were quite bumpy
and slow.
Jan Stevenson hit poor Les on his arm while he was
sitting in the buggy but she was punished by the ball landing so
close to a tree that it was unplayable!
Viv, we heard,
played out of her brains and, being out first, her ball NTP on
Hole 3 could not have been beaten, it was very close and she won
a very deserved 2 for that hole. Not satisfied with one
‘2’ Viv managed another one on the 7th hole and Penny Barden got
NTP on the 14th and a 2 there, so a bit of girl power going on!
The most important discussion on the day was whether the lovely
yellow dress Viv had on was too long and looked frumpy (I think
not!!!) and she was asked by Dave Kerr which colour shoes she
had on to match the dress, as it appears everyone is envious of
her shoes!
The final results today were:
1st
Vivienne Bacon & Mr Ghost
70 points
2nd
Hans Benzler & Keith Price
70 points
3rd
Michael Harding & Les Vine
68 points
4th
Penny Barden & Dave Collie
67 points
Nearest the Pins
3rd Hole
Viv Bacon
14th Hole
Penny Barden
Two’s
Viv Bacon – Holes 3 and 7
Penny Barden - Hole 14
Game Report
Winners:
1st Paul
Westerman 42 pts Hcp 26
2nd Roy Jones 41 pts hcp 23
3rd
Paul Sankey 38 pts Hcp 14
4th Terry Saville 34 pts Hcp 24
5th Penny Barden 31 pts Hcp 22
6th David Kerr 30 pts Hcp 11
Senior winner: David Blakeley 29 pts Hcp
23
Eventually 23 golfers played in the Stableford Trophy
competition today with all of us hoping to be the first one to
lift this brand new Memorial Cup in memory of absent good
friends, those longstanding Levante players and memorable
characters who played alongside us. I heard a whisper in the
trees of those spirits and a few whoops of glee from them as us
out there today graced a few wayward shots and missed putts.
REMEMBER
Syd Smith
Frank Carrol
Clive Wright
Peter Hunt
John Cook
Roger Miller
picked up the trophy at Campbell’s just before they shut on
Thursday and just in time for today’s game. The unfortunate mix
up in the tee time booking that met us in the pro shop however
meant he may have had plenty time to do it this morning before
the game!
Viv bacon who was standing in for Donna today
didn’t know what hit her when, ‘The pro shop computer said No!’
… soon sorted though, but please don’t hand your notice in Viv!
It meant that many of us had more time to practice and may
have burnt out before our start time… I actually could have done
with a lie down before my start ….
A few of us went from
Hero to Zero in our game today and I’m sure Roger M won’t mind
me mentioning his spectacular 42 points in one of his other
games this week, a handicap qualifier with the White Coast
Society at Poniente Benidorm, where he got another big cut to
his handicap….and then to the fall to just 16 points today. I
know many of you are thinking that Poniente is just a pitch and
putt course but that still requires some skill. I played with
Roger in a recent medal game and we were both on fire then, in
fact I thought Roger’s eye op gave him bionic eyes with a built
in view finder! But we agreed today’s game wasn’t even a flicker
by comparison. Even Fred Betteridge was stoic when he said his
great game recently may not happen again for a long time.
Our winner today, Paul Westerman we haven’t seen in a long
time being busy at work in our local Iceland butchers. All that
honing the blade for your butchering definitely honed your
skills for your tremendous 42 points today. (2.4 h/c cut) Your
new clubs, from Andy Leach must have had a touch of magic in
them. Andy Leach would be pleased I’m sure as he recovers in
hospital after a long stay there and a very recent operation.
Get well soon Andy.
Roy Jones as runner up with 41
points (1.7 h/c cut) commiserated he wasn’t the winner but was
just pleased he beat Paul Sankey who came 3rd, always a bit of
competition between these two. Paul won the nearest the
pin on the 5th (second shot) and remarked that this is his third
time winning this in a row!... must be muscle memory kicking in?
Thank you Penny B for retrieving the pin for the results albeit
a bit later than when you were actually playing on that green.
Dave Blakeley was flabbergasted when he won the Seniors’ with
just 29 points and a nearest the pin prize for the 16th. Mike
Harding scrabbled around for the ball prizes but I can only
imagine the prize table piled high for the White Coast society
game this week when I believe there were a recorded 18 2’s (none
for us this week!) Many Levante players play for both societies.
Roger Miller, our loveable President presented the
prizes and raised a toast to absent friends in the absence of
‘The Don’ and our vice Andy Price. Roger welcomed back players
we haven’t seen in a while introducing Les Vine and Tony Slipper
as the Sundance Kids, a fond nickname I believe and has nothing
today with the bandit connection!
Next week’s game
is a team game at Villaitana
Fiona Sankey x
What a wonderful day to play golf! The only problem was –
as we drove towards the golf club passing the tempting little
café’s at the top of the road, Brian said to me shall we stop
here for a coffee and I said….. no let’s have one in the
restaurant. Big mistake as they are worse than Oliva
Nova’s restaurant and don’t open until 11 am – too late for
Levante Golf Society and we did get out early so soon forgot the
lack of caffeine.
The first NTP hole was hole 4 but the flag
was right at the front of the green and nobody got onto the
green – hard to believe out of 17 very accomplished golfers
playing I know – but there we have it. No prize given out
for NTP on hole 4.
Well done Viv for the only 2 of the
day and Viv got that on Hole 8, not easy today with the wind and
also trying to avoid going into the lake there which was a pink
colour and not inviting at all.
The course was in great
condition and the greens wonderful, unfortunately not all the
putts went in the hole, but it was very nice to play today.
One of the four balls had a competition amongst themselves to
see who would win the number of blobs on their cards. I
have to say that the winner of that individual competition was
our Vice-Captain Andy Price – well done Andy! Brian Barden
came second with 5 blobs and Keith Price was runner up with 4.
Anne Edwards, who made up the four ball didn’t participate and
Anne was actually in the prizes coming 5th with 31 points, so
she definitely wasn’t in contention with the blob comp.
It
was very warm out there today and some of the members looked a
little jaded afterwards as we had our drinks and were drowned
out by a very merry table of Spaniards close by. Andy did
manage to tell us a couple of jokes which were funny and then
make himself heard over the noisy table to give out the prizes.
The prize-winners were:
1st
Dave Collie
36 points
2nd
Gill Barrett
34 points
3rd
Terry Saville
31 points
4th
Kevin Waterland
31 points
5th
Anne Edwards
31 points
Senior prize: Peter Ketteringham 30 points
NTP Hole 14: Kevin
Waterland
2’s
Viv Bacon Hole 8
Well done to all those above it was
difficult today with a strong wind and with very lush fairways
the ball didn’t run a lot but it was most enjoyable and we would
happily play there again any time soon.
Penny (on
behalf of Fiona)
1st Denis McVeigh 41 pts Hcp 20
2nd Kevin Waterland 35 pts
Hcp 17
3rd Fred Betteridge 34 pts Hcp 39
4th Dave Geeson
32 pts Hcp 25
5th David Blakely 31 pts Hcp 23
6th Danny
Herron 31 pts hcp 20
Senior Winner Roger Miller 31 pts Hcp 32
NTP’s Hole 5 Anne Edwards. Hole 16 Derek Lindley
2’s ,
Bagging a trough of balls today, Derek Lindley and Denis McVeigh
Oliva Nova greens continue to improve after a few weeks of
driving us around the twist after the hollow tining. Us regular
players here at ON dread the process and at times you felt the
putter was useless and you had more chance of chipping that ball
across the green to the pin such was the lie of the land. But no
problems for most of the Levante members with 25 players
meeting for the prestigious Ondara Trophy stableford game
today, no Jan Jones though defending her title and to hand over
the cup. I know her games been on form at present so was in with
a chance, although there was no one near the stupendous 41
points of our winner today …. DRUM ROLL… Denis McVeigh who has
had a small adjustment of 1.5 to his handicap.
The ever
dapper Kevin Waterland who as runner up, had a fabulous game and
his playing partners were in awe of his Birdie on the 7th , one
of the hardest holes on the course to achieve this.
Fred
Betteridge was beaming from ear to ear with his 3rd place win
and his team players congratulated him on his steady and
consistent great play today. Donna Green was heard to say that
Fred, ‘played out of his skin.’
As always I ask for
golfing stories for when I write the report and Roger Miller,
who as Senior winner today spotted me making my rounds and
declared to his table with a whisper, “Don’t tell her your
secrets or anything or it will make headline news!” I’m Not
quite a News of the World reporter but I heard your long
putting was on form today Roger although it was mentioned that
had some of them not hit the pin and gone in or near you would
have been chipping that ball back to the pin from way off the
green!
Robert Bedloe apologised for all the divots he left
around the course today although it is said that his attempts to
redesign the course by adding the odd bunker created from these
divots will have to go to the ON groundkeeper first for
approval.
David Blakely lost his drive ball on the 18th and
we watched his group searching for it on the far left near the
water but after the three minutes they gave up. Well that ball
must have hit that tree there with some force and was deflected
well over to the right of the fairway where it was found by us
following, sitting there proudly on the grass in plain sight
ready to be played. Sorry David but no you can’t go back and
play it now. Just think how many points you could have
achieved!?
A big round of applause to Penny Barden today as
it’s her first 18 hole walking in what must be well over a year.
Her recovery after her hip op continues in leaps and bounds..
although she’s not quite ready for the hop, skip and a jump . A
fall earlier this week with staples in her head as well. The
only complaining she did was about her putting today and nothing
about her hip aching from the long walk.
Keith Price wasn’t
there for the Presentation and after the high of winning
Pego society golf on the 25th May with 40 pts to the lows of
today he must have needed a lie down in a darkened room to think
about where it all went wrong. That’s golf for you.. just when
you think you’ve cracked the game you’re brought back down to
earth with a bump!
Captain Don is in England at present
enjoying time with his family and Andy Price presented the
winners today, with no jokes though… nothing can match Captain
Don’s wit and comic timing..
It was great to see bigger
tables of folk gathering today as things are getting back to a
more new normal for us here in Spain and hopefully we will see
our absent friends sooner rather than later. Keep safe everyone
Next week’s game is at Bonalba
Fiona Sankey
Competition played on 14 May 2021 at Oliva Nova.
1 ANNE EDWARDS 35 pts (11) Overall Winner Last Nine Holes
2
BRIAN BARDEN (S) 35 pts (24) Overall Runner-Up
3 MALCOLM
CANNON 34 pts (17) Overall 3rd
4 DENIS McVEIGH (S) 33 pts
(20) Overall 4th Last Nine Holes
5 CELIA CRONIN (S) 33 pts
(24) Overall 5th Last Six Holes
6 MICHAEL HARDING (S) 33 pts
(24) Overall 6th
Competition played on 07 May 2021 at La Sella (No
1 - Holes 1-18 old (Yellow/Red)).
1 ANNE EDWARDS
42 pts (14) Overall Winner
2 GILL BARRETT 31 pts (41)
Overall Runner-Up Last Nine Holes
3 MICHAEL HARDING (S) 31
pts (25) Overall 3rd
4 PAUL WESTERMAN 30 pts (26) Overall
4th Last Nine Holes
5 MOE FAROUKY (S) 30 pts (34) Overall
5th
6 VIVIENNE BACON 29 pts (29) Overall 6th Last Nine
Holes
1
PAUL WESTERMAN 114 pts Overall Winner
DAVID COLLIE
DONNA GREEN
ROY JONES (S)
2
CELIA CRONIN (S) 111 pts Overall Runner-Up
LLONA
MATHIEU
DON LARNER
TERRY SAVILLE (S)
3
DANNY HERRON (S) 109 pts Overall 3rd
DAVID BLAKELEY (S)
GILL BARRETT
JAN JONES (S)
4
HANS BENZLER 103 pts Overall 4th
ROGER MILLER (S)
DENIS McVEIGH (S)
BRIAN BARDEN (S)
Number of Cards
Processed
1st. Kevin Waterland. 34 pts. Hcp 17
2nd. Anne Edwards.
32 pts. Hcp 14
3rd. Gill Barrett. 30 pts. Hcp 40
4th
Fiona Sankey. 29 pts. Hcp 33
Senior Winner. Mike Harding
29 pts. Hcp 23
NTP’s : Hole 9, Peter Ketteringham. Hole
12, Celia Cronin
2’s, Roger Jennings
Only 15
players for El Saler to play the Stableford Comp and to quote
Campbell Lamont from his facebook page today, “ every golfer
should know El Saler and play this great golf course at least
one in his life.“ I’m lucky as this is my fourth visit here!
We were lucky to be there with blue skies and warm sunshine as
there has been constant black clouds and rain in the days before
and is forecast yet to come. It was an interesting drive up as a
new road has been built since my last trip here and our TomTom
hasn’t been updated, so we were pleased to see Captain Don in
his Santa Fey Express speed past. We followed as fast as we
could with Paul’s foot down hard on the pedal and my eye on the
lookout for speed cameras!
We left clouds and drizzle behind
us and apart from a few puddles on some fairways and in some
bunkers the course was in fabulous condition with nice fluffy
fairways and sandy bunkers . I expect a few players wished they
could have played their balls where they could be seen or found
easily…. I’d forgotten how those succulents and dense bushes
literally can eat those balls!
Paul had a spectacular Birdy
on the first and was seriously thinking about giving up his game
then and going out on a high but was persuaded to carry on.
Well done on your N/P Peter Ketteringham on hole 9 who I expect
was pleased to pick up a sleeve of balls as his prize as I
believe he’s lost a few of late, 6 I heard? Celia who also won a
N/P prize for hole 12, should also be rewarded for completing
the game with the same ball she started with even though she
said it had been buried in most of the bunkers on her way round
today.
Congratulations Kevin Waterterland who topped the
leader board over the bevy of ladies who were chasing him. Roger
Jennings with a two recorded today on those tricky pin positions
deserves an extra clap here.
Big special thanks to Viv
Bacon, who assisted by Roger and a glass of cava, took on the
Handicap Master role today, after her training and seemed to
complete this with ease.
Next week’s game is a team game at
Oliva Nova and it will be nice to see Neville who is popping in
to say hello to everyone.
Fiona Sankey
Aggregate result of the Competition played on 09
April 2021 and 16 April 2021 at Oliva Nova.
1.
MALCOLM CANNON 30 36 Overall Winner
2. DAVID COLLIE 31 35
Overall Runner-Up
3. DAVE GEESON (S) 29 34 Overall 3rd
4.
PETER KETTERINGHAM (S) 38 25 Overall 4th
5. DENIS McVEIGH (S)
28 33 Overall 5th
6. ANDY PRICE 31 30 Overall 6th
Competition played on 16 April 2021 at Oliva
Nova.
1. MALCOLM CANNON 36 pts (17) Overall
Winner
2. DAVID COLLIE 35 pts (23) Overall Runner-Up
3. DAVE GEESON (S) 34 pts (25) Overall 3rd
4. DENIS McVEIGH (S) 33 pts (20) Overall 4th Last Nine Holes
5. ANNE EDWARDS 33 pts (12) Overall 5th
6. DONNA GREEN 31 pts (19) Overall 6th Last Nine Holes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Competition played on 02 April 2021 at Font de Llop.
1 ALAN MASON (S) 29 pts (27) Overall Winner Last Nine Holes
2
MICHAEL HARDING (S) 29 pts (23) Overall Runner-Up
3 HANS
BENZLER 28 pts (16) Overall 3rd
4 ROGER MILLER (S) 26 pts
(31) Overall 4th Last Nine Holes
5 PETER KETTERINGHAM (S) 26
pts (18) Overall 5th
6 IAN MASON 24 pts (31) Overall 6th
7
DON LARNER 23 pts (16) Last Nine Holes
8 ANNE EDWARDS 23 pts
(11)
Team Accumulator 2 x 4 Scores 26 March 2021 Oliva
Nova
1 86 pts Overall Winner
PAUL SANKEY (S)
DAVE GEESON (S)
ROY JONES (S)
CELIA CRONIN (S)
2 84
pts Overall Runner-Up Last Nine Holes
JANE HORRIDGE
DAVID
HORRIDGE
KEN MILLER
PETER KETTERINGHAM (S)
3 84 pts
Overall 3rd
DEREK LINDLEY
KEITH PRICE (S)
ROGER
JENNINGS
ANDY PRICE
Competition played on 19 March 2021 at Altea Golf.
1 KEN MILLER 35 pts (28) Overall Winner
2 JANE HORRIDGE 30
pts (42) Overall Runner-Up Last Nine Holes
3 DAVID COLLIE 30
pts (19) Overall 3rd
4 ROGER MILLER (S) 29 pts (27) Overall
4th
5 CELIA CRONIN (S) 27 pts (22) Overall 5th Last Nine
Holes
6 ROGER JENNINGS 27 pts (18) Overall 6th
Competition played on 12 March 2021 at Oliva Nova.
1 PETER KETTERINGHAM (S) 36 pts (19) Overall Winner
2 HANS
BENZLER 34 pts (16) Overall Runner-Up Last Nine Holes
3 FIONA
SANKEY 34 pts (31) Overall 3rd
4 DON LARNER 32 pts (16)
Overall 4th Last Nine Holes
5 CHARLIE MILLER 32 pts (18)
Overall 5th
6 DONNA GREEN 31 pts (19) Overall 6th Last Six
Holes
Competition played on 05 March 2021 at Villaitana
Levante Course.
1 DAVID COLLIE 37 pts (21) Overall
Winner Last Six Holes
2 PAUL SANKEY (S) 37 pts (12) Overall
Runner-Up
3 KEITH PRICE (S) 36 pts (26) Overall 3rd
4 JOHN
SNELLING 35 pts (11) Overall 4th Last Six Holes - Front 9
5
ROY JONES (S) 35 pts (21) Overall 5th Last Nine Holes
6 DAVE
GEESON (S) 35 pts (23) Overall 6th Last Nine Holes
1st Hans Benzler. John Snelling. Gill Barrett. Viv Bacon. 83
Pts ( back nine)
2nd Mike Harding. Dave Geeson. Brian Barden.
Penny Barden. 83 Pts
3rd Anne Edwards. Kevin Waterland. Fiona
Sankey. Roger Miller. 82 Pts
NTP’s Donna Green Hole 3. Don
Larner Hole 16.
2’s Anne Edwards (a spectacular 20 mtrs)
Brian Barden (a long one as well!) .. and me! Fiona Sankey
32
players for this team game at ON today with Gill B now a fully
fledged member and thank you for the after game chocolates Gill.
Was the waltz format a nod to the Strictly Come Dancing Final
this weekend? Can someone please devise a Rhumba golf game or
even a quick step for those slower players! Hehe
A Head of
Hats, A Knit of Christmas Jumpers and a Jolly Red of Christmas
all met on the first Tee in glorious winter sunshine. It must
have rose to 20d- not bad for Dec 18th and some of those winter
knits had to come off. My taffeta underskirt was throwing sparks
in the sunshine and I had a ringing in my ears but soon realised
it was the Christmas bell earrings Anne E. was wearing. Anne
jingled all around the course as we played and she said we were
lucky not to have played with her last week when her hat played
Christmas tunes as well! Well done to everyone who made the
effort to dress up today and the ’cracker of an outfit winner’,
in her light up Christmas hat, holding the batteries behind her
ear, in true Blue Peter style, was Viv Bacon. The ladies did a
fashion walk and I think next year, to make it fair it will be
the mens’ turn on the catwalk and maybe we should coincide it
with some Christmas vol-au-vent treats!
Now to the serious
business of the golf game. There was only one point between the
first and third winners today so it was a very tight contest. I
blame Kevin W. for that one point (we had a fabulous back nine)
who introduced a new shaft on his Driver to the game today and
he mostly couldn’t hit it and when he could it went wayward. I
think he would have snapped it in half at one stage if he could
..but it was too stiff! I heard Santa may have a G25
Driver, with a normal shaft for you here.. just ask Paul, who
was laid up on the sofa today, with a swollen ankle so missed
the game.. either that or it was an excuse so he could secretly
go shopping for my Christmas gift? … only joking ..I’ve had a
new putter. I was pleased with much of my game today as always
inspired by Ann E. when I play with her. I was proud to get my
first ever four pointer on the first, with a 5 and to get a 2 on
the 16th and win some balls, a first there for me also with LGS…
move over John. S… here I come!! It was a delight to read Donna
G’s name on the NTP hole. Welcome home Donna that pin has been
yearning for you!
In the final presentation of 2020 we
remembered John Cooke and Don remarked that in all of the LGS
there has only been one member, David Lawson, who contracted
Covid and has now thankfully recovered. We need to be extra
careful with new Covid restrictions introduced today- only
groups of 6 from two households can meet socially and in homes
now, scuppering some plans I imagine some of us have. I’m hoping
this won’t effect our golfing get togethers as if only 2 groups
from two households can meet on the Tee we will have to start
thinking of who can move in with us to be part of our bubble?!
Next Year’s first game is a pairs at Villiatana on 8-1-21
and is Captain Don’s Drive In, it will be fabulous as he’s had
so much practice at this is his third year in office! He’s
hoping for a brand new joke book in his Christmas stocking so he
can delight us further with his quips.
Stay safe everyone
and have as good a Christmas and New Year as you can.
Love Fiona xx
1st Dave Blakeley & Alan Draper 48pts
2nd John Snelling &
Penny Barden 42pts
3rd Denis McVeigh & Roger Miller 42pts
4th Mike Harding & gill Barrett 41 pts
5th Hans Benzler &
Alan Simpson 41 pts
NTP’s 3rd Johnny More
Balls Snelling. 5th Susie Snelling. 16th Celia Cronin. 18th
Colin Grant
2’s Denis Mc Veigh. Don Larner
Before I report
on the game this week a mention is needed for the stableford
game at Viliatanna Benidorm game last week. The forecast was
stormy and windy and it wasn’t wrong. The horizontal wind and
sleety, freezing rain that met us and our playing partners
coming onto the 8th Tee was the worst weather I have experienced
in the 4 years we have lived here. I vowed I would never play
golf in weather like that after winter golfing in the UK drove
me to despair. So with dripping hair, numb fingers and wet
clothes Paul and I headed for the nearest bar for hot coffee,
brandy and a full English to remind us of why we are here!
Shirley S and Alan M decided to play on and I believe they may
have been the only ones? It must be that boating spirit they
both have, used to all that water slamming them in the face,
either that or a touch of madness!
Poor Andy P spent
hours on three laptops organising that game I heard….just for it
to be written off. Enjoy your rest from the LGS in France Andy
and welcome home to the hot H/C seat Donna after all your
fabulous virtual participation from the UK. That presented
bottle of red will come in handy for the Christmas gravy.
The game today welcomed 35 players with Gill Barrett as a guest
playing with the effervescent Mike H and coming 4th to boot,
well done. It was lovely to see Terry S back after two months of
not golfing and apart from the shaky first hole you were soon
back to form and I think Cpt Don was glad of your 99%
contribution Terry.
I was playing this format again with new
member Malcolm C. We played a little better than last time and
Malcolm hopes for a third time lucky, maybe a move up the board
next time or a game with a better player! But nothing apart from
genius, professional golf could match the winners today with a
stupendous 48 pts. The gusty wind must have helped them somehow
, I’m not sure how as even our putts were blown off course
….Alan D must have thought that Dave B was off his rocker when
he stepped into the water on the 17th .. was the water up to
your knees Dave?...Dave wanted to play his ball that was perched
precariously on the fringe ….only for a blob from him… crazy but
that’s a determined winner there!
In the presentation
after the game Cpt Don must have felt he had the Snelling name
on repeat with both of them receiving NTP prizes and Johnny
coming second with Penny in the game. It was also a birthday
congratulations to Susie…. It felt like the Snelling Show!!
As a finale to this unusual Covid Golfing year – The Player Of
The Year Cup was presented to the fabulous Anne Edwards. In all
of the LGS history Anne is the first player to receive this cup
twice. That’s a challenge thrown down to the men but I won’t be
surprised if Anne has that in her sights already! Next weeks,
final game of this unforgettable year will be a team game at ON
and it would be great if you could dress up in Christmas
‘Attire’ or even a Christmas tie for those who are a little shy.
Fiona
Autumn Trophy R1 At Alicante Golf 13/11/20 and R 2 At Oliva
Nova Friday 20/11/20 Stableford
Over both Rounds
Indvidual Stableford
20/11 only
·
1st Dave Geeson R1 37 pts
R2 38 pts. David Geeson 38 pts ( hc Adj 0.8)
· 2nd David
Blakely (S) R1 37 pts R2 37
pts. Jane Horridge 36 pts
·
3rd Danny Herron (S) R1 34 pts R2 35
pts David Blakeley 36 pts
·
4th Anne Edwards R1 38 pts R2 £0 pts Roger
Miller 36 pts
·
5th Jane Horridge R1 31 pts R2 36 pts Danny
Herron 35 pts
·
6th David Horridge R1 34 pts R2 32 pts
Fiona Sankey 35 pts
20/11/20 at ON
(No
results recorded for first round ?)
NTP’s Shirley Swan ( S) hole 3 Alan draper (S) Hole 16
2’s Viv Bacon hole 11
Senior prize Roy Jones 35 pts
( I must mention that David Kerr had a fabulous 40 pts in
the first round … but the follow up of 26 pts was a
disappointment for him .. he said he’s going to wipe the smiley
face from his ball )
41 entrants for this comp spread
over the two weeks with Gill Barrett as a guest today, hoping to
become a member with LGS. As is the norm for an applicant Gill
was playing with a committee member Robert B, who commented,
‘well I hope we don’t put her off!’
There was no report
for last weeks game at Alicante but I expect it’s because this
is a comp in two rounds so any fine golf or crazy stories will
just be hearsay now.
Sadly LGS reported the very recent
passing of John Cook and with this in mind there will be no golf
stories about the game today and a request was made for any
memories about John for me to include as a tribute to him.
Captain Don reported that at his funeral his son summed up
John as ‘fearless’ in life and his attitude to golf with
his approach to the chance of winning the two’s and the
N/P showed this … he didn’t fear the water anywhere on the
course despite the number of balls that must now be in there !
Don remarked that John will be missed as both an LGS member and
a friend to many. He was a committee member and a stalwart of
the team for the Costa Blanca League playing with his partner
Danny Herron. Don said they were known as the ‘Scrap Yard Dog
Alsatians’ this pair, or did I mishear? … was it the ‘Rabid
dogs?’
A big part of John’s sporting life, along with golf
and paddle, was football. He played in the same local home team
with his four sons. They won the league and the cup not so long
ago. That would have been a great report to write… the 5
Cook men being nearly half of the winning team and what a single
household celebration that must have been and what a remarkable
testament to John’s stamina and fitness. A true legend. We
can only imagine the team talk now with ‘ Heaven’s Eleven’ and I
can hear Nobby Stiles giving that team talk with John on the
bench.
I believe John recently had his prized Ducati
motorbike put on Spanish plates and I know that roar I hear
early in the early morning is John’s spirit taking the corners
on the Costa Blanca hairpins in his fearless way.
I
expect J.C. is recalling stories with J.C. right now and I just
hope Des O’ Connor isn’t crooning somewhere nearby ……
FIONA
1 DAVID KERR 40 pts (10) Overall Winner
2 ANNE EDWARDS 38
pts (12) Overall Runner-Up
3 DAVID BLAKELEY (S) 37 pts (23)
Overall 3rd Last Three Holes
4 DAVE GEESON (S) 37 pts (26)
Overall 4th
5 JOHN SNELLING 35 pts (14) Overall 5th Last Nine
Holes
6 ROGER JENNINGS 35 pts (21) Overall 6th
1 HANS BENZLER 35 pts (15) Overall Winner
2 TONY SLIPPER
34 pts (19) Overall Runner-Up Last Six Holes
3 MICHAEL
HARDING (S) 34 pts (21) Overall 3rd
4 VIVIENNE BACON 33 pts
(21) Overall 4th
Off to a not particularly bright but certainly very early start
in Benidorm with the weather threatening but the optimists
amongst us still turned up in shorts and some skirts (not the
guys) and were rewarded with a very pleasant day’s golf as the
sun came out.
We were not a big group but big is not
always beautiful! We had a great day with plenty of banter and a
relatively tight group of scores at the end. A couple of our
players seemed interested in taking a leaf out of the US
presidential elections guidebook demanding re-counts and
accusations that the committee were fixing the results. However
after a good laugh and contrary to US practice we advised the
protesters to sit down quietly and have a drink!!
On to
the results :
- Two 2’s were recorded on the day , Peter
Ketteringham and Tony Slipper (first goal of the day)
- The
nearest the pin winners were Mike Harding on hole 3 and Tony
Slipper on hole 14 (goal number 2)
- The senior prize went to
Peter Ketteringham with a very respectable 32 points.
On
to the main event. In fourth place was our as ever radiant Viv
Bacon with 33 points. In third place was Mike (just call me
steady Eddy) Harding with 34 points. In second place and thereby
completing his hat trick was Tony Slipper with again 34 points
but winning it on count back. In first place, completing a Lewis
Hamilton style finish with birdies on each of the last two holes
was our man from the North, Hans Benzler with 35 points.
Looking forward to the first round of the Autumn Trophy next
week , but had better get down the driving range first !
Andy Price
1st Anne Edwards & Mike Harding 45 pts
2nd Kevin
Waterland & Celia Cronin 43 pts
3rd Roy Jones & Les Vine 42
pts
4th David Kerr & Keith Price 41 pts
5th Ed Wallace &
Roger Miller 41 pts
6th Paul Sankey & Viv Bacon 40 pts
7th Martin Gates & Paul Westerman 39 pts
8th Derek Lindley &
Jan Jones 37 pts
9th Danny Herron & Robert Bedloe 36 pts
NTP’s: 3rd mike Harding. 16th: Martin Gates (pipping Paul
Sankey by a few inches!)
Longest Drives 8th (men) Don
Larner. 10th (ladies) Anne Edwards
2’s. Dave Collie (sinking
his putt from well off the green I heard) but no John Snelling
this week as away!
Another perfect day in paradise
with sunshine and temperatures rising to 26d met the 32 players
and our two prestigious guests, Campbell Lamont and Ed Wallace
(replacing Gary Stone at the very last minute), not bad
conditions for nearly November. We were lucky to be able to meet
and play this game and raise some money for Captain Don’s
Charity (the Orphanage in Gandia) with tighter covid laws being
in place only this week in our region of Valencia/Alicante. A
very different Captain’s day and celebrations afterwards from
the norm. I know some societies have abandoned any social get
togethers as covid restrictions have meant they have been denied
any actual presentations. Thankfully Oliva Nova accommodated us
with a scaled back, covid rules in place, event. Who knows what
next year will bring .. but should we be getting ready for a
virtual golf day with an online game and putting comp…? I
sincerely hope not.
Strict tables of six with no inter
mingling is not only advised it’s ‘the rule’ and woe betide the
table of eight when the covid police come to call. I heard they
line you up and shoot you all unless you admit you were the
extras to join the table and then they put you into solitary
confinement. Joking aside the venue would get over 3k in fines
and could be shut down with immediate effect so please take care
everyone.
Some interesting pairings today and there must have
been some secret betting going on for the winners, odds on
favourites, Anne E and Mike H (who was back to form this week)
with a fabulous 45 points. Anne’s longest drive on the 10th was
further than most men could hit, although I was able to get to
her drive in 2! I propose that next year Anne plays from the
mats in the practice area to give us other ladies a chance or
she takes the men on, from the yellows, on their hole… Captain
Don had the longest drive on the 8th, I heard others passed him
… but not on the fairway.
A very generous 9 x 2 prizes
today. Thank you Levante and Campbell L who provided them.
Nearly all the playing field won something today even if it was
a bottle for not winning anything at all and I wish I set up a
side competition for the person who got most balls in the
water.. it was me! … if there was water my ball found it..
This is Captain Don’s 2nd year in office (or could even be his
3rd ?) and he will be doing another year as well. Don now has
his presentation skills down to a fine art. A few jokes as
always and those Liverpool ones are always funny, but me, being
Irish and Catholic enjoy the mickey taking with those jokes. As
Captain Don is standing for another year I propose that in
future and for golfing Levante Society history Don will be
referred to as ‘The Don’!
E 355 was raised in the raffle for
the charity and in thanking everyone for their generosity Don
mentioned that Anne must have been a debt collector in her
former life, the skill she has in getting money from folk! Don
also remarked that Donna was thanked so profusely with flowers,
by Roger J, on her return to Handicap Master, that she has now
developed a pollen allergy, but added that could have also come
about from the rose petals strewn across the bed by Danny that
met her on her first night home from the UK. Ahh such a romantic
Danny.. other men take note. Danny told Don this on the quiet I
believe… I promise I won’t tell anyone.
A very enjoyable,
honed back, Captain’s Day and thank you Levante for providing it
for us in these difficult times. We need these memories of good
times and golf to keep us sane.
Next week’s game is a
Stableford at Villaitana and the next report from me will
be after the ON game on the 20/11 … so you’ll be getting a
little rest from reading!
Fiona x
1st Susie Snelling
37 pts, hcp 19
2nd Kevin Waterland
36 pts, hcp 16
3rd Peter Ketteringham 33 pts, hcp
18
4th Hans Benzler
33 pts, hcp 17
5th Roger Miller
33 pts, hcp 31
6th John Snelling
32 pts, hcp 14
Senior: Roy Jones 32 pts, 22 hcp
NTP’s Hole 5: John Snelling (setting up a shop soon
with all those won balls!)
Hole 16: Anne Edwards
2’s: Roy Jones (11th )
34
Players at Oliva Nova today with two guests, Paul Van De
Broek and Malcolm Cannon. A fine dry morning after a grey wet
Thursday following the planned, what must have been minimal work
on the fairway reseeding, as there was, to me, little evidence
of it? Did it actually happen as apart from the gleaming new
paths ‘work’ I couldn’t see the usual farmer’s field that
usually occurs after this? The greens have needed some attention
lately as well, as today they weren’t running true and many of
the holes were crowned denying many golfers points with their
putting… except of course for the winners who obviously knew
exactly what they were doing and could read those fluffy lines
perfectly!
I met with my playing partners on the T and there
was some friendly banter between Roger M and myself.. who could
get the most points today? We play from the same hc and have
recently both had the same cut. Bring it on…. whoops … my first
drive went into the water on the right and I’ve never been in
there in all my golfing days at ON. Things can only get better..
Roger M has had a new watch Garmin for his birthday and it’s a
shame they don’t come with a ball finder as standard as he
explained on the T that he needs help in locating the line and
fall of his ball at all times due to his failing eyesight. Both
Roger M and Mike Harding, our other player in the group (who has
the same problem as Roger and wears glasses for seeing but not
for golf) should invest in and share a sightseeing caddy, for
Christmas maybe!
Roger M also mentioned that his wife
thought he was gaining weight and he said his response to her
was that he was on the ‘De Chambeau Diet’ – not sure if it
should be a wine and fine dining one though Roger and that big
muscle needs to be around your shoulders and not your middle,
but saying that you must be doing something right as your golf
is improving and you’re winning!
Andy Price as ‘Stand in’
captain this week started with a fine joke to set the mood, you
could be a ‘Stand up ‘ comic for sure Andy if you need a day job
but don’t worry Don you’re still the best. As Andy ran through
the winners presentation we were wondering who the ’fine best
dressed golfer’ could be as we all think our own golfing gear is
spot on.. a quick look round and one of our regular finest in
‘Haute Coutier’ style, Viv Bacon, had already gone so it
couldn’t be her? It was Kevin Waterland of course, who in coming
second in the golf is always first in style. We don’t see you
every week Kevin but you are missed.
But the fine golfing
winner today was Susie Snelling who modestly thought she did
‘alright’ when asked. Her golfing partners thought she played
fantastic, coming in with three pars at the end. Great to see a
lady on the first podium… those days of forward tees are coming
to an end gents! Paul S thought Peter K, in coming third, was
coming back to form following a down turn in his golf. Paul
added he wished he had thrown his own clubs in the lake at
Bonalba last week as it would have meant he could have stayed
home today!.... things can only get better…
Andy P thought
it worth a mention that Dave Collie had at one point 3 balls in
play on one hole...a provisional as he played a wayward drive..
..he found his first and played it… but needed to play another
provisional as that shot was also wayward !! Did you need a ball
spotter Dave?
Well done to all the players today and I’m
sure most are saving their best golf and energy for the
Captain’s Day (pairs) at ON next week when Campbell Lamont will
be joining us and playing with Don, showing him how it’s done..
Fiona x
1st Roger Miller. 42 Pts Hc Adj 2.7
2nd John Snelling.
38pts Hc Adj 0.5
3rd Moe Farouky. 37pts Hc Adj 0.5
4th
Mike Harding. 36pts
5th Dave Collie. 35 pts
6th Fiona
Sankey 34 pts
NTP’s: Dave Kerr; 4th. John Snelling; 14th
2’s: Keith Price; 4th. Martin Cooke; 8th. John Snelling ; 8th
Senior Prize with 33 pts, Brian Barden
Beautiful blue skies albeit a bit chilly for the 30 players
at Bonalba today. Thankful that the players who played in the
Inter Society game on weds at ON had time to dry out their golf
bags. I always enjoy playing at Bonalba but I was a little
distressed when my buggy battery failed going up the first big
hill on the 8th. “Keep to the paths,“ Paul remarked, offering me
some useless help, “I would push it but I’ve got stents” he
said. Martin, the other gallant chap in our 4 ball quipped,
“your game is safe enough without me helping“ ! A good job
I only had one more big hill to push up. Paul nearly chucked his
putter, followed by his clubs and trolley into the lake by the
17th when he got annoyed with his game so he was nearly hands
free to push my trolley!
My usual, walking the tables and
asking for stories about the golf met with a furtive, “No story
from me,“ said Robert…. So what about the plan of picking Mike
up from Teulada and car sharing today!?... only for Robert to
forget and suddenly remember nearing the Mutaxamel junction on
the motorway! It’s a good job a few others were at the Teulada
industrial park and were able to sort out clubs and make room
for Mike… just as well as 4th place was waiting for you
Mike.
Moe Farouky continues his good form with 37 pts and a
deserved 0.5 hc cut but the big applause was reserved for our
winner Roger M today, with a massive 42 pts and a super 2.5 hc
cut. Roger was pleased to be able to play in a hc qualifier at
last after all the non hc qualifier games at ON. John Snelling,
who is back to form coming second, could have had more points …
if only he hadn’t hit Dave G’s exact same Levante golf ball,
that Dave had hit as a provisional from the T onto the fairway.
Did Dave find his original ball and hit it adding to the
confusion Johnny? Johnny won two sleeves of Levante balls today
adding to the ‘seeing double again’ form of today as well!
Colin Grant thought it worth telling me that Hans B must have
lost more than the 10 balls today that Colin lost in last week’s
game. Hans refused to offer me the exact number, but then again,
one of his team remarked, he can only count to 10! It was
pointed out that he lost at least 3 balls in the same spot of
water on at least one hole alone!
Andy Price presented the
prizes today in Captain Don’s absence (thinking of you Don as
you isolate back in the Uk) and for a moment we thought we had a
new guest today as he introduced Les Price to speak.... no such
player…..he meant Keith Price, a long standing Levante player,
but Andy forgot who you were for a moment! You’ll be
pleased to hear Don, that Andy, in only telling one funny
joke today, has not knocked you from the hot comedy spot but
I’ll follow that up again next week!
Keith P reported
to the members how you are doing John C and we all wish you a
speedy recovery and hope to see you soon smashing the stock of
Levante balls prizes as you win the 2’s and the nearest the pins
like you usually do!
Next week’s game is a Single Stableford
at ON and we will see how the course is playing after the
fairway reseeding taking place next week.
Fiona
x
1st Colin Grant. Brian Barden. Peter Ketteringham.
Neville Richardson Score 63 (count back)
2nd Derek
Lindley. Keith Price. Dave Collie. Paul
Westerman Score 63
3rd Paul Sankey. Don Larner.
Tony Slipper. Les Vine Score 63
NTP
Hole 3: John Snelling. (sleeve of balls)
Hole 16: Dave
Collie. (Bottle of wine donated by Birthday Boy Charlie Miller)
The Levante players were only made aware that the ‘Team
Game’ was to be a 4 ball Texas Scramble when the start sheet was
published. I’m not sure how everyone feels about this scramble
format but it’s not for me personally, although I do know that
poorer golfers, like me, should be thinking that it’s an
opportunity to play some golf without fear of embarrassment or
burden to the other team members especially if one or two of the
other players can carry the team, with a longer hitter bombing
it down the fairways. Well us 4 lady team were always going to
be disadvantaged with only one really long hitter amongst us,
putting Anne Edwards under pressure to perform on all the
fairway shots and to be spectacular with her drives and she was,
in Susie’s words, “Just awesome”. No wonder your back was
suffering at the end Anne. However we knew from the start of our
game that a 4 ball, men’s team, would always have the advantage
over us, they have the ability to make more birdies, more often.
Us ladies played it seriously but we pretty much knew which
men’s teams would be competing to win. But Scrambles are about
‘team bonding and fun’ and not so much about the golf score,
(but try telling that to the competitive ladies in our group!),
you get to walk and talk together, something unusual in most
golf game formats.
There are academic papers and articles
written on the scramble format and there are published
algorithms and software to help with the problem of selecting
teams. There is even a model that has been developed with
rationale for assigning handicaps to a multi person scramble
with the objective of yielding equal win probabilities for all
teams but I know Roger had to think of more…he has to take into
account ..who is in a buggy and the players who can’t and won’t
play together and he has to work out travelling partners and the
times they play so as not to be too far apart and I don’t think
there is a paper written on that yet?! But I do believe that
each team should have included at least one female to spread the
fairness and the beauty around! However the word ‘Texas’ means
friends and despite the ‘cowboy’ winners today I believe
everyone had fun!
Captain Don remarked that his team only
started to play as a team on the 17th when the last two drives
were needed from two players and they had to have a team talk.
There apparently wasn’t much decision making on the drives as
the buggy drivers drove ahead and picked up the balls that
weren’t the nearest to the green and they forgot about team
tactics!
Colin Grant said he returned to the club house
with a much lighter bag having lost at least 10 balls on the
course and Dave Collie said he wasn’t far behind this number..
you were both up there with the winners guys so none of these
lost balls counted as your essential drives then?!
The chaps
had some forward tees again, but like the Guinness, us ladies
are not bitter, we are just embarrassed for the men who take
delight in getting easy birdies on those holes…
Anne Edwards
quietly passed over last week’s trophy to Viv Bacon who should
have won it after errors were noted in the recording of scores
to Handicap Master. Captain Don requested that cards are
recorded clearly and correctly to avoid this happening again in
future. So without fanfare, Well Done Viv.
Next week’s game
will be at Bonalba as the originally planned Captain’s Day game
has been changed as Don is returning to the Uk briefly and he
thought he should be in his game to compete with us! Hopefully
Don will be able to call in at Waterstone’s in the UK for a new
joke book as the ones this week were really scraping the bottom
of the barrel …. Hehe
Fiona x
Medal Game Sponsored by Hans Benzler at Oliva Nova Friday 2nd
October 2020
Division 1 Winners
1st Don Larner: Strokes
82-16= 66
2nd Peter Ketteringham: Strokes 86-18=68
3rd
Anne Edwards: Strokes 83-11=72
Division 2 Winners
1st Moe Farouky: Strokes 11-33=67
2nd Mike Harding: Strokes
90-23=67
3rd Neville Richardson: Strokes 96-28=68
NTP’S-
John Cook: Hole 3. Martin Gates: Hole 16
“2’s- Hans Benzler:
Hole 16. Martin Gates: Hole 16
The Orange weather warning
issued this morning for The Costa’s was a bit worrying for the
29 golfers playing in the medal today with two guests, Paul Van
De Broek and Dave Blakeley. High winds and storms predicted from
early afternoon especially from midday but apart from the very
light drizzle initially and the varying blustery to strong winds
we mostly got away with it. Anne Edwards must have been
expecting frost as well as she turned up on the Tee in long
black trousers and a jumper over her shirt with all her wet
weather gear to hand. The rest of us were still in our summer
gear but I don’t think it will be long before we follow you
Anne. A bit of a mix up on the first Tee with some other golfers
being booked in for our Tee times but Carolina soon sorted that
out.
An interesting conundrum for the first division today
as Hans had stipulated that all strokes to be recorded on their
cards today (carry on counting after 10!). I did hear a
comment.. “but I’ve only got 10 fingers!”(The second division
can pick up after 10). A quick look at the scorecards on the
Masterscoreboard shows nothing higher than a 10 recorded though
for anyone in the first division… does that mean no one got more
than a 10 or does handicap master not record it?
There are
more new disruptions with paths being laid on the 8th and the
4th still, moving the men’s tee’s yet again to a more favourable
forward position and us ladies could see the men rubbing their
hands with glee. I think we need to pass a temporary ruling for
those holes .. reducing the 4th to a par 3 and the 8th to a par
4 with scoring adjustments.. just for the men of course!... just
saying…
The fairways were running well today with the ball
bouncing along the burnt bare dry parts if you were lucky enough
to hit them. ON Greens staff are allowing all the grass to die
back along with the natural die back in readiness for the
scarifying and reseeding soon. The games that will follow, when
we are playing of muddy bare lies, before new grass grows, will
sort the ‘men from the boys’!
Another Faux pas from Anne
Edwards today when she followed Janet S and myself from the 13th
green…”2 fat ladies then!” she remarked. I know she was only
completing our score cards with 2 8’s …but please!!!”
Dave
Collie nearly had a ‘pocket’ in one when his drive in one hole
hit Andy Price in the back pocket of his shorts! Andy said it
was only his scorecard in his pocket that saved his life! John
Cook was congratulated last week for a two although that honour
should have gone to Mike Harding.. apologies for that Mike as I
heard it was a spectacular one on the 6th.
Fabulous
golf from all the winners today with the winners of their
division receiving a coveted beautiful cut glass golfer trophy
and Anne E being best female golfer receiving one also.
A
few regular Levante players were missing today as they were
playing for the CBL in their Pegp Society hats and hopefully
they’re back next week to up the competitive stakes!
See you
next week which will be a team game at Oliva Nova
Fiona x
Thirty six players today in the 2 ball better ball comp at
Oliva Nova GC. Malcolm Cannon and Malcolm Sharp were welcomed as
guests today. M. Cannon and Captain Don go back a long way and
knew each other in the aluminium business in the UK. Did Don
ever have any hair Malcolm?
The usual suspects in the
winner’s enclosure today with some great scoring especially from
the winners John Snelling and Terry Saville. J. Snelling is
amassing his prize money to treat himself to a new 3 wood
methinks (he plays with one of Susie’s cast offs) unless he is
treated to one for his birthday next week?
Captain Don
celebrates his ‘getting older look’ with coming 4th along with
partner Moe Farouky and getting a NTP on the 3rd which he
converted to a 2, so something still works then Don. Roy Jones
had the other NTP prize on the 16th which he sadly (for Susie)
was unable to convert to the 2. John Cook had the only other 2,
on the 6th which in that wind must have been a great shot onto
the green. Not many players, I expect, could control their ball
for a safe green shot there today.
Some of the tee positions
are still off site but expect more upheaval in the future as I
spied lots of blue spray denoting new paths which will be giving
the men a temporary advantage again over the ladies again. I do
expect we will be back to our normal 1st Tee for our next game
though. The fish in the water better watch out then, they’ve had
a peaceful few weeks from the men’s wayward shots!
Captain
Don told some very funny getting old observations that I know he
practiced telling them to his older friend, himself, in the
mirror, before golf today. It reminded me of an old joke
after playing with Alan Simpson who informed me of his failing
eyesight. After each shot of his he exclaimed “Did you see where
that went?
“So ….. Alan is 90 years old and has golfed
everyday, with numerous golf societies, since retiring to Spain
25 years ago but one day he returns home and declare to his
wife, that’s it, I’m giving up, my eyesight is so bad I can’t
see where I’m hitting my ball. His wife says, why don’t you take
my brother, I know he’s 103 but his eyesight is perfect. So the
next day Alan heads off to the golf with Arthur, his brother in
law. He Tee’s up, takes an almighty swing and squints down the
fairway… Did you see where that went? Of course I did said
Arthur … but I can’t remember!”
Next week’s game is a medal
competition, sponsored by Hans Benzler, with some great prizes I
heard. We will be missing a few golfers (whom play for the Pego
GS as well) The CBL game at Villaitana has beckoned them. LGS
has their CBL game on the Thursday, just as well or that would
have depleted the field!
I asked Alan today if he read
any of my reports but he said he never had a spare hour or two
to read them.. are they really that long?! So I’ll keep this one
short just for you Alan.
See you all next week
Fiona x
1 JOHN SNELLING 38 pts (13) Overall Winner
2 ANNE EDWARDS
36 pts (07) Overall Runner-Up Last Nine Holes
3 ROY JONES (S)
36 pts (21) Overall 3rd Last Nine Holes
4 DAVID COLLIE 36 pts
(21) Overall 4th
5 DON LARNER 35 pts (15) Overall 5th
6
HANS BENZLER 34 pts (15) Overall 6th
Twenty five players today in the Stableford comp at
Villaitana Levante. The early rain and black sky didn’t bode
well for golfing conditions. I know we’ve had a bit of rain over
the past few weeks but I’ve not played in such consistent
’spitting’ of any type for a year at least!
Paul and I
arrived in the car park to a vision of Terry Saville and Mike
Harding suited and booted in their wet weather gear, from head
to toe, but they were soon seen stripping off, as it must have
been boiling sauna like conditions under all that water proof
plastic!
We picked up our screen less buggy and it felt
decidedly cool with a wet gale blowing through the front so we
hurried back and changed it for one with a screen, a great
decision as most of our game continued in a blowy mizzle which
became a drizzle and then finally for the last 3 holes, an
actual shower…. I should be a reporter on the weather as well?!
The Marshall approached us on the first fairway and asked us to
stay to the paths with our buggy because of the wet conditions
and I don’t think we could have walked further if we had been
pushing a trolley.. up and down hills to the furthest part of
the fairway clutching a number of clubs under our arms ( and I
always left the one I needed behind) and then the trudge back to
the buggy.
Although there was no run on the ball today in
the wet boggy conditions I was thankful at times as it stopped
my ball running into most of the 106 bunkers on this course. I
was on the edge at least 6 times. Most of the bunkers are
scruffy and unplayable with no sand or growing tufts of grass in
them and I did wonder are they gradually letting some of the
bunkers return to nature? It must be said that Penny B played
from the bunkers to the green with finesse and Brian B remarked
that she played from bunkers better than from the fairway! I
think us ladies all have a bit of a moan about our slope cut
when playing here but Roy Jones put us in our place by telling
us the yardage difference between the Gent’s and the Lady’s tee
is the equivalent of two par 5’s. I just wish I could have taken
advantage of that.
I don’t know if any other 4 balls lost
balls in the very difficult deep wet rough? Brian B’s ball
couldn’t be found on the 4th on the left hand side despite 4 of
us looking for it. There were a few deep water holes here
though, as I found after stepping in one up to my ankle…yuuk. At
least we know even the professionals can do it as Jordan Speith
has just done in the American PGA recently.
Short of many
golfing stories for this report today, everyone left pretty
sharply after Captain Don’s presentation.. I think everyone
needed to get out of their wet clothes I expect. The sun came
out on the patio and you could see the steam rising from the
drying clothes. So.. a fashion statement from Viv bacon ,
dressed impeccably as always, in Daily golf clothes. (30%
discount at Saler pro shop if anyone’s interested) Viv was
congratulated on her fine turn out and she quipped, “All the
gear, no idea!” Viv mentioned that her guest today, Gill
Barrett, messaged her before the game to see if she had any
spare bin bags because of the rain. Viv imagined Gill poking her
head through a make shift wet weather coat so asked if she
needed a green or a black one to go with her outfit. Gill
laughed and said she needed it to cover her bag on her trolley!
I think in the absence of any wet weather kit (I know, who needs
it in Spain) Viv could design something appropriate from bin
bags. I know she is very handy with a needle so just imagine
what she could do with a roll of sellotape!?
Well done to
all the winners today, especially John Snelling with 38 points(
hcp adjustment 0.6) who alongside his Stableford played Match
Play with Charlie Miller, he said it gives him the edge and we
all know Johnny has a competitive streak.
NTP’s; Penny
Barden on 3 and Andy Price on 14th ( Jan Jones was just outside
Andy’s NTP ball and as a consolation Andy gave her one of his
ball prizes. I think if Jan had had a tape measure she would
have proved it was her win! (she said, laughingly)
2’s; Anne
Edwards 3rd Susie Snelling 14th Don Larner 7th
Senior prize;
Terry Saville 32 pts
On a further golfing note it was (for
me) a surprise to see Roger J last on the day. He has gone from
Hero (42 pts ) to Zero! (well, almost… but not quite with 17
pts). I did know he golfed on Thursday as well and then was out
on the tiles so was probably thinking he should have stayed in
bed (like a few others of us today). I think he’s missing Donna
G, as we all are, for the seamless operation of Handicap
Secretary. But thank you Roger, you are doing an amazing job.
Don had his plethora of jokes ready in his prize giving
presentation .. very funny.. a bit like my golf today. He added
that the game at Oliva Nova on 2nd October is to be sponsored by
Hans Benzler and will be a medal comp and not a stableford as
noted on the playlist. Hans jokingly said it will be a comp with
three divisions.. ahh I might have had a chance for a prize then
but it will be two divisions.
See you all next week at ON
which will be a two ball better ball game. Good luck!
Fiona
x
1 ANDREW LEACH (S) 98 - 31 = 67 Overall Winner
2 DON
LARNER 85 - 16 = 69 Overall Runner-Up
3 BRIAN BARDEN (S) 93 -
23 = 70 Overall 3rd Last Nine Holes
4 ROY JONES (S) 92 - 22 =
70 Overall 4th Last Nine Holes
5 NEVILLE RICHARDSON 98 - 28 =
70 Overall 5th
6 PETER KETTERINGHAM (S) 89 - 18 = 71
Thirty six players today in the Prestigious Presidents Day
Medal, but sadly not joining us is Jenny Downes, last year’s
winner, who remains in the Uk, in covid times. I’m sure the gold
plated putter, mounted on solid oak trophy, stands proudly on
her mantelpiece, to remind her of good times, golf and friends
with the LGS in Spain. Not sure when we will see the
trophy again for you Andy Leach, winner today. Can anyone knock
something up as a substitute in the meantime!?
It was back to summer heat again, more than 30d and blazing hot.
Some of us thought it might have been cool enough for walking
but it really wasn’t.
Some very good results today,
especially for the men it was noted, no ladies on the podium,
but I believe that’s because those three forward tee’s gave you
a great advantage over the ladies…just saying… Andy Leach won
with a remarkable net of 67 (31 hcp) and did thank me for the
lucky practice ball token I gave him before the game. Well done
Andy and I’ll have it back now for my next game, but failing
that just bring along the fizz you won. Andy celebrated a big
birthday since the last game with the LGS and was looking
forward to a senior prize – but no Andy you can’t win both. I’m
sure we’ll be seeing you in the prizes again soon and I was only
joking when I told you that you were getting a massive HCP cut
for general play!
As always I ask around for some
interesting golf stories of the day and it must be recorded that
Captain Don’s playing partners were impressed by his golf on the
13th. He drove to the bunker on the right of the green, chipped
out to within a couple of feet of the pin and sunk it for three
shots and his ball never touched the fairway! Sky TV needed to
have been there. An impressive gross 85 net 69 from our Captain.
A further story from Brian B recalled an incident on the
7th when after the 4 ball all took their drives he
couldn’t locate his ball on the fairway, where it clearly went,
he said. “It must have gone in the water” Johnny S declared. A
disappointed Brian accepted this and took a drop (Brian was
still reeling from the 2 water balls and the 8 shots he got on
the par 3, 6th hole before) and it was only when they got to the
water in front of the green it was spotted that Johnny S had
played Brian’s ball in error, it had been in the middle of the
fairway when Johnny played it. It was more likely that it was
Johnny’s ball that went in the water. Johnny returned to the
bridge and dropped a ball, so with a two shot penalty plus a
water drop and starting with his 5th shot at this point, to get
an 8 after all that was pretty impressive Johnny.
There were
no 2’s today. The greens are still recovering after the hollow
tinning and were a bit tricky to read the speed especially with
all the water on them first thing and eventually speeding up
NTP’s ; 11th Richard Vass. 6th Dave Collie. 3rd Roger Jennings.
10th Roger Miller.
Senior prize: Alan Simpson net 71 (28 hcp)
Benidorm Levante next week followed by three games at Oliva Nova
which will be after the fairway reseeding so expect no ball run
or tee up spots! A bit like today as Neville R remarked, was
like playing golf from a soft mattress! Hopefully we will be
playing from the correct tee’s unless more paths are up!?
The prizes and summing up today was presented by President Roger
Miller who welcomed Colin Grant back into the fold after his
illness, 4th game in 2 years I heard. We all said hello to Alan
Overton who came along socially, to catch up with friends and it
was nice to see Richard and Lesley Vass back at long last.
A
round of applause went to Martin Gates for the lowest gross
score of 82 but that applause is your only prize Martin!
No jokes today as Roger M will leave that to the Comic Captain
Don for next week so expect a few from his little black book.
Fiona
1 ROGER JENNINGS 40 pts (25) Overall Winner
2 DON LARNER
38 pts (19) Overall Runner-Up
3 MICHAEL HARDING (S) 35 pts
(25) Overall 3rd Last Nine Holes
4 PETER KETTERINGHAM (S) 35
pts (20) Overall 4th Last Nine Holes
5 CHARLIE MILLER 35 pts
(20) Overall 5th Last Nine Holes
6 DAVID COLLIE 35 pts (25)
Overall 6th
20 LGS golfers made the trip to Alenda on a perfect golfing
weather day.
Roger Jennings gave a bunker and putting
exhibition to achieve 40 points on a particularly tricky course.
Don Larner was second 38 points, with Mike Harding and Peter
Ketteringham sharing 3rd and 4th places on 35 points.
Brian
Barden continued his good form winning the senior prize with 32
points, Dave Geeson hit a magnificent shot into the 5th
hole to secure the ntp 3.5 Metres.
Anne Edwards hit a superb
shot at the 16th hole to win the other ntp.
Next week is our
President’s day and we all wish Roger Miller all the best on his
big day at Oliva Nova.
Don
MOE FAROUKY (S) 113 pts Overall Winner
ALEX FAROUKY
CHARLIE MILLER
DON LARNER
BRIAN BARDEN (S) 109 pts
Overall Runner-Up
PENNY BARDEN (S)
JOHN SNELLING
FIONA
SANKEY
HANS BENZLER 108 pts Overall 3rd
TERRY
SAVILLE (S)
ROGER MILLER (S)
DAVID COLLIE
PAUL
SANKEY 106 pts Overall 4th
JAN JONES (S)
ROY JONES (S)
SUSIE SNELLING
Well, what a day at La Sella GC. It started out pretty
ordinary with the blue sky and the constant sun beating down. I
met with Captain Don in the car park before the game and he
remarked of his golf at the moment that it is, “consistently
inconsistent!”
I’ve not played here since lockdown golf and
lots of work continues with some improvements seen in places,
but will we ever see it finished in our life time?! The greens
were in amazing condition but they were so hard to read and I
think most everyone will agree that they were very fast, with
balls missing the hole by inches and either continuing uphill at
gathering speed (how does it do that?) or coming down hill and
leaving the green…
I had a phone call from the Jones’ letting
us know that they were running late, or more to the point ‘not
running at all’. Their car wouldn’t start, flat battery! Someone
had left the keys in the ignition and this drains the battery.
Well, I never knew! I’ve left keys in the ignition of an old car
of mine with the windows down, on the street overnight, but it’s
always been there in the morning? It may have been because it
was a Lada!!
Jan was Paul’s partner in the buggy for
this LGS accumulator game so we shifted some playing teams
around to accommodate their late arrival. Jan said, after the
game that she should have stayed in bed but without her and
Royston, Susie and Paul would have only been a two ball, not
being able to play in the comp and there wouldn’t have been many
witnesses to Paul’s incredible, life achievement of a first HOLE
IN ONE on the FIRST BALL hit in their four ball. The first most
difficult Par 3, 200 yards up a hill as well.. he hit his driver
and thought it may have gone out the back, but no one saw? On
reaching the green and all having a look a ball was spotted in
the hole, “it’s mine“ declared Paul “ it’s got my big P on!”.
Royston initially thought it may have been Susie’s, to add to
the other 5 Hole In One’s she has. Paul thought Susie was
offering a high five when he thought she raised her hand to his
in congratulations, but it was just a show off retort from
Susie, “You’ve got 1 now and I’ve got 5!” When Paul was
asked to talk us through the moment , we expected some notes of
wisdom, a fine memory, the thoughts he had when he hit it and
when he discovered it in the hole , but he just said, “ I hit
the ball, and it went in the hole” A stoic man of few words!
Paul raced in his buggy, all of 3 miles an hour, to let me know
about his amazing feat and to tell me to set up a bar tab to get
everyone drinks, in the clubhouse, after the game. I was a
little concerned when I saw him coming towards me and I
wondered, is his back playing up, or could it be a return of the
pain in his finger and is he giving up already? Thank you LGS
for the 50 euro contribution to the bar bill although the eye
watering bar prices at La Sella bought only three drinks with
it!
Their team did say that apart from the amazing uphill
Hole in One their game went mostly downhill thereafter. Paul was
heard to say “2 balls, 400 yards and 3 more for just 8 feet!”
Other news, John Snelling got a 2 on the 17th, sinking a 40
ft putt, he said, in competitive banter with Paul. Moe Farouky
got a NTP on hole 6, just beating Viv bacon who must have
thought she had it easily. John Cook’s idea that we just put a
pin in the green instead of using a tape measure to show
distance means we now have a great big target to hit as
well as the flag pole . Anne Edwards also had a NTP, on hole 5
and was heard saying on her return the clubhouse, “Did anyone
get inside me?” Her embarrassed blushes and cries of “I
didn’t just say that, did I?!” were drowned out by replies of,
“Did anyone try?!” I don’t think Anne will live down that
comment in a long time!
You may be wondering why I show a
not so attractive back view of my dirty shorts in the winners
picture but a fall and a spectacular slide into the mud along
side a bunker on the back nine meant my personal game and
contribution to the team game was almost over. “take it easy
now” Fiona I was told, “ just get 2’s on the remaining par 3’s!”
Well done everyone today and next week’s game is at Alenda.
I’ll next be playing in The President’s Cup at ON when I look
forward to some golfing shenanigans for the report.
Fiona
1st Paul Westerman 40 pts 27 hcp ( I don’t think I did very
well Paul said when he handed his card in!) Expect a cut Paul
you did exceedingly well!
2ndDerek Lindley 38 pts 16 hcp
3rd Paul Sankey 36 pts 14 hcp
4th John cook 35 pts 16 hcp
5th Andrew Leach 35 pts 31 hcp
6th John Snelling 35pts 15 hcp
Senior; Moe Farouky 34 pts 33 hcp
NTP Hole 5 - Anne
Edwards 5.70. Hole 16 – Charlie Miller 3.67
2’s Keith
Price, Anne Edwards and Martin Gates, our guest today ( on the
6TH!)
Another steamy hot and humid day for the 32 players
at ON with this being our last August game here. Hoping that
when we return to ON the weather will be cooler, the hollow
tining magic will have improved the course and some summer buggy
users can finally walk the 18 holes again.
I don’t know
about all the other 4 balls but there was an interesting debate
at the start of our game about how we play out the putting
competition alongside the stableford game. I shall be including
some of “MY Own Rules” for this at the end of this report.
“So how do we play this putting comp?” “If we can’t score on the
stableford comp do we pick up and declare ourselves out of the
hole or do we putt out like in a medal?” When a ball was
declared lost or Out Of Bounds or picked up in our four ball, we
decided that yes, we were out of that putting score and with
none of us knowing the ‘real rules’ we declared that, for this
game, if the putter was used from 3 mtrs more or less it didn’t
count as a putt towards the score, but we had some division
about how everyone else may interpret this. “What if you can’t
score on the stableford comp? Do you drop a ball even if its
lost and carry on hitting it till you get to the green or do you
drop a ball at the green and then commence in the putting comp
only… and...where do you drop your ball? If the pin is at
the front of the green is it fair to drop your ball there or do
you drop and then place somewhere on the green but at the
furthest away point from the pin??!! Already Donna was
gently swearing and mildly glowing in the heat as she was
already imagining the cards and the debate that was going to be
presented to her for tallying in the clubhouse after the game.
Donna did remark, under her breathe at this stage “I know where
Don can put this putting card “We looked at our own putting comp
card and Donna decided that the only card that could be
considered for the comp was the one that scored in the 18 hole
stableford comp. I should have declared myself out of the comp
after blobbing on the first hole and saved the marker time of
filling in my score!
We were back in the clubhouse and Donna
was armed, with pen, a strong drink of fizzy water and ready for
the conflict as could see that every player (apart from our
team) putted out regardless of a blobbed hole. We could be here
for hours and could imagine 4 balls returning after dark. Some 4
balls may have already lost the will to live, slowly losing 4
ltrs of perspiration and sweat in the steamy heat and dreaming
of that ice cold golf drink waiting for them in the bar. We
could actually see the last 4 ball crawling up to the green on
the 9th. Someone should have sent out help and maybe a
stretcher!
There were some raised voices and remarks
initially to Donna’s declaration of her slant on the Putting
comp rules. …”I’m doing the cards and it’s my rules, my
decision” That told them Donna!
Captain Don was informed of
the putting comp debacle and decided to void the putting comp
(“it seemed like a good idea at the time!”) and he declared
Donna the bubbly prize winner for the hassle and stress she
endured. He did add that the cheap bubbly was only fit for
cleaning your golf clubs and shoes though! Moet and Chandon next
time please Don.
Captain Don told some fine jokes in his
summing up but the biggest joke today was of course the Putting
Comp ! He welcomed Martin Gates as a guest today and spoke of
his spectacular 2 on the 6th hole. Well done. I learnt today
that Martin Gates was a former member of LGS and was the
organiser and instigator of what we see today in the fabulous
LGS. He set up LGS on Handicap Master and organised the initial
website I heard. Martin must be proud of the well organised
happy group that LGS is today.
A longer report than average
today but I’ve not reported for a while. Looking forward to the
game at La Sella next week as it will bring back some memories
of ‘lockdown golf’ for some of us. Let’s hope we don’t get back
to that stage again anytime soon.
MY PUTTING COMP RULES
· A blobbed stableford hole – enter a 4 ( even if you only blob
at the last putt)
· If a putter is used (anywhere outside the
green, regardless of distance) count it as you are using a
putter and it is a putting comp!
· No need to putt out on a
blobbed hole, just enter a 4
· THE HANDICAP SECRETARY IS
REFFEREE AND THEIR DECISION IS FINAL
Fiona x
1 CHARLIE MILLER 40 pts (19) Overall Winner
2 PETER
KETTERINGHAM (S) 36 pts (18) Overall Runner-Up Last Nine Holes
3 DON LARNER 36 pts (17) Overall 3rd Last Nine Holes
4 DANNY
HERRON (S) 36 pts (19) Overall 4th
5 ROGER MILLER (S) 34 pts
(34) Overall 5th Last Nine Holes
6 ANNE EDWARDS 34 pts (11)
Overall 6th
24 Golfers braved the Costa Blanca August sunshine with
temperatures over 30’C.
Charlie Miller continued his
brilliant form winning the day with 40 points, especially after
performing superbly the day previously for the LGS CBL team.
3 players scored 36 points with Peter Ketteringham 2nd, Don
Larner 3rd and Danny Herron 4th, all decided on countback.
Our President, Roger Miller, returned to form again in 5th
position with 34points and Anne Edwards was on the winners
rostrum again in 6th position.
Stalwart John Cook won the
seniors prize with a credible 32 points, and Celia Cronin showed
the society how to play a par 3 with a brilliant shot to 5.04
metres of the flag.
Brian Barden recorded the only 2 of the
day in tricky conditions.
Next week LGS game is back at Oliva
Nova where the dreaded putting competition will take place, all
golfers count the number of putts per hole.
Remember; Irons
for show, Putt for dough!!!!
Don.
1 CHARLIE MILLER 38 pts (20) Overall Winner
2 NEVILLE RICHARDSON 37 pts (27) Overall Runner-Up
3 MICHAEL
HARDING (S) 35 pts (21) Overall 3rd Last Nine Holes
4 HANS
BENZLER 35 pts (14) Overall 4th
5 SUSIE SNELLING 34 pts (15)
Overall 5th Last Nine Holes
6 ANNE EDWARDS 34 pts (07)
Overall 6th Last Nine Hole
1st Anne Edwards and Paul Westerman
46 pts
2nd Donna Green and Roger Jennings 43 pts
3rd Paul Sankey and Keith Price 43 pts
4th Hans
Benzler and Andy Price 43 pts
5th Brian Barden
and Susie Snelling 42 pts
2’s
Don Larner (3) Alan Simpson (16) David Kerr (11)
32 Levante players tee’d off for today’s Pairs Better Ball competition into the steaming hot sunshine. Complaints about the heat were heard from all and it will only get hotter everyone! August starts tomorrow. The cool watering spray, from the practice area, that greeted most players as we queued for our start, was welcome and an appeal will be made to the ground staff to run this around the course during August as we play although it was noted that the wet shirts spotted in the clubhouse after the game meant that some folk may have ran through the showers fully clothed!
The echo around the course could be heard from the men as they repeated “Off from the ladies T!.. I could use my putter…” Well excuse me! It was wondered, if John Snelling would remember, at any time during the game, that it was the red T the men were playing from today.. but no, each hole he was getting ready from the men’s yellow! Ready golf Johnny but wrong spot!
David Kerr, playing off the lowest handicap of 4 in the field today, met his partner Fiona on the t and reported that he had a hellish hangover, a bad back and his wife’s underwear (he was wearing today in honour of playing from the ladies spot) was too tight! His 1st drive landed right by the chaps in the trees (who were coming up the ninth) – “But I never hit my drive left here! “ was drowned out by his playing partners shout , “ FORE”
On asking for ‘stories’ from player for the report today it must be noted that John Cook’s playing partners recalled the shot he played into the water on the 18th . He took his drop and commenced to directly hit his bag which put the ball back into the water again! He was seen battering his bag at this point.. as if it was the bag’s fault! Hope you said sorry John?
Paul Westerman who partnered Anne Edwards in their winning spot with 46 points, bowed down in honour of Anne and her continuing good form. He congratulated her for carrying him through the game and did add, “Can I play with Anne every pairs game?” You’re about 20th in the queue for that request Paul and Donna (HS) is not open to bribery!
Don Larner in his summing up of the day, managed to get a covid joke in which made us all laugh and reminded us we need to shop for wine and chocolates!
Well done to everyone today and a special congratulations to those who walked in the blistering heat and managed to hit a golf ball!
Fiona
What a hot day for the Ondara Cup at Oliva Nova where 28 players, including guest
Ben Lee, played in scorching 36d with hardly any breeze. Hot golf was played by all the winners but particularly, the fabulous octogenarian, our very own Janet Jones, our winner today with a stupendous 39 points, on count back, even with a blob! Jan clapped her hands gleefully on hearing of a 1.5 handicap cut. She was heard to say, ‘Bring it On!’
Jan exclaimed she had a lovely time supported by the rest of her playing team and she wanted to thank Brian Barden , who in supporting her didn’t let on how well her score was coming along so as to not jinx it! Brian did mention that his game wasn’t up to much today and thought his, ‘ being caddy and driving the buggy for Jan position’ would take the major role , bad golf not withstanding.
Paul Sankey was runner up with 39 points and he said he couldn’t think of a better and nicer person in the whole of the golfing world he would rather come second to.
3rd was John Snelling with 37
points on count back
4th was Charlie Miller 37 points
5th Kevin Waterland 36 points
6th Celia Cronin 35 points
Senior winner was Peter Ketteringham with 35points (you know who couldn’t have been playing today?!)
2’s were awarded to Roy Jones (that prize was nearly presented to John Snelling- need a look at that card Johnny!)
A further 2 to Dennis McVeigh.
A spectacular eagle 2 for Penny Barden on the 18th! This was witnessed by her playing partners. The drive was OK but her second shot ran up low, nearly curled into the bunker, took a turn, scuttled up to the hole and popped in! That 5 points was needed Penny exclaimed. Photos were taken for posterity and for anyone who wants to see Penny celebrating!
Don Larner celebrated the winners today in his effervescent style telling some oldie jokes but the joke was on everyone else who bowed down to our winner today, who at 82 years young said she is looking forward to her next handicap cut and cup win.
Well done everyone. Some celebrations after the golf I heard and commiserations to all the runners up and also rans.
See you all next week
Fiona
ANNE EDWARDS 40 pts (12) Overall Winner
PETER KETTERINGHAM
(S) 39 pts (19) Overall Runner-Up
MICHAEL HARDING (S) 37 pts
(23) Overall 3rd
JOHN SNELLING 35 pts (15) Overall 4th Last
Six Holes
DEREK LINDLEY 35 pts (15) Overall 5th
NEVILLE
RICHARDSON 34 pts (28) Overall 6th Last Six Holes
31 golfers played in the Individual Stableford at a hot, humid and sunny Oliva Nova today including Gill Barrett as a guest .
As is Covid regular at the moment players pick up their cards on the tee and meet up with their playing partners who elbow kiss hello and virtual handshake with each other . It was great to welcome back Fred Betteridge to his surprise presentation of an Aldi vintage bottle of wine, waiting for him since the turkey trot in Dec 2019! Fred declared he hadn’t played golf in 6 months but showed great skill, his playing partners remarked ... but golf is like that!
Prizes were awarded to the first 6 and as the committee has decided that the prizes will be cash there was a rush from the winners to get to the bar.
Our winner today with a marvellous 40pts was the ever consistent great golfer Anne Edwards, so Anne expect a handicap cut as will Peter Ketteringham runner up on
39 pts . 3rd was the ever dapper Mike Harding, who was sinking puts from his favourite ‘long distance’ to achieve 37 pts . John Snelling 4th with 35 pts (on count back). 5th Derek Linley 35 pts . 6th Neville Richardson 34 pts.
John Cook won the senior prize with 34 points yet again .
Andy Leach claimed victory with the only 2 even with a bad neck .. must have kept him steady?!
Don Larner is getting back into his stride again finishing the prize giving with a couple of jokes just to take attention away from his result ( we have missed you Don) .Is your new bag fixed yet Don ? .. could that be the problem?
See you all next week at Oliva Nova and hopefully some of us should ‘know’ the greens by then ?
Fiona
Levante Golf Society’s first major trophy of the year is the Spring Trophy round 2
Levante Golf Society’s first major trophy of the year is the Spring Trophy
Oh no....
Levante Golf Society’s first major trophy of the year is the Spring Trophy which is played over two rounds under Stableford rules. This year’s first round, on 6 March was at La Sella Golf Club with a maximum number of 36 members taking part. The second and concluding round will be on 13 March, with the trophy winner being the member with the highest aggregate score.
La Sella’s course is starting to show real signs of improvement after the extensive redevelopment of the first nine holes in 2019 This competition was played on the original eighteen holes and as is often the case, most of the greens were fast. Weather conditions were very difficult, despite bright sunshine the winds varied from blustery to near gale force and this reflected in the scores with no-one receiving a handicap cut. However in typical LGS style the competition was friendly, sociable and very competitive with only one point separating the top 6 places.
Winner on the day with 32 points was Neville Richardson. He had taken the unconventional approach to recovering from a dip in form in early February by taking an overseas holiday, not playing golf for three weeks and returning from a long haul flight the day before the match. Perhaps jet-lag can affect your judgement in a positive way!
As Neville is unavailable for the second round of the trophy, the ‘honour’ of representing the handicap bandits will be taken on by Honorary Life President, Roger Miller who came second on the day, also with 32 points. Also on 32 points was third placed David Downes. Fourth and fifth placed were Brian Barden and Eric Edwards on 31 points. Sixth place, also on 31 points, went to Levante Golf Society’s newest member, Viv Bacon who was welcomed to the Society before the start and was awarded her prize at the end by captain for the day, Andy Price.
The seniors’ prize was awarded to serial prize winner and Mr Consistency, John Cook on 30 points. John was also nearest the pin on hole 15 with Kevin Waterland nearest on hole 5. Hans Benzler, ‘refreshed’ from his long haul flights to Australia scored the only two of the day on hole 15.
Next week the roadshow rolls on to Oliva Nova for the concluding Spring Trophy Round, with the maximum 36 players already oversubscribed. The following three weeks will see an individual Stableford at Font Del Llop, a team game at La Galiana and a return to Oliva Nova for an individual Stableford.
Neville
Winners..
In near perfect warm, sunny weather conditions, a maximum sized group of 36 LGS members competed in the latest weekly competition, this time at Oliva Nova for an Individual Stableford challenge. The course at Oliva Nova is recovering remarkably well from storm Gloria, though there are still many fallen trees which are in the process of being cleared.
The members were organised into nine groups of four and fully briefed by Andy Price, deputising for LGS captain Don Larner who was in the UK visiting Storms Ciara and Dennis. With Levante’s impeccable organisational abilities what could possibly go wrong? Cue the confusion over the booking - only 24 tee times had been reserved. Rather than leave 12 players with the frustration of no golf (as opposed to the frustration of playing golf) contingency plan B was immediately put into effect. One extra tee time was squeezed onto hole one so only eight players were left wondering.
Cue contingency plan C; playing groups eight and nine who had been anticipating another coffee, a pleasant chat, a warm up and hitting a few balls on the range and putting green were quickly herded (with the indecent haste of a UK Government Cabinet reshuffle) to the 10th tee for an immediate start. Oliva officials’ words of ‘keep up with the group in front’ don’t lose any time’ creating a less than relaxed start to the day. It could be worse (a lot worse) those same players could have been arriving at their place of work in Northern Europe in the cold, rain and storms after a tough week of toil. As the song goes ‘Don’t worry, be happy’.
First to third places in the competition were separated by only one point, with the winner being Dave Horridge on 36 points, so there were no handicap cuts.Celia Cronin and the evergreen John Cook were second and third respectively on 35 points. In view of the number of competitors, prizes were awarded down to sixth place taken by Anne Edwards (33), Andy Price (yet again) (32) and Dave Collie (32). The seniors’ prize went to Roy Jones on 31 points.
Nearest the pin on hole three was (Storm) Denis McVeigh, with Dave Lawson nearest on the sixteenth at 1.05 metres, obviously converting for a two.
The next two weeks will see Levante members on a road trip around Valencia Province, with visits to El Saler and Benidorm (Levante). The following two weeks will be the Spring Trophy which will be awarded to the best combined score over two rounds at La Sella and Oliva Nova.
Neville
On the anniversary of the birth of Charles Dickens 19 Levante Golf Society members travelled to Alicante Golf with ‘Great Expectations’. With yellow tee positions unusually far forward the men were virtually playing off the ladies’ tees, so there was little prospect of ‘Hard Times’ for their performances and the scoring showed that most of them gave it ‘The Complete Works’. Enough of that!
Both the weather and the course conditions were good. The competition format was individual Stableford, qualifying for handicap purposes and Player of the Year points. The day was dominated by the theme of consistency – certainly for three of the players;
Firstly, Mike Harding who achieved eight gross pars for a score of 38 points and a 0.8 handicap cut which would have been greater had he not visited the water twice on the eighteenth. Even that score was only good enough for third place.
Secondly, Andy Price, who also scored 38 points – exactly the same score and on the same course as two days earlier with White Coast Golf Society. Andy came fourth on count back earning him a 0.8 handicap cut, his second of the week reflecting his excellent run of form.
Thirdly, Dave Collie who had a gross score 5 on ten of the first eleven holes, regardless of whether their pars were two, three or four. Surprisingly, the hole which broke his sequence was the ninth – a par 5!
The overall winner on the day with an excellent score of 39 points and a 0.9 handicap cut was Kevin Waterland. Kevin also achieved the Desmond of two 2s, on the sixth and twelfth. One other two was achieved, by John Cook on the fifteenth. In second place, leading the pack of 38 point scorers on count back, was Brian Barden earning a 0.6 handicap cut.
Moe Farouky won the seniors’ prize on a score of 36 points. Winners of the nearest the pin prizes were Peter Ketteringham on the third and Neville Richardson on the twelfth.
The next three weeks are individual Stablefords at Oliva Nova (already oversubscribed for the 36 available places) and El Saler, followed by a team game at Benidorm Levante.
Neville
A little known fact is that 24 January is celebrated in some parts of the world as National Compliments Day, with the tradition being to pay at least five compliments to friends, team mates or colleagues. So here goes!
The first ‘well done’ goes to the greenskeepers and ground staff at Benidorm golf course. After the appalling weather of the previous weekend and early part of the week, Oliva Nova Golf Course was resembling a boating lake and clearly unfit for LGS’s weekly fixture. Benidorm Poniente came to the rescue and hosted the event. Considering the amount of rainfall and gales, those responsible for preparing the course had done a remarkable job - enabling 25 members to enjoy a competitive round of golf.
The competition format was individual Stableford and was non-qualifying for handicap and trophy purposes due to the late change of venue. Congratulations for the win go to Hans Benzler who narrowly beat Andy Price on count back, both on 39 points. Hans and Andy are on a great run of form, playing excellent golf. The same is also true of Dave Lawson, who followed up his midweek win at Benidorm Levante with Whitecoast Golf Society with 37 points and third place at Benidorm Poniente. Dave clearly enjoying his day trips to Benidorm! Fourth and fifth places went to two of Levante Golf Society’s most consistent golfers Michael Harding and John Cook on 34 and 33 points respectively. The seniors’ prize was taken by Roger Miller.
Nearest the pin on hole 2 was Kevin Waterland and on hole 15 Paul Sankey at a distance of just 45 centimetres from a hole in one. Naturally Paul converted for a two. Demonstrating the quality of the greens, despite the weather problems, six twos were scored in total, with Andy Price achieving the ‘Desmond’ of two twos.
The final thank yours from all participants go to Competition and Handicap Secretary Donna Green and Captain Don Larner who reacted rapidly to the closure of Oliva Nova to rearrange the venue.
Compliments all round then!
The next three fixtures are a team game at Oliva Nova and individual qualifying competitions at Alicante and Oliva Nova.
Neville
Don Larner started his second year as captain of Levante Golf Society demonstrating the value of experience. Last year at the traditional Captain´s Drive-In (his first official drive of the year), Don allowed his nerves and the pressure of the raucous watching members to get the better of him, hitting his drive into the nearby trees at Oliva Nova for a distance of only 136 yards. This year, however, drawing on his previous experience, Don gave the gallery a driving lesson achieving an excellent first drive of 224 yards. The sweepstake for the nearest prediction was won by Honorary Life President Roger Miller with a guess of 222 yards.
The location for the event was La Sella. Weather conditions were cool at the start warming later into a beautiful January day with the only weather related problem being the occasional difficulty of sighting the ball when driving in the direction of the low winter sun.
The course was not up to the current standard of some others in the Costa Blanca region with some patchy fairways and greens rapid to the point of being unplayable. After last week´s glut of 11 twos at Benidorm Levante no twos were recorded this week at La Sella.
The competition on the day was an individual Stableford with Paul Westerman winning with an excellent score of 37 points, earning him a 1.2 handicap cut. Back in form Keith Price came second on 36 points. Third, fourth and fifth places, all on 31 points were Paul Sankey, Robert Bedloe and Andrew Leach respectively, with sixth place being taken by Anne Edwards on 30 points. The senior prize was taken by Brian Barden with 29 points. Due to the unusually low scoring there were no handicap increases.
Nearest the pin on hole 6 was Robert Bedloe and on hole 15 Alan Mason at a distance of 1.58 metres.
The next three Friday competitions for LGS are an individual Stableford at Oliva Nova ( already oversubscribed), a team game at the same venue and an individual competition at Alicante Golf.
Neville
A new event in the Levante Golf Society calendar held at Benidorm, Levante, was the inaugural Hans Benzler Swedish Strokeplay Challenge on 10 January 2020. Hans, one of the most frequent, enthusiastic and successful players of LGS kindly offered to sponsor this event by donating a crystal glass sculpture as the winning trophy.
Course conditions were very good, with greens in excellent state. The weather forecasts had predicted the first rainfall of 2020, but that thankfully stayed away until after the competition was completed. Temperatures at the start of the day had many of the players dressed more for a Swedish winter than a Costa Blanca coolish day, with many wearing multiple layers of clothing and ‘beenie’ hats, though bizarrely society captain Don Larner opted for shorts. During the round, the sun came out, temperatures rose and layers were removed.
The format chosen by Hans was individual Strokeplay (medal), a welcome change to the more usual Stableford scoring. Fittingly the best round of the day was by Hans with a net score of 72, just beating Neville Richardson (also on 72) on count back. With the sponsor excluding himself from his own competition the trophy went to Neville, who having had an unsuccessful round with his driver earlier in the week, opted to take out his driver only once - on the eighteenth.
Second place in the competition was taken by John Snelling, playing excellent golf and finishing on a net 73 from a handicap on the day of 13. Third, fourth and fifth places went to Paul Sankey, Mike Harding and Roger Miller respectively. Special mention is also deserved by guest, Mike Longmire who also had a net 72 from a handicap of 12, and was also nearest the pin on the third. Nearest the pin on the fourteenth was Don Larner, presumably having warmed up by that stage.
The excellent conditions of the greens was emphasised by the fact that 11 twos were recorded - some weeks there are none - leading to prizes being given only to Les Vine and John Snelling, both of whom had two twos. (Is that a Desmond?) Shot of the day was by the Society’s Honorary Life President who holed an 11 metre putt on the fourteenth for a two.
The next four weeks see the Captain’s Drive-In at La Sella, an individual Stableford competition at Oliva Nova followed by a team game at the same course and then an individual Stableford at Alicante Golf.
Neville
This week saw Levante Golf Society’s members return to competition, theoretically refreshed and raring to go, after their three week extended winter break. (A lesson here for the English Premier League?) In reality, several of the members were recovering from a combination of Christmas/New Year overindulgences, foreign travel and the usual seasonal coughs and colds.
Of course, being the Costa Blanca in early January, the sun was shining, not a cloud in the sky and warming to temperatures in the high teens after a cool start. The Oliva Nova course was in very good condition, firm dry fairways and true, well manicured greens - a massive contrast for those who had played golf in Northern Europe during the break.
The format of the competition, as a gentle introduction to the New Year, was a team accumulator, with two team members to score on par fives, three on par fours and all four on par threes. An expected winning score in this format would be around 104 Stableford points.
The main event of the day was the first drive of the day by LGS’s Honorary Lifetime President Roger Miller, ( the ‘Lifetime’ part of this title being unanimously approved at the December AGM in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the Society.) A sweepstake was held amongst the members with a small prize going to the closest guess as to Roger’s actual drive-in distance. Despite the pressure of the occasion and the slightly unsporting barracking from the gallery, he successfully avoided the trees on the left and the lake on the right (by 30cm) to record a distance of 112 metres. Kenny Kennard won the closest guess prize at 110 metres with Hans Benzler only just missing out with his guess of ‘in the lake’!
The competition was won by a clear margin of seven points by the team of Celia Cronin, Susie Snelling, Hans Benzler and Paul Hornby with an excellent score of 111 points. In second place came Les Vine, Jan Stevenson, Roy Jones and Dave Geeson with third prize being picked up by Peter Ketteringham, John Snelling, Robert Bedloe and Moe Farouky .
Kenny Kennard was on excellent driving form, collecting the nearest the pin prizes on both the third and sixteenth holes.
The next three weeks will see Levante’s members play in individual events starting with a stroke play competition at Benidorm Levante for trophies sponsored very generously by Hans Benzler, followed by the Captain’s Drive-In at La Sella and then a return to Oliva Nova on 24 January.
Neville
The last game of the year
In the build up to Christmas, the penultimate competition of the year saw 22 members of Levante Golf Society enjoying a last visit of the year to La Sella. The format for the annual ‘Turkey Trot’ was pairs combined Stableford scores. The course is showing the adverse impact of additional use during the closure of the front nine holes for renovation; however weather conditions were excellent, sunny and warm.
Whilst the expectation for this strangely named event might have been for a gift of a Christmas turkey, LGS tradition dictated that the alternative present was a bottle of wine for each participant. Unfortunately Santa’s little helpers (Neville and Andy) forgot to remind Captain Don Larner of his duties and instead the members received a heartfelt apology and an IOU of a bottle of wine. Don’s penance is that at the AGM following the competition he was unanimously selected to serve a further year in office as Captain.
The golf, as is the norm at Levante Golf Society, was enjoyable, competitive and of a high standard. The winners on 60 points were Anne Edwards and Honorary President Roger Miller. In second place were committee members Roger Jennings and Andy Price on 59 points, with Roger executing a magnificent putt (his own description) on the 15th for a two. In third place came Kevin Waterland and Keith Price, with Paul Hornby and Neville Richardson in fourth. Neville’s putting during the round was of indifferent standards. His solution on the par five seventeenth was to fluke his 75 yard chipped fourth shot into the hole for five points.
The AGM after the competition saw the re-election of the committee without the need for Andrew Neil interviews of the contestants. Particular thanks for their contribution and commitment during the year were given to Captain Don Larner; Competition and Handicap Secretary Donna Green; Secretary Roger Jennings; Treasurer Robert Bedloe; webmaster Hans Benzler and Honorary President Roger Miller. Roger’s invaluable contribution to the Levante Golf Society was recognised by his unanimous appointment to the position of the society’s first Honorary Life President. LGS has had an excellent year under Don’s leadership coming runners up in the Costa Blanca League, having a waiting list of those wishing to become members and a healthy financial position.
The final competition of 2019 is a team game at Benidorm (Levante), then into the New Year with the President’s drive in, the Hans Benzler sponsored trophy event and the Captain’s drive in.++
Neville
Special award to our guest of honour Paul Tolley presented by John Cook
.jpg)
Spring Trophy. Winner - Anne Edwards; 2nd - Mike Harding; 3rd Robert Bedloe
.jpg)
Oliva Nova Eclectic. Winner - Mike Harding; 2nd - Robert Bedloe; 3rd - Alan Overton
.jpg)
President's Challenge. Winner - Jenny Downes (not present); 2nd - David Downes (not present); 3rd - Mike Harding
.jpg)
Captain's Cup. Winners - John Snelling and Roger Miller
.jpg)
Frank Carroll Plate. Winner - Alan Overton; 2nd - Penny Barden
.jpg)
Frank Carroll Trophy Winner - Denis McVeigh; 2nd - Don Larner; 3rd - John Cook and David Downes (not present)
.jpg)
Division 2 Champion. Winner Brian Barden; 2nd Dave Geeson (not present); 3rd Mike Harding
.jpg)
Division 1 Champion. Winner Penny Barden; 2nd Kevin Waterland; 3rd John Snelling
.jpg)
Autumn Trophy. Winner - Susie Snelling; 2nd - Paul Sankey; 3rd - Neville Richardson
.jpg)
Ondara Challenge. Winner - Penny Barden; 2nd - John Cook; 3rd - Mike Harding
.jpg)
Player of the Year. Winner - Penny Barden; 2nd - John Cook; 3rd - Mike Harding
.jpg)
On 30 November Levante Golf Society members enjoyed an
excellent social event at The La Sella Marriott Hotel with all
of the Society’s major awards for the year being presented by
Captain Don Larner. Penny and Brian Barden’s golf throughout the
year has been of a consistently high standard, resulting in them
taking 6 of the prizes, with Penny winning both the Player of
the Year trophy and the Ondara Challenge despite losing two
months’ golf due to a broken wrist. John Cook also had a good
evening coming close runner up in the Player of the Year and
winning two other prizes. Mr Consistency, Mike Harding picked up
5 prizes including the Oliva Nova Eclectic trophy. Don also
presented guest of honour, Paul Tolley with a gift to thank him
for his contribution to improving LGS’s golf and to remind him
of his many friends at the society.
Neville
Friday 29 November was this year’s ‘Black Friday’, but one Levante Golf Society member, Alan Overton, was giving nothing away. Alan, one of the more senior players, almost made a clean sweep of all of the prizes on offer. LGS also welcomed the first appearance of new members Roy and Jan Jones.
The competition was at Alicante Golf, a course in good condition. The sun was shining and with temperatures approaching the mid twenties (that’s Centigrade for those reading this in Northern Europe) it was hard to believe that this was the last weekend in November. The competition format was Stableford pairs better ball. The hot favourites before the start were John Cook and Neville Richardson, two of the players to have benefited most from the LGS group coaching sessions with the departing Paul Tolley. Of course the reason why bookies are wealthy is that favourites don’t always win!
The winners on the day were Dave Collie and Alan Overton on a highly impressive 49 points. In second place were Peter Ketteringham (making a welcome return to the sunshine) and Keith Price on 47 points. In third place came John Cook and Neville Richardson on 42 points, well clear of fourth placed Brian Barden and Paul Hornby on 37 points.
Nearest the pin on hole 3 was Alan Overton at 2.45 metres, with Peter Ketteringham closest on hole 12. Alan converted his excellent tee shot on the third for the only two of the day.
In an attempt to encourage members to concentrate on their short game, Captain Don Larner introduced a putting competition. In simplest form this meant counting every putt for every player. Don’s explanation of the detailed rules was as complicated and opaque as the UK political parties’ manifestos - though probably more truthful and meaningful. The winner of the competition was, of course Alan Overton taking only 33 putts, with Anne Edwards a close second on 35 putts.
Alan is shortly due to travel to Australia for a couple of months to visit family. Whilst Levante members wish him well in his travels, they are also secretly delighted to see him go to enable others to share in the prizes.
The last two LGS competitions of the year will be team games at La Sella and Benidorm (Levante). After a short break over Christmas and New Year, members are looking forward to the Captain’s drive in at Oliva Nova on 3 January 2020.
The concluding round of Levante Golf Society’s Autumn Trophy at La Sella on 22 November represented the final opportunity for members to win a trophy in 2019. This led to a large group of competitive golfers meeting up just after dawn for the usual early tee times at this venue. Given the Northern European heritage of most of the golfers it was perhaps ironic to hear comments about cool temperatures and dark mornings.
The format was Individual Stableford with scores to be added to those from Oliva Nova last week to determine the winner of the trophy. The first nine holes at La Sella have undergone major reconstruction over recent months and many LGS members were very disappointed at the condition of this part of the course. They felt that the heavy sanding, sparce grass growth and impact of recent heavy rain meant that these new holes had been reopened too early. Nevertheless conditions were the same for everyone and didn’t dampen the members’ competitive instincts.
After Round 1 Paul Sankey was the leader, 5 points clear of the next player competing in Round 2. For most of his round he looked certain to lift the trophy, however a disappointing last 5 holes opened up the possibility of an alternate winner. Susie Snelling seized the opportunity with an excellent, accurate round where she didn’t miss a fairway from the tee. Susie was the winner of the Autumn Trophy on 67 points, with Paul Sankey second on 66 and Neville Richardson third on 62.
The winner of the prize for best round of the day was Mike Harding, just beating Roger Jennings on count back, both scored 35 points - a very creditable score given the conditions. John Snelling, John Cook and Susie Snelling all scored 34 points to collect the third, fourth and fifth prizes. David Downes scored 33 points to take the seniors’ prize.
Two twos were scored, Dave Collie on the fifth and Shaun O’Gorman on the eighth. Nearest the pin on hole 5 was John Cook, and on hole 6 Hans Benzler.
Levante’s golfers have three more games this year, at Alicante, La Sella and Benidorm (Levante), all of which are team games. As a demonstration of how quickly we are heading for the New Year, Competition Secretary Donna Green is already requesting availability for the first round in 2020.
On Saturday 30 November LGS are holding the Annual awards dinner where all trophy and major competition winners will receive their prizes. Guest of honour will be Paul Tolley who is leaving his golf coaching role at Oliva Nova to return to England. Through both his individual and group coaching lessons he has been instrumental in improving the playing and the enjoyment of golf for many Levante members over the last two decades. His departure will be Spain’s loss and his new club in England will gain his inspirational approach to golf.
Neville
Friday 15 November was the final of Levante Golf Society’s prestigious Frank Carroll Trophy - a knockout cup competition to which all full members are able to participate. It was also round one of the last major competition of our annual golfing calendar, the Autumn Trophy.
The venue was Oliva Nova, where the course is almost completely recovered from the extensive work of a few months ago. Fairways were in good condition and the greens very fast and true. Weather conditions were testing earlier on with gusting winds and whilst cooler than recently, the sun shone making for pleasant golfing.
In a keenly fought and pulsating contest played under matchplay format Denis McVeigh beat Captain Don Larner to become LGS’s Champion Golfer by lifting the Frank Carroll Trophy. The lead changed hands several times during the match and at no stage was there a lead of more than one hole. All square after seventeen, Denis won the eighteenth to win by one.
Meanwhile 33 LGS members took part in the Stableford format first round of the Autumn Trophy. Round two takes place at La Sella on 22 November with the trophy going to the player with the best aggregate score. The clear winner on the day was Paul Sankey on 38 points with Dave Lawson second on 34 points. Kevin Waterland and Susie Snelling came third and fourth respectively on 33 points with Dave Geeson taking fifth place. The seniors’ prize went to Celia Cronin.
Prizes for nearest the pin in two shots went to Alan Overton on the fifth hole and Kevin Waterland on the eighteenth at an impressive 73 centimetres.
The grouping of the day, who shall remain nameless to protect their personal data (and pride) was a foursome whose total age topped 300 years, despite one of them being a Youth Trainee Scheme member at a mere 62 years. What better advert could we have for the healthy lifestyle of the Costa Blanca demonstrating that age shall not weary them!
Friday was also the second running of the LGS Vol au Vent challenge. The generosity of the participants was welcomed by the hungry golfers at the end of their rounds with everyone attempting to be a part of the judging panel. Reining champion Siggi Palsson made a noble effort to retain his trophy but was beaten by unanimous decision to first place by Penny Barden. This was also Penny’s first round of golf back with LGS after breaking her arm a couple of months ago. Despite this break(!) and as a demonstration of the quality of Penny’s golf earlier in the year, she remarkably is still at the top of the leader board for the Player of the Year Trophy.
In the three weeks following the Autumn Trophy LGS adopt a more relaxed format with team games at Alicante and Benidorm (Levante), with a pairs competition for the Turkey Trot at La Sella.
Neville
On a day when weather and course conditions would have severely tested the world’s best golfers, Levante’s players got on with enjoying their weekly competition. This week it was a pairs betterball format with ten teams taking part.
Not only were the winds gusting to what seemed like near gale force but were frequently changing direction with the sight on one hole of tumbleweed scurrying across the green in one direction only to reverse and depart in the direction from which it came. The course had been affected by the adverse weather conditions earlier in the year and by the drying effect of the winds in recent days leaving a number of the greens lightning quick and occasionally unpredictable. Nevertheless Bonalba is a well liked course with a good variety of holes presenting an excellent golfing challenge.
The winners on the day were Dave Collie and Brian Child with 44 points. Dave, fortified by something stronger than his usual pre match coffee used his power game to combat the conditions and Brian is rapidly becoming the partner of choice for the lower handicap golfers, winning his second team game in succession.
Second place went to Bob Fell and Neville Richardson who between themselves played some excellent and some far from excellent golf but dovetailed well together to amass 41 points. In third place were Hans Benzler and Roger Miller also on 41 points but losing out on count back of scores over the last nine holes.
Shot of the day was played by Mike Harding. Mike has been on excellent form, regularly winning prizes in the weekly competitions. This may be why he decided to give himself an additional handicap on the second par three. Powering his tee shot towards the green, his ball struck a post several yards in front of the tee and rebounded to behind where he was standing admiring his drive. His second shot was from several yards behind his first. Despite this, he and his partner Alan Overton accumulated a very creditable 40 points to finish fourth.
Nearest the pin on the fourth was Bob Fell and on the fourteenth was David Downes.
Next week sees a fully subscribed list of LGS members take on the first round of the Autumn challenge at Oliva Nova with the second round taking place at La Sella the following week, the winner will be the individual player with the best cumulative score. These rounds are followed by a team game at Alicante and the annual pre Christmas ‘Turkey Trot’ pairs competition at La Sella.
Don Larner’s legacy to LGS in his period as Captain has been the introduction of the innovative Vol au Vent challenge which will have its second (and perhaps final) running after the game on 15 November.
Levante Golf Society’s annual dinner and awards evening is at the La Sella Marriott Hotel on 30 November (all tickets have been sold) and the AGM will take place on 6 December.
Neville
Oliva Nova was the venue for Levante Golf Society’s latest weekly competition. All available places were taken for this individual Stableford handicap qualifier and starting lists for the next few weeks are already becoming very well subscribed as members are taking advantage of the beautiful late Autumn weather.
Course conditions at Oliva Nova are improving after recent treatments with the fairways in good condition although the greens are still not at their excellent best. In bright sunshine and with temperatures in the high twenties a gentle breeze was welcome, though not so welcome when it gusted into very strong winds.
On the day before England’s rugby disappointment and on the latest day after Brexit didn’t happen, Kenny Kennard decided to ‘swing low’ to stay below the winds and to ‘get it done’ by winning the competition on a score of 36 points. On this occasion Kenny avoided a handicap cut, something that is bound to happen when he decides to give up the distraction of work and play more golf in Spain.
In second place also on 36 points was Siggy Palsson, our man from Iceland (the country not the store), he also took the nearest to the pin prize on hole three. As current holder of the LGS vol-au-vent challenge trophy, Siggy was reminded by Captain Don Larner that at the next running of this challenge (later in November) any assistance from his wife will result in instant disqualification.
John Snelling representing the low handicappers came third on 35 points, with Fiona Sankey and Dave Collie fourth and fifth. Mike Harding once again took the seniors’ prize and Fred Betteridge was closest to the pin on hole sixteen. Surprisingly there were no 2s recorded.
Although there were no handicap cuts, the competitive nature of LGS members was demonstrated by the fact that 21 of the 34 participants scored between 30 and 36 points.
The next four weeks see LGS members playing a team game at Bonalba, the two rounds of the individual Autumn Trophy at Oliva Nova and La Sella and a team game at Alicante.
Neville
.jpg)
.jpg)
Don Larner, LGS Captain was determined to splash out on his big day of the year, providing breakfast and snacks for all participants and offering to be thrown into the lake to raise money for his charity of the year, the Oliva Orphanage.
This is one of the most popular dates in the LGS calendar, fully subscribed with 36 golfers including three guests, Campbell Lamont, Rafa Velasco (Director of Golf at Oliva Nova) and John Williams (president of White Coast Golf Society). The format was a pairs betterball competition with Stableford scoring. Weather conditions were ideal, warm and sunny, what more could we want in mid October? The Oliva Nova course was not at its immaculate best as it continues to recover from recent treatments, though good scoring and some excellent golf demonstrated that this is still an excellent venue.
Prizes for the day were very kindly donated; winners’ vouchers by Campbell Lamont, golf rounds at Oliva Nova by Rafa Velasco, golf lessons by Paul Tolley and wine by Don Larner.
The winners on the day, and proud holders of the Captain’s Silver salver for the year were John Snelling and Honorary President Roger Miller with an excellent score of 49 points. Second place went to the pairing of Kevin Waterland and Dave Collie on 47 points and in third place came Hans Benzler and Mike Harding on 46 points. Mike was also closest to the pin on the 16th, converting for a two. The remaining prizes went to the pairings of Bob Fell/Kenny Kennard, Danny Herron/Moe Farouky and Anne Edwards/Fiona Sankey.
Closest to the pin on the Third was Kevin Waterland, with Brian Norbury closest in two on the fifth and guest Campbell Lamont closest in two on the eighteenth.
The opportunity to throw the Captain into the lake (ironically 168 years to the day from the publication of the novel Moby Dick) was not taken up by the members. This could have been out of respect for Don, or more likely due to his repeated reminders that he can’t swim and no-one was prepared to jump in to rescue him. Nevertheless, his charity benefitted by 380 Euros.
Members, guests and partners enjoyed an excellent lunch in the clubhouse, preceded by the Captain’s speech (thankfully no jokes) and the prize giving. The fun atmosphere of the day was summarised by Danny Herron’s toast to Don as ‘The best Captain we’ve had in 2019’!
The next three weeks see LGS members playing a variety of formats, team games and individual competitions, at Oliva Nova and Bonalba. These are followed by the first round of the Autumn trophy at Oliva Nova on 15 November, an event which already has its full allocation of 36 places taken.
Neville.
Twenty eight LGS playing members and nine non playing guests enjoyed an excellent away trip to the Mar Menor region between 8 and 11 October. Three team rounds of golf were played at different courses, with the format and teams of four being changed each day. Prizes were awarded for first, second and third placed teams on each day.
This annual trip is planned to be fun and relaxed, away from the regular weekly competitions of the rest of the year. However pride and the natural competitive streak of LGS members ensured that the standard of golf was high, though perhaps by the final day it reflected the cumulative effect of the pre dinner happy (two) hours at the hotel bar, the wine during the meal and the post dinner visits to the bar!
Las Colinas was the venue for the first round, played as a team accumulator (two to score on par 5s, three on par 4s and four on par 3s). This attractive and challenging course was in good condition, except for the bunkers which had been badly affected by the recent devastating Gota Fria. The deserved winners on the day (by a clear 5 points) were LGS Captain Don Larner, John Williams, Sean Carr and Brian Barden.
Day two was at Roda Golf Club, a deceptively challenging course, whilst being fairly flat, a combination of bunkers and water means that every hole has difficulties. The format was again a team accumulator, but this time with the best two scores out of four to count on each hole. The winners were Bob Fell, Moe Farouky, David Lawson and Jenny Downes.
The third round was at most members’ favourite course in this region, Lo Romero, with it’s spectacular signature island green on the eighteenth. The format was a ‘waltz’ with one player to score on the first, two to score on the second and three on the third, with the one, two, three to score continued around the course. The winning team was Captain Don Larner (again) Sean Carr (again) Danny Herron and Mike Harding.
Over the three days of golf a par three challenge competition was held, raising 140 Euros for the Captain’s charity. The clear winner by a margin of three points was Alan Overton who accumulated thirty-two Stableford points on the par threes across the three courses, spectacularly scoring five points on one hole at Las Colinas. Finally, in order to ensure that no-one went home empty handed, a sleeve of LGS golf balls was given to the small number of unfortunate members who had failed to win anything else!
On 18 October LGS members will be back at Oliva Nova competing in a pairs competition for the prestigious Captain’s Day Salver.
Neville.
PRESIDENT’S TROPHY
The only way was up for the Downes in the Levante President’s
trophy at Oliva Nova on 4 October as Jenny and David Downes took
first and second places. Honorary President Roger Miller
presided over events for this prestigious annual trophy event.
His pre competition briefing invoked the spirit of former
President Frank Carroll. He informed the large grouping of LGS
members that this would be a day of ‘pure golf’ played under
strokeplay/medal format - no ‘gimmees’, no pickups, all shots to
count (unless they amounted to more than 10 shots on a hole).
Some of the members who were later trying to recover shots from
bunkers, barrancos, lakes and difficult lies behind trees were
left wondering about the concept of pure golf!
The main and
slightly quirky trophy for this event is a full length ageing
putter mounted on a heavy wooden background. In addition, LGS
were delighted to receive the very generous support of Campbell
Lamont Golf who sponsored the first three prizes and the
seniors’ prize.
Weather conditions were perfect, warm and sunny. Unfortunately the Oliva Nova fairways and greens were not at their usual immaculate best following recent repairs and treatments.
Playing off full, slope enhanced, handicaps, scoring was excellent with 23 of the 39 members scoring a net 79 or fewer and the first six places all earning handicap cuts. The lowest gross score of the day was achieved by Shaun O’Gorman (also nearest the pin on hole five) with a tremendous score of 80, but with his true playing handicap of 4 it wasn’t good enough to earn him a top ten finish and even gave him a slight handicap increase. Different standards!
The main plaudits go to the Downes family who had very recently returned to Spain from their self imposed exile in the UK where they went to get away from the confusion of Spanish politics! Jenny played superbly to score a net 68 and earn a handicap cut of 2 points to 26.6. David just edged Mike Harding and Paul Sankey (also nearest the pin on hole three) to second place on count back, with all three achieving a net score of 70. Fifth and sixth places were John Snelling and Sandor Rozsa on 71, with Anne Edwards coming in seventh on a very respectable 72.
The seniors’ prize went to Terry Saville on 72, with John Cook in second place on 73. John was also nearest the pin in two on the eighteenth. Other nearest the pin winner was on-form Roger Jennings on hole sixteen who also converted for a two. In total seven twos were scored - too many to mention by name, so well done to all.
The final event of the day was Honorary President Roger Miller presenting the main trophy to Jenny Downes, who presumably is now in discussions with David as to whether a home extension is required to display it.
On 8 October LGS members head off to the deep south (Murcia) for their annual away trip. Team games on the three different courses will have a relaxed format, probably a less pure form of golf and a chance for everyone to win something.
Neville
Lavante traveled to La Galiana for a stableford competition this week with a real threat of thunder and lightning, fortunately it stayed away with good dry conditions, all the mowers were in action trying to keep the grass down but still very easy to loose balls just off the fairway. We thought maybe someone had upset the green keeper with most yellow tees in the white position. Having said that; there were still some respectable scores. Brian Child came in with 34pnts, Tony slipper 33, Andy Leach 33, in 3rd place and Andy Price with 31. Steady Mike Harding won the senior prize with 29pnts and nearest the pin on 14. Hans was nearest to pin on hole 3. There was only one in two on hole 5 ft, Paul Sankey. There was the Frank Carroll knockout competition semi final between Dennis McVeigh and John Cook. Congratulations to Dennis who won 1up after quite a battle he now meets Don the captain in the final.
John Cook.
The sun always shines on Levante Golf Society members, or so it seems. On a day when many parts of the Costa Blanca experienced heavy rain showers, the weather at Alicante was ideal for golf, slightly cooler than the heat of mid summer, with plenty of bright sunny spells.
Today was an individual Stableford competition. Course
conditions were excellent as demonstrated by seven of the
sixteen strong field scoring 36 points or more. The overall
winner on 41 points was Neville Richardson, earning him a 2
point handicap cut. He has now had cuts of 4.2 points over his
last four qualifying rounds, not a bad return for being one of
the regular attendees at LGS’s weekly group coaching sessions
with Paul Tolley at Oliva Nova. His playing partner for the day,
Captain Don Larner, naturally tried to claim all the credit on
the basis that he booked the coaching sessions!
Second place went to Dave Geeson on 39 points, with third and fourth being John Cook and Brian Barden both on 38 points. Brian also won the putting competition, getting round in only 30 puts.The seniors’ prize was won by honorary president Roger Miller on 35 points, continuing his good form since his layoff for illness. The best guest prize went to Dean Poulson, who was striking the ball beautifully and putting very consistently for his 36 points. Dean was also nearest the pin on the third, with Kevin Waterland nearest the pin on the twelfth.
The serious business of the day was the match play contest in the latest round of the Frank Carroll Plate. In a close contest with the lead changing hands a number of times, Penny Barden beat Roger Jennings two up.
Excuses of the day surely have to go to John Cook and Dave Collie. Both have been playing excellent golf recently, but claimed to get distracted from the competition by Alicante’s fowl and felines. On the seventh tee a duck climbed into John’s buggy and demolished his energy boosting banana, whilst only two holes later several cats got into Dave’s buggy and polished off his sandwich lunch. Both must now be in contention for the newly created end of season friends of the wildlife award!
The next three weeks for Levante Golf Society members involve
an individual qualifying competition at La Sella, followed by
team games at La Galiana and Oliva Nova. On 4 October it is
expected that a full field of 32 members will compete at Oliva
Nova for the President’s Trophy.
Neville
Another lovely at Oliva Nova with a very welcome discount to lgs, due to works being carried out to the greens ect. This week we a team game of two ball Texas scramble. The captain had his normal pre match talk with the odd joke included very funny but not repeatable. We didn't have the putting comp this week due to the poor greens.
Just a reminder Paul Tolley coaching starts on Tuesday!
The results were:
Nearest the pin hole 3 Paul Sankey
and hole 16 was Andy Leach, 2.40 from the pin and managed to
convert his putt for a two. In third place Hans Benzler & Fiona
Sankey with 70 net score.
In second place David collie & Celia Cronin 69 net score (David is the most photographed member we have). And in 1st place was Danny Herron & Fred I Betteridge on 66 net score. Under Danny's coaching skills Fred chipped and putted like a pro, he must of had sore shoulders though because Danny's no lightweight. Next week we are at Alicante poy ect.
John Cook.
Another warm day but not so humid, numbers still a bit low for august but the course was in good condition and the bunkers were still there. Nice to see Don, the captain, back with his banter and just to keep our brains working had the putting comp again which was won by Hans with 32putts. The captain has some trouble getting the nearest the pin markers out, not mentioning any names but, he's an estate agent from Norwich who drives an X5. I think there will be a fine in due course. Ben Lee (guest) won closest to pin on the 3rd and Terry Saville, who pushed his non electric trolley all round, was nearest on hole 14.
In 3rd place Hans Benzler 34pts, John Cook 2nd 35pts and David Collie, who I'm pleased to see with a hcp adjustment, had a great score of 38pts to take 1st place. Senior prize went to bob fell with 31pts.
John Cook
Another very warm day for golf, off we go to Alenda Golf.
David Collie, driving Kevin, has been there 5 times before and sat
navigator in hand what could go wrong...1,9 miles away this
woman, who wouldn't stop talking, decides to take us back on the
AP7 to Valencia before you know it we are 9 miles away so - U turn
and 15 minuets later we arrive.
Nice to see Roger back on the
computer and the president extracting money from everybody like
a true accountant. The coarse looked to be in very good shape but I
can't say the same about Kevin and myself after pushing those
trolleys around.
So the results were:
senior prize - Roger Miller
29 points, getting back to his old self
Nearest the pin; hole 5
David Collie, hole 16 Terry Saville
Moe had a 2 on hole 13.
In
3rd place Terry Saville with 31pts - he keeps popping up. 2nd place
Dave Collie 32 points, who played a good game the day before in
the summer league and 1st place John Cook with 38points.
John cook.
Another very hot day at La Sella numbers were down for
various reasons the captain spiced it up with a putting comp as
well Alan Overton won that 31points. Better known as steady
eddy. Kevin was 3rd with 32pnts Siggi runner up 32pnts John cook
36pnts
Hans was nearest the pin expert on the day x2 and
converted one putt for a two.
John Cook
This week’s LGS competition was nominated as the fashion show to
raise funds for Don Lardner's Captain’s charity. The rules were
simple: within the bounds of acceptable golf wear, prizes would
be given to the most fashionably dressed golfers. An eclectic
approach resulted in an array of bright, garish colours,
patterns and shapes, testing to the limit the concept of
‘acceptable’. Paris, Milan and London fashion shows need have no
fear. The old phrase ‘don’t worry it’ll come back into
fashion’ was grossly inappropriate: these clothes had
never been in fashion and hopefully never will be. The
ladies’ prize was won by Penny Barden, in one of the more
acceptable outfits of the day. The mens’ prize went to
Robert Bedloe who claimed that his wife had tried to throw his
shirt away (pity she didn’t succeed!). Regardless, the event
served the twin purposes of raising over 80 Euros for charity -
and raising a laugh.
On to the serious side of the day.
Following the Captain’s briefing, Roger Miller gave the third
interpretation in as many weeks of the penalty shots ruling at
the barranco on hole 7. This version was supported by
official correspondence from the Direct Deportivo of the course
and will be posted on the LGS website shortly.
The golf
competition for the day was individual Stableford. Course
conditions as always at Oliva Nova were very good and the
weather was another notch up on heat and humidity from last
week. The standout performer of the day was Dave Collie.
Continuing his recent good form Dave won the overall competition
on 36 points, was nearest the pin on hole 3 and converted his
tee shot for a two. The only prize which eluded him was the
fashion show and not for the want of trying.
Susie
Snelling on 34 points came second, with Roger Miller and Penny
Barden third and fourth on 32 and 31 points respectively. This
was one of Roger’s first appearances after a layoff for illness.
His form on the day led some to question whether part of his
recuperation time had been spent on the driving range and
putting green!
The seniors’ prize was won by Terry
Saville on 31 points, nearest the pin in two at the eighteenth
was Celia Cronin and Donna Green also scored a two, on the
sixteenth.
In the next three weeks LGS will travel to La
Sella, Alenda and Levante (Benidorm) for two individual
competitions and a team game.
Neville
Another week, another golf course and a different format. This
week LGS members were at Alicante Golf to play a pairs better
ball Stableford competition. Numbers were reduced as is normal
at this time of year due to travel, visitors and the heat.
Neville Richardson took on the role of temporary captain for the
day and reminded those playing of exactly why he had been
selected for this prestigious role, which was basically due to
the absence of the captain, vice captain, former captain or any
other committee member.
Course conditions were good.
Weather conditions were slightly warmer and more humid than the
average sauna, however towards the end of the round a light
cloud cover emerged, presumably leading to a Costa Blanca News
headline of ‘Cloud spotted over Alicante in July’!
The
standard of golf was excellent with the intense competition
between the top three teams rivalling the recent men's’ Cricket
World Cup final for a nail biting finish. The three teams all
finished on 45 points with the final placing being decided on
count back over the last nine holes. In first place were Tony
Slipper and Neville Richardson. Tony had a tremendous round
overall, including a two on the third hole, capped by holding
his nerve to sink his put on the eighteenth, knowing that it was
needed to beat Mike Harding and Alan Overton who finished third.
John Cook and Keith Price came second with John also in the
prizes for closest to the pin on the third and converting that
shot for a two.
Closest to the pin on the twelfth was a
regular winner in this category - Brian Barden and one other two
was recorded by Kevin Waterland on the third.
Next
week’s competition is an individual Stableford at Oliva Nova.
This will be the much awaited fashion show where, within the
realms of acceptable golf wear, members are encouraged to play
wearing their most interesting and colourful choice of clothing.
A small entrance fee will be donated to Captain Don Larner’s
charity with a prize for the most ‘fashionable’ LGS member.
Neville
Whilst the eyes of the majority of the golfing world were
focussing on The 148th Open Championship at Royal Portrush, a
few discerning followers of the game were concentrating on the
latest Levante Golf Society Individual Stableford competition at
Oliva Nova. This week’s match was a qualifying event for
personal handicaps and for the Player of the Year and Eclectics
trophies rather than a claret jug, and those taking part showed
their usual competitive streak combined with their friendly and
sociable spirit.
The course condition was excellent and
despite the energy sapping heat and humidity, scoring was
good. The very deserved winner on the day was Susie Snelling
with 39 points leading to a 0.9 handicap cut. Second, third and
fourth places on 37, 36 and 35 points respectively were Danny
Herron, Neville Richardson and LGS captain Don Larner.
Danny also won the curiously named ‘pink ball’ prize for scoring
the highest number of points with his original golf ball. A
stewards’ enquiry was held as to whether he should be
disqualified for nearly assassinating Neville with a very
wayward fairway shot, but on a show of hands it was concluded
that this was not necessarily a negative action!
The
winner of the senior prize was Brian Barden on 32 points, only
one shot behind his wife Penny who came fifth in the main
competition. Nearest the pin on the third was Mike Harding and
nearest the pin in two shots on the eighteenth at an
outrageously close 0.43 metres was Tony Slipper. There were
three twos recorded, by Fred Betteridge, Robert Bedloe and
that man again Danny Herron.
In the time between Theresa
May announcing her decision to step down as British Prime
Minister and for the Conservative party to elect a successor,
LGS have demonstrated that life moves on by playing eight
weekly rounds of golf at four different courses in a variety of
formats. In the next three weeks LGS members are looking forward
to a team game at Alicante Golf and individual competitions at
Oliva Nova and La Sella.
Neville
This week, LGS’s golfers took part in a fun team game at
the excellent Levante course in Benidorm.
The format
was a Stable ford ‘Waltz’ for teams of four players. Confused ?
You will be after this explanation! Each player in the team
plays their own ball throughout, then under Stable ford scoring
the best score is counted on hole one, the two best scores on
hole two and the three best scores on hole three, then back to
best one score on hole four and the sequence continues around
the course. So why is it a waltz? Obvious; it’s 1,2,3;
1,2,3 just like the steps in a waltz. To add to the complication
there were four teams of four players and two teams of three -
in these two the fourth player’s score was recorded as a
mysterious ‘Mr Ghost’ - in reality this was the score from an
anonymous (theoretically) player from one of the other teams!
Education over - now to the golf. On one of the hottest and
sunniest days of the year so far, players were conserving energy
wherever possible, so no ‘quick steps’ and plenty of sun
screen to prevent the ‘tango’ effect. The winning team who fully
got into the ‘swing’ of the competition on 95 points were Brian
Barden, Alan Overton, Mike Harding and Terry Saville. Second
place on 92 points were Penny Barden, Robert Bedloe, Kevin
Waterland and the mysterious Mr Ghost whose normal handicap was
noted as 27.1. Third prize went to Hans Benzler, Dave Geeson,
Andy Ratcliff and Tony Slipper.
There were two guests on
the day, the excellent golfing twins Scott and Sean Cook whose
handicaps added together were lower than any other player on the
day.
The nearest the pin competition was on holes three
and fourteen. Neville Richardson was competing for the
non-existent Mr Consistency award by recording distances of
exactly 4.22 metres on both holes, though the second of these
was beaten by a superb 0.93 metres by Brian Barden. One two was
recorded by Penny Barden on the seventh.
Although this
was a team day it was played under full competition rules and
Neville Richardson and Terry Saville opted to submit ‘day cards’
for handicap adjustment purposes. As a result, Neville’s
handicap was cut from 27.1 to 24.9 and Terry’s from 19.8 to
17.9. As an interesting sideline, five of LGS’s most frequent
attendees at the Paul Tolley group lessons on Tuesday afternoons
have now had meaningful handicap cuts. No coincidence!
Don Larner, in his Captain’s address, announced that the
individual Stableford competition at Oliva Nova on 2 August will
feature a fashion show where LGS members are invited to brighten
up the day with more interesting than usual choices of shorts
and shirts. Entrants will be invited to offer 5 Euros to enter
with a prize for the winner and all proceeds going to the
Captain’s charity.
Neville
LEVANTE GOLF SOCIETY - 05 JULY 2019 - La Sella
This day in history saw the first successful (Thomas) Cook
tour, taking a small group of temperance supporters from
Leicester to Loughborough. 5 July 2019 saw the
continuation of the successful (John) Cook tour of golf courses
on the Costa Blanca.
A smaller than usual group of
Levante Golf Society members travelled to La Sella for an
individual Stableford competition. The numbers were down to 17
due to a combination of illness, family visits and holidays,
however those taking part had an excellent day. The course was
in good condition with the hot weather resulting in fast and
therefore sometimes challenging greens. The standard of play was
good with over half of the players scoring 30 or more points.
John Cook won the competition with 39 points by a clear
margin from Neville Richardson on 36 points, Brian Child on 32
points and Mike Treasure on 31 points. Neville was closest to
the pin at 2.18 metres on the fourteenth and Steve Lamb, making
his LGS debut, was closest on the sixth at 1.46 metres.
Disappointingly, neither of them converted their excellent tee
shots for birdies and no twos were recorded on the day. Alan
Overton won the seniors’ prize on 30 points.
The next
three weeks take LGS members to Levante (Benidorm), Oliva Nova
and Alicante Golf, alternating between team games and handicap
qualifying individual competitions.
Neville
LEVANTE GOLF SOCIETY - 28 JUNE 2019 - ALICANTE GOLF
As Southern Europe was being baked by blistering hot
temperatures and governments were advising people to stay
indoors, twenty four of Levante Golf Society’s intrepid, or
foolhardy, golfers set off for their latest Friday
competition. The venue was Alicante Golf with the fairways in
excellent condition. All were using buggies and the most
sensible decided to exert least energy by playing well, taking
fewest shots and ending at the top of the leaderboard.
Most of the players took part in a pairs better ball competition
and had fun with no risk of handicap changes. The winners on 47
points were David Kerr and Robert Bedloe (great things are
expected of Robert after his upcoming knee operation)! They were
followed closely by David Collie and Mike Harding on 46, Kevin
Waterland and the fast improving Lesley Vass on 44, and Les Vine
and Terry Saville on 43.
Nearest the pin at 1.62 metres
on the twelfth was Siggi Palsson (our man from Iceland making
light of the unaccustomed weather conditions). Only one two was
recorded - by Alan Overton on the sixth.
The main event
of the day billed as a cross between the Thriller in Manilla and
the Rumble in the Jungle , but with a slightly less glamorous
title was the Round Two Frank Carroll Trophy match between Danny
Herron and John Cook. These two heavyweights (in golfing terms
only) of LGS were expected to slug it out to a narrow result. In
the event, John coped best with the heat and got off to a
fantastic start, scorching into a big lead after five holes from
which Danny couldn’t recover. John eventually won 6 and 4 and is
set to meet Denis McVeigh in the semi final.
It is no
coincidence that John is in excellent form and that he is the
most frequent attendee at LGS’s weekly coaching sessions with
Paul Tolley at Oliva Nova. These two hour group sessions are
open only to LGS members at the very reasonable cost of 10 Euros
per person.
Next week LGS are off to La Sella for an
individual Stableford competition, with a team game at Levante
(Benidorm) and Individual Stableford at Oliva Nova in the
following weeks.
Neville
OLIVA NOVA 21 JUNE 2019
LGS returned to Oliva Nova, its adopted home of the last four weeks, for the latest individual Stableford competition. Local knowledge says that the summer heat in the Costa Blanca starts on the Saturday of Moraira’s Moors and Christians festival. As that was last Saturday, there was no surprise that the weather for this week’s golf was hot and humid (and will be until mid September). After looking at weather reports for June in Northern Europe, it didn’t take LGS members long to realise that they were playing golf in the right country.
Course conditions as always were excellent leading to
good scoring, several handicap cuts and a very tight contest. At
the top of the leader board four players tied on 37 points, so
the winner was decided on count back, such a simple and quick
process it’s a shame that the UK Conservative party don’t use it
in their elongated attempt to appoint the next Prime Minister.
The winner was club captain Don Larner. His superb form
on the day raised questions as to whether his 22 points playing
the same course two days earlier was a cynical attempt to add
0.1 to his handicap! The next three places were taken by Peter
Ketteringham, Kevin Waterland and Shaun O’Gorman. Fifth place on
36 points was Alan Overton. Shaun’s score off a handicap on the
day of 6 was the result of excellent overall play, dominated by
a masterclass of powerful accurate driving. His playing partners
were often close to his drives off the tee - on their second
shots!
The seniors’ prize went to John Cook on 36 points. John
also scored a two as did Andrew Leach. Nearest the pin on the
third was Andy Price, and nearest the pin in two on the
eighteenth with an amazing 1.27 metres was Brian Barden.
Meanwhile there was one match in the highly prestigious
Frank Carroll Plate ( featuring losers from the Cup competition).
Andy Price took on Neville Richardson for bragging rights
between the two committee members. Andy demonstrated the benefit
of hours of early morning practice and a true athlete’s pre
match nutrition routine by winning the first three holes.
Neville pulled it back to one down after nine but Andy’s
superior overall play resulted in a win for him by four and two.
He now goes forward to face the mature challenge of Alan Overton
in the next round.
The next three weeks are at Alicante, La Sella and
Levante (Benidorm), with two team games and an individual
Stableford.
Neville
|
Conditions as always at Oliva Nova were excellent
and a slight cloud cover gave welcome relief from the excesses
of the sun.
The winning team with 114 points was
captained by Danny Herron (mainly in a non playing, or at least
non scoring capacity) supported by Mike Harding, Andy Ratcliffe
and Neville Richardson. Second place on 111 points went to Donna
Green, Dave Geeson, and Dave Collie with the mysterious
Mr/Mrs/Ms Ghost making up the numbers. Third place on 107 points
were Roger Jennings, Ed Brady, Brian Barden and Mike Treasure.
Danny was also nearest the pin on the third at 1.96 metres,
narrowly beating his better half Donna, however she snatched the
bragging rights for the journey home by successfully converting
for a two. Les Vine was nearest the pin in two shots at the
eighteenth at 1.97 metres.
The serious business of the
day occurred in the two matches played in the Frank Carroll
Trophy (matchplay format and Stableford scoring). Last week Alan
Overton and Peter Johnson were tied after eighteen holes. Rather
than follow the rules of a play off on the eighteenth from 100
metres, they decided to replay the whole match again ( either
because they enjoyed each others company so much, or more likely
through ignorance of the rules)! This time Alan won by two holes.
In a very close match between two of the lowest handicaps, Denis
McVeigh beat Kevin Waterland on the last hole.
Next week,
LGS are back to Oliva Nova for an individual competition with
several Frank Carroll Trophy games being played. In the
following weeks we play a variety of courses - Alicante, La
Sella and Benidorm Levante.
Neville
|
|
|
Ladies Day at Oliva.
Our captain Don Larner finally returned from his month in Italy
where he clearly enjoyed his break! He was overheard to say « I
wanted to come home after 3 days and don’t show me any more b....y
churches ». We also had an American lady guest although she did have
somewhat of a Yorkshire accent. We then realised that Anne Edwards
was back but her new hair do had us confused but she looks wonderful.
A great day for the girls today with 5 of the 7 top spots going to
our ladies!! Penny Barden was 2nd with 39 points, Celia Cronin and
Donna Green were 2nd and 3rd. Respectively both with 38 points and
Anne Edwards was 6th. with points and Jenny Downes was the Senior
competition winner with 34 points. Well done girls !!
Saving a little bit of male pride were the overall competition
winner David Collie with a very impressive 40 points and our second
man from Sweden Sandro Rozsa in 5th place with 37 points.
Nearest the pin winners were Richard Vass on the 5th only 1.6m from
the pin where he also made a 2 and Roger Jennings on the 16th.
at 3.87m . He was however disappointed as he normally holes this in
one! Celia Cronin also made a 2.
In the match play competition Alan Overton and Peter Johnson were
all square after 18. However they enjoyed it so much that rather
than go to a play off hole, they will replay their match.
Andy
|
On a gloriously sunny day a total of 28 players were raring to go in
our Individual Sableford competition. With the couse in great
condition but
difficult greens as they had been recently hollatined(?) our
players set off undeterred.
Overall winner and on excellent form was Donna Green with a very
impressive 39 points and a 0.9 handicap adjustment. Donna also
rounded off her day winning the nearest the pin competition on hole
3 at 8.50 from the pin. Sounds a lot , not at all , most of us were
not even on the green!
In second place and confirming his consistently good form was Paul
Sankey with 35 points.
John ( no I didn’t play well today) Cook came in with a solid 34 to
finish in 3rd position.
In 4th place is one of the current men on form, Roger Jennings with
33 points and a closest to the pin on hole 16 at 1.80m. Don’t ask
him if he made his 2 .
����
In 5th place and always amongst the leaders was Penny Barden with 33
points and Dave Geeson won the senior prize with the same score.
We had three players making birdie 2’s David Downes, Richard Vass,
and Fred (I’m on fire today) Betteridge.
In their Frank Carroll trophy match competition it was nip and tuck
all the way to the 16th before David Downes accelerated away to beat
a gallant Brian Barden.
Andy
|
- La Sella Friday May 24th.
16 players were up for this pairs Texas scramble competition. We
were all a bit concerned about the weather and although we did get a
few drops of rain it did not dampen the spirits and we all managed
to finish. It was a very close run thing with the 5 first pairs
coming in with scores only separated by a total of 7 points.
Overall winners dovetailing like a well made joint on a piece of
vintage furniture were Kevin Waterland and Roger Miller and an
overall score of 67 points.
In second place were Mike , I’ll do the the front nine , Harding and
Roger ,leave the back 9 to me, Jennings.
In third place and overall banter winners were David Collie and Andy
Price.
Fourth place went to a pair of youngsters, Alan Overton and David
Downes, and in fifth place were the very elegant Janet Stevenson and
Les Vines.
A very enjoyable day for us all despite the unpredictable
weather conditions.
Andy
|
|
|
ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL DAY FOR THE BARDENS IN LEVANTE DIVISIONAL TROPHY
The second round of the Levante Golf Society Divisional Trophy was
played at Oliva Nova on 17 May. Course conditions were again
excellent, but weather conditions were extremely testing. The
beautiful sunshine belied a near gale force wind, more reminiscent
of St Andrews on a bad day than The Costa Blanca in May. Despite
this, some excellent scores were posted.
This annual individual Stableford tournament is played over two
rounds (the first was at La Sella last week), with the players
divided into two divisions, Division 0ne for under 18
handicaps.
Over the two rounds combined, Penny and Brian Barden kept the prizes
in the family. Their excellent play and consistency won Division One
and Two respectively with scores of 69 and 67 points.
Kevin Waterland and Dave Geeson were runners up in the two
divisions.
On the day, Division one was won by Penny Barden on 35 points with
Paul Sankey (32) and Peter Ketteringham (30) second and third,
Peter also took the nearest the pin prize on the third. Division two
was won by professional butcher Paul Westerman who carved up the
course to score 38 points, earning a 1.2 point handicap cut. Paul
was also nearest the pin on the sixteenth. Second and third in
Division two were Andrew Leach (35) and Brian Barden (31). The
seniors’ prize went to Fred Betteridge.
Incident of the day was achieved by Dave Geeson on the sixteenth.
Concentrating more on his putting than his golf equipment he parked
his trolley at the top of the slope adjacent to the green, without
applying the brake. The strong winds did the rest and delivered his
trolley to the barranco at the bottom of the slope. Having retrieved
his clubs from the stagnant water at the bottom of the ditch, his
playing partners were careful to stay upwind of him for the
remaining holes.
Next week sees a return to La Sella with a change to a team format
Stableford competition.
Neville
|
|
|
SUCCESS FOR BARDEN- BARDEN IN LGS DIVISIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND ONE
The first round of the Levante Golf Society Divisional Championship
was played at La Sella on Friday 10 May. (Division one players being
those with a handicap lower than 18.) The course condition was
good, albeit that the first nine holes of the old course are out of
operation until the Autumn whilst a major reconstruction takes
place.
Weather conditions were testing, with gusty winds and the hottest
day of the year so far heralding the sudden arrival of summer. The
competition format was individual Stableford.
The overall highest score of the day was 36 by Brian Barden, earning
him first place in Division two. Division one winner was Richard
Vass on 35 points with Penny Barden second place on 34 and Brian
Norbury third on 32. Playing partners had a fascinating insight into
the Life of Brian (Norbury) - struggling on the first nine he
discussed his thoughts on retirement from the sport, however an
excellent second nine seemed to have dismissed such thoughts from
his mind. Second placed in Division two was Dave Geeson on 34,
and third place went to Neville Richardson on 31.
Completing a good day for the Bardens, Penny was the only scorer of
a two on the day, on the fifteenth. Nearest the pin prize on the
fifteenth went to Peter Johnson.
Alan Overton, on return from his month of rest, recuperation, wine
tasting and helping the family with DIY in Australia, won the
nearest the pin on the sixth. He is also worthy of special mention
for holing a chip out of a bunker on a later hole.
Andy Price, deputising for Captain Don presented the prizes and
reminded the players that this competition is to be completed with
Round two next week at Oliva Nova.
Neville
|
ICELAND TRIUMPHS IN VOL-AU-VENT CHALLENGE!
Don Larner continued his innovative approach to his year as LGS
captain by introducing the ‘Vol-au-Vent Challenge’ for the best chef
of this dying culinary treat of the 1970s. Faced with a panel of
judges who made those on MasterChef look like amateurs, the surprise
winner was LGS’s Icelandic member Siggi Palsson. Siggi attributed
his success to having never heard of a Vol-au-Vent until the
previous week.
On the relatively serious, though thoroughly enjoyable, matter of
the golf, Don’s pre match talk included congratulations and thanks
to all squad members who had contributed to LGS’s tremendous
achievement of being close runners up in the Campbell Lamont winter
league first division.
The competition on the day was individual Stableford. Course
conditions were excellent, assisted by the heavy rains around Easter
time. Weather was perfect, reminding golfers again that this is one
of the many reasons that they spend time in the beautiful Costa
Blanca.
The scoring was competitive although surprisingly the only person
not to ‘protect’ his handicap was the winner, Mike Harding, with 37
points. Richard Vass was second on 34 points, the same score as
third placed Penny Barden.
Closest to the pin were Mike Harding on the third and Richard Vass
on the 16th. Richard dealt with the pressure and converted his
excellent first shot into a 2. Mike took yet another prize for the
day by recording a 2 on the sixth.
Don has announced that he is now taking a mid year sabbatical,
handing over the reins to Andy Price for a few weeks. However he has
promised another ‘innovative’ challenge later in the year. The
members await in nervous anticipation!
Neville
|
Whilst politicians around Europe were preoccupied with 29 March
2019 as the day originally scheduled for Brexit, Levante Golf
Society members were concentrating their efforts on Oliva Nova and
Bonalba golf courses.
Oliva was the venue for the regular Friday competition.This week it
was a 4 player team Stableford competition with 3 players to score
on each hole. The number of players was reduced to 18 as other
members were representing LGS (and other societies) in the
Costa Blanca League. The condition of the course was excellent and
the weather conditions beautiful so no excuses for poor performances
except ability and form!
In first place with a very strong score of 121 points were Dave
Lawson, Andy Leach, Paul Sankey and Paul Westerman. In second place,
by just two points were Bob Fell, Neville Richardson, Alan Overton
and Mike Treasure. Bob’s captaincy and personal score of 38 points
not quite enough to send Alan off on his month long sabbatical to
Australia with a win.
Nearest the hole on the fifth (second shot) was Andy Leach and on
the sixteenth at 5.35 metres was Neville Richardson who summed up
his day by three putting.
Meanwhile at Bonalba the Levante representative team achieved an
excellent 5-3 win over Pego. Approaching the end of the season LGS
are now in third place in Division one of the Costa Blanca League,
only one point off second place. Society captain Don Larner
demonstrated his belief in a squad system by dropping himself - and
not being missed!
At his post match presentation ceremony at Oliva, Don reminded all
Levante members to make a diary note of the Summer Party at El Cid’s
in Benidoleig on 21 June. This is to be a joint event with Pego Golf
Society. Members should contact Don to reserve tickets.
Neville
|
LADIES’ DAY AT OLIVA NOVA
Oliva Nova on 22 March was the venue for the second and
concluding round of the Levante Golf Society Spring Trophy. Course
conditions were excellent with the fairways benefitting from
the first Costa Blanca rain in several months. The weather
transitioned from a cool and blustery wintery start to a warm and
sunny Spring day. (For readers in Northern Europe, cool and wintery
was around 15 degrees!) The format was again individual Stableford
with 40 players taking part over the two rounds.
The Spring Trophy was deservedly taken by Anne Edwards with a solid
round to build on her excellent 42 points at La Sella the previous
week. Mike Harding in second place was the token male at the
top of the leaderboard with an aggregate score of 68 and Penny
Barden came third on 67 points.
There was more success for the ladies in the prizes for best
performances of the day. Penny Barden was first with 37 points,
including the only 2 of the day on the third. Donna Green came
second on 34 points also taking the nearest the pin prize on the
third. Paul Sankey, John Snelling and David Lawson came third,
fourth and fifth respectively. Mike Harding lifted the seniors’
prize with 32 points and Alan Draper was nearest the pin on the
sixteenth.
Neville
|
LEVANTE GOLF SOCIETY - LA SELLA 15 MARCH 2019
The first round of the LGS Spring Trophy played at La Sella in
appropriately beautiful Spring sunshine was dominated by Anne
Edwards. The format was individual Stableford with Anne playing a
near flawless round scoring 42 points. She takes a lead of 5 points
into the second and concluding round at Oliva Nova on 22 March. Even
with a handicap cut it will be a tough challenge for any of the 36
strong field to overtake her.
Dave Geeson played consistently well throughout his round for
second place. Mike Harding, Robert Bedloe and David Downes came
third fourth and fifth respectively. David also won the nearest the
pin on the eighth with Colin Grant taking the prize on the fifteenth
at a distance of 1.96 metres
The senior prize was taken by Alan Overton with 33 points.
There was an inauspicious start to the day for one of the members
(unnamed to protect the innocent)! His tee shot bounced through the
crowd waiting to start their round, finishing level with the ladies
tee. His second shot bounced off a wall onto the path and was last
seen rolling down the path towards one of the other courses. Shot
three after a free drop resulted in a lost ball! There but for the
grace of God!
Neville
|
GLORIOUS GALIANA
On 8 March, a large field of Levante Golf Society players made the
longer than usual trip to the spectacular course of La Galiana, one
of the most dramatic golf course settings in the whole of Spain.
The weather was bright and sunny with occasional breezes to make
the course, if possible, more interesting. Scoring was good even
though the greens were heavily sanded making putting more difficult
than usual.
The main competition was a pairs Texas scramble with Mike Harding
and Terry Saville winning with an excellent net score of 65 points.
Kevin Waterland and Dave Horridge were in second place with Brian
Barden and Kenny Kennard third.
Nearest the pin on the third was Mike Harding at 2.98 metres and
John Cook closest on the fourteenth.
This was also a day in which six of the members were playing their
first round matches in The Frank Carroll Trophy. John Cook
comfortably won against Moe Farouky. In a closer match, despite his
prematch predictions, LGS captain Don Larner won in the contest
against Penny Barden (surely on International Women’s Day Penny
should have won!) The match of the day resulted in Roger Miller
beating Neville Richardson by one hole having been all square after
17 holes, showing that there’s no substitute for experience.
Next week LGS are playing the first round of the Spring Trophy, with
the concluding round a week later at Olive Nova.
Neville
|
A brilliant round by Kenny Kennard scoring 38 points, on a beautiful
March day at Oliva Nova, won the recent LGS competition. Kenny’s
performance was all the more amazing because he only just flew back
to Spain the night before.
Colin Grant who also produced a superb round of 38 points to finish
second, especially when Colin was feeling unwell in the morning.
The ever consistent John Cook was third also with 38 points, the
competition within LGS is definitely hotting up.
The senior prize was won by Denis McVeigh scoring a creditable 31
points.
Closest to the pins were won by Penny Barden on the 5th, with a
truly brilliant second shot within 0.25 metre. Paul Westerman
continues his good form when he captured the prize on the 16th hole.
Two matches for the Frank Carroll Trophy first round were completed
producing victories for Brian Barden, who beat Andy Price 3&2, and
David Downes victorious over Alan Overton 2&1.
Levante Golf Society are now off to battle the slopes of La
Galliana.
Don
|
LEVANTE GOLF SOCIETY - 15 February LA SELLA
On Friday 15 February La Sella welcomed a full field of LGS members
with conditions reminiscent of an English Spring day, cool and
blustery punctuated by occasional bursts of warm sunshine. The
course was in good condition with fast and true greens.
The format was individual Stableford and the winner on 36 points was
Kenny Kennard. In a close competition for second place Chris
Partridge edged out Neville Richardson on count back, both on 34
points. Worthy of special mention, and in fourth place (also on 34
points) was Alan Overton. Alan, one of the more senior members of
Levante Golf Society, imposed an additional handicap on himself by
visiting Benidorm Palace until the early hours of Friday morning. (A
premier league footballer may well have been fined and suspended for
such activity!)
Winner of the senior prize on 30 points was Terry Saville and the
‘best guest’ prize was won by Siggi Palsson. Nearest the pin on the
thirteenth was Dave Collie, and on the eighth Alyson Wood who putted
out for her two.
On 22 February LGS are playing at the Levante course in Benidorm.
Neville
|
LEVANTE GOLF SOCIETY - OLIVA NOVA 1 February 2019
Following the return of the successful team of players from last
week’s league match, LGS had a large group for the latest weekly
competition. The Oliva course was again in very good condition,
although the players experienced several seasons of weather during
the round, starting in cool, grey damp conditions and ending in
beautiful warm sunshine. A constant feature of the day was the
strong blustery winds which produced a real challenge to achieving
high scores.
The format was individual Stableford and dealing best with the
conditions was Peter Ketteringham who came first with an excellent
39 points. Neville Richardson was second with 37 and Paul Westerman
third with 36. The senior prize was won by Mike Harding with 35.
Nearest the pin were captain Don Larner on the third and Penny
Barden at a distance of 1 metre on sixteenth.
Continuing their approach of varying their locations and formats,
next week LGS play at Alicante with a team Texas Scramble.
Neville
|
The second LGS game of 2019 at La Sella started on, for Spain, very
cold conditions with some greens having frost on them.
Eventually the sun came out and our society had an enjoyable but
difficult golfing day. The surprising low winning score of 32 points
by John Cook, was matched by Anne Edwards who was second by
countback, Alan Overton was third with 31 points.
Peter Kettringham won yet another award winning the Senior prize
with a creditable 30 points, and David Horridge with 29 points won
the guest prize.
Nearest the Pin was won by David Lawson( 4.56 Metres) on the 196
yards 8th hole and Ed Brady’s winning shot 1.36 metres from the
flag, won the ntp on the 15th hole.
3 Players recorded 2’s, Jane Bainbridge, Colin Grant and Ed Brady,
all with a mixture of brilliant shots and superb putting.
Well done to John Cook who only arrived back in Spain the night
before, a Stalwart of the LGS who thoroughly deserved his win.
Don
|
CLEVANTE
GOLF SOCIETY - CAPTAIN”S DRIVE -IN 4 JANUARY 2019
Don Larner, the 2019 LGS captain arrived bright ,early and
eager at Oliva Nova for his first golfing day in office.
Unfortunately the overnight frost resulted in over an hour’s delay
in tee times. This and the pressure of a challenging gallery
conspired to him uncharacteristically pulling his Captain’s drive-in
into one of the defending palm trees Penny Barden won the ‘guess the
distance’ bottle of fizz with a prediction of 165 yards.
The early frost having cleared, the large number of players were
treated to a beautiful, warm, sunny day. The course was in good
condition for early January, reminding everyone why they have chosen
to be in Spain at this time of year.
The playing format was two ball betterball stableford and
scoring was high with the winning pair of Roger Jennings and Andy
Ratcliffe scoring an excellent 46 points .(Roger personally scored
24 points on the first nine holes!) Second place were Kevin
Waterland and Neville Richardson with 42 points and third place went
to Colin Grant and Keith Price on 41 points.
Anne Edwards was nearest the pin on the 16th at 2.9 metres. She
gallantly completed the 18 holes despite suffering from a heavy
cold, taking the opportunity to lie down and take rest on several of
the benches on the way round. Peter Ketteringham was nearest the pin
on hole 3. There were three 2s, Colin Grant, Andy Ratcliffe and
guest Graham Forest-Jones who having completed his three
invitational rounds is now eligible to join the Society as a full
member.
Overall this was an enjoyable, excellent start to the year for
Levante Golf Society and for new captain Don Larner.
Neville
|
Captain Roger and Don ( Vice Captain) together with Anne Edwards
presented a cheque for €800 euros to Sylvia Barnish and Andy
Stammers of Bay Radio, being the total raised for 2018 by the
Captain’s Charity. This money will be used to benefit The
Preventario Orphanage in Gandia.
|
24 players turned up on a fresh but lovely sunny morning to our
Christmas event, but were most disappointed that there wasn't a
Turkey to be found anywhere !
This pairs combined scoring Stableford event, proved more than a
challenge for the majority of golfers judging by the very modest
scores returned. Everyone gets a gift of a bottle of
wine with the winners enjoying a 3 pack of Estola.
The winners were David Lawson and Moe Farouky with a combined 63
pts.
I played in this group and to say that they had some luck on their
side on the first nine would be no exaggeration. To be fair, the
ball striking was pretty good but enjoyed good bounces out of trees
and on one occasion Moe chipping in from 25yds with a low running
chip which was destined for the rough through the green. I have
never seen a ball of such pace hit the middle of the flag pole and
drop in.
David like most of us, struggled with his putting with plenty of
moans on the (new) back 9. Hence the pair were most surprised when
the results were announced, to find they had won by 6 shots.
Our retiring Captain bagged a good partner with ex skipper Anne
Edwards to take second with 57pts. and were 3 shots ahead of Jenny
Downes and Andy Ratcliffe. A further 3 shots behind in 4th
place with 51 pts. was incoming Captain Don Larner and Brian Barden.
Quite surprisingly six 2's were recorded being Andy Ratcliffe, Brian
Barden, Mike Harding, Dave Lawson and Moe Farouky both on the red
course 6th with Dave Collie getting to 0,57mtrs picking up the NTP
on that hole as well. A guest Graham Forest won the NTP on the
green course.
Photo - L to R. Don Larner, Graham Forest, Brian Barden,
Moe Farouky, Dave Lawson. Front Row. - Roger Miller and Anne
Edwards.
The AGM followed the prize giving where both Anne Edwards and Brian
Norbury retired with thanks but welcomed Nominated Vice Captain Andy
Price and new committee member Neville Richardson.
One important issue was discussed, being the new RGA rules for Jan.
2019.
It was stressed that it is the responsibility of all member to
familiarise themselves with the rules which are posted on
our web site and at the R&A:
https://www.randa.org/en/news/2018/03/new-rules-of-golf-unveiled-by-the-ra-and-usga
Have a great Christmas and Happy New Year to you all.
BN
|
Levante GS Autumn Trophy Final round. 23 Nov. 2018
Last week the scheduled second round at Oliva Nova was cancelled due
to the effects of the rain closing the course. Hence the final round
of our Autumn Trophy saw 26 players travel to Alicante, which was
the next venue on our calendar.
Some good scores on the day saw Brian Barden with 38pts take the
winners prize. Donna Green on a steady run of form was second with
35pts. 3 players scored 34pts. Vice Captain Don Larner beating Terry
Saville and skipper Roger Miller on count back.
For a 36 hole competition the overall scoring was quite modest but
Penny Barden just pipped Kenny Kennard on count back with both
having a total of 62pts. Closely followed by husband Brian
Barden with 61pts. Roger Miller was overall 4th again on count back,
from Mike Harding with 60pts.
The Seniors prize this week went to John Cook with a solid 33pts.
No 2's were recorded but NTP on the 3rd hole was Colin Grant who
went jolly close with 2.10mtrs. On the 12th hole Donna Green got
within 6mtrs to collect the prize.
Photo 1 - Captain Roger Miller presenting the Autumn Trophy to Penny
Barden.
Photo 2 - L to R - John Cook, Donna Green, Brian Barden, Penny
Barden, Don Larner, Terry Saville and Roger Miller.
Finally, the day raised another 140euro towards the Captain's
Charity which is the Preventorio Orphanage in Gandia, making a grand
total of €800 for the year. Well done indeed to all those who made
this possible.
BN
|
It is now established that our major 36 hole competitions start at
La Sella and complete a week later (weather permitting) at Oliva
Nova. Hence last Friday saw 30 members brave the elements on
what can be described as very windy day. Some strong gusts actually
blew a number of flags from the holes and many shots went seriously
wayward, resulting in some high scores by most of the field.
However - Andy Ratcliffe (19) coped with the conditions better than
all the rest to come in with 34pts. Bob Fell (17) beat Richard
Neville (31) on count back. David Lawson (17) had 31pts. and the
consistent Penny Barden (17) finished with 29pts.
Mike Harding (21) won the seniors prize with 28pts.
NTP on the Red course 6th hole was John Cook 2.21mts and on the
Green course also on the 6th hole, was veteran Alan Overton 1.81mts.
Sadly for them, they both failed to convert for a 2.
However, three players recorded 2's being, Bob Fell on the 10th.,
Don Larner on the 15th. and finally Brian Lee on the 18th.
Obviously being a 36 hole competition, no handicap adjustments can
be applied yet and it will need a good round at Oliva on Friday to
trigger a reduction for any of the leaders.
Photo - L to R. David Lawson - Andy Ratcliff - Bob Fell -
Neville Richardson - Alan Overton - Mike Harding - Penny Barden and
Brian Lee.
|
The original date for this event was Oct.19th at El Bosque as in
previous years. However the very welcome rains arrived, hence the
switch to Oliva Nova last Friday. Again the day started with
unexpected rain keeping the temperatures quite low for some of us
"old folks". However, after a couple of hours the situation improved
to far more enjoyable levels.
The course has recovered well from the recent series of maintenance
works which no doubt will have benefits for all of us. Saying that,
the scores were somewhat modest, with only Donna Green playing to
her handicap of 19 with slope. She came in with 36pts which
was more than enough to scoop the Presidents Challenge Trophy.
In second place was Denis McVeigh (19) with 33pts just beating Mike
Harding (23) on count back.
Paul Sankey (18) pipped Paul Westerman (29) again on count back both
having 32pts.
The Seniors prize went to Jenny Downes with 31pts.
Nearest the pin on Hole 3 was Paul Westerman 0.76mtr and veteran
Fred Betteridge who got within 8.92mtr on the 16th and was most
surprised to find it was close enough.
Paul converted his shot in to a 2 and Kevin Waterland also enjoyed a
2.
Today saw the Syd Smith Plate final between Don Larner (18) and
Brian Norbury (19). This turned out to be a most unusual
"topsy-turvy" match with the younger and much fitter Don Larner
succeeding with a 60 yard chip to with 2 feet on the 18th. The half
was enough to win by one hole which meant he bought the beer !
A tale from Fred Betteridge who bravely completed his card.
After a round of golf where I must have hit every tree on the course
we got to the 18th. I managed to miss all the trees but ended
up with the ball rolling into the water not far from the green.
I retrieved it and made a drop about 2 yards from the buggy. Using a
9 iron to approach the hole I hit the ball hard, but instead of it
going high in the air it shot sideways and took the wheel cover off
the buggy. Terry Saville and myself were crying with laughter, the
prefect end to a disastrous round. But enjoyable due to players I
was with.
Pics show Captain Roger Miller presenting the Presidents' Putter to
Donna Green and the Syd Smith Plate trophy to Don Larner.
BN
|
It was quite fresh but calm morning with a heavy dew when 40 players
arrived for an early start at Oliva Nova. Captain Roger Miller
was seen rushing around with a hammer and placards and then back in
to the club house to sort out what is now the customary "Goody
Bags", filled with nice snacky nibbles and golf items.
The day was a great success, despite the course not being up to its
usual high standard because of scarifying, re- seeding and general
maintenance, which no doubt we will enjoy the benefit of in the near
future.
However this did not seem to be a problem for some teams, who came
in with better than usual scores for a pairs event with Levante.
A Division 1 player is paired with one from Division 2 in order to
try and balance the teams and all eager to win the new and handsome
Captains Cup.
We were blessed with plenty of sponsorship and our thanks go out to
them for their generosity. There were green fees from Oliva Nova and
La Sella Golf, plus a personally named LGS shirt from Kameeleon, a
golf lesson with Paul Tolley and finally a number of gift vouchers
from Campbell Lamont golf.
In first place with and excellent 46pts was John Cook and Alan
Simpson closely followed by Michael Harding and Les Vinewith 45pts.
Both were presented with Green fees by "Rafa" who is the Director
Deportivo at Oliva Golf.
In third place was David Downes and Eric Edwards with 44pts and
Peter Ketteringham with partner Keith Price picking up 4th prize
with 43pts.
There were 4 other place prizes presented.
The NTP's were Denis McVeigh on the 11th - 3.92mtr and he followed
that feat again on the 16th - 3.63mtr. There were 2 prizes for
nearest the pin in two, with Brian Norbury getting to within 4.35mtr
on the 5th hole and Terry Saville managing to get within 3.92mtr on
the 18th.
Anne Edwards organised a raffle and relieved the players of 255
euros for the Captains Charity, which is Preventario Orphanage in
Gandia.
Bob Fell who is one of our long time members was celebrating his
50th wedding anniversary and was presented with a suitable bottle of
refreshment. We are not quite sure how he managed to get permission
to play, but no doubt he had a surprise planned.
A most enjoyable day for all.
Photo - L to R - Rafa, Roger Miller, Alan Simpson
and John Cook.
Photo 2 - On The Tee - Roger Miller, Anne Edwards and partner
Alan Overton.
Brian Norbury
|
Ryder Cup fever started in Benidorm on Friday.
Levante Golf Society met last Friday morning for a Stableford
competition, with European chances of winning the Ryder cup being at
the forefront of the morning conversation.
We had a late Tee start so a celebratory mood soon evolved after
learning about the amazing come back in the afternoon foursomes.
It was a perfect day for golf, but very disappointing to be told on
arrival ( and without any notice) that yet again buggies had to be
restricted to the cart tracks. Of course we realise that there are
occasions when this is necessary to preserve the course.
Despite the greens being rather slow, some good scores were handed
in, triggering the ensuing handicap reductions.
The winner was Hans Benzler (13) with 39pts beating on count back a
rejuvenated Robert Bledloe (40) also with 39pts.
In 3rd place was Paul Sankey (17) with 37pts and in 4th Bob Fell
(21) with 36pts also on count back from Roger Jennings.
NTP's were won by Tony Slipper on the 3rd (1.38 mtr.) and Alan
Overton on the 14th (1.8mtr.) beating a disgruntled Vice Captain Don
Larner by 5cm.!
Both John Cook and Alan Overton registered a 2 on the 14th.
Alan also scooped the seniors prize.
Phote - L to R
Tony Slipper, Bob Fell (looking rather desperate for the loo) Alan
Overton, Hans Benzler, Robert Bledloe and Paul Sankey.
BN
|
Levante Golf Society Team Accumulator Sept 21st
This event was played at Oliva Nova on a very warm but lovely day.
3 greens were out of use due to being damaged but it did nothing to
deter the enjoyment.
2 teams were runaway winners being -
In first place - Donna Green, Paul Westerman and Terry Saville plus
a ghost score giving them 119pts.
Close behind were Danny Herron, Fiona Sankey, Lesley Vass plus the
ghost score making 117pts.
NTP in two shots on the 5th hole was Danny Herron and on the par 3
16th. Mike Harding scooped the prize.
Fiona Sankey was the only player to record a 2.
There was one match play event for the Syd Smith Trophy where Brian
Norbury beat Robert Bledloe 6 and 5 to reach the final where
he plays Vice-Captain Don Larner.
This was a sad day for Graham Hutson who is going back to UK to
live. He has been a member for about 18 years and a pleasure
to play with being very successful in team events off 22. We
bid him farewell and send all our good wishes for the future.
Photo L to R.
Mike Harding, Lesley Vass, Danny Herron, Fiona Sankey, Terry
Saville, Donna Green, Graham Hutson, Brian Norbury and Paul
Westerman.
Brian Norbury
|
|
|
John wins SST Final
Two Committee members, John Cook & Roger Jennings, competed at Oliva
Nova in the Syd Smith Trophy Match-play final and, in a closely
fought game, John emerged the worthy winner by 3 & 1.
In the Stableford competition Kevin Waterland was in “dream-land” on
the front nine holes with 8 pars and 26 points but..…. the reality
of golf came home on the back nine with 13 points!!! However,
Kevin’s score of 39 was good enough to take 1st prize, followed by
Andy Price and Danny Herron both on 34 points. Terry
Saville produced a steady 32 points to take the Senior’s prize.
NTP on the 3rd hole was Roger Jennings (2.1 mts) and Neville
Richardson took the 16th hole (1.9mts) but both failed to score 2’s,
as Danny was the only one to manage it.
3.09.2018
|
|
|
On the 1st hole, in glorious Summer weather, John Cook & Terry
Saville both played good second shots onto the putting surface and
when they reached the green they were both hopeful of birdies
but……..they each played the wrong ball so ‘nil points’ on unlucky
Friday 13th.
Penny Barden was the winner with an excellent 39 points, followed by
Alan Overton on 38 points and then Keith Price with 37 points.
On a normal day Neville Richardson with 36 points would have hoped
to have won, but not on Friday 13th.
Results
1st Penny Barden = 39 points
2nd Alan Overton = 38 points
3rd Keith Price = 37 points
4th Neville Richardson = 36 points
Senior’s Prize – Roger Miller = 35 points
NTP – 3rd Hole - Hans Benzler 4.77 mts
14th Hole - Terry Saville 1.41 mts
|
|
|
1 JOHN COOK (S) 39 pts (18) Overall Winner
2 KEVIN WATERLAND 38 pts (16) Overall Runner-Up
3 PAUL WESTERMAN 37 pts (30) Overall 3rd
4 PETER KETTERINGHAM (S) 36 pts (18) Overall 4th
5 ROBERT BEDLOE (S) 35 pts (41) Overall 5th
There was 1 Two recorded:
Hole
DENIS McVEIGH 6
|
|
|
Kevin Waterland
|
|
Kevin’s powerful first drive hit a post, ricocheted behind him and
went out of bounds!! Not daunted by the experience, he then
went on to score 37 points, emerged the overall winner, with another
handicap cut and demonstrated that a bad first drive is not
necessarily a problem!!
He was however closely followed by Danny Herron and Terry Saville
with 36pts each and their tied scores were separated by the recently
introduced count back system, as currently recommended by the R&A.
There were only 20 members plus 2 guests, so prizes went down to 5th
place.
1st - Kevin Waterland (37 pts)
2nd - Danny Herron (36 pts)
3rd - Terry Saville (36 pts)
4th - Donna Green (32pts)
5th - Les Vine (32 pts)
NTP – 5th Danny Herron in 2 = 5.9 mts
16th Fred
Betteridge = 4.8 mts
The only 2 recorded was Donna Green on the 16th.
SST Plate – Don Larner beat Fred Betteridge
Robert Bedloe beat
Moe Farouky
Phot L to R - Fred (got lost I think!) Kevin, Danny, Janet
(sneaked in) Terry and Les.
Brian Norbury
|
|
|
Very close scoring at Bonalba
On the 22nd June in a regular Stableford competition there were 3
golfers with 36 points, then Don Larner with 34 points and then
another 3 golfers with 32 points. These tied results caused
some confusion at the prize giving because the HM computer system
and some other local societies use the ‘count back’ system as
recommended by the R&A, whereas LGS has historically used the lowest
handicap criteria to resolve ties. Eventually, all was sorted
out with Mike Harding being declared the winner.
Kevin Waterland was NTP on the 3rd hole (1.98 mts) and John Cook was
nearest on the 14th hole (6.99 mts) with Don Larner claiming the
only 2 of the day on the 8th hole.
Results
1st Mike Harding 36 points
2nd Dave Geeson = 36 points
3rd Les Vine = 36 points
4th Don Larner =34 points
5th John Cook = 32 points
Senior’s Prize – Terry Saville =32 points
SST Trophy - Roger Jennings beat Alan Overton
Kevin Waterland beat Keith Price
John Cook beat Anne Edwards (Thursday)
Roger Miller
|
|
|
Summer arrives, at last!!
In glorious summer weather we played at Alicante, which was almost
back to its normal condition after hollow tinning. Donna
had fairly balanced the team handicaps for a Pairs Texas Scramble,
with the result that there was only one shot covering 2nd, 3rd &
4th.
However, the winners, being Vice-Captain Don & Stuart Boud, were a
clear 4 shot ahead of the field with a net 62 and they also had the
lowest gross score of 77 shots!!
Hans Benzler was nearest the pin on the 3rd hole with a shot just
under 10 metres away and Neville Richardson was just over 10 metres
away on the tricky 12th ‘Island Green’.
Results
1st Don Larner & Stewart Boud = 62 shots
2nd Mike Harding & Andy Price = 66 shots
3rd Kevin Waterland & Alan Draper (Guest) = 67 shots
4th Sandor Rozsa & Neville Richardson = 67 shots
Roger Miller
|
Result - Campbell Lamont Golf Leagues' Grand Final.
Captain Roger Miller and Alan Overton represented LGS over the
weekend of 9th & 10th June 2018 in the above prestigious
competition. The format was pair's better-ball match-play over 36
holes on Saturday and a further 36 holes on Sunday, on the 'Old'
course at La Sella.
There were 16 teams from Iceland, Scotland, England, Wales, Northern
Ireland, Canary Isles, various regions of Spain and Levante GS!!
Their first match saw them 3 down with 4 holes to play but Roger's
final putt on the final hole gave them a hard earned victory.
In the afternoon they beat their opponents on the 15th hole with a
45 foot putt from Roger, again. Now they were in the
semi-finals, much to their surprise considering the quality of many
of the golfers.
On Sunday morning they lost to PGA Andalucia, who went on to win the
tournament. In the afternoon, two very weary LGS golfers lost
3 & 2 with the result that they ended up being 4th overall for the
tournament, a result that they were both chuffed with!!
Not only were they the oldest two golfers but Alan's distance,
usually, off the tee and his long fairway shots brought him much
praise.
At the end, someone innocently said to our skipper "that Levante's
Captain should be very proud of their performance" and he is!!!
So, three cheers for the over 70's.
Brian Norbury
|
|
|
In perfect conditions the players teed off in reverse order with the
first round leaders starting first. There was plenty of banter on
the first tee as expected.
Brian didn't help his chances by pulling his first Tee shot into the
trees on the left and a savage bounce saw the ball tuck itself under
the wire by the wall leaving an unplayable Lie. This no doubt
brought some glee to the hunting pack waiting on the Tee.
However not to be deterred, he fumbled on with his short game
fortunately, being the saving grace on the day.
Not everyone played in the first round so the winner on the day in
Div.1 was Peter Ketteringham (15.5) with 35pts. followed by Donna
Green (15.3) with 34pts and in third place David Downs (15.3) with
33pts.
In Div.2 Roger Jennings again played very well for 38pts off 18.4
which now sees him rise to Div.1 again.
Peter Hunt (19.4) saw a return to form with 37pts and Les Vine
(21.5) took 3rd with 34pts.
NTP's Andy Lynch on the 5th and veteran Fred Betteridge managed to
get within 2.86mtr on the 16th.
2's were recorded by Fred Betteridge, Donna Green and Dave Geeson.
The Senior prize going to Brian Norbury with 33pts.
36 hole Divisional Championship scores from Div.1.
The surprised winner in the end was Brian Norbury (15.5) with a
total of 67pts
Peter Ketteringham came second with 64pts and in 3rd place David
Downes with 61Pts.
In Div 2. the run away winner was Roger Jennings with 67pts a steady
Keith Price with 65 just pipping Andy Price with 64pts.
Photo L to R - Dave Geeson, Andy Leach, Brian Norbury, Peter
Ketteringham, Roger Jennings, Donna Green, Andy Price, David Downes,
Keith Price, Les Vine and Peter Hunt.
Brian Norbury
|
Last Friday saw the first round of our Divisional Championships on a
perfect day for golf at La Sella. The course suffered a bit from the
recent rains which left quite a few soggy patches on the fairways.
The greens however were playing well enough.
The practice ground is being changed so with there being no
opportunity to warm up, a few of us got off to a slow start.
In Div.1 a solid back 9 saw Brian Norbury (19) finish with 34pts
just in front of in form Don Larner (17) with 33pts and Hans Benzler
(13) in 3rd with 30pts.
Div.2 was won this week by the ever smiling Keith Price (28) who
said he had won enough balls recently so opted for Campbell Lamont
Tokens instead. Alan Overton (28) was close behind with 32pts and
Roger Jennings (22) one shot behind with 31pts.
The NTP was won by Don Larner (again) who also managed a 2 from over
4 mtrs.
The seniors prize went to a somewhat surprised Peter Ketteringham
with 29pts.
The second round will be completed next week at Oliva Nova.
Photo - L to R Alan Overton, Hans Benzler, Roger Jennings, Keith
Price, Brian Norbury and Don Larner.
Brian Norbury
|
New clubs worked wonders for our Vice-Captain Don Larner who managed
an excellent score of 42pts at a sunny Oliva Nova even though the
greens had been hollow tyned and his putting - quote "was a bit
ropey". For this unusually high scoring for a Levante member
Handicap Master has cut him from 16 to 14.2. Well done Don.
In second place with 34pts was Paul Lankey (15) and in third was
Hans Benzler (11) with 33pts.
Division 2 saw new member "the steak man" Paul Westerman
(25.2) come in with very credible 37pts, runner up was Les Vine
(21.4) with 34pts and in third place was the lovely Jenny Downes
(34) with 28pts.
NTP's this week were won by Don Larner in 2 on the 5th hole and
Donna Green on the 16th.
The senior prize went to Keith Price again, with a modest 30pts, but
it was enough. I am waiting for him to go on holiday so that I can
nip round and relieve him of his stock pile of golf balls.
There was a Syd Smith KO match also where Roger Jennings had a 2up
victory over David Downes in what was apparently a tight game, going
to the last hole.
Photo - L to R. Paul Westerman, Don Larner, Jenny Downes, Keith
Price, Hans Benzler, Les Vine, Roger Jennings and the young lady in
the front was Michelle Annick, our guest who had a 2.
Brian Norbury
|
New members steal the show at Oliva.
Our Members have certainly been enjoying playing at Oliva Nova
recently and taking advantage of excellent course conditions, on a
perfect day to get away from the chores in the garden at this time
of year.
Bob Jenkins, an Australian who recently joined us took the 1st prize
with 37pts off 21 now 20 and more to go with his smooth swing. Sadly
no Fosters served at the bar !
Paul Sankey another new member came 2nd with 34pts off 18 and Tony
Slipper sneaked into 3rd with 31pts off 19.
In Div 2 it was most competitive with Peter Johnson (22) just
pipping Andy Price (27) but both with 33pts. Brian Childs (30) took
3rd place with 32pts.
Nearest the pin in 2 on the 5th this week was Hans Benzler again!
(2.27mtr) He must have special golf balls with in built GPS.
Andy Price got with 2.89mtr on the 16th but failed to convert for a
2.
The player with the largest grin was Keith Price, who without doubt
seems to relish collecting prizes more than anyone I know. Not
only did he score a 2 but picked up the Seniors prize as well with
31pts.
Paul Westerman had 33pts off 30 and from next week will be a full
member and therefore cannot enjoy collecting our guest prize any
longer.
A warm welcome to him and other recent new players.
Photo left to right.
Keith Price, Andy Price, Paul Sankey and BobJenkins
Brian Norbury
|
I am not sure who has taken over the course management at Oliva
Nova, but in 17 years playing there I have never seen it in better
condition. So a big thumbs up to them from all of us.
In virtually perfect conditions the scores were higher than average
especially for Hans Benzler playing off 11.8 who came in with 40pts
which is an unusually high score for LGS. This great round means he
now drops to 10.8.
The runner up was Kevin Waterland with 34pts off 13.5 and 5 players
came in with 33pts. In this situation the prizes are distributed to
the player with the lower handicap first so -
Captain of the day Anne Edwards took 3rd place off 8.6 and Danny
Heron off 14.4 won the fourth prize.
The seniors prize went to Brian Norbury also with 33pts off 15.5.
No 2's were scored, but nearest the pin in 2 on the par 4 5th hole
went to old stager Jim Thomas with 6.50mtrs. A tight pin on
the 16th meant getting close was difficult and even John Cook could
only manage 6.08mtrs this time.
One picture shows probably the best side of 4th place Danny Heron on
the 16th and little boy blue runner up Kevin Waterland, also on the
16th.
Brian Norbury
|
El Bosque welcomed us with perfect conditions. The cold weather
quickly turned and became sunny with a gentle warm breeze.
As usual El Bosque was difficult to master. The greens seemed to be
far too small and quick…
Many trees had been cut down and a lot of the high grass was also
gone. The greens where in a very good condition. Quick, consistent
and fair.
So I belive El Bosque has improved with the new green keeper.
Results
1st Kevin Waterland 38p (17)
2nd Hans Benzler 36p (14)
3rd Terry Savilk 21p (25)
Senior
Michael Harding 32p (22)
NTP
Kevin Waterland 8th 1.48m
David Downes 13th 5.5m
2’s
Anne Edwards 8th
Hans Benzler 8th
Match play results
David Downes – Fred Betteridge
Davis won 5/4
Hans Benzler
|
Levante Gold Society March 18th
Future stars shine at Alicante
A bright and gusty morning saw Alicante Golf welcome 24 players for
an Accumulator competition with the course being in very good
condition.
Ian Mackenzie brought along 2 guests. One being his grandson, Miles
Yeatman and his friend Kris Einarsson for this competition and what
a day it turned out to be for their team.
Kris Einarsson (2.6) is on a programme at La Sella, actually shot a
gross 68 giving him 44pts. Miles Yeatman also played well for
37pts. Miles (15) is at Michael Campbell Golf Academy in
Marbella and is on the Junior PGA Tour Race to Spain.
Along with playing partners Ian Mackenzie and Terry Saville they
ended up with the amazing score or 132pts to beat everyone by some
considerable distance.
Malcolm Nash (9) also had a great score of 74 gross with the
highlight being an Eagle on the 9th hole.
Winners - Ian Mackenzie, Terry Saville, Miles Yeatman and Kris
Einarsson with 132 Pts
Second place went to - Mike Harding, Peter Hunt, Brian Barden and
Malcolm Nash with 112pts
Third place was - David Downes, Brian Norbury, Keith Price and Brian
Child with 110pts.
NTP on the 3rd went to Keith Price (3.40mtr) and Kris Einarsson
(5.02mtr) pipping Alan mason by 5cm on the 12th.
Two's were scored by Mike Harding, Brian Norbury and Kris Einarsson.
Photo - left to right
Kris Einarsson, Miles Yeatman, Brian Norbury, Terry Saville, David
Downes, Keith Price,
Brian Child, Mike Harding, Brian Barden, Ian Mackenzie.
Brian Norbury
23 players turned up for the 1st round of our Spring Trophy at La
Sella, with most expecting more rain as the cloud cover looked
threatening. However the day brightened somewhat and after a light
sprinkling all was well. The last group were not so lucky and were
caught by some heavier rain on the last hole.
Div.1 Winners were -
Kevin Waterland (17) had 36pts
Brian Norbury (19) also had 36 pts
Michael Harding (22) finished with 34 pts.
In Div.2 -
Alan Overton (30) had 34pts and is on a steady run of form at
the moment.
Dave Geeson (25) came in with 32pts and
Brian Lee (34) had 31pts.
Dave Lawson won the NTP on Hole 6 of the new course and also managed
to hole out for a 2.
No one managed to drive on to the 8th on the old course however Alan
Overton chipped in for a 2. All his practice paying off as he
managed the same feat last month.
Peter Ketteringham (18) took the over 70's prize with 28pts
Next week we go to Oliva Nova for the second round, which is looking
like a most competitive day for us to look forward to.
Photo - L to R - Dave Lawson, Mike Harding, Brian Norbury,
Alan Overton and Kevin Waterland.
Brian Norbury
