Month: January 2019

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The wind did blow but it did not stop Monti and co

Strong winds and tricky greens was the order of the day for the 18 golfers who took on the course and the elements

With a course not in its prime condition scores were not as per usual only 4 players getting 30 or more points

Malcolm Monti 32 Steve Cliffe on 31 and Michael Taylor and John Daniels on 30 John loosing 3rd on count back

With the tricky greens two 2s were recorded David Knight on hole 14  and John Daniels on hole 8.

4 nearest the pins were won by hole 4  Michal Taylor hole 8 John Daniels hole 12 Chris Hoare hole 14 Paddy Kenmore

Football card was won by Arthur Sullivan

Our next match is at Levante on the 6th February to play please contact Michal Taylor 639242896 or email mjt@stylepms.com  

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The Celts Club de Golf.

We celebrated our championship match last Saturday at La Serena.  I will keep the accounts brief as we had 9 tournaments to present on the day.  First of all, thanks are due to Philip Mountford and Terry Fitzgerald for organising the competition on the day. 

To La Serena, Jean, Paul, Karolina and Jose in the pro-shop many thanks for preparing the cards and collating the results.  Gloria and all the kitchen staff well done as always.  To Wayne and his team, the course was in ideal condition.  To James Hayes our captain for 2019 who entertained with his witty jibes.  Please be careful with his poor hand.  To all who stayed back for the presentation many thanks.  Keep up the good work.

Down to the results, golf prize winners’ week 1, Cat. I, Alan Perry, Robert Smith and Pat Coyne.  Cat. II, Kjell Mundheim, Jennifer McCadden and Karen Neal.  Week 2, Cat. I, Alan Ewing, Chris Daw and Harry Lee.  Cat. II Sally Hopkins, Kjell Mundheim and Holly Thomson. 

Week 3.  Cat. I Alan Walker, Alan Ewing and Tony Davis.  Cat. II John Walsh, Ole Rong and Kjell Mundheim, again.  Week 4 Cat. I Terry Fitzgerald, Alan Proudfoot and Ray Brennan. Cat. II Yvette McGeehan, Rose Walker and Giovanni Butto.  Crystal week 1, Terry Lewis, Steven Hopkins and Frank Wigley.  Week 2 Kevin McBride, Rose Walker and Pauvla Serakova.  Medal winners. 

Cat 1. Kenny McGeehan. Cat II Terry Lewis. 

Cat. III Yvette McGeehan.  Results of the day, NTP’s Kenny McGeehan, Bev Ellender, Alan Ewing, Eddie Stapleton and Mike Sephton. 

Cat. III Sally Hopkins 34, David Adams 34 and Elsie Cowie 34.  Cat II Tony Davis 37, Terry Jones 37 and Roy Ramberg 34.  Cat I. Pauvla Serakova 35, Terry Fitzgerald 35 and Gareth Conroy 33.  The gross was won by Robert Smith with 32.  Second overall Alan Ewing with 37 and the winner by three clear points Yvette McGeehan.  Thank you one and all for your attendance and support. 

Could we be aware of a number of issues that we might address in order to improve the experience for all in a tournament, firstly the issue of slow play.  Can players please keep up with the group in front of them. 

Do not wait until it is your turn to play to start your routine, putting on or taking off your glove, marking and cleaning your ball, selecting your club, measuring your distance for your shot etc. all of these can be done in advance and this will help the smooth flow of the game. 

We had four players disqualified on the day, three for not presenting their cards and one for no signature.  It is your responsibility to have your card signed and return it to the tournament director. 

We have a waiting list in operation at the moment for membership at La Serena, however membership of The Celts is always available.  If you would like information on joining our club or entering a team in any of the federation events why not send an e-mail to johnobrienalicante@gmail.com or call 615 466 398?

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Plaza Golf Society at Vistabella 25.01.19

Onto Vistabella for our next event which proved to be a tough test as the winds got up and caused difficult ‘society golf’ conditions!

No more so than for Ricardo Nash who unfortunately propped up the field with 16pts …..better luck next time at Villamartin.

The 2’s pot was a rollover from La Finca and was won this time by 3 players, Warren Harris, Barry Mitchell and SMGS Captain Big Tony Smale each taking home 61 euros.

The nearest the pins were sponsored by The Society this event which saw winners Russell Bailey, John Morrison, Tony Smale, Phil De Lacy and Barry Mitchell each ‘hitting the mark’….well done Chaps.

We had 8 guests which is great and in 3rd place with 32pts off handicap 9 was John Morrison, 2nd saw Michael Leonard with 33 off 11  and in 1st place with an astonishing performance playing off plus 4 was visiting ‘Pro’ James Freeman scoring 38pts and we look forward to James joining us again anytime soon.

Onto our Silver category in 3rd place scoring 33 pts off handicap 15 was a subdued Barry Mitchell, 2nd Mike Greatorex on countback with the same 33 off 14 but with the best score of the whole event and also winning the best Lady player by a country mile was our very own Liz Sully amassing a huge 41 pts off  a handicap of 15 which is obviously going to be closely looked at by the handicap committee but even so a tremendous performance…well done Liz.

In Gold  Kevin Bird  came 3rd with 32 off 12, Phil De Lacy 2nd with 34 off 11 and winning with a creditable 34 pts off 10 was Gareth Davies.

Our next event will be at Villamartin 08.02.19 which is currently full but we are trying to obtain additional tee times so watch this space.

To view future events log onto our website www.theplazagolfsociety.com and plan your golf.      

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‘Mike Probert talks Golf

Sponsored by Costa Blanca Green Fee Services

Here on the Costa’s golf is one of the biggest leisure time activities for both tourists and resident alike and with this in mind we have secured the services of Mike Probert of Costa Blanca Green Fee Services to provide a weekly round up of local golfing events and topics and in conjunction with us at THE LEADER will provide discounted golf prices to all of our readers and run our golf competitions.

The Long and Short of It

Is their one single element of the golf game where professionals and low handicap amateurs differ from the high handicap or weekend golfer?

The answer is yes.

Week in and week out you will see the high handicap golfer misjudge the distance to the flag and 90% of the time the shot will finish short of the target. Invariably, only if they hook the ball or hit the ball ‘thin’ will the high handicapper go past the pin.

The next time you visit your local golf course or play in your society, take a look at the courses that you play and you will see that the majority of the trouble (water, bunkers, etc) are short of the green.

Why do high handicap golfers have this failing in their golf game?

  1. Lack of proper preparation.
  2. Over estimation of their ability.

Let us consider these factors.

Firstly in terms of preparation, do you know how far you hit each club in your bag in all types of wind conditions and off different types of lie? The answer is almost certainly no and yet it is easy to remedy. All that you have to do is to go to the practise range and hit a series of golf shots with each club and take note of the distance that the MAJORITY of the shots travelled, ignore the one’s that you ‘creamed’ or the one’s that you ‘mishit’, but concentrate on the average.

Repeat this exercise for different wind conditions (in the face, from the back, side winds, etc) and for different lies (uphill, downhill, side-hill, etc). Now when you go to the golf course you will be better prepared and by using the distance markers and charts available, you can eliminate many of the hazards presented to you by the course architect by hitting the ball far enough to avoid them.

From the mental perspective you will also feel more confident when playing the shot and also avoid one of the worst feelings in golf, that of hitting the ball ‘out of the screws’, direct at the flag, only to see it drop into water or a bunker ‘short’ of the green.

Allied with good preparation you should also be careful not to over estimate your golfing ability. While it is good to have faith and confidence in your ability, do not expect to hit the ball ‘correctly’ all of the time. If you always judge distance based on your ‘best’ shots you will frequently be disappointed and frustrated. Allow for your slight ‘mishits’ by taking an extra club and swinging a little easier.

If is often stated that in pressure situation you hit the ball further due to the adrenalin flow but remember that for the majority of people in these same situations, muscle tension prevents you using your automatic swing and you actually hit the ball ‘shorter’ than normal, allow for this!

Follow these simple instructions and you will soon start to avoid unnecessary dropped shots due to distance misjudgement and start feeling more confident ‘before’ you hit the ball.

The deals shown in the table are some of the best currently available to you until 28/02/19:

Golf Course Price Comments
Alenda €116 Two Players and Buggy
Alicante €110 Two Players and Buggy
Altorreal €120 Two Players and Buggy
Bonalba €116 Two Players and Buggy
Don Cayo (Altea) €88 Two Players and Buggy
El Plantio €110 Two Players and Buggy
Font Del Llop €86 Two Players and Buggy 
La Finca €128 Two Players and Buggy
La Marquesa €46 Single Green Fee
La Serena €47 Single Green Fee
Las Colinas €164 Two Players and buggy
Las Ramblas €104 Two Players and Buggy
Lo Romero €144 Two Players and Buggy
New Sierra Golf €68 Two Green Fees and Buggy
Roda €130 Two Players and Buggy
Villamartin €110 Two Players and Buggy
Villaitana Poniente €57 Single Green Fee and Buggy
Vistabella €92 Two Players and Buggy

Deal of The WeeK: Any La Manga course €120 for 2 players and buggy

For Bookings and more information contact Mike at info@costa-blanca-greenfees.com or direct on 966 704 752 or 661 345 931 quoting reference LEADER.

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Spanglish Golf Society at Font Del Llop on 23rd January 2019.

In association with Sapphire Properties and Costa Blanca Green Fee Services

For this months meeting the Spanglish Golf Society and a group of 27 players visited the established course at Font Del Llop taking advantage of the excellent society deal obtained from Costa Blanca Green Fee Services.

This was our first FULL society day of the new year and the course was in good winter condition as normal but played with extreme difficulty with very high winds whipping up the valley all day but was still enjoyed by all.

Gold Division: 1st  – Mike Probert – 33 points, 2nd – Jack Fanning – 31 points

Silver Division: 1st – Gerry Graves – 35 points, 2nd – Tom McGinn – 31 points

Bronze Division: 1st- Jim Kelly – 30 points, 2nd – Andy Howard – 26 points

Best Guest – Tom Gamble – 29 points, Nearest the Pins – Howard, Griffin, Gamble, Allott and Martin. Football Card – Probert

After the game we returned to the Spanglish bar, which is located at Dona Pepa, Quesada for a welcome snack prepared by the bar and the prize presentation and we give our thanks for their support and that of our sponsor Sapphire Properties.

Our next home fixture is at Vistabella on 6th February 2019 followed by the monthly fuxture at Bonalba on 20th February 2019.

If you are interested in joining the society call Paul Cawte on 966 73 1223 or better still pop into the bar.

Report by Mike Probert of Costa Blanca Green Fee Services on 966 704 752 or 661 345 931 or see us at our web-site at www.costa-blanca-greenfees.com.

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Clapton’s Golf Society Bonalba Golf & Spa    

This month’s competition was held at Bonalba.  On the way to the course it was obvious we still had the cold morning wind. As we set out from the first tee it was a case of pull the collar up and get on with it, but as the day progressed the sun showed its face and we began to warm up.  The course was in excellent condition, the greens which varied slightly but in the main were quite fast which did catch some of the players out. 

The scores showed this in as much as they were lower than normal.  Having collected all the cards and journeyed back to our new Clubhouse at Bar 10 in Quesada where an excellent buffet was provided by James and his staff.  All the cards having been scrutinized the overall winner being Kevin Williams, congratulations to him, results below. 

Overall winner Kevin Williams 34 points, Gold Winner Duncan Williamson 30 points, Gold Runner Up Andy Trefry 29 points on c/b, Silver Winner Brian Simister 30 points, Silver Runner Up Terry Sharley 26 points       

Front Nine Dave Nicholls 14 points on c/b, Back Nine Gary Townsend 14 points

Nearest the Pin: 4th Gary Strowger, 8th Duncan Williamson, 11th Andy Trefry, 14th Gary Strowger

Football Card James Crisp

The next match will be at Vista Bella on 15th February.  Anyone wishing to join the Society please contact Kevin Williams on kevsta01@gmail.com.

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La Marina Golf Society

A large group of 32 players met at La Finca Golf to play in a Stableford competition. It was our first visit as a society in several years and whilst we found the course in excellent condition, the speed of the greens and the blustery wind made for a difficult round for most people.

Gold winner and the only player to break 30 points was Steve Warner with 33 points. A considerable achievement bearing in mind it was his first round since breaking his leg last year.

Silver winner with a score of only 27 points was Ray Hill and his look of surprise told the story of the poor scoring on the day.

Winners of the NTP’S were Barry Thorogood, Will Green, Gill Ludkiewicz and Bill STOBO with Barry Gill and Bill sharing the 2’s pot.

The prize giving was held at the La Marina Sports Centre before the excellent Burn’s Night  Supper and congratulations go to those who organized the event and most of all to Jeff Wiszniewski ,the Master of Ceremonies ,who held his audience spellbound with his address to the Haggis.

Our next meeting is on February 7th at Villamartin at a cost of 50 Euros, first tee 10.12. The list is virtually full so if you wish to play please contact Alan Craig on a100ac@yahoo.co.uk asap.

Our next social occasion is the Valentines Night on 14th February. Please contact IAIN LYALL on 966 39 3203 or 634 326 451 for further details.

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El Plantio2 GS

After the frosty golf course of the last few games, today’s 14 Medalford competitors faced a cold biting wind that required good driving control to combat the cross winds.

The three winners managed to do just that – steady Ray Housley in third place – never a really bad round, Bryan Watson in second – recovering from a lean spell and Captain Mike Davies in first – showing consistently good form of late.

Nearest the pins: Hole 5 – Guest Kevin Scott, Hole 8 – Ray Housley.  Third place – Handicap 9, Ray Housley 12.5 shots. Second place – Handicap 15, Bryan Watson, 9.5 shots. First place – Handicap 10, Mike Davies, 8 shots.

If anyone would like to join our Society, we play at El Plantio Golf Club every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday. We use both courses – the Par 3 nine hole course and the main 18 hole course, so we cater for all abilities. The membership rates are very competitive, so call for more details. Anyone who wishes to play in the Society as a guest or join as a new member, contact Ian Henderson on 966 716 616 or 636 116 230.

David Swann

Picture from L to R: Bryan Watson, Mike Davies, Ray Housley, Kevin Scott.

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Las Ramblas Golf Society

Results for w/c 21.01.19

Two scores out of four to count and all on the par 5’s was our format for Monday’s team game. The winners (despite signing and submitting an incorrect card) by quite some margin, with 91 points, were Benedicte Kruse, Mike Mahony, Peter Wickham and (making his debut) Simon Hughes. Still as the old saying goes ‘the best wood in most amateurs’ bags is the pencil’.

Peter Wickham was again top of the pile with 39 points in Wednesday’s Stableford. With each player having to select just 5 clubs and a putter, second spot went to Maria Oldenziel with 34 points and Geoff Biggerstaff took third with 33. Only the one ‘2’ today which was carded by Phil Herrington (who didn’t realise it was only 5 clubs and came out with 4 wedges!)

On Thursday morning the news started to drift through that our good friend and member of the society for the past ten years, Brian Staines, had sadly passed away the previous evening. Brian epitomised the spirit of any golf society, always quick to make a gag and bring a smile to everyone’s face. Rest in peace mate.

Friday saw us compete in the dreaded ‘Yellow Peril’. With a score of 125 points and winning by quite some distance, were Terry Field, Marleen Billen, Heinz Lei and (yet again) new boy Simon Hughes.

Pues, hasta la semana que viene

Peter Reffell

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San Javier Golf Society

Individual Stableford Qualifier Competition at Lo Romero

48 members and guests were up nice and early for our most recent competition, in fact most of the light was still provided by a full moon for the first tee times!

Our society now has around 90 active members, with new members and guests joining us every week. It was nice to see a few of the newest members amongst the prizewinners today!

The winners on the day were as follows: Division 1 first Richard Lovering with 39 points, second David Archer with 35, third Paul Matthews with 33 and fourth Paul Newman also on 33.

Division 2 first Bobby Watson with 36, second Douglas Oxlade with 31, third Mick Hardy on 30 and fourth Danny Scott on 29.

Division 3 first was Doug Daughtrey with 37, second John Lester with 34, third Harry Harrison also 34 and fourth was David Hurst on 32.

Division 4 first was Paul Ryan with 38, second Peter Ashton on 31, third Sandra Twentyman also on 31 and fourth was Lyn Gallard with 30.

Nearest the pins were won by Doug Daughtrey, Richard Lovering, Danny Scott, Kev Parker and Ken Shaw. The gross 2 (for 50 euros) was not claimed and will roll over to our next game.

We have several upcoming games, the details of which can be seen on the calendar of our website. Full details will be emailed to all members. For further information on our society, to play as a guest, or to join, please phone Barry Beale on +34 649 245 889 or look at our website at www.sanjaviergolfsociety.co.uk and Facebook page at www.facebook.com/sanjaviergolfsociety

Attached is a photo of the full moon at the start of our day at Lo Romero Golf.

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