Tales from Andalucia

Hi everybody!

I just arrived back in Cobham to see Martin's frigtheningly successful single digit performance at last week's Stableford. (Should I even bother with next year's JLCC, if he is back to his old form like that? )

Unfortunately, my Spanish golfing ventures were not as successful this time: Trying to be brave, I entered the two day annual Club Championship Medal at La Quinta last weekend, the aim of which is to establish the best player of the club. Every club in Spain has the same competition, and I presume the scratch winners of these competitions compete at a national level at a later stage. After quite a reasonable first round of net 73 on Friday any hopes for a reasonable outcome, which I might have foolishly cherished until then, were brutally dashed, when I started with a seven off the tee on the first hole on the following day. (It is a par five with a very narrow landing area for the first shot, but I had pared this hole on the previous day, so there is no excuse for playing badly.) In any event, I came close to giving up golf (as one does after a round like that) but have now recovered and will try again next time.

There are plenty of competitions at La Quinta; normally three every month, in July and August even two to three competions per week. It is also quite a jolly crowd. In the course of the two rounds and the following lunch and ceremony I met quite a few people, including an Englishman from Ascot, two Swedes, quite a few Spaniards, two Dutchmen and a self-confessed “maricon belga” (the latter playing off ten). Most people play an awful lot of golf.

I look forward to arranging a JLCC in Andalucia at some point in the future (when it’s my turn in a couple of years' time).

Regards,

Rolf