3 thick layers of clothing and sun tan lotion - down to 9.9 hcap

spanishman

spanishman

Well-known member
Just a quick insight into the January golfing experience in southern Spain.

We have a 09:00 shotgun start. So I am getting ready to go to the course. I have a thick long sleeved photo shirt on. With a fleece and an insulated jacket.

I then had to put sun tan lotion on my face. To ensure I do not get sun burn later in the morning.

A bit windy but no chance of rain.
 
spanishman said:
Just a quick insight into the January golfing experience in southern Spain.

We have a 09:00 shotgun start. So I am getting ready to go to the course. I have a thick long sleeved photo shirt on. With a fleece and an insulated jacket.

I then had to put sun tan lotion on my face. To ensure I do not get sun burn later in the morning.

A bit windy but no chance of rain.
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Tee 11. Where I am starting.
 

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Off to Benidorm next weekend. Haven’t played 18 holes in England since September due to hernia op and the wet weather. I’ve decided to play the “Melia Villaitana” courses (2 of them). Tee times are around 11.00 so, hopefully will not need the Fleece! Clubhouse looks nice.
 

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sambaDTR said:
Off to Benidorm next weekend. Haven’t played 18 holes in England since September due to hernia op and the wet weather. I’ve decided to play the “Melia Villaitana” courses (2 of them). Tee times are around 11.00 so, hopefully will not need the Fleece! Clubhouse looks nice.
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Played there a year or 2 ago. We visited El Saler, further up the coast, as well. It was an enjoyable weekend away.
 
feedthebear said:
Where is that (which course) ?
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It is Golf Almerimar in a town called Almerimar in the province of Almería.

We have 27 holes. 18 of which are the original course. Called the Master course. Designed by Gary Player in the 1970s. There was another 9 holes called the Classic that was added later.

All the official comps take place on the Master course.
 
spanishman said:
It is Golf Almerimar in a town called Almerimar in the province of Almería.

We have 27 holes. 18 of which are the original course. Called the Master course. Designed by Gary Player in the 1970s. There was another 9 holes called the Classic that was added later.

All the official comps take place on the Master course.
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This configuration is also the summer one. They mix up the holes in a different way to get more long stay visitors on the course in the winter. Then there are three 9 hole courses called White, Red and Blue.
 
First time with a single figure World Handicap Index handicap.

I got to 6.8 some years ago. Then went back up to over 12 as I got older.

Been getting lower again slowly more recently. After taking up pilates around 2 years ago.

Went from 10.1 to 9.9 after the competition yesterday.

Feeling chuffed. Hope I can get it even lower now.
 
spanishman said:
First time with a single figure World Handicap Index handicap.

I got to 6.8 some years ago. Then went back up to over 12 as I got older.

Been getting lower again slowly more recently. After taking up pilates around 2 years ago.

Went from 10.1 to 9.9 after the competition yesterday.

Feeling chuffed. Hope I can get it even lower now.
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Must be nice playing in similar conditions every week. Over in Middlesbrough the conditions can change every day! Last year was poor. Even in July the course was so wet the ball was picking up mud when it landed on the fairway. Hence the course was playing long and most player’s handicap went up!
 
RK8610 said:
Course looks a bit rough, how much are the subs for that?
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It is a pay and play type course. Rather than a members course. So it all depends on how often you play. You can get packages from 15 green fees a year up to family ones for the whole of the year.

I agree it is not if fantastic condition. It was really bad a few years ago. It is improving again now.

One big issue is that the greens have a grass that survives really hot summers. Then goes dormant for 4-5 months over the winter.

In the summer everything grows like crazy. The fairway are thick with grass everywhere. They are bare in parts in the winter. So we get roll on the fairways in winter. The ball stops dead on them in the summer.

Also, covid has hit hard. They have cut their staff levels by at least 1/3 after things reopened. Which has an impact on maintenance.
 
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sambaDTR said:
Must be nice playing in similar conditions every week. Over in Middlesbrough the conditions can change every day! Last year was poor. Even in July the course was so wet the ball was picking up mud when it landed on the fairway. Hence the course was playing long and most player’s handicap went up!
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As just mentioned in another reply, our course is different winter and summer. Just hardly ever muddy and wet.

We have had some snow once. In 2005. It was a big event. The kids were let out of school early to play in it.

In the summer everything grows like crazy. The fairway are thick with grass everywhere. They are bare in parts in the winter. So we get roll on the fairways in winter. The ball stops dead on them in the summer.
 
spanishman said:
First time with a single figure World Handicap Index handicap.

I got to 6.8 some years ago. Then went back up to over 12 as I got older.

Been getting lower again slowly more recently. After taking up pilates around 2 years ago.

Went from 10.1 to 9.9 after the competition yesterday.

Feeling chuffed. Hope I can get it even lower now.
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I've been bumping along at 14 to 15ish since WHS came in. Apart from a once a year golf trip, I play once a week at most (and have only played 2 half rounds since the beginning of November because the weather and the courses have been so sh*t), so that's my excuse. I'll hopefully, have a proper tilt at bringing my handicap down when I retire in a couple of years time.

We've just booked our annual golf trip for this year; a week in Majorca. The visitor rates these days for half decent courses in Spain and Portugal are becoming eye watering.
 
feedthebear said:
I've been bumping along at 14 to 15ish since WHS came in. Apart from a once a year golf trip, I play once a week at most (and have only played 2 half rounds since the beginning of November because the weather and the courses have been so sh*t), so that's my excuse. I'll hopefully, have a proper tilt at bringing my handicap down when I retire in a couple of years time.

We've just booked our annual golf trip for this year; a week in Majorca. The visitor rates these days for half decent courses in Spain and Portugal are becoming eye watering.
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Best of luck.
 
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