A Trip to the Sunshine?

Standing in a lengthy airport check-in queue is always such a mind numbing pleasure that I almost missed out on the automatic check-in service offered by Monarch at Manchester. One quick scan of my passport, a couple of quick questions on the screen, and there I was with my boarding card in my hand. Off to the baggage check in and the whole procedure was over and done with - in 2-3 minutes. Wonderful.

The flight to Tenerife South was uneventful, and it was only on arrival that I realised I had, as usual, managed to be the harbinger of bad weather. Gale force winds were sweeping the island, bringing torrential rain to the coastal areas and over a foot of snow to El Teide.

After an interesting, and sometimes hair-raising drive I arrived at the Maritim Hotel, situated close to Puerto de la Cruz on the North Coast. First impressions, albeit in the wind and the rain were not good, as the exterior reminded me of a 1960’s apartment block. However once inside, I was, not for the first time proven very wrong. The décor and ambience were splendid, and I was delighted by the genuine warmth and friendliness of the greeting by the hotel staff. Life was quickly restored by a beer and a steak, and not even the entertainment in the nightclub, which turned out to be by the Drifters (yes still alive and very good) could dampen my spirits. I forgot to mention, on arrival my virtuoso parking exhibition was obviously welcomed by the security staff and guests alike, but finally I got the vehicle vaguely straight, and they all went off to have a snigger somewhere else.

The next morning the rain had stopped, and the wind had abated, so I was able to explore the hotels splendid, if by now somewhat battered, gardens and enjoy a superb and well presented breakfast on the sheltered terrace. Then it was off to play golf at the Real Club at El Peñó, situated close to the airport at Tenerife North. By the time I had reached there it was back to torrential rain and gales, and it was obvious there would be no golf that day. The Real is the second oldest golf course in Spain, and would, I am sure, have been quite a challenge. It has, so I am assured, splendid views of both the mountains and the sea. Thanks to all the staff who watched from the window whilst I struggled to remove a large tree branch blocking the driveway entrance to the club, I really look forward to visiting again.

On my way back to the Maritim I paused at the wine museum (Casa Del Vino) at El Sauzal, which proved to be a splendid diversion and a pleasant way of learning about the wines of Tenerife. Finally back to the Maritim, where it was still windy, but thankfully now without rain. I took the hotels’ free shuttle bus the two kilometres into Puerto de la Cruz, passing the Loro Parque, a large zoo and botanical garden, which must be a compulsory day out if you have children of any age in your party. After a quick walk round the port area, and a look at the wide range of shops, I hopped back on the bus, and later that evening had an excellent meal in the á la carte restaurant. Next morning the sea was still lumpy, but the weather had turned milder, and the prospect for golf at Buenavista was good. A quick call by the hotel staff confirmed that it was fine, and playable, and so I took a short and very pleasant, forty minute drive to this Seve Ballesteros designed course situated in the North West corner of the island, on the edge of the Teno Regional Park area.

What a difference a day makes. The course was in very good condition, the staff throughout the club were exceptionally helpful and friendly, and even the seagulls welcomed me in their traditional manner. The course is 18 hole, 72 par with a 6019 metre length from the white tees, and 4932 from the red.

The course pivots around a well equipped club house, and the views are stunning from almost everywhere. The course has its’ own well hidden desalination plant which enables the course to maintain a high standard of watering throughout the year. There is also a natural swimming pool situated alongside the 16th fairway.

Following a pleasant time at Buenavista I drove across the mountains, an interesting experience, towards Los Gigantes, the 2,000foot cliffs that plummet to the sea. Then back to the airport, with a short detour to Abama, and a quick look at some of the other courses to be found in the Las Americas area.

Sadly the two day trip was at an end, but despite the weather I had a most enjoyable visit, with good golf, good food, and a very pleasant, relaxing hotel.

Play Away Gentlemen

With those words from the starter echoing in your ears, and having somehow acquired the honour, you must now drive away from the first tee. Not just any old first tee, but the first tee at the Old Course, St Andrews. No pressure here, then.

Prior to this you have reported to the starter, met your caddies, been announced to a small, but enthusiastic “gallery” of Italian tourists, and stood around trying to keep warm. St Andrews in early April is not the warmest spot on the map. And then you are away.You mutter a silent prayer “Please, Lord let me get away from here with a decent drive.”And the drive was good, as were those of my playing companions. And so, marching down the fairway with the caddie laconically murmuring “you’ll get your colour back soon”.

Second shots however were slightly different, with my ball showing an uncanny desire to enter the Swill Can Burn, another player going out of bounds to the left, a third player joining me in the burn and the fourth player chipping way over the green. It could only get better, please.

But I am getting ahead of myself. The original purpose of the visit to St Andrews was to “play the Old Course backwards”. The Old Course was originally played the opposite way round to the way it is played today, with players starting on what is now the 18th fairway and playing to the 17th green. They then played from today’s 18th tee to the present-day 16th green and so on. When they reached the turn, they played back the way they had come.

Tom Morris created the present first green in the 1870s and thus the anti-clockwise route became an alternative. In the late 19th and the early 20th century players alternated between the left hand circuit and the right hand circuit on a weekly basis until gradually the right-hand, or anticlockwise, began to prevail. (It must have been quite interesting should you have forgotten what week it was.)

As a result of the change many of the bunkers are not visible from the tee and are clearly positioned to threaten shots from the opposite direction.The clockwise route is now offered for a couple of days at the beginning of April each year.

In order to achieve this the course largely uses temporary tees and one occasionally shares a green. As you have great difficulty viewing the flag from many of these tees then it can make for an interesting round.

My advice is to invest in at least one caddie per party, he, or she, can make the day go considerably better when you are not “flying blind”.The St Andrews Links Trust publish an excellent booklet on the “reverse Course”, study it before you play, and not find out about it when you are beginning the bragging in the bar after the event.

Playing the course in reverse was a great experience, but not one your would put a card in from.

Just some other points about the Monday game. It was like playing in a war zone, with RAF Leuchars playing “touch and go” with their Tornados, helicopters and several other unidentifiable warplanes, whilst over the water at Carnoustie the live firing range used by the Army was having a machine gun day. Just to assist the quiet day out in the country the quarry on the hills in the distance was continually blasting. According to Alan, one of our caddies, ” it is worse when they have the air show”. But not when they have any tournaments that are televised world wide, I notice.

Other observations. Heather, who has the tea wagon at the turn, sells life-saving hot soups and smiles at frozen golfers, she is a national treasure. And the final point, despite what you see on television, St Andrews Old Course is not flat, the gorse is very sharp , and there are bunkers you could hide a Centurion tank in. These bunkers also have some form of magnetic attraction to small white objects, honest.

And so back to Wednesday.

After a splendid meal on the previous night at the Craws Nest, Anstruther, we returned to St Andrews to play the course the correct way round.

I, and others, travelled the tourist route that day, lost a couple of balls, found three (gorse bushes again) and visited the tea wagon, got chivvied along by the marshal and damn near froze to death. As to my card, that is between me and my maker, although I am quite pleased with it. As an experience it was wonderful, as a feat of golf it was not. Would I do it again, just try and stop me.

And next time I see one of the names on TV playing the Old Course I will be able to comment to anyone within earshot about my own recollections of that hole and how best to play it. Oh Bliss.

Thanks to all concerned for making it such a memorable few days, especially Neil.The rest of you know who you are.

Links

www.standrews.org.uk
www.crawsnesthotel.co.uk
www.scottishgolfistory.net