Last week saw me competing out in Portugal at the end-of-season San Lorenzo Invitational with the Masters Pro Tour.
It was a great event, with substantial sponsorship. I finished tied 13th over a challenging, but beautiful golf course. I encountered greens with grain, meaning that on a couple of putts the ball seemed to break uphill – wow it blew my mind!!
We had a few days after the tournament finished before being transported home by Ryanair, so I can vouch for the apres golf in Portugal too which most of us tried!!
I had four days in the build up to the tournament just along the coast at Penina, where I spent my time practising, mainly my short game. In fact I wore out a patch of grass just trying different techniques and slight tweaks on essentially the same chip for 5 hours each day. I suspect the locals and green staff thought I’d lost my marbles a bit!!! It has paid off though in terms of building up some trust and confidence for me.
I proudly was letting Coach Pete see what I’d been working yesterday until my fingers went numb in the freezing cold, back in Fife. As I have long suspected, I think I am a warm weather golfer!!!
In case anyone’s wondering, the Covid travel requirements went really smoothly. Full vaccinations, a locator form and two day testing once back here was all that was needed. Despite some stories to the contrary, the border control at both ends was really smooth and straightforward.
Next is out to Marbella on Sunday for the Marbella Senior Open with the Senior Golf Tour Europe. It’s played over two courses at Villa Padierna which looks real good with lots water involved.
Will let you know how we go.
Cheers
Calum
You’ll like both courses. As a 15 handicapper I don’t want to presume to give advice, however my mate has a Villa on the estate and we’re just back from playing Los Flamingos and Alferini (the Padierna courses) and others.
Flamingos is up & down with wide fairways. I can enjoy that. Alferini is a brute up the mountain for a golfer like me. Placement off the tee is critical, however the enforced concentration seems to work and if I put my head down and play one shot at a time it’s good fun too.
I hope you have better luck than me. Through my mate I got into the weekly stableford at Alferini and had a second placed finish only to discover we’d played off the wrong tees so we had to disqualify ourselves 😁. There are about six different tees, including dark grey, light grey and silver. We mixed it up!
My mate is back in Edinburgh or I could have arranged a welcoming committee for you! All the best, may your putts drop.
PS: Put more of your golf in your posts 💪
Hi Bob, thanks for the intel. Got here last night so off to practice on one today and the other tomorrow. I will watch out for the tees tho,that’s a nightmare that you had to disqualify yourselves. Will let you know how we go 👍. Oh and more about my golf, I’ll try 👍