Levante Golf Society
Bonalba - November 8
On a day when weather and course conditions would have severely tested the world’s best golfers, Levante’s players got on with enjoying their weekly competition. This week it was a pair’s betterball format with ten teams taking part.
Not only were the winds gusting to what seemed like near gale force but were frequently changing direction with the sight on one hole of tumbleweed scurrying across the green in one direction only to reverse and depart in the direction from which it came. The course had been affected by the adverse weather conditions earlier in the year and by the drying effect of the winds in recent days leaving a number of the greens lightning quick and occasionally unpredictable. Nevertheless Bonalba is a well-liked course with a good variety of holes presenting an excellent golfing challenge.
The winners on the day were Dave Collie and Brian Child with 44 points. Dave, fortified by something stronger than his usual pre match coffee used his power game to combat the conditions and Brian is rapidly becoming the partner of choice for the lower handicap golfers, winning his second team game in succession.
Second place went to Bob Fell and Neville Richardson who between themselves played some excellent and some far from excellent golf but dovetailed well together to amass 41 points. In third place were Hans Benzler and Roger Miller also on 41 points but losing out on count back of scores over the last nine holes.
Shot of the day was played by Mike Harding. Mike has been on excellent form, regularly winning prizes in the weekly competitions. This may be why he decided to give himself an additional handicap on the second par three. Powering his tee shot towards the green, his ball struck a post several yards in front of the tee and rebounded to behind where he was standing admiring his drive. His second shot was from several yards behind his first. Despite this, he and his partner Alan Overton accumulated a very creditable 40 points to finish fourth.
Nearest the pin on the fourth was Bob Fell and on the fourteenth was David Downes.
Next week sees a fully subscribed list of LGS members take on the first round of the autumn challenge at Oliva Nova with the second round taking place at La Sella the following week, the winner will be the individual player with the best cumulative score. These rounds are followed by a team game at Alicante and the annual pre-Christmas ‘Turkey Trot’ pair’s competition at La Sella.
Don Larner’s legacy to LGS in his period as Captain has been the introduction of the innovative Vol au Vent challenge which will have its second (and perhaps final) running after the game on November 15.
Levante Golf Society’s annual dinner and awards evening is at the La Sella Marriott Hotel on November 30 (all tickets have been sold) and the AGM will take place on December 6.