Pain in Spain

Hola, amigos! Apologies for the Iberian whimsy, but The Stump is not long returned from the Costa Brava, and a 6 day (4 round) golfing holiday with a party of 15 (male) golfers.

I've submitted an article to http://www.golfmagic.com/ that describes the courses and rates them and the experience, so best have a look at that for the detail.

However, after incurring a sprained wrist / tendon damage in a football game at the start of April (my reflex one handed save from a point blank volley is worthy of highlight, one feels), I found myself less than 100% fit as I made my way to Spain - and with only one pain-riddled practice round under my belt this year as I left.

Suffice to say, the first three rounds were basically the worst of the last 5 or 6 years. I'm generally good at keeping things in perspective, but after a mauling on Day 2 at the hands of the beast they call PGA Catalunya, I was in a black mood and all set to give up the game. In fairness, to put it into context, I hadn't had a good round for nearly 18 months. and having turned 40 last year I was starting to wonder if I was now on a downward spiral.

However, as is often the case in golf, I managed to play some decent stuff on the last day. OK, I didn't score particularly well, but a bogey-bogey start after a start of 8 / 9's on the preceding 3 days was a massive morale booster.

Anyway, 3 of the 4 courses in Spain were good, so much to appreciate. However, even the good courses there can't hold a candle to the best courses in the UK & Ireland. As my Dad pointed out recently, there's a reason why thousands of international visitors make a golfing pilgrimmage to the UK each year, and that's essentially the quality of the courses.

Speaking of which, I'm off to Gleneageles (Kings) on Monday for our annual "Friendly" Family Foursomes (see earlier posts for reference to said contest). Despite an "iffy" weather forecast, I'm excited at the prospect of a return to Gleneagles after an absence of 3 years. There is no finer golfing venue in the UK, even allowing for the brutal indecency of the yawnsome PGA Centenary course. I haven't played the Kings since 2003 (I think), and I'm looking forward to the test. I still can't believe that the pro's can rip this course apart, as for the average amateur it is still a formidable test with tight fairways, penal bunkers and testing greens.

Anyway, here's hoping that my dodgy hand can get through 18 holes at the monarch of the glens, and that the forces of light can prevail against the forces of darkness. Although as my brother is my partner, there is a feeling that I'm perhaps in league with the Devil. Wish me luck....