A Trip down Memory Lane

Golf News — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 09:13:17 +0000

I’ve just had my first proper holiday on the Costa Del Sol for years and really enjoyed it.
Instead of worrying about the big picture of how the coastline is coping and whether the golf courses have found the right approach I just got on with being a holidaymaker and quickly rediscovered the fun of pottering around and playing a bit of golf.
It’s easy to be negative about the Costa Del Sol when things aren’t going so well and I’ve not been slow to complain about the boom and bust mentality we’ve seen since the 1980s. However, it’s good to be able to say that it’s still one of the best holiday destinations for northern Europeans, provided they’re not offended by the sight of unfinished apartment blocks and other visible signs of the recession. There’s no disguising how expensive everything seems to those of us who enjoyed the good old days of cheap food, drink and golf, but there’s not much anyone can do about the weakness of the Pound against the Euro except hope that it balances out soon.
Also, just when the golf business needed the best of winter weather it got the worst. John Wallace, the respected course superintendent at El Paraiso, explained the challenges for some courses who’d been closed for more than 50 per cent of the time for the first three months of the year.
There’s no doubt courses up and down the coast are putting a brave face on it and trying to weather the storm but balanced against that we shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that the choice and quality of golf available on the Costa del Sol is still outstanding.
For myself, not having played golf for a number of years, it was great fun revisiting old favourites like Mijas and enjoying the quality of more recent additions like Santana, where circumstances which prevented some of the more grandiose clubhouse plans may have been a blessing in disguise. The current clubhouse is perfectly adequate and resources have instead been channelled into a superb golf course.
The saddest part of the holiday was seeing the decline of great hotels like the Byblos and Los Monteros. The Byblos was still limping on but fading fast and Los Monteros looked like something from a war zone. The complexities of Spanish employment law are beyond me but from what I’m told that’s what’s prevented anyone buying up these businesses and rescuing them. By contrast, we went to one of our old haunts, the Sunset Beach Club at Benalmadena where they’ve always known their market and where they’ve always maintained a vibrancy and buzz even in such a huge hotel. It was no different this time with every room taken and everyone having a great time. We even managed to see our old friend Pearse Webb, still in fine voice after all these years entertaining on the coast.
All in all, anyone suffering from Costa Del Depression should remind themselves of some of the problems affecting Dubai and some communities in Florida as well as the sporadic political unrest in Thailand. One good summer and one warm winter may be enough to turn things around in Southern Spain.

Elite Golf Services Do It Again!

Golf News — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 21:31:49 +0000

The Two Waynes Organise a Great Competition in Aid of the Diabetic Support Group

Elite Golf Services of Fuengirola organised a three-day charity golf tournament at the end of January, with 92 golfers playing, which turned out to be a great success.
THE ANDALUCIA CUP 2010 was competed for over three different courses – Santana, El Chaparral and Santa Clara. The presentation of prizes was made at POGS BAR (Paradise Of Golf Societies!) on the last evening. Ross the owner and his staff worked so hard to open on time after a disastrous few days of flooding during the bad weather.
Luckily, the three days golf was not marred by rain resulting in some good scoring.
Apart from the main sponsors AvailableNOW, MalagaMinibus.com, Shoot Golf, POGS Bar and Elite Golf Services Wayne Burton, the owner of Elite Golf Services would also like to thank the following golf courses for their kind donations to the auction: El Chaparral, El Paraiso, Finca Cortesin, La Cala Resort, La Quinta, Los Naranjos, Marbella Club, Marbella G&C, Mijas Golf, Miraflores, Monte Mayor, Rio Real, Santana, Santa Clara, Santa Maria, San Roque and Torrequebrada.
The amount raised for the Mijas La Cala Lions Diabetic Support Group at the raffle and auction amounted to 2.725 euros and Elite Golf Services made it up to 4.000 euros in total – a wonderful gesture.
Frank Bowles, the co-founder of DSG, thanked all concerned for this fantastic donation:
‘We will now be able to move forward and expand our horizons. We need a top-class website and a base in town to be able to meet up with diabetics on a weekly basis.
With the help of people like Wayne Burton we hope to make the lives of diabetics on the coast more comfortable and less stressful.’
Elite Golf Services will hold another three-day event next year – from 27th January 2011. For further details contact +34 952 464 614 or EM: info@elitegolfservices.com and book your place now!

Costa del Sol Golf News » santana

A Trip down Memory Lane

Elite Golf Services Do It Again!