SATURDAY,SEPTEMBER16,2017 GOLFSPECIAL … · 6 MAJORCADAILYBULLETIN GOLFSPECIAL SATURDAY,SEPTEMBER16,2017 SPECIALSUPPLEMENT MAJORCADAILYBULLETIN -SANTAPONSAIIGOLFCOURSE GOLFSANTAPONSAII

GOLF SPECIAL 1SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTMAJORCA DAILY BULLETINSATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2017

SPECIALGOLF

GOLF SPECIAL2 MAJORCA DAILY BULLETIN SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2017SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

MAJORCA DAILY BULLETIN GOLF CUP

W ELL, it is golf time again! Thismorning our annual tournamentis taking place at the Santa Ponsagolf course and I am pleased to

say that we have players from across the island.Interestingly enough my career at the Bulletinactually started at the Santa Ponsa golf course.It was 1988 and Santa Ponsa was hosting a ma-jor PGA tournament with some of the top play-ers at that time including the late, great SeveBallesteros. At that time I was 18 years old and Iknew very little about golf....but very little in-deed. But I was keen and young and willing togive it a try. I did feel slightly embarrassedwhen I arrived at the golf club to find that I wasthe only journalist who had actually arrived bybus...Bulletin expenses for cub reporters are notgreat! But I was greeted by scene I do not think Iwill forget. There were fantastic cars parkedeverywhere courtesy of the sponsors, the pressoffice had a running bar and restaurant and eve-rything was free. I was in paradise. I do notthink I have consumed so many jamon serrranosanwiches in my life.

I was tasked with trying to get an interviewwith the great man, Seve Ballesteros. Not onlydid I have to ask questions but I had to takephotos as well. I headed to the course and noteda great mass of people around Seve. I sum-moned up all my courage and pushed throughshouting PRESS, only to be told to keep myvoice down by a marshall! But I managed to firea question at Ballesteros and he answered. Thegreen are fantastic, he answered. Initially Ithought that he was talking about Majorcanvegetables but I finally realised that naturally,he was discussing the course. During the eventI learnt alot about golf and what a fantasticsport it is.

So thirty years later and I am back at the SantaPonsa golf course. I would like to thank all theplayers and of course the sponsors for their sup-port for today’s event. Special thanks goes toFirst Mallorca and Blevins Franks who havesupported us from the start. Thank you somuch to everyone who has supported us in ourthird golf tournament.

byJasonMoore

b There are a widerange of prizes on offertoday at our annual golftournament which istaking place in SantaPonsa.20 minute tennis match with Tim Henman.

b Prizes and giftsgalore in thetournament.



F irst Mallorca, the leadinglocal real estate companyis once again the princi-pal sponsor of the Ma-

jorca Daily Bulletin golf competi-tion. Heidi Stadler, Chief Execu-tive of the company tells the Bulle-tin Managing Editor Jason Mooreabout their recipe for success.

1. How is the market at themoment?

“Currently our market is mindboggeling! We are invaded by in-ternational purchasers who rushafter a piece of Majorca. Thisbrought us to the idea of display-ing cats instead of houses .... wemight run out of product toosoon! The German buyers aresurely the top segment and al-though the British are well be-hind, their confidence is notablypicking-up. The northern Euro-pean countries, especially theSwedish and Norwegians, are insearch of sunshine and a tidier cutbetween daylight and night time.Since some time now they’re ven-

turing out of the Santa Catalinaarea, heading towards fincas, villasand apartments in the generalsouth-west area and picturesquecountry settings. Very faithful cli-ents are the Swiss, as purchasersand as vendors. They are great Ma-jorca lovers and go hand in handwith another minority, the Aus-trians. We recently experiencemany families, often mixed cou-

ples from all over the world,choosing the island as their top lo-cation for an investment and theunrivalled quality of life.”

2. What are Majorca’s attrac-tions for the home buyers?

“One might think it is the cli-mate or the closeness to all Euro-pean cities, the brilliant infra-structure or even the many golf

courses, numerous yacht harboursor international schools but thereare also deeper rooted facts, thathelp couples to decide to settle inMajorca! I widen the answer onpurpose as we all know the advan-tages Majorca brings to us as mostof your readers are expatriates.Majorca feels safe. This is a verydetermining factor why a womanagrees with her husband to buy or

is even the first one to choose Ma-jorca. Most of our purchasers arecouples or families. A minority ofsingles do purchase. Statistics oftransactions with singles arerather cruel as you will find a ma-jority of sellers being single incomparison to purchasers. I imag-ine this is not a popular subjectbut a fact of life - our work manytimes starts after a divorce or adeath in the family. Though a bigpercentage of venders re-investthe money on the island. On an-other note we enjoy to drive onthe island, find our internationalgroceries without any problemand do not have to speak Spanishto survive. Different to the French(is it still true?), Majorcans arefriendly and helpful if you are nothitting a burned-out waiter afterthe summer season. Yesterday Ispoke to a gentleman from Ice-land, an owner of a villa in Costad’en Blanes who sold with us 17years ago. He is returning to the is-land as he is suffering from an ill-ness that stops the pain if he is in

Heidi Stadler, the Chief Executive of First Mallorca.

MAJORCA DAILY BULLETIN GOLF CUP/INTERVIEW HEIDI STADLER

“Everyone wants a small slice ofthis wonderful island...”

b “There are approximately 55 milliongolf players in the world, served byapproximately 35,000 golf courses!Majorca cannot miss out!

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MAJORCA DAILY BULLETIN GOLF CUP/INTERVIEW HEIDI STADLER

an environment such as Majorcawhere the air pressure is steadierthan in his home country. I was un-aware of this fact but such stories ofa climate that is not inviting onlysunseekers but also people feelingso much better physically, is astrong plus we do not appreciateenough.”

3. Do you think golf is an im-portant incentive to help peoplebuying a house on the island?

“I think it is, indeed! There are ap-proximately 55 million golf playersin the world, served by approxi-mately 35,000 golf courses! Majorcacannot miss out!”

4. What are the areas of the is-land which are selling betterthan others?

“Historically it has been theSouth-West winning all races forinternational property buyers inMajorca but additionally we havetoday clearly the historic product ofPalma and generally all front line lo-cations. Fincas are of importancebut tend to sell at a slower pace thanvillas or apartments. Today alterna-tive areas such as Santanyi or Soller,Pollensa or Santa Maria have to betaken very seriously too. Never didwe offer a greater wealth of fantas-tic new product and projects: newdevelopments, new villas and even

new homes within an authenticvillage concept in amazing loca-tions such as Deya! If you do notfind a property in this diversifiedmarket, you truely need our help!”

5. The rental market is strong aswell?

“We are missing product for longterm rentals caused by the strongmarket for holiday rentals, al-though with partly still conflictiverules of legality. The rental marketis generally strong and from time totime the first step for purchasers.Nevertheless “buy to let” is athought but not a major decision forthe general group of purchasers.”

6. Palma, one of the best placesin the world?

“Yes, I truly believe that Palma isone of the magic cities on thisplanet with top life quality. I am al-ways discovering new places intown and simply love Palma! Thecity is dynamic, forever inviting toexplore and discover and no doubtvery sexy!”

7. Your new Pedigree campaign“..... is there to win you a smile.

Unpretentious, friendly but for sureunusual as these alien cats are 100 %Pedigree, so are our properties!Every property can tell a story,every home has a soul and togetherthey form the Pedigree of all ener-gies kept between walls. There is somuch more to be seen when youstart looking with your heart.”

8. The secret of your success?“Maybe success is like the money

flow. If you do not focus on themoney but enjoy working, it comesby itself. This is my experience.Nothing we do is to be successfulbut represents our development aspeople, as professionals, as a teamwith a team spirit. We do not takeourselves that serious all the time!Beside a solid professional disci-pline we keep-up the humour. Twoimportant factors in life you cannever recuperate: Love & Time.Therefore best use your time lovingwhat you are doing!”

“We are invaded by internationalpurchasers who rush after a piece ofMajorca. This brought us to the idea ofdisplaying cats instead of houses .... wemight run out of product too soon!”


MAJORCA DAILY BULLETIN - SANTA PONSA II GOLF COURSE

GOLFSANTAPONSA IIA round hole by hole

O pened in1991,the GolfSanta Ponsa IIcourse is

6.053 metres, 18 holes(Par 72).

The holes of Golf SantaPonsa II are situated inpine woods and betweenlarge lakes, offering manyvaried options of play.

The 18th hole is a veryinteresting Par 3 wherethe green is situated in apiece of land which is theshape of the island of Ma-jorca.

This course also offersthe facilities to improvethe game, with a drivingrange 350 metres inlength with tees at both

ends of 100 metres each,putting green and chip-ping area.

This course is for exclu-sive use of the sharehold-ers although some impor-tant competitions havebeen held here:

● Open de Golf (Euro-pean PGA Tour)

The PGA chose GolfSanta Ponsa II to host TheBalearic Open in 1995,

with G. Turner as winner.On another six ocassionsit has been played in GolfSanta Ponsa I.

● International H.R.H.Juan de Borbón (1994-2012)

● International H.R.H.Princesa Birgitta ofSweden (1991-2012)

● The Mentor Founda-tion (1998)

Other important playerswho have participated inthese events are AdolfoSuárez, Prince Andrew ofBritain, Michael Douglasor Frank Beckenbauer.

Hole White Yellow Blue Red Par HCP Bunker Lakes1 350 m 332 m 300 m 293 m 4 2 - -2 157 m 140 m 114 m 100 m 3 16 1 -3 450 m 437 m 391 m 383 m 5 8 1 -4 292 m 279 m 266 m 251 m 4 18 - -5 418 m 398 m 365 m 345 m 4 4 1 -6 352 m 339 m 319 m 312 m 4 6 1 -7 160 m 149 m 138 m 128 m 3 12 1 -8 484 m 465 m 416 m 401 m 5 10 3 -9 348 m 331 m 256 m 244 m 4 14 2 -10 289 m 275 m 262 m 250 m 4 9 1 -11 384 m 367 m 311 m 305 m 4 1 2 -12 155 m 124 m 102 m 87 m 3 17 2 113 367 m 349 m 325 m 298 m 4 15 1 -14 363 m 347 m 332 m 321 m 4 5 2 115 504 m 472 m 410 m 397 m 5 11 2 116 340 m 326 m 303 m 291 m 4 13 2 117 474 m 436 m 403 m 388 m 5 3 4 218 166 m 140 m 115 m 78 m 3 7 - 1TOTAL 6.053 m 5.706 m 5.128 ’m 4.872 m 72 - - -SLOPE 134 131 134 131 72 - - -Course map.

Santa Ponsa II is an 18-hole course.


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has definitely changed inrecent years. Awarenessstarted to increase and UKgolfers began to under-stand what Majorca can of-fer.

“It wasn’t one thing thatchanged – there were acombination of factors –but the lid has certainlybeen lifted on somewhere

that has huge potential forus. There is no reason thatgood growth can’t continuein 2018.It looks very prom-ising for the future of Ma-jorca as a golf destination.”

Like the UK the Germanmarket has also witnessedan increase in business.

The general manager ofestablished Leverkusen-based golf tour operatorProGOLF-REISEN believes

thewealthof quality courses andeasy access is a majorattraction.

He said “ In general,Majorca is one of the mostpopular and interestinggolf destinations for theGermans. In our productrange there has been ex-treme growth for threeyears – more than 10 percent every year.

“We expect that to con-tinue in 2018 as more golf-ers are finding out whatMajorca has to offer. Thebenefits are the best avail-able flight connectionsfrom more or less all Ger-man airports combinedwith short flight times.And when you arrive, thereare fantastic golf courses, awide product range, andexcellent hotels.

“On Majorca there issomething to suit every de-mand.”

by John Little

E ver since Golf SonVida opened in1964 our “ golfingparadise” has been

growing steadily, both inthe number of courses andthe number of players vis-iting them

Years ago I used to writehow Majorca was scarcelyknown as a golf holidaydestination. No longer isthat true and I like to thinkthat Mallorca Golf Holidays( www.mallorcagolfholi-days.com) played somepart in the islands rise inthe golf holiday market.

Today there 24 courses onthe island, and 21 of themare open to the generalpublic. The islands coursesare located roughly in twomain areas. The South,close to Palma with itstourist resorts of Arenal,Palmanova, Magalluf (Cal-via Beach) and Santa Ponsa,is home to the most popu-lar and well known clubs.Many golfers will haveplayed or heard of Son Vida,Santa Ponsa, Poniente andBendinat. More recent areAndratx, Son Termens, SonMuntaner, Maioris, GolfPark and Son Antem.

In the north-east of the is-land can be found Can-yamel, Pula, Capdepera

and Son Servera,all close by the popu-lar resort of Cala Millor.

Saving the best for last,certainly in terms of Euro-pean rankings, are Al-canada and Son Gual. Al-canada is located lookingover the Bay of Alcudia inthe north of the island. SonGual is in the south, closeto the airport and the cityof Palma.

Both feature in the top100 courses in Spain, SonGual at number 9 and Al-canada at number 21. This isa marvelous achievementfor our small island.

The CEO of one of thelargest golf holiday firms inthe UK last year reported ahuge increase in bookingsto Majorca and alwaysknew the potential wasthere. He has backed theupward trend to continue.

He said “ Majorca has al-ways been a bit of a sleep-ing giant as far as we’reconcerned. Despite being akey destination for theGerman market, the islandhas previously lacked expo-sure as a golf destination inthe UK market.

“People know Majorca asa popular leisure or holidaydestination but not neces-sarily for golf. I think that

Golf in Majorca

A SAFE HAVENIN TROUBLEDTIMESThe CEO of one of the largest golf holidayfirms in the UK last year reported ahuge increase in bookings toMajorca and always knew thepotential was there.

As for fur-ther develop-

ment, it is un-likely there will be

any new courses inthe near future. Poli-tics as ever plays a

part in these thingsand permissions for

new builds may be diffi-cult in the coming years.

However, our 20 publiccourses serve us well andchanges and improve-ments are coming. Golf deAndratx has new ownersand more investment, asdoes Golf de Poniente.Now re-labelled T Golf andCountry Club Poniente, itsGerman owner has ambi-tions to create one of thethree top island clubs, chal-lenging Son Gual and Al-canada. Speaking frommany years playing experi-ence I can say he has ac-quired a course of excellentdesign and layout. Next toGolf Canyamel the Hyatthotel chain have built a 5star property, demonstrat-ing their confidence in thefuture of golf here.

With the turmoil of re-cent years terrorist eventseffecting many traditionalwarm weather golf destina-tions, thankfully Majorcahas remained a safe haven.Whilst the U.K. and Ger-man markets remain thelargest, Mallorca Golf Holi-days report a large increasein bookings from Scandina-via, Russia and other cen-tral and eastern Europeancountries. Golf in Majorcais alive and kicking andlooks set for a bright fu-ture.

Today there 24courses on theisland, and 21 ofthem are opento the generalpublic.

Pula Golf

Golf Pollença

*Executive Pitch & Putt

*Pitch & Putt Santa Ponsa


Son Gual Golf course.



byFrank Leavers

b Golf has certainly been my loss over the years.

I received a curt email earlier in the week from theMDB’s senior sub-editor asking me ever-so-nicely ifI would like to contribute a few choice words to thisspecial golf supplement. Yes, of course I will I re-

plied; as it is well known in Bulletin Towers that I cannotresist a paid commission, even if I don’t have a clue whatI am writing about. You see - although I love sport, untilvery recently, I have never really ‘got’ golf.

Unfortunately, many years, and a couple of wives ago, Ireceived a spine chilling ultimatum that basically wentlike this - “Frankie boy - we have two young children, it’syour choice - cricket or golf, my lovely, make your deci-sion” Unfair as it might seem, I was told in no uncertainterms that if I thought, with two young children athome, I could disappear playing cricket on a Saturday forWhitchurch Green CC’s 2nd X1 in the county confer-ence league and then expect to “bugger off” and play golfwith my mates on a Sunday “You have another thoughtcoming!” From that unpleasant moment on, cricket’sdoubtful gain was golf’s certain loss - because under pres-sure from a higher being I had to choose between thosetwo obsessions and on that occasion cricket won.

If truth be told, I have always wondered if I had madethe right decision; because, although in my pomp I couldnever be described as any more than an adequate or amoderate cricketer, in my breast there grew a delusionthat if I had put my mind to it - I might have become agreat golfer.

A NON GOLFER’S GUIDE TO

GOLF!

CONTINUED ON PAGE 12


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chaps in this regard. And in my limitedexperience of that growing band of fe-male players, and from what I have beentold, they are as competitive as the menwhatever their handicaps and bring thatunsettling female attribute of single-mindedness to both the fairways andthe putting greens.

Unlike, almost all golfers, I only haveone serviceable golfing story in my ar-mament; but it has the benefit of beingtrue. Many years ago now, when I had aproper job, a group of workmates andfriends met after work on a Friday withwives and girlfriends prior to goingout into town for the inevitablecurry.

I remember it as if it were yes-terday - the conversation amongst usall was of where we were all going onour holidays that year and wasn’t it a

pity that we didn’t have moreannual leave. With this, my

pal and former flat mate

Martin Kelly (yes, it wasyou Martin!)pulled meto one side and indi-cated that I shouldjoin him at the bar.“Will you change

the bloody sub-ject Frank?”

was hisopening

re-

mark.Why, what’s

up? I enquired.“Look” he said giving

me a penetrating stare,“I’ve told Lisa that I only

get only four weeks annualleave a year - so stop talking

about it will you?” It seemedthat Martin had told the

lovely Lisa that he only hadfour weeks a year holidays in-stead of five - and being a verykeen golfer he would take thelast Friday afternoon in amonth off to play golf withhis mates and without Lisaknowing at all; and all thischatter was going to ruinmore than his golf handicap

it seems.I don’t know if Lisa ever

found out about Martin’s Fridayafternoon sojourns, but they di-

vorced a couple of years later.Probably because he had the dis-

tressing habit of wearing assortedstripes and hoops in vibrant col-ours whist attempting to playthe game properly. You havebeen warned.

actuallywear, bothwhen theyare playingand whenenjoyingthe delightsof the 19thhole. I meancome-on -what’s thatall thatabout?

Although,some of a youngergeneration do try andwear golfing ‘gear’ thatresonates with the 21stcentury, others look likethey are practising to be-come pimps. Alas, in mostcompetitive sports a kit isallocated to be worn bywhoever - no argument,no debate; footballersand rugger buggerswear their teams col-ours - full stop.

Cricketers, until therecent introductionof vulgar pyjamasfor limited overgames would wearpristine white clothing- boxers - wear shortsand large dressinggowns when climbinginto the ring, andwrestlers sport‘mankinis’ - but whatof golfers?

That’s the troubleyou see - too muchchoice and notmuch style.However, Ihave noticedthat femalegolfers are alot morestylish thanthe


I’m sorry about all this - but thereinlies the typical fantasy of your middle-aged, sports mad, but talentless athlete.Did I use the word athlete there? Ohdear! Anyway, like anyone else whoknows nothing about golf, I sit in frontof the telly during The Open andblithely criticise all and sundry, with avehemence which rather concerns mybetter-half. Years ago I used to share aflat with a guy who was golf mad. Hewould take a few days off work duringall the ‘Majors’ and hang around ourplace all day practising his putting anddrinking beer. He was a golfer, and I wastold by other friends - a rather good oneas well. Nevertheless, watching on thebox the occasional big tournament doesnot make a person a ‘proper’ golfer, nonot at all.

Although, I am told that golf clubmembership has gone into decline oflate in the UK and beyond, there is nodoubt that it is thriving here in the Bale-arics. Witness the number of chaps youwill find hanging around certain water-ing holes in the more popular resorts onthe island in the spring, with a penchantfor slacks and pastel coloured pulloversslung over their shoulders and a glint intheir eyes!

No, golf has certainly been my lossover the years. Great and long lastingfriendships are made and sustainedaround and about the game and for some

it is a way of life. Indeed, I have been anon playing guest at a number of golfclubs as far afield as Scotland, England,Australia and of course here in Spain andalways enjoyed the experience, apartthat is, from actually playing the game.Maybe one day I will be persuaded to tryand play the game properly, but untilthen, I am happy to observe others do itwell.

On a personal level - I admire peoplewho can play a game well and competi-tively right into their middle years, butfor me - I have this rather awkward dis-position that hates the fact that I mightbe hopeless at something sporty and willtry to cover-up that fact by not partici-pating - pathetic but alas, very true! Infact I will play tennis on rare occasions,because I know I can do it without em-barrassment - but something as techni-cal and complex as golf? I am afraid tosay that I’m a coward. It also has to besaid that I am not keen on what golfers

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10 In my limited experience of that growingband of female players, and from what Ihave been told, they are as competitive asthe men whatever their handicaps and bringthat unsettling female attribute of single-mindedness to both the fairways and theputting greens.



THE HISTORY OF GOLF

T here is a well in Alcudiawhich, in August 1707, wascovered over by the order ofwhat then constituted a town

hall. The local authority was concernedabout the number of stones that chil-dren were throwing into it and possiblyalso by how many children might havedisappeared into it.

A well from over three hundred yearsago might seem like a peculiar starting-point for considering Majorca’s golfingheritage, but it was to prove to be cru-cial in the creation of the island’s firstgolf course.

The well came to eventually be sitedwithin Alcudia’s electricity plant in theearly years of the last century. The wa-ter was used to drive that plant, and theowner of the electricity distributionnetwork in the town was a gentlemanby the name of Pere Mas i Reus.

In 1933, Mas i Reus and Jaume Ensen-yat acquired 198 hectares (around 490acres) of land. It was sold to them byJoaquim Gual de Torrella, who himselfhad obtained the land from the bank-rupt New Majorca Land Company, es-tablished by the British engineer Fre-derick Bateman for the purposes ofdraining and cultivating the Albuferawetland.

Mas i Reus, Ensenyat and Gual de Tor-rella’s son, Mariano, were involvedwith an ambitious project. Theyplanned to create a resort. Some onehundred plots were to be sold, a hotelwas built and, central to the whole pro-ject, a golf course was created. Whichwas where the well came into the story.

Its water was needed for the courseand for the properties that were to bebuilt on the plots. The well was, bythen, no longer inside an electricityplant. The building had become a tex-tile factory - Tapices Vidal - and Mas iReus paid the factory two centimos of apeseta per cubic metre for general useof the water and seven centimos forwatering purposes. In addition, he hadto install a pipeline for the water to besupplied from the old town to the site.

The hotel was called the Hotel Golf. Itis now the adults-only Vanity Golf, thehome also to Team Sky when they trainin Majorca in the winter. The golfcourse was officially opened in Febru-ary 1934. Ensenyat, in addition to be-lieving that tourists could be attracted,felt that the course would be of value tothe British (and American) residents inneighbouring Pollensa. Some membersof this foreign community were invitedto the opening.

What they witnessed and what theyplayed was rudimentary. The coursehad nine holes, all of them on totallyflat land. The greens were indistin-guishable from the fairways, whichwere marked out with stones andshells. How successful (or not) thecourse was to prove to be, its life was

short. The Civil War came, and thecourse was taken over and used as alanding-strip.

As for the well, that remains. The fac-tory has long since closed, but it too re-mains, occupying a corner of Alcudia’smarket area.

The well, though, has been accorded acertain status in the town’s history,which speaks of it having a well-de-served place in the economic develop-ment of Alcudia and of Majorca. Howmuch greater or swifter that develop-ment might have been is purely hypo-thetical. The golf course and resort pro-ject were killed off by war. It wasn’t un-til the 1960s that the plan for the re-sort, minus the golf course, was re-vived.

The importance of the well and there-fore the provision of water cannot beunderestimated. An indication of thiswas the fact that the Alcudia coursewasn’t strictly speaking the first. Mas iReus and Ensenyat were both heavily

involved with the Majorca TouristBoard. Mas i Reus, though known moreas an engineer, had joined its governingboard as a spokesperson for the associa-tion of hoteliers in the mid-1920s. Bothhe and Ensenyat would almost cer-tainly have attended a function at theHotel Formentor in 1930, which wasspecifically for members of the touristboard. They would probably have ob-served that the hotel had a golf course.

Little is known about this course andit seems that it was never actually used.And the reason why not was that therewasn’t sufficient provision for water tomaintain it. A subsequent plan for theFormentor course never got off theground. The year was 1936.

The Civil War and then the world warput everything on hold, including an-other plan for a resort with a golfcourse. Habitat Golf Santa Ponsa wasfounded in 1932, the garden city designof the whole resort having principallybeen the work of two Germans - a Ber-lin building tycoon Heinrich Mendels-sohn and architect Max Säume.

It wasn’t to be until 1964 that a golfcourse - a sustainable one - was inaugu-rated. The concept for the Son Vidacourse, originally just nine holes, wasmainly that of one of the partners inthe hotel, the American Steve Kusak.Another of the partners, Jose Luis Fer-rer of Binissalem wine fame, was saidby his daughter to have had no ideaabout golf or golf courses.

Once he had visited courses in Mon-aco and Zurich, his enthusiasm for thedevelopment of the course was kindled.It was Prince Rainier of Monaco whoteed off for the first time. Majorca’sgolf was finally, and after the stutter-ing attempts before the war, on course.

MAJORCA’SGOLFFINALLYONCOURSE

byAndrewEde

Prince Rainer of Monaco on the Son Vida golf course in 1964.

The Civil War and thenthe world war puteverything on hold,including another planfor a resort with a golfcourse.

b A well from over three hundred yearsago might seem like a peculiar starting-point for considering Majorca’s golfingheritage, but it was to prove to be crucialin the creation of the island’s first golfcourse.



O N my father’s eightieth birth-day I rang to congratulate himon reaching this great landmark.My mother told me he wasn’t

in. Where could he be, I asked her, on thisauspicious day? “He’s playing golf, ofcourse,” she replied. “Where else would hebe?”

When my own ochenta arrives in No-vember, I wonder if I will be doing thesame. I have hardly played any golf this

year, mainly because of the extreme heatand humidity, but also because I have beencompleting a book. But I have to admit I’mtempted by the challenge of emulating myfather and playing a round of golf on myeightieth birthday.

I might even do more and climb the PuigMaria, on the lower slopes of which ourfinca stands. I did that on my 75th birth-day. I say “a round of golf,” but in practice Iwould play the delightful nine-hole course

we have in Pollensa. Although the courselooks scenically lovely, as though itwouldn’t hurt a fly, it holds some hiddenterrors, especially for a golfing rabbit likeme.

There was the time I lost 14 balls tryingto clear the lake that lurks dangerously onthe left at one of the most difficult holes.One day, when the lake was being drainedand dozens of balls were exposed on themud, I thought I was entitled to my fair

byDonaldTrelford


One of thegreat joys of golf is thatit can be played by people of all ages

b Every golfer on theisland has his or herfavourite course,usually the one closestto home and that theyhave therefore got toknow best.


You will find every you need for your game of golf and more in this conveniently located shop in Son Rapinya.

There is also a 7-hole practice putting green, casual and sports wear boutique and driving range.

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share. I stepped gingerly onto the mud andmade some progress, enough to reach outfor a couple of balls.

Suddenly, however, my feet gave waybeneath me and they were sucked downinto the muddy morass, and I lost one shoein the process. I extracted the other foot,shoe still intact, with some difficulty andcrawled back onto dry land, my trousersand hands caked in the mud. Fortunately,I had left my mobile phone in my golf bag,so I was able to summon my wife to cometo my rescue.

Meanwhile, I had to stagger back to theclubhouse to meet her – one shoe on andone shoe off – and face down the amusedstares of the immaculately dressed golfersI passed on the way. When she arrived, sheinsisted on hosing me down before allow-ing me into her car.

I was so humiliated by this episode,

which my friends took great pleasure intelling everyone about, that I kept awayfrom the course for several weeks. Soon af-ter, when I was in Palma with a golfingfriend and bought some more shoes, heleaned over to the shop assistant and said:“He only needs one.”

One of the great joys of golf is that it canbe played by people of all ages – unlike,say, football or rugby or even cricket. Myfather was taught to play by one of histeachers during the General Strike in 1926,when he was 15, so the game providedhim with nearly seventy years of enjoy-ment.

An American writer once said that hecould spot the exact time when peoplereached middle age – that moment whenyou are “too young for golf and too old torush for the net in tennis.” My only quar-rel with that definition is that you are

never too young for golf. Tiger Woods wasshown on television playing golf when hewas three.

The best golf course in our vicinity is Al-canada, a championship course designedby the legendary golf architect, RobertTrent Jnr, and owned by a member of thePorsche family. It stretches along thecoast, so you can see the sea, as on an Eng-lish or Scottish links course, from many ofthe holes.

It also has a splendid restaurant that com-mands a magnificent view, with a verandaoverlooking a lighthouse on the water. Ihave had the pleasure of playing thecourse a couple of times with a friend whoused to be a marshal there, but it is meantfor better golfers than me.

I was surprised to learn that 24 of the 26golf clubs in the Balearics are in Majorca,with Minorca and Ibiza boasting only oneeach. Golf is an important element in Ma-jorca’s tourist credentials and one thatshould be given strong emphasis in the is-land’s publicity about itself. I keep threesets of clubs in my garage, one of them forleft-handers, for visiting friends who don’twant the bother of booking and carryingtheir own clubs on the plane.

The oldest course on the island, openedby Prince Rainier in 1964, is Arabella GolfSon Vida, and many people still regard it asthe best. It underwent a major redesign in2001, when new water hazards wereadded, bunkers moved and the fairwayssown with a new variety of Bermuda grass.

The second oldest club is Club de Golf

Son Servera, created in 1967, and lying be-tween a range of pine-clad mountainswith glorious views over the bay of Costade los Pinos. Like most of the country’sgolf clubs, it also boats a high-class restau-rant.

Every golfer on the island has his or herfavourite course, usually the one closest tohome and that they have therefore got toknow best. I have met people who swearby the course at Andratx, others by SonMuntaner, Son Quint and Poniente. Thecourse at Bendinat is very dramatic.

A popular favourite is the legendarySanta Ponsa club, which boasts threecourses. It has been the venue for manyevents on the European tour, testing theskills of golfing giants like Ballesteros,Woosnam, Langer and Olazabal. On one ofits courses some rare birds can be sighted.

Other outstanding venues are Son An-tem, which has two courses, east andwest, Vall D’Or, Pula, Canyamel (whichfeatures a huge strawberry tree), Cap-depera, Puntiro (designed by Jack Nick-laus), Son Termens, Golf Maioris and SonGual. All have their own enthusiastic sup-porters.

If only I was 50 years younger, I wouldenjoy nothing more than working my wayround them all and possibly putting a booktogether about their unique or outstand-ing features. Sadly, however, the most Iam likely to achieve in the short term isthose nine holes at Pollensa.

The big question is: how many balls canyou lose in nine holes?

Alcanada Golf course.


byMonroBryce

b There are a number of golfers on tourlike Rory McIlroy, Richie Fowler or BritishOpen winner Jordan Spieth, who aregreat role models for young people andare breaking down the barriers.

GOLF –SOMETHINGSPECIAL !

G olfers are a special breed, theyendure bad weather, earlywake-up calls, great expenseand “interesting” clothing. “To

find a man’s true character, play golf withhim,” wrote P.G. Wodehouse in one of hisshort stories. The truth is, golf has chal-lenges, skill, fun, friendships and for a few,


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a dream of stardom and riches. Golf has theability to challenge every emotion a hu-man being can have, from pure joy to tearsof extreme frustration (a bit like watchingReal Mallorca these past few years!) all inone moment.

Back in the day, golfers wore long socksand plus fours and was played by peoplewith plummy accents. While golf by tradi-tion had strict dress codes and high equip-ment and membership costs, times havechanged.

Clubs are more welcoming, dress codeshave been modernised and there are mem-berships to suit everyone. There are a num-ber of golfers on tour like Rory McIlroy, Ri-chie Fowler or British Open winner JordanSpieth, who are great role models foryoung people and are breaking down thebarriers.

The game must constantly contend withat least two false and yet widespread be-liefs, first that it is boring and second thatbusiness people who play it are all weasels,who plot fraudulent deals between shots!People of any age can play and thanks tothe handicap system, players of widely dif-ferent abilities can compete against eachother.

For many people, however, golf is thesport of choice. While watching any num-ber of sports may be a lot of fun, golfing of-ten is a way that people choose to spendmuch of their free time. Golfers have longknown that playing the game is an excel-lent way to enjoy light exercise. Eighteenholes mean at least a couple of hours spent

outdoors with lots of freshair and sunshine. Whilemany people cringe at thethought of working out,golf is often a greatway to get muchneeded exercise aswell as enjoyingthe great out-doors. When Iplayed thegame, I didn’tsee much of thegreat outdoors,spending moretime in thewoods (oneof myclubs wasan axe)l o o k i n gfor an-other lostball!

M a n y

moons ago a novice golfer friend of mineonce teed up on a par three hole, picked upa club and hit the ball. It bounced once onthe green, hit the pin and dropped in for a

hole in one.He didn’t say a dickie bird but tookanother ball from his pocket, teed

up then observed “I think I’ve gotthe idea now!”

When I once tried to playthe game there were manytypes of golfers you’d meet on

the course or even play with.The worst type of player was

the one who blamed every badshot on everything but his horren-

dous swing. It was either the wind,sun, rain, lie, stance, heaviness of the air,slipperiness of his grip, a bad back caused

by sleeping the wrong way on it, howmuch he drank last night, how little hedrank last night, the Aberdeen fish trainrattling through nearby Kirkcaldy stationon its way to Billingsgate, doomed rela-tionship with his missus, choice of socksor inability to wear proper spiked shoes!

AND FINALLYSome reasons why golf is better than sex:

(1) You can stop in the middle andhave a cheeseburger and a beer, (2)Your partner doesn’t hire a lawyer ifyou do it with someone else, (3)When your equipment gets oldyou can replace it and (4) Nobodywill ever tell you that you’ll go

blind if you golf by yourself.

del Suscriptor


Rory McIlroy.

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A CRIB SHEET

A ll self-respecting subcul-tures have their own lan-guage. The Army (stag,STAB, TAB, tab), CrossFit

(WOD, AMRAP, HSPU, EMOM),teenagers (hench, AF, YOLO, fleek,shade) and, of course, golf. It makesmembers feel special, accepted andfosters a sense of belonging, whilstleaving outsiders feeling flummoxedand slightly ostracised - all ratherclever really. There are three meas-ures you can take to deal with this:one - ignore them, two - join them,three - fake it. Personally, I think op-tion three has a great ring to it.

Now, there’s stuff I know a bitabout (boats, social media, copywrit-ing, The Great British Bake Off, TomHiddleston’s bottom) and stuff Idon’t. Golf most certainly falls intothe ‘don’t’ category. Yet I have man-aged to organise entire golf tourna-ments, work in hospitality at theVolvo Masters, look after the pressand publicity for golf resorts, andcreate the winning entry for BestGolf Course UK in the 2014 Interna-tional Property Awards (oh yes!). Ialso find myself absentmindedlywhiling away hour after hour watch-ing The Masters or The Open on thegogglebox. Here’s how I faked it ‘til Isort of made it.

“What do you play off?”Over the years, this question

seems to have been sufficient in or-der to convince people I have amodicum of golfing intellect. If it’s aman and they answer 15 or under,you can make a that’s-rather-goodface and raise your eyebrows in ap-proval. It it’s a woman and she’s un-der the 25 mark, you can do the

same. If they’re over those arbitrarybenchmarks, smile and say some-thing along the lines of ‘plenty oftime for more practice when you re-tire’ (and silently pray they’re not al-ready retired).

Of course, we’re talking abouthandicap here, the number ofstrokes over par you would be ex-pected to play a golf course in. If an18-hole course has a par of 72, andyou have a handicap of six, youwould be expected to get round in78 strokes – your friend with a(worse) handicap of ten should hit itfour times more and get round in 82.

Par for the courseSorry if I lost you at ‘par’, allow me

to make amends. Par is the score agood player (a scratch player in fact,one who plays off a big fat zero)

would be expected to achieve on around. If the course has a par of 72yep, you guessed it, they are likelyto hit the ball a total of 72 times.

To make things just a tad morecomplicated, it’s not just coursesthat have pars, but holes too. Holesvary from a minimum of par three (astroke for the tee shot plus twoputts) up to a maximum of five (al-though sixes and sevens occasion-ally exist).

If you’re a bit unlucky you may goone over par (bogey) and if you’rereally wayward you may go two(double bogey) or even three (triplebogey) – any more than that and youshould really consider either retiringto the 19th hole (AKA the bar) ortaking up a far easier sport (footballfor example).

b Hazards are the finalpart of the course toremember, and to avoid.

If the course has apar of 72 yep, youguessed it, they arelikely to hit the ball atotal of 72 times.


by SarahForge

GOLF -

CONTINUED ON PAGE 22


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If you’re rather nifty on the green youmay go one under (birdie) and if you’rejolly gifted two (eagle). Three under paris almost impossible to achieve, but willearn you an albatross or double eagle –while the Holy Grail is a hole in one or anace.

Parts of the courseHaving mentioned the green, it’s an op-

portune moment to name the parts ofthe course – again to help you soundmore au courant. Let’s start with thegreen. Sometimes called the ‘dance floor’(although now I think about it, only bythe more dorky golfers I’ve met), it’s asuper-smooth green grass surface (thinkgroundsmen with scissors making it theperfect length) immediately surround-ing the hole. This is where the magichappens, where the golfer needs to ‘holeout’ or ‘sink the putt’.

At the other end of the spectrum is therough. This is an area of longer ruggedgrass immediately surrounding the fair-way. If you’re playing here you’re usu-ally in a bit of trouble and need to workout a way of getting back to the safety ofthe fairway as smoothly as possible. Youmay also need to apologise to a spectatorfor doofing him in the head with yourball.

The fairway is another nicely mown bitof grass (although not with scissors) run-ning between the tee and the green. It’s

the bit where golfers aim to land theirball after teeing off – unless they’re on apar three where one should really be

aiming straight for the green.The tee can be slightly ambiguous as it

is a part of the course (the starting pointof the hole) but what people are really re-ferring to is the small pin that goes in theground to keep the ball still and at theright height above the ground. You can’tuse the little fella at any other point onthe hole. Your ‘tee time’ is sadly not awell-earned break to catch up on WayneRooney’s marriage woes, but the timeyou’re due to start your round. It’s usu-ally something ridiculously accurate like10:07.

Hazards are the final part of the courseto remember, and to avoid. They come inwet (water) and dry (sand) versions butget you equally hot around the collar. Toextricate your ball from a hazard you ei-ther play it as it lies without penalty, ormove it to another location with a one-stroke penalty.

Now you have enough golfing knowl-

edge. A little more and things get danger-ous. If you find yourself engaged in any“he needs to play two feet of borrow toaccount for the break” chitter chatter

you’ve behaved far too eggheadedly andneed to make a rapid escape. Say youneed to use the bathroom – urgently –that usually shuts people up.

The fairway is anothernicely mown bit of grass(although not withscissors) runningbetween the tee and thegreen.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20

There are many parts to a golf course.


Camí de Coanegra, s/n 07320 Santa Maria del Camíwww.maciabatle.com


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