HI EVERYONE,
THE CLUB CONTINUES TO GROW AND PROGRESS - THANKS IN LARGE PART TO IT´S DEDICATED OFFICERS.
THERE ARE STILL A FEW MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONS OUTSTANDING EVEN AT THIS LATE STAGE OF THE YEAR, TAKING US TO AROUND 120 IN TOTAL.
A WARM WELCOME TO ALL NEW MEMBERS AND I HOPE WE MEET YOUR EXPECTATIONS.
MANAGEMENT MEETINGS
THESE ARE ARRANGED REGULARLY, THE MOST RECENT ON 1ST. NOVEMBER. KEY ISSUES ARE TACKLED AND ACTION PLANS/DEADLINES AGREED
- SOME ARE HIGHLIGHTED BELOW.
PESTANA FACILITIES
RELATIONSHIPS WITH PESTANA ARE GENERALLY GOOD AND THEY HAVE OFFERED DINNER FOR MANAGEMENT/PARTNERS. THIS WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY BETTER TO UNDERSTAND THEIR DEVELOPMENT PLANS AND SHARE IDEAS - PARTICULARLY FOR SILVES
GOLF
COMPETITIONS
WE TRY TO´PROVIDE A BLEND OF QUALIFIERS AND ´FUN DAYS´ (GENERALLY THURSDAY/SATURDAY FOR THE LATTER) TO ENSURE
BROAD APPEAL. NUMBERS COMPETING SHOW A MARKED INCREASE.
MEMORABLE EVENTS HAVE INCLUDED CAPTAIN´S DAY WITH SUNDAY PARTY AT TWEEDIES, MORE RECENTLY PRESIDENT´S DAY AND
´NOT THE RYDER CUP´! - SUPPORT FOR THESE EVENTS HAS BEEN PHENOMENAL.
WE ARE PURCHASING A STURDY GAZEBO TO CATER FOR HALF WAY NEEDS AND THANKS TO THOSE MEMBERS WHO HAVE LOOKED AFTER US
SO WELL WITH REFRESHMENTS!
THE CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP WAS AS EVER VERY COMPETITIVE AND CONGRATULATIONS BOTH TO DAMIR AND JUDI AS WINNERS OF THE
TWO DAY GROSS PRIZES.
KNOCKOUTS ARE NOW ALL COMPLETE.
YOUR DETAILED EVENTS CALENDAR FOR NOVEMBER, DECEMBER AND JANUARY WAS MADE AVAILABLE WELL IN ADVANCE.FOR 2014 DATES/EVENTS
ARE ALREADY PROGRAMMED FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR.
A BIG ´THANKYOU´TO RAY WHO HAS BURNT THE MIDNIGHT OIL ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS TO DELIVER A WIDE AND VARIED SCHEDULE IN
ATTEMPTING TO ACCOMMODATE INDIVIDUAL NEEDS AND PREFERENCES. IF THERE IS A GENUINE REASON FOR WITHDRAWING PLEASE GIVE
AS MUCH NOTICE AS POSSIBLE TO MINIMISE DISRUPTION.
INTER-LEAGUE
NARROWLY MISSING 2ND. WITH DEFEAT IN OUR FINAL MATCH WE FINISHED 4TH. IN OUR LEAGUE - A CREDITABLE PERFORMANCE
GIVEN A NUMBER OF EXPERIENCED MATCH PLAY MEMBERS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS.
THE PACKAGE OF OUR COURSE AND O BARRADAS RESTAURANT RATES US VERY HIGHLY IN ´MUST PLAY´ TERMS BY VISITING CLUBS.
FINALS DAY IS 26TH. NOVEMBER AND PRIORITY IS GIVEN TO SIX PLAYERS WHO HAVE REPRESENTED THE CLUB AS BOTH OFFICIALS
AND INTER-LEAGUE PLAYERS.
QUATRO CHALLENGE
ANOTHER VERY ENJOYABLE SEASON OF COMPETITION IS UNDERWAY. THIS IS A GREAT VALUE DAY WITH GOOD ´GRUB´AND SOCIAL
SPIN. IT IS AIMED AT THOSE MEMBERS WHO DO NOT NORMALLY PLAY INTER-LEAGUE AND THERE IS KEEN RIVALRY AMONGST PESTANA CLUBS.
NAMES TO GARY EDWARDS IF YOU WISH TO PLAY, PLEASE.
LADIES
INTEREST IN THURSDAY ROLL-UPS AND VACS (PESTANA CLUBS)HAS INCREASED WITH A NUMBER OF GUESTS FROM OTHER CLUBS PARTICIPATING
IN THE FORMER. WELL DONE EILEEN !
MEN
THE EVER POPULAR THURSDAY ROLL UPS ALSO SEE BIGGER NUMBERS, WITH SERIOUS AFTERNOONS ! WELL DONE TWEEDY !
COURSE
AS I WRITE THE PLAYING CONDITIONS ARE EXCELLENT.
INVESTMENT CAN BE SEEN IN A NUMBER OF AREAS AND WE ARE PROMISED A PRACTICE AREA NEAR THE ´LAKE´/PUTTING GREEN, WITH WORK
EXPECTED TO START SOON.OTHERWISE, IMPROVED GREENS, TREE PLANTING,ROUGH CLEARANCE ON SEVERAL HOLES AND RESTORED BUNKERS.
AS USUAL, ENORMOUS THANKS TO ALBERTO, OUR HEAD GREENKEEPER,AND HIS HARDWORKING TEAM IN MAINTAINING HIGH STANDARDS.
CHARITY BUNKER
DO REMEMBER OUR CHOSEN CHARITY CHARITY IS MADRUGADA - CONTRIBUTE €1 (OR MORE) TO PAY BOX AT RECEPTION IF YOU LANDIN
THE LEFT HAND GREENSIDE BUNKER ON 18 !
COACHING
ROB CHENEY (BASED AT ALTO AND GOLF DIRECTOR THERE) IS PESTANA APPOINTED HEAD COACH. HE IS A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL
AND HAS MY PERSONAL ENDORSEMENT !!! HE CAN BE CONTACTED VIA THE WEBSITE. INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP SESSIONS.
SLOPE RATING/INDICES
FPG ADJUSTED THE SLOPE RATING MIDSUMMER AFTER MUCH DETAILED WORK ON THE COURSE, VERY SLIGHTLY REFLECTING A LESSER
DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY, WHICH I HAVE YET TO EXPERIENCE! STROKE ALLOWANCES WERE SIMULTANEOUSLY ADJUSTED IN LINE WITH THEIR EXERCISE.
RECENTLY, A QUITE SEPARATE EXERCISE BY SDM HAS BEEN CONCLUDED, EXTENSIVE DATE HAVING BEEN ANALYSED OVER A NUMBER OR YEARS.
A SMALL WORKING PARTY (MAGS, CHARLES AND MYSELF) IS REVIEWING THE ENTIRE PICTURE, CERTAIN IN THE KNOWLEDGE THAT
CHANGES ARE WARRANTED.
RECOMMENDATIONS (ENSURING CONSISTENCY FOR CLUBS AFFILIATED TO THE EUROPEAN GOLFING ASSOCIATION) WILL BE MADE AND THERE ARE A
CONSIDERABLE NUMBER OF ELEMENTS.
EQUALLY, REGARD HAS TO BE PAID TO FPG, PESTANA AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES.
PLEASE BEAR WITH US AND WE SHALL KEEP YOU INFORMED OF PROGRESS.
SPECIAL THANKS TO MAGS (THE ´FERRET`)FOR HER INPUT TO HANDICAPS, RESLOPING AND,NOW, REVISING STROKE INDICES.
DIARY DATES
CHRISTMAS CAROLS - 7TH. DECEMBER (CLUB AFTER COMP.)
CHRISTMAS PARTY - 14TH. DECEMBER
CAPTAINS DRIVE-IN - 4TH. JANUARY 2014.
SOCIAL
WE´VE ENJOYED SOME GREAT DAYS/NIGHTS THIS YEAR, MOST RECENTLY O BARRADAS WHICH MET WITH GREAT SUCCESS.
THE WAY THE CLUB HAS DEVELOPED MANY AFTERNOONS APPEAR TO FALL INTO THIS CATEGORY !
FRESH IDEAS TO LYNN PLEASE.
WEBSITE
THE DEVELOPMENT OF AND INFORMATION AVAILABLE VIA THE SITE HAS RECEIVED MANY ACCOLADES AND IS EXTENSIVELY ACCESSED.
OTHER CLUBS HAVE SOUGHT OUR ADVICE IN ESTABLISHING THEIR OWN SOPHISTICATED FACILITIES. STEVE, AND DAMIR, THANKS A MILLION.
CREDITS
THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT BEING HELD. DO USE YOUR HARD EARNED CREDITS - AS LONG AS A RECEIPT IS PRODUCED CREDITS MAY BE EXCHANGED
FOR ANYTHING YOU CHOOSE - FROM GROCERIES TO GOLF KIT. ALTERNATIVELY YOU MAY TRANSFER THEM TO YOUR CLUB CARD. REQUESTS TO STU MCGILL
PLEASE.
2014 SUBSCRIPTIONS
ON THE CASE BUT,AS YET, NO FINITE INFORMATION. HOPEFULLY, PESTANA WILL ONCE MORE DEMONSTRATE THE CONSISTENCY SHOWN IN RECENT YEARS.
.... FINALLY, AS I SIGN OFF MY LAST NEWSLETTER, I WANT TO PAY TRIBUTETO EVERYONE IN MANAGEMENT ( AND THOSE ON THE PERIPHERY) FOR THEIR INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTIONS, AS PART OF A GENUINE TEAM, WHICH HAVE
BROUGHT US TO THIS POINT - A HAPPY, REVITALISED CLUB - THE ENVY OF MANY NEIGHBOURING CLUBS ACROSS THE ALGARVE - AND WITH ASPIRATIONS FURTHER TO IMPROVE,
YOURS,
GEOFF.