Golf4Fun plays the Four Seasons – Round 1 2019 Steisslingen GC
No – not the nearly 300 year old classical music composition by a one Mr Vivaldi, nor any reference to a famous global hotel chain , no , the title of this piece is drawing attention to something more climatic, as will become clearer , or should that be cloudier ? Anyway …….. After having had such a glorious start to 2019,on the weather front,mother nature has decided to give some payback and,bar Easter,over the last few weeks we have been plunged back into changeable conditions historically normal for the month of April.
After playing a practice round on the Saturday afternoon it was evident that a number of layers would have to be worn to keep out both the forecast rain and cold come Sunday. The field for round 1 saw a respectable 45 hopefuls take to this little piece of Scotland by Bodensee , with plenty of old as well as some new faces .
First flights huddled around the starters hut just before 10.00am with Shirley and Nora handing out sponsors goodies and informing each flight of the local rules and the various inter tournament competition holes. The ultra screen sun cream seemed a little superfluous today , but feeling optimistic I grabbed a tube of factor 50. There was a slight panic for this golfer just before the off, my Under Armour golf umbrella decided to self destruct, and the rain was beginning to fall. Following a wobbly start , my flight got into their stride, but it was difficult to get the pace of the greens that had recently been aerated and sanded, although I must compliment the course on the quality of sand in the bunkers, as my ball seemed to favour these hazards today . I think it was trying to hint that it would rather be on the beach.
The weather on the front nine had presented us with rain , wind and some intermittent spells of sunshine although the mercury was struggling to reach double digits and so the bouillon served at mid round snacks was well received both for its flavour and its effect on ones central heating. The sandwiches were also tasty, served to us by our helpers for the day Shirley and Tina. Out to face the elements again , and the tenth tee , longest drive. I gave it a good go, but no where near the mark of the eventual competition winner for the men with a 235 meter monster from Mr Martinez , and for the ladies Nicole managed a 170 meters . That’s one hundred and seventy meters Nora!!
On playing the 12th . The hole in one competition, with a week in La Cala Spain up for grabs, the weather gods decided to step it up a notch with the introduction of some hail and snow , albeit briefly. The prize for an ace though evaded the three of us and indeed the rest of the field . So we all get to have another go come June 2nd at Emmental. Nearest the pin 14th bought some excitement to our flight as Peter S banged it in close. Unluckily though the tape told us he was 20 cm outside the effort of Tim H, but the eventual winner as Peter F who came in with a fine result that mirrored his partners longest drive nicely to land just 1.70 meters from the cup, picking up a bottle of distilled alcoholic beverage supplied by our sponsor Orator as a reward.
We moved down into hell valley to play the 15th, 16th and 17th and the sun showed up producing a beautiful rainbow. One upside to the low temperatures was that the usual reception of various blood sucking creatures normally encountered on this stretch were decidedly absent this time. Coming off the 18th, we were greeted by Shirley, Nora and Tina , with a cold beer supplied by Golf4Fun. The clouds were beginning to darken again, and most of the field were still out on the course. Sudden the heavens opened and it deluged for a good thirty minutes. I felt for those trying to play in those atrocious conditions. Then suddenly the clouds parted and blue sky appeared allowing us to stand on the clubhouse terrace to watch the remaining flights come in.
It was at this time that some of us witnessed what was probably the shot of the tournament, as Bob t S hit an iron from the fairway of the 18th and his ball landed and tracked into the hole. Roars from the gallery , us thinking that was for eagle , however it turned out to be a birdie . Still a great shot !! Last groups in and after a shower and a change competitors gathered in the clubhouse bar and restaurant for Apéro and prize giving. While we waited Dawn was doing a great job selling Golf 4 Fun shirts to some of our new players . They really are smart and available in a number of styles and colours and retailing at very reasonable prices. The kitchen at Steisslingen had laid on a scrumptious spread and was enjoyed by all.
Prize giving and despite all that the weather had thrown at us today there were some decent scores being posted . You can see the tournament results posted on the website together with the leader boards. There was also the draw for the individual season knockout competition with some intriguing pairings. This golfer had had a mixed day with my handicap moving up +0.1 although I had the conciliation that having managed 29 points I was a contender in the Match Manu prize , and won , with a dozen golf balls to ease the pain. A most enjoyable day and as always many thanks to golf club Steisslingen , to Daniel , Nora ,Shirley and for making the day run smoothly.
Looking forward now to round 2 , and before that some of us are off to Bella Italia and Spring break at golf club Pinetina near Como. Hoping that Richard Strauss will accompany us with his Alpine symphony Op 64 that celebrates that golden orb the Sun. Wishing you all a successful and more importantly fun golf season for 2019.
Peter Martin, Hopeful Tiger 2019