31 brave souls turned the fairways of Lo Romero into an arena of survival today, battling blistering Costa Blanca heat that turned a pleasant midweek round into an absolute scorcher.
With temperatures nudging 40c, golf carts felt like rolling saunas, ice-cold towels were in constant use, and the fairways seemed to shimmer underfoot. Any early talk of course management soon gave way to the more urgent business of finding shade, pacing the swing, and making sure the next cold drink was never too far away. By the turn, a few brains were clearly fried, but the camaraderie somehow stayed intact.
The comedic climax of the day undoubtedly unfolded at Lo Romero’s iconic island green 18th, where heat delirium officially took hold of the field. By then, concentration was beginning to melt almost as quickly as the players, and every shot carried the added challenge of keeping both eyes open through the glare.
One severely dehydrated member, blinded by sweat and possibly optimism, mistook the shimmering moat for a mirage and confidently launched two balls directly into the water, initially swearing he was on the green for two (on a par 5!)…. but actually resembled a stone skimming contest across the water. It was the sort of moment that sums up society golf perfectly: painful for the player, hugely entertaining for everyone else.
By the final putts, clubs were being swung more for the cooling breeze they generated than for distance, cementing this scorching day at one of the Society’s favourite courses. Some very good scores were returned despite the heat:
Gold: Dave Rowe (41 pts and joint best score of the day)
Silver: Charlie Jackson (40 pts)
There was also double matchplay semi-final drama in the sunshine with John Osborne and Dave Rowe beating Peter Turbefield and Denis Ryan 4&3. They go on to the final against Phil de Lacy and Robin Eastman.
Messrs Osborne and Rowe were obviously on fire in the heat as they split the rollover “Twos” pot and Nearest the Pins from Drew Niblock on the 5th, Will Hammond on the 7th, John Osborne on the 12th, and Barry “BTB” Roehrig on the 16th. The “McBride Bottle” was going home with Lee Eastman (not his favourite wine..) and Denis Ryan took the football card winnings with Coventry. Two Best Guests with a late entry from Mark Dooley with a great score of 41 (“he hasn’t played in a while..”) and Dean Kavanagh with 35 points.
Next week we go to Roda, a course we don’t play at very often so that will be a treat and we hope it’s a little cooler.
Keep up to date with all things SMGS via our website at www.smgs.org, where fixtures, results and society news continue to keep everyone in the loop. Sponsorship opportunities are available for upcoming games, and anyone interested is invited to contact smgs91info@gmail.com. We are also proud to be supported by Michaela Schmidt at www.golf-hotspots.com for all your golf travel requirements.
Pictured L-R: Mark Dooley (Best Guest 1st), Mick Pryke (Captain), Charlie Jackson (Silver 1st), Lee Eastman (President & McBride Bottle), Barry “BTB” Roehrig (Silver 2nd & NTP), Dave “On Fire” Rowe (1st Gold & 2s), Trevor Mackay (Gold 2nd), John Osborne (Gold 3rd) and Dean Kavanagh (Best Guest 2nd). Well done all.
