A beautiful morning

My inital impression of Santa Clara golf clubhouse was to be taken back by its sheer size and imposition. What an outstanding structure with arches and an overhanging roof offering shade and escape from the heat of the day. The contrast between the shade and the brilliant sun bathe course startled me. I left it to the others to sort the fees and buggy hire while I let my eyes wander over the vista before me and almost shocked myself with the realisation that I would be soon participating in the theatre that lay before me. I had the same feeling the first time I played golf in Spain at Alhaurin, where you can stand on the balacony of the cubhouse and look down at the long dogleg right thats the first hole.(I've played this course again several years later but was disappointed at its condition and saddened that a great course was let down by what appeared to me to be poor maintenance.)

Now I don't want to give an account of the days golf, I hate that, you know those that after a game giving a blow by blow account and lament how things could have been so different if only.... Suffice to say that on the 18th hole my short chip, second shot on to the green rolled past the flag and on and on and on and then a soft plop could be heard as it quenched its thirst with water. Ten minutes later a pint of ice cold beer with condensation running down the outside of the glass was providing me with relief. A few more followed that and then regretfully it was time to leave. Our nominated driver helped load our clubs and off we set to find our hotel and sort out the rooms.

I don't think I saw the inside of the room properly until the next day as it was the case of throwing our bags in through the door and off to the bar for a drink. Two barcardi and coke later, about seven o' clock, and it was back to the room for an hours siesta. At 9pm we had showered and with glad rags on walk out into the cool night air straight into a taxi bound for the marina where we ate at an Italian restaurant. A bruschetta starter followed by roquefort steak was washed down with excellent red wine, what a treat!

From a bar to a nightclub and from there, well the memory is a bit hazy but we ended up back at the hotel about 3am and as you can imagine as soon as my head and pillow met the night passed on its way without my notice.