Golf Tournament Day 4, Final at Golf d‘Aro

Today marks the end of the tournament week. But first, we still need to play the final decisive round.

We are playing on our home course, Golf d’Aro. I described this course a few days ago.

We are playing again today in groups of three according to the standings after three tournament days. We are very close in points, and the day promises to be exciting.

I start at 10:32 AM with Ida from the Netherlands and Gerhard from Germany.

Shortly after, Hampi started with Silvia and Barbara, so to speak, the rooster in the henhouse.

The weather is still friendly and sunny at the start. This will change throughout the day. Shortly after noon, it will get cool and wet, and we will have to put up umbrellas and put on rain gear. The changing weather conditions made the already challenging course even more demanding.

I started well with a bogey. However, I had to scrap hole 2. The rest of the round was not under a good star. It was up and down. The course does not forgive penalties, and I had to scrap a total of 5 holes. Through 2 pars and 2 bogeys, I ended up with 14 points, and with 9 double and triple bogeys, I ultimately reached 28 Stableford points. What this means and whether it would be enough to defend 4th place, I did not know at this time. Hampi was not really successful (he was likely distracted by his ladies) and ended the round with 18 net points, which gave me hope again. Overall, the performance varied greatly, with everything from satisfied to skeptical faces.

Here again for the non-golfers, the different golf terms in scoring.

In golf, there are several terms that describe a player's score and performance compared to par. Here are the most important ones. The par is the number of strokes a golfer should take to complete a hole. A hole can be a par 3, par 4, or par 5, depending on its length and difficulty. For example: If a hole is a par 4, it means that a good golfer is expected to finish the hole in four strokes.

If a player takes one stroke more than par, it is called a bogey. For example: If a hole is par 4 and the player takes five strokes, that is a bogey.

If a player takes two strokes more than par. For example: If a hole is par 4 and the player takes six strokes, it is a double bogey.

A birdie means that a player takes one stroke less than par. For example: Completing a par 4 hole in only three strokes is called a birdie. It is customary to take a small sip from the flask that every golfer carries in their bag.

An eagle is two strokes under par. For example: If a player completes a par 5 hole in only three strokes.

Albatross, a very rare score where a player is three strokes under par. For example: Completing a par 5 hole in just two strokes.

Then there is the hole in one, the dream of every golfer, to land the ball directly in the hole from the tee.

All these terms describe how many strokes the player has taken compared to the expected strokes (par).

Back to the tournament. At 7 PM, we gathered one last time at the sports bar for the Welcome Back drink and the announcement of the rankings. In the daily standings, I placed tied for 5th in my category.

Then it was time; after a speech from the resort manager Oliver, Willi, the tournament director, announced the results. It was exciting… when the announcement of the 3rd place came, my name was mentioned! I am, of course, very proud of this result as I did not think that my inconsistent performance today would still suffice to gain a spot.

And then came the crowning moment. A week of vacation at the resort was raffled among all participants. And behold, my name was drawn! So I can defend my 3rd place next year. Great thing! Hampi finished tied for 9th, so there is room for improvement ;-)

In conclusion, we enjoyed a farewell dinner prepared to perfection by the kitchen crew of the Brasa restaurant.

In the end, the crew treated us to a round of limoncello.

It was a wonderful golf week. We played on very beautiful courses, encountered top fairways and greens, enjoyed plenty of sunshine, met nice people, and formed golfing friendships. The entire organization, the food, and the care from Willi were fantastic. We will certainly, like many of the participants, be repeat offenders.