Away to Spain for the Hacienda del Alamo Winter Festival

Colin Farquharson is off to Spain today to help organise the 2nd Hacienda del Alamo Women's Winter Golf Festival. So no updates today but, hopefully, we'll have some news for you from Wednesday onwards.

We want YOU to enjoy the fun
and the sun at next month's
Hacienda del Alamo
Winter Golf Festival

This is the month for finalising your flights to Spain, booking your accommodation AND entering the Hacienda del Alamo Winter Golf Festival - four competitions over six days (February 12 to 17) and a free practice round as well - at the five-star golf resort not far away from Murcia Airport in south-east Spain.
You do not have to play in every event to qualify for a free practice round.
The practice facilities at Hacienda del Alamo Golf Resort, by the way, are also five-star if you are serious about reducing your handicap in 2009.
All the competitions are open to lady professionals and lady and girl amateurs of all ages. And men and boys are also able to play in the two weekend Festival events, the St Valentine's Day pro-am on the Saturday and the Costa Calida pairs on the Sunday.
E-mail Festival Organiser Colin Farquharson - Colin@scottishgolfview.com - if you have any questions or want more details.
John Green of Hacienda Golf Properties is the man to handle your inquiries about short-term rental of accommodation at Hacienda del Alamo. E-mail him at
johngreen@hdagolfproperties.com


+The Festival is a non-profitmaking enterprise, supported by Hacienda del Alamo Golf Resort, Glenmuir, Stewart Spence, owner of The Marcliffe Hotel & Spa (Aberdeen), Hacienda Golf Properites and an oil company who do not wish any publicity for their generosity.

Hacienda del Alamo February Festival

European Tour director David

will play with wife Mary

in Costa Calida Pairs

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

The European Tour will be represented at the 2nd Hacienda del Alamo Women's February Festival for the second year in row - in an unofficial capacity in the person of David MacLaren.

David is the European Tour's Director of Property & Venue Development.Last year David held a watching and relaxing brief as his wife Mary, daughter Meghan and family friend Rebecca Gee - all members of Wellingborough Golf Club, Northamptonshire - played in Festival events.

This time round, because we have widened the scope of the entries to allow males to enter the weekend events - the St Valentine's Day pro-am (Saturday, February 14) and the Costa Calida Pairs (Sunday, February 15) - David can and will team up with Mary in the pairs' competition.

Mary, Meghan and Rebecca all play off four of a handicap and are county team golf standard.

All three will make up one of the teams in the pro-am while Meghan and Rebecca will play together in the Costa Calida Pairs.

And Mary, Meghan and Rebecca will play as individuals in the 36-hole Hacienda del Alamo Ladies Open on Monday and Tuesday, February 16 and 17.

No entries from any professionals yet although Lien Willems from Belgium, who played in the inaugural Festival, says she is definitely coming again and bringing two amateur golfing friends with her this time.

Curtis Cup player and Scottish women's champion Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon) and Jocelyn Carthew (Ladybank), the player she beat in the championship final at Lossiemouth last May, say they would love to play at the February Festival but cannot finalise their plans until they see how they fare at the Ladies European Tour Qualifying School at La Manga Golf Resort, which is less than half-an-hour away from Hacienda del Alamo Golf Resort.

Here's how the entries are shaping for the 2009 Hacienda del Alamo February Festival:

MURCIA LADIES OPEN

Two rounds stroke-play

Thursday-Friday, February 12-13

Amateur entries

Mary McKenna (Donabate)

Patricia Morris (Donabate)

Fionnuala Forde (Donabate)

ST VALENTINE'S DAY PRO-AM

One round: Lady pro with three amateurs (male or female)

Saturday, February 14

Amateur teams:

Mary McKenna, Patricia Morris & Fionnuala Forde (all Donabate).

Mary MacLaren, Meghan MacLaren & Rebecca Gee (all Wellingborough).

COSTA CALIDA PAIRS

One round: First nine holes greensomes; Second nine holes better-ball.

Any combination of lady pros, female & male amateurs.

Sunday, February 15

Amateur pairings:

Mary & David MacLaren.

Meghan MacLaren & Rebecca Gee.

HACIENDA DEL ALAMO LADIES OPEN

Two rounds stroke-play

Monday-Tuesday, February 16-17.

Amateur entries:

Holly Clyburn (Woodhall Spa).

Mary MacLaren

Meghan MacLaren

Rebecca Gee

+Take advantage of the cheaper midweek flights to Spain by booking now. The prices will have risen if you leave it until January.

+To find out details of how much it will cost you to rent accommodation at Hacienda del Alamo Golf Resort (the more who share, the cheaper it gets per head), here are some E-mail and website addresses:

info@stvmanagement.com

info@resortmanagementhda.com

info@home-kare.co.uk

http://www.hdagolfproperties.com/

http://www.spaingolfrentals.com/

http://www.clubmurcia.com/

+Entry forms for the Hacienda del Alamo February Festival can be downloaded by clicking on the words at the top of the left-hand column on the Home Page of http://www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk/

February Spanish Festival

has room for MALE and

FEMALE competitors!

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Just a reminder that if you fancy a few days in the February Spanish sun at one of the top golf courses to be constructed on the Iberian peninsula over the past decade, then the 2009 Hacienda del Alamo Women's Winter Golf Festival is the place for you.
Although it is definitely a WOMEN'S Festival, there is plenty of room for MALES to take part as well in the four-event programme which tees off on Thursday, February 12.
Entries from males are certainly needed for the pro-am on the Saturday. They can enter individually and we will fix them up in a team of three amateurs, or they can enter as a team.
And, if we get enough demand for it, we are prepared to introduce special categories for all-male or mixed partnerships in Sunday's Costa Calida Pairs over 18 holes, the first nine of which will be played alternate shot and the second nine holes better ball.
We like to think that there is something for every class of golfer at this Festival from the lady professional to the Elite Squad lady or girl amateur to the club-class male or female handicapper. The prize lists, supported by Glenmuir and Stewart Spence of The Marcliffe Hotel, Aberdeen, will have many categories, including senior sections.
Every entrant, whether they are just playing in one or all four events, is entitled to a free practice round over the Dave Thomas-designed course which Ryder Cup player Miguel Angel Jimenez represents on the European Tour.
You can come alone, or you can come come with your wife, partner or girl friend ... but make sure you make the trip to Murcia in February.
By the way, if you are seriously trying to lower your handicap in 2009, the Hacienda del Alamo Golf Resort has five-star practice facilities including a huge driving range and a six-hole Academy course.
Here's the programme (you can download the entry form by switching over to http://www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk/):

THURSDAY-FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12 & 13
MURCIA LADIES OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP over 36 holes
Entry fees: Professional - 70 Euros; Amateur - 55 Euros.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14
HACIENDA DEL ALAMO ST VALENTINE'S DAY PRO-AM over 18 holes
Entry fees: Professional - 70 Euros; Amateur - 55 Euros.
+Entries from male amateurs, either as individuals or teams of three accepted for this event.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15
COSTA CALIDA PAIRS TOURNAMENT over 18 holes
First nine holes alternate shot; second nine holes foursomes.
Entry fees: Professional - 70 Euros; Amateur - 55 Euros.
+Teams can be two professionals or amateur-professional or amateur-amateur.
Entries from male amateurs, either as individuals or as a team or two, accepted for this event.
MONDAY-TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16 & 17
HACIENDA DEL ALAMO LADIES OPEN over 36 holes.
Entry fees: Professional - 70 Euros; Amateur - 55 Euros.
NO ENTRY FEES TO BE PAID UNTIL YOU CHECK IN WITH TOURNAMENT CONTROLLER COLIN FARQUHARSON AT THE HACIENDA DEL ALAMO GOLF RESORT CLUBHOUSE

Any questions? E-mail them to Colin@Scottishgolfview.com

Festival entry fees to be
paid on arrival at
Hacienda del Alamo

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Tournament Controller, 2nd Hacienda del Alamo Women's Winter Golf Festival
We have decided to scrap the need to pay a downpayment of 100 Euros towards competitors' entry fees for the four-event, six-day programme from February 11 to 17.
We are reverting to the format which was in place for the inaugural Festival last February, i.e. competitors don't pay their competition entry fees until they get to the five-star Hacienda del Alamo Golf Resort.
Why the about-turn, you might ask? Well, it's all to do with Bank Charges. We had opened a Euros currency account in this country into which all the advance payments would have been paid.
But after the first cheque for 300 Euros had been deposited, we received a Bank Statement a couple of weeks later, showing only 290 Euros in the account!
When we inquired what had happened to the missing 10 Euros, we were informed that this was the standard deduction for "bank charges."
So, had we continued to bank all the advance entry fees, the Bank, which shall remain nameless, would have deducted a minimum of 10 Euros and a maximum of 60 Euros for EACH transaction, depending on the size of the deposit.
As all the entry fees, less a few admin costs, go out again in cash or other prizes, the Festival just could not afford to continue this arrangement.
So, no entry monies needed up front. Simply fill in the entry form, cut and paste and E-mail it to Colin@Scottishgolfview.com
You can, if you wish, still post the entry forms .


+Remember, men and boys can submit entries for the Festival's St Valentine's Day pro-am on the Saturday, February 14, either as individuals or teams of three amateurs. Entry fee is 55 Euros per head ... payable at Hacienda del Alamo Golf Resort. Similarly, if enough males want to stay on to play in the Festival pairs competition on Sunday, February 15, we will create additional categories, either two males or mixed. Again the entry fee is 55 Euros per head ... payable at Hacienda del Alamo.

Males wanted for Spanish

Festival pro-am on Saturday,

February 14 and to play in

pairs event day after

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

If you switch over our sister website, http://www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk/, on a regular basis you will know that I will be organising the 2nd Hacienda del Alamo Women's Winter Golf Festival at the five-star golf resort in the south-east Spanish region of Murcia from February 11 to 17, 2009.

It is a WOMEN'S Festival but we are encouraging the ladies to take along their husbands/partners and for girls to persuade their golfing dads to take them.

We are actively seeking male golfers to enter the St Valentine's Day pro-am, on the Saturday of the Festival, i.e. February 14. It costs 55 Euros for each amateur to enter the pro-am (165 Euros for a team) and the amateur teams can be three males or mixed-sex trios.

We are hoping that we will eventually get Festival entries from enough lady professionals to have one each to partner 20, maybe 30 teams.

Every male who enters the pro-am is entitle to a free practice round over the Dave Thomas-designed Hacienda del Alamo course. So, for 55 Euros, you get to play arguably the best new course built in Spain within the last decade.

Which leads me on to the Sunday pairs tournament at the Hacienda del Alamo Women's Festival.

Seems a shame that if some male golfers are going to be at the resort anyway on the day after the pro-am, that they cannot get another competitive round. That is why I am proposing that if enough males enter the Festival's Saturday pro-am, we will create two extra categories in the Sunday pairs tournament (nine holes alternate shot, nine holes better ball) - two males playing together and a male partnering a female.

If you are interested, switch over to http://www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk/ and you will see how to start making inquiries about renting a Hacienda del Alamo villa for a few days in February.

If you want me to E-mail you an entry form, get in touch with me at Colin@scottishgolfview.com