Brilliant sunshine and blue skies greeted the participants , just as they did those sensible enough to arrive early in Valencia to witness the traditional festival of Las Fallas – and they remained present throughout the all to brief stay.
The first round, the pairs tournament in El Bosque, conveniently situated just west of the airport, came as a salutatory shock to those not having played much during the winter. The R. Trent-Jones course, perched on the flanks of what seems like a mountain when you’re walking it, is majestic, albeit made for those with 250 meter drives. Nor is there much hope of a chip and roll to reach the green, as the devilish designer has either elevated the greens or placed them in the down slope so that the ball will only come to rest in the bunker at the back, (there are 90 of them), or worse. The rows of recently developed apartments on the surrounding hills are an incentive to keep your head down while playing, in which case you can enjoy the many types of Mediterranean vegetation and are likely to be treated to the spectacle of flocks of scurrying moorhens, for, as you will have guessed, cleverly disguised water hazards lurk for the unwary. Once the sweeping 18th with out of bounds on both sides and the green so high that it seems to be touching the sky, has been negotiated, the cerveza waiting in the modern clubhouse will be well deserved.
A hint of sea fret accompanied the start of the Coupe proper on Saturday morning on the half links half parkland El Saler course created by Javier Arana in 1968, after the Scottish style. By contrast it seemed les ferocious than the previous day but the scores testify to the fact that it is not simple to score. The rampant rough and the ground covering plants eagerly swallow up balls, and the sea breeze capable of carrying the best struck of shots off course. Again, the 18th. hole is typical of many, a long carry for the drive, a left crooked dog’s leg to the despair of the slicers, and a well protected green. Luckily the specially prepared and awaiting paella restored our spirits.
Golf was not the only element – apart from providing the opportunity to visit Las Fallas, Angel set the Saturday golf in the morning so as to spend much of the afternoon and evening in the Ciudad des las Sciencias y de las Artes. This complex, situated in the former river bed once the waters were diverted half a century ago to prevent flooding, provide a complete. contrast to the ancient architecture of the rest of the city. Angel chose a water theme for our visit, which included a spectacular dolphin display, an aquarium experience, a 3-D film, and a dinner, fish of course.
The winner of this year’s figurative Coupe was none other than Jamie Stewart, after many years of trying, doubtless feeling quite at home on a links.
Following two courses of such distinctive character was not easy, and approaching the recently openend Foressos in the first light of Sunday morning did impart a sense of foreboding. The course is bordered on one side by the autopista with its unbroken trail of lorries full of oranges and strawberries trundling northwards, and on the other by an ominously immense prison. To complete the picture, the railway is not far off, and a chemical complex belches away in the middle distance. Nevertheless, the course itself is a gem, designed by the young architect D. José Gancedo with luscious fairways, monster greens, and 1,500 palm trees. We were grateful for its flatness, after the exertions of the two previous days, and the lakes and ponds test for both length and precision – the scramble formula providing ample opportunity to benefit from a little help from your friends, as the Beatles put it. A delightfully renovated finca serves as the clubhouse, and it was with much regret that we had to drag ourselves away in the afternoon for the return to normality after this magical golfing interlude.