Our trip to Barbados is nearing the end. We have tried to pack too much into the week really as a relaxing vacation and four rounds of medal golf are mutually exclusive!
The Tamarind hotel has been fine. It's on the Platinum coast at Payne's Bay and has received good reports from SWMBO. That is what I had hoped, as my first choice, Discovery Bay, had her complaining about all the poor TripAdvisor comments. I changed without telling her and she is still none the wiser and is now less likely to take TripAdvisor as gospel! She doesn't follow this bog so it's just our little secret readers!
We have had a few new restaurants to try out. The Cliff beach club was at the high end and was very enjoyable experience. Starlets and Zuccio were good as was the food in Cariba, it just lacked any atmosphere. Finally a mention to the Sea Cat, a rum shack type fish restaurant which was very good and reasonably priced.
The weather has been great, and better than expected which was ideal for the golf. Four rounds of medal golf is the game the pro's play every week, but for mid handicap players it is tough and unforgiving.
I started with two rounds of 92 at the Barbados golf club and Royal Westmoreland which after handicap was 2 x 78. I lost five balls which cost me 10 shots and had me mid- table in my handicap flight, 14 off the lead. The pro's always call Saturday moving day as it proved to be for me. I hit an 84, net 70 around Apes Hill, to put me one off the lead going into Sunday.
It was probably my greatest ever competitive round of golf culminating with a birdie 4 on the last hole and a gross 39 for the last nine holes. I was actually 4 over par for the final 10 holes. I was drained at the end of it, but had had great encouragement from my playing partners, Duncan, Jessie and Diaz. They all appreciated how much it meant to me.
Sunday arrived and I quickly learnt how golf can gain revenge. I was in the last group out. We had caddies and I had no friends. I did not realise how exhausted I was from the previous day, so after hanging in there for four holes, a 12 at the next put me out of contention and contributed to a 'no return'. As it happened somebody came out of the pack with a net 64 to win it. I had my moment of glory thouh so now need to translate the form into some solid Summer golf. It's Walton Heath in Surrey on Friday and a big Virgin Atlantic Knock Out at Wallasey next week.
I will post some pictures from the presentation night with Sir Gary Sobers tomorrow.
To finish on a lighter note, I am having the house painted while we are away, SWMBO doesn't know about that either. I hope Argyle green is to her liking!!
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