Entry deadline extended to January 22 for Hacienda del Alamo Highlight

Cara Gruber putting during last year's Scottish women's amateur championship at Lossiemouth (Cal Carson Golf Agency image).

Royal Dornoch's Cara Gruber becomes

first Scot to enter Spanish Festival

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Festival Organiser

Colin@scottishgolfview.com

Royal Dornoch member Cara Gruber has become the first Scot to file an entry for the 2nd Hacienda del Alamo Women's Winter Festival.

Cara, a member of the Northern Counties team for a number of years, plays off one of a handicap these days.

She will arrive early to warm up on the excellent practice facilities at the five-star resort, which include a six-hole Academy course.

Fellow Scot Billy Sim has reduced the daily fee for unlimited use of all the practice facilities - hit as many balls as you like - to only 10 Euros, especially for competitors at the Festival.

Buggies, incidentally, can be used in the tournaments by adult drivers and will available at 25 Euros per buggy.

Caddies will be permitted in all the Festival events except those exclusively for Under-16 girls who must walk and carry or pull their own clubs in their two 36-hole competitions. Under-16 girls competing in the pro-am and the Sunday pairs will not have these restrictions although they will still not be able to drive a buggy because of the insurance factor.

Cara Gruber will play in the Murcia Ladies Open over 36 holes on Thursday and Friday, February 12 and 13.

Then she and fellow Northerner, Campbell Thompson (Strathpeffer Spa) will form two-thirds of one of the amateur teams of three in the St Valentine's Day pro-am on the Saturday.

I have extended the deadline for entries by a week to January 22 to give the lady pros who have been competing at La Manga a chance to join the Festival fields. But it is looking more and more as if the Saturday pro-am will have to be converted to an event for teams of three amateurs, male or female. We simply don't have enough lady pro entries to partner 15 or 20 teams. More's the pity!

Cara and Campbell will also team up in the Costa Calida Pairs on the Sunday.

Perhaps their decision to enter the Hacienda del Alamo February Festival will spark off a late rush of other entries from Scotland. There's no harm in hoping!

Another entry today was that of 13-year-old Poppy Finlay, a 16-handicap junior member of the Vicars Cross club near Chester.

Continental or cooked breakfasts will be available in the Hacienda del Alamo clubhouse from 8am every morning. All the usual refreshments + snacks, lunches and dinners will also be available in the five-star clubhouse and its restaurant.

The Festival is sponsored by Glenmuir, Stewart Spence (owner of The Marcliffe Hotel & Spa, Aberdeen), Hacienda Golf Properties, an oil firm who prefer to remain anonymous and, of course, Hacienda del Alamo Golf Resort.

FESTIVAL ENTRIES SO FAR
MURCIA LADIES OPEN
Two rounds stroke-play
Thursday-Friday, February 12-13

Professional entries

Jacqueline Pecoitz (Argentina)

Lien Willems (Belgium)
Ruth O’Carroll (England)

Amateur entries
Mary McKenna (Donabate) Senior
Patricia Morris (Donabate) Senior

Pamela Morgan (La Cala) Senior
Di Hudson (Royal Guernsey) Senior
Sonia Graham (Royal Guernsey) Senior
Fionnuala Forde (Donabate)
Margo Habets (Rinkven, Belgium)
Caroline Harper (Limburg, Belgium)
Natalia Zvezdina (Rinkven, Belgium)
Sandra Hendrickx (Rinkven, Belgium)
Louise Church (Hendon) (to be confirmed)
Charlotte Dalton (Ladbrook Park)
Shula McCarthy (Clonmel)
Michele McCarthy (Clonmel).
Anna Carling (Vale of Glamorgan).
Charlie Douglass (Brocket Hall)

Sharon Hewer (Royal Birkdale)
Kam Cheema (Red Libbets)
Ellis Keenan (Sunningdale)
Dana Greenslade (Wentworth)
Cara Gruber (Royal Dornoch)

MURCIA UNDER-16 GIRLS’ OPEN

Two rounds stroke-play

Thursday-Friday, February 12-13.
Gemma McCarthy (Clonmel). Age 11.
Amber Ratcliffe (Royal Cromer). Age 13.
Hayley Davis (Ferndown). Age 14.
Hannah Turland (Tidworth). Age 14.
Eadaoin Cronin (Bantry Bay). Age 14.
Lucie Walker (Ormskirk). Age 15.
Poppy Finlay (Vicars Cross). Age 13.

ST VALENTINE'S DAY PRO-AM
One round: Lady pro with three amateurs (male or female)
Saturday, February 14

Professional entries

Lien Willems (Belgium).

Jacqueline Pecoitz (Argentina)

Amateur teams:
Mary McKenna (4), Patricia Morris (11) & Fionnuala Forde (12) (all Donabate).
Mary MacLaren (4), Meghan MacLaren (4) & Rebecca Gee (4) (all Wellingborough).
Margo Habets (7), Caroline Harper (15) & Natalia Zvezdina (20) or Sandra Henrickx (20) + pro Lien Willems (Belgium).Natalia Zvezdina (20) or Sandra Henrickx (20) + two other amateurs.

Pamela Morgan (10) & Brian Harrold (10) (both La Cala) + one other amateur

Shula McCarthy (19), Gemma McCarthy (20), Michelle McCarthy (8) (all Clonmel).
Charlie Douglass (+0.3), Anthony Hughes (1), Charlotte Dalton (Ladbrook Park) (2).
Lizzie Stephens (6) & Ben Chapman (9) (both Clevedon) + one other amateur
Cara Gruber (1) & Campbell Thompson (Strathpeffer Spa) (16) + one other amateur
Amateur individuals:

Louise Church (Hendon) (9) (to be confirmed)

Charlotte Humphries (Burnham & Berrow) (17)

Amy Boulden (Llandudno Maesdhu) (1.5) (to be confirmed).
Kam Cheema (20).
Amelia Taylor (St Annes Old Links) (13).
Eadaoin Cronin (Bantry Bay) (10).
Ellis Keenan (Sunningdale) (scr)

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
Professional entries

Jacqueline Pecoitz (Argentina)

Lien Willems (Belgium)

Amateur pairings:
Mary MacLaren (4) & David MacLaren (4).
Meghan MacLaren (4) & Rebecca Gee (4).
Holly Clyburn (+1) & India Clyburn (13).

Pamela Morgan (10) & Brian Harrold (10).

Charlotte Humphries (17) & Rob Humphries (6).

Charlotte Dalton (2) & Ellis Keenan (scr).

Jessica Wilcox (Blankney) (2) & Robert Wilcox.
Amber Ratcliffe (7) & Ryan Ratcliffe (5).
Hayley Davis (1) & Hannah Turland (2).
Sharon Hewer (5) & Peter Maw (5).
Amelia Taylor (13) & Trevor Taylor (18).
Colette Walker (Southport & Ainsdale) (18) & Lucie Walker (11).
Sonia Graham (16) & Di Hudson (9) (to be confirmed)
Lizzie Stephens (6) & Ben Chapman (9).
Dana Greenslade (5) & Alan Quarterman (4)
Ella Ofstedahl (15) & Darryl Ofstedahl (8) (both Mill Green).
Viv Ofstedahl (21) and Sam Ofstedahl (16) (both Mill Green)
Cara Gruber (1) and Campbell Thompson (16).
Amateur individuals (need partner)

Louise Church (Hendon) (9) (to be confirmed)
Amy Boulden (1.5) (to be confirmed)

HACIENDA DEL ALAMO LADIES OPEN
Two rounds stroke-play
Monday-Tuesday, February 16-17.

Professional entries

Jacqueline Pecoitz (Argentina)

Lien Willems (Belgium).
Ruth O’Carroll (England) (to be confirmed)

Amateur entries:
Sonia Graham (Royal Guernsey) Senior
Di Hudson (Royal Guernsey) Senior
Holly Clyburn (Woodhall Spa).
Mary MacLaren (Wellingborough)
Rebecca Gee (Wellingborough)
Louise Church (Hendon) (to be confirmed)
Charlotte Dalton (Ladbrook Park)
Jessica Wilcox (Blankney)
Charlie Douglass (Brocket Hall)
Sharon Hewer (Royal Birkdale).
Kam Cheema (Red Libbets)
Ellis Keenan (Sunningdale)
Lizzie Stephens (Clevedon)
Laura Harvey (Richmond)
Dana Greenslade (Wentworth)

HACIENDA DEL ALAMO UNDER-16 GIRLS’ OPEN

Two rounds stroke play

Monday-Tuesday, February 16-17

Charlotte Humphries Age 14.

India Clyburn Age 12.

Meghan MacLaren. Age 14.

Amy Boulden (Llandudno Maesdu). Age 15
Alice Hewison (Berkhamsted & Moor Park). Age 11
Amber Ratcliffe. Age 13.
Hayley Davis. Age 14.
Hannah Turland. Age 14.
Ella Ofstedahl (Mill Green). Age 11.
Amelia Taylor. Age 13.
Lucie Walker (Ormskirk). Age 15.

HACIENDA DEL ALAMO GOLF RESORT
VILLA RENTAL ACCOMMODATION

John Green of Hacienda Golf Properties is the Festival's "preferred partner" for the rental of villas/accommodation at the five-star resort.
That means if you are going to the Hacienda del Alamo February Festival, you should do one of two things, or maybe both.
1 E-mail John Green at mailto:info@hdagolfproperaties.com to find out what he can offer you and at what price.
2 Log on to John Green's website - http://www.hdagolfproperties.com/ - and see for yourself what he has to offer.