2nd Hacienda del Alamo Women's Winter Festival

Charlie Douglass (left) and Hayley Davis, the two who reigned in Spain at the Hacienda del Alamo Women's Winter Festival (Cal Carson Golf Agency image). On far right is 13-year-old Amber Ratcliffe, winner of the Under-16s' leading handicap award.

Charlie Douglass and Hayley Davis

both win two titles in Spain

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

(Better late than never! The Hacienda del Alamo Golf Resort Internet service crashed for a second time on Tuesday and was still not back on line by the time I departed near lunchtime today!)
Charlie Douglass, the left-handed Brocket Hall scratch player, and 16-year-old Hayley Davis, who plays off one at Ferndown, won the Hacienda del Alamo Ladies Open and Under-16 girls’ titles respectively as the curtain rang down on the 2nd Hacienda del Alamo Women’s Winter Golf Festival on a day of glorious Spanish sunshine at the five-star Murcia resort.
It was a case of golfing déjà vu. Charlie and Hayley also captured the Murcia Ladies Open and Under-16 championships when the Festival teed off last Thursday and Friday.
Charlie won the ladies’ championship trophy and a 400 Euros voucher by a single shot in a tight finish with English girl international Holly Clyburn, a +1 player at Woodhall Spa, and Charlotte Dalton (Ladbrook Park).
Douglass scored 73 and 75 for a four-over-par total of 148 over the long and so testing Dave Thomas-designed course which has several par-4s where the majority of lady competitors cannot get home in two shots.
“Much as I would like to come back to next year’s Festival, because I think it is a great idea, I hope to go to the Ladies European Tour School, turn pro and be playing golf for a living in 2010,” said Miss Douglass
Clyburn had rounds of 76 and 73 for 149, the same score as Dalton who scored 75 and 74 and lost out for the second-placed 200 Euros voucher having the poorer second round.
It was worth more for Dalton to win the top handicap prize of 200 Euros with a net total of 145 off two of a handicap so third scratch voucher prize worth 100 Euros wsent to Ellis Keenan (Sunningdale) with scores of 79 and 81 for 160.
Davis won her latest Under-16 girls title by seven strokes with rounds of 70 and 72 for 142, excellent scoring by a teenager who will be knocking on the door of not only an under-18 England cirls cap this year but also full international honours if her Spanish form is a foretaste of things to come back home in 2009.
“I’ve worked hard with my coach, Scott Godfrey, during the winter and it is paying off already.I hit the fairways and most of the greens in regulation and once I got the hang of the very fast Bermuda grass putting surfaces, I began to hole a few putts,” said Hayley.
Runner-up was Welsh international Amy Boulden from Llandudno Maesdu with scores of 75 and 74 for 152, three shots ahead of Hannah Turland (Tidworth) who partnered Hayley Davis to victory in Sunday’s Costa Calida Foursomes over the same course.
Thirteen-year-old Amber Ratcliffe (Royal Cromer), who has slashed 10 shots off her handicap since she played at the inaugural Festival last February, won the top Under-16 handicap award of 100 vouchers with a net total of 142 off seven.
The seniors’ title and trophy went to Royal Guernsey player Di Hudson with scores of 90 and 87 for 177.

PS There will be another Hacienda del Alamo Women's Winter Festival next February, hopefully more in sync with the mid-term school holidays in Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales! Watch this space

FINAL TUESDAY TOTALS AND PRIZE LIST
HACIENDA DEL ALAMO WOMEN’S OPEN
SCRATCH
Par 144 (2 x 72)
148 Charlie Douglass (Brocket Hall) 73 75.
149 Holly Clyburn (Woodhall Spa) 76 73, Charlotte Dalton (Ladbrook Park) 75 74.
160 Ellis Keenan (Sunningdale) 79 81.
162 Laura Harvey (Richmond) 81 81.
165 Rebecca Gee (Wellingborough) 82 83.
166 Mary MacLaren (Wellingborough) 81 85.
167 Sharon Hewer (Royal Birkdale) 85 82.
175 Marcella Tuttle (Newmarket) 90 85.
197 Lizzie Stephens (Newmarket) 95 102.
NR Dana Greenslade (Wentworth) 84 NR
Withdrew (ill): Sarah Smith (Newmarket).
Prizewinners: 1 C Douglass (Trophy + 400 Euros voucher), 2 H Clyburn (200 voucher), 3 E Keenan (100 voucher), 4 Laura Harvey (Glenmuir windshirt + 40).

HANDICAP
145 Charlotte Dalton (2).
148 Charlie Douglass (scr).
151 Holly Clyburn (+1).
157 Sharon Hewer (5), Rebecca Gee (4).
158 Mary MacLaren (4).
160 Laura Harvey (1), Ellis Keenan (scr).
167 Marcella Tuttle (4).
185 Lizzie Stephens (6).
NR Dana Greenslade (5).
Withdrew: Sarah Smith (4)
Prizewinners – 1 C Dalton (200 Euros voucher), 2 S Hewer (better second round) (100 voucher), 3 R Gee (80 voucher), 4 M McLaren (Glenmuir windshirt + 30 voucher), 5 Marcella Tuttle (Glenmuir windshirt + 20 voucher).

SENIORS
SCRATCH
177 Di Hudson (Royal Guernsey) 80 87.
181 Angela Vesterlund (Sweden) 92 89.
199 Sonia Graham (Royal Guernsey) 102 97.
222 Kam Cheema (Red Libbets) 112 110.
Prizewinners – 1 D Hudson (Trophy + umbrella + 100 Euros voucher), 2 S Graham (Glenmuir presentation box).
HANDICAP
157 A Vesterlund (12).
159 D Hudson (9).
167 S Graham (16).
182 K Cheema (20).
Prizewinners – 1 A Vesterlund (Glenmuir presentation box + 20 Euros voucher), 2 K
Cheema (Glenmuir presentation box).

UNDER-16 GIRLS OPEN
SCRATCH
142 Hayley Davis (Ferndown) 70 72.
149 Amy Boulden (Maesdu) 75 74.
152 Hannah Turland (Tidworth) 79 73.
156 Amber Ratcliffe (Royal Cromer) 79 77.
168 Meghan MacLaren (Wellingborough) 87 81.
172 Amelia Taylor (St Annes Old Links) 86 86.
176 Lucie Walker (Ormskirk) 90 86.

180 Alice Hewson (Berkhamsted) 89 91.
182 India Clyburn (Woodhall Spa) 91 91.
185 Ella Ofstedahl (Mill Green) 91 94.
190 Laura Tuttle (Newmarket) 98 92.
193 Charlotte Humphries (Burnham & Berrow) 103 90.
194 Kirsten MacCallum (McDonald Ellon) 97 97.
199 Claire Tuttle (Newmarket) 106 93.
Prizewinners – 1 H Davis (Trophy + 150 Euros voucher), 2 A Boulden (100 voucher), 3 H Turland (80 voucher), 4 M MacLaren (Glenmuir umbrella + 50 voucher).
HANDICAP
140 H Davis (1).
142 A Ratcliffe (7).
145 A Boulden (2).
146 A Taylor (13).
148 H Turland (2).
152 A Hewson (17).
154 L Walker (11).
155 E Ofstedahl (15).
156 I Clyburn (13).
159 C Humphries (17).
160 M MacLaren (4).
172 K MacCallum (McDonald Ellon) (11).
Prizewinners – 1 A Ratcliffe (100 Euros voucher), 2 A Taylor (80 voucher), 3 A Hewson (Glenmuir windshirt + 60 voucher), 4 L Walker (Glenmuir umbrella + 50 voucher), 5 E Ofstedahl (Glenmuir holdall + 20 voucher), 6 I Clyburn (Glenmuir umbrella + 20 voucher).