Harey Cup 2013 - postscript

No great golf tour is complete without its winners, losers and people, without whose efforts & enthusiasm events like this wouldn't be the same (or even happen).

Prizes

Day 1 longest drive (America #10) - Nick
Day 1 nearest the pin (America #16) - James

Day 2 longest drive (Europa #17) - Julian
Day 2 nearest the pin (Europa #9) - Richie

Day 3 longest drive (Asia #10) - Julian
Day 3 nearest the pin (Asia #17) - Matt

Individual Stableford winner - Julian (101)
Wooden spoon (& 2014 organiser) - Tom (55)

Gross birdie sweep - Richie (12)
Lost balls sweep - Phil (121 guess vs 138 actual)

Green jacket recipient - Julian, for returning 3/3, actually playing to handicap and for taking a hit (or three) for his captain

Looking at the individual results & sweep predictions, it's fair to say that the courses were the winners. Tom's wooden spoon score was the lowest in Harey Cup history and the lost ball total was, by some considerable margin, the highest experienced in the six runnings of the Cup. To indicate how wide of the mark I was (or how over-confident I was in the ability of my fellow competitors), the final total of 138 was more than double what I (and others too) had predicted.

Thanks

Huge thanks must go, of course, to Richie for his hard work organising this trip. His patience in the face of relentless petitioning by your author regarding the venue (I think it was worthwhile) was commendable, not to mention dealing with the financial matters, the side to any trip which isn't always a barrel of laughs.

To Nick for putting together the format, which I think worked very well, despite some repeat match-ups. Perhaps there is scope to consider a 'play-no-one-more-than-once' rule in future years?

To Charlie, who, in having a wife who works for Musto, was able to provide some first class team apparel for the final day singles. It added an extra dimension to the day which will, I'm sure, be incorporated into the future events.

Finally, to the fabulous La Cala resort - three awesome courses, maintained in top condition, and an excellent hotel combined to make this an extremely enjoyable few days. Thanks also to Agustin Alonso from La Cala, who, in giving us some beer tokens as thanks for the myriad mentions I gave to La Cala on Twitter, proved the power of interaction via social media.

And so now thoughts begin to turn already to 2014. Tom, in returning the lowest Stableford score, has the pleasure of organizing and has commenced taking advance petitions for suitable locations. We look forward to this progressing and, hopefully, I can be involved again too.

I am the Part-Time Golfer