golf international, lifestyle 94

MAY 2010 GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM 1

TRAVEL / PROPERTY / GOLF LUXURY / WELLBEING / FASHION / MOTORING / MEMORABILIA AND MORE...

GOLF INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE MAY 2010

GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM MAY 20102

In the middle of the hectic internationaltournament schedule, there are very fewcourses good enough to lure Ernie Elsand Padraig Harrington for a quiet recre-ational game, without any commercial tie-

ups. Monte Rei in the Eastern Algarve is oneof them.

“Ernie was on holiday with family andfriends, and Padraig was in the Algarve withhis coaches,” reports Golf Director, IainMcInally. “It was the first time for both, andtheir own free time.” Many professionalsbelieve Monte Rei to be the best course andclubhouse in Portugal, and near the very topthroughout continental Europe.

This Rolls Royce resort, with prices tomatch, is based on the stunning JackNicklaus Signature 7,181-yard set-up. A sec-ond course, beach club and hotel are in theoffing, and there is even talk of a possiblefuture Ryder Cup bid down the line.

Seventies Blackburn footballer, John

Waddington, has made millions out ofGreetings Cards. Now aged 57, he’s usingsome of the cash to build his dream 4,500-square foot house at Monte Rei. “This area’sa bit like Quinta do Lago was 20 years ago.The course and facilities are pure class.”

Two years ago, for a half-acre plot over-looking the 6th fairway, Waddington paidover £750,000. His palatial pad could easilycost that much again. Three-bedroom linkedvillas start at about £1 million.

This summer, some of them will be avail-able to rent at Monte Rei for the very firsttime, so even if the house prices are out ofyour league, a short break down there won’tdisappoint. The development suits long-terminvestors who prize a great course, natureand exclusivity. Short-term capital growthcould be modest.

Algarve house prices, denoted in Euros,have fallen about 19% since the beginning of2009, says Mary Mangan, MD of Winkworth

in Portugal. “British owners who bought 5 to10 years ago when the pound was up near€1.50 can afford to take a modest hit on theEuro price of their property and still show agood profit in pounds when they go backhome,” she reports.

For instance, a house bought for £100,000five years ago translated into about€150,000. The same house today sold for€140,000 would yield £120,000. Manganbelieves the best value is currently in re-sales. “Individual sellers, particularly theBritish, are more prepared to drop prices tomake a deal than developers.”

For instance, Winkworth is marketing are-sale two-bedroom apartment on theBoavista golf resort in Lagos on the WesternAlgarve for £188,000 – a 20% discount onthe current resort values. It comes fur-nished with access to tennis, gym, indoorand outdoor pools, and discounted greenfees. The course isn’t spectacular, but the

Portugal’s Algarve is a perennial favourite for golfers seeking a mix ofsunshine, uncrowded beaches and great golf. Peter Swain reports onthe leading developments and the increasing attraction of the EasternAlgarve for those looking for an affordable home from home

Portugal’sever-expanding portfolio

Bunkering is just one of the manyexceptional features at Monte Rei(above), a quite stunning championshipdesign from Jack Nicklaus that hasraised the bar at the the luxury end ofthe market and furthered the expansionof golf long the Algarve.(Right): The timeless charm of SanLorenzo, one of the original courseswithin striking distance of Vale Do Lobo,still one of the Algarve’s finest family-oriented communities

price looks attractive.A few miles to the east, near Lagoa, the

largest Portuguese tourism and leisuregroup, Pestana, has four golf courses andseveral property developments set in gentlyundulating countryside, ten minutes fromthe beach. “We’ve been here for 20 years andsee ourselves as a friendly four-star resort,”says Sales Director, James Harrison. “Boththe Pinta and Gramacho courses have hostedpro tournaments, and the newer Silves set-up has a couple of truly great par-5s.”

While other developers have seen almoststatic sales, Harrison has sold 32 propertiesin the last 12 months, half re-sales, half newbuild, and nearly all at discounts of up to20% on advertised prices.

Harrison bases his success on three fac-tors. “Transparency – what you see with usis what you get; sensible pricing – we knowthere’s a recession and up to a point, priceaccordingly; and variety – we have every-thing from a quarter share of a two-bedapartment for £67,000, up to a luxury four-bedroom villa for a million pounds.”

One issue for some buyers on a brandnew development is the risk of living on abuilding site for five years, as later phasesare built out. Pestana always has a variety of

re-sale stock in established parts of theresort for those who don’t like mud andcranes. The group is also big enough to offertheir own finance, so buyers don’t need touse either British or Portuguese banks for amortgage.

The new ‘hot’ part of the region is reck-oned by many to be the Eastern Algarvewhere prices are on average 30% cheaperthan the central Algarve. The Quinta do Valeclub overlooks the Guadiana river borderingSpain, and has 66 three- and four-bedroomvillas, all with private pools, priced from£1.1 million, and 57 townhouses with com-munal pools in the ‘Riverside Village’ costingfrom £582,000.

“It’s a really friendly set-up especially forus ex-Pats, and there are six other courseslike Quinta da Ria and Quinta de Cima with-in a dozen or so miles,” says Club member,Phil Thomas. The Quinta do Vale course isbuilt on reclaimed salt flats and has water inplay on 14 holes – not easy.

Best value on the resort is probably thetownhouses with either two or three bed-rooms downstairs and the living room,kitchen and views of the golf and riverupstairs. They share a couple of club pools,with sailing, a marina, beach club and hotel

in the pipeline. Reading between the lines,Quinta do Vale would probably entertainoffers 15% or even 20% below asking price.“For a top end £1.1 million villa, we’d cer-tainly look at £850,000,” says Director,David Silva.

Vale do Lobo, 25-minutes from FaroAirport, was one of the very first Algarvegolf developments, and is still one of thebest. Hunting down re-sales at the resort iscurrently a good idea. A two-bedroom apart-ment with pool starts at £430,000, while athree-bedroom linked villa near the beachcosts £615,000.

Although a few houses are a little close tothe fairways, both the Royal and Oceancourses are first class. A good selling pointis that several generations continue to enjoyVale do Lobo. “Parents, children and grand-children keep visiting because there is some-thing for every age,”says Diogo GasparFerreira of VdL. The main praca has restau-rants, shops and nightclubs, while the tenniscentre is world class.

This big imponderable in all this is theexchange rate. Nobody knows whether bythe summer the pound will be worth €1.1 or€1.3 – it’s a big difference. One thing that iscertain is that the Algarve still has some ofthe best all year round golf in Europe.

PROPERTY


CONTACTSMonte Rei // www.monterei.com00 351 281 952521Pestana // www.pestanaproperties.com00 351 282 340 930Quinta do Vale // www.quintadovale.com00351 281543407Vale do Lobo // www.valedolobo.com00351 289353110

(Clockwise from top left)Want to play in Freddieʼs shoes? The ʻGolfStreet Casual̓ from Ecco was created to beworn both on and off the course. Luxuriousfull-grain uppers upon a low-profile footbedand a sole featuring pre-moulded tractionbars for optimum comfort and grip.Available in a range of colours. As per Fred,socks optional.Guide: £90www.eccogolf.co.uk

Stand out from the crowd with a classicTrilby from Savile Row tailor William Hunt.Available in multiple styles/colours.Guide:£45. (See ʻWhere thereʼs a Will̓ , page 112)www.williamhunt.com

Currently one of the fastest-growing brandsin golf, UnderArmour delivers style withfunction in the shape of its latestArmourStorm rainsuit. “By far the best suit Ihave ever worn – allows freedome for swingin all conditions,” says brand ambassadorRoss Fisher.Guide: Jacket £160/pant £140.www.underarmour.com

One of golfʼs classic labels, OscarJacobson – official supplier to the EuropeanRyder Cup team again this year at CelticManor – has revealed a comprehensiveSpring/Summer collection which includes itsfamous tailoured golf trousers along withcoordinated premium cotton shirts and light-weight tops. Visit the website for online cat-alogue and details of all UK stockists.www.oscarjacobson.com


FASHION

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If – as many eminent economists wouldhave us believe – success dependslargely on timing, then these are des-perately unfortunate times in which tolaunch a new luxury car, let alone an

entire luxury brand. However, clearly cov-eting that which Lexus has achieved forToyota, that’s precisely what Nissan hasdone, murdering the Moet and Chandonon the bows of the no less than five newmodels that fanfare the launch of a spank-ing new brand – Infiniti.

Yet it isn’t merely a woeful economic cli-mate that Infiniti must contend with. Forall the abject perfectionism attendant tothe screwing together of its cars, Lexus’efforts at European conquest remain ham-pered by the ongoing issue of buildingbrand status when, in the context of theTeutonic triumvirate that is BMW, Audiand Mercedes, it boasts all the long-termpedigree of a mayfly.

Evidently, impressed by bullet-proofmechanicals and a dealer network thatlicks them senseless at every opportunity,

the Americans are less sniffy about suchmatters and almost instantaneouslyembraced the 1989 newcomer with openwallets. But, from a UK perspective, Lexuscontinues to highlight the impossibility ofjoining a posh private members club with-out the requisite eons of languishing onthe waiting list. And one can only hazard aguess as to how much longer the companymust loiter on the sidelines before thesword of brand approbation finallybounces on the broad shoulders of sheertechnical achievement.

Lob into the equation the fact that everyniche of the premium automotive segmentis already glutted with a bewilderingchoice of machinery, and it would seemthat Infiniti has a real tussle on its hands,especially in the SUV market…

Now, for most of the North Londonberet and brioche set, saving the whalesremains very much a five day a week con-cern. Let’s face it; come Friday evening, theonly Wales on the collective radar is theone hosting the weekend cottage, the only

In the shape of its all-new luxury Infiniti brand, Nissan is aiming at a highlycompetitive market, particularly when it comes to the SUV. But in theshape of the compact EX37 model, they have produced an intriguingoption, as Anthony Ffrench-Constant reports

INFINITI EX37 GT

Nissan apply theory ofInfiniti for better driving

A smaller, squashed-looking variantof its FX Sports Utility Model, the

EX37 is a ʻcoupe crossoverʼ

MOTORING

serious consideration joining the M4’scamelhair coat caravanserai in the appro-priate degree of style and at sufficientvelocity to prevent those goujons of seahorse from thawing before the Aga’s up totemperature.

Taking brand prejudice and badge snob-bery, a Bad Smell Under The Nose drivingposition, muddy track dismissal and aprice tag offering little or no change from£50,000 as a given, then, these part-timeSandalistas already have a wealth of some-thing-for-the-weekend offerings at theirdisposal – Range Rover, Audi Q7, PorscheCayenne, Mercedes ML, BMW X5, or, forthe partially sighted, the X6… Even Lexus’RX 450h struggles for status in this com-pany, so what chance for Infiniti’s newSUV, the FX?

Cunningly, however, Infiniti has alsoproduced a somewhat smaller, squashed-looking variant dubbed the EX37, whichcan be had for as little as £36,500, or near-er £40,000 if you lob in essentials such assat’ nav’, cruise control and an ear-water-

ing Bose sound system.Dubbed a ‘coupe crossover’ and occupy-

ing that increasingly popular niche hinter-land somewhere between full-height SUVand respectable estate car, the EX37 issomething of an ocular curate’s egg. It’sreminiscent of the long nose and squatcabin of the smaller, cheaper and startling-ly ugly BMW X1, but much better looking

all round, especially in profile.Lexus prides itself on what it calls the

‘hospitality’ aspect of their cars. This isn’tto say a geisha girl will hand you a steam-ing bowl of jasmine tea and trim your toe-nails as you pile aboard but, rather, thatthe lighting is nicely sequenced to matchyour approach to, and entry into, the car,and you climb aboard and fire it up with-out recourse to finding the keys.

Infiniti approaches the subject withalmost identical rigour, but asks that youpress a little button within the door han-dle to unlock the beast, rather than thehandle working through sensing the key.This isn’t actually a bad thing, because it’sall too easy to walk away from a Lexus,worry that it isn’t locked, go back, try thedoor handle and, of course, it will openagain. My wife has been known to spend asmall lifetime re-approaching cars withthis system before realising that it is infact locked…

The Infiniti even goes one better thanLexus in one respect, and that’s the auto-


“The EX37...reminiscentof the long nose andsquat cabin of thesmaller, cheaper andstartlingly ugly BMWX1, but much betterlooking all round,especially in profile”


matic illumination of the interior as thekey bearer approaches the car. Under doorhandle puddle lights would be a nice addi-tion to this system, but it seems we cannotyet have both in one machine.

On board, and mindful of how stu-diously Lexus has avoided the use of any-thing obviously sourced from the Toyotaparts bin, the EX37 is, perhaps, a little toNissan. The switchgear gives it away. Notthat there’s anything wrong with Nissanswitchgear, by the way, which is far supe-rior to look than Toyota’s. But here, thatwhich suffices admirably for the little key-board of sat’ nav’ controls at the top ofthe centre console doesn’t work quite sowell for the stereo and air-conditioningcontrols below; something about the waythe light falls on the switches making thelatter two panels seem a different shade ofblack. If, indeed, you can have shades ofblack…

There’s a predictable abundance ofleather, mine finished in a deep burgundywhich gives less cause for complaint than

the detailing of the dashboard in front ofthe passenger, which boasts an array ofvertical gashes scored into it, each remi-niscent of the nether parts of a plumberyou’d rather not notice as he folds himselfbeneath a leaking kitchen sink.

The only major let down is, regrettably,the primary point of contact – the steeringwheel. Though fully swathed in leather,the airbag cover is just a big, bland padand somewhat lets the side down. Thewhole interior would be seriously

enlivened by a little detailing work to thehelm alone; ironically, see elder sibling theFX for details.

The driving position is entirely comfort-able though, abetted by surprisingly stoutlateral support wings to the front seats. Iconsidered this to be something of anoverstatement until I set off, then realisedthey’re actually pretty handy, because theEX37 goes like a stabbed rat.

Power is provided by a 3.7 litre V6petrol unit, which develops 316bhp and265lb.ft of torque. 62mph comes up injust 6.4 seconds from a standstill andthere’s 149mph at your disposal whilstnobody’s looking. Pop the seven-speedautomatic transmission into ‘sport’ mode,and the EX37 surges through the gearswith a remarkable alacrity for such a largemachine.

With a weekend trip to the WestCountry enlivened by flurries of snow asthe A30 snakes between Dartmoor andExmoor before thumping up over BodminMoor, I really spanked the map in theInfiniti. Its intelligent 4x4 system workedexceptionally well to provide adequatetraction and grip through the slush, allow-ing me to maintain speeds that would bepositively winceworthy in anything of atwo-wheel drive disposition.

In the dry, the EX37 proves pretty enter-taining. It handles remarkably well, withjust enough roll to keep you aware of thesize of car you’re driving. I don’t, person-ally, hold much truck with cars that elec-tronically eradicate roll, it feels almostunnatural to be cornering flat in some thesize of a small apartment.

Best of all though, is just how complete-ly the EX37 cossets over the long haul; anattribute you’d expect to take for grantedin any luxury brand, but so often cannot. Icould very happily live with the Infiniti,especially if I didn’t have to peer overlongat the exterior.

Whether it will succeed in doing forNissan what Lexus has done for Toyota,however, remains to be seen.

“Pop the seven-speedautomatic transmissioninto ‘sport’ mode’ andthe EX37 surgesthrough the gears witha remarkable alacrityfor such a largemachine...”

With power provided by a 3.7 litreV6 petrol unit good for 316bhp, the

EX37 GT doesnʼt want for speed.The needle nudges 62 mph in just

6.4 seconds, while an intelligent4x4 system guarantees optimum

traction in all driving conditions




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For the members of the European SeniorTour, Christmas really did come early thislast December – two weeks early, to be pre-cise, with the inaugural staging of theMauritius Commercial Bank Open. The 54hole tournament over the demanding tree-lined Legends Course was won in somestyle by England’s Kevin Spurgeon, who, on6 under par, claimed his maiden victory bya stroke over Gordon J Brand, two clear ofSam Torrance.

Credit where it’s due. The LegendsCourse – literally a 5 minute stroll from theavenues of luxury guest apartments and vil-las lining one of the finest beaches on theeast coast of the island – may be set in atropical paradise, but Hugh Baiocchi’s turn-ing, twisting layout delivers a series ofexacting holes cut through the indiginousforest that demand (and reward!) nothingbut accuracy from tee to green.

It’s a classic test of strategy and guileover thrust and bluster, and for those whoenjoy golf-watching one of the attractionsof Belle Mare is the opportunity to visit dur-ing tournament week, walking the fairwaysand getting close to the action. The hotel’ssecond 18, The Link’s Course – co-designedby Peter Alliss – opened in 2002 and is themore forgiving holiday companion, a layoutthat beautifully complements the originaland one similarly presented in 5-star condi-tion year-round.

Beach in the morning, a little golf in theafternoon. Or perhaps you’d prefer to mixthings up and do it the other way around.At the Constance Belle Mare Plage, that’sabout as complicated as decisions go. It’sa 5-star combination that will leave youwanting more.

Guests of the hotel enjoy complimentarygreen fees at both the Legend and theLinks courses, although golf buggiesare compulsory.Check the website for full details.

RESORT SPOTLIGHT


Setting the benchmark for luxurygolf & beach retreats since 1994,little wonder the Constance BelleMare Plage resort is now themosteagerly anticipated stop on theEuropean Senior Tour, writesRichard Simmons

CONSTANCE BELLE MARE PLAGE, THE LEGENDS & LINKS, MAURITIUS

CONTACTThe Constance Belle Mare Plage, MauritiusTel: +11 230 402 2600www.bellemareplagehotel.com

GOLFThe Legend Course (1994), 6584 yards, par 72Architect: Hugh BiaocchiThe Links Course (2002), 6,501 yards, par 71Architect: Rodney Wright & Peter AllissMark Farry Golf Academy

Life’s a beach at Belle Mare

GOLF LITERATURE

Kenny Reid is not a famousgolfer, and this is not anothergolf biography.

This is the story of a man whoconsiders himself to be one ofgolf’s biggest fans – and after thegolfing odyssey upon which thisbook is based he certainly hasthe air miles to prove it.

Reid has followed golf’smajors for more than 30 years.Through the glow of his televi-sion screen – and occasionallyfrom the edge of the green – hehas observed the modern greatsof the game play their way intothe record books and cementtheir place in golfing lore.

But armchair support was justnot enough. Reid wanted to livethe dream of all golf enthusiasts,and so in 2009 he embarked ona year-long pilgrimage: a ‘fan-slam’ of each of the game’s fourmajors championships. A MajorObsession (rarely has a book car-ried such as apt title) chroniclesReid’s expedition, first toAugusta National for theMasters, then to Bethpage Blackfor a rowdy US Open, back hometo Turnberry for the OpenChampionship and finally acrossthe pond one last time toHazeltine for the US PGA.

Original, quirky and brilliantlyinsightful, this fan’s-eye accountof the glamourous world ofmajor championship golf atsome of the world’s finest ven-ues makes for easy reading. Sosit back and enjoy a very person-al account of how the majors of’09 were won and lost.


A Major ObsessionKenny Reid / Birlinn Golf Books

Guide: £12.99 paperbackISBN: 978-1-84158-859-9

Steve Newell first cut his teeth ingolf journalism at Golf World inthe early 1990’s, where the covet-ed position of Instruction Editorintroduced him to many of thegame’s leading internationalplayers and coaches and openeda number of doors – one of themleading to a role that he enjoysto this day as a key member ofErnie Els’s publishing team (andSteve provides a terrific featureon his employer inside this issuefrom page 62).

Indeed, it is Els who con-tributed the Foreword to TheComplete Golf Manual, which, asthe title suggests, covers justabout everything a newcomer tothe game needs to know to get athorough grounding in the basicskills necessary to take thosefirst tentative steps on thecourse.

In typically structured DorlingKindersley fashion, the bookworks through the fundamentalswith clear, concise prose accom-panied by easy-to-follow photog-raphy as Newell puts his years ofexperience to good use, leavingthe reader with just the informa-tion he or she needs to embarkon a course of self-improvement.Often confusing technical jargonis kept to a minimum, and thereare dozens of practical drills andexercises to keep even the mostardent student of the game busythrough the summer.

The Complete Golf ManualSteve Newell / Dorling Kindersley

Guide: £16.99 hardbackISBN: 978-1-4053-5523-0

Did you know that Shakespearewas a golfer! And thatRembrandt was no stranger tothe fairway? Or that Mary, Queenof Scots was actually beheadedbecause of golf?

Those of you who enjoy theregular blasts from The Major inthis magazine will will be inter-ested to learn that his creator,Professor David Purdie, is theacademic behind this enlighten-ing and entertaining new bookas he takes a swipe at our col-lected knowledge of the game inhis unique style. Based on firmfacts (where available), firminvention when not, the bookexamines the most curious andconfusing intricacies of golf.

Purdie’s work as a journalistand speechwriter for Ryder Cupcaptains Sam Torrance and ColinMontgomerie (no mention hereof any involvement with Sir NickFaldo) has provided him manyopportunities to witness golf’shighest and lowest moments.Drawing on his vast experience,Purdie explores the culture ofthe game across the world –including the USA, China andIndia – and sweeps aside allclaims for the game’s origin out-side Scotland.

Accompanied by Hugh Dodd’scolourful caricatures, TheGreatest Game offers an alterna-tive view of golf and tries tomake some sense of the collec-tive madness which pervadesthe links each day from dawn tosunset. Highly recommended.

The Greatest GameProfessor David Purdie / BirlinnIllustrations by Hugh Dodd

Guide: £25 HB / Limited Edition: £150ISBN: 978-0-95144-707-9

Published to coincide with thecelebration of the 150th OpenChampionship, which will bestaged this year at St Andrewsfrom July 15-18, THE OPEN -Golf’s Oldest Major is a feast ofthe finest links golf this countryhas to offer as it captures thehistory and unique experience ofplaying each of the fourteen leg-endary links courses along theBritish coastline on which theOpen – golf’s most coveted prize– has been played.

The Royal and Ancient GolfClub, in association with GettyImages, presents an astonishingphotographic celebration of atournament that has hostedevery icon of the sport. Bringingtogether classic images of unfor-gettable moments in the historyof the Open, with vintage pic-tures from the archives and alsobrand new photographs by DavidCannon – a regular contributorto Gi – this extravagantly illus-trated book captures the gloryand the excitement of the Openand the unparalleled beauty ofthe golf courses themselves.

The publishers, Rizzoli, shouldalso be commended for commis-sioning noted architect DonaldSteel – who has worked on all ofthe Open venues – for providingthe text, describing each of thefourteen venues both throughthe eyes of a golf course designerwhile also capturing the atmos-phere of the day.

THE OPEN - Golfʼs Oldest MajorDonald Steel / Rizolli InternationalForeword by Arnold Palmer

Guide: £35 hardbackISBN: 978-0-8478-3308-5




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The latest designs from theleading names in high-techeyewear promise a sharperimage, both on and off thegolf course this summer

SHADESOFSUMMER

OAKLEY COMMIT (1&2)These new designs from Oakley are available in avariety of cool frame colours and lens options. TheCommit, which is made specificallty for women,shares the same hi-tech advances as all OakleySport Performance sunglasses – including the clarityand impact protection of High Definition Optics®.Guide: £120

OAKLEY INMATE (3)A favourite of Ian Poulter away from the course, theInmate is part of Oakleyʼs ever-developing Square OLifestyle collection. Again utilizing the same opticaltechnology and High Definition Optics® as the SportsPerformance range, this assertive model comes invariety of colour options and adds an extra dimensionof style around the clubhouse. Guide: £130

OAKLEY FLAK JACKET XLI (4)The Flak Jacket XLJ comes as standard withOakleyʼs golf specific G30 Iridium lens (pictured),although if you wish to follow in the flamboyant foot-steps of Oakley ambassador Ian Poulter, then visitwww.oakley.co.uk/custom and create your own indi-vidual look. Guide: £115

www.oakley.co.uk / 01462 475 400

BOLLÉ WARRANT (5)The sleek Warrant model from Bolle features b-Toric™lenses, designed to closely follow the natural contoursof the face, thus improving peripheral vision. UV pro-tection is available with a choice of interchangeablelenses including EagleVision, a lense tint that main-tains accurate depth perception while tracking the ballin flight, popular among wearers on tour. Bollé Warrantlens technology works by optimizing contrast in thegreen portion of the colour spectrum, resulting in anenhanced view of the subtle undulations in the greenand significantly reduced glare.Guide: £96

BOLLÉ PIRANHA (6)Lightweight, durable & extremely comfortable thePiranha model features a ʻPinless Hingeʼ, an innova-tive design that seamlessly connects the arms to theframe fronts with a strong, durable mechanism. Bothof these new Bolle models feature virtually shatter-proof polycarbonate lenses & thermogrip templetips& nosepads for stability in action. Guide: £89

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SERENGETI FONTANA (7)Using technology originally designed for use in carwindscreens, Serengeti glass lenses are the mostoptically clear of any lens material. The Biancaframes are constructed of injected Grilamid TR-90Nylon, a material chosen for superior strength-to-weight ratio and flexibility and have multi-barrel springhinges for a closer, more comfortable fit and areavailable in prescription. Guide: £160

SERENGETI MAESTRALE (8)Also from Serengeti, the Maestrale model featuresnew lightweight, impact resistant Polar PhD lenseswhich combine the latest polarization & photochromiclens technologies with a Spectral Control filter to finetune colour wavelengths to provide superior opticalclarity. Guide: £139

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TAG HEUER Squadra 5500 Series (9)The TAG Heuer Squadra 5500 Series is the latestmodel of fashion sports glasses to offer 100% UVA/B/C protection through the latest in lens technology.The Squadra also benefits from a polarized,panoramic shield lens, while TAG Heuerʼs uniqueelastomere frames enhance the Squadraʼs perform-ance with great hold and stability, making them idealfor both active and fashion wear. Guide: from £188

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ADMISSION BADGEI have two 1954 Wichita Country ClubWomen’s Invitation Golf Tournament admis-sion cardboard badges that belonged origi-nally to a husband and wife and they aresigned by Mildred ‘Babe’ Zaharias, Patty Berg,Marlene Bauer, Marilyn Smith and others.May I have your valuation?Howard Karasick USA by email

These two admission tickets have beenautographed by many of the leadingwomen golf professionals in the immediatepost WWII era. Ticket #305 has the signa-tures of the great Betsy Rawls (winner of1953 and 1960 Women’s OpenChampionship), Betti Hicks, Betty JamesonMarilyn Smith with a dedication to thebadge holder, Doug (she was attached tothe Wichita Country Club) and CarolBowman.

Ticket #308 has the Babe Zaharias signa-ture (winner of the 1948, 1950 and 1954 USWomen’s Open), Beverley Hanson, BonnieRandolph and Patty Berg (winner of 1946US Women’s Open).

Of course, the star signature is theMildred Babe Didrikson one. She was a phe-nomenal athlete and became an Americansporting legend. Not only did she win threeUS Opens, she was also the first Americanto win the British Open (1947). She repre-sented the USA in the 1932 Olympics at LosAngeles in three events and won medals inall three – gold in the Javelin, gold in the 80metres Hurdles and a silver in the HighJump when she cleared 5 foot 5 inches (amere two inches below her height!).

She died less than two years after the1954 Wichita event, aged only 45.VALUE: There are many collectors of womengolfers’ autographs and memorabilia. There arealso many who would just want to own a pieceof ‘Babe’ memorabilia. The condition of the twobadges appears to be good, both without bentcorners and still retaining their original tie-ons.As with autographs in general, ones signed inpencil tend to be more robust when it comes tosun-fading. Sold as a pair, I would expect themto fetch £600.

BRASS HEARTH SETOur hearth set is a permanent fixture in ourholiday cottage. What do you know about itplease? Steve Prior, Norwich, Norfolk

This brass metal hearth set features a youngcaddie with a bag of clubs. The caddie wasmodeled after a real-life caddie calledCharles Elkins, who caddied for ArthurHavers (Coombe Hill) when he won the 1923Open Champion at Troon with a score of295. I have seen similar items including adoor stop and a weather vane. I’ve also seenthem in different metals and finishes.VALUE: A popular addition to any golfing homethroughout the 1930s and well into the 1950s,but probably not so in 2010. Even so at auctionthese Elkin pieces continue to fetch £50 plus.

GOLF BALLSWe found these three golf balls in a bric-a-brac shop last year whilst on holiday in theOrkney Islands. They were described as‘antique golf balls’ and priced at 1 for £50and the 3 for £100. I have since checked on

the web and if they are genuine, I think Ihave done well. What do you think?Ryan Maugham, Eastbourne, Sussex

You certainly have done well, Mr Maugham, asthe vendor grossly miscalculated their value.The three golf balls were made in the late19th Century and early 20th Century. One is agutta-percha (a type of rubber) ball and theother two are early rubber cored balls.

Anderson, Anderson & Anderson, whoseaddress was St. Pauls Churchyard inLondon, produced the fine looking VarsityB gutty golf ball in the 1890s. This is a par-ticularly scarce ball and very few have sur-vived. In fact there has only been one soldat auction (2000) and that one had had itscore removed. Even so it sold for £200. Ourreader’s Varsity appears to be in near mintun-played condition.

The second ball – with its unusual random-ly placed studs cover pattern – is an Army &Navy CSL (Co-operative Supply Ltd) No.2 ballmade around 1905. Again, a scarce ballbecause the more common cover pattern isthe bramble (like a blackberry) pattern. TheArmy & Navy Co-operative was founded in1871 by a group of Army and Navy officerswho had decided that their mess bills hadbecome too expensive. They decided that itwould be cheaper to buy cases of wine at

More cash in the attic?Gi’s auction-room expert Kevin McGimpsey answers more readers’letters as he tries to identify and value an assortment of items ofmemorabilia and golfing collectibles

Items this issue include abadge signed by ʻBabeʼ

Zaharias, rare early rub-ber-cored balls and a

scarce Dunlop golf ball tin

MEMORABILIA


wholesale prices. The Army & NavyAssociation became a large chain of retailshops offering all sorts of items from wallpa-per to sports ware, with extensive distributionthroughout the British Empire.

Finally, the third ball, a Springvale Falconbramble golf ball circa 1906, as made inScotland by Hutchison Main & Co. Again itappears to in near mint condition.Hutchison Main was sued the followingyear for patent infringement by the HaskellCompany in the USA who had invented therubber core ball in 1898. This legal actionmore or less bankrupted Hutchison Mainand it closed in 1912.VALUE: The golf ball sector remains buoyantespecially for golf balls that never or seldomcome to auction. Condition is maybe not justas important as, say, golfing ceramics forinstance. A golf ball can be missing some of itsoriginal paint but as long as it is rare and dis-plays well it will sell well. At auction the threegolf balls would sell as individually lots withthe A & N at £300, the Varsity B also at £300and the Falcon ball at £200.

PAYNE STEWART SIGNATUREI would like your opinion on this signed USOpen programme. Its significance should beobvious. - David Griffiths, Baltimore,Maryland, USA

Payne Stewart won his second US Open atPinehurst No.2 in June 1999. Six monthsafter that US Open victory – and barely amonth after playing a part in the Ryder Cupat Brookline – Payne died along with thecrew when a private jet suffered decom-pression and ultimately crashed into a fieldin South Dakota, on 25 October 1999.

I was privileged to meet Payne on two occa-sions. The first was at the 1985 Open at RoyalSt. Georges. I was caddying for my brotherGarth and his playing partners were two‘unknowns’ – Payne Stewart and Ian Baker-Finch. Both were true gentlemen and superbgolfers. The second occasion was at a Titleistparty before the 1986 Masters. Payne literallyheld court all evening telling jokes and funny

golfing anecdotes. Maybe he was a little brashbut he was a pleasure to be around.

At the time of his death, the 42 year oldgolfer was ranked No. 10 in the world with$12.67 million in career earnings. He won11 PGA Tour events and three majors – the1989 PGA Championship and the ’91 and’99 US Opens.VALUE: Strangely, Payne Stewart signed itemshaven’t escalated in price. A signature on ablank piece of card is worth £50; signed on aprofile photograph such as in a programme£75 and as in this case on a full image £150.But such an item can only increase in value.

VINTAGE GOLF BALL TINMy late father kept screws and plugs in thistin. Neither of us plays golf but I was told thatas a golf ball tin, it could be worth something.Andy Swann, Bromsgrove, Wirral

Readers may remember Dunlop’s small yel-low bicycle puncture tins. Well, this is a simi-lar tin albeit larger measuring 10 x 3½ x 2½inches. It would have contained 15 late 1920sand early 1930s Dunlop golf balls. The tinwould have been displayed in the profession-al’s shop in the hope of enticing members tospend 2/6 on a new Black or Blue Maxfli ball.I suppose that once in a while an affluentgolfer would buy the full tin. Because the tinwas considered a disposable item, once allthe balls had been sold the professionalwould throw it away and replace it with anew tin from Dunlop, and so not many havesurvived. And as a result, when you do findone, they are quite valuable.

As to condition, this tin has some paintrubs, as it was most likely languishing onan old work top surface somewhere. Butoverall it is in a very acceptable condition.VALUE: Keenly sought after by golf ball collec-tors, it should fetch at least £200 at auction.

[Do any readers possess a Dunlop blue dou-ble drawer metal golf ball dispenser thatwould have been used in the 1920s? If so, I’dlove to hear about it and see a photo.]

HANDBOOKI collect Golf Club handbooks and was par-ticularly pleased to acquire this one lastweek as Westward Ho! is my all-timefavourite English links course. I tend to payon average £10 for such a booklet but inthis instance I paid £20. Calvin FergusonTidworth, Wiltshire

The great golf scribe Bernard Darwinauthored this history of The Royal NorthDevon Golf Club in 1921. Darwin (grandsonof Charles) was called, ‘the greatest golfwriter of all time’ by his American counter-part, Herbert Warren Wind.

Running to just 24 pages this 7½ x 5 inchpublication included advertisements, illus-trations from photographs and a two pagemap of the course. The publishers were theGolf Clubs Association and they publishedliterally hundreds of Club histories. Thisone dates to 1925, but there were at least 7editions over the years with the last knownone being produced in 1956. Such hand-books were free and were financed by theadvertising contained within.VALUE: This is a reasonably scarce title, asit wasn’t recorded by Donovan andMurdoch in their 1985 bibliography, TheGame of Golf and The Printed Word 1566-1985. However it was recorded in Donovanand Jerris, the bibliography that supercededDonovan and Murdoch, in 2006.

There will be several collector factionsinterested in this handbook. Obviouslythere are the Darwin aficionados, many ofwhom so dedicated that they are obliged tocollect every one of his many books; thenthere are those (like the reader) who collectclub handbooks in general. And then thereis the small group of professional lake andpond divers who empty water hazards oftheir golf balls. For the older courses, wherethese hazards are no longer obvious, suchhandbooks with original and detailed golfcourse plans are worth their weight in gold!

At auction, in this tidy complete condi-tion, I would expect this handbook to flyout comfortably at £40 or more.

Please send your letters and best photographs to PO BOX 120, Deeside, Flintshire, N. Wales or email with jpegs to [email protected]

THE BALEARICS

Things have not exactly been goingto plan for two of Spain’s greatestsporting stars, Sergio Garcia andRafael Nadal. While Garcia startedthe year with concerns over a wrist

injury and ever-present putting exaspera-tions, Nadal, briefly the world No1 in 2009,limped out of his defence of the AustralianOpen, the first tennis major of the year, witha recurrence of the knee injury that kept himout of Wimbledon last year.

If last summer is anything to go by, however,when Nadal is forced off the courts he justheads for the course. Nadal is an eight-handi-capper and plays right-handed – he is a leftywith a racket in his hand – who is frequentlyfound at Pula Golf, where he played with Garciain the pro-am before the 2007 Mallorca Classic.

While that event lost its date on the scheduleto the Castello Masters, ironically in Garcia’sneck of the woods near Valencia, Pula will returnto the European Tour this May with the OpenCala Millor Mallorca. It is a big step forward forwhat they call Golf Island. There are 23 courseson Mallorca and 25 in the islands as a whole.

Nadal is an ambassador for the BalearicIslands Tourism Board and features in theirlatest television advertising campaign. Theaim is to promote the islands as home tomore than just sun and sand, with culture,sailing, cycling and golf also of the highestorder. Nadal is certainly a golfer. “I play a lotwhen I am at home,” he said. “Last summer Iplayed more an ever because of the injury. Itwas good for my golf if not my tennis.”

Perhaps, when the knees give out forgood, he will be able to play ever more golf.When asked who was the better golfer, him-self or Roger Federer, he said: “I don’t thinkRoger plays very much.” With twin babiesand 16 tennis majors to his name, perhapsFederer does not have the time but he isthought to be about a 13-handicapper. Thesmart money may be on Nadal and Garcia ifthey ever played a fourball against Federer

Advantage, Mallorca


A native of the island, keengolfer Rafael Nadal has beenappointed as Ambassador to theBalearic Island’s Tourism Board.And it’s hard to fault Mallorca’sclaim as Europe’s ‘Golf Island’,writes Andy Farrell

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and his friend Tiger Woods.Garcia, who has also hit on the tennis court

with Nadal, said: “Actually he was quite impressedwith my tennis. He thought I was going to be a lit-tle bit worse. I was very impressed with his golfwhen we played the pro-am in Mallorca.”

The pair keep in touch and exchangethoughts on their various fortunes. “I watchthe golf a lot and always follow Sergio and, ofcourse, we talk,” Nadal said. “He did not havethe best year but he works hard and hopeful-ly this year will be good for him.”

Comparing golf and tennis, Nadal added:“The thing that is the same is the concentra-tion. In tennis, you can hit a good shot andstill lose the point. In golf, you hit a goodshot and hopefully you make birdie. But thething in golf is that you must not have onemistake after another. You have to make sureyou recover on the next shot.”

Despite raving about a round with FredCouples once in Indian Wells, asked for hisperfect fourball, the modest Nadal went forhis friends from home. “This is the best golf,spending time with your friends, being outon the course and in a beautiful place.”

Susanna Sciacovelli, director of the BalearicIslands Tourism Board, is keen to increase theannual tally of golfing visitors, currently around120,000, emphasising the all-year-round climate– last year they enjoyed their hottest Novemberfor 40 years – and the two-hour flight time frommuch of northern Europe. As for Nadal, she said:“He loves his islands and he is a wonderfulambassador for us. We can use a picture of abeautiful beach in our adverts but with Rafa ithas more impact. He is not just a talented sports-man but has a very appealing character.”

Find out more: www.balearicgolf.com

Nadalʼs style has been honed on thepristine layouts Mallorca has to offer –including Son Vida (left) and the champi-onship test at Santa Ponsa (below)

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