They say that one of the keys to success is location, location, location. Golf Girona enjoys a privileged location being only 4 km from the city of Girona, about an hour's drive from Barcelona to the south and the Pyrenees and France to the north.
standing water anywhere on the fairways and greens. Once I was in the swing of keeping my clubs and I dry, the round was as pleasant as playing in the rain can be. A tip of the hat to Hawtree's design and the outstanding maintenance work of the Girona Golf crew.
After a day of golf, my golfing buddies and I pulled into the parking lot of what looked like a private apartment complex. After getting our room keys, we parked our car in a secure underground parking space. Using the elevator, it was easy to get the gear up to our rooms.
Ciutat de Palol. You can get a relaxing massage or loosen up in the sauna and steam bath. You can work off that great buffet in the gym or in the sparkling swimming pools, while the kids have a large and fully equipped play ground to call their own. When I walked to have breakfast, I saw a Tai Chi class serenely enjoying the peace and quiet in the morning sun.
We haven't forgotten about the wonderful beaches in Costa Brava. Staying at the Aparthotel Ciutat de Palol puts the swimming and sun bathing at the beach only 200 meters away from your front door. You should make plans to drive along the coast of Costa Brava. There are so many beaches with large sandy streches or hidden coves. Whatever kind of beach is your pleasure, you'll find it in Costa Brava.
Mas Mauri is the vision of Ramon Raventos, a lifelong resident of the area. When Ramon retired from his business, mas Mauri became his family home. When the children grew and went their ways, Ramon, who is a true raconteur and avid golfer, came up with the idea of combining those two characteristics, and offer golf groups all the comforts of home. In this case, a 1600s Catalonian country house.
with built-in BBQ where, on this night, Ramon whipped up his famous paella for us. There is a large, clean and sparkling pool (12 m x 6 m) with a teak solarium and, perfect for Nordic guests, a sauna that can be used upon request. There is also covered parking for up to seven cars.
If you are very lucky, as we were this night, you’ll be able to sit around the dinner table, enjoying your favorite nightcap, and listen to Ramon regale you with his stories of the house, his family, fishing, golfing, well...you get the point. Ramon is a storyteller of the first degree and that the tales are of his life makes them all the better. As we sat there, mesmerized, I looked over to his grown daughter, Lillia. She has heard all these stories many, many times, yet the slight smile and the twinkle in her eye told of her love and admiration for her “Papi.” It was proven to me on this special night why staying in mas Mauri is so marvelous. There is no better place to take strangers and make them feel like family. In this case, a member of the extended Raventos family.
Which Sergio Will Come to Nordea Masters?
Written by Gene Oberto Tuesday, 10 April 2012 05:19
I have good news and bad news. The good news is spelled out in the press release from the Nordea Masters. The press release read:
"With about two months left to the 2012 Nordea Masters, Spaniard Sergio Garcia coming to Bro Hof Slott June 6 to 9 with a total of 17 professional wins in the U.S. and Europe and five Ryder Cup appearances.
"It will be exciting to come to Sweden to play in the Nordea Masters at Bro Hof , a course of which I heard many good things," he says.
Despite being only 32 years old, Garcia is extremely experienced. He began playing golf at age three and, as a 14-year-old, he became the youngest player in history to make a cut in a European Tour competition. It happened in the 1995 edition of Signature Scouting Open Mediterranea. When Sergio was 19 years and eight months, he is the youngest player to date to be on a Ryder Cup team.
His career highlight has been the 2008 Players Championship, known as the fifth major. In 2009 he was second in the world rankings, his highest rankings ever."
The message above, released by the Nordea Masters as a good sign for Scandinavia's largest sporting event, in drawing some of the world's best players and biggest draws in golf.
In recent years, the event has brought Louis Oosthuizen, fresh off his British Open win, K.J. Choi, long hitter Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler and, last year, current Masters champion, Bubba Watson. This year will see the arrival of Lee Westwood, current British Open champion, Darren Clarke and, now, Sergio.
The bad news? Sergio Garcia is coming to the Nordea Masters.
While Sergio Garcia is a fan favorite who even casual golfer followers know, the now, not so youthful Spaniard, However, does come with some baggage. For more than the last few years, Sergio has been plagued with more than his share of golf demons. Uncomfortable with his swing, he spent almost an entire year with an interminable waggle that gave the impression that Garcia was afraid to pull the trigger. He is also become a golfer who has gone through many putters and and hand positions in a failed effort to shake a balky putting stroke. It is so bad that Garcia is more likely to sink a putt from 40 feet that one from four.
The above press release for Garcia was dated April 8, 2012. On that same day, after his final round at Augusta, Garcia tweeted these messages to the Spanish golf press. Garcia told Spanish reporters after a dismal third round at the Masters that he doesn't think he's capable of winning a major, and he didn't back off the comments Sunday.
"Everything I say, I say it because I feel it," he said. "If I didn't mean it, I couldn't stand here and lie like a lot of the guys do. If I felt like I could win, I would do it."
Just 19 when he had a spectacular showdown with Tiger Woods at the 1999 PGA Championship, Garcia was supposed to give Woods a fight for the title of greatest player of their generation. He has hardly been a washout, with 10 victories on the European Tour and seven on the PGA Tour. But he has never quite lived up to his star billing. At 32, he's 0-for-54 in the majors.
Not that he hasn't had chances. He finished in the top 12 at the last three majors of 2011, and he went into the third round at Augusta National a stroke behind the leaders. But he took himself out of contention with a three-over 75 that left him eight strokes back, then unburdened himself to Spanish reporters.
"I'm not good enough, and today I know it," he said. "I've been trying for 13 years, and I don't feel capable of winning. I don't know what happened to me. Maybe it's something psychological. ... I'm not good enough for the majors."
That is exactly the kind of thing that the Nordea Masters did not need to hear from one of its billboard poster boys. Hopefully, those tweets were post-Masters disappointment blues, and not the prediction of a once young prodigy turning into a weekly paycheck collector.
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