EASTERN STANDARD TIME?

Our first royal screwup this morning……too bad for the Cos first day, but what do you do.  Earlier correspondence with our agent Johnnie Walker had us playing Rio Real GC this morning at 11:10, but when we arrive, we are on the tee sheet for 1:10……..oops.  Not sure what happened, but the caddie master is hard at work trying to make it better for us……..turns out John and I can play at 11:00am with another twosome, but the ladies will have to wait until 12:50 before they can start.  There is a Trackman range here and a nice looking restaurant, so at least there will be something to do while waiting.  Cos and I show up at the first tee and meet the rest of our foursome……Nina and Karyn from Austria……….very nice ladies who are very friendly, and have been down to Costa Del Sol a number of times for golf.  We share our Austria stories and they seem pleased we love their home country.  They don’t play as well as the goats, but move along quickly and don’t get too upset with bad shots………just keep moving and hit it again!  I like that. 

This is a fairly nice course in pretty good condition, but the front nine is really tight, playing amongst houses and along hillsides, but the back nine opens up nicely and we can let the cannons fly, let the big dog eat, swing for the fences, let it rip, grip it and rip it………we didn’t come all the way here to lay up.  The Austrians are impressed.  I hate to say it again, but pace of play absolutely sucks, and of course, no marshals in sight……advertising for golf in southern Spain should say “Costa Del Sol, home of the 4:45 round”……..we did have a lovely round with Karyn and Nina though, and now we have a short beer interlude before the ladies get finished.  Not so fast Buster…….Monica is calling John to say that she is calling it a day and will be walking in after #11 or #12…..the goats will soldier on………they make it through 16 holes then decide they are walking in also.   Just a long day with the delay.

Back at condo central we have some time before heading out for dinner to the Trocadero.  I recall there being a Trocadero Lounge in LA on Sunset Strip way back in the day…….looked it up, and it was open from 1934-1946, and I’m sure it was referenced in more than a few classic movies of the day.  It was a hangout for many stars of stage and screen, and attracted even gangsters like Bugsy Siegel.  The Trocadero in Estepona is none of that, but is a cool looking spot that the goats discovered and checked out on their morning walk yesterday………there will even be some entertainment tonight!…….piano/singer + guitar.  Everything is perfecto……..another really good meal…..great setting, and some cool music from the duo.

 

We realize it is a good thing that we have come to Costa Del Sol during a lull in their tourist season………golf courses as you already know are booked solid, but restaurants are not terribly busy, and the other attractions we have visited were not jam packed with people either.  Outside of the rain we had for a few days, the weather has been superb……..I mean I’m not running around on the beach in my Speedo getting a tan, but for golf, hiking, biking, it couldn’t be better.