DG29 - September 2015 * | Page 23

variety and a taste of things to come. Several holes feature ‘open-up-yourshoulders’ shots from elevated tee blocks that see you driving high above sea level into the watery horizon. While waiting to tee off at the par-3 4th, we get chatting to course Marshall and fellow Yorkshireman Tim Meadows. “You are playing Son Gual during your trip aren’t you? It’s so close to the airport that you can almost board your plane home after walking off the final green,”he says. Alcanada is a real test for higher handicap golfers and we are both well over par walking off the final green. If you can keep your ball in play, it’s the challenging greens with concealed breaks that are the course’s main defence. But it doesn’t make it any less enjoyable, the quality of the layout and the scenery make certain of that. Be sure to savour the views of the Alcanada Lighthouse Island from holes 11 and 13 in particular. Doing the tapas crawl It’s around 9 o’clock on a Tuesday night in Palma’s Plaça d’en Coll, and we are joining the locals on the Ruta Martiana or tapas crawl - an excellent and authentic way to get into the island’s eating and drinking swing. Strictly speaking tapas are appetisers to be