San Miguel Captain’s Day Raises €1,670—and Several Glasses

Captain’s Day at La Finca began with alarm clocks ringing far too early and 44 golfers getting themselves organised for an 8am shotgun start. To the south, the skies looked decidedly unfriendly, with a storm already busy over Villamartín and out to sea. We managed seven holes with one eye on the ball and the other on the clouds before the heavens opened. Thankfully, there was no thunder or lightning – just a very thorough watering.

Our Captain, Mick Pryke, teed off the 1st like an old pro. Well, one word in that description was correct…

Everyone made it back to the Terrace Bar, where a few drinks and some food soon restored spirits, ably served by JuanLu, Maya and the two Fernandos. Pedro, Sam and Pete “Dinky” from the La Finca ProShop team were also on hand to keep the morning running smoothly.

We gathered for a group photo and had the pleasure of presenting the Captain’s discretionary charity award of €500 to Javi for the Orihuela Club de Rugby. Alongside his full-time job at La Finca, Javi helps organise and run the club – quite a commitment, and one we were delighted to support.

There was a bottle of wine and a sleeve of SMGS balls up for grabs on every hole, so far too many prizewinners to name individually this week! Each category winner also received a lovely branded golf towel, kindly donated by Gary at Kameeleon, who continues to supply our fabulous golf shirts.

With 44 golfers, it was a smaller field than usual for Captain’s Day, but there was no shortage of good company or competition. Our one guest, Don Bishop, even helped himself to a nearest-the-pin prize.

We also had Mick “Wedgeless” Cook, spent four holes hunting for his missing wedge, with the groups behind and even the buggy bar girl joining the search. Eventually, the two in the other buggy produced it with an innocent, “Oh, is this yours?” An honest mistake or a clever strategy? Either way, it’s hard to improve your short game when your playing partners have confiscated it.

There were some cracking scores, with Peter Turbefield taking top honours on an exceptional 42 points. His reward was a fantastic overnight break with golf at Valle del Este, courtesy of Michaela at Golf Hot Spots (https://golf-hotspots.com/). The best part about this was he broke his driver early on in the round and finished the round with this 3 wood – a lesson there maybe?

Our category winners were as follows:Gold: Peter Turbefield (42 points)Silver: Paul Lambert (39 points)Bronze: Norman Padmore (40 points)

A special mention must also go to this week’s McBride Bottle recipient, Alan Macdonald, who returned a magnificent 15 points. We’ll leave that one there, Macker…

John Osborne, meanwhile, was the biggest cash winner, pocketing €100 from the football card with Aston Villa. A profitable bit of disloyalty to his usual Wolves!

Then it was home, a quick nap for those who could squeeze one in, and time to get dolled up for the Captain’s Dinner at Meson El Prado in San Miguel. With a packed evening ahead, the presentation had been postponed until October.

The El Prado team welcomed us into the Garden Room with a Cava reception, which is always a promising start. Pile and her colleagues looked after us wonderfully, serving a delicious meal – with the oven lamb earning particular praise – and keeping everything running beautifully.

Our Honorary President, Barry Roehrig, took on MC duties before handing over to outgoing Captain Mick Pryke. Mick shared a few heartfelt words and presented stunning flowers to his lovely lady, Hazel, and our Secretary, Sandra Dibble. Hazel had also arranged a thoughtful gift for each of the ladies.

Mick then welcomed incoming Captain Paul Lambert, who took the microphone for a few thoughtful words of his own. Our new Vice-Captain John Batterby, was unable to join us owing to a prior commitment, but we look forward to seeing the new team in action.

Members were wonderfully generous with raffle prizes, helping us raise €350. The prizes included bottles of booze, a hair and beauty voucher courtesy of Veloura in Quesada, a “surprise” donation, Galaxy Golf vouchers – including one donated by Galaxy Golf themselves – an IPTV subscription and a fabulous assorted hamper, among others. Thank you to everybody who donated apologies for not naming everybody individually.

A big thank you to Macker again, for working his ticket-selling magic. Clearly, he’d been saving his best performance for the evening.

Our green fee auction raised a further €1,320, thanks to the generosity of the courses we play, who kindly donated the green fees. We’re very grateful for their support and thanks to Mick Roscoe for his auctioneer skills. A grand total of €1,670 raised for local charities.

Of course, no Captain’s Dinner would be complete without music and a little dancing. With the San Miguel Fiesta in full swing, the evening started and finished with a bang as fireworks lit up the sky outside. Inside, Luke – whom many will know from the Jersey Boys at the Emerald Isle – kept us entertained with is fabulous voice and persuaded a few of the ladies, along with the Captain and his cohorts, to have a go at karaoke. There were certainly no points deducted for enthusiasm.

We sang, laughed, danced, ate, drank and made merry. It was a terrific evening, although Sunday morning may have been a rather quieter affair in a few households.

Captain’s Day 2026 gave us plenty to remember. There were a few hiccups to sort out beforehand and the weather had its own plans, but everyone pulled together and made it a day – and night – to be proud of. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who played, joined us for dinner, donated prizes or helped make it happen.

We’ll be back next year for another Captain’s Day and Dinner. Until then, may your drives be straight, your putts be short and your excuses convincing.