Donald Steel International Golf Feb. 12 and 13

by S.M. Jiffrey ABDEEN - Kandy Sports Corr. at Victoria

GOLF: The 13th annual Donald Steel International Golf Championship organised by the Victoria Golf and Country Resort will be worked off at the Victoria Golf Course at Rajawella off Kandy on February 12th and 13th (Saturday/Sunday). Friday February 11th will be the practice day.

Over a hundred golfers from Sri Lanka and abroad are expected to participate in this prestigious golf championship which was the first to be conducted at Victoria in 1999 after the golf course was opened for golfers in 1998.

This golf course was designed by the world renowned golf architect and former President of the United Kingdom Golfers Union and himself a top golfer Donald Steel, on a 558 acre coconut plantation surrounded on one side by the Victoria Reservoir and covered by the hills of the Dumbara and Knuckles Range and on the other side by Hewaheta and Hanguranketha hills in the Nuwara Eliya district.

Donald Steel who came over from England designed this coconut plantation which was once a Dutch farm in such a manner to retain all its natural features. In other words the nature was not disturbed. Both fauna and flora was protected to make it a fantastic golf course having all the features. It has the hills and it also has the plains. It is a 18 hole course designed for 46 holes.

In his own words Donald Steel states that the Victoria golf course has all the ingredients to make it a wonderful course. He designed it and was built with the highest environmental standards. As a result it's home to 70 varieties of birds and other small wildlife such as deer, monkeys, fishing cats, rabbits etc.

Over the years, the Victoria Golf and Country Resort has upgraded its facilities by constructing a estate of the Araliya Restaurant with AC facilities and a chain of guest houses within its golf complex which enjoys a high rate of occupancy with the bookings made very much in advance by golf tourists and others preferring a quiet holiday in sylvan surroundings. It is a wonderful holiday experience.

This golf course was no awarded the prestigious "Best Golf Course in the Sub-Continent" by the Asian Golf Digest for three separate years besides winning several other awards.

The Donald Steel Golf Championship will be played over two rounds and the golfer getting the Best Cross Score will be awarded the Donald Steel Trophy. The defending champion is Englishman Ian Tait.

The Ebert's Pot will be awarded to the gentleman golfer getting the Best Nett score over two rounds. The defending champion is Sacha Roschy.

The Pan Fernando Trophy will be awarded to the Lady Golfer aggregating the Best Gross Score. The defending champion is Niloo Jayatillake.

The Victoria Bowl is awarded to the Lady Golfer returning the Best Nett total and the defending champion is Niloo Jayatillake's sister Roshni Sangani.

Apart from this, there will be selerate competitions for gentlemen and lady golfer such as the longest drive, nearest to the pin etc.

The entries are now open and further details could be had from Dhanushika Medagoda on Mobile No. 0777 840894 or 072 7840894, Email [email protected] or log into www. golferilanka.lk.

The entry fees will include the cover charge for dinner and dance on February 12th.