Each month 10 names are randomly selected from all golfers that have used our online Booking Form. From these 10 golfers a second draw is made for the winner of the prize sponsored by Hotel Le Meridien Hotel Penina ***** and Golf Course, and Hotel Dona Filipa ***** & San Lorenzo Golf Course in the Algarve. The monthly prize includes a standard "weekend break accommodation" with breakfast for two in the Hotel specified, together with a round of golf for two guests on the course attached to the Hotel.

All of the 10 golfers of each month will be listed in our Newsletter and notified by separate e-mail. The nominated golfers who are were drawn for the month of November are listed below.

Andrew Watson - Andy Morris - Bill Gillings - Cornelia Bohnenstengel - Edward Latcham - Ian Macinnis - John Hodgkinson - John Lywood - Robin Hamshaw - Tomas Daul

General News
Most of November was blessed with glorious sunny weather, although some much needed intermittent rain appeared late in the month to the benefit of farmers and some of the golf course maintenance teams.

Your correspondent spent a week away from the Algarve with golf writers from all over Europe to visit the western region of central Portugal which has become a sought-after golfing destination. Located in an historic and a premier wine-producing part of the country, the courses played were the Praia D'El Rey, winner of IAGTO's 2007 European Golf Resort of the year award, the Bom Sucesso which opened in September, Golden Eagle and Campo Real, all of which are well worth a visit. There are also two short 9-hole courses that can also be played at seaside resorts, namely the Atlântico Golfe Hotel at Praia da Consolação and Hotel Golf Mar at the Vimeiro Spa Resort, the latter of which has plans to expand its present layout to 18 holes. (Photos by courtesy of Brain Gavin)

The twelve mixed pairs who qualified from all the regional qualifying events in the UK battled for the 2008 Bader Cup played over the Álamos course on the Morgado course near Portimão.

The 31st TAP Open for amateurs was won by John Coelho from the USA followed by Ettienne van Zyl (South Africa) after a count-back, with John Bernardino (USA) and Luis Sutil (SA) 3rd and 4th respectively. The gross prize went to Nicolas Dincau from Switzerland and the best net score in the Ladies' section was Ursula Maisel from Germany. More than 200 golfers took part in the 72-hole stroke-play event which was played over the Oceânico Pinhal, Millennium, Laguna and Victoria courses in Vilamoura.

2-golfer teams, divided into three handicap divisions, was better ball on the first day and foursomes on the second, and then the twelve teams with the best scores went into a deciding sudden death play-off. In 1st place were UK couple Wendy and Jamie Stewart, followed by Felix Hanneman/Tim Beredsen (Germany) and Jonas Aberg/Sven-Goran Davidson (Sweden). Prizes were also awarded for the best scores from the different nations that took part and the Swedes with an average score of 65 Stableford points edged out the Germans (63.92 pts.) with Canada taking third place (61.66 pts).

At the 72-hole European Senior Tour Qualifying School finals at the Pestana Vale da Pinta course, 52-year-old Jimmy Heggarty from Northern Ireland came back from a seven shot deficit going into the last round to card a 4-under score of 67 and lead the field, thus gaining his full card to play the Tour in 2009. South African Bertus Smit tied the Ulsterman's aggregate score of 277 but the latter earned top honours as Smit post a level par 71 in round four. Alfonso Barrera also escaped with his card, and in fact would have been the outright winner, had he not been penalised two strokes for practising a putt that he had missed on the third green.

One of the 23 successful professionals who earned their cards to play full time on the main PGA European Tour in 2009 was Dutch golfer Inder van Weerelt, who ended equal 20th on 422 strokes (8 under par) for the gruelling six-round examination. Inder, who was born in Amsterdam, grew up in Vilamoura where his parents have lived for many years, and started playing at the age of eight. He received tuition at the very successful Vilamoura GC junior coaching programme that has produced other pros, such as brothers Hugo and Ricardo Santos, the latter having represented Portugal together with Estoril's Tiago Cruz at the recent World Cup in China where they tied for 13th place. Inder, after turning pro in 2003 with a handicap of +3, he has come through the EDP, Europro and Challenge Tour ranks and now, by making the top level, has a great opportunity to reach even greater heights in his golfing career.

At the recent International Golf Travel Market in Marbella, Spain, the Hotel Dona Filipa Hotel and its renowned San Lorenzo Course were awarded the prestigious prize of Best European Golf Resort for 2009. The annual market is organised by IAGTO, the International Association of Golf Tour Operators which has more than 1,100 members in 74 countries, including over 330 tour operators specialised in the golf market in 46 countries throughout the world.

Oceânico Golf is holding the annual Grande Troféu, now in its 21st year, on three of its Vilamoura courses. The 54-hole stroke-play tournament is always a popular event and attracts a strong international field of keen amateurs as well as golfers from all over Portugal.

Søren Kjeldsen from Denmark completed a wire-to-wire victory in the last ever Volvo Masters at Valderrama after a final round of 71 to finish two strokes ahead of England’s Anthony Wall and Germany’s Martin Kaymer. Lee Westwood finished in joint fourth place with Sergio Garcia, four shots back. The win took Kjeldsen into the World Top 50 for the first time in 47th place, a rise of 39 places.

Ryan Palmer holed a 10-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to win the Ginn sur Mer Classic on the PGA Tour. The putt took him out of a six way tie for the lead as he finished on seven-under-par 281. Palmer climbs to Nº 202, a jump of 161 places.

Sergio Garcia achieved his highest World Ranking of second place as he completed his victory at the weather delayed HSBC Champions at Sheshan International Golf Club in Shanghai. Garcia birdied the 72nd to set a target of 14-under-par which was matched by overnight leader Oliver Wilson. Garcia birdied the same hole at the second extra hole to deny the Englishman. The last European born player to be ranked second in the world was Colin Montgomerie twelve years ago.

Jeev Milkha Singh claimed a thrilling one-stroke victory over Padraig Harrington and Ernie Els at the Barclays Singapore Open on the Asian Tour at Sentosa Golf Club's Serapong course. Singh went to the last with a one stroke lead and his par was enough for the win as Harrigton and Els missed good birdie chances on the 18th. Singh jumped into the World Top 50 with a 14 place move to Nº 46.

Japanese Number One player Shingo Katayama followed up his recent win in his National Open with victory at the Mitsui Sumitomo VISA Taiheiyo Masters. Katayama won in a play-off from Yasuharu Imano after the pair had tied on 16-under-par totals of 272. The win took Katayama to World Nº 36, an improvement of 9 places.

Rod Pampling edged out Marcus Fraser at the third play-off hole to claim the Sportsbet Australian Masters title at Royal Melbourne after the two Australians finished on 12-under-par. Fraser had carded a fabulous final round seven-under-par 65 to join Pampling. Joint overnight leader Robert Allenby, a two-time Australian Masters champion, finished third. Pampling climbs 12 places to World Nº 59, while Fraser jumped 101 spots to Nº 231.

This week's other winner was Rafael Gómez at the 50th Abierto del Club de Golf Sport Francés, an event co-sanctioned by the Tour de las Americas and the Canadian Tour.