We’ve been planning to run an event in Switzerland for some time and were very excited about bringing the Greencard Tour to such a scenic location.

We were staying in the town of Montreux, which sits on the edge of Lake Geneva. The golf programme included four individual stableford rounds, one on each of Maison Blanche, Crans Sur Sierre, Domaine Imperial and Lausanne.

Following in the footsteps of the Pros

A few members of the group took the opportunity to arrive a day early and watch the final round of the European Tour Omega European Masters event at Crans Sur Sierre, a tournament current Masters Champion Danny Willet won in 2015.   We would be following in the footsteps of the professionals when we played the same course three days later. For the record Alex Noren overcame Scott Hend on the first play-off hole to take his second European Tour title of the season, and we were hoping for a similarly exciting finish to our own tournament week.

The weather forecast indicated that we would have rain on our first day and then things would improve with pretty much wall to wall sunshine for the remainder of the week.

Round 1: Three-way Tie at Maison Blanche

The first round was played at Maison Blanche. The course is located between the western end of Lake Geneva and the Jura Mountains, straddling the French-Swiss border. It winds its way through a quiet and wonderfully natural piece of golfing estate.

We left Montreux in heavy rain but thankfully by the time we had reached Maison Blanche it had eased. We were able to move the tee times back by 30 minutes, by which time the rain had stopped and with the exception of a couple of showers the round was played mainly in dry conditions.

John O’Keeffe, Martin Fell and Peter Archer shared the highest score of the day with 35 points. Inge Kent finished on 34 and Ian James Bailey had a good start to the week with 33 points.

Trains, Boats and Stunning Views

There was no golf planned for the following day giving people the opportunity to relax and enjoy this lovely part of the World. Several members of the group decided on the boat trip around the beautiful Lake Geneva, whilst others took the Rochers-de-Naye Railway to the summit of the mountains behind Montreux. The views on offer were simply stunning.

Round 2: The Most Beautiful Golf Course in the World

The next morning we travelled to Crans Montana to play the renowned Crans Sur Sierre course. The course is located in the centre of this pretty mountain town.

As previously mentioned the European Tour had been here just a few days earlier and we teed off with the grandstands and advertising boards still in place. The only thing missing was the crowd!

The course was in excellent condition and did not disappoint. Towards the end of the front nine you walk down from the green to the next tee and the view that awaits you is just incredible. Even if you are not on your game, the setting alone brings a smile to your face. Indeed, it is described by trade magazines as one of the most beautiful golf courses in the world.

Jane Jagger Takes the Summit at Crans

Jane Jagger posted the day’s best score with a tremendous 33 points. Meanwhile Ian James Bailey continued his form from the first round with an impressive 32, a score matched by Julie Harris.

As we had an early afternoon start we finished just in time to enjoy a dinner together overlooking the 18^th green. It was the perfect way to end a great day.

Ian James Bailey on Top After 36 Holes

At the half way stage Ian James Bailey was on 65 points and had a lead of 3 shots from Inge Kent and Peter Archer. Jane Jagger was one further back, after her superb performance in the second round.

Round 3: Ladies Lead the Way at Fabulous Domaine Imperial

The wonderful courses kept coming as we travelled to Domaine Imperial for the third round. The course lies on the banks of Lake Geneva, between Lausanne and Geneva. It is the only course in Europe completely designed by Pete Dye and is considered to be one of the best in Switzerland.

This time it was Louise Andrews who shot the best score of the day with a magnificent 36 points. Jeannie O’Keeffe and Sandie Klimcke both finished with 34 points. It was a great day for the ladies as they took 7 of the top 10 spots on the third round leaderboard. Sandie needed one more tour point to qualify for the Grand Finals and this score allowed her to have an excellent chance of achieving this objective with one round to go.

The leading men’s score came from Anthony Trafford with 32 points. Ian, the overnight leader shot 29, his lowest of the week, but it was still sufficient to hold onto the lead by two points from Inge Kent going into the final round.

Wonderful Meal Ends Another Great Day

Ian and Julie Harris are both members at Domaine and they helped us organise a wonderful buffet following the golf, which the entire group enjoyed on the terrace overlooking the lake. Another great way to end another wonderful day in Switzerland.

Round 4: Challenging Lausanne Setting for Tight Finish

The final round was played on Lausanne Golf course. Situated only a few miles outside Lausanne on the north shore of Lake Geneva, this parkland course weaves its way through the forest. The course was excellent condition and the greens were a real test for all concerned, with subtle borrows and tough pin positions. It was soon clear that you would have to be on your game to score well here.

Traff Leads Challenge from the Pack With Excellent Round

Given the difficultly of the course set up it was conceivable that somebody from the chasing pack could come through to challenge the leaders. Tony Daly and Anne Archer both scored well finishing with 32 and 31 respectively.

However, the main charge came from Anthony Trafford, who had a superb round finishing on 34 points and 118 overall. At one point it was looking even better but a blob on the par 3 17^th hole potentially dented his chances of overcoming the leaders.

Inge Kent Piles on Pressure as Ian James Bailey has Difficult Front Nine

Meanwhile, Ian James Bailey had had a really tough start to his round managing to score only 10 points by the turn. By this stage Inge Kent seemed to have taken control, her 17 points after the first nine holes, giving her a five shot lead with only the back nine to play.

Switch in Form at the Turn Puts Everything up for Grabs

Things then changed again as Ian James Bailey started to find his form and Inge Kent now started to struggle for points. It was going to be a tight finish and Anthony Trafford may well have done enough earlier to take the victory.

We all gathered round the 18^th green to see leaders finish their rounds. As they came off and the cards were handed in, we were still unsure who had taken the title.

Ian James Bailey Holds Nerve on Last for First Win.