Mark Showler tees off, watching his ball soar down the impeccable fairway at the stunning Alcanada Golf Course. The enticing Mediterranean sparkling through fragrant olive and pine trees, this is his favourite course to play. Although he loved his job as Customer Services Manager at BA, Mark is now undeniably in his element here, having established a new business offering value-for-money, tailor-made golf packages on this accessible island which has become an important landmark on the golf tourism circuit.

As Cabin Crew on long haul, he visited fabulous places worldwide. In May 2004, 
he made a permanent move to Mallorca, 
taking on the role of Team Manager with Thomson Holidays. In February 2005, inspiration intervened and Mark and a 
friend decided to go solo and set up Simply Mallorca Golf. Given Mark’s background 
in travel and customer service, it was a 
natural business choice and he says Mallorca and golf were the ideal match: “I love Mallorca and have been interested in golf since taking lessons as a teenager. I love its outdoor appeal and wanted to promote the high quality courses here, providing great holidays, too.”

Wisely investigating business opportunities elsewhere, Mark island-hopped around the Balearics and Canaries before opting for Mallorca: “It’s only two hours from London, with a good, year-round climate. I first 
visited in 1976 with my parents. I made 
friends here and it’s always had a bit of 
a draw. Knowing the island so well, it 
felt comfortable and homely.”

Over 300 days of sunshine a year and some of the world’s best and most challenging courses on a variety of terrain make Mallorca an all-year-round golfer’s paradise. With championship courses a go-go, golf-lovers will never find themselves more than a short putt away from a fairway. With over 20 existing courses, more are currently in the planning stages. Pula hosts tournaments like the PGA Mallorca Classic; Golf de Andratx is home to Europe’s longest hole, while one of the newest courses, Son Gual hosts tournaments like the European Seniors Tour.

Tranquilo
Simply Mallorca Golf initially concentrated 
on the northeast of the island and was the 
first British company to solely promote golf there: “With so many great courses in such 
a relatively small area, I couldn’t understand why more British people weren’t visiting. 
To find good courses, you have to travel, 
and traditionally the British golfing market stays and plays in and around Palma. The northeast area’s ideal for golfers wanting to play the best courses, away from the mass tourism and busy courses of the south. 
It’s tranquilo, calmer, more laid-back and unspoilt with some real, hidden gems.”

In establishing Simply Mallorca Golf, Mark spoke to every course Director, hotelier and other property providers in the area: “I spent eight months working in a variety of positions in the local tourist trade, enabling me to make important contacts, whilst allowing time to research the business. The courses are keen to promote golf to the British Market and so mostly welcomed me with open arms.”

The business has grown year-by-year: “We’re getting lots more group booking and now cover more of the island, with contracts with every single course. We also changed from being a UK company to a Spanish company last year.”

Aiming to respond to quote requests within hours, Mark’s company prides itself on impeccable service, offering a variety of packages to suit all budgets and individual needs. Close to the courses, accommodation ranges from apartments and secluded Agrotourism properties to luxury villas and classy hotels, offering excellent facilities and stunning views of sweeping, white-sand beaches: “Whatever your requirements, 
we can provide for them, really.”

We Brits have long had a soft spot for Mallorca and whether you’re after sun, sea and sangria or solitude and seclusion, you’ll find what you’re looking for here. With year-round sunshine tempered by cool sea breezes, stunning scenery, excellent restaurants, a short flying-time and laid-back lifestyle to boot, it’s no wonder that three million of us flock to the sun-kissed island’s shores every year.

Celebrity endorsed
Prestigious yacht marinas and the colourful cosmopolitan capital, Palma also draw the rich and famous to this year-round golfing getaway, with celebrities such as David Beckham, Peter Stringfellow, Seve Ballesteros, Rafael Nadal and ‘EastEnders’ stars often spotted teeing-off on its Championship courses. Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta Jones, Jack Nicholson, Nigel Mansell, Claudia Schiffer, Jasper Carrott and Prince Andrew have all played at Real Golf de Bendinat and such role models have helped open up the game to a new generation of players and its elitist image is fast disappearing. Along with its celebrity appeal, golf is attracting a new market, drawing 
a younger and cooler following.

Golf widow? Cycling’s massive in Mallorca or why not spend a weekend at a spa? Canoeing and tennis are also popular activities or survey the island from a unique perspective with a paragliding/hangliding lesson, helicopter or hot-air balloon ride. Mark recommends Nordic Walking: “I saw people walking with what looked like ski-poles and thought they were stark, raving bonkers! But an instructor persuaded me to try and I loved it! It’s fairly low-impact, a brilliant way of improving your fitness, ideal after an operation.”

Palma
Renowned for its designer shops and imposing Gothic cathedral, La Seu, upmarket Palma is well worth a day trip. With a wealth of top-name boutiques like Zara and Ralph Lauren, shop-a-holics should head for the Born area. Lose yourself in the charming labyrinth of narrow backstreets in the old town – with its quaint mansion courtyards, traditional cafés and churches – and enjoy bartering at the Saturday morning market. Rich in craft traditions, the island is famous for its simulated pearls manufactured in Manacor, as well as leather, glass production, ceramics and footwear, along many other handicrafts, all of exceptional quality. For a memorable experience, take a vintage train and tram trip through orange and lemon groves, taking in the coolness of the mountains on a scenic route to the port of Sóller.

Kids bored of the beach? Keep them entertained on a fun trip to a water park such as Marineland. Poble Español illustrates Spain’s different autonomous communities with miniature reproductions of houses, palaces, churches, fortresses and other monuments. For young golfers and wannabe racing drivers, there are plenty of opportunities to play mini-golf and karting for kids.

Challenges
So what were the main challenges for Mark 
in setting up his business? “Bureaucracy. Spain requires lots of paperwork, and the 1992 Package Tours Regulations Act, requiring tour companies to be bonded. Initially, the language, I didn’t speak a word! To be successful, I knew I needed to learn and deal with Spanish people, not ex-pats, to get good deals. Wherever possible I did, and consequently, my Spanish improved dramatically. Now, I’m well beyond cheesy O’level but I aim to be fluent. I’ve been taking lessons twice a week.”

The Spanish working day starts at 8am. Around 1pm, too hot to work, it’s siesta-time and everything closes for a couple of hours before resuming and finally closing around 8pm. If you’re thinking about setting up a business abroad, Mark advises taking financial and legal advice: “Thoroughly research the business type, comply with all laws, especially tax in both your home and host country. Registering everything in the UK was the quickest way for us to start trading, but added complications. You must fit in and conform. Appreciate that it’s not your country, respect local traditions and do things their way.”

Initially, Mark rented a finca, which was 
the former residence of the ex-vicar of sleepy Son Servera, a typical Mallorquín village. Along with religious artefacts, it boasted orange 
and lemon trees and Mark enjoyed growing his own vegetables: “You can’t eat nine trees’ worth of oranges, so I made marmalade. 
A real Tom and Barbara existence!”

Mark’s then invested in a two bedroom, ground-floor, traditional apartment with a terrace area in Cala Rajada, where he lives with his dog, Saffy, and sensibly keeps one foot in the UK with the flat he owns in Hove.

Fiestas
When the sun’s set on another sizzling day, night owls are spoilt for choice. Party lovers can join in with traditional parades, music and dancing, by timing a trip around the festivities of one of the island’s many fiestas, religious feast days and folk festivals celebrated throughout the year, marked by colourful street processions, feasting and spectacular firework displays. Mark enjoys participating in local fiestas, varying from religious and agricultural to crazy go-kart racing, but does he feel fully integrated? “I almost feel like a local. I knew I was accepted a few Christmases ago when the neighbours had a matanza (pig-killing). I awoke to the sad and sorrowful screams of their pig meeting its maker and was later offered a sobrasada (sausage). I’d rather it was still running around the garden but if I’d declined they’d have been deeply offended.”

Mark’s making gradual changes to his property with a view to selling in the future: “It’s very traditional Mallorquín in terms of the furnishings etc. so the aim’s to try to modernise it a bit.” Luckily for Mark, the purchase was problem-free: “I was amazed at what it was like in comparison to the UK, where it can be really difficult and there’s a greater degree of checks about your ability to repay the mortgage etc.

It’s a completely different story here. The bank does a lot of the work on your behalf. It would probably be different if it had been in the countryside, with access rights, provision of water and electricity etc. but because it’s a simple property, it was a simple process. From start to finish, it took just six weeks. That’s including finding the property to actually moving in!”

Any tips for readers thinking about buying a property on the island? “It’s definitely cheaper if you buy direct and cut out the estate agent, but the benefits of using an agent include superb advice, being assisted throughout the whole purchase process, they instruct the bank and that makes everything really simple. So pick a good one who speaks English and they can save you a lot of time and money.

“Although I’ve been coming here for over 30 years, I still like exploring and discovering new places. I love the culture, fantastic beaches, dining out and Palma, a beautiful city, touted as the new Barcelona.” And, of course, there’s the golf: “I play whenever I get a chance. As any golfer will tell you, it’s not all about the game. Golf’s about relaxation, being in the open, enjoying the scenery, and also the social side of playing a round with complete strangers or having a chilled glass of Viña Sol on the terrace after a great round with friends. Being involved in the sport on both sides, from practising and improving my game to promoting it, is a dream come true.”

Health benefits
Sounds idyllic. Are there any downsides? “Not really! Even in winter, the light quality’s so good that where I used to feel depressed in the UK, I don’t here. It can get bitterly cold at night, but you live through that because summer will be gorgeous. There are loads of health benefits. I now cycle to work, which takes 20 minutes and I thought the other evening on my way home that four years ago, I’d have been stuck on the M25 from Heathrow, with a two-hour minimum drive, whereas now I’m cycling home through beautiful countryside.”

Returning to the UK just three times a year, what does Mark miss most? “Mainly the news, so I log onto the BBC News pages every morning. Otherwise, very little, except baked beans, and even those have become more widely available now!” Any regrets? “Absolutely none! I’ve met some fantastic people, feel more relaxed and I just love it! I’m here to stay. I swapped a stressful, high-paid job for life in the sun and now I’m bartering with lemons for sausages!”.

Contact
Simply Mallorca Golf offers discounted green fees at all of the island’s golf courses, preferential rates at over 800 hotels, as well as car hire, minibus or coach transport. Specialising in catering for golf groups and societies, the company also organises hospitality services and award ceremonies.

UK Tel: 020 8144 0855
Mallorca Tel: 00 34 658 597 600
Email: info@simplymallorcagolf.com
Website: www.SimplyMallorcaGolf.com

Sol Melia Hotels
House hunting or heading to the fairways? The Sol Melia group has a wide choice of hotels popular with golfers: http://www.simplymallorcagolf.com/hotel_directory.htm

Club de Golf Alcanada
Email: info@golf-alcanada.com
Website: www.golf-alcanada.com

Real Golf de Bendinat:
Email: golf@bendinat.net
Website: www.realgolfbendinat.com

The Balearic Islands Golf Association
at Golf Poniente:
Email: info@mallorcagolfisland.com
Website: www.mallorcagolfisland.com

Get there with Monarch:
www.flymonarch.com