T.H.U.G.S
Thugsgolf.co.uk
The Hollywood & Uruguayan Golf Society
about us
Want to know more about each Thug??
Find profiles and achievements of all the gang on the Members page.
thug (plural thugs) - noun
1. brutal person: somebody, especially a criminal, who is brutal and violent
2. thug or Thug (plural Thugs) history Indian robber: a member of a former secret organization of robbers in India, worshipers of the goddess Kali, who strangled their victims.
3. thug or Thug (plural Thugs) golfer with large capacity for beer and limited ability in his sport, belonging to a small group of similar people whose interests are solely focused on the last week of September.
Who are we?
T.H.U.G.S are a group of players whose handicaps range from just above scratch to just below embarrassment. Though our golf is taken seriously and with total respect for the game and its rules, we all remain firm friends on and off the course and are totally dedicated to enjoying ourselves at the Nineteenth and beyond.
The majority of our society are based around the Oldham area, though some our members are scattered all across the North West through Cheshire, Lancashire, Merseyside and Yorkshire, with Thugs residing in Durham and as far south as Dorset.
Our aim is to play as much golf together during the summer, including our well attended annual June Cup, and a long weekend in Scotland, culminating in a much awaited week abroad where we attempt to finely balance seven nights of drinking ridiculous amounts of alcohol with five rounds of competition golf,- not an easy task but one which we relish! The player scoring the most stableford points over the week earns himself the coveted Pink Jacket (and accusations that he must have been a lightweight in the drinking).
Many of our members socialise together at weekends, and never a friday night goes by without mention of our Mallorca trips.
Why are we Thugs?
Our name, inevitably, was borne from the Majorca trip; A handful of our group decided to spend a week in Majorca playing a few rounds of golf. So successful was this trip that it became an annual event, from which grew the society. The acronym T.H.U.G.S is taken from two major aspects of the holiday;
The 'Hollywood' shot is one of those shots you only see in the movies - the one where our hero decides not to take the easy lay-up to the lake, and instead produces the match-winning strike across the wet stuff to lift the trophy (and an Oscar probably). This decision is forced upon us at two holes in particular in Majorca - The 10th at Poniente (Described by Seve Ballesteros as "One of the best par 4's that I've played in my life") and the equally difficult 16th at Santa Ponça. For THUGS members it is now compulsory to attempt the 'Hollywood' shot on these holes, thus giving us the 'H' of our acronym.
What has now become a spiritual home for the society in Majorca is the fabulous El Ceibo restaurant in Santa Ponça. First discovered in the 1980s by one of our members, Its fantastic South American food, particularly the 'Selection of Uruguayan meats' ensures we visit the restaurant as often as possible. Though we have other favoured eateries, the Uruguayan food is special enough to warrant a mention in our name, and so becomes the 'U' of the acronym.
Why does it work?
As a Society, we don't tend to bombard our members with event after event, that people struggle to attend or afford. Quite simply, we set aside the last Friday in June for our June Cup (Yes, that one took some thinking about!), and the first week in October for our main event overseas. Because we don't overfill the competition diary, there is always a good dollop of anticipation, and much excitement about the events. We also hold an unofficial 'Friendly' competition over the first Bank Holiday weekend of May.
On top of this, we are fortunate enough to have a membership comprising wholly of like-minded individuals, whose input at the AGM ensures we are all happy with the following year's arrangements. Those same people are also willing to do their bit when necessary, to ensure every aspect of the overseas trip runs smoothly.
That said, there are a number of outside factors which have made the trip the success it has become over the years, and THUGS would like to acknowledge and thank the following for their contribution in one way or another:
Beer. Whether it be local lagers, Guinness or whatever is laid in front of us, the catalyst for many a fun-filled evening has generally been alcohol - and quite a lot of it!
After a few San Miguels, we usually call on The Black Stuff as a welcome change, and to freshen up our palate (Often followed by a Baileys shot). This is thought to be the reason behind some of the horrendous noises and smells that are abundant when we gather at the first tee every morning.
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El Ceibo Restaurant in Santa Ponsa is part of our history - Where it all began, and a spiritual home of the Society.
We still make our pilgrimage to here every time we are in Mallorca, and are never disappointed with this fabulous restaurant. Although first visited many years earlier than THUGS was formed, it was always the first eating establishment in our plans over the 25 years of Mallorca trips.
We have an awful lot to thank Mark and Tracy at SimplyMallorcaGolf for. Our trip has become so much cheaper and easier as SMG make all the bookings on our behalf, and are able to offer fantastic discounts at all the golf courses too. A really professional service from thoroughly nice people, and far cheaper than we could book it ourselves.
For several years we returned to the TRH Magaluf hotel for our Majorca trip. Luciano and his staff looked after us superbly, and we never encountered any problems. We have some fantastic memories from there, and the only reason we don't return annually is that changing resorts keeps the trip fresh.
Shots. Caramel Vodka shots in fact.
If a bar hasn't got the Caramelo, there's little point in trying to entice us in us in.
Of course, if we're on the Guinness, then only a Bailey's shot or a 'Mini Guinness' will do, but please don't expect our custom if the only free shot you're offering with our San Miguel is a sickly Schnapps one.
We loved a night at Sa Faxina whenever we were in Palma. Great music videos, a relaxed and friendly atmosphere at a family run pub. Sadly a change of hands in 2023 appears to have come with plans to change the style of bar, and on our visit that year the bar lacked the vibe that had been so attractive.
Officially Bananito's, Everyone knew it as Felipe's bar Magaluf and we loved ending the night there.
Chilled out, fabulous food, great prices, and the wonderfully grumpy looking but warm and generous Felipe himself. Sadly no longer open.
This restaurant has been the talking point of the holiday on a number of occasions. Fantastic food, and central to the success of many of our Palma nights out.
The restaurant lost its way a little after Covid but appears to be back to strength now.
Magaluf's bars. Far too many to name them all, but we have had some fantastic nights in Baco's, Plaza, Lord Nelson, Piano Bar, Britannia, Mano's, Bobby's Robin Hood (Those chip & Onion butties at 4am were legendary!), Panama Jack's and many, many others.
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Bistro 49 in El Toro isn't exactly a short trip away when you're staying in Palma - It's a 25 minute taxi journey. However the food and hospitality we've received there over the years has warranted travelling such distances to eat there. Another restaurant that has always been top of our list.
Fancy Joining Us?
There's no requirement to travel to Mallorca (Although you'd be missing the best part of being in the society). If you fancy the odd game or to join in the competition side, feel free to get in touch via the Contact Us page.
Timeline (Work In Progress - Please feel free to make suggestions)
Testimonials - What the locals have to say about us
"Always nice to see you guys again!" - El Ceibo Restaurant Santa Ponsa
"Great customers, and always welcome" - Luciano, Manager at TRH Hotel
"One of them f***ing stinks!" - Bar Manager, Britannia Magalluf
"Great to see you back" - Diecisiete Grados Restaurant, Palma
"Stay out of my toilets. You're barred!" - Country Bar Magalluf
"Absolutely F***ing P***ed!, Whose round is it?" - Owner, Green Parrot.
"Si" - Felipe, Bananitos Bar
"Good set of lads" - Some random bloke in Ruby Tuesday's
"Always a pleasure" - Terry's Car Hire
"Fantastic customers over the years" - Simply Mallorca Golf
"Speak to the Manager" - Caddymaster Santa Ponsa GC
"Get out of my car you dirty B*****d" - Santa Ponsa taxi driver
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"A really nice group of men - no trouble at all" - Duty Manageress, Manchester airport lounge
"Who's a cheeky f***er?" - A cockatoo in Santa Ponsa
"Sound lads!" - D.J, Alex's Indie Bar
"You've been wonderful customers!" - Waitress, Mrs Doyles.
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"Noodles. Everywhere. Smells like Jagermeister too!" - Cleaner, TRH Hotel.
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"Shut the f*** up!" - A Cala Major resident struggling to get to sleep.
