Pethes, a regular Hong Kong Senior international who last year won the Hungarian International Senior Amateur Championship, returned to eastern Europe after a successful spell in Canada, where he won the Ottawa Valley Golf Association Men's Senior Championship. The destination this time was Croatia - the Adriatic Golf Club on the Istrian Peninsula to be precise - where Pethes claimed the Croatian International Senior Amateur Championship by three shots thanks to rounds of 77 and 80. Pethes, was full of praise for the picturesque course at the Adriatic Golf Club, which is only an hour's drive south of Trieste in Italy.
"The course was very impressive," said Pethes, who will start as one of the favourites for this month's Hong Kong Seniors Open Amateur Championship at Fanling, where he is a member. "It is carved out of very naturally hilly terrain in a beautiful setting. It is very tight and we played it in very windy conditions, which made it quite the challenge."
Croatia isn't yet a well-known golfing destination, which begs the question, why did Pethes journey there?
"Quite simply I enjoy travelling and I love to play golf," explained Pethes, whose father was born in Hungary. "I look for interesting places where I can combine the two. It was a most enjoyable trip to a part of the world I'd probably never visit, but for the tournament. The Croatians were very hospitable and the weather was excellent."
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