Camaraderie takes to the greens
The player with the worst score for the day has to dress in a skirt the following day and remain in it for all 18 holes.
Barberton Golf Club hosted three days of fun and camaraderie, from last Thursday to Saturday. The Nugget Tournament was started nine years ago by Pierre Vermaak and Karel Minnaar from Inyoni Africa, together with Hannes Boshoff Sr, after they had played in a similar tournament in Ellisras.
It comprises of 24 players and is by invitation only. Half of these are made up of local business people. Ex-Barbertonians make up the other team. They then play against one another.
These expat visitors, who come from far and wide, are known as the Prospectors, while the home team are called the Diggers.
The game takes on a format similar to that of the Ryder Cup and the trophy is appropriately named the Rimer’s Cup, making it a true home-grown event.
“The players stay at the Jock of the Bushveld cottages for the duration of the tournament. Here they prepare all their meals themselves and play golf every day. The tournament fosters camaraderie among the men,” said Margaret Blount, manager of the club.
One of the fun aspects is that the player with the worst score for the day has to dress in a skirt the following day and remain in it for all 18 holes.
“I enjoyed spending time with these gents, they constantly made fun of one another and all was handled in good spirit,” said Blount.
