A moment in time for senior golfers at the Kilbarchan Golf Club
In his tenure as chairman, Ladysmith-based Mr Suddeby hopes to achieve two goals: to increase membership and to encourage seniors to keep playing golf.
KILBARCHAN – After a quarter of a century, senior golfers are still close to the mark.
Drakensberg SAGES celebrated its 25th anniversary last Thursday at the Kilbarchan Golf Club, with a competition and formalities fitting such a notable milestone.
Chairman, Mike Suddeby elaborated on the organisation.
In his tenure as chairman, Ladysmith-based Mr Suddeby hopes to achieve two goals: to increase membership and to encourage seniors to keep playing golf.
He said at their age level, there was no other real competition.
While the ‘joining age’ was recently dropped from 55 to 50 years of age, the club remains centred on the spirit of camaraderie and fellowship.
Who wins what, is generally not so important.
Beyond monthly games at golf clubs across Northern KwaZulu-Natal, the Drakensberg chapter competes against SAGES branches in the Eastern Free State and the Midlands region once a year.
Another annual event is the organisation’s Christmas competition.
Proceeds from this day, which includes a lunch for members, are donated to The Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA), towards prostate cancer care and research.
“We donated R12 500 most recently; we are a non-profit club.”
Drakensberg SAGES was founded in March 1992 at the Kilbarchan Golf Club, by a group of men including Gordon Dowsett, who stood as its first chairman.
This group included Chris le Roux, Eddie Lowe, Koos Oosthuizen and Fred Peens Senior.
Since 1992, there have been 14 chairmen and eight secretaries, including the late Cas Venter, Gab Richard and Graeme la Reserveé.
Members are something of a ‘who’s who’ of senior Newcastillians.
This year in October, Drakensberg SAGES is hosting a mini-national competition in Dundee, to help select eight representatives.
These eight will compete in Zululand against golfers from the Zululand area.
Prospective members of Drakensberg SAGES must be registered with any NKZN golf club, and can then join the organisation.
“It’s basically a get-together for senior golfers,” Mr Suddeby concluded.
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