A royal occasion on the golf course

The royal weekend started last Friday evening (May 18) with the kitchen producing a meal fit for a king, queen, prince, princess and at such a good price, for a pauper as well.

This was a preamble to what was to follow for the royal occasion the next day.

The guest list for the pre-wedding evening meal was not as fancy as the other royal occasion, but there were a few very well-known stars adorning the bar counter, hoping to be noticed, as well as one or two really top-class “A” list visitors present.

The morning of the most talked about day of the year dawned, with overcast conditions and a splattering of rain.

This did not stop the members, invited guests and onlookers from flocking to the club to partake in and witness this royal day of celebration that is known as the Oriental Day.

There was plenty to see as the festivities started earlier than usual due to the large volume of traffic.

The crowds were a little disappointed that they not all got to see their favourite celebrities and what they were wearing, but that and the weather did not put a damper on this great event.

For the fashion-conscious, the outfits worn were a little on the frumpish side and lacked imagination, except for the prince of fashion, Bheki, who looked quite stunning in a brave choice of delicate-pink top and bottoms.

While the parade might not have been up to scratch, the golf certainly was, with a number of couples turning heads and obtaining nods of approval from the local well-informed public and members.

With such a large field for the Oriental Day, it was always going to be tough to be noticed and one would have to pull out all the stops and produce an outlandish performance to feature on TV or in the local press.

This is just what Gerald Boardman and Rory Sanders did to beat Nawal Ramdin and Nishal on a count-out, for them to appear top of the royal honours list with an astonishing 50 points.

These four top sportsmen put on a show of their own and had the guests, the crowds and the general public “oohing” and “ahhing” with a dazzling array of attire, stroke-making and pizazz which ensured that all went home satisfied at being able to be part of this momentous occasion.

With just four points separating the next 15 places, it was left to the household cavalry of Andrew Bouwer and Donald to escort the royal couples to the podium just one point behind on 49 points.

There were nine two-club winners, with Trevor Jacobs, Leon Petersen, Thokozane Dladla and Max Pillay winning the nearest the pin prizes.

The day was also dedicated to JO Singh – an avid golfer, staunch club man and loving family man who sadly passed away earlier in the year after a long illness.

For those who knew JO, as he was affectionately known, would know he always showed his true mettle in life and business, and was never one to stand back from a scrap.

Dr Magan paid a fitting tribute to his great friend and golfing partner, and regaled the crowd with some wonderful anecdotes of their days gone past that brought back wonderful memories of the man who was larger than life.

In his honour, his family and friends dedicated the bridge he built, with a plaque honouring his contribution to the club and the town of Ladysmith.

To the Singh family, thank you for sharing JO with us at the club, as well as the legend and stories that will ensure that JO will be remembered for many years to come around the bar.

Well done to all the winners on the day, and to the Oriental Committee for organising such a special day with fine food at halfway and supper, made by Jay and Sathee Sukhnandan.

The Oriental Day is always a popular day and thanks to all of you who helped put the day together and guaranteeing such a successful event.

I’m sure that the members will agree with me when I say that JO would have truly been honoured and humbled by your efforts.

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