Golfers colour and shave their hair to fight cancer

This past weekend saw the club host the annual Sanlam Cancer Challenge Golf Day, which is always a huge event.

The Sanlam Cancer Day is in its 26th year and is played across the whole country by every golf club.

It not only raises money through the players’ green fees, but also from events organised by the club.

The challenge is truly unique in that should you win your club division, you shall proceed to the regional finals, which normally take place at the Victoria Club in Pietermaritzburg.

This is all very exciting and gives our players a chance not only to pit their skills against the best in the area, but also an opportunity to play in the national finals held at Sun City later in the year.

This year, Wynand Wessels, his family, their helpers from the neighbourhood and Mortimer were out in full force as they cut, shaved and sprayed hair in the fight against cancer.

Wynand would make a great shepherd, judging by his ability to round up all the stragglers from the Park Run, the golfers, general members of the public and the club, and herd them in the direction of the holding pens.

Once in the pen, the poor hapless sheep were sheared and spray-painted and then left to contemplate what they had done.

To add insult to injury, these brightly-coloured, hairless creatures were made to pay for this treatment – talk about being fleeced!

It was like a rainbow – when they combed their hair, there were colours everywhere.

Having survived Wynand’s new diet, where you can lose pounds (rands) in an instant, the golfers and their comrades took to the course running, like a rolling stone, with the speed of jumping jack flash, while the club’s little red rooster, Sam, looked on.

As it happens on most Saturdays, there were a few of us who could get no satisfaction, we had a 19th nervous breakdown, then had to be emotionally rescued by Angie and her mother’s little helper, but are happy it’s all over now.

For Rory, who started much like a street fighting man travelling down route 66, it became a case of – have you seen my ball lately – lying in the shadows, as he lost ball after ball.

For another who started as hot stuff, ended up under the boardwalk, and then he saw red, a red door and wanted it painted black.

In the end, he just faded away and was last seen in the pub waiting for a friend.

For Phillip Boardman, it was a day to remember as he emerged victorious after a titanic battle to win the ‘A’ Division on a count-out from Sipho Hlongwa after both finished on 40 points.
Patrick Mbatha finished third, a point adrift.

The ‘B’ Division witnessed a remarkable round of golf from Bheki Mbokazi, who showed the rest a lean pair of heels to take the title.
Patrick Pieterse and Themba Ntuli had to settle for second and third respectively.

The ‘C’ Division saw two players, Martin Wessels and Kurt Swoboda, play the best rounds of their careers, with Martin scoring a stunning 46 points to win and Kurt having to settle for second with a not-too-shabby 44 points.

Vernon Sanders finished with a very credible 41 points and had to settle for third.

The ladies’ winners were: ‘A’ Division – Jayne Mackenzie; ‘B’ Division – Nora Simpson; and ‘C’ Division – Merle Wessels.

There were five two-club winners in Nico Jacobs, Gerald Boardman, Martin Wessels, Willie Erasmus and Patrick Pieterse.

The longest ladies’ putt went to Jaqui Porrill and the men’s to George Ashi. Well done to all the winners and good luck at the regional finals to be held later this year.

To Wynand and your band of helpers, thanks for all your efforts during the day to help raise a further R2500 for Cansa.

To all those who played, thanks for giving of your time and donations to this great organisation that does so much for sufferers of this dreaded disease.

WHAT’S ON AT THE CLUB:
JUNE 16 – LADYSMITH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE DAY;
JUNE 17 – LADYSMITH WIRELESS TRIPS;
JUNE 23 – WILLIE ERASMUS MONTHLY MUG;
JUNE 27 – FNB SKAAPDAG;
JUNE 30 – JUANA MARIA HOME FOR THE AGED.