WHILE it’s not really a secret, living here we sometimes seem to forget just how beautiful the area is – and how spectacular our golf courses are.
If ever this was in evidence, it was last week, where I had the opportunity to get in two games with a friend, Carl Rundgren who lived on the coast for a few years but is now in England.
We had a game at Southbroom, which is in superb condition. Not exactly sure what they’ve done with the greens, but whatever it is, it’s working.
We also had a game at San Lameer, which is quite breath-taking when it comes to scenery. To see impala and the odd bushbuck wandering around the course is quite special.
Then there’s the birdlife, but you need a keener ear or eye to notice them.
It’s no wonder the foreigners who frequent our shores love the place so much.
Carl is now general manager at Dale Hill Hotel and Golf Club in England.
He tries to get in some game time, but long working hours limit his opportunities to play competitive golf.
“Not that keen to go out in the wind, rain and snow,” he laughed.
One of the ideas Carl thought could work locally is what he called a ‘cross country’ competition, an occasional fun event where golfers played from a certain tee to a selected green.
For example, if held at Southbroom, golfers could play from the 17th tee to the 1st green; or for a monster hole, from the 6th tee to the 9th green.
As a junior Carl was not far off the level of the likes of Trevor Immelman and co.
When he was based on the coast, he won the KwaZulu-Natal Country Districts Strokeplay Championships in 2007, held at San Lameer.
There were four reasons why this bordered on the miraculous.
The first was that Carl is not known to necessarily enjoy the strokeplay format of the game, especially if his driver is a degree or two off.
This is the guy who the previous year played his second shot on Southbroom’s 10th hole (during club champs) from the back bunker on the 11th hole. Hard to believe, but true.
Second reason was that it was at San Lameer, as tough a strokeplay layout as you will find anywhere in the province, at least.
Third reason was that the wind was blowing a gale from the south.
Fourth reason was that Gavin Sole was in the field. Okay, he wasn’t as good then as he is now, but still, not many can beat him at San Lameer.
Carl shot 75 and 70 to win by a few shots on a day when just about everyone had scores in the 80s. “It was probably the best round of my life,” he said last week.
So, that’s the effect our local courses can have. Fun to play socially, but a real challenge in a tournament, especially if it blows.
Well-known golfer Phil le Roux is also back in town after a stint in Malaysia. He described the courses there as ‘similar’ but that the weather was just so much hotter.
And we think it’s warm here!
Interestingly, for the first time ever, the coast will host both the KZN Open Strokeplay (at San Lameer on May 8-10) and the KZN Amateur Matchplay at Margate CC from August 24 to 28, and then of course Interclub from October 28 to 30.
Lots to look forward to.
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