Interclub golf tournament heads to upper South Coast

The annual KwaZulu-Natal Interclub tournament will be held at Selborne Park, Umdoni Park and Scottburgh courses this weekend.

Selborne Park will host the matchplay finals on the Sunday.

Last year’s winners were Mount Edgecombe Country Club (A division), Umdoni Park Golf Club (B division), Umkomaas Golf Club (Frog) and Durban Country Club (Senior Frog).

Only Graeme Inggs is back from last year’s Mount Edgecombe team.

David Brown and Dale Burraston have opted out after having recently returned from Oubaai on mid-amateur IPT duty.

Inggs will be joined by Steve Cullen and Luke van den Berg.

“We’re looking forward to it,” he said.

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It’s a similar situation in the B division, where Mikhail van Brakel is the only one back to defend for Umdoni.

Warren van Heerden is now living in New Zealand, and Jason Gilliver has joined Selborne Park.

For Umkomaas, Moonsamy Nelson and Saga Reddy will have Vivian Naicker aboard, replacing George Mzimela.

They’re going for a three-peat.

In the Senior Frog division, the ever-competitive Kurt Stander and Alan Chetty will be joined by Frankie Cullen, who has replaced Chris Smit.

“We will be trying our best to defend on two excellent golf courses,” said Stander.

* Golf in KwaZulu-Natal can only benefit from the establishment of the eta College Golf Academy, which will be based at Mount Edgecombe Country Club.

The academy will offer golfers the opportunity of selecting a career within the golfing industry, be it instructional or administrative, which includes turf grass management and golf club management.

The diplomas offered by the college are both locally accredited and internationally recognised.

The academy will be headed up by Wessel Dippenaar, who will be responsible for the leadership, marketing and strategic initiatives in the province.

In the past the union has lost players who have moved away to study.

Ivan Curlewis, the president of the KwaZulu-Natal Golf Union, said he hoped the establishment of the academy would encourage home-grown talent to remain in the province.

“It is hoped and envisaged that the academy will also attract students from across South Africa,” said Curlewis.

Now that there is an academy in the province, it’s hoped that KZN won’t experience the player-drain it has … and that it could become a more consistent force at interprovincial tournaments.

* Morgan Phillips of Maritzburg Golf Club didn’t have his best-ever finish at the SA Senior Amateur, which was played at Hermanus Golf Club last week.

It was won by unheralded Ferdie van der Merwe from Wellington, who clinched the title in a playoff after finishing the three rounds on 222 (72 72 78).

Phillips was tied for sixth on 75 72 and 78.

* The Southern KZN Open will be held at Umdoni Park on Sunday, November 12.

The B division had been scheduled for Southbroom GC, but there is every likelihood that they will now also play at Umdoni as numbers are not as high as expected.

To book, contact 083 7096912.

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