Golf gets its ‘Sole’ back

The Covid-19 pandemic turned the world on its head and sport wasn’t spared.

And while golf seemed to be the perfect sport to play – with an absolute minimum of physical contact – golfers had to be extremely patient in the wait for play to resume.

While we aren’t out of the woods yet (sorry Tiger!) at least there is social golf available, and fans can watch the pros on TV.

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One of the extremely patient golfers has been Gavin Sole, who is the KwaZulu-Natal amateur captain.

‘Lockdown has been hard, nothing to play for,’ he muttered.

He was really looking forward to the annual South African Interprovincial Tournament, traditionally played towards the end of September.

What would have made it special is that it was due to be played at San Lameer Country Club, one of Sole’s all-time favourite courses.

It was the venue for his KZN Amateur win, where he beat a relatively unknown (at that stage) player from the Free State who bombed it an absolute mile – one Dean Burmester, now making a name on the European Tour.

On that occasion, it looked like the Big Fish would be denied, when he was one down with three to go and hit his ball into the hazard, with Burmester on the green in birdie range.

Sole got up and down for bogey while Burmester three-putted.

San Lameer CC was also the venue for the 2007 South African Country Districts tournament, which was won by KZN.

That team included Cobus Oosthuizen, playing his first IPT, and Ivan Curlewis, his last.

Sole spent his early years in Swaziland, before attending high school at Maritzburg College.

It was while he was a member at Maritzburg GC that he made his debut for KZN in the mid 90s, playing alongside the likes of Tim Clark, Brad Davison, Warren Abery, Sean Ludgater and Curlewis.

After finishing his studies in the hospitality industry he took up a position at the Estuary Hotel in Port Edward at around the turn of the century.

However, a position in Limpopo opened up and he spent a few years there with his wife Tracey and their young son Graham.

In 2006 he returned to the South Coast and has stayed put ever since.

He had to relearn how to hit the ball low, but it didn’t take long and he was soon winning again.

The 2007 IPT was his first one back at that time and he hasn’t looked back, playing for KZN every year since then.

A highlight was winning the A section of the IPT when it was played at Durban Country Club in 2009, with Curlewis as the manager.

Sole’s love for the game has remained undiminished, despite threatening since about 2010 that this is ‘definitely his last year’.

Like a fine wine, he seems to have improved with age.

And even though the supple youngsters thrash it out of sight, they still struggle to beat him.

‘I will play as long as I remain competitive’ is something he has often said.

Or as long as his wife will let him, others have joked.

Sole was particularly looking forward to this IPT.

“Close to home,” he laughed.

On a more serious note he’s not that happy that KZN has found itself in the B division and he was looking forward to leading a young team to victory and back into the A section, before ‘possibly retiring’.

If it had worked out like that, it would have been perfect timing as he has recently turned 50 and has one eye on the seniors.

Despite his easy-going nature on the course – not much seems to fluster the Fish – he likes to set goals and challenge himself.

He wouldn’t mind being the first player to play for the men’s, mid-amateurs and seniors in one season.

In the meantime, he will be resetting his sights as lockdown restrictions ease and some tournament golf resumes.

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