Umkomasters slug it out at Longest Hole comp
Next stop is to the top of the hill, 13th green before heading down again via the signature 14th hole.
Forty-five players turned up for the annual Umkomaas Golf Club Longest Hole competition on New Year’s Day. The cross-country golf started back in the 1980s when members, who’d previously enjoyed a good New Year’s Eve party, came back to the club to help tidy up the next day.
The competition is unlike any other I know of and sees players tee off from the furthest tee box on the course, the par five 8th hole, and make their way across the golf course, roughly two kilometres, with the intent of holing out on the 18th green.
Players may choose their own route, but all the rules of golf apply (include lost balls!) throughout the cross-country adventure. For most, this means two or three good shots down the par five before determining how to navigate their way over the halfway house, 9th green and surrounding trees to land on the 12th fairway.
Next stop is to the top of the hill, 13th green before heading down again via the signature 14th hole. From there, most people opt to play backwards down the 2nd and over the road onto the 1st before crossing over to the 18th where they hope to make a pitch and putt (or two) to close out.
The record score, down a few times over the years, is 11 shots, including by pros Tim Clark and Garth Mulroy and Garth’s uncle, very talented amateur Robbie Small.
Naturally the landscape has changed over the decades and growth of trees, particularly around the halfway house and along the cross-over point between 14th and 2nd holes, as well as the introduction of the sloot on the 14th fairway have made the adventure that much more challenging.
This year’s winning score was 15 shots, made by new member Noel Parsonage in his first attempt, and by Riek Jansen van Rensburg. The ladies’ winner was Sabiha Bacaus who took 20 shots to hole out.
Jeremy Boyd’s consistently good golf continues into the new year as he lifted the first monthly mug for 2022 on nett 71.
Noel Parsonage won the A Division on 33 points, Jeremy Boyd the B Division on 35 points, and Vinesh Gounden the C Division on 35 points. The ladies medal glass was won by Max van den Heever on nett 76.
Trevor Osborne’s 38 points secured him victory by one point over Robbie Matthias in the first midweek competition for the year.
The remainder of the prizes were decided on count-outs on 36 points with Neil de Villiers placing third and Chris Viljoen fourth.
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