Throwback 2018

IT’S A WRAP!

It’s the last month of the year and all of a sudden 2018 seems like it went by so fast. I can not help but think of all the golfing highlights and the incredible #Buckelisting that i have managed to get done this year.   January kicked off with the European Tour BMW SA Open hosted by the City of eKurhuleni at the beautiful Glendower golf Club. One of the oldest championships in the world saw its first two black golfers make the cut. Musiwalo Nethunzwi and Toto Thimba created such a moment that had everyone cheering as they walked up the 18th green holding the South African flag between them. That particular moment will forever be an important one in SA Open and golf history.

The ladies season started off with The Tshwane Ladies Open hosted by the always challenging Pretoria Country Club. The tournament saw their prize money being raised to R400 000 this year by their sponsor Canon. Of course compared to the men’s purse, it seems like peanuts but it is a good raise nonetheless, which was much needed in the Sunshine Ladies Tour. A very deserved Stacey Bregman took home the silverware. This was followed by The Joburg Open ProAm that was held at the much anticipated Soweto Country Club and the official shut down for the club that has been undergoing an entire revamp, redo, upgrade, facelift….by the Gary Player Design team. As the original course designer in 1972, Soweto Country Club has a special place in Gary’s heart and taking on this project again came naturally. Gary Player is providing his services at no cost and is determined to give back to the game of golf by providing opportunities and inspiring young golfers in the Soweto  and surrounding communities. The course is scheduled to reopen in 2019 and we wait in anticipation.

One of my favourite highlights for the year was the big hitting Nobuhle Dlamini’s win in the Sunshine Ladies Tour. FINALLY! Having had a few close calls and being on the verge of winning in several tournaments. She clenched a title in the form of the SuperSport Ladies Challenge hosted at the Wild Coast Sun Country Club in March this year. I’ve been watching her for several years now and the confidence in which she finished that tournament proved that she was definitely ready for the big leagues. Fast forward November and she is winning the Pre-Qualifiers final stage of Lalla Aicha Tour School in Morocco, which has landed her a spot in the final stage of Lalla Aicha Tour School 16-20 December. I’m excited for what Nobuhle is doing for every young black girl golfer out there. It’s bigger than her and I’m here for it. 

2018 was about traveling with the golf clubs and experiencing new courses. In total I managed to collect 12 new flags and I still have 28 days left in the calendar. The prettiest drive came when I to Hans Marensky Golf Club, Golfing In The Wild. It was never on the list but somehow it made it. Traveling through Magoebaskloof turned out to be the hightlight. May came and my #Bucketlisting and #FlagCollecting picked up momentum. My  American Summer (winter) in the US with family kicked off my bucket list adventure with me playing a course I’ve wanted to play for the past 9 years. A private course in the heart of Birmingham, Alabama. A place I call home and was home.  Inverness Country Club, a championship course with the #1 Clubhouse. What an experience, a Southern welcome to the club. 

My return home to a cold July was definitely warmed up by my next course to play, I finally made it to Blair Atholl. In the midst of winter it was dry and cold and I didn’t have the best game. I had been waiting so long to play here and my experience was dampened by the harsh joburg winter. Though the  beauty and elegance of it did not go pass me and it was the best time ever with the ladies that came out to play. The next one on the list was a serious wowza and I was excited for it.  The Links at Fancourt, could easily be the best course I have played this year, where I discover I actually have a thing for links courses or was it just that particular links course. I plan to test that theory next year. I discovered knysna in a beautiful way, the way of the picturesque Simola Country Club and the absolute lush Outiniqua Golf Course. I haven’t even scratched surface of this golfing paradise that is the Western Cape. I was pretty sure nothing could top this until I found out I was going to play with the legendary Gary Player and Nedbank defending champion Branden Grace at Blair Atholl hosted by SAP. Surely this was it, I can now retire my bucket list? If I tell you this is by far the highlight of all golf highlights to date, you will not need convincing. Back at Blair Atholl after the rains was like experiencing a whole new course. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL! Playing with and watching Grace up close and the gracefulness in which he hits that ball has to be on my  top 5 things done this year. I followed Gary’s instructions and I swung my hips and pointed my toes so much that day, I woke up the next morning with everything hurting. Muscles I had forgotten exist and my hips a little tender. I call it The Gary Effect. Seriously, I’m happy to just retire whatever it is I’m doing but wait, there’s more. The Nedbank Golf Challenge came with all its glory and boy was I there to see it all inside the ropes. I stalked Rory, selfied with Sergio, pictured with Ryder Cup winning captain Thomas Bjørn, had a chat with Westwood before the banger of a win, touched Martin Kaymer :-), found all my favourites Stone, Fritelli, at the beach party. Met new favourites and had a blast of a time. I was ready to call it quits and The Gary Player Invitational invite came through. It could really have been my Christmas party right there because that was it for the year. The cherry on top. WHAT A TIME. As I edit this from the Island of Mauritius for the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open…..

2019 is proving to be geared up for more golf and it’s adventures. Starting of with the bucket listed San Lameer Golf Club in South Coast of the majestic Kwa-Zulu Natal, for the  The PLeace Awaken Celebrity & Living Legends Golf Tour. A series of celebrity golf events, initiated to bring people of influence from entertainment, sports and politics together for change. As an international roundtable and think-tank, PLeace G.O.L.F. sets the stage with music, food and roundtable discussions to shed light on environmental, socio-economic and humanitarian issues, momentarily tearing apart communities and even whole nations. The approach of PLeace Awaken is to bring insiders, experts and pioneers of working solutions in front of a highly influential international audience of celebrities, dignitaries and world economic leaders by getting them together for a round of golf and help create positive change at grass root level in different areas around the world. If you can make it to this event, please do because it is going to be that one golf event you wish you had made time for. 

 Also, TIGER WOODS is back. In Tiger Woods words “the entire year has been amazing.”