Gary Player Country Club Open for Play.
When the COVID-19 pandemic unexpectedly forced the world to shut down. There were periods of uncertainty when it came to whether major tournaments would take place. To every golfers disappointment, the decision to cancel or postpone some of the biggest and longest running majors was announced. The world was under attack from a virus that was spreading like wildfire and no one was safe. In all of this was of course Africa’s Major, The Nedbank Golf Challenge held at the Gary Player Country Club Sun City Resort. On it’s 40th Anniversary, Sun City Resort had to announce that the 2020 Nedbank Golf Challenge would be cancelled and the whole resort went into lockdown. For my own selfish reasons, my heart broke but with entirely understanding the circumstances involved in that decision, human lives first.
As much as this is the time in the year where all African golfers, pro or amateur get to see up close and personal. All of our favourite golfers from around the world battle and fight in our very own backyard. We get to use our own notes and experiences on how we might have tackled the same holes they were tackling. It is our time to shine when routing for the local boys at home, knowing that they can feel the energy and love on their home ground. A time where we get to see another new addition of a South African golfer making the list of Nedbank Golf Challenge players and hear their beautiful heartwarming stories of how many times they walked the tournament as kids hoping that one day they would too get to play there as a professional among the greats. As one of the Nedbank Golf Challenges biggest fans, one of my dreams is to see more black South African golfers make that field.
I am one of the amateur golfers lucky enough to get the chance to play in the LAST ROUND before the preparations for the tournament. This round happens a month before the Nedbank Challenge and its an official shut down of the course to the public while the team prepares the course for the pros and what usually turns out to be a spectacular set up and event. By this time, the grandstand on 18 is already going up and structures are being erected all and around the course. One can not help but feel the magic happening in that moment already. One of the many joys the pandemic has managed to steal is getting to take part in the the 2020 FINAL ROUND.
After months of complete shutdown, lockdown levels and hardly any activity. Golf was slowly and finally coming back and Level 1 came with some much needed good news of travel within the country and the tourism industry could now resume. This was topped of by an invitation to play in what was being called the FIRST ROUND on the 19th September. A symbolic return of golf at the resort with the First Round since the reopening of golf courses nationwide. Sun MVG loyalty golfers had the chance to win R1 million prize for a hole-in -one on the par 3, hole 12. As the 12 hole would have it, no one won. One of the most deceiving holes on the course I think, looks short, plays longer and I can never read that green. Perfect place for a challenge.
Driving into the resort I was met with a number of COVID security checks that will put every cautious person at ease. Even more checks as one checks in at the VIP desk at SOHO and even more checks at the hotel check-in at The Palace and in no way did I find any of this tedious. Instead, I found it comforting to see measures that have been taken for guests and staffs well being. In just a short time of opening, the resort was already bustling with guests. Imagine that for a second…in all of 40 years, the resort had never not had guests. It had never not had golfers coming in to try their luck on the extremely challenging Gary Player country Club. Wanting to know what that experience was like and the challenges that came with it. I sat down with Brett Hoppe, General Manger Sun City Resort and later with Ken Payet, Operations Manager for Sport and Recreation at Sun City.
After going on at length about my heartache of the cancellation of the Nedbank Challenge, I finally let Ken say a word or two.
“The initial part of lockdown was OK because it was only supposed to be 3 weeks. Then it got extended for another 2 weeks. Even then we were still quite optimistic about having the event. Unfortunately as it went on it became more and more difficult to see it happening. The inability to put on an event that we know and love for so many years, crowds, grandstands, networking, socializing was one of the huge factors in our decision. Also being out 40th addition, it was best to cancel the event and move it to next year where we hope we will be in a better position to have an event. We feel it was the right decision. During this time we had a small grounds team and we tried to maintain the course as best as we could. We didn’t do anything with the bunkers, we cut the tees, the fairways and the greens. We just did the bare minimum and it was a nice opportunity to do a some pruning on both golf courses of trees that had outgrown and blocked views and we managed to opened up the golf courses a bit.” – Ken Payet
After talking to Ken and stepping on to the first tee at hole number 1 I had high hopes of not losing any balls on this course this time around. The field was full and I and I, a rose among thorns. I choose to hit off of the men’s tee box on hole 1 and I walk away with a par. OK Gary Player, its you and I today me thinks. I did go on to play the rest of the game from the ladies. My first 9 was the best 9 I have ever played on this course but of course I was never prepared for the crumble on the back 9. I tried to finish strong but my dream of shooting 90 or less at Gary Player was shattered. I did however manage to not swim on my nemesis hole, hole 9 and went off at 18 with a Callaghan for my round, thanks to my caddy who managed to find the couple of balls I thought I had lost. The course is looking amazing, the greens are exactly what you would expect from Gary Player Country Club, well manicured and difficult to read. It was such a wonderful thing to see everyone happy to be back on the fairways.
“For a resort that’s operated for 40 years, 365 days of the year to suddenly be locked down in March. No people, no cars, we had a small team of people working and a small team of ground staff. You kind of walk through the hotel lobby’s and it’s only your footsteps echoing. So it was a bit eerie in a way. It became quite emotional as it unfolded and endured for longer and longer. Simply because of my role at Sun City, you consider yourself responsible for the staff. We’ve been in lockdown for 177 days, the caddies haven’t worked for 177 days. Thankfully at Sun City all green fees contribute to the caddy foundation so what we managed to do with that is use those funds to create food parcels and from a resort point of view we contributed to that at varies intervals. We were able to do food vouchers for the caddies to help them sustain themselves. The lockdown has given us chance to look at the things we can improve on and implement those and change the way we do business where change needs to happen. So we are ready to welcome our guests back. We are prepared and we’ve spent a lot of time around Covid protocol. In essence we’ve tried to create a bubble at Sun City that complies with track and trace and our philosophy is, if you feel safe and the family feels safe then we are ideally positioned because once you’re in at Sun City, you don’t have to feel exposed. We are doing fully inclusive packages for families both at Cabanas and at The Palace. We have the ability to do high end fully inclusive”- Brett Hoppe
The hospitality from The Palace and the resort staff is always a highlight for me and this place leaves me with a feeling of looking forward to getting back every time I leave. Thank you Sun City Resort.
Catch you on the fairways.
This Girl's Golf Diary 