On the wild side

THE FIRST round was played on the Gary Player Golf Course, which is a walking only course and clearly the most challenging of the three courses played. Every golfer knows Gary’s passion for physical fitness and this course certainly tested the team with the scores reflecting its toughness.

The second round was played on the Lost City Golf Course in carts, which was an absolute blessing for all the competitors, particularly in view of the daily temperatures which were in the mid-30 degrees Celsius with no humidity. As a result, the scores were much more respectable.

After six nights of absolute opulence at The Palace, Sun City, the group headed North East for Leopard Creek for the final two rounds. Leopard Creek Country Club must be every golfer’s dream. The course borders Kruger National Park on the banks of the Crocodile River. Every aspect of the club can only be described as magnificent, and we all felt privileged to be able to play the course twice. Its natural beauty left us speechless, as did the island greens on the ninth and 18th holes, which are situated right in front of the clubhouse. Another hole worthy of praise is the short par five 13th hole, which is described by most touring pros as one of the best on tour. Its green is elevated and overlooks the watering hole for the wildlife. During our stay we were fortunate to see hippos, crocodiles and a multitude of other wildlife.

This part of South Africa is a must-do on the bucket list for any golfer, or nongolfer. Truly spectacular.

The winner of the Shield is the golfer with the best four out of six stableford rounds. This year’s winner, by one stroke was two-time previous winner, Dean Lucas with 135 points. Second place went to another of our great supporters, Glenn Cooper, on 134 points. Not to be forgotten was our third place getter, Nicole Bowman with 132. Nicole has been knocking at the door for several years now and perhaps next year she’ll take the top spot. Her performance is worthy of praise when one considers the strength of the opposition with such great golfers as Don Harris, Ivan Cottom and our very own, Robyn Napier, who on this occasion was desperately unlucky. However, a special thanks must go to all of our competitors for their tremendous support of this very prestigious event. AMA (NSW) remains undefeated in the history of the competition.

Next year’s venue is yet to be decided, but the organising committee agrees that it must be a venue with a much shorter travel time from Australia.

Good golfing to all our Golf Society members. The Society looks forward to seeing you at one of our future events.

For any enquiries concerning any aspect of the Golf Society or future events, please contact Claudia Gillis at AMA (NSW) on 9439 8822.