Even without green jackets and caddies in white boiler suits, Sardinia Bay Golf Club’s fifth annual club championships delivered some masterful moments.
For one, Janine Lee delivered a masterclass in percentage golf on the Gqeberha course to successfully defend the title she had won last year.
Wayne Broedelet also mastered the testing conditions to emerge top dog among the men for the first time.
To compete in the 36-hole tournament held over two days every autumn, players must be full, South African Golf Association handicapped members.
The respective champions are invited to represent the club at the regional finals, where a further victory earns him or her a place in the nationals.
What separates Sardinia Bay’s in-house championships from many others in the Bay is the fun spirit in which opponents are cut down to size.
While every reputable golfer obviously wants to take home the trophy, and the bragging rights that come with it, it is equally important to have a good story to tell once the scorecards have been handed in for scrutinising.
Marlene Groenewald, captain of Sards’ women’s league team, tees up with the goal of carving out a winning story rather than winning round.
“Many of the higher-handicapped players and I take part to support the club and the mates who actually stand a chance to win,” she said.
“It’s special as the club is closed to visitors and us members have the course to ourselves.”
She thought it was uplifting to check in “with a little bit of banter” on the progress of the other players when their paths cross out on the course.
While Lee may be a champion of the turf, she is equally adept at the wisecracks described by Groenewald.
“I love the wind – it messes with others’ heads!” was one of her holes in one.
Heavy gusts, and even the wet, tend to bring out her best with club in hand.
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On the first day of the tournament, played in a gale, she produced a conservative game that slowly but surely strangled the life out of the other competitors.
“If I went belly-up on a hole, I put it behind me immediately,” Lee explained her thought process that led to her reaching the clubhouse as co-leader of the women’s competition.
“On the second day the weather was much better, but I went out with the same mindset.”
If it was a Par 4, she wanted to par it.
“You can get into a situation where you think about playing the player rather than the course. That’s what I tried to avoid.”
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