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Travel Stories

From: Pat Williams < Paterson@Patricroft.demon.co.uk >
Subject: Cape Town Golfing Holiday
Date: 14/5/1999

The reason for my absence is that I travelled to the Cape Town area for
a month's privately arranged golfing holiday for my wife and myself. I
knew nothing of the area before I went and found all the information
from the net. You may have noticed the name of Eddie Haynes-Smart on
this and other golf groups. He lives in cape Town so I E-mailed him to
ask for information and he came back with a good page of details without
any hesitation. After all arrangements for accommodation and car hire
had been completed (unfortunately) I had an unsolicited offer of a house
with a pool and a car in Cape Town from a South African who is at
present resident in the UK. I was lent a most superb little book about
golf courses in Cape Town, the surrounding area and the Garden route,
absolutely terrific. And all this from my PC, including the bargain fare
for the flight.

We flew KLM via Amsterdam and arrived in Cape Town after having a
conducted air tour around Table mountain by the pilot. It was an
unforgettable introduction to Cape Town by Boeing 747.400. Our
accommodations were all bed and breakfasts and varied between £15 and
£20 per night per person depending on location. Because of the
favourable exchange rate of the rand to the pound (10 to the UK pound
approx) all goods and services are very reasonable, by our standards. We
found it impossible to pay more than £5 for the most superb fillet steak
and similar meals. Wine, believe it or not, being produced almost in the
backyard, so to speak, was a similar price or a little cheaper than here
but that is all.

At last I arrive at golf. We played at 11 different courses some very
good, some average but none poor. The big advantage was the weather.
Temperatures were from 25 degrees to 41 degrees (bloody hot but that was
up in the foothills of the Karoo). A couple of months back I watched the
South African Open on TV being won by the local lad David Frost at
Stellenbosch. You may remember that Struyver was leading at the last
hole and pulled his second shot into the lake in front of the green to
let in Frost. Well I did exactly the same but not from the same tees. I
felt that I drowned in good company!! By the way the cost to play was
£15. We played at Clovelly which is the club from where Bobby Locke
originated. For those who are too young to remember him he won the Open
(you notice that I don't say British in company with Sandy 'Millport'.)
rather a few times. We played George which has the reputation (and I
support it) of being in the best half dozen in South Africa for £12.
A little gem of a course was Goose Valley. Nine holes of emerald green
golfing perfection for 55 rands (80 rands to play it twice for 18
holes). Some times it was too hot to pull a trolley so for the first
time ever we both experienced having caddies. Very knowledgeable young
fellows they turned out to be too.

This last little course is a must to tell to illustrate the helpfulness
we found everywhere. We drove into a little town called Swellendam at
about midday. The main street was filled with people walking everywhere.
there were bands playing on corners and choirs of coloured people
singing in the street. We went to find our B&B and went out again to
have a walk down this street and experience the local environment. There
wasn't a soul to be seen, not even a dog! It was absolutely deserted.
When we asked later we found out that this was a small market town which
started very early in the morning and went to sleep in the afternoon.
What a funny experience. Any back to golf we found the local nine hole
course at about two o'clock on Saturday afternoon. We went into the
deserted club room to be told that there was a private seventieth
birthday party being held and we should enquire in the bar about
playing. We went to the bar and there were two locals sitting having a
pint as well as the barman. I asked could we play and was told 'Yes'.
Could I have two pull trolleys? The caddymaster has gone home for the
day! Could we have two caddies then? All the caddies have gone until
tomorrow. Do you have an electric buggy? One of the members has one and
he would hire it to you. How do I go about it? At that the barman gave
his keys to the two locals and told them to mark up what they drank on
the slate. We took my car and weaved our way through the town to reach
this member's house about a mile away. No answer to the knock on the
door. He knocks on next door and the lady of the house comes to the door
and has some conversation. She then comes out with some keys and goes
over to the house on the opposite side of the road and opens the garage.
There is a buggy but try as he might the barman couldn't get it running
even though he tried for 15 minutes. So after extending our thanks it
was back to the golf club where the two were still drinking. Ultimately
I said could we perhaps go out on the course to play nine holes just
carrying five clubs. No problem said he. How much, said I? Twenty rands
each for nine holes!!!

To finish off the story the course was in good condition but situated on
top of a plateau hill and was dominated by a huge mountain range with
absolutely stunning scenery. There were two peaks called '12 O'clock'
and '1 O'clock' which were absolutely fantastic. It was difficult to
concentrate without looking around. We came upon a single golfer playing
two or three balls in front of us who immediately stood aside and waved
us through. It turned out that he was a Scratch player just out
practising on his own. What an example for golf manners.

Two stories of golf personalities from the trip.

At Clovelly we got teamed up with a German orthopaedic surgeon called
Rudi from Hamburg and a South African chap, Larry. Rudi was off 28 and
Larry was off 4. This guy Larry hit the ball further than Steve Walker!!
He was huge off the tee. I got talking to him and he said that he was
off scratch at age of 18 but gave the game up. I asked why and he said
it was driving him mad. By the end of the round he was driving us all
mad for he was loud and boorish and screamed his head off if he missed a
short putt. The whole course could hear him. I was glad to be the other
side of the fairway from him by the end of the round. By contrast Rudi
was trying hard all the time and succeeding a great deal of it and had
great course manners. At the end of the game I invited him to play on a
members invite to Mowbray the following day. I wouldn't want to play
with the lower handicap guy again.

At Stellenbosch my wife wasn't playing so I asked the lady Pro if she
could fix me up with a game and she introduced me to a young chap of
about 21 to play with who was going out on his own. He didn't hit the
ball quite as far as Larry. He was only about as long as Steve Walker
but was he accurate. He turned out to be playing off +1 and did it show.
In July he is off to study psychology in Phoenix on a golf studentship.
he gets all of his tuition, accommodation, golf fees, golf coaching,
golf equipment and is paid a living expense amount too. He was the
perfect playing partner, a real young gentleman.

What a difference between two golfing characters of a somewhat similar
ability.

I trust that you haven't been bored with my waffling on but if you can
find the time and money to get away to South Africa for golf you will
not regret it. Just by the way of interest we never felt threatened or
intimidated in the whole four weeks despite reports to the contrary
prior to our departure. However we were told that it may not be the same
if we visited the Johannesburg area. But that is also heresay.

Have a good season all of you.
--
Pat Williams
Work is a pastime for those who have not discovered the game of golf.

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