[email protected]’m often asked how
many different golf
courses I’ve played
in my lifetime as an
inveterate traveller
and golf writer.The
question must have something to do with
my age; the older you are the more likely
you have accumulated some astonishing
number.
The truth be told, I’m not sure of the
exact number. I might be dozens out.
Many courses played during youthful
adventures have been lost in the mists of
time.They weren’t famous, I can tell you
that. One in Australia was crowded with
kangaroos. Does a GolfCross course in
Argentina count? I wasn’t aware that it
might be important to keep tabs for later
in life. Notching up lists wasn’t big back
then.
And the number I have today isn’t
all that high anyway considering my
profession and passion for golf. It remains
in three figures. Surely it should be in the
thousands, queried someone? Do people
think this position of mine doesn’t entail
any actual work?
At the rate I’m going I might never
reach my first thousand, unless I start
playing a new course every week. My list
only expands by about 20 annually. Part of
the problem lies in the fact that once you
have exhausted the local tracks, you need
to travel overseas to rack up significant
numbers.
American golfers have thousands to
their credit, thanks to an endless source of
courses (15 000 compared to our 400 plus)
which they can drive to from their homes.
We once carried a story of a bereaved
American who consoled himself by going
on a road trip to play golf in each of the
50 states.
I’ve played roughly half the courses in
this country, and it’s been nearly a year
since I was at one I’d never seen before
(Graaff-Reinet – very good). And, like a
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Reproduction New Media PublishingPublished by New Media Publishing (Pty) Ltd,
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Web: http://www.newmediapub.co.zaBEHIND THE SCENES
RECALLING COURSES YOU’VE PLAYED
6 / JANUARY 2018 / GOLFDIGEST.CO.ZA
All rights reserved. Whereas precautions have been taken
to ensure the accuracy of information, neither the editor,
publisher nor New Media Publishing can be held liable for any
inaccuracies, injury or damages that may arise. The opinions
expressed in the articles may not reflect those of the publisher.jaded prospector, I thought I’d uncovered
all the local gems. Perhaps I should explore
more, like our Travelling Golfer, Heinrich
du Preez, who set himself the challenge of
playing a course connected to every letter
of the alphabet (Page 71), the more rural
the better. He’d rather go to Boggomsbaai
than Bryanston. Did you know there’s
nothing here which begins with Y? Du
Preez loves fi nding obscure courses in the
remotest corners, and the journey there is
essentially the fun part of being a collector.
You need to take the back roads though.
I did detour to Springs CC the other
day, curious to see if it was still going. I
retain a memory from the late 1970s of
watching Wayne Player compete in an
amateur tournament there. I didn’t have
time to play 18, but walked some holes.
It’s on a beautiful parkland site, yet there’s
a ghostly feel to it today. The clubhouse
is half-abandoned and there are no tee
markers to tell which hole you are playing.
But the pro shop is operational and golfers
are still playing, at R50 a round. I’m always
struck by the ability of golf courses to
survive the worst.
I never leave a club without a scorecard,
and that’s how I now keep track of the
courses I’ve played. Some cards are a work
of art.
There is an easier way though. If you
can remember all the courses you’ve
played, and intend to substantially grow
the list, there’s now a free app to download.
Sunshine Tour pro Andrew Georgiou and
his dad Tony from Somerset West have
conceived GolfPlayed (page 30) where you
can list your courses, compare them with
others, and form a social network with
your buddies. It’s another clever South
African innovation which Andrew plans to
launch at the PGA Show in January.By Stuart McLean, Editor
I
01 / 18