CLUB FOCUS
PRIDE
of place
Club Championships and the GolfRSA Champion of Champions National Final give all South African golfers a chance to shine
BY BEN KARPINSKI
Golf truly is a sport that brings South Africans of all ages and abilities together to participate in social and competitive events all year round.
Built around a network of golf clubs that have been pillars of local communities for many generations, the highlight is getting to play at your club’s annual Club Championship event.
It’s every member’s chance to be champions in their divisions. More importantly, though, it provides a pinnacle event that makes being a member of a club so special. Club memberships often get scrutinised for their costs, but such an event is a great example of how membership provides excellent value each year.
Though there are competitive member opportunities throughout the year, clubs take great pride in making this event super special. From conditioning the course to its highest standards, to creating post-round events for everyone to enjoy, it’s a terrific hallmark of the local club experience.
Amplifying this further, the GolfRSA Champion of Champions delivered by The Courier Guy National Final event is a celebration of all who took part and came out victorious from over 400 clubs in South Africa.
This year, this prestigious event is taking place from 3-5 November at Vaal de Grace Golf Estate. Time then to find out a little more about what makes it such a highlight on the golfing calendar.
Gallery below
A TOURNAMENT STRUCTURED FOR ALL
Starting in 2017, the aim of the GolfRSA Champion of Champions National Final was simple. Create a well-structured and thoroughly professionally run event, where the best club golfers in each of the men’s and women’s divisions not only get to compete against the best in the country, but also have a great deal of fun while doing so.
Along with the traditional A, B and C divisions for the men and women, the event also features a caddie division.
Last year, Luke Moore from Border and Southern Cape’s Isabella Ferreira both demonstrated their skill in windy conditions on the final day, emerging victorious in the A-Division contests at Pecanwood Golf and Country Club. In fact, the event celebrated seven first-time winners, with five of them qualifying for the very first time.
One of the great features of golf clubs in South Africa is the caddie culture, with many of them being accomplished players. So naturally, this division in the tournament is always hotly contended. At the 2024 event, Daniel Joseph was the overall winner with scores of 72 and 76 in blustery conditions in the seventh edition of the annual event held in the North West.
For some added camaraderie, there is also the team category. The players in the men’s and women’s divisions are grouped into the provinces their clubs belong to, with the best five Stableford scores on each of the two days from the provinces counting for score.
Last year, Boland and North West tied for top spot on 345, with Boland coming out as winners on a count-out determined by them having a better-performing sixth player.
REWARDING CONSISTENT SUCCESS
The journey to the GolfRSA Champion of Champions delivered by The Courier Guy National Final begins at the home clubs across the country.
From here, the winners at each club then compete at regional events, with the winners progressing to the main event.
It’s a process that rewards solid play throughout, ensuring that those who make it to the final are truly the best of the best. The ones who then raise the trophies can be proud of completing a golfing achievement that will be remembered for a lifetime.
Gallery below
REPRESENTING MORE THAN JUST THEMSELVES
Crowning champions is one thing, but another big factor of the GolfRSA Champion of Champions National Final is providing golfers the honour of representing their clubs and regions on such a meaningful stage.
Naturally, a great concentration of golf clubs is found around the major hubs of the country, but the beauty of this event sees golfers from rural outposts also teeing it up alongside golfers whose clubs are known for hosting big professional Tour events.
Then there is the added dynamic of the coastal golfers with their skills developed in varied weather conditions, taking on the best from the Highveld courses that are often a different golfing world conditions-wise.
Regardless of the backgrounds or abilities, all participants get the chance to prove their mettle in this most wonderful of golfing weekends, where new friends are made, and everyone gets a larger-than-life reminder of how special this game is to us all.
DEDICATED TO THE OVERALL EXPERIENCE
The thrill of the competition aside, a common theme of the event is the amount of enjoyment that is experienced by the players. A great deal of credit in this regard goes to Paul Adams and his team, who take tremendous pride in running this event.
Events like this are more than just a special weekend, of course. With many moving parts and opportunities to make a lasting impression, the commitment shown by those in the organisation and the execution really make it something to be proud of.
For those wanting to be a part of the fun in the future, it certainly does give some extra incentive to practise a little harder in the lead-up to the next Club Championships at their home clubs.
Shalen Ramcharan (greenkeeper), Marna Coetzee (marketing) and Derick Reinke (GM)
ROYAL JOHANNESBURG/GOLFRSA
