Top field gathers for Sanlam SA Women's Amateur Golf Championship

Two of the top contenders for the sixth Sanlam SA Women's Amateur Golf Championship have underlined their good form in the run-up to the showpiece, scheduled for the Western Cape this month.
 
Smooth-swinging Bertine Strauss and number two Kim Williams will be showcasing their skills to local fans when the 92^nd edition of South Africa’s premier women’s amateur tournament is staged at the picturesque Royal Cape Golf Club from April 19-24.

Rustenberg’s Strauss, the recent winner of the Eastern Cape and Western Province Match Play Championships, currently tops both the Junior and Senior Ladies Rankings, while Pretoria’s Williams clinched the KZN double, the North West Stroke Play Championship and was the top amateur at the SA Open in recent weeks.

“We have a tremendous field for the event and the latest results clearly show the top contenders are in good form,” said Gary van Loggerenberg, sponsorship manager of Sanlam Group Marketing & Communications.

“This is great news for the tournament and for the local fans, who can look forward to seeing some fantastic action at Royal Cape later this month.”

 

Since the launch of the Sanlam Cancer Challenge in 1993, the financial institution has built a proud association with amateur golf and, in addition to the both the men and women’s SA Amateur Championships, Sanlam also sponsors the Cape Province Open and SAGES Nationals.

 

“Sanlam is committed to providing opportunities amateur golfers and we are delighted to welcome a field of 143 players, including golfers from six African countries to this year’s event,” Van Loggerenberg said.

 

Other in-form contenders in the field expected to challenge for the prestigious title include Connie Chen, the third ranked player in South Africa, Monique Smit, who is competing in limited events this year as she completes her matric, as well as Yvette du Plessis, winner of the Western Province Strokeplay and runner-up to Strauss in the Matchplay.

 

Looking at the outside the top 10, Humewood ace Tanica van As and and Vryburg's Nicole Becker could cause a major upset. Van As recently completed a golf scholarship in the USA while Becker won the Eastern Cape Strokeplay Championship in March.

 

A championship course that has hosted the SA Open 10 times and the SA Amateur Championships eight times, Royal Cape is the oldest course in South Africa and one of the finest challenges in the Western Cape.

 

The layout is peppered with stunning holes, which will require careful negotiation and disciplined course management. The Sanlam SA Women's Amateur Golf Championship guarantees to deliver six days of spectacular golf.

UNDERBERG

Once a year, over 700 paddlers flock to Underberg to take part in the Hansa Powerade Drakensberg Challenge canoe race. It’s a 2 day river race over sixty five kilometers that is set in some of the world’s best scenery. I was lucky enough to cover the race for SAfm sport and I got to see what it takes to organize, take part in and enjoy the 2005 Drak Challenge.

But this is not about the race, which is for another place and another time, this is about the area.

The Umzimkulu starts high in the mountains and relies on the rainfall at any particular time of year for its strong flow. Winter snow melts and creates that season’s flow and the summer rain of Underberg makes the Umzimkulu come down in flood many times a year. It is not the largest of rivers but what it lacks in size is made up for in just about every other area. The water is crystal clear. Unlike other rivers that I saw in the area, there was no sediment from washed away banks or erosion. I was told that you could even drink the water if you wanted. Did I try? No.

Underberg is a small village that is experiencing some rapid growth. District roads are being tarred and this has helped the tourism in the area as one of the farmers was telling me. A few years ago, the Drakensberg Gardens hotel would be full over the weekend with hardy travelers in 4x4’s, daring the 30km road from the village into the mountains. Now, he told me, three busses drive in twice a week full of German tourists, who can now experience the majesty of the Southern Drakensberg.

And majestic is what they are. Day one of the Drak Challenge stated on the first bit of navigable section of the Umzimkulu. The drive on the newly tarred road was fantastic with the rally driver in me wanting to let loose. As we turned the final corner, the mists lifted and the mountains appeared and showed their entire early morning splendor. We drove into the mountains with the rising sun behind us and the colours were spectacular. But I get ahead of myself.

As a Jo’burg boy, it is quite a drive to Underberg and its surrounds. If you obey all the speed limits and add a bit on for good measure, it’s at least a five hour drive. From Durban, it is just under 2 hours. Once you hit Hilton, turn off the N3 highway and make your way deep into the Southern Drakensberg along a rather scenic road that winds through local farm land, rural communities and small villages. Make sure you have enough in your gas tank before you make the turn though, the next filling station is a long way away.

More than likely, when you get into Underberg, it will be cloudy, especially if you get there in a summer afternoon. The heat of the day forces the humid KwaZulu Natal air high up into the mountains and that only means one thing, rain. And what lovely rain it is. Watching a thunderstorm from the balcony of your bed and breakfast nook, overlooking the mountains of South Africa must compare to one of the all time best things to do in life. Scratch that, watching a thunderstorm at night is the best thing to do.

Underberg is famous for the Splashy Fen music festival, held on Splashy Fen farm. We stayed on a farm not far from there. Many farms now, because of the booming tourist trade, have created small, self-catering cottages for anything from two to ten people. The place we stayed was the old farm house with a couple off additions as the years had past. Log fire in the lounge, breakfast nook cum bar with a view of the mountains, microwave and all the other luxuries of a modern kitchen and even a quarter size snooker table. Power outages are common in the region and there was even a wood burning stove for those long cold nights with no electricity, which, let’s face it, is actually great.

Accommodation in the area ranges from rustic camping to five star hotels. The choices are endless and the best spot to find exactly what you are looking for is http://www.sanisaunter.com/ .

When you get there, what do you do? Now there lies the rub. If you can think it you can do it, except maybe going mall ratting and if you are in Underberg and you have the inclination to go mall ratting, then stop reading this now, close your web browser and sit in a dark room until I say you can come out, the men in white coats will be thee soon.

Bike rides, mountain hikes, fishing, canoeing, rafting, if you can dream it, you can do it. We went through the gorge of the mighty Umzimkulu below Underberg on two man inflatable rafts. It’s not exactly the Camel man stuff I was expecting but it still gets the heart pounding. The scenery is again like nothing else and you realize just how few people have been where you are. I like that.

A weekend doesn’t really justify a trip to the Southern Drakensberg and at least 3 nights should be spent in the area. The roads are not brilliant, especially if you decide to get off the district roads. My Fiat Palio took a bit of strain on the wet dirt roads but nothing too bad. All the locals own 4x4 type vehicles and if you have one, use it, the ride is just more comfortable.

Relax, unwind and absorb the mountain air of the Southern Drakensberg, you will not regret it.