to go walking at night alone with a gold Rolex
on your wrist and a back pocket bulging with
a fat wallet (not recommended attire in most
parts of the World it has to be said – sadly!),
should be limited to a succession of three putts
on the superfast USGA spec greens that you
will find on many of the region’s golf layouts.
That said there can be real dangers on course as
an American tourist found out at Sun City.
This was after he had nipped into the water
hazard at the 13th hole at the Lost City course
to retrieve his golf ball.
This par 3 is a pulpit hole designed to give the
players an aerial view of the green which is
shaped like the outline of Africa.
To the left of the green, and where the Atlantic
would lap the shores of West Africa on this
miniature continent, is a large water hazard.
The very steep walls from the green’s apron
down to its base should be dead giveaway to
the fact that the crocodiles basking in the sun,
on various sections of dry land in this enclosure
(which it what it is), and onto one of which the
American golfer’s golf ball had landed, are not
‘plastic’ but very much the real thing and very
large!
Fortunately they are also extremely well fed,
and while sunning themselves and replete
with food they must have ascribed the sudden
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Destination Golf .TRAVEL
intrusion, of a loudly dressed two legged
creature, to the vicissitudes of wandering
tourists and happily chose to ignore the
interloper – this time!
The Lowveld region in Mpumalanga, large parts
of which border the Kruger National Park,
provides different challenges.
Hans Merensky has seen professional golfers
chased off course during a tournament by
aggressive (and extremely dangerous) Buffalo,
while it is common for gentler types, such as
giraffe, warthog and various species of buck, to
meander across the fairways.
A trip to the course was never complete for
me without taking a moment to stand on the
bridge and watch the hippo’s blowing bubbles in
the water hazard in front of the par 3, 17th hole.
In the same area and during a golf tournament I
was running at the original Skukuza GC - 9 very
tricky holes in those days - play had to be held
up as a pack of wild dogs had run a buck down
on one of the fairways.
As the golf course was unfenced and actually
within the Kruger Park, there was always the
likelihood on the 9th green that players would
need to shoo off a warthog or two and their
offspring who had taken up residence in the
storm drain under the nearby road!
Driving up from the Lowveld and the near