Part 7
I MUST apologise to my valued regular readers for last week’s unscheduled intermission. My work/life balancing act was at a level beyond my mortal capability and I had to acknowledge my limitations.
Thankfully, I am back now and in addition to today’s theme, I have some interesting news to share with you all first: This week, as part of the work I do for the Papwa Sewgolum Golf Foundation, I will be walking “inside the ropes” at the Bain’s Whiskey Cape Town Open being hosted at Royal Cape and Rondebosch Golf Clubs, accompanied by the Sunshine Tour Commissioner Thomas Abt, to experience what it takes to successfully host a Sunshine and European Challenge Tour co-sanctioned event.
Why might you wonder? As eager as I am to blurt it all out now, that’s exciting news for another article in the near future!
This news dovetails neatly into today’s topic, what active role does black owned businesses and government play in the transformation of golf?
Please don’t misunderstand me on this point of discussion.
I’m not implying that the unavoidable victims of the inhumane, segregated, and unequal regime of apartheid is expected to fix the still prevalent disparity in golf by themselves.
The Sunshine Tour and its associated structures such as Golf RSA and the South African Golf Development Board (SAGDB) understand and accept that they need to play a leading role in this regard.
Is there a disconnect between what they’re doing and what needs to be done?
Yes. Can their efforts in this regard be improved?
Yes. Is there a willingness to improve and enhance the impact of their efforts in this regard?
I believe there is.
Have a look at the ownership of the organisations who are partners/sponsors on the Sunshine Tour website – it’s not hard to identify the point I’m trying to illustrate in the context of this article’s theme.
The tour thrives because of the indelible support they receive from these partners.
I raise this point not to call them out, but to call out th government and all the black owned businesses who have benefited immensely from BBBEE that was implemented to redress economic disparity. But what are they contributing to golf’s transformation process?
In my opinion, none. Or at best, not enough. I do invite those with differing opinions to present what meaningful or legacy impact they can put forth as proud evidence of their efforts toward golf’s transformation.
Development support is needed at two levels:
1. At grassroots level. In the same manner that Baker’s Biscuits and later KFC embraced cricket’s transformation through the mini-cricket programme at primary schools.
I can confidently say that because of the Baker’s mini-cricket programme when I was a primary school kid, and PPC Cement’s sponsorship, our school had a synthetic cricket pitch, batting nets, and cricket gear.
Now I wasn’t very sporty growing up. Quite the opposite actually. But through their intervention I met Gary Kirsten while at his at his prime, I was so inspired by his presence and motivational talk that I decided to try out for the team.
This brings back an embarrassing memory (cringe!).
So, the try-outs was announced and we had to wear white trousers and sneakers to the proceedings that was held inside the school hall – spectators and all.
The thing is, I didn’t have any white trousers nor white sneakers. And I didn’t want to stand out by wearing a different colour pants. So, I reluctantly wore the only white pants I had – a pair of long-johns!
Yes – I did! Picture a tall skinny boy, mushroom (bakkie/helmet) haircut, in long-johns dangling at his ankles, wearing school shoes and a white t-shirt … I foolishly drew even more attention to myself doing this than had I worn a pair of eccentric Loudmouth trousers!
As mortified as I was, I took the ball did my run-up, bowled, and hit the stumps! I did it again and again! A hattrick! I unassumingly and with much excitement became one of Mandalay Primary’s opening bowlers for Grades 6 and 7 – passionately coached by PT teacher Mr Jacobs and at times also by the current Principal Mr Isaacs.
Some of my peers went on to achieve provincial cricket colours. I’m not sharing this anecdote as a matter of pride (LOL!), I mean, it was during Grade 6 and 7 for crying out loud – but rather to somewhat demonstrate the positive impact that grassroots sport development can have.
Structural issues aside within CSA, today cricket looks good from a player transformation perspective.
So, who knows what the golf landscape would look like today if golf was as present and accessible at public schools as cricket, soccer, netball, and rugby is?
We don’t see this kind of grassroots investment golf. And it’s a confusing anomaly to me because a notable amount of the directors and executives at these black-owned companies, as well as politicians, play golf.
Driven by the Sunshine Tour the Soweto Country Club was upgraded not too many years ago at a cost of around R35 million, to serve as a beacon to the community.
An amazing and commendable commitment to making the sport more accessible.
We need the government and black owned businesses to match this kind of community investment.
Build a 9-hole housing estate areas such as Mitchells Plain, a populous region with enough construction entrepreneurs and “ambagsmanne” (tradesmen) to build it, and spending power to keep it as going and growing concern.
Within this precinct there should be an aspirational housing development, a community-based skills development centre, a co-working space for resident entrepreneurs and schools such as Curro Delft’s DigiEd school.
This is the kind of development the Cape Flats needs. Not more of the same!
2. The second area of support that golf needs from our government and black owned businesses is at a professional level.
Golf is unlike a club sport or one where you can make the National team.
No sir! Once an amateur decides he/she wants to create a career playing golf, they must fund that ambition themselves. There’s no salary, no home base, no medical aid, no pension/provident fund, no travel allowance, no sports psychologist, or team physio. Nada! Niks! They earn an income by winning tournaments or at least making the cut.
They must fund things such as but not limited to, tournament entry fees, travel costs all over the country throughout the year (possibly to Europe too if they play well enough), equipment subsistence while on tour, coaching and clothing.
How many other sports do you know of that place so much non-sport related pressure on a player before he/she even takes to the field, court, or course of play?
Just the other day I saw a social media post by a PGA coach appealing for sponsors to align with a talented black golfer who is making cut-after-cut but has no sponsors – This kid qualified for the recent DiDATA PROAM and the Cape Town Open but could not participate because he couldn’t cover all the tournament related expenses. It is a painful reminder of how much work still needs to be done. I’ve reached out to this coach offering to lend my voice to his player’s cause. It’s all I can offer right now, but try to help is the least I can do.
We shouldn’t wait for anyone to come knocking for assistance. We need to take a proactive approach and go looking for talent to support in any field of sport, to validate, motivate and cultivate them to be the best they can be. This is the spirit of Ubuntu.
Lion of Africa Insurance, one of the first, if not the first Level 1 BBBEE insurance companies did at one point take up the lead sponsor role of the Cape Town Open. How much of that sponsorship went to player support programmes or to grassroots development, if any? I don’t know.
Most recently, local wholesaler the Kit Kat Group sponsored the Kit Kat Group PROAM, a Sunshine Tour event. Sadly, that event got rained out and will hopefully be replayed soon. I am very pleased to see them getting involved in the sport at this level. It’s very encouraging and exciting to me. From what I’ve seen on TV, they appear to be very capable golfers too. I hope that in addition to the commercial ROI of their sponsorship they also explore how they can be a catalyst for access to the sport, for the sons and daughters of their customers
IOL
Jehad is a social entrepreneur in the media sector and serves on the board of Mitchells Plain Golf Club, Papwa Sewgolum Golf Foundation, and the Lungile Mtshotwana Foundation.
Follow Jehad’s Far From Par series every Tuesday, a ten-part series by about the grassroots development of golf in South Africa.
For decades golf was a sport reserved for white men for both leisure and professional expression. Sadly, after nearly 30 years of democracy, apart from it now being open to all, not much has changed to foster meaningful transformation.
This series explores his experience on the importance of, challenges faced and status quo of grassroots golf development and transformation in South Africa.
If you’d like to find out more about Mitchells Plain Golf Club, here’s how to: www.mitchellsplaingolfclub.org.za or
@mitchellsplain_golfclub on Instagram, or contact Jehad on +27 723654037 or [email protected]