Part 3
THOSE familiar with the sport or have read one of my previous stories, will by know that a caddy is the person who carries the golf bag of a golfer.
In addition to that, a caddy’s duties entail keeping the golf clubs clean throughout the round of play as well as thereafter. He advises his player about the pace and undulations of the greens, keep a watch of his player’s ball upon each shot he/she makes, and for the not so accomplished golfer (which in all fairness is most recreational golfers) find their wayward shots in the rough, bushes, and occasionally, strange places.
Remember earlier in the series I alluded to a “dark chapter in South African golf”?
Well, this is it. The topic of caddies cannot be discussed in a South African context without recognising their invaluable contribution to the sport, breaching racial barriers. Paving the way for the eventual coalescence of the former European and Non-European golf Unions.
My mom had a brother (now late) whom we didn’t see frequently growing up. We’d occasionally see him at some family functions, but when we did, he was always full of energy and embraced us kids when he saw us. He was very dark of complexion, making his effervescent smile stand out even more. His name was Yusuf – but we all knew him as uncle “Ballie”.
Uncle Ballie, a spritely 70-something at the time, popped in at my parents’ place one day not long before he passed away a few years ago, and I happened to be there. I don’t know how the topic arose, but we started speaking about golf. And he told me that he too used to play golf. And that he was a caddy at Athlone Golf Course that was located where Vangate Mall now stands. Then he said “Ken jy vir Papwa? Nou daai man kan nou golf gespeel het!”
To his surprise, I responded affirmatively with much excitement because as it happens, I’m actively involved in efforts to elevate awareness and the preservation of Papwa’s legacy in South African Golf.
“Ek’t eintlik een keur vir hom ge-caddy” he went on to say. I literally got goosebumps on my skin upon learning that an uncle of mine was that close to a golf legend whom I’ve been researching for the past six years! As I’m writing this I realised this was the last time I saw Uncle Ballie before he passed on. May he rest in peace.
Also, Uncle Ballie was a brother of the uncle I spoke of in my first story, the one who got me interested in golf as a child. I wonder if Uncle Ballie influenced him to develop an interest in golf?
Moving on, equally as important as caddies are to golf’s transition to becoming more inclusive, is Papwa Sewgolum’s individual contribution to this process as a caddy himself.
Papwa, born in the late 1920s into a poor Indian household, living close to the shores of Kwa-Zulu Natal that lapped the edges of Beachwood Golf Estate.
As a child he fished along those shores with his dad for sustenance, often abandoning his fishing pole to take swings mimicking the actions of the golfers he saw beside them, with a wooden stick his dad fashioned a golf club from. So good was Papwa with this piece of wood that his dad always felt he had the ability to do well at this white man’s sport – if only he was able to offer him that opportunity.
Being at the height of British Colonialism, his dad knew this was never possible.
At the age of about 10 or 11 years old, by which time his dad had passed away of a sudden heart attack, Papwa received an unlikely opportunity to fill in for an absent caddy at Beachwood. As scrawny as he was Papwa leaped at the opportunity – finally he set foot on the golf course his father always warned him not to be caught on, fearing the consequences of the harsh apartheid laws that would befall his son if they did.
Books have been written and documentaries have been made about Papwa’s life. And through the Papwa Sewgolum Golf Foundation a feature film is intended to be produced about it. So, I will not be able to capture his entire life’s story in this article, except for the parts most pertinent to the point I attempt to convey in this iteration of my series.
So in summary then, Papwa’s prowess with a golf club, despite his unconventional grip, was soon picked up by the “Caddy Master” at the club. Papwa was then invited to play in and went on to win a series of caddy competitions. Remember in my previous story I spoke of the first ever Non-European Open Tournament for caddies and the like that was played at Milnerton Golf Course in a landmark precedent? Papwa won it.
But despite how good he was, because of his race, he was prohibited by apartheid laws from competing in the Europeans-Only Open Tournaments in South Africa, against the best white players.
While caddying for a Beachwood member of German origin one day, Papwa was berated by him for incorrectly advising him on which club to hit his next shot with. Trying to prove his point, the player asked Papwa to repeat the shot with the same club. Papwa accepted the challenge and landed the ball within 1 meter of the flag of the flag!
His player, Graham Wulff, was astonished! But more so impressed. Not happy that Papwa’s great skill was prohibited from being displayed on an international platform in South Africa, Graham enthusiastically facilitated Papwa’s participation in foreign Open Tournaments in the Netherlands, Germany, Britain, and France.
Papwa won the Dutch Open on his debut appearance in Europe in 1959, successfully defended in it 1960, and went on to win it for a third time in 1963. A feat few others have achieved.
Naturally, Papwa made headline news the world over in 1959 – an Indian man winning a white Open Tournament! In Europe nogal! This placed immense pressure on local authorities back home to allow Papwa to compete in domestic European-Only Open Tournaments. Succumbing to mounting pressures, in 1961 apartheid laws were relaxed to reluctantly allow him to compete in the South African Open, becoming the first non-white to ever do so. He finished runner-up, losing out by just one stroke to the victorious Retief Waltman.
In 1963, Papwa was allowed to compete in the Natal Open, going on to win the tournament – the first non-white to ever win a South African Open Tournament. But that’s not all. Papwa had to receive his trophy outside in the pouring rain because non-whites weren’t allowed into the club house under apartheid laws – if he was, allegedly the venue would risk losing its liquor license. This dreadful incident made headlines for the wrong reasons but the incident soon died a calculated death.
Notably, earlier in the same year, Papwa finished an admirable solo 13th in the coveted British Open.
But it was in 1965 at the Natal Open that matters took a dualistic twist. Because you see, Papwa won that tournament. Not only did he win, he also beat Gary Player at it. He beat Gary when he was at the peak of his career – in the same year Gary sealed the elusive career Grand Slam.
So as much as it was a momentous victory for Papwa and all caddies, and all non-white sports athletes who suffered exclusion because of apartheid laws, it was an equal embarrassment to white South African golf’s poster boy and the apartheid government that he was so very close to.
Subsequent to this, already globally embraced as remarkable golfer, one would think that at home, Papwa would be celebrated and thrust into achieving the great things in golf that Wulff and Papwa’s father innately knew he was destined to achieve. No. Instead, Papwa was banned from competing in local golf tournaments. And just in case he got smart and decided to compete abroad again – they revoked his passport! Papwa died at the young age of 48 years old, never again to grace golf with his greatness.
I get chilling shivers every time I relate this story because, if you’ve read Papwa’s story, if you’ve spoken to his son and former fellow players and caddies like my late uncle Ballie, you will understand that golf was Papwa’s life. It’s all he wanted to do. He even gave up his job in a textile factory to pursue his dream. And just as he proved to the world why he deserves an equal opportunity to do so, he was sadistically punished. Punished not for being good, but for not being white.
The relevance of this second history lesson in my series is that Papwa’s experience still echoes in today’s golf industry. If you go to most golf courses in South Africa, the caddies you will find there are mostly middle-aged and older coloured or black men who have worked as caddies for 10, 20, 30 years and more. Some of whom are certainly old enough to be my grandfather I never got to meet. Imagine! Your grandfather carrying your golf bag and cleaning your clubs!
Why are they still working there you might wonder? They must surely love their jobs then. While they might still enjoy being out on the golf course, that’s not the reason they’re still working. It’s because they still need to earn a living. Because do all caddies have retirement annuities, pension or provident fund benefits included in their contract of employment at these sprawling estates – if such contract even exists, much like decades ago when Papwa was a “caddy boy”. I know more than a handful who don’t.
Many of them don’t even have uniforms, decent clothing, or shoes they can be proud of to work in. They have kids who because of them, are also drawn to golf but cannot consider it as a prospective vocation due to a lack of support to ensure that such children are equitably nurtured into golf’s grassroots development programmes.
My opinion is that some of the larger well-funded development programmes are too far removed from the actual problem that’s hindering meaningful transformation. Anyone can introduce underprivileged kids to golf. Heck I’m doing that! With no funding, no formal golf qualification, only but a true and sincere heart and determination to be a part of the change I want to see.
What golf needs is a system that supports them beyond the entry point. At the stage they progress to where they are good enough to compete professionally. Support them by covering their tour related expenses, expert coaching at every level of the game and introduce them to prospective sponsors. South Africa’s dark chapter in golf’s history and the remnants thereof dictates that this level of support for every qualifying aspirant black golfer, is unwaveringly committed to, until all players are on level par.
Follow Jehad’s Far From Par series every Tuesday.
Far From Par is a ten-part series 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]
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