Club Captains

Both these Kingswood club captains have golf and good governance in their blood.

Ladies first …

Elizma Joubert (née Bosman) says both she and her husband Cobus hail from SA’s northern parts, the Bosmans originally from Standerton and the Jouberts from Bethal. After relocating to George in 2013, the couple welcomed three boys into the world: HJ, 12, Hanroe, 10, and Cobus, eight, keep Elizma on her toes nearly 24/7.

‘We moved in search of a safer environment and definitely found it here in George,’ says Elizma, adding that Cobus works as a commercial diving technician on oil rig systems and platforms. This means he’s often away from home, leaving her to run the house and logistics of raising their three energetic young sons.

‘After our move to George, we actively started looking for a sport we could enjoy together as a family, and golf was the obvious choice. I used to play hockey, which is quite action packed comparatively. So to me it sounded really boring to hit that little ball, spend lots of time looking for it, and hope for it to finally end up in the hole. I was far from convinced that golf was the way to go.’

Lo and behold, the sporty young mom persevered and next thing she knew fell head over heels in love with the game.

‘We started out at the Glenwood mashie course, until my girlfriends and I felt more comfortable with our swing. Then Kingswood offered an incredible Ladies Special on Thursdays, and we worked ourselves into the fabric of this fabulous golf club.’

Elizma has been a club member for five-plus years and says that, over the past two years especially, she has become more intricately involved as vice-captain of the ladies team, and that it’s been an absolute pleasure to be part of their successes when it comes to events.

‘One that I regard as most memorable was last year’s Anelda Fundraiser, which would never have been possible without the massive support of Kingswood homeowners and members. Yes, our team put in a lot of work, but it was extremely satisfying to share in the joy when everything worked out better than we could ever have imagined.

‘Other events that spring to mind when considering our team’s achievements include the Ladies@Home and Christmas Comps, which benefited charitable organisations. It makes me really proud to be part of the Kingswood ladies!’

When asked about favourite courses, Elizma singles out Simola in Knysna as a breathtakingly beautiful field of play, while she rates Pinnacle Point as one of the hardest she’s ever encountered. Oubaai she regards as a psychological challenge, and that’s understating it …

‘What I enjoy most about Kingswood’s course is that it is truly forgiving, which makes it the perfect place to play with the whole family, while having a fun day in the great outdoors. I’m in my element when playing on my home turf, and hope to promote its unique attraction as a place for families to play golf and have a great bonding session at the same time.

‘This is one of the objectives that both Ymke and I feel strongly about: creating social events not only for club members, but also for homeowners to feel part of the golfing fraternity, and vice versa.’

Elizma believes that several challenges lie ahead for the team captains over the next two years, but says they are ready to face whatever comes their way, and confident because of the support they enjoy from members and homeowners alike.

‘We are currently in the planning phase of these future projects. I’m forever grateful to my predecessor, Ginny Schoombie, and continue to learn a lot from her as we feel our way forward. My main aim at the moment is simply to get more girls onto the course, so growing our Ladies Section and reaching further heights as we go along.

‘I enjoy every minute of our special Ladies Thursdays together – it’s the epitome of “me time” for all of us.

We’ve become one happy family, knowing one another’s ins and outs and lending a hand wherever needed.

This is what I’d like to build upon: enhancing these relationships and the atmosphere created so far, for us to grow stronger into the future.’

There’s much in a name – and even more to the man Men’s Section club captain Ymke (pronounced ‘Ieme’) Sinia Schutte must’ve been asked about the source and articulation of this unique moniker many times over throughout his life. He explains that it originates from Friesland – one of the provinces in the Netherlands.

As to the Schuttes’ more recent movements across our subcontinent, Ymke says: ‘We, like so many other people, relocated from Johannesburg to George – and we absolutely love the place. It really is a little bit of heaven on earth, and being part of the Kingswood community has made the move so much easier and more pleasant.’

The local financial services industry benefits from having both Ymke, who works in insurance, and his wife, a Standard Bank South Africa employee, at its disposal. And when it comes to family, he says he’s struck it lucky there, too.

‘I’m blessed to have two beautiful redheads in my life. My wife Carina and I have been married for 20 years, and my 18-year-old daughter Minyonne will (hopefully!) matriculate from HS Outeniqua this year,’ he smiles, adding that they are fervent followers of the Christian faith.

Work and home life aside, the issue here is that Ymke heads Kingswood’s male golfing fraternity for 2022. The Men’s Section captain is at the helm on an annual basis, but Ymke says an amendment to the constitution, to turn this into a two-year term, is being considered.

‘The official description of my role as club captain is being in charge of the “field of play”. My view on this position is that I am the official representative of our members, and tasked to look after their interests. I am here to serve them and, in doing so, hopefully create a happy and positive vibe among our members.

‘Currently it does take up quite a bit of time, seeing as we are in the strategic planning phase of what we would like to achieve during our term and how we will go about it. Once things are in place and the ship is sailing, it will become much less strenuous and time consuming … if we’re lucky!’

But where did Ymke’s affinity for the game begin? He says that golf crossed his path as a boy accompanying his father, with whom he spent hours on the course.

‘As a result I started fooling around and obviously fell in love with the game. It wasn’t until varsity, though, that I started taking golf more seriously and played more consistently.

‘Unfortunately, my skills prevented me from going any further than my home club, but I have been privileged to participate in Vodacom Origins of Golf tournaments on numerous occasions. This is where I met and became friends with some of our local heroes such as Vaughn Groenewald and Jaco Ahlers.

‘I do not play competitive golf – not yet, anyway – but every social round inevitably becomes a very competitive experience. My favourite course away from Kingswood is difficult to peg as there are so many and each could take up top spot for different reasons. But if I had to choose a couple, Simola and Pezula in Knysna would be right up there.’

It’s no surprise to learn that golf rates as top hobby in the Schutte home, with shopping a close second when it comes to the two fairest redheads in the land.

‘But we also love spending time with family and friends over a good braai, or trekking along our area’s many beautiful hiking trails. Actually, we’re mostly up for anything that comes our way.

‘When it comes to Kingswood Golf Club and the estate itself, there are some very special people involved and I truly believe we are going places.’