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Reporting on the year so far, Liesel Niehaus and Mike Quinn and their Kingswood Golf Operations (KGO) team have much to be grateful for, starting with a successful season throughout December 2022 and January 2023, when lots of visitors enjoyed the spoils of the course and post-play social encounters.
‘Our Events Calendar opened up from February and the year is already chock-a-block full of golf days and events,’ says Liesel, adding that the Summer 9-Hole Sundowner – an old favourite now with a summery new prefix – is as popular as ever. Check-in with the KGO crew, based just left of the Pro Shop, to find out which Friday afternoons apply (shotgun start at 4pm, IPS, full 18-holes, handicap applies).
‘Peter Yzelle, our Director of Golf, and Ymke Schutte, our Men’s Club Captain, started the King of Clubs that takes place at the Kingswood Restaurant every Friday evening. It is an exclusive event only open to Kingswood golf members and homeowners,’ she explains. The premise is for participants to purchase an R100 ticket to go into a draw. Tickets are only available on Friday afternoons between 5pm and 7pm, at which hour the live attendance draw takes place.
If your name gets drawn, then you get to pick a card out of the deck provided. If you choose the King of Clubs, you win the pot but if any other card is picked, the pot rolls over. The fat kitty is currently standing at a staggering R72,630, so don’t miss your chance to win lots of moolah and have some Friday fun with the merry King of Clubs crowd.
Meet our new Ladies’ Club Captain
Michelle Witts-Hewinson was recently declared Ladies’ Club Captain at Kingswood Golf Club, and this lively lady hardly needs an introduction to regulars on the course or around the greater estate. The Witts-Hewinsons – husband Jonathan is a Kingswood HOA trustee – have owned a home on the estate for the past 16 years. But let’s rather let Michelle tell her story. ‘I started playing golf at the age of 41 when my children were at school for long enough for me to drop them off, play 18 holes, and get back for the afternoon’s commitments. I’m a retired physio, with a few business skills in my back pocket.
‘Gavan Levenson coached me for three months before I was brave enough to hit a real golf course. First handicap: 32 … and that’s by the old way of calculating!
‘I started as a member at Wanderers Golf Club, which had a wonderful ladies’ section – very competitive in club and league as well as provincial games. It was one of those clubs where the ladies played 36 holes in one day for Club Champs, walking, and in other club competitions during the year.
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‘A wonderful caddy called Daniel taught me how to play out from underneath trees. This was invaluable experience for a late starter playing golf courses around Johannesburg. As my golf progressed, I played league, including scratch league, and entered provincial competitions to gain experience.
‘We’ve owned a home at Kingswood since 2007, but we only moved permanently to George in 2019. A vivid memory is playing the inaugural 10 holes at Kingswood in April 2007, two days before we moved into our home.
The photo shows me with Johnny Giles (the first estate agent at Kingswood), his son Deon Giles, and Deon van Rensburg, who owned the house on the left of the current 11th fairway.
‘The other eight holes were not ready for play yet. Looking back at the photos now, there were so few houses. Originally, the 16th hole was situated right below our home (currently the 17th). Amazing how far have we come along – what a journey!
‘My husband joined the Country Club Johannesburg and eventually I did, too. The ladies’ competitions on Wednesdays suited the school commitments better; I loved the camaraderie at CCJ and went on to join the ladies’ committee.
‘I served as Ladies’ Captain in 2016/2017 and was very involved with the development of the digital platforms at the club as well as organising charity fundraisers, bridge drives, and running the ladies’ section using mobile platforms.
have we come along – what a journey!
‘So now it’s my turn to step up and help our wonderful Kingswood Golf Estate and our Ladies’ Section to grow and flourish. Many thanks to Elizma Joubert for her efficient handover, to Jenny Barbour for staying on to help, and to Marilyn Franklin for joining our committee this year.
‘I look forward to meeting many new lady members, playing lots of golf, and having lots of fun out there.’
Highlights in February and March
Two standout events in February were the Glenwood House Parents Association Golf Day on Friday the 10th, and a male members-only event titled Kings of Ages, which saw the Young Guns battling it out against the Golden Oldies on the weekend of 17 and 18 February.
The latter was the first official Kingswood Men’s golf event of the year, and both the Young Guns and Golden Oldies had a glorious time on the course during this well-attended two-day event. The format on Friday was Four-ball and on Saturday the morning format was Foursomes and the afternoon IPS. After a long and hard battle, the Golden Oldies came out on top and walked away with the Kings of Ages trophy
The next Kingswood Men’s golf event will take place over the weekend of 21 and 22 April, and will be a Battle Royale, where the English golf members will take on their Afrikaans counterparts. Do not miss out on the action when the English Bulldogs come up against the Afrikaanse Boerboele …
Other fun February events were the Emmaüs PSG Charity Golf Day, Renault Tavcor Laerskool George- Suid Golf Day, and Golf in the Garden Route Ultimate Road Trip, while the last week of March included:
Friday 24th: K9 for Rhino Conservation Golf Day (anti- rhino poaching event)
Diarise these dates
Golfers would do well to print out the schedule below and stick it on your fridge because you wouldn’t want to miss a thing!
Saturday 25th: Windhoek Pairs Club Qualifier 1 Sunday 26th: Target36 Girls (ages 4–16 years) Monday 27th: Target36 A-League
Wednesday 29th: PSG Wealth Outeniqua Cup Thursday 30th: Rico Wolmerans Fundraiser Golf Day
APRIL
Sunday 16th: Target36 Girls (ages 4–16 years)
Monday 17th: Target36 A-League
Tuesday 18th: SWD Eagles Golf Day
Thursday 20th: Ladies’ Target36 (www.target36.co.za)
Sunday 23rd: Target36 (www.target36.co.za)
Wednesday 26th: PSG Wealth Outeniqua Cup Saturday 29th: Kingswood Member Bring & Braai MAY
Saturday 6th: Handicaps League Round 2
Sunday 7th: Sunday Mixed Competition
Monday 8th: Target36 A-League
Thursday 11th: George Business Chamber Golf Day
Sunday 14th: Target36 (www.target36.co.za)
Thursday 18th: Ladies’ Target36 (www.target36.co.za)
Friday 19th and Saturday 20th: The Battle Royale – English Bulldogs vs. Afrikaanse Boerboele
Sunday 21st: Target36 Girls (ages 4–16 years)
Monday 22nd: Target36 A-League
Thursday 25th: People Against Substance Abuse Annual Charity Golf Day
Saturday 27th: Kingswood Member Bring & Braai Sunday 28th: Inter-Estate Challenge
Wednesday 31st: PSG Wealth Outeniqua Cup
Golfers and non-golfers alike, please make a special note of Saturday 29 April and 27 May, when it’s time for the Kingswood Member Bring & Braai.
Call 0861 72 71 70 or email golf@kingswoodgolf.co.za to find out more.
