Golfers get a chance to tee off at Legend Golf and Safari Resort

POLOKWANE – Golfers from Limpopo and other provinces took to the fairway during the third edition of the Limpopo Tourism Golf Extravaganza held at the Legend Golf and Safari Resort from 11 to 12 September.

The tourism golf challenge was held by the Limpopo Tourism Agency (LTA) in partnership with PelePele Travel and Marketing. This challenge is held annually as part of celebrating Tourism Month in Limpopo.

LTA has identified the golf and safari routes as an important cluster that can positively drive tourism, boosting the sector by increasing arrivals into the province.

The inaugural Limpopo Tourism Golf Extravaganza was part of the 2013 September Tourism Month celebrations. This was officially launched at the Golf Tourism Seminar hosted by the National Department of Tourism (NDT), Limpopo Economic Development Environment and Tourism (Ledet), PelePele Travel and Marketing and LTA on 22 July 2013.

Natalie van Blerk, marketing director of PelePele Travel and Marketing, was very excited about the event and said: “Limpopo Tourism Golf Extravaganza continues to grow in leaps and bounds and we wish to thank LTA for their vision to promote golf and safari routes in Limpopo. We remain confident that this will contribute immensely to tourism and economic growth”.

The event was honoured by the Limpopo Premier, Stanley Mathabatha, Ledet MEC, Seaparo Sekoati, and the LTA board chairperson, Andrew Dipela.

As he congratulated the winners, Mathabatha urged people to play this sport as it encourages perseverance but also teaches a person how to navigate their way through difficulties in life.

“As you play, you sometimes hit the small ball into the water or bunker, but you always find a way of getting out of those calamities. These represent the challenges one faces in your daily life. We have wonderful products in our province that only need to be sold as packages to the market,” Mathabatha said.

The professional golfers who took part in this year’s competition:

Martin Briede, Wynand du Bryn, Norman Mashaba, Barend Wessels, Tyrone Lorusso, Marius Mizen, Nico Truter, Jean Sadie, Kenneth Dube, JC Coetzer, Gerrit van Eeden, Christiaan Jonck, Pieter Kruger, Shaun Mouton and Ryan Flockhart.

Results:

The first position went to the team of JC Coetzer, Willie Barnard, Herman Jordan and Hentie Swart

Kenneth Dube won first prize (R9 000) after accumulating 42 points

The longest drive prize in the women’s category went to Nora Maponya

Kenny Goosen won the longest drive in the men’s category

The first place for the amateur league category went to the team of Peter Masehela, Xavier Mokhanda, Sakkie Monare and Phillip Makgato.

The golf and safari route comprises five other golf products such as trips to Elements Private Golf Reserve, Zebula Golf Estate and Spa, Koro Creek Estate, Euphoria Golf Estate and Hydro, and Hans Merensky Hotel and Spa.

The goal of the Safari Route in Limpopo is to put Limpopo on the world pedestal, yet still attract local golf enthusiasts to stay and play golf in the province.

The event is a Pro-Am series, in which three amateurs pair with a Professional Golf Association (PGA) player in a four ball alliance format where a professional competes for R50 000 prize money.

The 2014 instalment of the Golf Extravaganza was also used to launch the Limpopo Golf Passport, a product of the collaboration between the private sector and the public sector as an initiative to encourage domestic tourism to Limpopo. It enables the bearer to play four rounds of golf at any of the six Limpopo Golf and Safari Resorts mentioned above.