Young Mpumalanga golfers treated to pro tournament experience

Aspiring young golfers from the Pilgrim’s Rest region were given a unique opportunity to experience a professional tournament and receive coaching from Sunshine Tour professionals at the recent Vodacom Origins of Golf event held at the Highland Gate Golf and Trout Estate in August.

The Vodacom’s Origins of Golf series is the longest running pro-am series on the Sunshine Tour.

Wherever it is played in the country, Vodacom and the Sunshine Tour invite young golfers from the nearest South African Golf Development Board (SAGDB) chapter to a golf clinic.

Twenty-two youngsters between the ages of eight and 17 – many of them from Pilgrim’s Rest Primary School – took to the driving range at Highland Gate on Thursday, 15 August to receive coaching from the Sunshine Tour professionals.

And it was an experience they’ll never forget.

“I love sport, having played netball, volleyball and soccer, and I love seeing these children do it as well. To take them out of their location and allow them to see nature as beautiful as this – for some of them it is the first time – is wonderful. This is like a dream come true for them, because they have never been to a place like this before, they mostly don’t see things like this,” said Joyce Mabuye, a teacher at the Pilgrim’s Rest Primary School.

“This motivates them to do something good. I am constantly fighting for children to do something in sports because it keeps them away from the streets. So their parents are very supportive of them playing golf.”

The children were also fortunate to have two professionals from their hometown coaching them.

The Mashego brothers, Jastice and Austin, are both busy trying to further their own professional golf careers on the Sunshine Tour but were more than happy to give back to youngsters growing up where they did.

“Our father, Obed, was a keen golfer and a member at Pilgrim’s Rest Golf Club, so we took up the game. I was caddying for Jastice in the Vodacom Origins of Golf this week,” said Austin.

“I love assisting Jastice with the coaching. Being out here hitting balls helps to clear the minds of these youngsters.”

For Jastice, it is about providing an opportunity to dream. “Coming from a small town like Pilgrim’s Rest, there is not much opportunity for these kids and they don’t have role models. So now we can let them see what golf is all about. I hope to inspire them, to give them hope. Just travelling here will open their minds a bit.”

Monde Ngcukana, the Managing Executive for Vodacom Mpumalanga Region, was an appreciative onlooker at the coaching clinic, before enthusiastically hitting a few balls himself.

“It’s very important that these children are stimulated and given the chance to be active. This exclusive venue gives them something to aspire to, but making golf instruction more accessible for them is also a big plus. Vodacom wants to support the youth however we can, with a focus on education, which is why our data is zero-rated for those in Grade R to Grade 12.

“These clinics are part of an holistic approach to the growth of children in South Africa. With our Mum-and-Baby programme, we really do support children from the cradle. And it’s good to see them here.”