Papwa Sewgolum article in Golf Digest

[mygolfbuddy]

Anybody read the article on Papwa Sewgolum, the great cross gripper from the RSA? It was a pretty fascinating read http://www.golfdigest.com/magazine/papwa.

 

I'd particularly like to hear from golfers living in the RSA and start a discussion on the future of post-Apartheid golf there...

[Cairo Sam]

[quote name='mygolfbuddy' timestamp='1193879857' post='774675']
Anybody read the article on Papwa Sewgolum, the great cross gripper from the RSA? It was a pretty fascinating read [url="http://www.golfdigest.com/magazine/papwa"]http://www.golfdiges.../magazine/papwa[/url].

I'd particularly like to hear from golfers living in the RSA and start a discussion on the future of post-Apartheid golf there...
[/quote]

As I am sure is true in most parts of the world, golf remains a sport for the somewhat well-healed. So the game remains largely out of reach from a financial point of view for a massive portion of the population. Remember as well that football, rugby, and cricket are still far and away the # 1, 2, & 3 sports in the country even though the popularity of golf is growing fast.

If you follow SA golf at all, there is grass roots work going through academies like the one that Ernie Els set up, for young economically disadvantaged golfers --> [url="http://www.ernieels.com/foundation/index.html"]http://www.ernieels.com/foundation/index.html[/url] Several of these graduates have gone on to bigger things. Most recently, Louis Oosthuizen's major triumph in the British Open. James Kamte ([url="http://www.sunshinetour.info/profiles/KAM005.htm"]http://www.sunshinetour.info/profiles/KAM005.htm[/url]) is probably South Africa's best black golfer at the moment and is a product of Els's Foundation. He is currently lying 160th in the European Tour Race to Dubai, and 9th in the South African Sunshine Tour Order of Merit. We are also pretty proud of Lee-Anne Pace who is tearing up the Ladies European Tour at the moment - she has won 5 times this year and leads the Order of Merit.

Golf continues to grow as a 'social business' tool amongst South Africa's exploding middle to upper class, and although I don't have the facts to back up the opinion, it is clear that folks of previously disadvantaged backgrounds are now out and about on golf courses, in golf days, and in charity pro-ams in SA.