Downhill to Christmas!

Can you believe another year has almost passed asked the Nedbank executive, an expression of incredulity on his face, at Sun City recently?

He was not the first to pose the question on a day that has become an institution among golfing hacks and various other contributors to the success of the Nedbank Golf Challenge.

It’s called the Final Round and marks the day the Gary Player course is closed to undergo intense preparation for the forthcoming tournament – the 29th edition of which will be held from December 3 to 6.

The Gary Player course had once again found out the frailties in my golf – in spite of being set up very short – but there was nevertheless a mellow mood over the gathering as we settled in to partake in Sun International and Nedbank’s magnanimous hospitality at a function in the gardens of the Palace of the Lost City that once again emphasised the notion that sportswriters might be underpaid but they are mightily overprivileged!

The announcement of the Nedbank field, the arrival of the Final Round and the tournament itself always lifts my spirits for it signals the end of another year – one more job to do and then its holidays!

Must say though I did empathise with Andy Scott, Nedbank’s affable and inspirational head of sports sponsorships, when he remarked that it seemed like yesterday that he had driven out of Sun City after the 28th tournament sighing “thank goodness that’s over!” and that he could hardly believe the next one was on the doorstep.

And the next one could be quite an exciting affair – especially as Tournament Director Alastair Roper could contentedly remark that “the world match play champion Ross Fisher” is now in the field and others such as Rory McIlroy and Nick Watney look to be in superb form.

The convivial atmosphere provided the perfect setting for some profound discussion – as only sports writers can do! – and the topic turned to whether the way the course is set up is wrong for the kind of tournament the Nedbank Challenge is.

Should it be set up as a U.S. Open type boot camp to grind the players into the ground (although that was hardly the case for Henrik Stenson last year as he ripped it round in 21 under par!) or should it be a gallery for birdies galore!

Gary Player believes that for the kind of money on offer the players should be made to suffer a little but from my observations the fans like to see just how good these guys are.

The organisers obviously like to keep a sense of “Africa’s Major” but some of the ideas chipped around by us hack(er)s, patiently and graciously listened to by the resort’s obliging director of golf Antonie Els, could make for some excellent golf viewing.

What if, for instance, the tee at the 11th hole (across the donga) was put well forward so that the crow’s flight drive to green was around the 280m mark? It would be a wonderful risk and reward hole – with the trees as tall as they are now the tee-shot would have to have height and carry to hit the button but anything left or right, as sage John ‘Bacardi’ Botha remarked, would be “deadsville!”

Other tees that could be moved up to encourage a gamble off the tee could be the second, to challenge players to hit over the corner to set up an easy four but risk getting into bush on the left and perhaps the lake (which for these players is never in play) on the right, and the 8th where there are tees available to dare players to try to carry the sluit.

Now we golf writers seldom agree but there were two things which provided consensus – the 9th should always be played short so that players go for the green with their second shots and the 17th green, while a good idea, is patently unfair. Wouldn’t it have been nice if the run-off to the green in the lake was a little flatter, if there was a bale-out area on the right and no bunker – thus providing the man setting up the course with the option of turning it into a driveable par four requiring a risky sweeping hook off the tee?

There are other holes that would lend themselves to inventive setting up (such as bringing the green within range over the bush and lake at the 18th!) but I doubt whether Gary Player would consent to his course being messed with.

Yet again it lies in wait. The fairways are already in as good condition as I have ever seen them, the greens are firm and glassy and the rains have come in time to cause the kikuyu fringes to flourish. The shirts and hats have been ordered, the marquees are going up and yet again arguably South Africa’s biggest social occasion is upon us.

See you there… and cheers!