The competition was played over three days on Knysna’s three golf courses, Pezula Champion Golf Course, Knysna Golf Course and the Simola Golf Course.
"When, after 100mm of rain, Friday morning dawned, Pezula Championship Golf Course staff rose to the challenge and by 11:00 the first players teed off," says Peter Klews, Rotary Charity Golf Organiser.
Local as well as visiting golfers played 262 rounds of golf over the three days. "The largest group of 60 came from the Overberg region," says Klews Some of those golfers had been supporting Rotary Knysna since 2002. "During 2002, the then president of the Rotary Club of Bredasdorp, Noco du Plessis, had persuaded 16 players to support Rotary Club Knysna's effort to raise funds for its many projects in the greater Knysna area, as well as enjoy some fellowship at the same time," explains Klews.
Knysna Golf Club hosted the Saturday’s play and prize-giving, held in the new club house, officiated by Knysna Golf Club captain, John Edwards, "doing the honours with wit and style, including a most profitable auction".
With a traditional shotgun start, Sunday’s play began at the Simola Golf Course. Klews enthused, "The Simola Golf an Country Estate had generously agreed to make luxury accommodation available at budget rates and enabled partners to enjoy the world class spa facilities at a considerable discount."
"It has been a feature of the last few years that, increasingly, visiting golfers have brought their partners to enjoy the many other facets Knysna has to offer, and Ses Hartshorne, the main organiser, has catered for their needs."
Despite the harsh economic conditions in Knysna, preliminary figures indicate that through sponsorships, donations (for details see letters page), green fees, raffles and auctions, the Rotary Club of Knysna will benefit by some R70 000.
"By using the leverage of Matching Grants with Rotary Clubs in Belgium, Germany, Sweden, UK , USA and Rotary International, the Rotary Club of Knysna is executing presently and has completed recently, projects to the value of some R950 000," concludes a proud Klews.
At the end of the Rotary Charity Golf Weekend, Rotary Club Knysna presented loyalty certificates to (from left) Peter Klews (past president of Knysna Rotary Club), Nico du Plessis (past president of Bredasdorp Rotary Club), Rudi Vermeulen, George Payne, Louw Coetzer, Gert Albertyn, Franc Bentley, Sesel Hartshorne (Golf Weekend organiser and past president of Sandton Rotary Club).
