THE once thriving Zimbabwean golf scene, with more than 70 clubs, a healthy conveyor belt of talented players and some truly world-class facilities, has not escaped the financial meltdown of the country. While it seems churlish to lament the widespread collapse of a sport when people cannot afford to buy a loaf of bread, the decline of Zimbabwe’s golfing glory is another symptom of the desperate state of the country. 

SIR — As I read Neil Manthorp’s diatribe against the halfway house, it was hard to contain my annoyance. So many golf writers are on about a “three-hour" game, so keen to be finished, I wonder why you don’t just skip the game and go directly to the 19th hole . 

SIR — The halfway house break is the proverbial pain in the butt. For an older player like myself (60) it has the effect of me warming down and usually seizing up, and my swing goes to pot until I loosen up again. It will also save about 15 minutes, at least, playing time.  

INTERNATIONAL captain Gary Player made no bones about the fact that he chose Canadian Mike Weir as a captain’s pick for the seventh Presidents Cup as much for his nationality, as his ability.  

NOTHING seems to faze Rory Sabbatini. Having been roundly derided for stating that Tiger Woods was “beatable” and then twice losing to the world number one in final-day shootouts, Sabbatini just keeps bouncing back. 

ANNIKA Sorenstam of Sweden is still widely regarded as the best player on the Ladies’ Tour, but she is in for a fight to regain the No1 ranking she lost during an injury layoff. 

HENNIE Otto has, for almost a decade, been the “bad boy” of South African golf. From famously snapping his clubs and tossing them into the Umtanvuma River at the Wild Coast to swearing at officialdom, Otto has always been in the news. Oh, and he can play a bit.  

BUYING a luxury home on a golf estate is out of the question for the average golfing family. However, a novel membership concept being driven by Golf Resorts Club (GRC) may provide an answer. 

GOLFING legend Jack Nicklaus will break new ground in October next year when his first signature golf course in Gauteng opens in an urban estate with a difference. 

THE simplest and easiest way to improve your golf is to pay attention to your posture at address. Your posture will determine the quality of your swing. A bad posture will lead to swing faults and not being able to play to your potential. Often a bad posture is a reflection of our lifestyle, therefore being aware of our posture will not only improve our golf but our lives as well. 

SOME idiot left-wing journo (oops, sorry, lads) once visited Bolshevik Russia in the early 1920s and returned to gush enthusiastically to the war-weary west: “I’ve seen the future — and it works.” 

A BIG, blue billboard recently erected at Huddle Park golf course in Linksfield, Johannesburg, raised a few eyebrows recently as it advertised the membership rates and green fees of the Linksfield Golf Club.  

THE Absa Premiers Invitational swung through Gauteng this month with contestants — vying for a spot in the final at Fancourt — teeing it up at Centurion Country Club. 

FINDING out you look like Quasimodo is always hard, especially for a girl who is so hung up on her looks. After my video-taped golf session, I was feeling low and my mood was foul.  

PINNACLE Point has launched its fractional ownership scheme in an effort to attract more investors to the Mossel Bay estate. 

A SCHOOLTEACHER was taking her first golfing lesson. “Is the word spelt p-u-t or p-u-t-t?’’ she asked the instructor. 

IT’s only 7.30am and I’m already out of town. I shouldn’t even be out of bed yet. For a self-declared fair-weather golfer this is beginning to push the boundaries.