Golf in Malawi

Brenda and I spent one year in Malawi, more precisely in Lilongwe, the capital city. Brenda was teaching at Bishop Mackenzie International School, and many of her colleagues were members of the Lilongwe Golf Club so we soon joined the club and enjoyed friendly matches three or more times a week.Malawians are avid golfers and the club hosts tournaments every month and sometimes, every couple of weeks. The two most important are the Lilongwe Open and the Malawi Open which are held only a week or two apart.

#8, 212 metres par 3

The Lilongwe Golf Club is the only 18 hole golf course in all of Malawi. It is a championship course, par 72, playing at 6,225 metres (6,785 yards), with only two sets of tee-boxes, men's and women's (5,471 metres in length for the ladies). It is a fairly difficult golf course for many reasons including the fact that the fairways are narrow and are usually bordered by deep woods on both sides. And it plays quite differently in different seasons. From April through October Malawi is in the dry season and consequently, the course is very dry, and although the tee-boxes and greens are irrigated, the fairways are dry. The first picture shows hole number two in the dry season, a 359 metre dogleg right where you have to aim your drive over the corner tree.You will get fantastic distance on your drives if they roll straight but should you get a bounce, you can end up anywhere. The good news is that the caddies have eagle eyes and hardly ever lose a ball. They work as a team and take pride in their work. The recovery shots are often daunting, but then again, you learn to play shots that have never been in your arsenal. The greens are small and in the dry season they are not very receptive so one has to play short because behind the green you will face a more difficult shot back. In the rainy season, from November to March, you are faced with a totally different game: the fairways have grass but they are soft and your ball will pretty much stop dead upon landing. But the greens are more receptive and will reward a good spin. The rough is also much higher and balls can disappear more easily. I have mentioned a dry and a rainy season but in either season you can play everyday for it rarely rains for more than an hour at a time and the temperature hovers around 26 to 28 Celsius (75 to 80 Fahrenheit) year round.

We had a wonderful time  playing golf in Malawi and learned a lot about the game. Thanks to the fact that we had caddies there (the same ones all year) we could concentrate on having fun and didn't have to worry about where the ball had gone or whether we would run into snakes or a molitor lizard. They would be gone by the time we had to address our ball. I still miss my caddie's advice when lining up a put or hearing him laugh and say, "too much Malawi" after I have taken more divot than ball. And as we played, there was almost always a carrot at the end of the proverbial stick, be it the prizes in tournament play, or a share of the pot when we had our weekly game with colleagues from the school or friends from the US embassy or the many aid agencies. It got to the point when even Brenda and I challenged each other to a friendly bet, the proceeds of which went to the winning side's caddie. For the first (and last) time in my life, I got to a play a national open. Yes, I played in the Malawi Open, a three day affair and not only did I make the cut, but I finished somewhere in the middle of the pack. Granted, it is a handicapped event and there are, at present, no professional golfers in Malawi. The best are playing scratch golf. We also entered the Lilongwe Open, an event in which Brenda won the ladies division. She is pictured here with her caddie, Charles, her trophy and a brand new bag and rescue wood that came with the first place honour. She insists I add "this is the first, and probably the only, trophy" she will bring home.

Golf abroad

Last week I told you about Gary Weinstein who in 9 months had played 100 rounds of golf in all 50 USA states. His story appeared in the May issue of Golf Digest. Having completed this goal, he decided he would now play the game in a hundred countries to honour his wife's coaching to live life with something in front, and at press time he had crossed off 16 countries already. I have no intention of following him down that path but it got me thinking about how many I had played myself and I counted nine. Australia (Tasmania to be exact), Canada, France (in Evian, home of the LPGA Masters), Kenya, Malawi, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland and the USA. On my pilgrimage to the Old Course in St-Andrews, I only got to kiss the ground and have a short stroll down the first and second holes, weaving my way back and across the Swilcan Bridge to Old Tom Morris' golf shop.

Last November we traveled to Australia to escape the Okanagan winter and visit family and friends.   After a brief but fantastic three days in Sydney, we flew to Tasmania where we spent the next five weeks before continuing on to Melbourne and Vietnam. One of the first tasks was to find some clubs since golf was in the plan. After a few hours in an auction house, at pawnbrokers and the Tip Shop in Hobart we ended up with two bags, enough clubs and balls for two, all that for around $50. And the fun began. Brenda and I played our first round at the Zeehan Golf Club in Western Tasmania. It is a challenging little 9 hole golf course with a number of elevated greens. It is well maintained by volunteers, however, they are not early risers. We got there at ten in the morning and there was no one around so we dropped the required $10 a day green fees in the box, grabbed a card and went out to play. An hour later we saw a lawnmower at work, the operator waving a friendly welcome.
For our next round, we decided on the Bothwell Golf Club, Australia's oldest golf course, established in 1822 on a working farm. It was originally a 9 hole golf course maintained by sheep. Today the sheep are still present and the local rules still prevail: if you hit a sheep, you replay the shot without penalty; if you hit the fence post protecting the greens from the sheep, you can either replay the shot or play the ball where it lies. They are in the process of expanding the course now counting 15 holes with a replay of 3 holes from the front nine when an 18 hole competition is desired. I personally believe that the course should be played as it stood originally. We played this round with our son, Travis, and all three of us enjoyed that day in a time warp.

Quamby's  2nd hole

While Brenda and Travis went on their 6 day Cradle Mountain Huts Walk on the Tasmanian Overland Track, I opted for 6 days of R&R at a lower elevation. At Travis' instigation, I set up base camp at Quamby Estate and played a few golf courses in the area: a bizarre little 10 hole course called Aspect Tamar Valley Resort, the Deloraine golf course, an exquisite and picturesque 9 hole at $15 a day, and last but not  least, Quamby Estate Golf Course . If you click on the previous link, you will not only see some pictures of the golf course, but by clicking on the Homestead link, you will get to appreciate the miserable living conditions I had to endure. Just scroll down the page to room number 8. The ensuite bathroom was as large as the room itself : the shower was the size of a normal bathroom, it also had a jacuzzi tub, a double sink vanity and a toilet, such hardship. As a resident of the Estate, golf fees were $25 a day, the most I ever payed in Tasmania (granted there are more expensive courses but I didn't seek them).
While at Quamby, I played whenever the spirit moved me, sometimes I would play nine in the morning, have lunch and put in another nine. Other days I would only play nine, or at night, just the first 3 holes which would bring me back near the homestead and a dip in my jacuzzi. The course is a challenging par 76. It is challenging because of its length, and also because of water hazards and bunkers,  but mostly because of its penalizing rough. It did beat me on every outing. If there was a time when I missed my Cobra woods and my Pelz wedges, it was at Quamby.

Quamby's Fifth

The first hole is a slight dogleg left with trees on the left that will cause problems on errant shots. Number two, pictured above is a devilish par 3 with full carry over water and a green protected by a deep Scottish bunker where I landed most of the time. The third green is protected by water but a decent drive will make the second shot manageable. The fifth hole pictured here (from the back) is a narrow par 4 demanding a delicate approach shot to a well guarded green. Hole number 8 claims to be the longest par 5 in all of Australia at 576 meters (or 630 yards). I have played a 600 yard par 5 at Fairmont Hot Springs Moutain Side course in BC, but it is mostly down hill and if you land your drive in the fairway it will keep on rolling another 50 yards or more. At Quamby, you stand on a slightly elevated tee box, but the landing area is fairly flat, and that green is out of reach in regulation for any average golfer, even from the forward tees (which I have tried).  The ninth is a short dogleg right and it finally takes you home to a sandwich and a well deserved pint of beer.