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Griqualand West / Kimberley GC

1958-08 An article appeared in the Johannesburg publication Post to the effect that the Griqualand West Non-European Golf Open Championship would be played over the Versatile Golf Course in Kimberley, the entry fee being one guinea (one pound one shilling or R21) and board and lodging to be provided free of charge by the Griqualand West Union.  No scores are on record.
1958-09 The Griqualand West  Amateur Golf Club had at this time applied to the Kimberley City Council for a golf course.  The response was that no decision could be made until the provisions of group areas had been applied.
1959-09

Notice was given that the Griqualand West Non-European Golf Championship was due to be played over 72 holes at the Versatiles Golf Course, Greenpoint Village.   All the best golfers had entered including Cox Hlapo, current SA Open Champion, Ronnie Ditsebe, current Griqualand West Champion and D Motati, current OFS Champion.   The leading Kimberley player was W Tsiane.  Absent would be E Johnson Sedibe, who had recently played in the British Open and who was campaigning overseas.    Again, no scores are on record.

1960 The 1960 Griqualand West title was won by Papwa Sewgolum with scores of 69 72 72 72  -  285 and, at a guess, was almost certainly played over the Kimberley GC course.  No other details are on record.
1961-10 The 1961 Griqualand West Non-European Championship was definitely played over the “new grass course” of the Kimberley Golf Club and was won by Papwa Sewgolum with scores of 75 68 69 73  -  285.   He finished 23 shots ahead of runner-up J Gumbi.   Papwa was given something of a run in the final round by Dick Phala who was three under after 10 holes but his challenge was short lived.  There was a field of just on 30 players and the local golfers were most impressed by the standard of play.  Ivor Manning, the Kimberley GC professional, said that he had never witnessed a finer display of course etiquette and sportsmanship.  In very windy conditions and with extremely difficult pin placings, Papwa’s record-breaking 68 in the second round was particularly noteworthy.
1962 01 It was hoped that the 1962 South African Non-European Championships would be held in Bloemfontein but there were snags in obtaining the necessary authorisation and the venue was changed to Kimberley GC.   The problem was a law on the OFS statute books that Indians were not allowed to spend a night in the Free State.  This precluded Papwa Sewgolum in particular from taking part.
1963-11  The Griqualand West N-E Championship in 1963 was again played at the Kimberley GC and again won by Papwa Sewgolum.   He scored 285, eight shots ahead of Ishmael Chowglay (Cape Town) on 293.
 1964-11

History was repeated in the 1964 Griqualand West Championship when Papwa Sewgolum won with scores of 77 72 74 72  -  295 from Ishmael Chowglay with scores of 75 75 73 78  -  301.   The two were level with one round to go but Papwa’s mastery was never more evident than during the final round when, battling against a strong wind and a dust storm, he shot his second sub-par score of the tournament carding a one-under 72. 

Leading scores were:
S Sewgolum       77 72 74 72  -  295
I Chowglay        75 75 73 78  -  301
S Hlapo              80 76 77 77  -  310
P Mbuyisa          83 77 77 76  -  313
D Motati             83 82 76 75  -  316
M Borman          79 78 83 77  -  317

 1965-12

Played yet again at the Kimberley GC the Griqualand West Non-European Championship in 1965 was won by Papwa Sewgolum for the fifth time in a row with a score of 281.  Second was Cox Hlapo on 286 whose 75 in the first round let him down.   The leading amateur was E Murison (OFS) with a score of 339.  A special prize for the highest total went to David McLean whose aggregate was 405.

The leading scores were:

Professionals:

S Sewgolum               71 69 70 71  -  281

S Hlapo                      75 69 71 71  -  286

J Semenya                 75 77 73 78  -  303

S Sepeng                   80 74 78 77  -  309

D Mcumola                 79 79 77 77  -  312

D Motati                     81 82 74 77  -  314

Amateurs:

E Murison                  87 85 81 86  -  339

S Kgamelo                 88 89 88 91  -  356

D Raphodile               89 87 89 94  -  359

 1967-10 With opening rounds of 78 and 78 Papwa Sewgolum trailed P Mazibuko by seven shots and D Motati by five after the first day of the 1967 Griqualand West Non_European Open but made up the deficit on the second day with 75 and 69 and came out the winner on a score of 300.   The two earlier challengers fell away and second place was filled by S Sepeng (78 78 75 72 – 303) from Simon Cox Hlapo (78 79 74 76 – 307).

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