A new chapter was ushered in at Omeya Golf Club in Namibia when the course hosted the Els for Autism golf day in April, the first outside South Africa, writes WADE PRETORIUS. 

Seventy-six golfers, from as far afield as Mariental, Swakopmund and Walvis Bay,  and buzzing with excitement, streamed into Omeya’s parking lot, 35km south of Windhoek. 

The prize? A trip to the Els for Autism final in November at Highland Gate, the new Ernie Els design just outside Dullstroom. Dan Zwiebel, a former Sunshine Tour tournament co-ordinator and now Omeya Golf Club’s general manager, was the man behind bringing the Els for Autism drive beyond the Orange River.

He made contact with the organisers in late 2016 to explore the possibility of hosting a day in Namibia. Possibility then became reality, thanks to Namibia Breweries Limited coming on board, with Windhoek Lager the title sponsor for the day.

The format was betterball Stableford, which saw Jaco Coetzee and Jaco Swart come out on top with 45 points, although Coetzee admits that winning was far from his mind.

‘Dan Zwiebel and his team at Omeya do a wonderful job of keeping the members well-informed of all golf days,’ says Coetzee. ‘A group of friends, all with young children, took note of the Els for Autism day and about 10 of us decided on the spot to enter.

‘Participation was never about winning, but rather to have fun with friends while supporting a worthy cause. Luckily for us, the rest of the field was hampered by the “unplayable” rough and we managed to dovetail perfectly.’

Coetzee makes no bones about the fact that winning the event and advancing to the final is the pinnacle of his 20-odd year social golf career. He also admits that choosing the right partner is key to success in any day of this nature.

‘The best advice I could give fellow golfers is to pick the right partner, and I’m looking forward to the final and making memories with Jaco “Broad Shoulders” Swart.’

Swart adds that he was invited by Coetzee to partner up for the day. ‘It was Jaco who gave me a call to play and as I’m always up for a round, I accepted. I had no idea we would be in the running.’

And while the day is about raising funds for a worthy cause, there is nothing stopping you from playing one of the rounds of your life.

‘I had one of my best rounds and signed for an 81,’ Swart says. ‘It was a day to remember because I’ve only dipped under 80 once.’

As with most golfers, Swart had little trouble running through his round, and despite many highlights, none could top his chip-in birdie on the 7th hole.

‘It was fantastic. I hit a lovely chip and felt it could go in after it curled off the bank on the green; a few seconds later there were loud cheers as it dropped.’

After the two Jacos’ success at Omeya, their minds have already started drifting towards Highland Gate. ‘We’ll do a nice trip, enjoy the golf and just have a great time.’ Swart says.

‘You never know what could happen on the day. Obviously, we’ll put in a lot of practice before the time.’

And to show how ‘seriously’ they are taking it, Swart says some course reconnaissance work will be done. ‘Yes, it’s true, we are doing our homework,’ he says with a laugh.

‘A buddy of mine is playing there next month, so I will get him to check out the course and make a full report back to me,’ he says.

And while Swart and Coetzee had plenty of fun en route to punching their ticket to Highland Gate, one of the players had to make a hasty exit before tee-off. He was informed his wife was in labour and that he’d better make a beeline to the hospital.

‘He was warming up and ready to tee off at the Els for Autism golf day, and his wife phoned to tell him to rush to the hospital. He made it just in time. What a great Friday.’ says Swart.

What lies ahead for this pair? A crack at winning the final and meeting golfing icon Els, a prize big enough to motivate any player who tees up at one of the Els for Autism golf days. ‘Ernie was a childhood idol of mine and meeting him would be such a privilege,’ says Coetzee.

His plan for Highland Gate is to continue what worked for them so well at Omeya – to have fun and hope for the best.

– This article first appeared in the May issue of Compleat Golfer