Feisty Elca Faure bounced back from recent hand surgery to win Randpark’s 2023 Weekday Club Championships, held on Thursday and Friday last week.
“I couldn’t play golf for three months after the operation which meant I only got back on the course just a few days ago,” said Elca after posting 38 points, and a 70 nett, on day one on Bushwillow and an impressive 40 points, and 68 nett, on day two on Firethorn off her 16 handicap.
This earned her the Weekday Championship Trophy with an overall 138 nett, seven ahead of Keith Gonneau on 145, with Matthew Spagnoletti (150 oco) next best.
Elca won’t reveal her age but she is a seasoned grandmother. Don’t think of her as old though. She still hits the ball a long way, more often than not straight down the middle of the fairway. “That was one of the keys in this Championship,” she revealed, “because I did drive the ball well even though when I make a swing the hand is still quite painful.”
She is also sharp around the greens and is extremely competitive as her Randpark fellow golfers will testify to as, most weeks, she plays every single day with different groups and it’s pretty much a case of everybody knows Elca and everybody knows how fiercely determined she is.
A runner and an SA gymnast in her younger days, this is her first annual Club Championship victory but week in and week her name invariably crops up on the leaderboards in the regular club competitions. She’s great to have as a partner, but – by the same token – she’s a feared opponent. She’s an inspiration too in that she is proof that with the right attitude and with a big dose of determination, age shouldn’t necessarily be a handicap in golf. One of her highlights was hitting her tee-shot to a few inches from the cup on Firethorn’s par-3 17th for a tap-in birdie two.
Elca recently visited her daughter in Mount Gambier in South Australia. “There’s some lovely golf courses there and I played a few times at a cost of R1200 per round!” she exclaimed. So, yes, it’s expensive in rand terms and maybe it’s a reminder that we aren’t so badly off here in South Africa.
Elca only took up golf 10 years ago and has been a member at Randpark for seven years, unlike Melani Scholtz who picked up first prize as the Stableford winner on 74 points (Elca, of course, had 78 points but players are only permitted one prize). Melani only joined Randpark in January this year after previously being a member at Zwartkop in Pretoria.
She played well off her 13 handicap in the Club Championships, her 39 points on Bushwillow being particularly noteworthy. “I putted really well and one of the reasons I putt well is that I never ‘give’ myself putts in social golf.” She always holes out and this has helped her to always be confident on those tension-packed three and four-footers which many of us struggle with.
Melani is an attorney and a runner who has, impressively, completed 10 Comrades Marathons. She also has a husband and two children. So why golf amidst a busy life? “Well for a start I’m a very competitive person so I enjoy and need the challenge,” she replies, “but I also love to be out in nature and golf certainly gives you that. I must say the courses are in very good condition for this time of the year and although there was placing it wasn’t really necessary.”
The Weekday Club Championships are held annually and are open to all club members. And this year – no doubt about it – the ladies dominated – courtesy of Elca and Melani!
Jurie van der Nest with 66 points took second in the Stableford competition, counting out Brink de Villiers on the same score. Joanne McGowan (64 points) was next best behind Elca in the ladies’ Stableford ahead of Alana Bakos (63).
For all the results, kindly click on the following links:
Winners: https://bit.ly/3OyS7kA
Nett: https://bit.ly/43NOviW
Stableford: https://bit.ly/3Ycb2oA
Ladies: https://bit.ly/3KijmO2
Written by Randpark member Grant Winter
Photo: Elca Faure (Weekday Club Champ & Ladies Division Winner), Melani Scholtz (Stableford Division Winner) with Thiruven Naidoo (Vice Captain), Keith Gonneau (2nd Nett) & Matthew Spagnoletti (3rd Nett)
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