Umlando wegalofu naboHlanga eNingizimu Afrika
Kulolu chungechunge lokuchazela abafundi malungana nomdlalo wegalofu, oshicilelweni olwedlule ngilobe ngomsuka walo mdlalo nokuthi uyini. Kulolu shicelelo lwaleli sonto ngiloba ngomlando wegalofu eNingizimu Afrika.
Lo mdlalo ufike kuleli namaNgisi ngesikhathi sokungena kwenqubo yamakoloni. Kuleli lizwe igalofu laqala ukudlalwa eKapa ngowe-1885 eWaterloo Glen eWynber. Ikilabhu yegalofu yokuqala ukubunjwa kwaba yiCape Golf Club, manje esibizwa ngeRoyal Cape Golf Club. Ubudlelwano phakathi kwalo mdlalo nobukoloni bufakazelwa wukuthi umhlangano wokuqala wokuxoxa ngokwethula lo mdlalo eCape of Good Hope, wabizwa waholwa uLt General Sir Henry Torrens. Kwazise phela amasosha ayehamba phambili kwezombangazwe ukuqinisekisa ukuthi abengabadi bathobela umbuso wabadeshi. Ubuningi bamalunga eCape Golf Club kwakungamasosha.
Emva kweRoyal Cape Golf Club, inkundla elandelayo ngobudala yiMaritzburg Golf Club eMgungundlovu, yona eyakhiwa ngowe-1886. Eyesithathu ngobudala yiHarrismith Golf Club.
Njengazo zonke izingxenye zempilo eNingizimu Afrika, umdlalo wegalofu bekuyinto edlalwa ngabadeshi. Lokhu kungenxa yezizathu eziningi kodwa esinqala yileso senqubo yengcindezelo. Njengoba abadeshi babenenkolelo yokuthi ngenxa yebala aboHlanga ababona abantu, bababandlulula emidlalweni eminingi. OkwaboHlanga kwakuwukuthi bazolekelela ukwakha nokunakekela izinkundla zegalofu. Okunye kwakungukuthi babe ngabathwali bezikhwama zegalofu kuphela, hhayi abadlali balo. Izinduna zabathwali bezikhwama zegalofu ababizwa ngokuthi amacaddy master, babedlala indima enkulu ekuqinisekiseni ukuthi “abangemhlophe” bazazi ukuthi bangaphansi kwabamhlophe ngakho abanawo amalungelo afanayo.
Ubandlululo egalofini lwaludla lubi ngangokuthi yize lo mdlalo wafika kwelengabadi ngowe-1885, kuze kwaba ngowe-1963 lapho umuntu wokuqala ongeyena umdeshi wavunyelwa ukudlala emncintiswaneni omkhulu owawubizwa ngeNatal Open. Ngaphambi kwalokho aboHlanga amaNdiya namaKhaladi babevunyelwe kuphela ukudlala imincintiswano “yabangemhlophe”.
Sekuwumlando ukuthi umdlalo wegalofu unehlazo okusakhulunywa ngalo nanamhlanje lokuthi uPapwa Sewgolum wanikwa inkomishi kuzamcolo wemvula ngoba njengomuntu “ongemhlophe” wayengavunyelwe ukungena eClub House okuyisakhiwo samahhovisi, indawo yokudlela, namanazi amponjwana. Kona vele inkomishi emncintiswaneni emikhulu inikezelwa phandle. Kodwa uma isimo sezulu singesihle kuye kungenwe ngaphakathi ukuvikela abadlali izikhulu nababukeli. Kakade noma izulu lingelibi kusuke kusazoyiwa khona ukuyobhiyoza uma kuqedwa ukunikezelwa kwenkomishi. Amazwe omhlaba ethuka kakhulu ngalesi senzo, okwagqamisa iqiniso lwesihluku esasenzeka eNingizimu Afrika.
AboHlanga kwakukubi kakhulu kubona kunazo zonke izinhlanga ezibizwa ngabantu abamnyama. Yize kunjalo akhona amaqhawe anyusa igama laboHlanga kulo mdlalo ngokudlubulundela babeke induku ebandla ngaphansi kwezimo ezilukhuni. Abanye babo yilaba:
uVincent Vesele Tshabalala. UMshengu waba wumdlali wegalofu okhokhelwayo ngowe-1963. Wabenza beziqhenya aboHlanga mhla enza okwakungalindelwe ngokudla umhlanganiso kuFrench Open e-Europe ngowe-1976. Udle umhlanganiso emincintiswaneni eminingi ebandakanya iNelson Mandela Invitation ngowezi-2004 nowezi-2005.
U John Mashego ungowokuqala woHlanga ukudla umhlanganiso kuSouthern African Tour emva kokuba umtheshwana wokuthi ingeyabadeshi bodwa. Lokhu wakwenza ngokuphumelela iBushveld Classic ngowe-1991.
ULindani Ndwandwe waseThekwini owaphumelela iWestern Cape Classic ngowezi-2001 waphinde waphumelela iHighveld Classic ngowezi-2009.
