European Tour champion Barry Lane took time out from his preparations for this week’s Joburg Open to hold a teaching clinic for local youngsters.
The Englishman dispensed tips and advice to the 80 children who had gathered on the driving range at Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Club.
He said: “It’s amazing to be able to give back like this. I was instructing three girls who walk an hour to this facility every Saturday so that they can practice, which is an incredible commitment.”
Lane recalled a trip to China last year where he conducted a similar clinic, saying: “Of the 54 children there, the highest handicap was seven and the oldest child was 18. They have fantastic development programmes there.
“The organiser of the clinic was telling me that their philosophy is simple – they give the kids a choice, a rice field or a career in golf. If the kids have a choice and an opportunity, they’ll grab it.”
Johannesburg pro Teboho Sefatsa organised the sessions and, having grown up in the township of Katlehong to the east of South Africa’s largest city, he understands the challenges faced by children in impoverished areas who would like to take up golf.
“I find there’s a lot of interest in golf in the townships, but the financial backing is still a problem,” said Sefatsa, who drives to tournaments in a 1989 Jetta.
“I bought it from my brother in 1998, and then it already had 300,000km on the clock. The clock stopped working then, so you can imagine how many kilometres it has done since. And it’s still going like a dream on the same engine.”
Sefatsa decided to focus on golf when he was selected to join the Ernie Els & Fancourt Foundation.
“It takes development clinics like this to unearth more talent in the townships,” he said. “In Katlehong, I see kids who are so interested in golf that they’re even using old hickory-shafted clubs to play with. And we’ve got a park there where some of the locals built a nine-hole course, so the interest is definitely there.”
