On the 24th April Selebi Phikwe 52 hosted the 3rd annual Night Golf tournament in association with J&B (thanks again Theo!) Once again over 60 golfers ventured into the night, balls aglowing, to do battle with the Phikwe bush.

This time the starter (yours truly) managed to set off the the starter rocket successfully in a vertical trajectory........unlike the previous two years which saw players on the 10th tee scrambling for their lives and the clubhouse verandah exploding. Adapt, Adopt, Improve, eh? - somebody told the starter to take the plastic cap off the firework before lighting it this year. Table wives do have their uses!

The golfers: "Are we really going to play this ridiculous game at night?"

This year we had the new improved golfing circuit to lessen the chance of hackers being hit by low flying illuminated objects. If anyone was going to get hit this year they would have had to be doing something they shouldn't have been doing in the bush.

The circuit also had the added advantage that the bar and hotdog stand were central to all the players on the course - the idea being that no-one would go thirsty or get hungry. So much for ideas......nobody could find the bloody thing!

Steve Kenworthy: "Yes, You are!"

Tablers did not play in the competition being the coordinators of the event, but instead were out on the course, armed with radios, sorting out the punters on the novelty holes.

In future careful selection of radio holders will take place. It was unanimously voted upon that Mumba Mabula be issued a morse code machine next year... the constant drone of Zambian folk songs proved too much for most tablers to bear.James (I'm so organised) Hughes can brag to the night sky next time, and Jeremy (where's my beer, where's my hotdog?) Witley can starve out on the outer reaches of the course. Erik (the radio supplier) Bartsch needn't cry next year......I will make it my personal duty to ensure that he gets a radio next year!

Jakes Kasumba tells golfers "No! You're sodding ball didn't come through here!"....he forgot to inform them "This is the BAR."

Back to the golf, the bi-product of the evening. For those who do not know what Night Golf involves, it is exactly the same as golf during the day but special balls with a luminous light stick inserted are used. The balls when hit appear like tracer bullets shooting off into the night sky. In two years previous to this only one ball was lost. In fact, we lost more golfers than balls. However, this year, unfortunatley, we had a bad batch of light sticks and lost quite a few balls; something to take up with the ball suppliers. Believe it or not, golfers take their sport very seriously........ even at NIGHT!!! This is where Table innovation (and lubrication) assists golfers and non-golfers alike to relax and enjoy the evening. A couple of Black Sambuccas on the short hole does wonders to open a golfers wallet when wagering whether or not he or she will hit the green in one. It doesn't do wonders, however, for the punter's golf!

:- This lady golfer taking her sport seriously - obviously hadn't reached the Sambucca hole yet!

The other short hole, ably convened by Jeremy, involved the use of half size childrens' clubs. There was no lubrication on this hole, as Jeremy will vouch for.

Once again the most popular hole on the course was the tyre hole. Golfers, having been carefully instructed by James (surely you can hit the ball 5 metres) Hughes had to stand on a truck tyre and hit the ball off a hosepipe. If the ball did not reach the required distance an Archers Peach Schnapps had to be downed in one.....and the ball teed up again. It gave all non-golfers hope to see the Club Captain and Ladies Captain win the prize for getting the most sozzled on this hole - 5 attempts!

Jeremy Witley finally finds what he was looking for in the form of Sandra's famous curry.

As for Theo, for the third year in a row we will have to find him a new partner. It was noted that his golf bag was full when he went out onto the course (but only contained 2 clubs) and on the way back he was carrying his bag on one shoulder and his partner on the other! After the golf, prize giving was carried out at about 10:30, followed by well discounted J&B at the bar and an extremely festive party. As for the winners...........the public, charities, the sponsors and Table. Who cares about the competition results!

Theo hands over the prize for the most sozzled Ladies and Mens Captains of the night.

For Phikwe 52, Night Golf epitomizes what tabling is about. The laughter you hear on the course is extremely gratifying showing that the public and tablers alike are enjoying an unusual fun event. The sponsors obtain excellent exposure, and the proceeds go to community service projects. Gabs 64 have shown interest in hosting such an event, as did Francistown 47 sometime in the distant past. We at 52 urge you and your Table to consider hosting Night Golf in your town, and, who knows, we could make it a national tabling event. Phikwe 52 will be on hand to advise, assist ........and collect royalties!

Steve Kenworthy
Night Golf Convenor/ IPC Selebi Phikwe 52

Some of the winners on the night.