NEWS

2021 Sunbird Nationals update
Dear Fellow Nomad,
I trust that you are well and are keeping safe during this lock down period. We all certainly hope that it is not too long now before we are allowed back onto the golf course.
There is no doubt that all Nomads have been negatively impacted by Covid-19 and the unprecedented 9-week lock down that we have been through, but at this stage we are unsure of what the severity of it has been for the broader base of Nomads. With this in mind, the Sunbird Nationals Committee have been reviewing the different scenarios to decide on the best way forward for holding a National Tournament in 2021. We reviewed six different options and, considering everything, we have made the decision to try to proceed with the Sunbird Nationals, provided we can get sufficient numbers to support us. We have reviewed the normal tournament planning and had a long, hard look at the opportunities to cut costs, while still preserving what Nationals stands for.
The Sunbird National Tournament will still take place at Champagne Sports Resort in the Drakensburg. The field will be reduced to a maximum of 300 players, with Nomads arriving on Saturday 6 March, and the tournament playing days being from Sunday 7 to Thursday 11 March 2021. This reduces the playing days to 4 out of 5. We are also moving the National Council Meeting to Sunday, meaning that it will take place on day 1 of the tournament as opposed to the day before as we have done for many years.
In addition to this, we are reducing the prizegiving functions to take place on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday, leaving you free to enjoy the facilities of CSR on Monday and Wednesday evenings. The Cowboy Bar, the hotel restaurant and bars will be open on the “off” evenings. To save additional costs we will not have live entertainment in the evenings but will have a disco for those of you who feel the need to move your feet. The draws will be limited to voluntary purchase of raffle tickets at registration. The programme will be as follows:
The entry fee of R7 950 per Nomad sharing, R13 300 single and R13 950 for a Nomads and partner sharing is very good value for money and is all inclusive of the following:
Six night’s accommodation
Six Breakfasts and Dinners
Four Rounds of golf in a cart
Four Grab and Go meals on your golf days
Depending on the demand, transport will be made available on a bus from ORT airport. (Your flight bookings will be requested at a later stage when flight bookings are open again and we would require the information by the end of November. A request for the required information will be sent by the committee to your coordinator in October 2020.)
Fellow Nomads, for us to get an idea of both the interest as well as your willingness to commit and participate in the Sunbird Nationals we are requesting that you complete the entry form and return it to your local club coordinator by the end of June and submit a payment of a non-refundable deposit of R3 000 to your club coordinator before the 30th of July. As mentioned earlier, we are unsure of the impact that this pandemic has had on Nomads and should there not be sufficient support to make the numbers we will need to consider cancelling the tournament to give CSR sufficient time to seek other bookings over that week.
As we head into Level 3 and head back to some sort of normality, I wish you well and the committee looks forward to welcoming you to CSR in March 2021.
Yours in Nomads
Robbie Frank
Nationals Co-ordinator