Golf in Africa is not for sissies, as the Lowveld Nomads discovered when a large herd of buffalo interrupted their monthly golf day. The massive Big-Five beasts crowded the 4th green at Skukuza Golf Club, causing a 15-minute delay in proceedings – although some brave Nomads carried on unperturbed.

As Ian Kirby explains, “I think we can all look back on our weekend in Skukuza with mixed feelings, it was as usual the kind of weekend that we all look forward to, great camaraderie on a course that could always be better, but we knew what we are in for before we got there, so there were no great surprises in store.

“The only major surprise was the huge herd of buffalo that stopped play for about 15 minutes on the 4^th hole. Not enough to put Gary Botha off his stride, but certainly a wonderful sight. They say ‘’only in Africa’’ and that’s one we can certainly claim. I think if you had to try and explain it to someone who did not see it, they would battle to comprehend the magnitude and the sheer beauty of it all.

Then, on Sunday night, the heavens opened and the camp was devastated by a huge hail storm. I’m not sure exactly how many Nomads were affected but I do know that there were quite a few – and damages went as high as R80 000 on some cars. Another sobering example of nature at her best or worst.”