Online Reporter
Bongani Ndlovu, Sunday Life Reporter
VICTORIA Falls could be on the verge of establishing itself as a regional junior golf destination following the successful staging of the inaugural Elephant Hills Mini Majors Junior Golf Championship last weekend.
About 52 young golfers aged between three and 18 converged on Elephant Hills Golf Course for two days of competition, with 11 age-group champions crowned after 36 holes on the Gary Player-designed, par-72 course.
Organised by KuDAnna Legacy House in partnership with Elephant Hills Golf Club, the tournament brought together junior golf development and tourism in a format organisers hope can eventually attract players from beyond Zimbabwe.
For tournament directors Victoria Mungwena, Terry Tshamala and Gamuchirai Makunike, the idea was to give young golfers in the region a championship they could call their own.
“We wanted to give junior golfers in this region a championship of their own — something with the look, feel and stakes of a proper tournament, not just a casual outing,” Mungwena said.
“Matabeleland has so much talent coming through, and we felt it deserved a stage. For this first edition, success simply meant giving these kids an unforgettable, well-run event they’d want to come back to.”
The tournament attracted players from Victoria Falls and beyond, with families, coaches and caddies joining the youngsters for the two-day championship.
The field included young golfers from Coalfields, Chamabondo, Victoria Falls Primary, Mother
Touch, Hwange High, Black Stone, Montrose Girls High School and the Albatross Metropolitan Golf Academy.
The grassroots component was particularly important to the organisers, who want junior golf to reach children who may not have easy access to the sport.
“This is really the heart of the tournament for us,” Mungwena said.
“Seeing players from Chamabondo High School and Hwange High School and other community schools competing alongside more established academies is exactly what we set out to do.
“Junior golf shouldn’t be limited to those with easy access to the sport, and we’re committed to keeping that door open.”
The tournament also went beyond the golf course, with players and their families taken on an open-top double-decker bus tour of Victoria Falls.
There was also a sponsors-and-parents exhibition round, halfway meals and a cocktail evening for parents and guardians at the resort’s Lookout Café.
Mungwena said the off-course activities were intended to ensure that visiting families experienced Victoria Falls while attending the championship.
“Golf was always the core of the weekend, but we wanted families to leave with more than just a scorecard,” she said.
“Having time to see Victoria Falls made it a proper experience for players and parents travelling from out of town, and it reflects the kind of tournament we want the Mini Majors to be.”
The approach could give the event an added sports-tourism dimension as the organisers look to grow the championship.
On the course, Bradley Gondo emerged as the champion in the 15-18 Years boys’ category with a two-round total of 170, while Courtney Chipanda won the corresponding girls’ with 182.
Sibusiso Moyo won the 13-14 Years boys’ category on 175, with Christine Nyoni taking the girls’ title.
Ropafadzo Manyau won the 11-12 Years girls’ category, while Masimba Ruwona claimed the 9-10 Years boys’ title.
Other winners were Allanna Mia, Anwell Moyo, King Fisher, Sam Fusai and Vida Fusai.
The champions received specially commissioned elephant-shaped trophies, giving the tournament a distinctive identity linked to Elephant Hills and the wildlife associated with Victoria Falls.
But the organisers are already looking beyond the inaugural edition.
They plan to expand the tournament from its current 36-hole format to 54 holes and eventually attract junior golfers from outside Zimbabwe.
“Once we saw the calibre of golf and the energy around this first edition, it became clear the format could carry more,” Mungwena said.
“Expanding to 54 holes lets us test the players further and bring in a stronger international field, positioning Victoria Falls alongside other regional age-group championships.”
Such an expansion could give Zimbabwean junior golfers an opportunity to compete against players from other countries while bringing visiting players and their families to Victoria Falls.
Mungwena said the response to the inaugural event had also provided important lessons as they prepare for the next edition.
“The biggest takeaway is that the appetite is there — from players, parents and sponsors,” she said.
“Logistically, we learnt a lot about managing a field this size across two days, and we’ll be refining things like pace of play and scoring turnaround for the next edition as we scale towards 54 holes.”
The Mini Majors forms part of a wider junior golf programme under the KuDAnna Legacy House banner.
The organisation has two further events planned before the end of the year — the Rainforest Pink October tournament in October and the Bulawayo Mini Major Junior Challenge in the first week of December.
Organisers also thanked Zimbabwe Golf Association president Blessmore Gandawa, Matabeleland Junior Golf Association president Phillip Tshuma and Hwange Golf Club for their support.
With the first edition now complete, the organisers believe the Mini Majors has provided a foundation on which to build a bigger junior golf championship in Victoria Falls.
The challenge now is to turn that first taste of success into an annual competition capable of attracting the region’s best young golfers while continuing to give children from less-established backgrounds an opportunity to compete.
