Kungani Umdlalo Wegalofu Uthandwa Kangaka?

Ngumlobeli wePhaphama! eHawaii

ABADLALI abaningi begalofu basuka eJapane ngendiza beze lapha eHawaii bezofuna ukukwazi ukuyishwila kahle induku lapho beshaya ibhola. EJapane ukuba ilungu leqembu labadlali begalofu elikhetheke kakhulu kungabiza amaRandi ayizigidi ezingu-4,1, okungahlanganisi ngisho nezimali ezikhokhwa njalo ngonyaka. Imali evamile yokukhokhela ukuba ilungu njengamanje ingamaRandi angu-518 375. Ngaleyondlela, amaphesenti angu-15 kuphela abadlali begalofu baseJapane adlalela enkundleni yangempela yegalofu. Benganelisiwe ukushaya amabhola ezinkundleni zakubo eziphawulwe amabanga, beza eHawaii, lapho bezimisele khona ukukhokha imali efinyelela emaRandini angu-275 ngomdlalo owodwa wegalofu—futhi lokho bakubheka njengokushibhile.

Lowo owaqala ukushaya ibhola ngenduku ngenjongo yokulifaka emgodini omncane ngokushaya nje okumbalwa ngangokunokwenzeka cishe akazange alucabange uhlobo lokuthandwa nokuheha lomdlalo kamuva owawuyokubangela. EHawaii kuphela, kunezinkundla zegalofu ezingu-64, phakathi kwazo okukhona iAla Wai, mhlawumbe ematasa kunazo zonke emhlabeni. EUnited States, lapho igalofu liyimboni ebiza amaRandi ayizigidi zezigidi ezingu-55 ngonyaka, umuntu oyedwa kwabayishumi udlala okungenani umdlalo owodwa ngonyaka, futhi kunabantu abayizigidi ezingu-5,5 abadlala okungenani kanye njalo ngesonto lesibili. Akulona ihaba ukuwubiza ngokuthi uyinto ethandwa ngendlela eyanda ngokushesha, kodwa ngani? Yini ebangela lokhu kuthandwa?

Indlela Owaqala Ngayo

Nakuba kungekho muntu oqiniseka ngempela ukuthi umdlalo wegalofu waqala nini nokuthi kuphi, kuyaziwa ukuthi imidlalo eminingi enjengegalofu yayidlalwa eYurophu naseGreat Britain eminyakeni engaphezu kuka-500 edlule. Nokho, kwakungo-1457 lapho kwaqala ukukhulunywa ngegalofu njengomdlalo odlalwa eScotland. Kubonakala sengathi lomdlalo wawuye wathandwa kakhulu kangangokuba iNkosi uJames II yezwa isidingo sokukhipha umyalo wokuba uvalwe ukuze abantu abangaphansi kwakhe bakwazi ukuchitha isikhathi esengeziwe bezivivinyela ukunemba ngomnsalo, ikhono elalidingeka ekuvikeleni umbuso wakhe.

Ngo-1744 iqembu labantu baseScotland lanquma ukuthi kwase kuyisikhathi sokuhlela lomdlalo, liwenzele iqoqo lemithetho ebhaliwe, futhi kumiswe inhlangano yegalofu. IHonourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers yaba khona kanjalo. Eminyakeni eyishumi kamuva, elinye iqembu labadlali eSt. Andrews, eScotland, lazakhela elalo iqembu, lelo kamuva elaziwa ngokuthi iRoyal and Ancient Club of St. Andrews, noma ngokuthi nje iR. and A. Abaningi bayicabangela ukuthi iyona eyasungula imithetho kanye nezimiso zalomdlalo.

Lapho usanda kuqalwa, umdlalo wegalofu wawudlalelwa emagqumeni nasezindundumeni zesihlabathi eziseduze nogu lolwandle. Lokhu kwakwenziwa ngenxa yezizathu ezinenzuzo. Izimvu nonogwaja kwakugcina utshani bubufushane. Izikhisi ezingokwemvelo ezigcina isihlabathi zakheka lapho izimvu zazonakalisa khona inhlabathi engenhla kuze kube sesihlabathini ngezansi. Kwakungabantu basebukhosini nabacebile kuphela ababekwazi ukufinyelela izindleko kanye nesikhathi sokuya kulamalink (izinkundla zegalofu), njengoba zazibizwa kanjalo. Ngokuqinisekile wawungewona umdlalo wabantu abavamile. Eqinisweni, umuntu kwakumelwe acebe ukuze nje akwazi ukuthola amabhola egalofu.

Amabhola egalofu ayesetshenziswa kudala ayenziwa ngesikhumba senkabi, esigxishwe izimpaphe zenkukhu noma ezehansi bese ethungwa ngesandla. Kwakubiza ukuwenza futhi ayeshesha ukuguga. Ukutholakala kwenhlaka yesihlahla iPalaquium gutta saseMalaysia ngo-1848 kwenza kwenzeka ukuba kwenziwe ibhola elisha, elingabizi kakhulu. Lokhu kwenza igalofu lafinyeleleka kalula kakhulu, futhi ngokushesha lomdlalo wathandwa.

Ukukhanga Okwengeziwe

Ngaphezu kokwehla kwezindleko zebhola legalofu kanye namaqembu, ezinye izici eziningi zabangela ukukhanga okwengeziwe kwalomdlalo. Inguquko kwezezimboni yenza ukuba abantu abavamile babe nesikhathi esengeziwe kanye nemali yokuyisebenzisela ukuzilibazisa. Ukwakhiwa kojantshi besitimela kwenza ukuya ezinkundleni zegalofu kwaba lula futhi kwangabiza kakhulu, futhi abadlali begalofu babengaze ngisho baye futhi badlale ezinkundleni ezihlukahlukene. Ukusungulwa komshini wokugunda utshani kwenza kwenzeka ukuba kwakhiwe izinkundla zomdlalo wegalofu ezindaweni kuqala okwakucatshangwa ukuthi akunakwenzeka ngenxa yotshani obude.

Umdlalo wegalofu ukhanga abantu ngezizathu ezihlukahlukene. Abanye ubanikeza ithuba lokujabulela ukuba ngaphandle kanti ngesikhathi esifanayo nelokuzivivinya umzimba kancane. Kwabanye kuyithuba lokubalekela ukucindezeleka kanye nokukhathala okubangelwa isimiso sabo sansuku zonke futhi bathole ukuthula okuncane kanye nokungabi namsindo ezindaweni ezivulekile ezinotshani obugundiwe noma obude. Kanti abanye bajabulela isici sobungane esisemdlalweni wegalofu—uwumdlalo abantu bobudala obuhlukahlukene, izizinda, namakhono abangawudlala ndawonye. Futhi abukho ubudlova obuhambisana nawo.

Nakuba kunjalo, okunye okukhangayo emdlalweni wegalofu kusemqhudelwaneni wobungane owenziwa ngokugcina amaphuzu engashintshashintshi. Ngokungefani nendlela eminye imidlalo eminingi edlalwa ngayo, emdlalweni wegalofu lapho amaphuzu eba phansi kuba ngcono. Kunezindlela eziningi zokuwagcina engashintshi. Emqhudelwaneni wokufaka ibhola emigodini, umdlali ofaka ibhola emgodini ngokushaya nje okumbalwa uyawuwina lowomgodi, bese umdlali owina imigodi eminingi kuwo wonke umdlalo kuba uyena owinile. Emqhudelwaneni wokushaya ibhola, umdlali onengqikithi ephansi kakhulu yenani lokushaya ibhola kuwo wonke umdlalo uyena owinile.

Njengoba abantu abaningi babethutheleka ezinkundleni zomdlalo wegalofu, kwaqala ukuba nemiqhudelwano emikhulu ukuze kubonwe ukuthi obani ababengabadlali abangcono kakhulu. Ekuqaleni, abawinile emiqhudelwaneni emikhulu babeklonyeliswa ngemendlela. Kamuva, kwanezelwa umklomelo wemali. Okwalandela ngokushesha kwaba abadlali begalofu abakhokhelwayo, ababeziphilisa ngokudlala emiqhudelwaneni eminingi ngokulandelana nangokumelela iqembu lomdlalo wegalofu njengelungu elidlalela iqembu elithile isikhathi esinqunyiwe.

Isasasa Lomdlalo Wegalofu Liyanda

Ngo-1894 kwamiswa iGolf Association yaseU.S., futhi ukuthandwa kwegalofu kwakhula kakhulu eMelika. Ngokufika kwelungiselelo lokuhamba wonke umhlaba, isasasa lomdlalo wegalofu lasakazekela nakwezinye izingxenye zomhlaba. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, ukuhamba ngezindiza kwenza kwaba nokwenzeka ukuhlela imiqhudelwano emikhulu kuwo wonke umhlaba, futhi namuhla ithelevishini edlala ngesatellite iye yaletha injabulo, kanye nobuhle bendawo bezinkundla zegalofu zomhlaba ezinhle ezaziwayo, endlini yakho yokuphumula. Ukuthandwa komdlalo wegalofu ngempela kuye kwakhula kakhulu. Kungokufanayo nangomklomelo wemali; wakhula usuka emalini engaphansi kwamaRandi angu-27 500 ngomqhudelwano ngamunye omkhulu ngawo-1930 nawo-1940 waya emaRandini angaphezu kuka-2 750 000 namuhla.

Njengoba umdlalo wegalofu uhambisana nendawo enhle, ngokushesha waba igugu ezindaweni eziningi ezithandwayo zokuchithela amaholide. Ukuze kuhehwe izivakashi ukuba zizosebenzisa imali yazo, izindawo eziningi zokuzijabulisa ezivelele emhlabeni zixhasa izinkundla zomdlalo wegalofu ezaklanywa ochwepheshe bokudweba amapulani. Abathuthukisi bezindawo zokuhlala baqaphela nenzuzo engatholakala ngokuhlanganisa nezinkundla zegalofu zeqophelo eliphezulu njengento ekhanga kakhulu ekuthuthukiseni kwabo izindawo zokuhlala. Umagazini iBusiness Week ubika ukuthi amaphesenti angu-70 ezinkundla zomdlalo wegalofu ezakhiwayo namuhla ayingxenye yokuthuthukiswa kwezindawo.

Igalofu Ngendlela YaseHawaii

Namuhla, iHawaii iyipharadesi labadlali begalofu njengoba kusahlelwa ukuba kube nezinye izinkundla ezingu-61. Nakuba kunjalo, lokho kungase kungabi okwanele ukuze kwaneliswe isidingo, ngoba njengoba isizukulwane sanamuhla esikhathalela ukuhlala sinobungqabavu siguga futhi sithola ukuthi imidlalo enjengokugijima, ithenisi, neracquetball ithanda ukukhandla, abaningi baso baphendukela egalofini.

Kwabanye umdlalo wegalofu uyindlela enhle yokwenza ibhizinisi. Ukuhamba amabanga amade noma ukugibela izinqodlana zasegalofini phakathi nemigodi kunikeza ithuba elikhulu lokuba osomabhizinisi benze imisebenzi yabo yebhizinisi. “Kuye kwanginikeza amahora amahlanu okuba namakhasimende ebengingeke ngibe nawo ngaphambili,” kusho umphathi wenhlangano yezimali, owenza ingxenye enkulu yebhizinisi lakhe enkundleni yomdlalo wegalofu. Abanye baze ngisho banomuzwa wokuthi kuyisidingo ukudlala igalofu kahle ukuze uthuthuke futhi wamukeleke emkhakheni wezamabhizinisi.

Nakuba abantu abaningi behlanganisa igalofu nabantu abacebile nabadumile, izinkundla zomphakathi ziye zasiza ekushintsheni lowomqondo. Zivumela labo abangakwazi ukujoyina iqembu ledolobha ukuba bawujabulele lomdlalo. Izibalo zesizwe zibonisa ukuthi cishe ingxenye yabadlali begalofu eUnited States bangomabhalane noma bayizisebenzi ezenza umsebenzi ophansi. Ngokwesibonelo, izakhamuzi zaseHawaii, zingakwazi ukudlala enkundleni yegalofu yomphakathi ngamaRandi angaphansi kuka-30.

Nakuba kungase kube nezindlela ezingabizi kakhulu zokuchitha usuku kunokuluchitha enkundleni yegalofu, ngomdlali wegalofu akukho okulingana ncamashí nomuzwa wenjabulo wokushaya ibhola ngokushwila induku okwenziwe kahle nokulibona lehlela phansi endaweni evulekile nenotshani obude. Isimo esinokuthula, iphunga elimnandi lotshani obusanda kugundwa, indawo enotshani obugundwe kahle, kanye neqembu labangane konke lokho kuyizinzuzo eziseceleni ezenza lomsebenzi owenziwayo ukhange—ukuphishekela ukukwazi ukushwila kahle induku.

[Imithombo Yezithombe ekhasini 23]

Photo Courtesy of Mauna Kea Beach Hotel

Photo Courtesy of Mauna Kea Beach Hotel