About Nomads?

Nomads Golf was first established here in South Africa in 1960. As its members were drawn from various clubs and played their regular competitions on a variety of different courses, the Nomads namn seemed particylarly appropriate.

Nomads Golf has flourished in the Republic, it has established clubs in all provinces and its nationa championship held annually boasts 360+ players.

In 1960, soon after the life story of American golfing legend, Ben Hogan, was portrayed in the movie, Follow the Sun, Mike Florance and his committee announced the formation of the ‘Follow the Sun’ Nomads Golf Club under the aegis of the National War Memorial Health Foundation. The lapel badge was similar to the Nomads badge we have now hanging from the name bar, but it consisted of a bell alone with a scroll at the top edge, with the legends Follow the Sun and Onthou 1939-1945 immediately above the bell. The background colours were yellow (sun) in the upper half and green (grass) in the lower half. The choice of the bell was prompted by a line from the Meditations of John Donne – For Whom the Bell Tolls – symbolising remembrance of those who had lost their lives in World War II. This is now our creed.

Nomads uses the common ground presented to us in Golf, to encourage and foster the development of life-long friendships, through which we can as a collective band of like-minded individuals foster involvement in the promotion of the game we love so much, as well as uplift the lives of those less fortunate within our own communities.

Nomads is one of GolfRSA’s biggest partners and is a major player when it comes to the development of golf in South Africa.  So here is all you need to know about what Nomads is and does, why the organisation is so important and how you can join this wonderful club.

NOMADS - the unsung heroes of South African golf.

It’s possible that you might never have come across Nomads - or that you may have heard the name but know very little about the organisation that plays such a vital role in the South African golfing landscape.

Yet without Nomads, South African golf would likely look very different to how we know it today.  We golfers all owe Nomads a debt of gratitude - and what better way of paying it forward than becoming a member of your local Nomads Club, so that you too can make a difference through the game of golf.

Founded back in 1960, Nomads Golf Club has played a prominent role in growing the game of golf in South Africa for over 60 years.  The support Nomads gives to junior golf (boys and girls), including the sponsorship of 12 GolfRSA junior events, has contributed to the development of many champion golfers over the years.

In fact, Nomads contributes upwards of a R2 million a year to the Furtherance of Golf, through the financial support of junior, ladies, development golf and disabled golf.

Nomads has also run the official live scoring system of the Sunshine Tour since the early 1960s, providing a modern, reliable and efficient service to professional golfers throughout the year.  Named Golforama, the roving Nomads volunteers make use of handheld electronic devices to send scores through to their ‘linkman’ in the Golforama caravan, keeping you, the viewer, up to date with player scores.

In return for Nomads’ input, the Tour contributes a significant amount towards the Nomads’ Furtherance of Golf projects.  These funds are donated to various golfing bodies around the country, with the bulk of the funds spent on the development of golf from grassroots level.

The Andrew Mentis Endowment Fund channels the funds generated by each club for distribution to charitable causes, assisting people, regardless of race, color or creed, in a less fortunate position than ourselves.

Monies raised are donated to a pre-selected beneficiary that operates within each club’s own geographical area, in the form of a tangible asset upon which the Nomads emblem is displayed.  It is important to note that no cash is ever handed over.

The defined aims of the Nomads Golf Club neatly summarise what we are all about:

• We provide an opportunity for persons of all walks of life to meet one another at least once a month, to play a game of golf and to make new and cement old friendships.
• We encourage, promote, foster and support the game of golf.
• We generate funds for distribution to charitable causes and assist those persons, regardless of race, color or creed, in a less fortunate position than ourselves.

So how and why do we do it?  Well for starters, there are 12 provincial Nomads Clubs, based across the country.  Since Nomads has no home course, golfers meet once a month to play a game of golf together in their area, making new friendships and renewing old ones both on and off the course.

Being a Nomad requires a deep commitment to golf, to the community at large and to your fellow man.  Membership of Nomads is by invitation only, from an existing member, and so if reading this has evoked a deep feeling of synergy within you, then we invite you to approach a member of Nomads at your home club and learn more about what Nomads involvement would mean.

Put simply though, it means contribution - and that contribution would be of the most sought-after commodity you can offer: yourself.