Mazabuka Mumblings

GOLF in Mazabuka has never been quite as interestingly, frustratingly annoying as it is right now. After a fair dollop of rain, the fairways and greens are looking pretty smart but once the ball gets into the rough, the

air turns dark purple with expletives. But then it's all part of the game, which we constantly remind ourselves is a great leveller. The expression often used by old golfers when they are trying to explain the game to rookies "It's all in the head" could not be more apt. A swollen head after a good first round will almost certainly lead to a disastrous 2nd round.

Having recently played golf at our old hometown, Tshaneni, in Swaziland, it was interesting and encouraging to see that there are a lot more women are playing golf since we left six years ago. One of the cell phone company's have come up with a brilliant concept, the sponsorship of development golf in Swaziland for women and youths. The company sponsors a local golf pro who spends a certain amount of time coaching at clubs throughout the country. With the abundance of cell phone operators now in Zambia, perhaps one of them could come up with a similar scheme?? Could they perhaps start with Mazabuka?

MANGO's are still in abundance in Maz. Here's a quick Mango Chutney recipe that works well:

Peel and chop 1.5 kg of semi ripe mango's and 750 g of onions. Add 600 ml vinegar, 2 tsp chopped root ginger and two tsp pickling spice (Add two tsp of chopped chilly if you prefer it hot) and simmer gently until mango's are soft. Then add 750 g of dark brown sugar (plain sugar is fine) and boil until thick. Bottle in clean jars.