Sports Briefing
Giraffes, wart hogs join golfers in South Africa

	DENIS FARRELL / AP A giraffe watches players on the fifth fairway of the Hans Merensky Estate golf course in Phalaborwa, South Africa.
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Golfers face more than the usual hazards of flying balls and runaway carts on the Hans Merensky Estate course in Phalaborwa, South Africa.

Bordering one of Africa's largest game reserves, the 18-hole course features a mix of manicured greens and wild bush. Wart hogs search for food on the edge of the putting green and giraffes sip from the ponds on the 475 acres.

The club, 225 miles from Johannesburg, was built in 1967 by the Phalaborwa Mining Company for employees of its copper operation. It was sold to its current owners two years ago.

From the entrance, a dirt road winds past a group of frolicking vervet monkeys, along rolling fairways lined with thatched-roofed chalets, and into thick bush at the southern end of the course.

Skirted by Kruger National Park on its eastern border and the smaller Cleveland Private Game Park to the south, the owners found it impossible to keep animals off the course — so they embraced them.

An opening in the perimeter fence lets in antelope and crocodiles, but is low enough to discourage all but the most determined elephants and buffaloes.

The animals have become the main reason why people play golf there. "My wife can join me on the course," Belgian tourist Arne Secelle said. "I play. She looks for animals. It's great."

Martina Gronwald and Adi Van der Walt traveled from Germany for the experience.

"We had a big giraffe walking with us the whole way yesterday," Van der Walt said.

Golfers must sign an indemnity form before they can play. Game specialist Greg Austin takes a morning sweep of the perimeter to make sure the more dangerous animals haven't gotten in during the night.

"It's easy, we just look for the tracks," Austin said.

A barrier made of steel bars strung with barbed wire and 10,000-volt electrical fencing once was snapped nearly in two by an elephant. The elephant was spotted grazing among the trees, and a helicopter herded it back to the game reserve.

"We have been playing next to lions and leopards, buffalo and elephants, and nothing has happened," said Thys Fourre, 73, a 40-year member.

But head pro Sean Pappas isn't taking chances. In 1998, a German visitor was trampled to death by an elephant when she frightened it with her camera flash. It was the course's only fatality, and Pappas intends to keep it that way.

"We take extra precautions," he said. "The tourists' naiveté about big game and predators can put them at risk."

• Herman Keiser, the 1946 Masters champion, died Wednesday in Copley, Ohio, of complications of Alzheimer's disease. He was 89.

The five-time PGA Tour winner beat Ben Hogan by one shot in the Masters, Keiser's first trip to Augusta, Ga., after serving nearly three years in the Navy in World War II.

Soccer

Real Madrid superstars, including Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane, were among the selections for French sports daily L'Equipe's Team of the Year.

Brazilian forward Ronaldo and French midfielder Zidane were joined by teammates David Beckham, a midfielder, and defender Roberto Carlos.

Votes were cast by the paper's soccer writers.

Also on the team were Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and teammates Pavel Nedved and Lilian Thuram and the AC Milan duo of Alessandro Nesta and Paolo Maldini.

Chelsea's Claude Makelele and Arsenal forward Thierry Henry also made the team.

— Seattle Times news services

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