Over 80 golfers at Mark Bostock Memorial Tourney

by S.M. Jiffrey ABDEEN - Kandy Sports Corr. at Victoria

Over eighty golfers are expected to vie for honours at the Annual Mark Bostock Memorial golf championship organised by the Victoria Golf and Country Resort and sponsored by John Keells Limited which will be worked off at the beautiful picturesque Victoria golf course at Rajawella off Kandy next Saturday (May 7th) with the first tee off at 7.00 a.m.

Nothing is closer to the heart of Victoria than this golf championship which is conducted in memory of that great sportsman and entrepreneur late Mark Bostock whose vision and foresight resulted in the birth of a Victoria golf course on a sprawling 558-acre coconut plantation surrounded on one side by the Victoria reservoir.

This coconut plantation which is part of Mahaberiatenna Estate was once a Dutch farm due to its excellent climatic conditions and the availability of fodder in plenty.

Later it was developed into a plantation of mixed crops which included cocoa, pepper, rubber and fruit trees.

This golf course which was opened for golfers in 1998 with the Donald Steel Championships turned out to be a fantastic project and has won the award for the Best Golf Course in the Sub-Continent on three occasions besides winning other awards and also emerging as runner up several times.

Tony Witham - first G.M.

Tony Witham was its first General Manager followed by Englishman Mike Varney and now Australian born Errol Johnston who with the help of the staff is doing an excellent job not only to maintain the golf course to very high international standards but also to upgrade the existing facilities from time to time to lure not only the golf tourists but also others to spend quiet holiday in sylvan surroundings.

Late Mark Bostock was a fine cricketer, ruggerite and marksman. He played for CH and FC and for Uva and Upcountry and earned name for himself in rifle shooting.

The defending champion of Mark Bostock Memorial Golf Championship is South African born Johan Taylor who is also the rugby coach of Kandy Sports Club and played most of his golf in Ireland while playing and coaching rugby.

Single round Stableford tourney

This competition will be a single round Stableford Championship and the golfer returning the Best Nett Score will walk away with the handsome Mark Bostock Memorial Trophy. Besides there will also be competitions for ladies, gentlemen for the Best Nett Total, Best Gross Total, Nearest to the Fin, Longest drive etc.