It was while working deep in rural KwaZulu-Natal on a local wildlife sustainability project in a local village that renowned golf course photographer Grant Leversha suddenly thought of golf. It was a strange thought to have in a village where boreholes are more important than birdies. And yet, it was the perfect thought in terms of wildlife sustainability.

Leversha returned with the idea of creating a golf tournament to help the Fisher Foundation he works for amplify its work as a non-profit focusing on conservation and education among the youth living in communities adjacent to South Africa’s national parks and protected wildlife areas. The ultimate goal being to empower them to become active custodians of South Africa’s precious natural heritage.

When he mentioned the idea to a few of South Africa’s leading sportsmen who are also avid golfers, they jumped at the opportunity to support it. The result was the first Conservation Cup 27-hole team tournament at Pearl Valley featuring an array of stars such as Jacques Kallis, Hanyani Shimange, Graeme Smith, Mark Boucher, Schalk Burger Jnr, Schalk Brits, Juandré Kruger, Gary Teichmann, André Joubert, Robbie Fleck, Gcobani Bobo, Odwa and Akona Ndungane, Mark Fish and Neil Tovey, and several business giants.

“I jumped at the chance to captain my team, the Pangolins, because I think it’s a great cause. None of us want any animals to disappear and for our children to be denied seeing them. As sportsmen we can make a difference because we are in the public eye, and it’s amazing to see how many people came out to support this event,” said Kallis.

“It’s great to see all the sportsmen here, and this was the first time I’ve ever captained a golf team,” added Shimange, who captained his team, the Rhinos. “I love taking my family to the bush and when I was first told about this initiative I definitely wanted to be part of it. It’s important work being done to raise funds for the kids who live in rural communities around our nature reserves so they can learn the skills to work in the conservation environment. That’s how you break cycles and create futures for people.”

This was another powerful example of golf’s ability to unite people around common causes.

It’s not unique, with professional golfers Justin Walters and Dean Burmester having set up Birdies4Rhinos and pulled in fellow professionals including Tommy Fleetwood, Ryan Fox, Nicole Garcia, Garrick Higgo and Stacy Bregman to donate an amount for every birdie they make in the season to rhino conversation.

Having witnessed a rhino dehorning which affected him deeply, Burmester is only too pleased with the support for their cause.

“To see such a graceful animal having to go through the dehorning ordeal for something we as humans have done – and it’s defenceless against us – is very sad. It makes me want to fight against it every day. Hopefully us playing golf and making birdies makes a difference,” he said.

Mark Boucher, an avid and highly capable golfer, was one of the first South African sportspeople to build a strong groundswell of support around rhino conservation.

“I’ve always said that the more people who pull together for conservation, the better for all of us. We’re a big sporting nation so it’s great to see so many sportsmen coming out to support things like the Conservation Cup.”

Graeme Smith is also more than happy to always use his spot in a golf day to promote conservation. “It is something that’s close to many of our hearts. A few of us in the cricket space have spent a lot of time investing back into wildlife conservation.”

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And Gcobani Bobo spoke with passion when he explained why he was happy to support an initiative like the Conservation Cup. “I want to cherish what we have in our country and help protect it. I’ve got a young family and I’d want them to be part of a heritage we can all protect,” he said.

Golf is certainly making a difference for conservation.

“It’s making a big impact. We now cover 29 reserves primarily in Africa and the East, and this makes a dramatic difference in the work we do,” says Bruce “Doc” Watson, the executive chairman of the Connected Conservation Foundation which benefits directly from Birdies4Rhinos.

Even at a tournament level, an event such as the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek does an incredible amount to showcase South African wildlife globally and the success that can be achieved in a delicate balance between golf and game.

“You look at Leopard Creek. Everything is ecologically sustainable. If you walk around the property you won’t see a single non-indigenous plant. The Alfred Dunhill Championship is a great platform to show people worldwide how our wildlife is being threatened,” said Tony Johnstone, who through his television golf commentary does valuable work highlighting conservation.

Golf is a powerful catalyst for change, and in South Africa it’s definitely making an impact on the future of conservation.

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IMAGES: TYRONE WINFIELD/SHAUN ROY/CARL FOURIE/SUNSHINE TOUR