JEFFREYS BAY – The legendary South African golfer, Gary Player, didn’t take Pixie Phillips into account when he said you can play golf whether you are 8 or 80 years old many years ago.
Phillips, a beloved member of the Jeffreys Bay Golf Club, still plays golf every now and then at the age of 99.
In celebrating her milestone birthday, the club recently honoured her with a bench and special golden plaque on the first tee in her honour. At the age of 92, she played in the Eastern Province Women’s Senior Golf (EPSWG). Even more remarkable is that she still pulled her own golf trolley at the age of 96.
She has been loved and respected for her contribution to the club since 1983. Because of a sore back, she is currently not playing, but is determined to be back on the course to play a few holes.
Pixie started playing golf in Zimbabwe when she was only three years old. When she and her husband moved to Jeffreys Bay in 1983, they first tried to see where the church was. And the golf club was next.
Pixie was part of a group that found the ladies’ section and is still very much involved. She does not miss an annual general meeting and does not hesitate to give her opinion. When she talks, the meeting listens; her inputs are valued and taken to heart.
Pixie is still very much involved in club matters. She is a regular at club functions and makes plenty of potatoes for their steak evenings, sells raffle tickets and then waits for the ladies to finish a round of golf so that they can sit and relax.
Currently, she is knitting beanies for disadvantaged children for the winter months. She always believed in giving and is therefore a good example of how to live with gratitude. She is always prepared to give more than she receives.
Pixie was a maths teacher in Port Elizabeth in her seventies, driving to her classroom in Port Elizabeth on a daily basis. Ladies’ captain, Hes Niemand, said Pixie is a phenomenal woman who deserves a statue in Jeffreys Bay. “She lives independently in her own home, and does everything for herself, never asking someone for help. I call her regularly for advice, and she is always ready with an answer.”
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